Posted by briank | Real Estate | Posted on September 29th, 2009
A golfer and television actor highlight Naples Winter Wine Festival vintners for 2010.
The event, to be held Jan. 29-31, will celebrate its 10th anniversary. A roster of 30 vintners includes producers from the most lauded small wine estates in Spain, Argentina, Italy, Oregon and California, as well as the historic French regions of Bordeaux and Burgundy.
One vintner is traveling from South Africa _ a festival first. Eighteen of the vintners will make a return appearance at the festival and 12 will be first-timers.
“We are approaching a historic milestone,” said Francis Rooney, a festival chairman and a trustee of the Naples Children & Education Foundation, which founded the festival.
“Few, if any, single wine events have drawn wine luminaries of such high caliber, in one place, at the same time, and for 10 years running, with multimillions in auction proceeds going to underprivileged and at-risk children.”
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Mercato First Fridays will mix fun with fundraising on October 2 from 6:00 PM to 10:00 PM as another charitable effort — “Neighbors Helping Neighbors” — is introduced to the community. Suzanne Perry has been selected as the first Neighbor in Need and will be honored on October 2 in conjunction with Mercato First Fridays.
“Neighbors Helping Neighbors” (NHN) is an offshoot of iWannahelp.net, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization designed for charitable involvement by means of a comprehensive website. NHN will focus its efforts to raise awareness and funds for one individual each month that is in dire financial need due to medical expenses.
Perry, a Naples resident since 1981, is a master hair stylist at Franco’s Beauty Center. In January, she was diagnosed with breast cancer and later doctors discovered she also has the aggressive cancer gene. Perry has no health insurance. Surgical costs and expenses related to chemotherapy and radiation treatments are anticipated to reach nearly $100,000.
“Mercato First Fridays provides an ideal platform for “Neighbors Helping Neighbors,” said Kristin Cartwright, Director of Lutgert Commercial Marketing. “We are pleased the committee has chosen Suzanne as our first “Neighbor.” First Fridays is intended to be a positive, fun event for the community and by incorporating a helping-hand program to our neighbors makes a good fit. Mercato merchants are enthused to be part of this compassionate endeavor in step with the mission of iWannahelp.net.”
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A gathering Friday of Florida real estate executives in Gainesville was more like a meeting of generals who have been losing badly on the battlefield but are entrenched and awaiting the turning fortunes of war.
The University of Florida Center for Real Estate Studies hosted the annual Real Estate Trends and Strategies Conference at the University Hilton on Friday, with developers, bankers, investors, property managers and other professionals on hand.
Those in attendance have been on the front lines of the recession in a state so heavily tied to real estate, with the market crash leading Florida to recession in May 2007, a full seven months before the rest of the nation.
UF research economist David Denslow gave them reason to take heart, however, predicting a slow recovery that likely already has begun.
Despite the recession, he said the U.S. dodged a more serious bullet because other nations flocked to the relative security of U.S. treasuries. But that won’t be the case next time if the national debt continues to build, he said.
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TREVISO BAY: Listed at $4,795,000
SPECS: 5,145-square-foot Palazzina model with five bedrooms and four-and-a half baths by Harwick Homes is “green” certified and designed to take advantage of its water views. Glass sliders in the family room open to the outdoor living area and pocket into the walls behind a built-in wall unit. Sherri DuPont, ASID of Collins & DuPont created the interior design.
DETAILS: This single-family custom estate home is located at 9602 Pavia Court in the Pavia neighborhood of Treviso Bay, home of Southwest Florida’s only PGA Tour Tournament Players’ Club (TPC) golf course. The Palazzina’s outdoor living space features slate floors, a fireplace, fully-equipped cooking and granite topped bar area, and a fountain that waterfalls directly into a rectilinear pool. The living room has an eyebrow-arch window 17 feet high that provides a view of a fountain on the outdoor terrace, 20-foot ceiling and the Mexican adobe-style fireplace features a single slab boxed clear cypress mantle.
SOURCE: Kandace Kaiser and Tess McCarthy, Premier Properties of Southwest Florida Inc. Realtors, 239-643-1414, KandaceK@naples.com, Tess@naples.com, www.premier-properties.com.
MEDITERRA: Listed at $7,999,000
SPECS: 9,346-square-foot estate home boasts five-plus bedrooms, six full baths, three half-baths, a motor court with porte-cochere and a five-car garage. Special detailing includes arched mosaic entryways, marble wall murals, glassed walk-in wine cellar and iron gates. A luxurious master retreat with private screened patio overlooks the outdoor oasis.
DETAILS: Built in 2006, this residence is located at 15025 Pratolino Way in the Bello Lago neighborhood of Mediterra. It features a 150-foot geothermal pool with sun ledges and custom water features which includes a bridge that leads to the screened cabana with see-through fireplace and flat-screen TV. Sliding glass doors open to a custom billiards room with full bar, beer tap, dishwasher and two flat screen TVs. The adjoining family room and kitchen are equipped with four dishwashers, warming drawers, Viking and Sub-Zero appliances. The adjacent custom theater has stadium seating for 12 complete with concession stand and arcade game area.
SOURCE: Julie Rembos and Paula Sims, Premier Properties of Southwest Florida Inc. Realtors, Julie Rembos, 239-595-1809, Paula Sims, 239-262-6600, JulieR@naples.com, paula@premiermail.net
When you step into Silverspot Cinema at Mercato, opening Friday, September 11, you will instantly know you have arrived at a theater unlike any multiplex you have ever stepped foot in before. The generic interiors, boisterous crowds, long ticket lines, and uncomfortable seats of today’s movie houses have been replaced with a sophisticated, luxurious intimate ambiance that is truly fitting of a night out in Naples.
The first indication that you have come upon an extraordinary experience is the absence of a ticket line. Catering to today’s tech-savvy consumer, Silverspot encourages its customers to purchase tickets online or via the automated guest relations station that rests just outside the theater entrance. While this alone speaks to the no-hassle atmosphere that is unique to Silverspot, it is the reserved seating that will undoubtedly please even the most discerning theater patron.
Arrive early, not because you want to get a good seat but because you want to enjoy drinks and appetizers with friends at the intimate lounge whose floor-to-ceiling windows overlook the lively shopping areas of Mercato. Or you may prefer to partake of a sumptuous meal in the 65-seat restaurant. A state-of-the-art kitchen, serves an array of delicious entrees, desserts, even a creatively inspired children’s menu. Now serving wine and beer, soon a full bar will complement and enhance this decadent venue.
“The idea is to create an experience that allows you to disconnect and recharge, where you walk out feeling like you went on a two-hour vacation,” said Ariadna Navarro, partner at Asylum Consulting, who helped develop the brand identity and environmental design. The décor alone will inspire you to relax with its designer lighting, neutral tones, and stunning hardwood floors. The restrooms are enveloped in opulent Marquina marble.
In keeping with its traditional movie theater roots, Silverspot also has a concession stand offering all of the customary goodies one would expect, including popcorn, soft drinks and the ubiquitous Dots, Milk Duds, and candy favorites. In yet another reflection of the theater’s sophistication and modern sensibility, Silverspot’s popcorn is cooked in healthier coconut oil. They’ve also added fun snacks such as edamame and nuts.
“Films, of course, are the real reason one comes to a theater,” says Gonzalo Ulivi, Silverspsot’s co-president with his cousin Ilio Ulivi. When it comes to actually viewing a movie, Silverspot delivers the goods. When your film of choice is about to begin, a long carpeted hallway guides you to one of the 11 theaters. Within each theater’s dark cocoon awaits approximately 100 deluxe leather seats, specially designed and manufactured for Silverspot; Dolby Digital sound enhanced specifically for Silverspot; and state-of-the-art projection technology, all of which combine to create an outstanding movie experience.
Click here for more on the opening of Silverspot at Mercato.
Posted by briank | Real Estate | Posted on September 4th, 2009
BONITA BAY: Listed at $2,100,000
SPECS: 7,956-square-foot single-family home has is located in the Spring Ridge neighborhood of Bonita Bay. This four-bedroom, four-bath ranch-style floor plan also has a den/study, family room, formal dining room and a three-car garage. Numerous upgrades to this home include faux tray ceilings, double crown moulding, architectural details, niches and accent lighting. The speakers and surround sound provide the perfect background for entertaining inside the home or outside in the covered lanai with screened-in pool.
DETAILS: Located at 6064 Fawnwood Court, this 4,008-square-foot golf course home features a gourmet kitchen with gas cooktop, island with prep sink, granite counters and custom cabinets with rollout shelving. The butler’s pantry with wine cooler and refrigerator makes entertaining easy. Nature provides the background for the large covered lanai with built-in grill, outdoor kitchen and heated pool and spa with tropical plantings and water display. There is also a pool bath and outdoor shower. Spring Ridge is next to Spring Creek Park where residents can canoe, hike and picnic. Three other waterfront parks are available to residents. Other community amenities include a full service marina, fishing pier, tennis and five golf courses.
SOURCE: Harriet Harnar, Premier Properties of Southwest Florida Inc., Realtors, 239-273-5443, HarrietH@premiermail.net
Posted by briank | Real Estate | Posted on September 4th, 2009
MARCO ISLAND: Listed at $9,500,000
SPECS: 8,280-total-square-foot Slocum-Christian built waterfront home is located on the tip of Caxambas Island. It offers four bedrooms, a den, five full baths, two half baths, a four-car garage, and bay, canal and Gulf of Mexico views and access. The 243 feet of water frontage and deeded deep-water dock has two lifts and is wired for a television and telephone and has 50-amp service. Electric lights that resemble 1950s gas street lamps illuminate the walkway and seawall. The two-story screen enclosure surrounds the outdoor living area with summer kitchen, patio, pool and spa.
DETAILS: Built in 2004 at 1341 Caxambas Court, this furnished two-story home with 6,890 square feet features contemporary finishes and detailing. The formal living area, which groin ceiling, is centered by a custom stone fireplace bordered by display niches. The ground-floor master suite has a morning room off the bath area complete with kitchen and laundry facilities. The bath has his-and-her water closets, a jetted tub framed by columns and a walk-in shower. The French country-style kitchen has a breakfast bar, granite counter tops, work island, dual copper sinks and a Wolf stainless steel gas range with hammered copper vent hood. The walk-in wine cooler can store 860 bottles. Other rooms include exercise and family rooms, a home office and billiards room.
SOURCE: Jim & Nikki Prange, Premier Properties of Southwest Florida Inc., Realtors, 239-642-1133, www.estateareaonline.com.
While the national housing bust has devastated property values, it has also created some outstanding bargain opportunities for would-be home buyers—if you know where to look. During the first half of the decade, easy credit and speculative fervor sent home prices in certain states—Florida, California, Nevada—scorching to phenomenal heights. But nearly three years into a real estate crash that’s dragged home prices down 32 percent from their 2006 peaks, some of these once wildly overpriced markets present today’s real estate shoppers with perhaps their best shot at long-term value. “What we have seen is that those markets that became significantly overvalued [during the housing boom] are right now very undervalued,” says Jeannine Cataldi, senior economist and manager of IHS Global Insight’s Regional Real Estate Service.
To pinpoint the nation’s most undervalued housing markets, we turned to IHS Global Insight’s first-quarter 2009 House Prices in America report, which uses household income, population density, and other data to compare a market’s actual value with where it should be on a statistical basis. We then used employment, quality-of-life, and other research to determine America’s best undervalued places to live.
Naples, Fla. More than two years of price declines have turned some of Florida’s most overpriced communities into buying opportunities, says Jack McCabe of Florida-based McCabe Research & Consulting. “There are definitely opportunities in the marketplace now that make sense,” he says. The upscale retirement community of Naples is one such market, McCabe says. With plenty of golf, beaches, and fishing, Naples is an enchanting, sun-drenched spot along Florida’s southwest coastline. And after home prices plummeted by nearly 50 percent from the first quarter of 2006 to the first quarter of 2009, the housing market is looking increasingly tempting. IHS Global Insight considers the median home price in Naples—$200,000—to be 33 percent undervalued.
Click here for more Undervalued Places to Live.
