Naples Homes

Port Royal Naples FL - Luxury Homes on the Beach & Waterfront

Mark Weber - Naples Florida Real Estate (White Sands Realty) — Fri, 09 Nov 2012 10:10:29 -0800

Port Royal in Naples Florida is a luxury home community located directly on the Gulf of Mexico. Estate homes in this highly prized location, range in price from around $3 million to over $40 million.

Currently, the highest priced home for sale in Port Royal is listed at $22.9 million. This gorgeous waterfront residence is located at 1100 Spyglass Ln, Naples, FL 34102.

Deep water bays and canals leading directly to the Gulf are a main draw to yachting enthusiasts and boaters. Additionally, many of the homes on Gordon Drive are beachfront properties. Owners pay a premium to have the white sand beaches and warm waters of the Gulf within steps of their private home.

In the first quarter of 2012, two of these beachfront homes sold for over $40 million each. These sales set records for the Port Royal community. What housing bubble?

Actually prices have come down, but not as drastically as they have in other areas of Florida. Most buyers at this level pay cash and distressed sales are very rare.

Most property owners in Port Royal are eligible for membership in the Port Royal Club. Located directly on the beach, the Port Royal Club has private dining, tennis, fitness facilities and a lap pool looking over the Gulf of Mexico.

Port Royal is not gated, so the public can access the streets and beaches in the area as well. The only gated community within the area is Little Harbour. Little Harbour has waterfront homes but does not have any homes directly on the beach.

By Mark Weber. Mark is a Naples Realtor, Broker & Owner of White Sands Realty in Naples, FL. He is a 30+ year resident of Naples and a sought-after expert on Naples Florida Real Estate.

3 Key Steps to Buying a "Great Deal" in Real Estate

Mark Weber - Naples Florida Real Estate (White Sands Realty) — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 10:17:36 -0700

Most calls to our Naples real estate office, begin or end the same way these days:

"You know, I'm Looking for a great deal."

Ahh, the elusive and ever-present search for the home that' really worth $600,000 but you can get today for the bargain, basement price of $199,000. It's the deal everyone wants but only the select few have access to. The deal your buddy says he got on that distressed property last month or the one your cousin picked up from the lender at a total steal.

While I can't guarantee you will get 50% off the list price or beat the "amazing" price your cousin paid, there are a few simple but effective techniques that will help you achieve the best deal and price possible on your next home purchase.

1. Be Ready - When a great deal comes on the market there are thousands of buyers seeing those properties at the same time. Have your funds ready (see #2 below) and write an offer quickly - even if you have not seen the home. Have your Realtor write in a contingency to see the home in-person within a few days of the effective date on your offer. The seller may not always accept a contingency like this, but I've seen it work. Just don't make the contingency for a lengthy period or it won't be worth it for the seller to take it off the market.

2. Cash is (still) King - Cash is king in this market, but it won't get you a rock bottom price on it's own. It's just one piece of the pie to making a great deal happen. Distressed properties, including short sales and foreclosures, will, almost always, take a slightly lower offer when it's from a cash buyer.

3. Use the "AAA Plan" & Don't "Fall in Love" - Falling in love with one property is a sure way not to get a great deal. Instead, have an "AAA plan." Choose three homes that you can live with and go after them. Tell your Realtor to let the seller know that you are moving on to xyz address if this deal doesn't work. This isn't an A, B, C plan. You should feel equally happy with any of the three choices and do your best to keep emotions out of the equation.

Whether you are a seasoned buyer, investor or first-time home buyer, utilizing these 3 techniques in almost any combination can lead to a great deal on your next home purchase in today's real estate market.

If you have other great deal techniques that have worked for you, please comment and share them below. I look forward to hearing from you!

By Mark Weber. Mark is a Naples Realtor, Broker & Owner of White Sands Realty in Naples, FL. He is a 30+ year resident of Naples and a sought-after expert on Naples Florida Real Estate.

Riverstone Naples FL Grand Opening

Mark Weber - Naples Florida Real Estate (White Sands Realty) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 20:48:22 -0800

Overnight campers and lines are expected as buyers eagerly await the Grand Opening of Riverstone Naples Saturday morning.

We were at Riverstone Naples today to preview the model homes today in anticipation of the Grand Opening. "All the models and decorations look amazing," according to Derek Anderson at White Sand Realty in Olde Naples. "I have five buyers ready to put deposits down in the morning. It was great to get a sneak peek at the models. Everyone is extremely excited about the opening," Anderson went on to say.

The Carlyle model looks to be one of the favorites. Priced at $439,900 with 3 bedrooms, 3.5 baths, a 3-car garage and 3,051 square feet of living area, the Carlyle is easy to fall in love with.

There are 15 models to chose from and 850 total homes will be constructed at Riverstone Naples.

Opening day incentives will include $10,000 to $15,000 off of upgrades or lot premiums. This will be a huge savings to the first purchasers at Riverstone.

For brochures and information on Riverston Naples, please call 239-417-1115.

By Mark Weber. Mark is a Naples Realtor, Broker & Owner of White Sands Realty in Naples, FL. He is a 30+ year resident of Naples and a sought-after expert on Naples Florida Real Estate.

Matt Birk, NFL Six-time Pro Bowl Player Chooses Naples FL for Vacation Home

Mark Weber - Naples Florida Real Estate (White Sands Realty) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 18:07:22 -0800

Although the Ravens season ended last night in a close playoff game with the Patriots, center Matt Birk (No. 77), may be looking forward to licking his wounds in sunny Naples, Florida in the weeks to come.

Birk purchased a home in Naples for vacations with his wife and six children earlier this year.

Matt and his wife were in Naples over the summer and decided that it was a perfect place to vacation as a family. As a Harvard graduate and recently named in the top 10 smartest athletes by Sporting News, other NFL players may want to follow his lead.

"Matt purchased a single-family home for a great price, close to Olde Naples and the beaches," according to his Realtor, Mark Weber, Broker and owner of White Sands Realty. "Matt is an intelligent guy and conservative. He sees the value in buying real estate now and knows there is little downside to a home in Naples," said Weber.

For privacy reasons, we won't divulge exactly where Matt Birk purchased his Naples home. We can tell you it was a new home in a community close to downtown and the beach.

Other notable celebrity athletes calling Naples, Florida home are Mike Ditka, NFL player and coach and Larry Bird, NBA basketball player.

"I hope more athletes will take Matt's lead and call Naples home in their off-season. It's laid back and low key here which translates to less celebrity pressure. A family guy like Matt can blend in and keep a low profile in Naples," commented Weber.

By Mark Weber. Mark is a Naples Realtor, Broker & Owner of White Sands Realty in Naples, FL. He is a 30+ year resident of Naples and a sought-after expert on Naples Florida Real Estate.

Improving Housing Markets & Other Positive Signs in 2012

Mark Weber - Naples Florida Real Estate (White Sands Realty) — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 16:26:54 -0800

Positive news on the housing market is already peaking though the black clouds in 2012.

According to data released today by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) & First American Improving Markets Index (IMI), the number of housing markets across the US has almost doubled in January. New additions from Southwest Florida include Punta Gorda and Cape Coral.

Improvement in housing and real estate corresponds perfectly with the positive trends we are already seeing in the Naples home market. With inventory down in the first quarter of 2012, buyers looking for deals on bank foreclosures are entering bidding wars more times than not.

According to Derek Anderson a Realtor at White Sands Realty in Naples, "My buyers just won out on a bidding war on a single-family home and are very excited to close. At first, we were told that we had a day to bring our 'highest and best offer.' They had no idea how high they had to go to get the home. We could have easily undercut it."

Other positive indications for the Southwest Florida market are readily seen in new construction rising all around. Projects that were once on permanent hold, are now actively under construction. Builders are seeing and answering the demand for new homes.

A great example is the new Riverstone community of 850 homes beginning later this month. Many prospective buyers are planning on being there on opening day to put deposits down on the best lots. According to Anderson, "I have some clients who plan on getting out there before the sun rises to be first in line."

All of these factors are pointing in the direction of a housing market that is moving slowly, but surely to the upside in 2012.

By Mark Weber. Mark is a Naples Realtor, Broker & Owner of White Sands Realty in Naples, FL. He is a 30+ year resident of Naples and a sought-after expert on Naples Florida Real Estate.

Naples Luxury Home in Top 25 Oceanfront Homes For Sale $21.9 Million

Mark Weber - Naples Florida Real Estate (White Sands Realty) — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 13:38:32 -0700

Amazing Naples, Florida home on the Gulf of Mexico was just voted one of the Top 25 Oceanfront Homes by Ocean Home magazine.

This beachfront home is one of the finest estate homes for sale in Southwest Florida. Naples Florida luxury real estate doesn't get better than this.

This luxury home, priced at $21.9 million is located in the community of Port Royal next to downtown Naples. The home's address is 45 S 32nd Avenue, Naples, Florida 34102. Even though Port Royal is a highly exclusive luxury home negiborhood, the streets are public. You can drive by this home and even use the public beach acess on 32nd Ave South right next door (Please make an appointment to see the home in person if your are in the market and do not trespass or invade the owner's privacy).

With 8,226 square feet of living area and 6 bedrooms, this home has pleanty of space for a large family or as a Florida vacation home. There are 5 full bathrooms and 2 powder rooms.

The home was newly constructed in 2010 to the latest wind and building codes. Many luxury appointments such as travertine, onyx, Costa Brava granite and copper hammered sinks make this home a masterpiece of workmanship and design.

Other featured rooms include a wine room, study, butler's pantry, servant's quarters and an outdoor living area complete with kitchen and fireplace.

This is the 4th annual list of Ocean Home magazine's Top 25 Ocean Homes for sale in the U.S. The current issue (May-June) is out on news stands now displaying the most luxurious and exclusive oceanfront homes currently for sale from coast to coast.

By Mark Weber. Mark is a Naples Realtor, Broker & Owner of White Sands Realty in Naples, FL. He is a 30+ year resident of Naples and a sought-after expert on Naples Florida Real Estate.

Real Estate Tips for Sellers and Buyers

Mark Weber - Naples Florida Real Estate (White Sands Realty) — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 10:20:43 -0700

How to Use Comparable Sales to Price Your Home

Before you put your home up for sale, use the right comparable sales to find the perfect price. Read
Fielding a Lowball Purchase Offer on Your Home

Consider before you ignore or outright refuse a very low purchase offer for your home. A counteroffer and negotiation could turn that low purchase offer into a sale. Read
Negotiate Your Best House Buy

Keep your emotions in check and your eyes on the goal, and you’ll pay less when purchasing a home. Read

Visit Naples Florida Real Estate for Sale to buy or sell your Naples home or condo.

By Mark Weber. Mark is a Naples Realtor, Broker & Owner of White Sands Realty in Naples, FL. He is a 30+ year resident of Naples and a sought-after expert on Naples Florida Real Estate.

2 Times Voted Top 10 Place To Retire in the US

Mark Weber - Naples Florida Real Estate (White Sands Realty) — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 15:18:55 -0800

So, you've paid your dues to the working world, filled-up your piggy bank and now your're looking for the best place to make base camp for your golden years.

Just head about as far south on the Gulf coast of Florida as humanly possible (at least by way of car anyway) to what once was a small, sleepy fishing town.

Naples, Florida is winning top awards for it's great weather (averaging 75 degrees Fahrenheit year round) charm, and laid-back sophistication on the Gulf coast. In the last few months, both Bankrate.com and Portfolio.com have named Naples, Florida as one of the top retirement destinations in the U.S. And with additional rankings as "top 10 beach town" and "top 10 art town," it's no wonder Naples is considered the crown jewel of Southwest Florida for second-home buyers and vacation homes as well.

Like most beach towns, Naples homes increase in price considerably depending on the proximity to the beach. Real estate prices vary greatly from $175,000 up to over $22 Million in exclusive luxury home communities like Port Royal.

Whatever your desire, Naples has something for all ages and all incomes. Besides the weather and world class beaches, many are drawn to Naples for it's palm-lined streets, outdoor cafes and boutique shopping.

For your last home, second-home or even raising children, Naples, Florida should be at the top of every home buyer's wish list.

By Mark Weber. Mark is a Naples Realtor, Broker & Owner of White Sands Realty in Naples, FL. He is a 30+ year resident of Naples and a sought-after expert on Naples Florida Real Estate.

Home Prices Rise Over 12% in Naples Florida

Mark Weber - Naples Florida Real Estate (White Sands Realty) — Thu, 04 Nov 2010 19:53:56 -0700

While most Florida real estate has been going down in value, there is one very bright light on the Gulf coast that is defying every home trend out there.

This Naples, Florida community began after the real estate bubble exploded and the economy had already slid deep into the recession. In fact the land was purchased from the bank after they foreclosed on the previous land owner - a builder who never got his project off the ground.

Marbella Lakes has over 260 sales in single-family and coach homes since opening it's doors in February of 2009. Sales are almost at the 75% mark. This is a truly amazing record for a new home development that was started at the community of a recession.

When completed, there will be over 450 single-family homes (not including carriage homes) at Marbella Lakes. A mix of families, retirees, and singles enjoy the active living opportunities offered in the community.

Besides it's great price and value there are a few primary reasons why Marbella Lakes has had tremendous sales and amazing increases in value:

Location

It's prime location just minutes from Naples beaches, golf courses, downtown Olde Naples, Waterside Shops, Mercato, and 5th Avenue South and 3rd Street South shopping has made it irresistible to those looking for mid-priced new homes.

Zero Short Sales or Foreclosures

This is one of the only communities in all of Naples that has never had a short sale, foreclosure or REO. It was built after the housing bubble. Owners in Marbella Lakes have excellent credit and many purchased with good old fashion cash. This is a community of end-users that did not fall prey to the overpriced homes in 2005-2007.

Assessed Values = Actual Values

In other words, property values in this community are based on current values and appraisals often come in higher than the sale price (then you really know you have a great value). You pay property taxes on the amount you actually paid for the home. What a novel idea! This is not the case in most Florida communities today.

A 3 bedroom + den, 3 bath home of 2,189 square feet of living area, with upgrades has gone up approximately from approximately $352,000 to $402,000. This is incredible when you take into account that the average home price has decreased another 15% in the same time period.

To top it off the builder is one of the best and most financially strong in the area. GL Homes is well backed and never takes shortcuts when it comes to quality and safety. There is absolutely Zero (0) Chinese Drywall in these homes. You can have total peace of mind that your Marbella Lakes home is safe and the builder will be around to fix anything that goes wrong for many years to come.

If you're looking for a new Florida home and haven't visited Marbella Lakes in Naples, you may be missing the boat. There are several Marbella Lakes homes ready to move in now and others in various stages of construction. Or you can choose your lot and build from the ground up in about five months.

See all the Marbella Lakes homes for sale or schedule a time to tour the community.

Home buyers today are more savvy than ever. They want to see everything available and once they do they consistently come back to Marbella Lakes for the best value in all of Naples.

By Mark Weber. Mark is a Naples Realtor, Broker & Owner of White Sands Realty in Naples, FL. He is a 30+ year resident of Naples and a sought-after expert on Naples Florida Real Estate.

8 New Home Trends for the Recession & Beyond; Homes They Are A-changin'

Mark Weber - Naples Florida Real Estate (White Sands Realty) — Fri, 22 Oct 2010 12:25:28 -0700

Homes they are a-changin'. Like the Bob Dylan song, Times They Are A-changin', Home builders are responding to the economic recession and changin consumer preferences with smaller homes with less luxuries and more outdoor space and renewable energy.

Here are seven new trends outlined by the US Census Bureau’s Annual Characteristics of New Housing.

Size Down. The median size of new single-family homes came down from the height of 2,268 in 2006 to 2,100 sqare feet in 2009, but the number of bedrooms and baths remained consistent.
Garage Spaces Down. The number of 3-car garages is down along with home size. Most of the new homes built in 2009 have 2-car garages.
Fireplaces Down. Fireplaces are down in number and are now considered a luxury item by most builders.
Porches Up. New single-family homes with porches have stedily increased since 2005 while patios and decks have both declined.
Heat Pump Up. Renewable energy devices like heat pumps continue to rise in popularity as consumers try to save money on heating and cooling.
Washers & Dryers Up. Censu data shows that almost all new single-family homes have washer and dryer connections and 80% of the time the washer & dryer location is on the first floor.
Stucco Down. Builder use of stucco was down, which was a result of the market share decline from 20% to 25% in the West, where stucco is the most common exterior finish.
2-Story Foyers 35% +. More than 35% of single-family homes built in 2009 had two-story foyers, but almost 60% of homes priced from $500,000 to 4999,000 and 71% of luxury homes selling for $1 million, had them as included new home features.

By Mark Weber. Mark is a Naples Realtor, Broker & Owner of White Sands Realty in Naples, FL. He is a 30+ year resident of Naples and a sought-after expert on Naples Florida Real Estate.

Naples, Florida Named in Yahoo! Finance's 10 Great Places to Retire in the U.S.

Mark Weber - Naples Florida Real Estate (White Sands Realty) — Mon, 18 Oct 2010 20:38:10 -0700

I was recently interviewed for the Naples, Florida portion of an article from Yahoo! Finance and Bankrate, Inc. on the 10 Great Places to Retire in the U.S.

Originally, the article was described by the author who interviewed me as, "a piece on median price ranges across the US." After revisions and/or her editor got hold of it, it turned out a bit different.

The median price for Naples homes in this article is very misguiding to consumers looking to move to Florida. Collier County where Naples is located is the largest county in Florida. It encompases most of the everglades and the poor farming town of Immokalee far to the east of Naples where homes can sell for $10,000 or less. A truer depiction of Naples real estate would have been gained from taking the median price of everything west of County Road 951 to the Gulf of Mexico. This would raise the median more than double, perhaps even tripple, the existing $175,000 figure.

Additionally, it was not clear from the author, but the homes pictured are all recently sold homes. The naples sold home pictured for $175,000 in Naples is about 35 to 40 minutes from the beach (longer than is stated in the article). Newer homes closer to the beach can be purchased starting as low as $320,000.

Decent homes built in the last 20 years and within one-half mile of the beach are still in the millions. In Olde Naples a tear-down home or vacant lot within walking distance of the beach will still set you back a million or more and the average median single-family home price is currently $1,429,854. The land in Olde Naples close to the beach is limited and holds it's value because of the world-renown beaches and the charm of the downtown areas of Fifth Ave. South and Third Street South.

Several other cities like Athens, Woodstock and Carlsbad also made the list of real estate reitrement gems. Read the entire article at Yahoo Finance and let me know what you think by commenting below.

By Mark Weber. Mark is a Naples Realtor, Broker & Owner of White Sands Realty in Naples, FL. He is a 30+ year resident of Naples and a sought-after expert on Naples Florida Real Estate.

Florida Foreclosures Double Overnight

Mark Weber - Naples Florida Real Estate (White Sands Realty) — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 18:54:09 -0700

That should be the headline all over Florida and the US. Holding back or manipulating the free market for real estate, or anything else, will prolong the pain.

I should probably rename this blog post, "Free Market for Dummies." I'm sure I will get some flak from Obama supporters and other, "what can we do to fix this mess Bush created" believers. Give it to me right on the chin. I can take it for my 5-year old daughter, pictured in my profile. She is going to know her Daddy was NOT a supporter of government bailouts or interference period.

In my opinion (and keep in mind my wife and her family are from MI and do not totally agree with me on this), GM and Chrysler should be described in Wikpedia in the past tense - meaning they are defunct, obsolete, inoperative, expired, nonexistent or dead.

What people fail to remember is that everything on this planet has a life cycle. We all know we will die someday. The same is true for all companies, big or small. For those of you that crammed for your Business 101 final exam the night before and forgot most of it two days later (I've been guilty of that myself), the life cycle of an organization is defined as follows:

Start-up (or birth)
Growth
Decline
Renewal or Reorganization (which could lead back to Growth)
Death

I'm digressing from real estate for a moment to point out that someday, perhaps not in my lifetime, Microsoft, Coca-Cola, and even Starbuckswill die off if left to their natural life cycle. There is no, "too big to fail (remember Lehman Brothers)."

Like companies and everything in life, Real estate has its life cycles as well. Real estate ownership and investment is dependent upon the free market and the cycles that naturally occur. When those cyles are messed with by government, they fail to function properly (see our current real estate market). The bottom line is that nothing government does or says (Obama) will make any lasting impact or permanently change these cycles.

Technical analysis aside, I showed a short sale this past weekend that my clients requested to view. After a short trip inside, the clients described the home as, "a depressing environment with no life." Don't get me wrong, they loved the home itself and the amazing lake view. Still, they couldn't wait to get out of there.

The home owners, a couple I estimate to be in their early to mid 70's, were home sitting at the dining room table pouring over bills with looks of fear and depression weighing down their faces. How could you not feel for them and what they are probably going through? None of us knew their circumstances, but we could tell from the looks on their faces that it was dire.

Nobody likes to see people lose their homes and if a simple refinance will keep them there, I'm all for it. Those options should be available to qualified borrowers that have good credit and decent jobs. On the other hand, not everyone should be a home owner (Did I say that? Will NAR revoke my membership?). Some people are in the cycle of their lives where they are better off renting than owning. We all know that too many people were given opportunities (through government interference again) to own homes that were not qualified to borrow, so I won't go there.

Right now, a true free market for real estate would be perfect. First, it would give all the buyers looking for deals, well, deals. Realtors would be busy listing and selling REO homes and eventually the market of foreclosed homes would dry up and buyers would have to buy regular, old real estate. Instead of trickling in short sales and REOs like an IV drip, or stopping foreclosures altogether, we need to open the flood gates and get people out of homes that are toxic to them and they simply can't afford. Then the foreclosure market will revert back to the select few investors willing to take the risk (usually with cash) and do the research required to buy them at the county steps. Everyone and their mom won't want to deal with the hassle of foreclosures and we can all begin a new growth cycle in local real estate markets around the world.

Or, we can continue down this long, slow path to the same place we'll eventually arrive at anyway. Either way, we'll survive. I just worry about my daughter and the astronomical increases in the National debt she will have to deal with due to our government's interference with as many of the natural cycles of life they can get their hands on.

By Mark Weber. Mark is a Naples Realtor, Broker & Owner of White Sands Realty in Naples, FL. He is a 30+ year resident of Naples and a sought-after expert on Naples Florida Real Estate.

Heard On the Street: Moves to Florida Increase

Mark Weber - Naples Florida Real Estate (White Sands Realty) — Mon, 11 Oct 2010 16:18:50 -0700

People are moving into the sunshine state in increasing numbers in the second quarter of 2010 according to Movers.com. When it comes to move-ins (people moving into Florida from the US or internationally) only Texas at 60% tops Florida slightly at 56.8%.

Accordingly, long-distance moves, increased in the second quarter to 40.5% of the total moves compared to 37% in the first quarter. Local moves still make up the majority of moves recorded.

Heard on the Street:

Realtors in Naples are seeing increases in move-in traffic from home buyers who have landed jobs here. Yes, there are job openings in Naples. In the past couple months at White Sands Realty, we have seen everything from executive chefs to financial advisors buying Naples homes due to better local job opportunities.

Of course, this is in addition to our more typical clients who are either retired/semi-retired or second home buyers.

By Mark Weber. Mark is a Naples Realtor, Broker & Owner of White Sands Realty in Naples, FL. He is a 30+ year resident of Naples and a sought-after expert on Naples Florida Real Estate.

Naples Florida is Out of the Danger Zone

Mark Weber - Naples Florida Real Estate (White Sands Realty) — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 20:14:52 -0700

Who can forget the Danger Zone tune from the Top Gun with characters like Maverick and the Iceman flying F-14's within feet of each other at mach speeds? "Highway to the Danger Zone..."

According to the Local Monitor, Inc., which analyzes home prices in over 300 US markets, Naples homes are no longer on the Top Ten Dangerous areas list for purchasing real estate. Naples, Florida was on the previous list but is now officially out of the Danger Zone according to Local Monitor.

Alas, Naples home prices are not yet on the Top Ten Conservative Metro Areas, we are somewhere with the other 280 real estate markets in-between.

These facts were also reported in a recent October 1, 2010 blog from the Wall Street Journal.

Remaining on the danger list is our neighbor, Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL. This is not a surprise since foreclosures in Cape Coral have outpaced us from the onset of the recession.

Also remaining on the danger list are Orlando, FL and Las Vegas, NV. amongst others and some new additions like Ocala, FL.

Local Monitor, Inc. uses economic data from home values, employment growth and population growth to come up with their rankings.

Lagging employment growth is one of the main factors keeping Naples off the Top 10 Conservative list. But this may be changing during the coming season (January 2011 to Easter 2011) when we are expected to have a significant increase in tourism this year over last.

Additionally, new employers like Jackson Laboratory are favoring Collier County over other US locations to establish new business and jobs.

It is my belief that as these jobs become available, along with the more affordable housing we have now, Naples will be on the top 10 best real estate markets list sooner than later. By then it may be too late to take advantage of the current deals available now.

In Naples there are some homes that have seen appreciation of over 6% in the last year and have zero short sale or foreclosures in the neighborhood. Yes, I said appreciation and zero foreclosures! See Marbella Lakes photos and information now.

By Mark Weber. Mark is a Naples Realtor, Broker & Owner of White Sands Realty in Naples, FL. He is a 30+ year resident of Naples and a sought-after expert on Naples Florida Real Estate.

Naples Homes

Port Royal Naples FL - Luxury Homes on the Beach & Waterfront

3 Key Steps to Buying a "Great Deal" in Real Estate

Riverstone Naples FL Grand Opening

Matt Birk, NFL Six-time Pro Bowl Player Chooses Naples FL for Vacation Home

Improving Housing Markets & Other Positive Signs in 2012

Naples Luxury Home in Top 25 Oceanfront Homes For Sale $21.9 Million

Real Estate Tips for Sellers and Buyers

How to Use Comparable Sales to Price Your Home

Fielding a Lowball Purchase Offer on Your Home

Negotiate Your Best House Buy

2 Times Voted Top 10 Place To Retire in the US

Home Prices Rise Over 12% in Naples Florida

8 New Home Trends for the Recession & Beyond; Homes They Are A-changin'

Naples, Florida Named in Yahoo! Finance's 10 Great Places to Retire in the U.S.

Florida Foreclosures Double Overnight

Heard On the Street: Moves to Florida Increase

Naples Florida is Out of the Danger Zone