Hello again from Marlene Graham and let me tell you I feel like I am whirring in so many directions between being a single mom, a business owner, a traveler, a writer and a 51 year old woman! Yikes did I just write that? Can't be me I'm talking about. Of course I'm referring to the very last descriptor, but the way I see it is I'm still natural and I still look okay and so if I decide someday to enhance, I can be in my 40s again right? Which would of course technically make me in my 30s since the 40s is the new 30s right?
Amazing how we can "spin" things these days to mean whatever we want them to mean. Used to only be the domain of politicians and celebrities. But now regular people can PR themselves however they want. But back to the age thing, as we all know the bottom line is it doesn't matter our age. That we can't do anything about chronologically. It matters what we do with the life we have. Don't want to take up space needlessly. That's what I always tell my kids. It's a gift to be here on the planet. And an even better gift to be in Naples, though I have to say as full-time residents we sometimes take all that for granted.
The other philosophical thing I want to reiterate (after all there are no original thoughts in the world) and see in writing so I can keep reminding myself -- Oh my gosh, I went back to fix a typo and now I forgot the thought -- hmmm wonder if THAT can be fixed. Oh yeah, yeah, now I remember: The thing I want to reiterate is to enjoy life as you go along. Don't let the bad times and the bad events usurp the good. The journey is your life. The destination is the end of your life, so unless you are tired of earth, you never REALLY consciously want to reach that destination. But, of course, in the process of the journey you need to use some caution in terms of finances and life choices because they do guide you along the way: They could shorten your time here, or there is also the possibility that you could live a LONG LONG time and have to incorporate those choices into your long life. So make the best of it.
Ack! How did I get on that train! Guess I'd better hop off at the next station. By the way if you want to see something "interesting" check out www.TheMostInterestingWomanInTheWorld.com .
So onto Naples, the weather has been hot, but not unbearably so. Tourism goes up and down. One week we will be busy, the next not so much. Great happy hours. The ups and downs of the tourism market have prompted some great deals with restaurants and clubs.
Real estate has been quite busy. If we could get all the appraisals to work out and the loans to come through, we would be going nuts! And if people didn't have such a fear factor. But that is starting to change. People with cash are coming in and scooping up the deals. I just sold a two bedroom, two bath condo four miles from downtown Naples and the beaches for $35,000. You read that right -- 1300 square feet, great deal and the buyer started to second guess herself. Though she might be paying too much till I mentioned that she was buying for the price of an economical car. That's when she remembered that the car she owns did cost more. Yikes! The last time this unit sold it sold for $219,000 and at least one sold for just under $300,000. With a renter in there we're talking Cashflow City!
Reminds me of the $100,000 condo in Forest Glen I was trying to get people to buy. I took FIVE people there over a weekend and probably drove the Realtor on the other side crazy with all the showings. In the end, not a one of those people saw the unit for the phenomenal deal that it was (These had sold for almost $400,000 previously) and so someone else got the deal. Had any of my people jumped on it, they would already have some $60,000 equity in the unit in just a matter of three to four months. Saying I told you so makes neither me nor my clients any money. But what are you gonna do. I still love my clients.
It has been rainy lately. But that's not a bad thing. I'd love to see a lot of rain in the next few week to fill up our lakes and ponds.
Anyway check out these new sites of mine to learn more about our area: www.NaplesTouristCenter.com,
www.BonitaTouristCenter.com, www.EsteroTouristCenter.com, www.MarcoTouristCenter.com.
And again, you might really get a bit of a chuckle out of this: www.TheMostInterestingWomanInTheWorld.com.
By the way, I saw that new Adam Sandler movie yesterday. Not what I expected especially since I took my 16-year old son with me. I think it is called Funny People. The movie had some potential if the main characters hadn't been SO overly fixated on their male body parts in order to be funny. A little raunchiness is okay. But way too much in this one. I remember a day when this would have been an X rated movie. Now its just great hilarity. Or so that is the idea.
And really ... I'm not such a prude. Just needed some tweaking. The movie, that is, not me. Maybe next time they should call me. And okay, I know what you are thinking. It is possible I could use some tweaking too.
Later everyone!
