Laura Layden | Naples Daily News February 11, 2023
Naples City Council will discuss potential changes to its land development code at a Monday workshop.
The council has recently made some changes to its development rules. It’s looking to make more of them, with the vision and goal of protecting the city’s small-town charm.
Here’s what we know:
Proposed Naples land development code changes to be discussed
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The city is considering four land use changes. That includes new limits on lot coverage ‒ or building footprint –which has sparked controversy.
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The other proposed changes would increase height restrictions for commercial and mixed-used buildings, stiffen development standards for Fifth Avenue South, and tighten up on regulations for determining the maximum density and intensity, or size, of mixed-used projects.
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The city has hired a planning consultant to make recommendations on how to move forward.
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The private consultant, Josh Martin, with Sustainable Settlement LLC, is calling for more public input before crafting any revisions.
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The consultant has suggested the city hold “two or three community listening sessions” to ensure a more “thoughtful process.”
Read more here
For more information about buying a home in Southwest Florida contact David. Email or call David@DavidFlorida.com or 239-285-1086.
Mark H. Bickel | Fort Myers News-Press
A Naples home is No. 1 on the list for most expensive single-family property transfers in Collier County from Dec. 1-Dec. 31, 2022.
This home is located in the ultra-exclusive Port Royal neighborhood sold for $29,950,000, which was the asking price. It previously sold for $17,295,000 in 2021.
Following are the top 10 real estate sales in Collier County recorded for December 2022:
(Data provided by Royal Shell Real Estate)
1-1700 Galleon Drive, Naples
List price: $29,950,000
Sold price: $29,950,000
Neighborhood: Port Royal
Size (Sq. Feet): 9,253
Year built: 2007
Amenities: Bayfront, Boat Dock/Lift, Private Pool/Spa, Built-In Grill, Outdoor Fireplace/Shower
Days on market: 4
View: Bay
View November’s Collier County’s Top 10 Home Sales
To view homes currently for sale in Port Royal contact David at 239-285-1086 or David@DavidFlorida.com
Housing Market Favorable for Preseason Buyers
Naples, Fla. (November 23, 2022) – Speculation that home sales in October would drop dramatically in Collier County following Hurricane Ian was proven inaccurate as closed and pending sales for the month increased 23.7 and 8.7 percent, respectively, compared to closed and pending sales reported in September, according to the October 2022 Market Report by the Naples Area Board of REALTORS® (NABOR®), which tracks home listings and sales within Collier County (excluding Marco Island). And even though 525 listings were either terminated, expired or withdrawn from the Southwest Florida MLS during October, overall inventory for the month increased 72.7 percent to 2,325 properties from 1,346 properties in October 2021.
Admittedly, compared to 2021 which was a standout year for real estate in Collier County, closed sales in October decreased 24.5 percent to 662 closed sales from 877 closed sales in October 2021. Pending sales (homes under contract) also decreased 43.3 percent to 673 pending sales from 1,186 pending sales in October 2021.
According to NABOR®’s statistics, October’s overall median closed price held fast at $555,000, the same as was reported in September. But compared to October 2021, the overall median closed price increased 23.3 percent from $450,000. Interestingly, the statistics showed a 1.6 percent decrease in median closed price for condominiums between September and October. Haynes added that, “While we saw a slight increase in new listings by condominium owners who had damage and decided to sell instead of rebuild, the hurricane is not going to spark a ‘fire sale’ trend.”
There was a 26.1 percent increase in new listings in October compared to September, which broker analysts say is typical this time of year. Overall new listings in October decreased 13.9 percent to 908 from 1,054 in October 2021, but new listings for single family homes soared in October and were just 10 properties shy of the 548 new listings reported in October 2021. Preseason buyers will be pleased to find many more options than last year.
The NABOR® October 2022 Market Report provides comparisons of single-family home and condominium sales (via the Southwest Florida MLS), price ranges, and geographic segmentation and includes an overall market summary. NABOR® sales statistics are presented in chart format, including these overall (single-family and condominium) findings for 2022:
Get in touch with David for all your real estate needs in southwest Florida – Email or call David@DavidFlorida.com or 239-285-1086.
Hurricane Ian Failed to Upset Naples Housing Market’s Resilience Naples, Fla. (October 21, 2022)
The impact of Hurricane Ian, as witnessed on the last two days of September, is not reflected in the September 2022 Market Report by the Naples Area Board of REALTORS® (NABOR®), which tracks home listings and sales within Collier County (excluding Marco Island). Given this, September’s data showed a predictable pattern of slow closed and pending sales with a slight increase in inventory, which is traditionally the case in historically stable Septembers. While the report captured activity prior to Hurricane Ian’s arrival, broker analysts who reviewed the report on October 18th are confident Naples’ recovery will be swift and the resiliency of its home values will be protected.
“There is indeed significant loss, yet the full scope of [the hurricane’s] impact was limited to a specific area along the coast and tributaries [in Collier County],” said Budge Huskey, CEO, Premier Sotheby’s International Realty. “Such an event always brings with it a rebuilding boom, and most people will make the decision to restore and improve rather than exit the area. It’s remarkable how quickly progress is being made each and every day.”
Mike Hughes, Vice President and General Manager for Downing-Frye Realty, Inc., added that “Unlike Hurricane Irma, Hurricane Ian was not a severe wind event so roughly 80 percent of the county was not severely affected except for landscaping debris cleanup.”
Not surprising, several broker analysts said there has been an increase in buyer interest for homes in communities east of U.S. 41 since the storm. Adam Vellano, a Naples Sales Manager at Compass Florida, remarked that, “Some homes have been withdrawn from the MLS, some have been terminated, but there’s also been a steady flow of new listings in these last two weeks.”
Obviously, some properties in Naples that experienced damage from the hurricane will come off the market because they will need to be assessed by insurance adjusters and undergo repairs. But unlike harder hit Lee and Charlotte counties, very few properties in Collier County were destroyed.
A considerable number of businesses and properties that experienced the storm’s surge were swift to recover. Major area attractions like the Zoo, popular restaurants and golf courses have already reopened. Vellano added, “If you visit our popular shopping districts today, you’d be hard pressed to recognize we had a major hurricane event two weeks ago.”
Indeed, our county’s hurricane building code standards and quality craftsmanship by local builders helped to greatly reduce the amount of major structural damage in the area. Additionally, drainage improvements to the City and County’s stormwater infrastructure and new flood prevention management ordinances attributed to Naples’ quick recovery efforts.
Read the full September 2022 Market Report
David will be happy to help you find your new home in the Naples area. Contact David at David@DavidFlorida.com or 239-285-1086.
July Home Sales Return to Prepandemic Levels
Naples, FL (August 23, 2022) – Naples housing market experts reviewing the July 2022 Market Report by the Naples Area Board of REALTORS® (NABOR®), which tracks home listings and sales within Collier County (excluding Marco Island), confirm the data reflected familiar activity levels akin to prepandemic summer months. Historically, closed sales in Naples during summer months trend around 800 sales a month. But during the last two years, summer sales were well above 1,000 closed sales a month. This July, overall closed sales decreased 43.4 percent to 662 closed sales from 1,170 closed sales in July 2021. For perspective, in July 2018 and 2019, there were 774 and 829 closed sales, respectively. The current level of activity is what market experts expected in a postpandemic summer and consider it a sign that we are on a path back to a balanced market.
Additional indications in the July report that support this shift is the number of pending sales. As such, overall pending sales decreased 33.8 percent to 751 pending sales from 1,135 pending sales in July 2021. The tempering of closed and pending sales, which began in June, is producing one very welcome result: an increase in inventory. In July, inventory rose 87.6 percent to 2,429 properties from 1,295 properties in July 2021 (there were 5,200 properties in inventory during July 2019).
Starting in the fall of 2020 and continuing into this past spring, the Naples housing market experienced remarkable sales activity that was fueled by a frenzy of home buying by those seeking the ideal Naples lifestyle. However, as pandemic pandemonium diminished, broker analysts predicted a slow, gradual return to a balanced market would occur in Naples.
Market experts reviewing the July report say buyers should not expect home values to drop dramatically. While year over year price growth is trimming, demand is still high, and inventory is still not at prepandemic 2019 levels. The median closed price in July increased 16 percent to $545,000 from $469,950 in July 2021; it decreased 9.8 percent from $604,000 in June.
The NABOR® July 2022 Market Report provides comparisons of single-family home and condominium sales (via the Southwest Florida MLS), price ranges, and geographic segmentation and includes an overall market summary. NABOR® sales statistics are presented in chart format, including these overall (single-family and condominium) findings for 2022: 
Residents of Babcock Ranch have now welcomed more than 1,700 owners, ready to embrace a healthy new lifestyle focused on wellness, sustainability and a sense of community.
New families, retirees and young professionals have discovered how special life is in America’s first solar-powered hometown. The first residents were welcomed in 2018. Over 700 of the town’s total closed sales have occurred since July 2021. Babcock Ranch has surpassed over 2,100 home sales and is the 14th fastest-selling community in the nation.
Babcock High School will welcome its first students for the 2022-23 school year. The 43,000-sq.ft. state-of-the-art secondary school is almost ready for the August 8th bell. The two-story high school is on the town’s education campus close to the K-8 Babcock Neighborhood School. The high school features 26 classrooms, science and technology labs, administrative offices, a media room and multiple assembly areas. The 40,600-sq. ft. Field House is on schedule, featuring two gyms, a fitness center, cafeteria, and men’s and women’s locker rooms. It will also serve as an emergency storm shelter for up to 1,343 occupants and provide community programs and rental venues for private functions.
Babcock Ranch is a 17,000 acre planned community in southeastern Charlotte County and northeastern Lee County, Florida.
For more information about homes in Babcock Ranch contact David – Email or call David@DavidFlorida.com or 239-285-1086.
