Naples Real Estate Blog - Joe Epifanio

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Are the homes in Eden on the Bay in Naples good value?

Clubhouse and swimming pool at Eden on the Bay, Naples.As a Realtor, I am often asked which homes in Naples are the ‘best buy’.  The best buy for one person may not be the same a the best buy for another.  I deal with properties up and down the Gulf, along which there are lots of high-end luxury homes.  In talking to a client the other day Eden on the lake came up in conversation.  So I decided to take a closer look at this hidden away community close to the Gulf. 

I found this to be an intimate enclave of luxury homes in the perfect location, on the Gulf side of Vanderbilt extension. A gated entranceway provides access only to residents and visitors of residents.

I loved the fact that it is surrounded by hedges and extremely well kept tropical…

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Well, it’s definitely getting to that time of year, the “Season” in Naples is supposedly coming to a close.  About this time of year every year, my phone is bombarded with phone calls, the office phone rings off the hook and my emails are almost too much to cope with.  Why?  Because there seems to be a rush from our Snowbirds to buy their next home down here in Naples.   Our seasonal residents have many reasons for waiting until the very last moment to buy a home, there is a belief so I have been told by some of my clients, that they will get a better bargain by waiting until the last minute.  It is true also that our homeowners who have been trying to sell their homes get anxious as they see their perceived prospective buyers flying to their northern…

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Ole Art Festival 2014Today the weather was perfect for the Lely Art Festival in Ole, a Mediterranean style community of brightly colored townhouses and casitas. The Art Festival took place along the side of the waterway and fountains close to the town center. Where artists from around the state showed their talents, jewelry, paintings, photography, blown glass, and pottery.  

While shoppers browsed in the Florida sunshine and a band played in the bandstand, there were open houses to be enjoyed.  

I always enjoy Ole, it makes me feel like I am on vacation, even though I only live close by. The secluded narrow streets have an ambiance all of their own, strolling from my uncle's townhouse along the street, surrounded by immaculately kept tropical foliage is always a…

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First and foremost I would like to wish everyone a very Happy Valentines Day.

Valentines day in Naples

I love this day, it's a family orientated fun day, already today I have had numerous strangers wishing me a Happy Valentine’s Day.  It is extraordinary how many people celebrate this day, I personally did not know where it came from, so I went straight to my friend Wikipedia, who always has an answer for everything.  

There are many legends associated with Valentine's day.  One says the Roman Emperor Claudius, executed two men called Valentine.  Another says that Claudius imprisoned Valentine, who from his jail cell fell in love with the daughter of his jailer, he was executed, but not before he sent a love note to the girl signed “from your Valentine".  Another says…

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I have been in the Real Estate business for well over 23 years, I started in Chicago and moved to Florida 15 years ago.  Wow how things have changed, marketing used to be really easy, buy a page in the local newspaper, send out cards and all was well.   In today's modern marketplace, it's not so easy to rise to the top, the internet has totally changed all that.  

If your a website geek, getting your site to the top of the rankings, using great SEO and links is easy, but for me, it has been an uphill climb, one I am still on!  My website RealEstateJoe.com is bringing in great results and lots of leads, but I know better than to rest on my laurels.  In order to get your website noticed it's important to keep working on it, a stagnant site does not do…

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I am being asked time and time again, is the Naples Real Estate Market really recovering?  Well according to a recent report put out by NABOR® (Naples Area Board of Realtors) it is!  

Closed sales of homes in 2013 according to NABOR showed a remarkable increase over the past few years, they state that “overall closed sales in both the $300,000 - $500,000 and $2 million and above segments increased 27 percent from 1,366 in 2012 to 1,730 in 2013 and 234 in 2012 to 298 in 2013”  The median prices for properties have also increased which is all good news for recovery.

During the past year, our team has been busy, apart from the usual slow down between Thanksgiving and Christmas, which is something that happens in good markets and in bad, business has…

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When you're choosing a realtor to sell your home, it’s common to interview a few realtors from different brokerages, selling your home is a huge decision and not one to be taken lightly.  One thing is for sure, you are going to get lots of differing opinions and each agent is going to have their own way of presenting themselves and your home. So what is the best way to choose that agent to sell your home?  There are many many personalities in this business, from dynamic go-getters, to stay at home moms who like to help people sell their homes.  To be frank a huge part of the decision process comes down to this, do you trust the person you are putting your faith in to sell your property. Also, do you like the person?  You could interview the top…

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Driving through Naples today there is a hive of activity throughout once stagnant building sites.  During the heyday of rising house prices, it seemed like Naples was growing at a phenomenal rate.  There seemed no end to the growing number of communities which were springing up all around the town. 

Now as bargain house prices become harder to find, it seems that once again, major construction is underway with more new communities springing up throughout Naples.  However, do we really need all these new homes? is our population really growing at such a rate that we need to have construction on what seems like every available corner?

During 2005 - 2009 Naples and Marco Island were the 15th fastest growing metropolitan areas in Florida. Collier County…

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So your thinking of selling, the home is in good condition, but you have a little money to spend on sprucing up your home before you put it on the market.  The number one room you should make sure is appealing to any potential buyers, is your kitchen.  The modern kitchen is an integral part of any new home, a focus point in the open floor plans that are so popular.  It's not just a kitchen anymore, it's the family room, the place where the kids do their homework after school, in fact, it's the most used room in the house and therefore has a huge impact when you are selling.  

From granite countertops, stainless steel appliances to state of the art ovens, the kitchen of today is what helps sell homes.   Even if you don't have a lot of money put aside to…

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Make sure you ask the right questions 

  • Call the first real estate agency you can find and ask them to list your home.
  • You may have a relative that sells homes in their spare time,
  • Set out to interview two or three hand-picked realtors® that say they can do the job.  

Hopefully you picked the last one, however, there is no correct answer. 

Whichever route you take, it is important to make sure you ask the right questions, that way you will know your home sale is in good hands.  So here are a quick top ten questions to ask.

  1. What services does the Realtor® offer to sell my home?.  What makes this Realtor® different from all the others? Do they have good ideas for marketing, and negotiating a good deal?  When it comes to marketing,…
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