Naples Area Board of Realtors Q2

The most anticipated new address in Naples marks the final ownership opportunity in Pelican Bay.

CONTENTS FEATURES

32 Life After Ian

Remarkable resilience is evident as Collier County recovers, though impacts still linger for some facets of life, such as rentals, insurance, and community destinations.

38 Moving Inland

Will Hurricane Ian have a positive impact on communities in eastern Collier County?

DEPARTMENTS

12 Message from the President

16 For Openers

April is Fair Housing Month. No quick fix for insurance woes. Learn about the benefits of NABOR®’s role as the Ambassador Association to Costa Rica and doing business in the country. Highlights of the expanding hospitality scene. Creating work-life balance in a 24-hour industry. Fighting food insecurity in Collier County. In the NABOR® store. FOREWARN app.

42 Get Smart

The importance of planning ahead for finding the best senior community. Preparing your relationship for life transitions. NAR’s free RPR program is more accurate and detailed than MLS. Closing costs: What to expect. 1031 Exchange property investments. Changes to NAR’s Code of Ethics. Six deadly sins of contract negotiations and drafting. Cooperating broker compensation. Learning is a snap with NABOR®’s educational videos.

62 Welcome New Members

64 NABORhood

Expo and Global Business Committees, social photos, and upcoming events.

70 The Close

Shopping: Unique gifts with a Naples flare. Local Scene: Celebrate the construction of the Tamiami Trail.

AVERAGE

AWARD FOR HIGHEST COMMISSIONS PAID

In 2022, Downing-Frye paid $49 Million+ in Commissions, with over 275 Downing-Frye Agents receiving awards for the Highest Commissions Paid in 2022.

RECORD NUMBER OF CLOSED TRANSACTIONAL SIDES

Since 2000, Downing-Frye Agents have closed over 71,000 Transactional Sides.

DOES

NAPLES REALTOR®

NABOR® Officers 2023

President Nick Bobzien

President Elect

PJ Smith

Vice President/Secretary

Terrilyn VanGorder Treasurer

Christine Citrano

NABOR® Directors 2023

Paula Angelopoulos Urbinati, Ryan Bleggi (Immediate Past President), Shaun Garry, David Puskaric, Marcie Roggow, Mary Waller, Izabela Wright

NABOR®

COMMITTEES 2023

Budget & Finance Chair

Christine Citrano

Commercial Chair

Cristin Madden

Vice Chair

Stuart Tackett

Community Involvement Chair

Nancy Bjork

Vice Chair

Spencer Rigsby

Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion

Chair

Paula Angelopoulos Urbinati

Vice Chair

Sandra Schlaupitz

Events for Networking Chair

Ben Boorom

Vice Chair

Shari de Ron Expo Chair

Julie Blanton

Vice Chair

Dave Antis

Economic Summit Chair

Gwen Davis-Gideon

Vice Chair

Lisa Rogstad

Facilities Management

Wes Kunkle

Global Business Chair

Brett Brown

Vice Chair

Carol Kairis

Governmental Issues Chair

Tom Regan

Vice Chair

Tina Muracco

Governmental Issues – Water Quality Chairs

Corey McCloskey, Adam Vellano

Grievance Chair

Courtney Smith

Vice Chair

Robert Nardi

Leadership Development Chair

Mariana Beckner

Vice Chair

Vicki Allen

Legal Resources Chair

Sam Saad

Vice Chair

Nick Bobzien

Media Relations

Chair

Nick Bobzien

Membership Chair

Perry DeSiato

Vice Chair

Nancy Golya

Membership – Broker Involvement Chair

Adam Vellano

NABOR® History Chair

Spencer Haynes

Vice Chair

Heather Haynes

NABOR® Magazine Chair

Mary Waller

MLS Chair

BC Cloutier

Vice Chair

Adam Vellano

Professional Development Chair

Rick Baranski

Vice Chair

Tina Falzarano

Professional Development – Instructor Advisory Council Chair

Adam Vellano

Professional Development – REALTOR® Safety Chair

Tim Guerrette

Professional Standards Chair

Carrie Lademan

Vice Chair

Will Watson RPAC Chair

Sara Brand Vice Chair

Debbie Zalewski

Young Professionals Network Chair

Allisa Pipes

Vice Chair

Kimberly Vargas

Naples REALTOR® Magazine Editorial Board

Chair

Mary Waller

Director of Marketing

Marcia Albert

Paula Angelopoulos Urbinati

Patricia Asencio

Heather Haynes

Paula King

Ruthie Morency

Nicole Porro

Bill Poteet

Dr. Ron Repice II

NABOR® Staff

Chief Executive Officer

Marty Manion

Chief Financial Officer

Carl Russell

Chief Administrative Officer

Corie Chase

Administrative Assistant to the Executive Committee

Deborah Linville

Assistant to Chief Financial Officer

Deb Joyner

Director of Engagement and Events

Melissa Bognaski

Director of Marketing

Marcia Albert

Director of Membership

Elizabeth Saggio

Director of MLS

Cindy Cornman

Director of Professional

Development Services

Michelle McKenna

Education Administrator

Jeanette O’Neill

Membership Administrators

Sherry Olson

Zamira Collado

MLS Compliance and Support Specialist

Cheyenne Chase

MLS Support Specialist

Allisson Gonzalez

Network Technician

Michael Bryant

REALTOR® Store Manager

Ann Mazzei

Receptionist

Joan Welsher

Supra and Store Administrative Assistant

Kathleen Gill

Vice President of Public Policy

Danielle Brazil Hudson

Videographer

Wade Mastro

A 10-minute jaunt to Naples or Marco Island, Fiddler’s Creek is nearly 4,000 acres surrounded by a million more. Private, gated, and convenient, a community with a top 100 golf course, a lavish beach venue with valet parking and a wet/dry marina. Incomparable amenities, homes and a lifestyle to match.

Publisher Liz Goodman

Editorial Director Daphne Nikolopoulos

Editor Cathy Chestnut

Creative Director Olga M. Gustine

Art Directors Diana Ramírez, Jorge Marquez

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Lisa A. Beach, Gina Birch, Robin F. DeMattia, Karen Feldman, Dick Hogan, Beth Lubereckii, Michele Meyer, Nanci Theoret

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

Brett Brown, Michael Caronchi, Wade Mastro

ADVERTISING

Liz Goodman at 239-595-7269

Advertising Services Coordinator Elizabeth Hackney

Marketing Manager Rebecca Desir

PRODUCTION

Production Director Selene M. Ceballo

Production Manager Lourdes Linares

Digital Pre-Press Specialist George Davis

Production Coordinator Ileana Cabán

Digital Marketing Manager Tyler Sansone

Advertising Design Coordinators Anaely J. Perez Vargas, Je rey Rey

OPERATIONS

Chief Operating O icer Todd Schmidt

O ice Manager Tanya Gomez

Accounts Receivable Specialist Ana Coronel

Distribution Manager Judy Heflin

Logistics Manager Omar Morales

Circulation Manager Marjorie Leiva

Circulation Assistant Britney Stinson

Circulation Promotions Manager David Supple

IT Manager Keith Gonzalez

Group Publisher Terry Du y

SUBSCRIPTIONS

800-308-7346

In Memoriam Ronald J. Woods (1935-2013)

HOUR MEDIA, LLC

CEO Stefan Wanczyk

President John Balardo

The Most Legendary Waterfront Lifestyle Has Arrived In Naples

For those who long for a home where captivating modern design and a stunning coastal location are just the beginning, The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Naples redefines elegant Southwest Florida living. Endless Gulf views, white-sand beaches, a marina-front lagoon, more than 50,000 square feet of curated amenities, chef-inspired dining, and legendary Ritz-Carlton service have all come together in one exclusive address limited to just 128 residences.

The time has come to make your client’s life legendary.

The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Naples pricing from $4 million.

Sales Gallery now open 2355 Vanderbilt Beach Road Suite 106

Naples, Florida 34109 Phone 239-249-6260

RCRNaples.com

THE RITZ-CARLTON RESIDENCES, NAPLES ARE NOT OWNED, SOLD OR DEVELOPED BY THE RITZ-CARLTON HOTEL COMPANY, L.L.C. OR ITS AFFILIATES (“THE RITZ-CARLTON”). STOCK RESIDENCES, USES THE RITZ-CARLTON MARKS UNDER A LICENSE FROM THE RITZ-CARLTON, WHICH HAS NOT CONFIRMED THE ACCURACY OF ANY OF THE STATEMENTS OR REPRESENTATIONS MADE HEREIN. ORAL REPRESENTATION CANNOT BE RELIED

Kevin R. Lottes

Real Estate Corporate

239-552-4114

9132 Strada Place Suite 207

Naples, Florida

Kevin@LottesLaw.com

239-552-4178 (Fax)

A Florida Bar Board Certified Specialist in Real Estate Law, Kevin Lottes is proud to be named in the Best Lawyers in America for the eleventh year in a row. He credits these honors to his unwavering commitment to excellent client service.

FULL-STEAM INTO Q2

We began the year with tremendous momentum and a steadfast commitment to live out our mission of helping your real estate business grow.

As I re ect on my rst quarter as president, I am in awe of what volunteers and sta have accomplished on behalf of NABOR®. ey are executing our mission brilliantly and I am grateful for their contribution.

NABOR® held 31 classes in the rst quarter! e 100 series of Graduate, REALTOR® Institute (GRI) of classes was o ered. If you’re serious about boosting your income and career opportunities, complete the GRIdesignation and you’ll be recognized as a top-tier real estate professional.

e 2022 Year-End Real Estate Market Conference and the MLS Tech Conference gave attendees a professional advantage with the knowledge they gained. e Member Appreciation Night “Grease Party” brought light-hearted fun and entertainment to more than 100 well-deserving members. And members attending the RPAC Kicko Party invested in the REALTORS® Political Action Committee whose membership works on behalf of REALTORS® to protect the real estate industry and the dream of homeownership.

NABOR® will continue to provide all the tools you need to con dently compete and grow so you are well-prepared to assist homebuyers.

Best wishes for a successful second quarter,

Nick Bobzien NABOR® President

The hiring of a lawyer is an important decision that should not be based solely on advertisement. Before you decide, please visit our website at www.lotteslaw.com to read about our qualifications and experience.

Your golfing friends at Eagle Creek invite you to

A SANCTUARY ABOVE IT ALL

The Island at West Bay is setting a new standard of excellence in Southwest Florida with every aspect of its innovative design. Every residence enjoys a coveted corner position, with soaring 10' ceilings, designer finishes and wide terraces with optional summer kitchens complemented by breathtaking views as far as the eye can see. Ideally located within a prestigious gated community, residents will enjoy exceptional resort-style amenities along with a private beach club, in a setting winding through a world-class golf course — all recently updated.. Before you make your next move, we invite you to explore The Island’s boutique luxury lifestyle. For best selection and pricing, call the sales center at 239.948.9009.

ARTIST’S RENDERING

FOR OPENERS

FAIR HOUSING MONTH: 55 YEARS OF ENFORCING EQUALITY

Educational resources and training opportunities help REALTORS ® incorporate fair housing practices into their business and understand the importance of cultural diversity

BY BETH LUBERECKI

Signed into U.S. law in 1968, the Fair Housing Act aimed to put an end to discriminatory housing practices in real estate. The federal law prohibits discrimination related to the sale, rental, advertising, and financing of housing based on race, religion, national origin, sex, disability, and family status.

“People thought it was important for our country to acknowledge the importance of homeownership and the fact that everybody who could afford one should be able to own a home,” says Robert Morris, a National Association of REALTORS® director from Tennessee and an international speaker, certified instructor and trainer, and consultant.

Each April, the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) and its more than 1.5 million members mark the passage of that significant piece of legislation during Fair Housing Month. Special events and educational opportunities offered during that month signify “a recommitment to expanding equal access to housing.”

That recommitment remains important: Even though more than 50 years have gone by since the Fair Housing Act became law, the needle hasn’t moved that far. Data from the U.S. Census Bureau shows that just over 45 percent of Black households owned their own homes in Q3 2022, compared with almost 75 percent of White households. That’s a 29-point gap—an even wider gap between Black and White homeownership than it was in 1960—years before the law was passed.

“We’ve made small strides in certain places and some bigger strides in other places,” says

Morris. “But we can’t necessarily say we’ve come a long way…as REALTORS®, we’ve got a lot of work to do.”

Educational Opportunities and Professional Certifications

Education plays a vital role in bringing about change, and NAR offers a variety of resources and training opportunities in that realm. The At Home With Diversity (AHWD) certification helps participants strengthen their understanding of fair housing laws and the importance of diversity in communities and develop skills and guidelines

uses real stories to help REALTORS® work through scenarios illustrating housing discrimination and practice how to respond to them. “It’s one of the best online simulations I’ve ever seen,” says Morris. “And it is free.”

Bias Override: Overcoming Barriers to Fair Housing is a new certificate course from the NAR that teaches REALTORS® about concepts like stereotypical thinking, identity, and implicit bias so they can learn how to combat problematic ways of thinking.

“It’s about understanding that we have personal biases, and we also have implicit biases,” says Morris. “Bias Override helps us

for working with multicultural customers.

“We try to offer the AHWD certification every year, and this year we are offering a certification course on Thursday, April 13, during Fair Housing Month,” says Paula Angelopoulos Urbinati, Naples Area Board of REALTORS® (NABOR®) Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee Director and Chair. “We’re trying to share with our 8,000-plus members that we need to be conscious of words, and that words affect others.”

In 2020, NAR introduced Fairhaven, a fair housing simulation training. The simulation

with the understanding that we have these, and they play a huge part in how we treat one another. It doesn’t mean you can’t have personal feelings, but it means your personal feelings should not overflow into you doing a job of equal representation to all individuals.”

To gain a better understanding about fair housing, REALTORS® can attend two classes—Bias Override and Getting Up Close and Personal with Fair Housing with Robert Morris—as well as a reception.

The NABOR® Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee is working to ensure

There’s an even wider gap between Black and White homeownership than it was in 1960—eight years before the Fair Housing Act was passed.

that all the association’s members feel a sense of belonging—that all have a seat at the table. The committee currently has 15 members who actively chose to serve on the committee rather than being appointed to the role.

“I think that is wonderful,” says Angelopoulos Urbinati. “Asking someone to be on a committee that they maybe don’t feel comfortable with is not the same as someone who is excited.”

Striving to prevent discrimination and ensure equal access to housing for everyone,

along with working to create industry associations that are inclusive and welcoming to all, benefits the entire community in which REALTORS® live and work.

“Different people bring different perspectives to the table,” says Morris. “Different people have different thoughts and ideas and different exposures, and therefore you get a culmination of the best that comes together. If you don’t have different perspectives being interjected, you never expand and you never grow. There is immense value to having diversification in any group, no matter where it is.”

Robert Morris

FOR OPENERS

NO QUICK FIX FOR INSURANCE WOES

BY BETH LUBERECKI

It looks like another challenging year ahead for the homeowners insurance market. That means REALTORS® will need to continue helping their customers navigate the difficult situation.

Rates are expected to remain high. “Rate increases of anywhere between 10 percent to 20 percent are what I foresee,” says certified insurance counselor Kimberly Vargas, agent/owner of Strategic Insurance Group.

Rates had already been on the rise, primarily due to what the Florida Association of Insurance Agents has called “unnecessary lawsuits from third-party contractors,” typically the abuse of assignment of benefits clauses. Almost 80 percent of all homeowners insurance lawsuits over claims filed across the United States are based in Florida. Add to that the damage from several hurricanes that have hit the state since 2016 and it’s easy to understand the turmoil in the Florida insurance market.

As a result, availability of insurance will remain limited, as carriers continue to be extremely selective in writing new policies in Florida or have stopped doing so altogether. But agents hope that new legislation signed into law in 2022 will help the situation.

Senate Bill 2D includes additional provisions related to assignment of benefits reform. It also says that insurers can’t refuse to write or renew policies on homes with roofs less than 15 years old solely because of the roof’s age.

Senate Bill 2A establishes the Florida Optional Reinsurance Assistance Program for the 2023 hurricane season. This bill:

∙ Helps insurance companies purchase reinsurance at reasonable or near-market rates so they can keep rates down for homeowners.

∙ Sets new deadlines for filing claims.

∙ Reduces the time allowed for companies to pay or deny a claim.

∙ Prohibits the assigning of benefits to a third

party for insurance policies issued on or after January 1, 2023.

These are all moves in the right direction, but it will take time for homeowners to feel the effects. “It’s going to take probably a few years for those changes to really have an impact on the market,” says Shannon Morgan, agent/co-owner of Prestige Insurance Consultants. “We didn’t get into this problem overnight, and it’s not going to be fixed overnight.”

Getting carriers back in the Florida insurance game is the goal. “A healthy environment of having multiple carriers willing to offer terms helps drive the cost down,” says Andrea Pelletier, client advisor, private risk services at Gulfshore Insurance.

Assisting Buyers

In the meantime, REALTORS® will need to continue to help educate their customers about the realities of the current insurance market, especially out-of-state buyers who may not be familiar with the Sunshine State’s insurance challenges. “Consumers for the most part are educated and seem to be aware of the struggles we’re having in Florida around insurance,” says Pelletier. “But there are still a few people who are not prepared for the insurance pricing.”

REALTORS® should ensure that buyers know the importance of wind mitigation and four-point inspections for getting the best possible rates (especially for older homes), and that it’s important to start the process of finding insurance as soon as possible. “Tell buyers that they need to start shopping for their insurance as soon as the contract is signed,” says Morgan. “Don’t wait until a week before closing. The benefit of shopping early is if someone tells you they don’t have anything, you can try another agent.”

When shopping for a policy, Pelletier says it’s important to understand the coverage terms and

The market for homeowners insurance will remain challenging for 2023

Andrea Pelletier

Kim Vargas

Shannon Morgan

conditions and carrier’s nancial stability. “Price is important, because rates are expensive, but you always want to look at the carrier’s nancial stability rating, too,” she says. “A combination of an AM Best–rated policy, broad policy terms, and competitive pricing would be ideal.”

REALTORS® also can help their customers understand whether a property is in a ood zone and encourage them to consider ood insurance even if they

aren’t required to get it. (Senate Bill 2A requires Citizens Property Insurance Corp. policyholders to obtain ood insurance as a condition for eligibility.) “In Florida, we’re surrounded by water,” says Vargas. “Whether you’re in a ood zone or not, everyone should have ood insurance. at’s just the reality.”

If a seller already has ood insurance on the property, getting a copy of the declarations page for that policy can help the buyer get favorable rates for their policy. “It

helps buyers save on ood insurance if there already is a policy on the property, and it’s something that’s not usually asked for,” says Vargas.

In the end, Vargas sees the cost of insurance as something of a trade-o for easy access to the beach and the Florida sunshine. “People say we live in paradise, but everything does have a price unfortunately,” she says. “Compared to a lot of other states, we de nitely are more at risk here.”

Jones

FOR OPENERS

EMISSARIES—FROM ONE PARADISE TO ANOTHER

Learn the benefits of NABOR ® ’s role as the Ambassador Association to Costa Rica and some of the ins and outs of referring customers to the country, which boasts a new multiple listing service

BY CATHY CHESTNUT

Allen Lungo has been living the expat life since 2004 in Costa Rica, where he has been deeply involved in property management and real estate for almost two decades.

Among other leadership positions in the industry, Lungo was president from 2011 to 2021 of the Costa Rica Global Association of REALTORS®, which has a bilateral agreement with National Association of REALTORS® (NAR).

Lungo is quite familiar with the Naples Area Board of REALTORS® (NABOR®), which has been NAR’s Ambassador Association to Costa Rica since 2018. rough this prestigious ambassadorship, NABOR® promotes business and global real estate relationships with the country and fosters cultural understanding.

With a primary goal of learning from each other, NABOR® shares best practices with Costa Rican colleagues, o ering guidance on ethics, professional standards, and licensing. NABOR® organizes an annual trade mission to Costa Rica that interested NABOR® members are eager to attend. It also o ers the NAR Certi ed International Property Specialist designation courses to International REALTORS®. Lungo has hosted the courses for 11 years and held the largest class in 2022 with instructor Brett Brown, NABOR® Global Business Committee Chair 2023.

Brown is proud of the partnership. “ is whole country knows where Naples is and what we do here,” he says.

Brown consistently receives inquiries from local REALTORS® and helps them connect with licensed professionals in Costa Rica who are members of the two NAR bilateral partners. “It’s amazing how many people here have a connection to Costa Rica,” notes Brown.

Even though Costa Rica is a popular place for Americans to visit, buy a vacation or investment property, and retire, it was lacking a multiple listing system—until now. Earlier attempts to establish listing platforms were limited and short-lived, but a comprehensive and standardized country-wide system launched this year that is generating excitement. “Only members of our professional organization, as well as those referrals from members that are a liated with us, will have access to this system,” says Rebecca Clower, president of Costa Rica Global Association of REALTORS®. “We are very excited to nally have a true, viable MLS system in Costa Rica.”

Brown stresses that it’s important to work with an International REALTOR® Member of NAR who subscribes to a Code of Ethics. ere are more than 500 International REALTOR® Members in Costa Rica, which is one of NAR’s largest bilateral partners.

PHOTOS PROVIDED BY BRETT BROWN

Why is it the Rich Coast?

Why are people attracted to Costa Rica? For a host of reasons, says Lungo. Among them:

∙ Low cost of living

∙ Stable democracy with a multiparty political system

∙ E cient, universal health care system

∙ Natural beauty featuring rainforests, beaches, and volcanoes; roughly a quarter of the Central American country is made up of jungle

∙ Temperate weather with two microclimates

∙ Two diverse coastlines along the Caribbean and Paci c

∙ Modern infrastructure, including internet interconnectivity, marinas, roadways, shipping ports, and two international airports

∙ A friendly populace where human rights and privacy are respected

∙ Culturally rich capital of San Jose

∙ Is working toward 100 percent reliance on renewable energy

What Local REALTORS® Need to Know

∙ NABOR® is planning a joint trade mission with the Chicago Association of REALTORS® from July 26 to August 1. e Certi ed International Property Specialist (CIPS) designation courses will be o ered from July 31 to August 5. Last year, more than 40 agents (from six states and four countries) attended the CIPS training. “ e networking was phenomenal,” says Brown. Check nabor.com for details.

∙ Only residents of Costa Rica can list and sell property in the country; otherwise, it is illegal. ere are various avenues to achieving residency and “it takes time and e ort,” says Lungo.

“Until then, we welcome all the referrals you send.” However, if you do not have a tax basis in Costa Rica, 15 percent of the referral commission earned is held back for taxes.

∙ REALTORS® in the United States are advised to work with an International REALTOR® Member who abides by the NAR Code of Ethics.

∙ All Costa Rican property transaction documents and contracts are in English.

∙ ere is a at property tax of one quarter of one percent per year.

∙ ere are two NAR bilateral partners in the country: the Costa Rica Global Association of REALTORS® and the Camara Costarricense de Corredores de Bienes Raices (CCCBR), also known as the Costa Rica Chamber of Real Estate Brokers Board.

NABOR® organizes an annual trade mission to Costa Rica that interested members are invited to attend.

Left: Property tours during the 2022 trade mission in the Guanacasta area. Center below: PJ Smith, President Elect 2023; Marty Manion, NABOR® CEO; Nick Bobzien, President 2023; and Brett Brown, Global Business Committee Chair 2023, during the 2022 trade mission.

Inn Place

BY ROBIN F. DEMATTIA

Tourism is not only the largest industry in Collier County—it’s often the first step a future homeowner takes before contacting a REALTOR®.

“Someone will come down here on vacation and look around and realize that there are people who live here year-round, and they could, too,” says Paul Beirnes, executive director of the Naples, Marco Island, Everglades Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB). “It is a migration protocol to this beautiful destination.”

Beirnes notes that 1.6 million people visit Collier County annually and that recent changes in the local hospitality industry—

from new owners updating properties to luxury resort properties opening—are attracting more affluent travelers. In January, the average cost of lodging tipped just over $310 per night, according to the CVB. Several new hotel rooms plus travelers willing to pay more to stay and play in Naples is good news for REALTORS® when tourists evolve into prospective customers.

Old Naples Hotel: Inspired by Local History

The Delray Beach-based Ocean Properties partnered with the Camalier family, Naples residents since 1964 and owners of significant properties in Naples and the Third Street shopping district to build the Old Naples Hotel at Gordon Drive, Broad Avenue, and Third Street South. The Cameliers say they were inspired by the town’s original Naples Hotel, which opened in 1889, and served guests for nearly 90 years. “The Old Naples Hotel will offer numerous amenities also open to its neighbors: a café/bar with outdoor dining, picturesque courtyard, hotel sundry shop, spa, and a small retail commercial space.”

New hotels and resorts are opening soon while others are being upgraded, drawing affluent visitors who come to play but may eventually decide to stay in Naples

Paul Beirnes

Renewal for The Ritz-Carltons

e Ritz-Carlton, Naples was being renovated top to bottom and expanding with new condominiums when it temporarily closed after Hurricane Ian. e original beach resort is one of the oldest properties in the Ritz family and has undergone several upgrades over its 35-year history. Among an impressive host of upgrades in what it calls the “Evolution of an Icon,” 35 guest suites are being renovated and 57 new ones are being built, bringing the total to 474. e project also includes a new lobby and lobby bar, an expansive Ritz-Carlton Club Lounge, three new dining outlets, ve pools (with some featuring luxury bungalows and cabanas), and a revamped spa. It is expected to reopen in this summer. e RitzCarlton Naples, Tiburón dropped “golf resort” from its name and introduced its new name in December to re ect its reinvention as a family destination with a miniature water park.

Naples Beach Club: A Historic Property Transformation

e former Naples Beach Hotel & Golf Club property is being transformed into

Naples Beach Club by the Athens Group and MSD Partners. e 125-acre resort with 1,000 feet of beachfront and a 216room Four Seasons resort with 20 luxury condominium units. e project will be developed in three phases; the rst phase is expected to be completed in 2024. It will include the hotel and residences, conference center, and Market Square, which will be anchored by a new restaurant, bowling alley, spa, and tness facility. e popular restaurants HB’s on the Gulf and the Sunset Beach Bar are being renovated.

Fresh Adventures: Great Wolf Lodge is 20-acre complex—the rst Florida location for the chain—is scheduled to open by summer 2024. It is being built on City Gate Boulevard near the Paradise Coast Sports Complex o Exit 101 of I-75, providing easy access to East Coast visitors and the regional airport. e resort will have 500 rooms, a 100,000-square-foot indoor water park, and 62,000 square feet of attractions, including an adventure park, dining, and event space.

The Ellington Planned to Open This Year is 10-story, 125-room luxury hotel with 24 condos and upscale dining is under construction at the corner of Tamiami Trail and Davis Boulevard. e developer, Indigo Road Hospitality Group, expects completion in late 2023.

Downtown Gateway: AC Hotel Naples by Marriott is 150-room hotel is rising next to the Gulfshore Playhouse cultural campus along Goodlette-Frank Road o the Tamiami Trail. Both major developments at the eastern gateway to downtown Naples are expected to be completed by the end of the year. “Construction is progressing well on the AC Hotel Naples, despite some delays caused by Hurricane Ian,” says Todd Turner, CEO of OTO Development. Local rms MHK Architecture & Planning and general contractor DeAngelis Diamond are partners on the project. “ e nished product will be stunning both inside and out,” says Turner. e three-story hotel will include a ground- oor café, 2,500 square feet of meeting space, and the Limón Rooftop Bar with indoor and outdoor seating.

New Names or New Owners

Several long-time landmarks have changed hands or names:

∙ e Naples Ramada was renovated with a contemporary touch and tropical décor and renamed to the Collins Hotel.

∙ e Trianon Old Naples, sold in November, is now the Capri Inn. It is part of the Opal Collection, one of 20 properties (including the Edgewater Beach Hotel) owned by Ocean Properties.

∙ e Inn of Naples kept its name but transitioned into the Tapestry Collection by Hilton, a portfolio of 90 independent hotels.

Clockwise from left: A rendering of the future Naples Beach Club; Great Wolf Lodge experiences coming to Collier County; a rendering of the expanded and upgraded The Ritz-Carlton, Naples, expected to open this summer; a rendering of AC Hotel Naples by Marriott rising near downtown Naples.

THE CRAFT

OTO DEVELOPMENT

THE RITZ-CARLTON RESORTS OF NAPLEST GREAT WOLF RESORTS

FOR OPENERS

Work-Life Harmony

Conquering stress in a 24/7 career

BY MICHELE MEYER

Run yourself ragged and you may unravel. We all need a work-life balance, but for driven entrepreneurs in the real estate world where buyers expect to shop 24/7, that can seem as elusive as a $25 million listing.

“You’ve got to gure out what’s o -kilter, then you can address your speci c issue and rebalance your life,” says Deb Logan, M.Ed., a registered dietitian nutritionist who is executive director of the Naples area’s Blue Zones Project SWFL, a wellness initiative found in 71 communities nationwide.

Here are eight tips—from Logan and Karen P. Forman, MBA, a psychotherapist with master’s degree in social work at Better y Counseling Services in Cape Coral—for gaining an even keel when you are feeling time-crunched or overwhelmed.

STRESSOR: “ When fear drives you, stress is constantly under the surface,” Forman says.

REALITY: Unaddressed, anxiety erodes resilience and zest.

RX: As musicians say, take ve. Schedule an hourly break to tune in to your body with mini-meditation sessions or deep belly breaths.

“Doing something unrelated to work helps you recoup,” Forman says. Solve a Sudoku, take a stroll, look at photos, or try deep breathing (counting to four as you inhale and longer as you exhale).

Need a well-being coach? Blue Zones

Project has a free “Power 9” website that delves into the nine lifestyle habits of the world’s longest-living, healthiest people and o ers a four-week plan for making these principles part of your lifestyle: bluezones. com/blue-zones-life

STRESSOR: e misconception that if you work harder, you’ll get more bang for your buck.

REALITY: You may miss details of contracts or double-book showings.

RX: Don’t be shy about utilizing your rm’s

assistants, Logan says. Rotate weekends and o hours or hire additional personnel.

State your limits—and stick to them, Forman says. ose include alerting clients and coworkers to when you’ll return calls— and when you’re unavailable.

Consider a separate email and phone for work. Vow to answer them at set times— which don’t include hours devoted to rest.

STRESSOR: You’re on the runand running on empty, so you skip meals, grab fast food, or eat cookies you’d set out for clients.

REALITY: You can store your own string cheese, cut veggies, and other snacks in the o ce refrigerator.

RX: Carry snack bars or packets of nuts and dried fruit in your car. Get a small cooler so “you can chill a salad or sandwich from a grocery store’s grab-and-go section,” Logan says.

STRESSOR: Resentment builds when you miss holidays or special moments due to work.

REALITY: “ ere’s no reason why you can’t pick a day and treat it like it’s a holiday,” Logan says.

RX: Gather friends for a feast or take a halfday or weekend to play tourist in town with a family member.

STRESSOR: You’re always waiting, whether it’s for clients to show or stalled tra c to move.

REALITY: Appreciate the break from constantly being “on.” “Downtime is so helpful,” Logan says.

RX: Rather than stew, disconnect mentally while waiting. Listen to music, do deepbreathing exercises, or write in a gratitude journal. “When we think about or write about what we’re grateful for, our brain releases feel-good dopamine hormones,” Logan says. “With gratitude, things look brighter.”

Also squeeze in a little exercise, “which is

a form of antidepressant,” Forman says. “Get to a showing 10 minutes early and walk the block or neighborhood.

STRESSOR: You do it all.

REALITY: You can’t be everything to everyone—you’ll burn out.

RX: “ Prioritize things you do best,” Forman says. “You’ll have more energy and passion— and that will enhance your credibility.”

STRESSOR: Me time? What’s that? It’s been forever since you’ve had any.

REALITY: Taking time out to recharge our batteries is imperative for well-being. Being exhausted makes us prone to error and frustration.

RX: Call, rather than text, friends. “If you can schedule an hour with friends, commit to it, even if it’s two weeks out,” Logan says. A round of golf or side-by-side pedicure with a friend combines self-care with socialization.

Find a “tribe” outside your profession and family, Logan says. You might join a Blue Zones walking group, form a healthycooking club, or volunteer for a cause. Don’t know where to begin? Start your search at Volunteer Collier (volunteercollier.com). Go to the beach to watch the sun set, Logan says. “ e gentle sound of waves makes you breathe di erently—and quiets the chatter in your head,” she says.

STRESSOR: You’re on your laptop searching for leads and clients before napping or going to bed for the night.

REALITY: e blue light from your laptop hampers and delays sleep, Forman says. RX: Avoid blue light an hour before bed, unless you’re wearing blue blocker glasses.   Also create a sleep ritual. Take a calming bath or shower or sign up for Calm, Paci ca, Headspace, or another app that o ers sleep-inducing music or meditations. Avoid co ee after midday or alcohol three hours before bedtime.

FOR OPENERS

Fighting Hunger in Collier County

BY GINA BIRCH

Collier County is home to some of the region’s most posh, high-end restaurants where one steak can cost triple digits— and there’s no shortage of patrons lining up to pay. It’s almost hard to imagine that more than 10 percent of Collier’s population, and nearly 20 percent of children, don’t know where their next meal is coming from, according to the Collier Community Foundation.

The number of food insecure residents spiked at the onset of the coronavirus pandemic with mass layoffs and furloughs. On its heels came supply chain delays, inflation, and, most recently, Hurricane Ian. Community leaders say the combination of these challenges has made it difficult for many to rebound financially.

The Collier Community Foundation distributes grants to local nonprofits combating hunger— totaling $1.68 million in 2022. In

the first six weeks following Hurricane Ian, the foundation provided $172,500 in emergency food assistance grants from the Collier Comes Together Fund, according to Cindi Withorn, the foundation’s senior director of marketing and public relations.

Helping residents living paycheck-topaycheck with the basic necessity of food can mean the difference between their ability to pay rent or eviction. That’s why local nonprofits are working diligently to assuage food insecurity, though leaders in the field don’t believe that the demand will go back to pre-pandemic levels anytime soon.

A HAND-UP TO SENIORS, CHILDREN, THE WORKING POOR

Harry Chapin Food Bank of Southwest Florida is the regional nexus for food distribution, supplying more than 150 partner agencies with nonperishables, fresh

produce, and other supplies to provide in their communities. Some 12.9 million pounds of food was supplied by Harry Chapin Food Bank to soup kitchens, church pantries, and other organizations in Collier County in 2021-2022. This is a significant increase over the pre-pandemic 5.65 million pounds distributed in 2018-2019.

St. Matthew’s House, one of the beneficiaries, saw a tenfold increase in need in March 2020, at the onset of the pandemic shutdown—providing groceries to 400 families each month before it skyrocketed to 4,000 families, according to St. Matthew’s House CEO Steven Brooder. “It just kept growing,” he says. It peaked at 25,000 families in April 2022.

After Hurricane Ian, the number of families aided dropped in half because distribution sites were damaged and closed. Brooder projects “13,000 to 15,000 households served

Nonprofits are working diligently to help the food insecure meet dynamic, unexpected challenges as the need continues to rise

per month” as sites reopened.

A typical pantry bag from St. Matthew’s contains enough dry goods, protein, and produce to feed a family of four for several days. Our Daily Bread, a Marco Island food pantry that’s also supported by Harry Chapin, distributes similar bags, as well as pet food. It’s not uncommon for financially struggling people to skip meals to feed their pets, notes executive director Amanda Nelson.

Although the general perception of Marco Island is of a wealthy community, Our Daily Bread was established in 2016 to serve island families and seniors, as well as the working poor living in East Naples. “Many people had no idea there was a need on Marco, but kids were coming to school hungry,” says Nelson.

Last year, it served almost 195,000 people from 16 sites “and the need continues,” Nelson says. Every Thursday and Friday, volunteers canvass about a dozen sites in

Naples and Marco, distributing food as well as hygiene items through Our Daily Bread’s mobile pantry, Al’s Pals.

Feed Thy Neighbor also canvasses Collier communities, feeding homebound elderly residents and the homeless, from families living in cars to those fighting addiction and sheltering in the woods.

Anthony Mansolillo founded Feed Thy Neighbor during the pandemic while trading recipes with an online group. A wheelchairbound woman in the group shared her recipe for stuffed peppers. “She said, ‘Boy, I wish I could still cook,’” Mansolillo remembers, so he made extra to deliver to her. The next day, a group member recovering from surgery asked for some peppers.

“In two weeks, I was up to 100 meals, and it just kept growing,” he says. Today, Feed Thy Neighbor operates out of kitchens at St. Monica’s Episcopal Church in Naples and

the Fort Myers Lion’s Club, serving 3,000 meals a week.

Meals of Hope also sprung from feeding the elderly in 2007, opening its first food pantry at Golden Gate Senior Center. Now the organization has 15 mobile pantries serving 4,000 families each week, according to president/CEO Stephen Popper. The pantries rotate locations targeting food deserts, where it’s difficult to buy affordable or good-quality fresh food. “A family shouldn’t go hungry just because they can’t get transportation to a pantry,” says Popper.

The day after Hurricane Ian, Meals of Hope teamed with World Central Kitchen, then as part of a coordinated effort overseen by the Collier Community Foundation. There has been an increase in the need for food following Ian, but Popper attributes the increasing need to “the inflationary costs of products” that’s difficult to bridge on a fixed income.

Several local nonprofits are on the feeding front lines, including Our Daily Bread and St. Matthew’s House (above). They assist families living paycheck to paycheck to keep roofs over their heads, homebound seniors, and residents constrained by fixed incomes in the face of inflation, among others.

PHOTOS: COLLIER COMMUNITY FOUNDATION, ST. MATTHEW’S HOUSE

Home to MORE

At Ave Maria, more is an invitation and a promise.

More full days of getting out and about, without ever getting into a car.

More shopping, golf rounds, fishing trips, and bike rides in nature.

More of the impromptu, spontaneous fun that turns up the joy in life.

And with four renowned builders and an array of home designs from the $200s, you’ve got a lengthy list of reasons to come see us. Need

FOR OPENERS CAR MAGNETS

IN STORE FOR YOU

BY ANN MAZZEI, NABOR® STORE MANAGER

Turn your car into a mobile billboard! Car magnets are a great way to draw attention to your brand. Coste ective and long-lasting.

Member Price: $5.95-$7.95  Pick one up at the REALTOR® Store.

FOREWARN FOR REALTOR® SAFETY

A real-time information solution for real estate agents that takes the guesswork out of interactions with potential clients

Despite the continued expansion of information technology, the real estate industry remains dependent on personal interactions with costumers that they have zero or little veri ed background information about. FOREWARN provides instant knowledge, prior to a face-toface engagement, with a customer. According to the maker of the app, “Most real estate agents and brokers may now see between 40 to 50 percent of inquiries coming from unrepresented, unknown buyers.” Now you can research an individual by simply inputting their phone number and receiving critical information—property addresses, vehicle information, bankruptcies, liens, and criminal history—giving the REALTOR® a heads-up prior to doing business with that individual.

Cost: $20/month for one agent license. Discount brokerage and association accounts are available; the cost is dependent on the number of agents or members. FOREWARN is available both online and through a mobile app: forewarn.com

REMARKABLE RESILIENCY EVIDENT AS COUNTY RECOVERS

BY KAREN FELDMAN

eptember 28, 2022 is a date indelibly etched into the minds of Southwest Floridians who experienced the fury of Hurricane Ian and its aftermath.

LIFE AFTER IAN S

The Category 4 storm that lashed the coast with 155 mph winds and storm surges of up to 15 feet devastated parts of Collier County, especially the Old Naples area. Yet within five months, the county had made remarkable strides in resurrecting the community and economy. Most businesses had reopened, homes were being repaired, residents were putting their lives back together, and tourists had returned in robust numbers. Another positive sign: The real estate market kept rolling as buyers continued to invest in the greater Naples area. According to the Naples Area Board of REALTORS® (NABOR®) December 2022 Market Overview, the median closed price in December was 13 percent higher than December 2021.

The community’s resilience “shocked everyone and impressed me beyond compare,” says Paul Beirnes, executive director of the Naples, Marco Island, Everglades Convention & Visitors Bureau. “The sense of rebound and resolve—whether it was neighbors helping neighbors or passionate customers of restaurants rolling up their sleeves to help dry out dining rooms—it was highly impressive.”

Nonetheless, that doesn’t mean it’s business as usual. Landmarks such as The Ritz-Carlton, Naples, sustained major damage and are being painstakingly restored. While the beach resort plans to reopen in mid-summer, others, such as Delnor-Wiggins Pass State Park, are closed indefinitely for repair. The partially opened Naples Pier stands testament to the hard work ahead.

Here’s a look at some aspects of life and business in Collier County, five months after Hurricane Ian.

LAY OF THE LAND

Long after tons of storm debris were collected and blue-tarped roofs returned to shingled, issues linger. The Vanderbilt Beach neighborhood along Gulf Shore Boulevard was hard hit by the storm. Christa Carrera, a certified floodplain manager who operates Paradise Flood Solutions, found herself spending a lot of time in that area working with older condominiums built in the 1960s and ‘70s, prior to the adoption of stricter building codes and flood-elevation standards.

Carrera has been helping condo association boards make their way through the permitting process to repair damaged

buildings. The problem for many, she says, is “they are below the required flood-elevation standards and don’t meet code.”

Those that are deemed to be at least 50 percent destroyed are required to be torn down rather than repaired, a regulation that’s been around for a long time but isn’t widely known. Those older structures, especially the one-and two-story buildings, “will have a problem trying to rebuild” and, if they do manage to do so, are likely to find that insurance rates will be astronomically high. “That’s going to be a huge issue,” Carrera says.

She advises homeowners planning to buy a property— and for the REALTORS® assisting them in the process—to do their due diligence on the location, elevation, and insurance requirements of their potential purchase. “You live in a state surrounded by water,” Carrera warns. “Be informed.”

The iconic Naples Pier has been rebuilt several times since it was originally built in 1888.

Following Hurricane Ian's destruction, it was repaired and reopened to 100 feet west of the stairs. City leaders are planning a redesign and retrofits to make it more storm resilient.

INSURANCE WOES

The matter of coverage—which companies will be writing policies, what’s covered, the requirements for obtaining that coverage, and what it will cost—remains in flux.

“Everybody in Florida insurance was hoping 2023 was going to look so bright. The sun was going to shine,” says Rodiana Andis, owner of Andis Insurance Agency in Naples. “We were five years past (Hurricane) Irma, there seemed to be new availability and maybe some price decreases, then—bam!— Ian came, then [Tropical Storm] Nicole.”

The result, she says, is that “many companies have yet to write new policies.

Those currently writing are very limited and everyone wants to insure brand new homes.”

Andrea Pelletier, private client adviser at Gulfshore Insurance, says immediately following the storm there were fewer options overall, but for higher-end properties “a lot of the markets are opening up. Policies have been more expensive, and terms may be less favorable than before Ian” but it’s possible to write policies for them.

For clients who have coverage, “we are encouraging them to stay with their current insurer,” Pelletier says. “If you have a good carrier that is not pulling out of the state and you got a renewal that’s a 20 percent increase over last year, we recommend renewing it because you are probably not going to get anything better.”

And, although she wishes she had better news, she says it’s likely premiums will continue to rise as insurers calculate their losses from Ian, a process that will take years, not months.

Although it announced the move prior to the storm, United Property & Casualty, one of the largest home insurers in Florida, will leave the state May 31, cancelling 140,000 policies. In 2022, United Property & Casualty was one of 13 home insurers that announced plans to leave the Florida market, placed a moratorium on new policies, or went insolvent, according to the Insurance Information Institute.

Going forward, companies still writing policies will have stricter requirements for doing so. Andis says new guidelines will depreciate roofs so that the amount homeowners will receive on roof claims will decrease each year as their roofs age.

Older homes—that means anything built prior to 2002 when building codes were strengthened—will likely be harder to insure and will have to undergo both wind mitigation and four-point inspections, in which the condition of the home’s roofing, electrical, plumbing, and HVAC systems are assessed. The result of these inspections “determines whether they want to underwrite the policy or not,” Andis says.

That’s something Joe Nugent knows well. As owner of Joe the Home Pro, he and his team are working seven days a week,

completing 30 wind mitigation and fourpoint inspections weekly.

His company also performs mold inspections and can help homeowners pinpoint problems that may prevent them from getting insurance or cause health problems. “The insurance industry is dropping people right and left. People are in a tight spot,” he says. “They need to get insurance and we are trying to be that comfort for them.”

Even when the homes pass inspection, rates are on the rise due to a host of factors, including increasing home values, inflation, and extreme weather events throughout the country that have resulted in unprecedented claims.

Ardis is acutely aware it’s placing a strain on her clients, most of whom live east of the city and in Golden Gate Estates. “When they get the bill, it’s shocking,” she says. “Nobody can budget for that on a fixed income. Taxes have gone up. Insurance went up, association fees went up, flood insurance went up, cost of living and inflation have gone up. Our wealthier clients are doing all right, but the majority of consumers are struggling.” (See page 18 for more on insurance.)

STATE OF REAL ESTATE

The news isn’t all doom and gloom. When it comes to the dream of owning a place in the sun, even a hurricane the size of Ian can’t destroy it. People are still buying, including northerners looking for a winter escape or a warmer year-round residence.

“The frenzy we experienced in 2021 has slowed down, but it has not gone away. This is still a desirable place to be, especially in the wintertime. We still have low inventory— about two months’ worth—it’s still a seller’s market,” says Corey McCloskey, vice president of operations at John R. Wood Properties. “If REALTORS® are assisting sellers and listing appropriately, homes are still selling in a fast manner. It’s all about pricing.”

When potential buyers from elsewhere ask if an Ian-sized hurricane might happen again, McCloskey says, “No one has a crystal ball, but virtually all parts of the country are prone to natural disasters.”

She points out that Southwest Florida’s geographic positioning gives it more protection from direct strikes than some parts of the state. Beyond that, she says, “It’s not like an earthquake or a tornado. At least we have a good amount of warning.”

Kyle Knight, D.R. Horton Southwest Florida vice president of operations, reports that demand for homes is strong and the division “is back to a normal sales pace for this time of year after experiencing a reduction in sales for approximately 60 days post-storm.”

While the company has resumed normal operations, it is experiencing some difficulties obtaining drywall and finding enough employees. “A large percentage of labor is focused on storm-related work, which tends to pay more in the short term,” he says.

Margaret Hodge, a certified appraiser and owner of Longview Appraisals, says from her perspective, the market is active and healthy. She isn’t doing as many appraisals as she did last year at this time but she attributes that to higher interest rates which might be leading to more cash transactions because they don’t require an appraisal. “There are still really good deals out there, including some homes that had some damage,” Hodge says. “It just depends on what you are looking for.”

FHA MORTGAGE INSURANCE FOR DISASTER VICTIMS

The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) Section 203(h) loan program for natural disaster assistance provides mortgage insurance to protect lenders against the risk of default on mortgages to qualified disaster victims to help those who have lost their home and are in the process of rebuilding or buying another home. Under 203(h), the owner of a primary residence that’s no longer habitable can get an FHA loan with nothing down rather than the required 3 percent down for a typical FHA loan. Insured mortgages may be used to finance the purchase or reconstruction of a one-family home that will be the principal residence of the homeowner. There are limits on the dollar value of the mortgage to ensure that it is serving low- and moderate-income people. (Learn more at hud.gov.)

MOVING FORWARD

McCloskey oversees the education, relocation, and technology groups at John R. Wood Properties in addition to selling real estate, so she is in a good position to advise other REALTORS® about how to move forward recover personally and professionally from the post-Ian tumult.

“If you weren’t affected that much, you tended to go back to business as normal,” she says. “But for those significantly affected, that leaves a different scar. They need help. Maybe they needed to leave their homes. We need to realize people need more support.”

To help support its members, NABOR® offered in-person and virtual events that addressed ways to cope with the emotional fallout for REALTORS® and their customers. “We’re not mental health professionals. We deal with the ups and downs of transactions. We’re not really equipped to handle things like that,” McCloskey acknowledges. “We wanted to support our members so they can support their customers.”

A program produced after the storm with NABOR® Helps, the organization’s charitable arm, they reminded participants to focus on what’s the most important: “You are

what needs to be rebuilt first.”

Even though work is hectic and can be all-consuming, McCloskey reminds REALTORS® to make sure they are caring for themselves and their families. “We went from a crazy market to COVID to crazy high sales to a hurricane,” McCloskey says. “For a couple of years, we’ve been running on adrenalin. We need to be taking care of ourselves. I hope people take more time for themselves—really invest in themselves.”

FINDING RENTALS

While homes for sale may remain plentiful, finding rentals became another matter because they were in high demand.

Anna Karras and her husband weren’t displaced by the hurricane, but it caused them problems, nonetheless. The couple planned to remodel their condo and moved out in July, renting a furnished place through September. When their contractor got backed up and the work was delayed, they extended the lease through November.

The hurricane delayed the project even more, but they couldn’t extend the lease on the rental. By then, rental properties at affordable prices were scarce to non-existent because of the storm.

“A neighbor found us a place for a month, but the people who lived there were coming back so we had to move again,” says Karras, marketing coordinator for the Wilson G. Bradshaw Library at Florida Gulf Coast University.

They found a small house in an iffy neighborhood for January but “it has no internet and no cable,” she says. “My husband is retired, and we have one car, so he was stuck there with nothing to do.”

With the condo still not done, they looked yet again for a place to rent and couldn’t find anything for less than $4,200 a month, well above their budget. So, they moved— for a third time in three months—into a 960-square-foot condo with her father until their condo was done.

While work was finally happening, Karras says the delay was caused, in part, by the storm. “We heard from the contractor that the storm slowed things down further because their employees left to go to Fort Myers Beach where they could make more money,” she says.

VISITORS RETURNING

While restoration will take a long time, Naples and vicinity are open to visitors and the word appears to be out. That’s due, in

large measure, to the swift work of Beirnes and his CVB team.

In the weeks following the storm, they conducted daily calls with their representatives in places stretching from the United Kingdom and Germany to Latin America, spreading the word about what was happening here.

“We didn’t candy coat it,” Beirnes says. “But within two weeks we realized that restaurants on Fifth Avenue South and Third Street South were quickly able to rebound.”

His team videotaped unscripted testimonials showing people plucking up shells on Marco Island and others hanging holiday decorations in Naples, showing that normalcy was swiftly returning.

November visitor numbers looked promising, Beirnes says, with the traditional slowdown between Thanksgiving and Christmas. But January took off, with hotel occupancy rates exceeding those of 2019, even with The Ritz-Carlton, Naples, JW Marriott Marco Island Beach Resort, and LaPlaya Beach & Golf Resort closed for repairs. Visiting tourists were “saying it looks like nothing happened,” he says. “We’re the first to say it did, though, and we appreciate them coming back.”

Beirnes believes that the Naples area has “a very distinct obligation, not just for Collier County, but for all of Southwest Florida” to keep visitors coming to the area.

“It’s too easy to create a new tradition in Melbourne or Myrtle Beach,” he says. “We have an obligation to stem that vacation bleed. It would impact businesses, the workforce, flights into RSW (Southwest Florida International Airport). Tourism supports 35,000 jobs in this area. We are one big community.”

Beirnes says the message tourism officials are sending to potential visitors is that the best way to help the area recover is to continue visiting. Have that meeting or wedding or family reunion here.

“I think 2023 will be a banner year,” Beirnes predicts. “Despite that last quarter hiccup of last year, we ended 2022 on a record with 1.63 million visitors versus 1.5 million in 2021.”

The hurricane may have disrupted life Southwest Florida, but it didn’t rob the area of its inherent charms. “We have 30 miles of sand beaches, eco-adventures, wide open space,” Beirnes says. “We have what we’ve always had: We are a coastal, cultural, culinary, ecological gem.”

Left: Debris piled high along Gulf Shore Boulevard in the storm's aftermath. Below: The luxury coastal community of Barefoot Beach in North Naples was hard hit by Hurricane Ian's storm surge. A beach access point recently reopened though Bonita Beach Preserve isn't expected to reopen until 2024.

MOVING INLAND

WILL HURRICANE IAN HAVE A POSITIVE IMPACT ON COMMUNITIES IN EASTERN COLLIER COUNTY?

BY DICK HOGAN

Eastern Collier County came through Hurricane Ian relatively unscathed compared to harder-hit areas to the west. There are early reports that some coastal residents headed east to rent or buy at least temporary shelter in the storm’s aftermath. How would a migration east affect the market?

“We have heard of people whose houses were damaged by the storm surge west of U.S. 41 temporarily renting or possibly even buying property east of 41 until their property was fixed up,” says Mike Hughes, vice president and general manager of Downing-Frye Realty. “I don’t know that I could say it’s been a huge windfall. It’s helped but I can’t tell you to what extent.”

So far, Shannon Lefevre, a REALTOR® with John R. Wood Properties, hasn’t seen an exodus from the coast. “I feel like Pelican Bay, Park Shore, Moorings, Coquina Sands, Port Royal— there’s an attraction to those areas for a reason,” she says.

Perhaps the most pressure was put on the rental market by coastal refugees, Lee County residents seeking shelter, and all types of workers “who flooded into the area and needed a place to stay,” notes Hughes. And for some trades, “there’s enough work for the next year or two.”

From August through mid-February, Zillow statistics show, the median monthly rent for all homes in the East Naples ZIP code 34120 had increased 25 percent, from $4,400 to $5,500, similar to the increase in East Naples ZIP code 34119: from $3,800 to $4,500. By contrast, the median monthly rent for all homes in the Naples Beach ZIP code 34112 increased 20 percent, from $3,200 to $3,875 in the same period.

MARKET SNAPSHOT

According to the Naples Area Board of REALTORS® (NABOR®) December 2022 Market Report, the number of both new listings and total sales in East Naples decreased from the previous December—consistent with a countywide trend. Nonetheless, year-to-date inventory rose more than 85 percent from 2021.

At the same time, the price of both single-family homes and condos in East Naples rose. The median closed price of single-family residences in December was $575,000 (up from $515,000 in 2021) and the average closed price rose 6.6 percent to $672,463. At the same time, condos in East Naples experienced even higher increases with a median closed price of $530,497 (compared to $410,000 in December 2021) and average closed price of $540,228—up 19.5 percent from

December 2021’s $452,024 average. While the prices are climbing, median closed and average closed prices in East Naples for single-family homes and condos are among the lowest in the county—only coming in higher than the Immokalee/Ave Maria market, according to the December 2022 Market Report. In addition to East Naples’ impressive inventory increase, Ave Maria on the county’s eastern edge had Collier’s highest year-over-year increase in inventory—up 207.7 percent, according to the December Market Report. Meanwhile, the median closed price there rose only 6.4 percent to $415,000.

East Naples looks like a good buy compared to the countywide average of $1.44 million. Adam Vellano, Naples sales manager at Compass Florida, says rising prices throughout Collier County certainly won’t scare out-of-state customers.

“We’re largely considered affordable if you talk to the people who are buying here.," Vellano says. "When we deal with people from New York or California or Chicago, when they come here they laugh at our prices…a 700-square-foot apartment in Manhattan can be $6,000 a month.”

Eventually, Vellano says, “I think what you’ll start to see is everything filling in between us and Ave Maria. Driving out to Ave Maria isn’t going to look like it looks now. It’s going to look more like what you see in town.”

Adam Vellano

Mike Hughes Wes Kunkle

Shannon Lefevre William Dukes

HOUSING EXPANSION MOVING FROM WEST TO EAST

William Dukes, senior mortgage loan officer of Naples-based Summit Mortgage Corp., says geography isn’t always destiny when it comes to water damage and distance from the Gulf of Mexico. Communities relatively far from the gulf are also vulnerable to flooding due to canals and stormwater ponds that can be overwhelmed during the rainy season and in storms, Dukes says, and because some older neighborhoods are low-lying.

Dukes lives in Imperial Golf Estates, well east of U.S. 41 and more than two miles from the gulf, but a small canal runs through the community. “When Ian hit, our guard gate ended up four feet under,” he says. “And the water rose about an inch and a half high on my garage door.”

Vellano has seen a shift east. “We’ve seen a lot of people who lived on the beach and might have had damaged properties purchase east because they want to have a place in Naples,” he says. “We’ve seen a huge uptick of people buying from west of 41 to east of 41.”

Today’s real estate market is taking place in the shadow of an earlier boom in sales caused by a rush to Naples by people fleeing COVID-19 restrictions after the pandemic struck in early 2020, Vellano says. That resulted in a sharp drawing down of inventory. In December 2019, there were 5,400 homes for sale. “We probably got down in the height of the market to about 850 doors [housing units],” Vellano says. “We’re currently at about 2,400 doors and we haven’t seen prices really come down.”

The pre-COVID numbers showed “a good market,” Vellano says, but it won’t return overnight. “There’s not enough new construction. New construction slowed down after the bubble in 2008 and 2009 and it never really got back

to peak performance and you have a national housing inventory problem. So, it’s everywhere—not just us.”

Meanwhile, says Wes Kunkle, president/broker of Kunkle Realty, shifts eastward won’t leave a vacuum in western communities that experienced heavy storm damage. However, it will take time to expand inventory throughout the county because of home repairs and replacements and lingering construction issues. Many builders “have so much work they’re not taking any more on,” Kunkle says.

In flooded areas, it will take a while to replace damaged homes. Many are so badly damaged, it doesn’t make economic sense to do anything but tear them down and start over again. These properties are being listed for “land value,” Kunkle says.

There’s room to grow in the eastern part of the county, but it’s facing the same shortage of contractors, he says. “In Ave Maria, there’s a lot of new construction but it’s taking 18 months to two years to build. Some people will wait for two years.”

Hughes says rebuilding in the west

and new construction to the east will continue but it’s too soon to gauge the pace and location of the work because the choices are deeply personal. “People generally have a short memory. When you think about previous hurricanes— Wilma, Charley, Irma—people remember the name, they remember the storm, but they have a short memory of the horrific pictures,” he says. “The people who will have a memory are those who stayed through that storm and went through it.”

Those who lived through Hurricane Ian's historic devestation are contemplating their next step. Some don’t want to risk being flooded again, while others believe Hurricane Ian was a rare one-off because Naples hadn’t experienced that scale of surge since Hurricane Donna came ashore in 1960. Hughes notes that “some people might say, ‘If you play the numbers, I’m not going to be here in 62 years.’ Others might say, ‘You know, I’m just not going to go through that again and I’m going to get a little further away from the water.’ And I’ve heard a bit of both to be honest.”

Waterways of Naples is an active family community with 423 homes located near the Collier Fairgrounds and Big Corkscrew Island Regional Park. Other communities are planned to follow in the eastern reaches of the county.

TRANSITIONS IN THE GOLDEN YEARS

The importance of planning ahead for finding the best senior community

BY NANCI THEORET

Bruce Rosenblatt is a big believer in the adage that “it’s better to be ve minutes too early than ve minutes too late” when it comes to planning where you want to live out your golden years. It’s sound advice from the Senior Housing Solutions expert who is akin to a matchmaker, pairing Southwest Florida seniors with the best senior living options for them.

“People need to be proactive and develop a plan early,” he emphasizes. “You don’t want to be in crisis mode when you’re making such an important decision.”

Rosenblatt speaks from 31 years’ experience, opening luxury retirement communities and assisted living facilities before channeling his expertise into independent consulting in 2008.

“We provide an objective, personal service,” Rosenblatt explains. “I like to meet clients in their homes, get to know their lifestyle, understand more about their health issues, determine what they can a ord, their timing, and other preferences they want in a senior community. I want to nd out why they’re thinking about senior housing since you don’t go shopping for senior housing for the heck of it.” ere are many reasons the process is launched, such as declining health, downsizing, jettisoning home maintenance, staving o isolation, enjoying closeby amenities, and settling into a new community.

ere are more than 100 senior communities in Southwest Florida—continuing care, independent, assisted living, and memory/nursing care communities. e team at Senior Housing Solutions has visited each one, including some Rosenblatt says he’d never recommend. He also works with REALTORS® whose older sellers may be better served by a senior living community.

A ordability and Needs: Navigating the Options

Rosenblatt navigates clients through the various types of communities, their advantages, disadvantages, amenities, health care services, and pricing.

Independent living communities cater to seniors who can live independently and take care of themselves with little medical assistance while assisted living provides help with daily functions, such as showering. It serves as a middle ground between independent living and full-time memory or nursing care. Dining, housekeeping, maintenance, social activities, and transportation are often included with both options.

Today’s retirement communities are a far cry from yesteryear’s. Once-obligatory shu eboard has been replaced by extensive resort-inspired amenities, activity calendars, and services— everything from golf courses and state-of-the-art tness centers, on-site health care (sometimes concierge), gourmet dining, and a bevy of social and cultural enrichment o erings. “I look hard at activity calendars,” says Rosenblatt. “You want a stimulating environment with robust activities.”

Local life plan communities—also known as continuing care retirement communities—provide medical care as a resident’s needs increase. Because they provide amenities from independent living through to end-of-life care, they represent the upper echelon of senior communities. Incoming residents pay an entry fee, as much as $3.5 million (a signi cant percent is refunded to heirs upon death) and receive a contract for care and services during their lifetime. “ ey’re the big players in town—very amenity-rich with all the bells and whistles,” says Rosenblatt, noting residents must be medically and nancially approved.

Bruce Rosenblatt

AARP encourages seniors to visit a candidate community several times to evaluate factors such as: cleanliness; staff interaction with residents; convenient on-site services like banking and beauty salons; staff qualifications; grievance and complaint policies; and compliance with state regulations and licensing.

Senior Housing Solutions provides a checklist of additional considerations, including quality of care and services, dining and nutrition, resident satisfaction, health care violations, financial viability, and overall lifestyle. Consistent turnover of administrators, directors of nursing, and key executives is a red flag, says Rosenblatt, who relies on clients and families for insider intel.

Ultimately, most decisions come down to affordability: the difference between aging in place with a caretaker or home health aide services or moving to a senior community.

Local monthly rental fees currently average about $3,000 to $6,000 for independent living and $3,500 to $7,000 for assisted living—none of it covered by Medicare. Prices and places are inching up and filling up as seniors displaced by Hurricane Ian look for temporary housing and Southwest Florida continues a trajectory of double-digit annual rent increases alongside a growing population.

According to an annual Cost of Care survey by Genworth, which provides financial solutions for paying for long-term care, average monthly

assisted living fees in Naples are projected to rise from $4,917 to $6,416 in 10 years—substantially less than the $7,340 to cover monthly costs of in-home health services in 2033.

Rosenblatt’s five-minute rule is crucial for seniors with current medical needs. Assisted living facilities perform health assessments, scoring a potential resident’s level of care requirements, which increases $850 monthly by level and isn’t included in room and board.

“I’ve met with people planning to move into a specific community, but they decide to wait for a health crisis to force the move,” Rosenblatt says. “Many times, they are turned down because of the health assessment. It’s important to know this up-front.”

Gray Matters

Preparing your relationship for retirement and life transitions

BY NANCI THEORET

The golden years can lose their luster— testing even the healthiest and happiest relationships—when retirement, an aging parent, or boomerang child are thrown into the mix. Nationwide, the “gray divorce” rate for couples ages 55 to 64 have doubled in the past 20 years and has tripled for adults 65 to 74.

“ ese aren’t just second or third marriages— they’re long-term marriages, too,” notes Marianne Oehser, a certi ed retirement and relationship coach at Next Chapter Lifestyle Advisors and a former Marco Island REALTOR®. Often, her married clients “used to have a great relationship, and now all they do is bicker and ght. Retirement is often the common denominator,” she says. “When so many things change, no matter how well you plan, it will a ect the relationship. It can tear it apart or make it stronger.”

Oehser, who’s tried to retire twice, knows from personal experience. Her rst retirement ended in divorce. “ at’s sometimes a sad side e ect of retirement when you are not psychologically prepared for all the changes this chapter brings.”

It’s not only the sudden reality of spending much more time together that leads to marital strife. Although most couples plan for their nancial future, they fail to explore the physical, mental, social, and emotional side of retirement. Within 18 months of retirement, unspoken assumptions and di ering views begin to bubble to the surface.

While working with a couple whose next chapter was likely divorce after 40 years, Oehser noticed the wife’s face hardening the more her husband spoke of the bucket list trips they’d been taking. “She nally says, ‘Why do I always have to do the laundry? I’m retired, too.’ She had always taken care of the home and he assumed she enjoyed it,” says Oehser. “She assumed when they retired, he would help more. When people assume they are on the same page without talking about their expectations, con ict often happens.”

Oehser helps couples compromise on common assumptions, from those pesky household chores and sex to time spent together, apart, and how often they’ll see the grandchildren. She helps them develop a “Happiness Portfolio” and realistic expectations— that gol ng ve times a week loses its novelty, or the closets will nally get organized.

Sixty-nine percent of retirees will experience di culties adjusting to their new reality. Retirement is especially di cult for high-achievers and former CEOs not wired for lazy days or the anonymity and loss of professional identity.

Oehser coaches couples to envision positive possibilities. “Your mindset matters a lot. Some people view retirement through the lens of gloom and doom—that the best is over. Others have the mindset that retirement is a great opportunity to learn and grow and see who they are without a business card,” she says. “How you look at what’s ahead in uences how things turn out.”

When Oehser decided to retire a second time, she opted to “retire into something,” training as a relationship coach before making the transition.

Household Dynamics

Adult children returning to the nest also can lead to disharmony. A Pew Research Center report notes that the number of multigenerational households has quadrupled since 1971 and accounted for 18 percent of the U.S. population in 2021.

With a changing household dynamic, Phara L. Morame, a licensed clinical social worker in Naples, says “partners need to communicate openly and clearly about how this is going to be di erent and what aspects must stay the same. Be mindful of not losing sight of each other because of the added responsibilities,” she says. “Remain connected with your support system; go out and stay connected socially and spiritually.”

Couples need to “maintain as much normalcy as possible, establish common goals so they’re on the

Phara L. Morame

same page, and welcome new family members on a united front.” They should also check in on each other and the household’s newcomers. A formerly quiet home that’s suddenly busy and boisterous can increase anxiety. Younger children need reassurance about potential challenges and the timeline of the temporary living arrangement.

For those caring for an aging parent at home, each partner should put aside resentment or jealousy, Morame advises. Role reversal is already a challenging transition for both the caregivers and the parent. “I

encourage partners to operate from a place of empathy and compassion,” says Morame. Self-care is key to well-being, which impacts one’s mood and resiliency in the face of rising demands. Morame recommends preventative counseling or participating in a support group. “People should take inventory every day of their psychological, physical, spiritual, and social health,” she says. If one area is not satisfying, “take action,” Morame says. “Evaluate eating habits, alcohol and substance consumption, physical activity, socialization, and spiritual connections.”

Marianne Oehser

HERE AND THERE: KNOW THE NEIGHBORHOOD

BY ROBIN F. DEMATTIA

There is a free tech tool that local REALTORS® might not be using enough. Realtors Property Resource® (RPR) from the National Association of REALTORS® provides comprehensive, up-to-date property information—in one location—on any property, whether it’s in Southwest Florida or the Paci c Northwest.

“ e strength of RPR is that it gives you more detailed information compared to MLS and public record listings,” says Allisson Gonzalez, an MLS support specialist with Naples Area of Board of REALTORS® (NABOR®). “It has information that other programs don’t.”

For example, the Neighborhood Report shows resident demographics such as average age and education levels, the type of housing, and quality-of-life statistics such as walkability.

e School Report includes a school’s overall grades, academic grades, teacher grades, average teacher salary, number of students, student-to-teacher ratio, and community reviews. Private schools are included. “It has the ability to review legitimate data of a school that the MLS doesn’t have,” Gonzalez says.

As vice chair of NABOR®’s MLS committee, Adam Vellano believes “tech is an important part of our industry and that keeping our agents supplied with the best tech is imperative to their success. As tech changes, the agents need to use the best technology to perform searches and coordinate showings to make their lives easier in the practice of real estate.”

A broker associate, Vellano understands that the volume of technology can feel overwhelming to agents. at’s why he helps review new and existing products and then negotiate contracts between NABOR® and vendors. “We’re nding the best technology that we can o er our members competitively,” he says.

Members might use Realist or Remine, he notes, but RPR focuses on public data rather than MLS information entered by an agent, so it might include facts such as properties sold omarket or as transfers between family members. “Having access to this kind of data will help you tell a story to a buyer or seller,” Vellano says.

RPR o ers listing presentations that feature an exclusive home value re nement tool, exible comp analysis, and customizable seller’s reports. e prospecting tool helps REALTORS® identify and market to a farm area using search and mapping tools, and then export an Excel spreadsheet for mailing. rough its investment analysis function, REALTORS® working with customers can run on-the-spot scenarios, present and share results, and create customized reports for properties. Customers also bene t from individualized buyer tours reports, open house market activity, maps that can feature local points of interest and drive times, and relocation packets with local information.

“It’s so helpful, I think it should become the next new thing for agents to use,” Gonzalez says. “Not only do you get to see our local markets, but you can search for properties nationwide.”

‘NOT ANOTHER TOOL’ LIKE IT FOR RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES

Brett Brown, a broker associate with Downing-Frye Realty, says he has used the program almost since the program’s inception and has bene tted nancially from using RPR. “I’ve built a heck of a referral network,” says the resort and second home specialist. “It’s more than half my business now.”

If a customer wants to purchase a home

The free National Association of REALTORS ® RPR program is more accurate and detailed than MLS listings—and NABOR ® members get free training

anywhere in the United States, he is happy to provide a report—generated through RPR— and recommend a local REALTOR® who specializes in that area. “I can pull together a large report that shows the person I’m referring to another agent the value of what I’m bringing to the table,” he says. “It says I’ve done a lot of research on the area and now I’ve found an agent who knows the area in more detail.”

Brown often interviews three REALTORS® in a market if he doesn’t have a connection there. He gets referral checks on a regular basis.

“I’ve been doing this since the 1990s and once RPR came out, it made my job a lot easier. You can really look through county records and even find out information about a home that’s never been on the market,” Brown says. “It’s easier to use than an MLS. There’s not another tool I can think of that really helps in another market like RPR.”

Gonzalez is a certified RPR trainer for NABOR® who offers free, quarterly 90-minute RPR workshops for members. “I don’t think a lot of REALTORS® are too aware of RPR or

are familiar with it. Since they don’t know how to use it, they won’t even touch it,” she says.

But, Gonzalez says, RPR is intuitive to use. Any function that can be performed on the RPR website can be accessed from the app. There are also shortcuts and pop-ups that provide step-bystep directions while using the program.

Recordings of Gonzalez’s trainings are available by contacting her at allisson@nabor. com. In addition, RPR offers webinars, video tutorials, printable guides, and support 24/7 by calling (877) 977-7576.

CLOSING COSTS— WHAT’S STANDARD?

What buyers and sellers can expect

BY LISA A. BEACH

When buyers and sellers complete a real estate transaction—whether it’s purchasing a new property or re nancing an existing one— they need to pay closing costs in addition to the property’s price. Closing costs pay for all the documents that go along with this real estate transaction. As their trusted advisors, real estate agents can help customers manage expectations and budget for closing costs—typically two to ve percent of the purchase price.

legal problems and nancial headaches, such as a previous owner’s debts that have led to a lien being placed against the property, easement and encroachment issues, mortgage fraud, and falsi ed or incorrectly led deed information.

Owner’s title insurance. Serving as the owner’s title policy, this covers the buyer to con rm that the home can be legally transferred. It’s calculated based on the property’s purchase price.

Lien search. Done through county court records, this searches for any property liens that must be cleared before customers can close. If any liens exist, it’s the seller’s responsibility to close any liens. While the contract determines who pays this fee, the buyer usually pays for the lien search, with a cost of approximately $100.

Sue Martin

“In Collier County, it’s customary that the buyers get to pick who they want to close their transaction—either a title company or an attorney,” says Sue Martin, a business consultant with Doma Title in Naples. Martin o ers a primer on closing costs that buyers and sellers commonly incur.

Buyer’s & Seller’s Fees

If the buyer pays with cash, they’ll pay fewer fees. If the buyer nances, they’ll pay more fees (such as all the fees listed below), according to Martin.

Search fee. is covers a thorough property search to ensure there isn’t anything wrong with the property so a title agent can issue a clear and free owner’s title insurance policy. is search is essential for detecting potential

Simultaneous fee/Lender’s title insurance. e lender for customers who get a mortgage may make them purchase a lender’s title insurance policy. is protects the amount they lent out if ownership of the property is contested. If someone else claims ownership of the property, and the judgment is legally upheld, a lender’s title insurance policy pays the lender the outstanding amount they’re owed.

Doc stamps. is fee costs $0.35 per thousand of the mortgage loan amount.

Intangible tax. is fee costs $0.002 cents per thousand of the mortgage loan amount.

Survey fee. Because the lender requires a survey of the property, this can run approximately $500 or more. Similar to an appraisal fee, the survey fee helps verify the property’s fair market value, but they are both usually a separate fee.

Recording fee. Usually charged by the city or county recording o ce, this fee pays to record the mortgage in the public land records. It typically costs $10 for the rst page and $8.50 for every page after that depending on the page length of the mortgage.

Endorsements. is fee provides extra protection against property loss or damage.

Just like the buyer pays a closing fee (also called a settlement fee), the seller pays one as well that often includes the following.

Deed transfer state tax. Typically, this runs $0.007 per thousand of the purchase price.

Association estoppel fees. Estimated at $250 per association, this confirms if the seller is up to date with their homeowners or condo association fees.

Martin advises real estate agents to know, at least approximately, what the fees will be so they can inform their customers. Not sure what the closings costs will be for a particular transaction? “Real estate agents should call the settlement agent—either the title company or attorney—and get a quote for their customer,” suggests Martin.

OTHER FEES

WHAT OTHER FEES MIGHT HOMEBUYERS AND SELLERS EXPECT AT CLOSING?

Closing or escrow fee. Depending on who handles the closing (such as an attorney or title company), this fee—also known as an escrow fee— generally runs between one to two percent of the sale price.

Loan origination fees. These fees cover the cost to process and underwrite the loan, typically running about 0.5 to 1 percent of the loan.

Homeowners insurance. To insure the home for the first year, this fee is typically paid at closing.

Private mortgage insurance (PMI). If customers provide a down

payment of less than 20 percent, PMI will help safeguard the lender against losses in case the buyers cannot repay the loan.

Mortgage points. Customers incur these fees—also known as discount points—at closing, which are paid directly to the lender in exchange for a lower interest rate on their mortgage.

Property tax. While taxes vary by location, customers typically pay six months of property taxes in advance.

Source: Bank of America

1031 Exchanges

Learn more about these tax-deferred real estate investments

BY DICK HOGAN

A1031 Exchange real estate transaction can have big tax advantages, but it also requires making some hard calls on occasion—especially during hurricane season in Florida.

e transactions take their name from Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Code Section 1031, which allows an investment property owner to avoid paying federal capital gains tax on the pro t made from selling real estate, provided the investor uses the money to invest in another property.

Exchanged properties must be “likekind” or similar in nature and function. For example, a rental property cannot be exchanged to buy a vacation home. And residences used for personal use—including a primary residence or vacation home—don’t qualify as like-kind exchanges.

To qualify, the transaction is required to be handled through a “quali ed intermediary” who is a neutral party—not your attorney, accountant, or brother-in-law. And the clock starts ticking the day you sell a property: You have 45 days to identify at least three potential properties to purchase with the pro t from the sale. Each property’s total fair market value cannot exceed 200 percent of the fair market value of the property that was sold.

en, you have to buy within 180 days of the original sale or pay the capital gains tax. at can get tricky. Because of Hurricane Ian, the IRS extended to February 15 any 45day or 180-day deadline that fell on or after the day the storm formed: September 23.

Ed Boeder, a Naples-based commercial

REALTOR®, handles a lot of 1031 Exchanges. One client sold his second home in Southwest Florida and went under contract to buy a property in Minnesota. When that deal unexpectedly fell through, Boeder says, the customer decided on an o ce building in Fort Myers.

at deal was set to go through with a closing date exactly 180 days after the original sale —on September 27, the day before Hurricane Ian made landfall. e IRS extended the deadlines, but not until September 29, two days after the customer closed. “He was able to get insurance on the building transferred from the existing owner; he just took over the existing policy,” Boeder explains. “But he didn’t have ood insurance because you have a 90-day waiting period to get ood insurance.”

e client wondered if he should close without ood insurance “or do I not close and pay Uncle Sam a big check?’” e story has a happy ending. e customer closed and the property had minor wind damage. “So, he got very lucky,” Boeder reports.

Making Sound Investments

White-knuckle hurricane scenarios aside, Jim Shiebler, an investment specialist with the Tampa o ce of Marcus & Millichap, says the best way to ensure a successful 1031 Exchange is to keep things simple. “ ey can’t be complex,” he says, because there are no loopholes to stop the process once it’s under way. “You don’t have time for a lot of discovery,” Shiebler says. “ e risk is getting stuck with property you don’t want but you

still have to go through with the deal.”

e gold standard to avoid risk, he says, is a single-tenant property with a long-term lease occupied by “a top-of-the-chain retail asset like Chic- l-a, McDonald’s, or Chase Bank” because they provide a relatively low rate of return but assure the investor’s initial investment will be preserved.

On the other hand, Shiebler says, such properties have a lower rate of return compared to a riskier alternative such as a smaller franchisee with a short-term lease in a less desirable location.

Southwest Florida is a magnet for 1031 Exchange purchases, Shiebler says, adding “there’s now huge demand for Lee and Collier counties” because of market stability, no income tax, “and the area leads in migration and rent increases across the nation.”

Boeder says Hurricane Ian didn’t have much e ect on investors’ appetite for Southwest Florida properties. “I don’t feel like people are avoiding the area because we had a big hurricane going through, just the contrary,” he says. “A lot of people go, ‘Well, I think we’re safe for a few more years,’ which is not necessarily true but people sort of have that notion.”

Boeder says he lost only one standard land transaction where a self-storage was planned to be built because of Ian and that wasn’t a 1031. Historically, Boeder says, “property values actually go up” after a catastrophic storm such as 2017’s Hurricane Harvey in Texas and Louisiana and 2004’s Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans—the two most destructive storms on record.

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® CODE OF ETHICS 2023 CHANGES

For ease of reference, all amended provisions in the 2023 REALTOR ® Code of Ethics, where the content has changed, are shaded below. Changes were effective Jan. 1:

As

to Article

3: REALTORS® shall cooperate with other brokers except when cooperation is not in the client’s best interest. e obligation to cooperate does not include the obligation to share commissions, fees, or to otherwise compensate another broker. (Amended 1/95)

Standard of Practice 3-9REALTORS® shall not provide access to listed property on terms other than those established by the owner or the seller.

(Adopted 1/10, Amended 1/23)

Standard of Practice 3-11REALTORS® may not refuse to cooperate on the basis of a broker’s race, color, religion, sex, disability, familial status, national origin, sexual orientation, or gender identity.

(Adopted 1/20, Amended 1/23)

As

to Article

10: REALTORS® shall not deny equal professional services to any person for reasons of race, color, religion, sex, disability, familial status, national origin, sexual orientation, or gender identity. REALTORS® shall not be parties to any plan or agreement to discriminate against a person or persons on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, disability, familial status, national origin, sexual orientation, or gender identity. (Amended 1/23) REALTORS®, in their real estate employment practices, shall not discriminate against any person or persons on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, disability, familial status, national origin, sexual orientation, or gender identity. (Amended 1/23)

Standard of Practice 10-3 - REALTORS® shall not print, display or circulate any statement or advertisement with respect to selling or

renting of a property that indicates any preference, limitations or discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, disability, familial status, national origin, sexual orientation, or gender identity. (Adopted 1/94, Renumbered 1/05 and 1/06, Amended 1/14 and 1/23)

Standard of Practice 10-5 - REALTORS® must not use harassing speech, hate speech, epithets, or slurs based on race, color, religion, sex, disability, familial status, national origin, sexual orientation, or gender identity. (Adopted and e ective November 13, 2020, Amended 1/23)

For a full copy of the 2023 REALTOR® Code of Ethics please visit the PRO STANDARDS tab at nabor.com or contact Corie Chase, Chief Administrative O cer, at corie@nabor.com or (239) 597-1666.

EXERCISE YOUR

13910 N o w s e l l i n g To w e r 4 0 0 | P r i c e s f r o m $ 3 m i l l i o n Oral representations cannot be relied upon as correctly stating representations of the developer. For correct representations, make reference to this brochure and to the documents required by chapter 718.503, Florida statutes, to be furnished by a developer to a buyer or lessee.

Six Deadly Sins of Contract Negotiations and Drafting

Avoid these pitfalls that can cause legal complications

BY SHAUN M. GARRY, ESQ. & CHARLES C. WHITTINGTON, ESQ., LEGAL RESOURCES COMMITTEE MEMBERS

The process of negotiating, drafting, and entering into a contract to sell real property can be complicated and full of potential pitfalls. e purpose of this article is to highlight several areas in the standard NABOR® Sales Contract (Residential Improved Property) that can cause complications for unwary parties. e lessons set forth in this article will utilize references to the 2023 Sales Contract (Residential Improved Property) form.

No. 1: Acceptance of Contract: Dates Matter!

A critical, but often overlooked, date in the NABOR® contract is the “Period of O er and Countero er: E ective Date:” (lines 4345) whereby the o ering party will provide a date by which the o er must be accepted, or the o er is deemed revoked. Importantly, any countero er by a party is by default “open” for two (2) days but will automatically be revoked after the two (2) days.

What does revoked mean? In the context of a Buyer sending over an o er, it means that the Buyer’s o er is no longer valid after the date of revocation in the contract and that the Seller cannot accept that o er after the deadline. Similarly, a Seller’s countero er to Buyer would no longer be valid to be accepted after the two (2) day automatic revocation period.

What happens if a Seller signs and delivers the original o er past the acceptance date? Technically, the Buyer’s o er has expired and by signing past the acceptance date the Seller is making a “new” o er to the Buyer. It will be up to the Buyer to either accept or move on upon receipt of the countero er from the Seller.

Why does this matter? In the context of contracts, it is important for the parties to know the status of o ers to allow the parties to pursue other o ers or houses in a timely manner. is is especially important in an active real estate market where a Seller may receive multiple o ers, or a Buyer is actively interested in multiple properties.

Can you still revoke an o er after you send it over? Yes! Any party may revoke an o er prior to acceptance so long as it is communicated in writing to the party. However, a good practice is to speak with an attorney prior to accepting or making another o er during the acceptance timeframe to make sure the proper legal process is followed to revoke that o er. Please note, under the 2023 NABOR® contract, a text message is insu cient for proper notice (lines 497-498). What if a party accepts the o er after the date in the contract and both parties act as though it was accepted? Unfortunately, there is no easy answer in this circumstance if one party later attempts to cancel the contract claiming it was never accepted during the timeframe de ned in the contract. is is a matter that will need to be reviewed by an attorney as the court will look to the conduct of the parties to determine if the contract should be enforced. Don’t take the risk! Make sure the parties accept within the correct timeframe.

No. 2: Failing to Initial and Date Changes to Contract During Negotiations

Imagine the following situation, you submit a contract o er on behalf of a buyer, and the seller countero ers on several contract terms. e seller properly executes the contract and

initials next to, but does not date any of the changes. e buyer is okay with the seller’s proposed changes and wants to accept the seller’s counter o er, so he counter-initials next to the changes, but again, does not date next to the initials. Lines 46-47 of the Contract expressly states “ALL CHANGES TO THE OFFER OR COUNTEROFFER MUST BE INITIALED AND DATED.” In light of this contractual language, do you have a binding contract?

Putting that aside, a more practical issue arising from the scenario above is the loss of time under the contract for the buyer to complete certain investigations. Line 46 of the Contract provides “ e E ective Date of this Contract shall be the last date either Seller or Buyer signs or initials this Contract.” e E ective Date is the applicable date from which most important deadlines are measured inspections, title review, etc. Under the scenario above, the E ective Date under the contract is the date the seller signed the contract not the date the buyer counter-initialed the changes. Any time that elapsed for the buyer to review and agree to the seller’s proposed changes is lost time and would shorten the timeframe to complete the buyer’s inspections.

To protect your client’s contractual rights and ensure your client is a orded his due time under the Contract, it is imperative that any and all changes made to a contract o er or countero er are initialed and dated.

No. 3: Failing to Complete—or Incomplete Filling Out of—the Financing Contingency Clause

Section 4 of the Contract includes, in subsection B, a Financing Contingency

clause that contains blank spaces that allow the buyer to set forth the type and terms of potential nancing the buyer is seeking. It allows the buyer to select whether the nancing is a xed or variable rate, the maximum interest rate the buyer would accept, and the term of the loan. Several of the blank spaces have default provisions –i.e., if the term of the proposed nancing is left blank, it defaults to a thirty (30) year term. Filling out the nancing contingency correctly is critical to protecting a buyer and preventing a buyer from being forced to accept nancing he/she may be unable to a ord. It is important to be speci c when lling in the applicable spaces. For example, it is improper and o ers no protection to a buyer to insert “market” into the blank for interest rate. e reference to “market” is ambiguous and a judge is not able to apply the term “market” in any litigation involving the contract. Another critical provision is the time period of the nancing contingency. If left blank, the time period defaults to 45 days. It is critical that a potential buyer speak with their potential lender(s) to understand pertinent timeframes for the

nancing approval process prior to entering into a contract so the nancing contingency timeframe can be lled out with enough time to suit the lender’s timeline.

No. 4: Failing to Investigate and Account for Special Assessments

Unlike the FAR/BAR contract, the NABOR® contract standard provision provides that any condominium or association special assessments levied prior to the E ective Date of the Contract are the Seller’s responsibility.

What about special assessments paid in installments? Even special assessments that are to be paid in installments post-closing must be paid in full at the time of closing by a Seller. (Line 87-90)

What about a special assessment disclosed to Buyer prior to the Contract? Even if the special assessment is disclosed to the Buyer, the Seller will still be responsible for paying the entire amount (including any remaining installments) at closing. If your Seller knows there is an existing installment special assessment, and they intend for the Buyer to assume the installment payments after closing, the Seller should work with an attorney to draft an

appropriate addendum that de nes the Buyer’s responsibility for payments due after closing.

No. 5: The Forgotten Addendum

When a Buyer sends over an o er and includes a number of executed addendums with the o er, the addendums are a material part of the o er. Florida employs the “mirror image rule” with respect to contracts. Under this rule, in order to form a contract, an acceptance of an o er must be absolute, unconditional, and identical with the terms of the o er.

If the Seller fails to sign all the addendums when delivering the signed o er, under the law, the Seller could be seen as rejecting the Buyer’s o er and sending over a countero er because the acceptance was not on “identical” terms of the o er. is would require a Buyer to “accept” this countero er by the Seller and there would be no binding contract until that time.

Don’t assume just because you were told that the remaining addendums would be sent over later that you have a binding contract! In the 2023 NABOR® Sales Contract, all the NABOR®-approved addendums are included as check boxes (lines 553-576) to help eliminate confusion about what is intended to be included as part of the o er.

No. 6: Vague Description of Personal Property

Lines 4-14 of the Contract contain a preprinted list of personal property that, if existing at the Property on the E ective Date, are included in the conveyance of the Property. Many times, Buyers and Sellers will include other personal property in the blank lines shown on Lines 9-10 and 14-16. It is imperative to be as clear as possible. Utilizing generic and ambiguous terms is a recipe for issues. Terms like “turnkey” and “furnished as shown,” etc. should be avoided as it is impossible for a judge to interpret and give meaning to the ambiguous phrases. Specify items in the NABOR® Inventory of Personal Property or utilize a photographic inventory to avoid issues.

ese six (6) items are a sampling of potential issues faced by parties negotiating, drafting, and entering into a contract. It is imperative that parties pay attention and work with competent professionals to help avoid these common pitfalls.

COOPERATING BROKER COMPENSATION

BY CORIE CHASE,

Dear Corie:

At the direction of my broker, I recently sat an open house at a property that my brokerage has listed in the MLS with a 3 percent offer of compensation to a cooperating broker. The open house was held on a Sunday with a lot of traffic coming and going, but it didn’t appear that there was much interest until the last hour.

Toward the end of the open house, a couple (whom I will refer to as Ben and Betty) entered the property and I spent an entire hour getting to know them and exploring their interests. I showed them the entire home, answered their questions, and provided as much information as I could about the neighborhood and surrounding area. Ben and Betty quickly expressed how interested they were in purchasing the property and that they wanted to present an offer through another REALTOR®, REALTOR® Terri. At that time, I did not say anything to Ben and Betty, but I did wonder why REALTOR® Terri did not attend the open house with them and why they waited until the last minute to announce that they were working with another REALTOR® Regardless, I reported the events to my broker so that if an offer was indeed presented by Ben and Betty, I would be at least compensated accordingly on the listing side of the transaction. An offer was eventually presented on behalf of Ben and Betty by REALTOR® Terri and

accepted by the seller of the property. When the transaction eventually closed, I inquired about my commission and, at that time, I was told by my broker that I would not be compensated for the listing side of this transaction because I was not the listing agent. I was also informed that the cooperating commission was paid to REALTOR® Terri. Shouldn’t I be compensated, at the very least, for sitting the open house at the direction of my broker and/or introducing Ben and Betty to the property?

Dear Member:

Every real estate brokerage has different internal policies and procedures in place in relation to compensation of its licensees. I would suggest that you review your independent contractor agreement and/or other agreements with your brokerage to see what, if any, provisions are included relating to compensation for sitting at open houses at the direction of your broker. Outside of that, NABOR® does not have any policies or procedures in place that would interfere with an individual real estate brokerage’s policies and procedures. Furthermore, while some internal brokerage monetary disputes may be potentially subject to voluntary arbitration at some REALTOR® associations, those would

not be subject to arbitration at NABOR®

With that said, your brokerage might have a procuring cause case for the cooperating commission paid to REALTOR® Terri. A conversation with your broker might be to see if he/she agrees that your brokerage may have a claim to be the procuring cause with respect to the cooperating commission in the transaction. Facts in your favor include: (1) The other REALTOR® did not attend the open house with Ben and Betty; and (2) You introduced the property to Ben and Betty only to have the buyer’s agent apparently swoop in and write the contract after the fact. Under Standard of Practice 17-4, Article 17 of the REALTOR® Code of Ethics, there are specific non-contractual disputes that are subject to arbitration and the above scenario that you described is one of them. If your broker agrees, he/she may file an arbitration request naming REALTOR® Terri’s principal broker and/ or her firm as respondent(s) and submit it to the appropriate REALTOR® association to be processed pursuant to the National Association of REALTORS® Code of Ethics and Arbitration Manual.

Corie Chase is the Chief Administrative Officer of the Naples Area Board of REALTORS® and can be contacted at (239) 597-1666 or corie@nabor.com.

NABOR® CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER

Henderson Franklin Has Been Making Our Clients’ Real Estate Visions a Reality for Nearly 100 Years.

Sharon M. Zuccaro

Member, NABOR Legal Resources Committee

Chair, Land Use, Zoning and Environmental Department

Florida Bar Board Certified in City, County and Local Government Law

Real estate and land development are vital to the continued growth of Southwest Florida. Henderson Franklin attorneys Sharon Zuccaro and Jeff Wright assist their clients in all aspects of real estate, land use and environmental law. Whether you are negotiating the terms of a residential transaction or commercial lease, trying to make sense of zoning regulations, or managing the legal needs of thriving communities and commercial developments, let our experience work to help you reach your goals – just as we’ve done since 1924.

henlaw.com • 239.344.1100

Fort Myers • Bonita Springs Naples • Sarasota*

©2022 Henderson Franklin Starnes & Holt,

Where Tradition Meets the Future.

Real Estate, Title Insurance and Business & Tax Planning

Jeff E. Wright

Welcome New NABOR® Members!

(Q4 — October through December 2022)

Abdulnour, Shebani

Alvarez, Andrew A.

Alvarez, Yenecis

Badge, Matthew Vincent

Baez, Rosangela

Baptista, Ariel

Bebon, Theresa

Beers, Vaida

Bell, Ryan L.

Bender, Tifanie

Berkley, Elizabeth Ellen

Bess, Tatiana

Blanc, Kevin Frantz

Boone, Robert Greg

Bosch, Victoria

Boyle, Monty Joe

Bozek, Christopher

Brightmon, Elsa Lizeth

Brine, Kimberly Jane

Brown, Justin Samuel

Brumund, Daniel Paul

Burns, David E.

Cain, Diane

Castano Vasquez, Claudia E.

Cauley, Karen Kennedy

Chavez, Jennifer

Chudy, Jeffrey

Colon Maldonado, Tatian Michelle

Colucci, Candace Alena

Coseglia, Sawyer

Crabtree, Jessica Marie

Daniyar, Val Alexander

DeGirolamo, Rita J.

DeProfio, Laura

Economou, Heidi Tankersley

Esprit, Bernita

Ethington, Jason

Etienne, Sylvia

Fagan, Holly

Fiske, Scott Arthur

Fling, Kinsey Paige

Fuller, James

Gates, Celestine L.

Geer, Tiana

Glaser, Robert John

Goepper PA, Edwin S.

Grommon, Richard Edwin

Grosenbach, Chelsea

Grumke, Carla Jean

Guddal, Abbe

Guevara, Jonathan

Hauswald, Joan Mary

Hedge, Lisa Ann

Holloway, Kaitlynn Renee

Howard, Jessica Lindsay

Imbody, Susan

Jaindl, Daniel Clayton

Jakupovic, Aldina

Jamieson, Jessica Eileen

Johnigean, Tiffany Grace

Kernicki, Teresa Lynn

King, Michael

Korunda Papes, Sanja

Lafferty, Dawn

Lang, Lora Ann

Larsen, Kristina

Leonard, Colleen Candace

Licausi, Cheryl

Lindsey, Erica

Lombardi, Anthony John

Lombardo, Paul E.

Long, Chad Jordan

Longo De Morena, Anna Maria

Macchi, Tyler A.

Macias, Jennifer

Maher-Sykora, Shannon Lynn

Mangan, Taylor

Martin, Eduardo

Meyer, Colby

Monastiero, Danielle

Munoz, Sunelly

Murray, Denise N.

Nelson, Nicole

Norton, Michelle

Nuraj, Marseda

O’Shea, Sarita

Ozeryansky, Nelli

Potok, Deborah W.

Pruett, Christopher Kyle

Quillen, Alexandria Danielle

Redding Sr., Gerald E.

Regas, Amber Kay

Richardson, Spencer

Rodriguez Dominguez, Marikarla

Roseboom, Patricia

Roselli, Colette

Rothschild, Thomas Etienne

Russell, Joanne A.

SanFilippo, Justine

Schlotterback, Jack Douglas

Schmidt, Nicholas Brett

Schwill, Arina

Seyler, Tammy

Shaffer, Janice Lynn

Shaheen, Doreen Ann

Siess, Jennifer

Simmons, Ana M.

Skotak, Brittany

Smith, June Eleanor

Smith, Patricia A.

Stanoiu, Oana

Sterling, Donna Victoria

Stewart, Taryn L.

Stocker, Caralena Scott

Stocks, Carol F.

Sunquist, Beverly

Taeb, David

Trevino, Heather Ambrosia

Vaciliou, Charles Steven

Vardaramatos, Jacques

Vernon, Melynda Carter

Vicente Romero, Martha Ameila

Virgin, Sherry Ann

Wertz, Suzanne Marie

Wiersema, Paige Marie

Wilson, Adam Massengill

Winsor, Lorraine Leahy

Wolcott, Josef M.

Zayas, Zachary

Once you’ve sold five or more homes within the D.R. Horton fiscal year (October 1 through September 30), you will become a VIP Agent for the current and next fiscal year. VIP Status earns you 4% commission on all sales!

GLOBAL BUSINESS COMMITTEE

This committee is responsible for providing members with global business events and educational programs and for maximizing members’ awareness of global real estate business.

Brett Brown, Global Business Committee Chair; Izabela Wright, Director Liaison; Carol Kairis, Vice-Chair; Dawn Wheldon; BJ Cottrell; Sara Brand; Gregory Blackburn; Paula Angelopoulos

EXPO COMMITTEE

This committee is responsible for the planning, development, and implementation of the highly successful, annual REALTOR® EXPO, which is an industry-wide trade show featuring exhibitions of products and services that REALTORS® can use in their business.

Justin Brown; Tracy Crowell; Julie Blanton, Chair; Oscar Velez; Sue Martin; David Antis, Vice Chair; Jennifer Reedy; Liz Cashman; Samantha Schwartz; Terrilyn VanGorder, Director Liaison; Michelle McKenna, Staff Liaison; Renee Beechler; Jorge Velasquez; Jeanette O’Neill, Staff

Urbinati, Director; Jeffrey Zeiler; Nicole Porro; Olga Vindell; Ruthie Morency; Cheyenne Chase, Staff Liaison

Not pictured: Renee Beechler, Christina Davidow, Robin Eekhof, Petra Kloss, Sandra Schlaupitz, Maria Zabala

RPAC Kickoff

Jan. 11 * South Street City Oven, Bar, and Music

Bill Poteet,

2012;

2021;

Florida Realtors® Mid-Winter Meeting RPAC Training

Jan. 17-21 * Renaissance Orlando at SeaWorld

President

Corey McCloskey, President

Mike Hughes, President 2015; Sara Brand, RPAC Chair; Brett Brown, President 2009; Rick Baranski, President 2018

1. Paula Angelopoulos Urbinati, Director 2. Dominic Pallini, President 2017; Debbie Zalewiski, RPAC Vice Chair; Bill Poteet, President 2012

YPN University

WADE MASTRO

Feb. 9 * NABOR®

1. Viridiana Martinez, Harrison Canaday, Ryan Adasiak 2. Yanely Fernandez, Sarah Bessery 3. Monique Owens, Eric Nagel, Eric Pirosseno, Bernard Faithful

4. Chuck Bonfiglio, Florida Realtors® Treasurer; Yared Rivera, National Association of REALTORS® YPN Advisory Board Member; Nick Bobzien, President 2023

Member Appreciation Night—Grease Party

Feb. 23 * YMCA Naples

1. Alexandra Diaz, Rhys Fernandez, Tim Loos, Kimberly Vargas, Que Raphael 2. Shannon Livingston, Shari de Ron, Lesley Colantonio

3. Marty Manion, NABOR® CEO; Sandra Schlaupitz; Paula King; Paula Angelopoulos Urbinati, Director

“Global Is Local” Class

Feb. 24 * NABOR®

Julie Swan, Manager of Designations, National Association of REALTORS®, led a Certified International Property Specialist class in February.

Course participants: Julie Swan, NAR Staff, Michelle Barham, Renee Beechler, Greg Blackburn, Brett Brown, Marlene Cambronero, Laurie Cassell, Lisa Chambers, Cheyenne Chase, NABOR® Staff, Ted E. DeGroot, James Densmore, Laura Dier, Robin Eekhof, Yanely Fernandez, Pamela Grice, Juan Hernandez, Darion Higdon, Carol Kairis, Petra Kloss, Michael Matz, Ruth Morency, Viviane Morin, Monique Owens, Georgia Pinto, Nicole Porro, Bryan Rodriguez Sanchez, Augustina Rokhvarger, Serge Ross, Rosa Sherman, Fredrik Ternstrand, Kat Villamizar, Birgit A. Wolf, Izabela Wright

MLS Tech Conference

March 9 * NABOR®

NABOR® hosted another successful, annual MLS Tech Conference that drew approximately 150 attendees and featured 15 vendor tables. Craig Grant, CEO of the Real Estate Technology Institute (RETI), was the keynote speaker.

Save the Dates

SATURDAY, APRIL 15

Annual Night of Honors

Heritage Bay Golf and Country Club

THURSDAY, APRIL 20 Member Business Meeting

SATURDAY, APRIL 22 District 5 Bowling Tournament

THURSDAY, APRIL 27

Karaoke Charity Challenge

THURSDAY, MAY 18

REALTOR® Expo

FRIDAY, MAY 19

Family Fun Day

WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 27

Economic Summit

Arthrex One Conference Center

1. Sue “Pinky” Benson; Craig Grant, RETI CEO; Marcia Roggow, Director 2. Mary Waller, Director; Bev Larson; Craig Grant, Paula Angelopoulos Urbinati, Director; Marcie Roggow, Director 3. Opening session

St. Patrick’s Day Parade

March

NABOR® Global Business St. Patrick’s Day Celebration

March

11 * Downtown Naples

1. Front row: Andrew Occhipinti, Bill Poteet, President 2012 Middle row: Catherine Nugent, Myrna Diaz, Shelly Dickson, Catie Andrews, Debbie Zvibleman, Eric Nagel, Alexandra Diaz, Nicky Stojanovic Back: Spencer Rigsby, Community Involvement Vice-Chair 2. The annual parade runs along Third Street South, Fifth Avenue South, and Eighth Street South. It is one of the largest community events in Naples and one of the largest St. Paddy’s Parades in the Southeast U.S. 3. Nicky Stojanavic, Myrna Moonas Diaz

15 * Boston Beer Garden

1. Ruthie Morency; Brett Brown, Global Business Committee Chair; Carol Kairis; Global Business Committee Vice-Chair; Robin Eekhof; Olga Vindell

2. Paul, Evelyn, Evelyn & Ray G. Girigs

3. Ketty and Andy James; Izabela Wright, Director

HOME TURF

Give your neighborhood a plug with a monogrammed key chain ($16). Key chains featuring a variety of Naples-based communities are available. The Paper Merchant, Naples (thepapermerchantnaples.com)

TAKE NOTE

Jot down your to-do list in subtropical style on the Just Another Day in Paradise notepad ($29). The Paper Merchant, Naples (thepapermerchantnaples.com)

SHOPPING

Local Love

Unique gifts celebrating home

COASTING ALONG

ZIPPY NAPKINS

Gold-foil embossed cocktail napkins ($8) make the perfect backdrop for libations enjoyed in a new ZIP code worth toasting. The Paper Merchant, Naples (thepapermerchantnaples.com)

Hand-painted sketches of neighborhood scenes and local landmarks delightfully decorate a set of four marble coasters ($55). BRuno, Naples (239261-9806)

TRUE COLORS

This 100-percent silk twill scarf ($460), created by Southwest Florida locals Ilkay and Rasit Turk ofTurk & Turk, abounds in pink flamingos and palm fronds. It’s available at their online boutique under the Florida Scarf collection. Turk & Turk (turkandturk.com)

PHOTOS BY MICHAEL CARONCHI

TURK & TURK

TROPICAL TREAT

Satisfy your sweet tooth with a Key lime tart ($8) from Tony’s O Third, Naples or pick an order of them for a tropical gi t. (tonyso third.com)

THOUGHTFUL TOUCH

Cinch your table linens or top o a hostess gi t with this oyster shell charm ($30) that features your hometown. Republic of Decor, Naples (republicofdecor.com)

NOT SHY

There’s no covering up where you live when you bring this boat blanket ($225)—made from 78 recycled plastic bottles—on your next voyage. In2Green sustainable throws are ultraviolet resistant, quick drying, and machine washable. BRuno, Naples (239-261-9806)

MORE TO EXPLORE

For inquisitive minds, choose a book like this one ($25) geared for kids that’s packed with tidbits of regional history and trivia compiled by Karen T. Bartlett. Wynn’s Market, Naples (wynnsmarket.com); The Paper Merchant, Naples (thepapermerchantnaples.com)

LOCAL SCENE

CROSSING THE ‘GLADES

The Tamiami Trail: 95 years

If you haven’t visited Everglades City in a while, the annual celebration of the building of the Tamiami Trail—and the centennials of Collier County and Everglades City (and Naples, too)—are great reasons to drop into the Museum of the Everglades.

e exhibition “Collier’s Cavalry: e Story of the Southwest Mounted Patrol” (through May 13) peers into the little-known history of a small motorcycle force established by Barron G. Collier to protect travelers crossing “100 miles of desolate sawgrass prairie and swampland” through the Everglades. e mounted patrol force—which monitored speeding tourists and chased bootleggers—was “the precursor to the Collier County Sheri ’s Department, but also predated the Florida Highway Patrol by more than 10 years,” according to the museum. e exhibit features a vintage 1929 Harley-Davidson JD as its centerpiece

To learn about the building of the Tamiami Trail, mark your calendar for the April 20 talk “Trailblazing the Tamiami Trail” at 2 p.m. detailing the group of “adventurous automobile enthusiasts” who created a grand publicity stunt to prove the Everglades was passable by car in April 1923 to spur interest in its development. (It nally opened in April 1928). On April 29, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., the annual Tamiami Trail Celebration will include speeches by local dignitaries and members of the Collier family, live music by the Naples Jazz Band playing the hits of the Roaring ‘20s, birthday cake served by the Friends of Museum of the Everglades, Laundry Cart Races in front of the Old Laundry Building (the museum), a motorcade of classic cars, parade, food vendors, and more.

e Museum of the Everglades—listed on the National Register of Historic Places—is located at 105 W. Broadway Ave. in Everglades City. It is open Tuesday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free; donations are appreciated. For more information on these events: 239-252-5026 or colliermuseums.com.

FLORIDA STATE ARCHIVES

The exhibition “Collier’s Cavalry: The Story of the Southwest Florida Mounted Patrol” runs through May 13 at Museum of the Everglades. Several events are planned in April honoring the building of the Tamiami Trail.