Naples Real Estate Blog - Joe Epifanio

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Find out tricks on how to keep cool if your air conditioning goes off . So you decided to make the move to Naples, good choice, Naples is one of the top towns in Southwest Florida.  But if you have moved from a cooler climate, it's good to know what to do if your air conditioning goes out.  Florida summers are known for being hot and wet.  Easy to cope with when you have air conditioning but what happens when your AC goes out!  Here is some help on how to keep your house cool during the summer heat, plus it will help a little with those electric bills.

Close your curtains - silly as this may seem when most of us have double glazed windows these days, this is probably the number one thing to do to help in keeping your home cool.

Make sure you turn your ceiling fan to summer clockwise setting. 

Keep all the inside…

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The Dome house used solar power and renewable energy.So you're trying to do everything you can to save the planet?  Most people these days recycle and try to do what they can to help save the world's resources.   Houses are now being built to make the most of naturally occurring power sources such as wind and sunlight, solar panels can help in lowering your bills.  With technology that seems to change every day the world is full of information on how to improve our homes and make the most out of what is available without causing harm to the world. 

So, why is it that in a place like Florida we are not all using solar power?  After all, we have the most sunshine of any state in the USA, there is hardly a day goes by without the sun. Yet, we are still relying heavily on electricity.  Oddly enough, Florida…

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If you're looking for a tennis community in Naples, then look no further!  Longshore Lake is a gem of a community, nestled away in North Naples, with mature oaks everywhere and homes built on an island which is only accessible over a bridge. 

Longshore Lake has a wonderful active tennis community, staffed by a full-time pro with lots of opportunities to improve your tennis game.  The huge 88-acre lake which meanders around the homes is accessible for fishing and none powered boats.  The vast majority of homes are waterfront with views out across the lake. 

One of the things that hit you as you drive into Longshore lake is the lush landscaping, the Oaks are magnificent and give plenty of shade in the heat of the summer.   Located on the north side of…

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Engel & Voelkers Real Estate Agents having fun on 5th Ave, Naples. It’s official the winter season has started early down here in Naples!  The season took off with another extremely successful Spooktacular on Fifth Avenue!  The street was closed for the evening to allow for dancing and festivities. Some of the costumes this year were excellent, with competitions for the best costumes for children and adults, I am not sure which group had more fun!  Along with the music, there were booths up and down the street, the Collier Domestic Animal Services’ booth reported receiving some great donations for the local shelter.  

Olde Naples certain came to life, here at Engel and Voelkers we had a great turnout, although we did run a little low on candy, luckily one of our Vampire Agents came to the rescue and brought in more…

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Why you should start your home search early!

Storm clouds over Naples Florida Seasons come and go and, for most of the United States they are associated with weather ranging from freezing cold winters through spring, summer and fall changes.  It's a little different down here in the South West of Florida, yes, we do have seasons but in reality, we only have two, one wet and the other our wonderful dry season which runs over the winter months.

Traditionally, the Naples Real Estate Market has been slow during the wet summer months, with fewer residents in town together with a much smaller number of part-time residents, summer has been known during the real estate profession, as a time to take a vacation, relax and enjoy the slower pace for a short while.  But that is no longer true!…

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Waterfront property is always high in demand in Naples.The market in Naples has been extremely hectic over the summer months, a time when we normally expect a slowdown and the chance to take a break, this year, however, the slow down has not arrived. Our agents are busy with clients, but the one thing I hear over and over again is that inventory of homes for sale in Naples is very low.  Most of the bargain foreclosure and short sale homes have been snatched up long ago, those that do come onto the market are sold very quickly normally to investors who make it their full-time job to be ready and waiting as soon as a property is released for sale.  What we are seeing at the moment is lots of these foreclosed homes coming back onto the market, fully refurbished, new carpets, tile, kitchens and bathrooms, all…

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Search New Communities Here

About to break ground Naples Square condos in Olde NaplesSo what's new in Naples, construction wise?  The latest and greatest new development I think at the moment is the arrival of Naples Square just off 5th Avenue in downtown.  Why? is this the latest and greatest I hear you say, there are a number of reasons.  When you look at downtown, the area is pretty much built up, apart from the tearing down of individual old homes and construction of huge luxury homes on the teardown plots, there is not much else going on as far as large new developments. Naples Square will be just across the road from Bayfront, another great condo community overlooking the bay.

So Naples Square is unique, it's is one of a kind plus it is in one of the most sought-after zip codes in Naples Florida!…

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Boxer having fun at the beach in Bonita SpringsThere are plenty of activities in Naples, but, as a dog owner, one thing that is missing (I totally understand why) is a dog beach. Happily, there is one just a little north of us in Bonita Beach.  The Bonita Dog Beach is located on Estero Blvd, take Bonita Beach Road from Tamiami Trail, stay on the road until you come to the beach, where the road bends around, then follow it along until it becomes Estero Blvd, the dog beach is on your left side just after the second large bridge. 

When it comes to searching Real Estate and looking for homes, we all take into consideration our pets, but a dog beach is not one of the priorities. Upon arrival at the beach, there is off road parking, where it is advisable to keep your dog on a leash, a short walk through…

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4th July Parade in Naples FloridaLast week I had a unique opportunity while waiting for the 4th July Parade, in Olde Naples.  As a Realtor, I try to take current up to date photos of the area I work in on a regular basis.  One of the problems I have with Olde Naples is the sheer number of people and cars that can be found on 5th Avenue.  While the traffic itself is not a problem, trying to get a good clean photograph is difficult.  Unless, as someone once suggested, you stay up until the wee hours of the morning and take night shots. 

 

Fourth of July is one of the very few days on which you can stroll along the middle of Fifth Avenue without worrying about the traffic!  The parade, as usual, brought in crowds of Naples residents, so the streets did not stay clear for long, but…

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One of my dreams of having horses in Florida is riding along a sandy beach bareback and swimming with my horse in the ocean!  A reasonable dream, I would have thought.  That is until I did some research to find out exactly where I could go and ride my horse on a beach. 

It seems that my dream of being free and riding along the shoreline is not one that is easily achieved in Florida.  Maybe it is also difficult throughout the rest of the United States, something which I would have to research more.  But certainly, my home state is one in which the authorities make it extremely difficult.  When I first started my research, I was disappointed in the lack of information.  Then after much research, I was also disappointed at the number of places where I…

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