Marlene's REAL ESTATE life in NAPLES FLORIDA!

What's Moving in Naples Florida

by Marlene Graham, Downing-Frye Realty, (239) 821-9046  marlenegraham@earthlink.net   http://www.napleshomefinders.com/

People are getting "curiouser" and "curiouser" (to borrow some incorrect wordage from "Alice in Wonderland") about Naples Florida real estate. And that's a good thing. Especially for those who are not only curious, but have foresight.

So here's the scoop about what is happening: Finally our mid-market is starting to move. That would be the $400,000 to a million market which has sat and sat, looking out first at the multi-million dollar market with envy and then at the $100,000 to $400,000 market which starting popping about five months ago and continues to pop. Naples News article  

So now it is safe to say all our real estate price points have swung into motion now.

When I look at the sales board at our Naples Fifth Avenue (The Marlene Graham Team) office, July sales were well punctuated with $500,000 plus sales. And this week I worked with some folks who may well make an offer on a 1.1 mill home that just months ago was priced at 1.6. And wow! Is it a beauty! In fact, it was to be the model for a specific builder in a Lely development who started pulling out all the stops, but when he realized he was too undercapitalized to continue on with such grand plans, Stock Development, the Lely Resort developer, agreed to back the neighborhood and this specific unit and market it themselves. Just the front doors on this home cost $17,000. Yikes!

Interestingly, the folks who are hoping to negotiate this deal are not newbies to our market, they are a late-40s couple from Ohio who through the years have already bought two homes in Naples. They know about the highs and lows, and they think the time is right to upgrade.

Just a little while ago, while grabbing a bite to eat at Yabba Island Grill on Fifth Avenue (www.yabbaislandgrill.com), I chatted with some developers from a small town in Pennsylvania, Chambersburg (www.chambersburg.org), Greg and Sara Shellhase, and though they say it has been a little slow in their market, as in all markets, they are holding their own. They still have plans to more forward with even more developments than the patio-type homes they are currently selling in the 200s. They are just moving forward, slowly but surely. And the slowdown is giving them the opportunity to fly to Naples more often and enjoy their place here. So see THERE is always a silver lining to everything.

I have to say though that it is great to finally read MORE positive than negative articles on the Naples Real Estate market of late, and to get all those emails from people requesting property information.

Sure it could be better, but at least we have gone past the trickle. In fact Downing-Frye in general is reporting a much, much better year than last, and we are out of season right now. Summer is traditionally slow, but even so the bargain hunters have decided the area is well worth the summertime trip. And my HGTV House Hunters episode aired again in July (the third time) with more response than ever. People actually took time to look me up on the internet and to write. And at least a couple are planning scouting trips here soon. www.napleshomefinders.com, www.naplesagents.com

Something else interesting. About two months ago the Europeans were here in full force, and most of the real estate inquiries were from the foreign market, particularly Canadians. The past 30 days, however, the Americans are getting brave. IN the past few days I've met folks from Ohio, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Texas, and even California. That's good to see.

So this article won't be as long winded as most of mine tend to be. I just wanted to update you on the real estate market a bit. I have to say as I sit in my office at 7:30 p.m. on this Wednesday evening and look out at the people gathering around our windows, pointing at the prices with surprise, it is a good feeling. Naples has long been out of the price range of a lot of people, but the ones that grasp what is happening are having another chance at going "Back to the Future." And from the looks on their faces, you can see that the concept is starting to sink in. Imagine buying a relatively new condo with golf course playing privileges included, beautiful views, within 6.5 miles of downtown Old Naples for less than $200,000.

Trust me. It is stunning when you consider these units were more than $400,000 not so long ago -- and they will start heading upward again soon enough once more and more people fall off the fence, or hop as the case may be!

Have a great and properous day everyone!

NEWS GETS BETTER AND BETTER!

by Marlene Graham, Downing-Frye Realty, (239) 821-9046  marlenegraham@earthlink.net

As you can imagine it is nice to see a ray of sunshine in terms of the Naples area real estate market instead of just that elusive light at the end of the tunnel.

Last week I made two sales. One was a single family home on a canal (no bridges, two minutes if that from the bay) within easy walking distance to downtown for around $800,000. It had previously sold for over a million several years back, and even that person had made a nice buy because shortly thereafter it had probably gone up to a value of 1.4 million.

He did not sell it, however, because he was not an investor and was using it as a vacation home. But now that he WANTED to sell to use his money for something else, he was willing to take a loss rather than wait for prices to head back up. And so our new client made a nice deal.

The other deal is one we made with a developer on a coachhome to be constructed. We asked for a price reduction and some additional clubhouse incentives and are waiting for the answer still. If we get what we are hoping for, our client will close next year on a spacious coachhome with a two-car garage for a bit under $300,000. Previously even in resale, a unit of this quality and caliber would have been in the 500s.

By the way, just because our market is recovering, that does not mean that prices are skyrocketing. There seems to be some confusion on that. Recovering means that people are finally here buying up the bargains (in fact we're seeing multiple contracts on the most extreme bargains). As a result, prices have been going up a bit, but there is still time to get a great deal.

The only problem to that thesis, however, is the person who takes this opportunity to the extreme: has a chance on an "extreme deal", decides he/she is going to make it the "extreme, extreme" deal, loses the deal and then decides he will buy later when sellers come to their senses. Barring a new financial disaster or the "ice age" that will probably not happen since we didn't just hit a bottom here, we hit an extreme bottom. And if you know Naples, you know this is a town that is hard to duplicate anywhere in the nation in regard to beaches, codes, our historic downtown, our tidiness, our community pride, and the top-end price point. It's nice to spend $300,000 in a community where you know someone else is paying upward of 30 to 40 million sometimes, to enjoy the same community, the same amenities, and the same small town charm with big city amenities.

So back to that bitter buyer.

Just because you can't save five dollars on a shirt doesn't mean you shouldn't save four dollars. You don't want to get mad about what you missed and then pay full retail in the end. Around our office we refer to that phenomenon as losing a quarter trying to save a dime. Just be happy you have this rare opportunity and take advantage of it! Buy something before the cycle completely reverses itself. The pendulum does swing both ways.

I also have to laugh about human nature. When most of the true Realtors (those who treat it as a career, not just a way to make a quick buck in good times) realized we had, for the most part, hit the bottom four months or so ago, the Naples News was still reflecting the negative side of everything. And I completely understand that. I was a journalist for years and I still am, so I understand the journalistic tendencey to be cynical and the effort to avoid being a public relations arm. The paper would call me up for interviews and I'd be Polly Perky because as an investor myself and one who has been willing to take the risks associated with expanding my real estate business operation in a down market, my ear has most certainly been glued to the ground. I live this everyday. The journalists don't. And, as we all know, by the time statistics come out and are compiled, they are old.

But anyway, everytime I'd say something positive in any medium, the negative bloggers would come out just beating up all my comments and indicating that I was quite naive or just hopeful. No doubt it has been frustrating feeling like the lone voice in the wind, even among many other Realtors. And whenever the paper did come out with an article tinged in the positive, they understandably so, would qualify it with a negative.

Well now the paper is finally starting to write mostly positive articles because statistics have caught up to the market and the reporters clearly see that the market has turned the corner. And what happens? The bloggers are now beating up on the newspaper about being in bed with the Realtors, etc. Too funny. Not so long ago we were mad at the paper for being so negative and out of touch with what was really happening in the market.

Guess THEY can't win either!

But much of that has to do with the fact that people tend to write and talk when things are bad. That's when most songwriters come out with their tunes. When they are sad and introspective. And when things are better or good most people just run around with big grins on their faces and they don't feel like writing.  : ) Can't blame then really. But what the negative people don't realize is by being all "gloom and doom" they only hurt themselves and their communities. And if they are doing that to drive prices down even further so they can finally buy, then they are waiting too long. The time is now to "shut up" and "put up." And I mean that is a nice way. Buy the deals now very quietly because soon everyone will know that what I am saying is valid.

Speaking of the paper, this article just appeared in the Sunday Naples News. Enjoy! Marlene Graham (239) 821-9046 marlenegraham@earthlink.net, www.napleshomefinders.com

Buyers back: Naples home sales up

in May

By LAURA LAYDEN
Originally published 5:07 p.m., Friday, June 13, 2008
Updated 9:25 p.m., Friday, June 13, 2008

Buyers are back.

In May, home sales rose again in the Naples area. There were 476 sales, compared to 451 last year, a 6 percent increase, according to a monthly report by the Naples Area Board of Realtors.

Meanwhile, pending sales spiked 37 percent to 578, from 421 a year ago.

The report tracks home sales in Collier County, excluding Marco Island.

The single-family home market saw the most action. There was an 85 percent increase in pending sales and an 18 percent increase in sales last month, according to NABOR.

“Actually, June has been better. It is phenomenal. I cannot tell you how encouraged we are by the activity in June,” said Charlie Hummel, broker for Century 21 #1 Sunbelt Realty off Pine Ridge Road.

His office is seeing a lot of activity at the “very high end” and in eastern Collier County, particularly in Golden Gate Estates.

“A lot of activity is coming from Ave Maria, from people who work out there and they don’t want to live at Ave Maria,” Hummel said.

He said more programs and help are available now for first-time buyers.

“Evidently, FHA loans are more in vogue now,” he said of the low-interest loans that offer lower down payments.

Sue Myhelic, a Realtor and owner of Gulf Breeze Real Estate at Tin City in Naples, describes the buyers as a “mix of people,” including renters that now can afford to buy and foreign investors.

“It really has picked up on the foreign end. I’m working with some people from the UK and some people from Germany right now,” Myhelic said.

For foreigners, Naples has become an even better bargain because on top of the lower prices their money is worth more because of a weak dollar.

She said to see pending sales spike so high is “huge.”

“That is over 5 percent of the listings that we have. So that is fabulous,” she said.

The report shows there are 11,175 listings in the Naples area in the Sunshine MLS, or Multiple Listing Service. That’s down slightly from 11,980 a year ago.

Joe Ballarino, president of Amerivest Realty in Naples, found that pending sales for February, March, April and May were up more than 20 percent in the Naples and Bonita Springs markets over last year. There were 3,052, compared to 2,533 in that period in 2007.

May had the largest gain at 40 percent, with 749 sales, compared to 532 a year ago, according to his research.

More buyers are out in part because of a rising number of foreclosures, which has helped spur lower prices, area Realtors say.

In Collier County, there were 664 new foreclosure filings in May, up from 641 in April.

“It’s not slowing down,” Clerk of Courts Dwight Brock said.

Collier ranked 12th in the state for foreclosure-related filings in May. It had 893, up 413 percent from a year ago, but down 14 percent from April, according to Irvine, Calif.-based RealtyTrac.

Meanwhile, Lee County ranked first in the state for foreclosure filings with 4,311 in May, up 323 percent from a year ago and 26 percent from April. Those filings include notification of pending lawsuits, default notices, and bank repossessions.

“Everyone wants to feel they got a good deal. That is a normal reaction. So whether it be a foreclosure or whether it’s a seller giving on the price, those kinds of factors all make the buyers feel better about their purchase,” said Michael Hughes, a vice president for Downing-Frye Realty Inc. in Naples.

The median home price in the Naples area fell to $350,000 in May, from $389,000 a year ago, according to NABOR’s report.

Overall, home sales for less than $300,000 increased 39 percent with 231 in May, compared to 166 a year ago.

But it’s not just the lowest end of the market that is seeing activity.

Pending sales for homes priced between $300,000 and $500,000 increased 97 percent, and they were up 52 percent for homes priced at more than $2 million.

Overall, single-family home sales increased 18 percent, with 233 in May, compared to 197 a year ago. Single-family home sales in the less than $300,000 category saw a 110 percent increase — at 84.

Condo sales continue to lag behind. They decreased 4 percent, with 243 in May, compared to 254 a year ago. But pending sales increased slightly to 244.

North Naples saw the most sales at 148. That was followed by the Naples beach area with 118 and central Naples with 117.

Hughes called the May numbers both “staggering and encouraging.”

“The story to me is that this is the fourth month in a row that pending contracts have exceeded last year’s, month to month,” he said.

Orlando is seeing the same trend, which tells him that “certain pockets in Florida are showing some significant improvements,” he said.

So far this year, his agents have turned in 1,050 pending contracts to the accounting department.

“I’m pretty happy with that, considering the overall economy,” he said.

Last month, his company had just under 2,000 showings, Hughes said.

The phones keep on ringing.

To view NABOR’s full report, go to http://NaplesArea.com.

Angry Buyer Now Morphing into the "Reverse Nervous" Buyer!

Today I had a weird experience in my Downing-Frye Realty 5th Avenue office. Our agent Jerry Breshin was on duty when a fellow walked in who had previously worked with another one of our agents, Warren Dufner. I don't know how long ago, but at some point, a few weeks back this fellow had been in Naples looking at villas in the Blue Heron neighborhood, off Radio Road.

Blue Heron was largely purchased by last minute investors, despite a lackluster developer, so ultimately it took a harder hit than many other developments -- and since I own there among my other properties -- I tend to think the extreme hit was unfair. (Why wouldn't I? I'm human too!) In any case, since Warren was out of town, Jerry volunteered to reshow him villas that he had seen previously.

One of the short sales remained, but to his disappointment, the two villas that were listed for $205,000 were gone. Now he was having to look at several in the $220s. (At the height, several of these sold in the low to mid-400s). In talking with him about the current real estate climate, I told him we had just gone through and were still in fact going through the stage of the "angry buyer." The definition of that would be the person (I should say skeptic) who has read all the media reports for months about how this has been such an incredible "buyers market" for nearly three years and how in light of foreclosures and short sales, etc., they can still accomplish the ultra-ultra-steal when in fact they can ONLY do the ultra-steal. (Yep, there is still time!) And soon it will be just the "steal" which by season should segway into the "good buy."

But the funny part is that this fellow actually told ME that he was now in the 'nervous' stage.

Now over the past few years that would have meant he was 'nervous' that if he bought now, prices would go down. But the fact is he was 'nervous' that prices would go UP if he didn't act this summer. And he already had evidence that such was the case. Wow! Talk about a change in direction! The "Reverse Nervous Buyer!" Do I hear angels singing somewhere?

Now I can't blame the "Angry Buyer". (Thank goodness our "reverse" potential buyer had already seen the light, but the truth is that the "enlightened buyer" is still a rare scenario right now.) If I'd had some money to invest over the past three to six months, I would have been filling up my shopping cart when the true bottom hit for many neighborhoods. That was the point at which people felt they couldn't give anything away at any price and that helplessness caused some people who didn't even have the need to do so to basically give their properties away in a kamikaze move. (I had a Wall Street gazillionaire price two of his units soooo low in order to create a tax loss that Realtors in this "down market" were giving me a "heads up" about the typo in my MLS listings.)

And when people who can afford to hold their properties start doing the kamikaze, well heck, that forces the mere mortals among us who can't afford to do the "limbo" ("how low can you go...") to fall under the bar into the dreaded foreclosure or short sale due to a lack of funds to take to the closing table (in order to compete price-wise) and not enough income to keep a holdin' on. (Heck many REALTORS have lost their homes in this economic environment.)

My rich seller, for example, sold his Blue Heron villa on a lake for $195,000 -- two bedrooms and a den, two-car garage, tray ceiling, bay window in the bedroom, tile throughout the main living areas, never lived with many upgrades, only five miles or so to the heart of "Olde Naples." You get the idea.

And the funny part is that this unit sat on the market at that price for three weeks because people (Realtors and clients alike) were afraid that it was too good to be true. Except for the folks of course who offered us $150,000 for the unit and were mad that we wouldn't consider it. They knew we were outrageously low, but what the heck why not take off another $50,000.

I even had a Realtor tell me that I was doing my client a disservice in telling him not to take the $150,000 because prices were probably going to go much lower. Yikes. But the truth is Realtors are people too. We don't have a crystal ball and we are just as susceptible to the things we read as others.

The lesson for all of us though is to remember the theory of the self-fulfilling prophecy. And that is what we have just gone through. The pendulum took a swing waaaay too far to the right because of what was essentially similar to a "run on a bank." Fear operates both ways and is not always justified.

And though real estate always runs these cycles, this particular "peak/trough" was mighty steep from the top. From 1988 to 1996 Naples went through a horrendous downturn in the market culminating in a 55% drop. Then it racheted way above the initial drop within seven to eight years. This go-round our down cycle did a free fall of 50% in just over two years. No wonder there was so darned much screaming going on! People were screaming on the way down even when they didn't need to scream.

National developers even did the kamikaze locally, most notably Centex.

Which leads me to refer to one client of mine in particular who makes upwards of $500,000 a year. He had his wife spend several days with me looking at properties. (They were referred to me by a long line of referrals in one chain that started some six years ago.) Even though they knew my reputation for being very knowledgeable in terms of best buys and prices in a three-county area, he still considered me the adversary. He just KNEW I couldn't be correct about the pricing. I couldn't be doing my best for him in terms of twisting the arm of the developer.

Frankly that has been a hard "row to hoe" for me because I'm always sad to see people overlook the values of today by looking back. Funny statement isn't it. But that leads to the angry buyer. And in the trickle down effect.

Now I don't begrudge spending days with clients, buying meals and using up lots of gas, for no financial return because I know that is the nature of my business. You win some, you lose some. But it is frustrating to do so when clients who should view you as a hard-working friend, see you as someone who is probably not doing the best for them, best case scenario; or worse yet, as someone who is willing to risk everything to make a few extra bucks in commission and, by golly, they as the client are not going to fall for that.

This client of mine "bless his heart" was so diligent in his research about a development in Lely Resort that I had turned him onto (among many other neighborhoods that fit their criteria in Lee and Collier Counties) that he was constantly sending me real estate transaction reports from the Naples News (our local newspaper) wanting me to find out why "such and such person" got this coachhome for a particular price when Stock Development would not accept his offer which was $50,000 or more higher.

As it happened, before Stock acquired this group of townhomes the properties were owned by Centex and, as mentioned earlier, that company did a "well under developer's costs" giveaway months ago in order to raise some capital and reduce inventory. Interestingly, at the time, that sales strategy barely raised an eyebrow because no matter the price, most potential buyers were just sure there was $100,000 more that could be sliced off the price. So ultimately the buyers of these units were either locals who knew the neighborhood well, risk-takers, and/or development reps.

As far as I know, my client has decided not to go forward with anything because in his mind the discrepancy between what the units were selling for three months ago and today's price juxtaposed against what he reads in the national media has him convinced that Stock will have second thoughts about his offer (they won't) or worse yet, he probably somehow thinks I was in cahoots with the developer and is teaching me a lesson. Little did he know I was trying to throw my weight and reputation and the weight of my team behind a special deal for him. However, even that was not enough to make a difference in this slow, but decidedly upward movement.

That's the hard part for me because as a long-time journalist, I always used to view salespeople as somewhat suspect (which granted is sometimes the case) but in most cases the opposite is true. Realtors for the most part are hard-working devoted people trying to get the best buy they can for their client. And in most cases if they miss the mark it is because they lack knowledge. Just as in any field, some people are more knowledgeable and more experienced than others.

In this scenario I even took his wife to every development that I WOULD NOT have recommended because they had found these places on the internet and I had to let them see for themselves why my suggestions were so much better. (Otherwise they would assume I was hiding something or being lazy.) At least they ultimately agreed with me in that regard, but try as I might I just could not overcome this angry buyer, one who actually had the ability to buy.

I even sent him an article about Toll Brothers saying that Southwest Florida was the bright spot in their portfolio. He sent it back highlighting the "devil's advocate" portions of the article to show why Stock should have taken his offer. The truth is if Stock was as desperate as they were a few months back, they would have. They weren't beyond those kamikaze maneuvers themselves. But now, not only are they being semi-picky on their sales, they've even cut back the incentive to Realtors. They aren't kissing our bazookas as much as they were before.

That says something. That says this is "woulda coulda shoulda" time and okay, maybe you might not make as great a deal as you could have three months ago (although in some neighborhoods that is not the case), but it does point toward this scenario: This is most likely the time that people a year from now will say -- "Man, I should have bought last year." There are still fantastic deals out there. And now that developers are starting to raise their prices a bit, resales will suddenly become the best food on the plate.

Oh, there is another kind of buyer in the marketplace as well: These are the people who as with the buyer above tell me that they are just going to leave it in the hands of God if they should get a place. If it's meant to be, then their price will be accepted. If not, it wasn't meant to be. But the truth is with the offers they are placing, not even God can intervene. Fifty percent off 50% is a tall order for anyone. And remember, God helps those who help themselves. But I have to say never in all my years of real estate have I heard so much religious jargon in regard to real estate. God is smart enough not to take a job in real estate in this environment : )

Onto another topic: In regard to the credit card roulette I wrote about last article ... turns out my idea wouldn't work. I would have to hypnotize the servers to ALWAYS pick 16 and anyway when I went back to Cafe Luna to tell Ed that American Express only had 15 numbers, he beat me to the punch telling me he was wrong ... that his friend said he had asked the waitress to pick a number between 1 and 15 because an Amex card only has 15 numbers.

Darn and I thought I was soooo smart!

See you later!

marlenegraham@earthlink.net

CREDIT CARD ROULETTE? HMMMM ...

So you see, yesterday I went to lunch at Cafe Luna in Naples, a rut I haven't been able to dig myself out of over the past few weeks. I sit at the bar since I generally eat alone and if business is slow, or there is plenty of help, owner Ed and I chat about politics, earthquakes, his love life (he has a nice new girlfriend), real estate, the restaurant business, our mutual landlord, current events, the economy, whatever.

Well yesterday I saw him along 5th Avenue in a restaurant called Trilogy with two gentlemen. Apparently they were also restaurant owners. (So restaurant owners of a feather do indeed flock together.) According to Ed after leaving Trilogy they went to eat at a new restaurant by the name of Olio located in the Naples Bay Resort. (By the way, I patronize Olio when I can because it's brand new and I want to see them do well. Classy joint, but not unreasonably priced and they are open for breakfast.)

But anyway to finish this story ... Ed said that when it came time for the bill, one of the gentlemen asked the waitress to pick a number between one 16. She said seven. Then he asked the other two guys with him to take out their credit cards and count over seven on the numbers. Whoever had the highest number would pay the entire bill. So I'm guessing there was some anticipation going, maybe some slight heart-pounding. Ed got a 1. The other diner was also a 1. The guy with the idea scored a 9. Hmmm. Maybe that game should be initiated by people who have a majority of low numbers on their cards. Too funny.

That reminded Ed of the time there was a group of guys in his restaurant who had racked up a bill of $600. They all put their credit cards into a hat and asked the server to pick one. That person paid the entire bill. Yikes! That was a chunk-a-change.

Geez I didn't even know people played such credit card games. Kinda reminds me of those drinking games in college. Heck the only game I've ever played with my credit card is holding my breath and squinting my eyes tight to see if a receipt of some sort pops up after my card is swiped. Actually, as of late, handing my credit card over HAS been a bit stressful for me as a business owner since I rarely carry cash to save myself in a situation of such embarrassment. That must be why I patronize places where the people know me. I can always run back later with cash or pay next time. That's a cool thing about Naples once you hang here. It does have that small town thing going where we tend to trust one another.

Speaking of which, now that I look at the credit card I currently use, AMEX, I realize there are only 15 NUMBERS on it. Hmmm. So now I'm thinking that first game might not be so bad after all. I could always pick number 16! Alrighty then. I'm all set. Anyone ready to go to dinner with me?

The weather today in Naples as I look out the door of my 5th Avenue Downing-Frye office is a bit overcast and muggy. (I think I'm going to have to see where "muggy" as a weather-phrase came from. It is because the heat mugs you, as in stifles you? Never had that question come to mind before. After this post I'll look it up. ) But it still is a beautiful day.

And speaking of weather, I see that today the "weather" powers that be are going to predict how our hurricane season will be. The last two years they predicted horrendous hurricanes and we barely got a windstorm.

That was especially frustrating on the heels of Hurricane Wilma. Her arrival on October 19th of 2005 prompted a painful downturn in our market when people didn't arrive to buy places during the 2005-2006 season because of the media attention. They were just SURE Naples had been blown off the face of the map. I remember seeing reporters (and I understand their job because I was a reporter) standing in front of destroyed homes showing the devastation and thinking "Oh my gosh, Naples was destroyed around me, but where?" Then I realized these were a few trailer homes in East Naples. Of course we also some tiles lost here and there, and we discovered which structures had design flaws, but overall, no major devastation. Not even minor devastation. But then I saw water over cars and I was really crazed. Water over cars? Omigosh! My car's not underwater and I live on a canal? Where then? Let's see. That would be the underground parking garage in the 3rd Street South area of Olde Naples within two three blocks of the beach (under one of my other two Downing-Frye offices). Underground doesn't do well in Florida. That's why we don't have basements ... duhhh...

Actually the big pain was utilities being out for several days, but again I'm guessing because of our water table utilities are a bit tricky underground.

But in any case, people didn't come and we had extra inventory that season. Then came the downturn in the economy and the bad press in MONEY magazine and other magazines regarding appreciation which ultimately led to that nearly 3 year extreme pendulum swing the opposite direction and our 50% downfall in prices.

Now that we are getting busy again and people are like kids in a candy store snapping up the bargains, we don't need any prognostication to impede our forward progress. So hurricane predictors please, please, please give us a break.

At least now I think people realize that even a major category hurricane doesn't mean the end of Naples. Last time we were back in business in a week or so. Since we hadn't had a hurricane prior to that in 45 years, I think we've overcome the "fear of the unknown" aspect. We know now (for the most part) what will happen if a hurricane hits Naples. And we are even better prepared than last time in the case of such an occurrence. For one thing, we don't have our beautiful banyans along Crayton to worry about any more since they took off with Wilma. Now that was a Naples tragedy.

Well gotta get to work again. Drat that work thing. So until tomorrow... when my new post will, among other things, discuss the sudden relationship of God to real estate. Has God taken a second job? Tune back in to see what the heck I'm talking about!

A NEW SUN RISES IN NAPLES FLORIDA!

Even though I am very grateful for the slight overcast of the sky today -- considering the fact that I may have to totally replace my lawn at some point -- I actually wake up each day now feeling great about life in Naples Florida. (Okay, let's strike "each day" and replace it with "most days".)

I'm happy that the real estate market after a nearly 3-year 55% plunge has finally decided it's time to switch from the high diving competition to the breaststroke. A relief magnified by the fact that I was knuckleheaded enough to invest my life savings into three real estate offices of my own in Olde Naples (Downing-Frye Realty) in anticipation of that return and hoping (okay, okay, praying) I was correct that this would not be an eight-year downturn as was experienced during the last such drop (1988-1996).

I'm finally coming to terms with the unexpected death of my husband (and real estate business partner) two years ago after nearly 23 years of marriage, while at the same time going through the trials and tribulations of being single mom with a newly married daughter and a son who is wrapping up his first year of high school.

I'm also stunned that I am entering a new decade in my life (Could I possibly be 50?) which is the traditional "look back on your life" time. And, oh boy, as I look back on MY life, I suddenly understand why at times throughout this thus-far great adventure on earth, people have thought that maybe I was a bit of an embellisher. In many ways, my life is darned hard for ME to believe and unless I get derailed in some way, I hope many exciting chapters remain to be written.

As a former broadcaster; journalist; editor/publisher; freelance writer (for such publications as Ladies Home Journal and the Kansas City Star and the Naples Daily News); author of the book "Headfirst Into America" (about our family's two year-long 50 state adventures); and newspaper/television, retail and real estate entrepreneur, I like to think I do have a lot of insight into life. Especially when you consider the humble beginnings of our family: my mother was the daughter of a poor maid in South America and my father was an Arkansas cottonpicker's son. Sounds like a made-up story doesn't it. Or at least the narrative intro to a "Steve Martin" comedy.

Yet these two people --- still married after 51 years -- didn't let the fact that they were "have nots" diminish their goals for the future or the goals for their children. (Yep, one day my dad's dad took him aside and explained to him that in life there are the "haves" and the "have nots" and he would have accept the fact that he was a have not. Don't think that concept would fly in today's parenting circles.)

It took them 20 years after they were married, but with only elementary educations and two children to support, they struggled to find time and money to graduate from college while encouraging my brother and me to do the same. My brother, Joey, armed with a Masters went on to become a city manager for years and is currently helping me with my Naples real estate offices and providing moral support with my son Collier.

Through this blog if you are interested, you will learn strange and fascinating facts about my past life, and insights into some of my unique personal experiences from hunting for geodes in Iowa to being interviewed by Barbara Walters, Oprah, and Al Roker.

You will hear tales about my THREE adventures through all 50 states. The first one with my parents and brother was in a VW Beetle starting out in 1976 with $500 and working our way through the country as fruit pickers, restaurant workers, day laborers, whatever we could do to earn money to continue our journeys after which I started college and became a journalist. During that time I covered such stories as Ronald Reagan's campaign for the Presidency (Can I really be old enough to have covered Reagan? Yikes) and hung out backstage with celebrities.

I will reveal some insights into my life as a long-time married person with children and now as a suddenly unexpectedly single woman. As a married woman, I didn't understand the trials and tribulations of the single woman in her 40s and 50s. Now I can identify with a club whose members, in most cases, fell into it, just as I did -- unexpectedly -- for "better or for worse."

I will give you honest advice in terms of real estate in Southwest Florida and the opportunities there are to "believe it or not" make money in the current real estate environment. Many people are already doing that. Or at least using this opportunity to stake their claim in the sunshine for enjoyment and for some -- retirement. Can't wait to add THAT last word to my resume! And I would have already been there if not for a "heart-wrenching" reversal in "life" and "fortunes."

I will share the adventures of rearing a child with a very high IQ who also has "focus" difficulties in school.

I will share insight into travels to various tropical islands and to countries such as England where I put on a property show and had the chance to actually visit and sometimes stay over with some of my Brit clients who bought properties with me in Naples.

I plan to rekindle my scuba diving and boating activities at some point; and soon I will be starting on a novel "based on a true story."

And everyday I meet the most fascinating people or see interesting Seinfeld moments in life. One of those occurred yesterday when I saw a cardiologist perusing a menu at Trilogy Restaurant (on 5th Avenue in Naples) lean over to his real estate agent and ask "Should I eat healthy today?" A cardiologist asking a real estate agent if he should eat healthy! Yikes. That was especially interesting since he had just finished up a "life or death" call. (The fellow was having a heart attack, but the cardiologist thought he was going to be okay.)

Hopefully you will enjoy my blog. I haven't done this since 1996 when I shared our family's day to day adventures of traveling all 50 states and meeting all kinds of people all across America. It was so great to interact with so many people and have them be part of the "soap opera" of my life.

For now, though, I guess I need to sign off since several of my agents are coming into our 5th Avenue office and are wondering why I am writing such a long, long email! Time to get to work! Lots and lots to do to stay ahead of the game in the current economy. Now that the "breaststroke" has arrived I have to be sure to keep my head above water. (I sure wish I had taken more swimming lessons when I was younger! But it's my hope that any shortfall in talent will be attended to by tenacity!)

Have a great day everyone and have fun with this link: www.TheMostInterestingWomanInTheWorld.com