Naples, Florida is undergoing a boom due its pleasant Gulf of Mexico weather, and the fact that beach views abound, but no one can fence off beachfront access. The beach belongs to everyone.

"Naples was once a sleepy resort village and a bastion of the wealthy," explain Realtors Sarah Thompson and Mal Griffin. "Over the last ten years it really has evolved into a much richer tapestry of families and middle America. There are many wonderful attributes to attract one to the Naples area, not the least of which are the beautiful beaches with great public access. The cultural facilities in Naples are hard to beat with The Philharmonic Center for the arts, boasting a wonderful orchestra, ballet, Broadway shows, and The Naples Museum. Downtown Naples has abundant art galleries, and truly world class shopping, hotels and restaurants. Homes range from the mid 100's to the multi-millions and include many golf course and gated communities. It's a great place to visit, to raise a family and retire!"

About the market, Thompson and Griffin suggest, "This market is part of the overall Southwest Florida market which includes Naples, Estero and Fort Myers, and where our multiple listing service reports that as of September 2004 a total of 8,017 residential properties have sold which is a 45 percent increase over the same period last year. We have very little inventory of resale properties but there are many pre-construction opportunities available with deliveries out as far as 18 months. While the average sale price is $475,000, which is up 19 percent from September 2003, there have been 3,480 sales under $250,000 in our area which represents fully 43% of the total sales. Affordable homes can still be found here but values are going up."

Says Realtor Daniel Banks, "Today the median price of homes in Naples is $365,000. For years, people have been saying....how can it possibly keep going up.....Well, guess what? They've been saying that here for over 20 years. The people that suffer the most here, are the people that sit on the fence. The best time to buy here is now."

"While the DOW and NASDAQ continue to string people along with pie-in-the-sky hopes and dreams....people in Southwest Florida are continuing to enjoy the positive gains in appreciation," says Banks. "Collier County also has some of the lowest property taxes in the state! The market today has such demands, that a lot of communities are turning buying condos and homes into a lottery process. What I tell my clients is this, "you have to compete to buy a home here." What's here today is gone tomorrow-- if it's any good."

"Whether you would like to be here all year or just escape to Naples for the winter your time spent here will be memorable," says Realtor Agnes Tabor. "White sandy beaches on the Gulf, numerous golf courses, theatre, boating - it's all here. A condo on the Gulf or anywhere in Naples will allow you to enjoy your investment. If you are interested, investor opportunities abound with preconstruction from $300,000 to many millions - whatever your pleasure, it's here in Naples."

Tabor recommends, "As we enter into what we call 'Season' from November to March, we are preparing for a tremendous real estate season, too. It seems that as quickly as a property becomes available whether resale or new construction, it has gone into transition. Whether single-family, villa, coach carriage, or condo the range in prices from $300,000 to several million makes Naples available to many."

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Published: November 15, 2004

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