Simply Think Florida Realty inc is a real estate brokerage which is just about to open its doors in Naples Florida but dont be fooled into thinking that it is just another new start up destined for difficult times due to inexperience.
Simon Brooker who will be managing the Naples Office brings to Naples collectively over 25 years experience in real estate in both the US and UK and has a thorough knowledge of residential property , commercial property and also business brokerage.
Due the companies existing profile in the market place as vacation home managers and the existing marketing in both the UK and also US the company will be hitting the ground running and will immediatley be able to offer clients a superior service to many of its competitors.
It is sometimes worrying that in Florida a realtor can qualify in six days and be able to advise a home owner on possibley the most valuable asset they will ever buy or sell. It is even more worrying to consider that many realtors treat the license that they have obtained as a part time occupation or even a hobby.
Simply Think Florida Realty inc which trades in Naples as Simply Think Naples Realty will only ever operate with full time sales associates. The company can guarantee that anyone that wears their company name as their broker will provide a dedicated and professional service concentrating on what is best for the client !
Simon would welcome any enquiries from all of the sectosrs mentioned above and is always happy to provide advise even if it does not result on a property being put to the market.
Simons history includes the ownership of both commercial and residential real estate companies in the UK which were sold in 2006. He still retains a UK management company which is headed by his Daughter. Simon also has a major residential and commercial property portfolio which means that he knows at first hand what it is like to be a landlord of a number of tenants.
Telephone : 239 596 0445 or e mail Simon on simon@simplythinkusa.com for his immediate attention
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
For buyers of a home in Naples , Florida who are going to be absent from a home for long periods of time a gated community has a major advantage as it provides a high level of security for the property as only owners or others authorised by the owners are permitted on the estate.
The obvious external charactaristic of a gated community is the small gate house often occupied by a security guard. Alternatively some communities have an access code which is entered into a key pad by the gate or bar code sticker which is placed on the car rear window and is read by an infrared beam. A bit like the check outs at Walmart.
The estate is managed by an HOA and there is usually a property manager often referred to ( behind his back..... ) as Hitler as he generally likes to make it clear that he is in charge and what he says goes...
Dont leave your car in the road as it may get towed away
Dont let your grass grow too long as you may get a fine
Dont put any fencing around your yard as it is not permitted
Dont let your dog off the leash as it is not permitted
Are you getting the idea ?
Dont grow your hedges over the authorised height
Dont paint your house an un authorised colour as you will have to repaint it
Ok so I have gone to the extreme but mainly to make you think what is best for you. If you are not going to live in the home all year around then I think it is a pretty good option as you have a good degree of peace of mind.
However if you do not like being told what to do, or you are this is going to be your home and you want flexibility to do what you want then i may be worth looking at a non gated option.
Contact me on 239 596 0445 or simon@simplythinkusa.com and we can talk it through to establish what is best for you or visit our web site http://www.simplythinknaples.com/
The obvious external charactaristic of a gated community is the small gate house often occupied by a security guard. Alternatively some communities have an access code which is entered into a key pad by the gate or bar code sticker which is placed on the car rear window and is read by an infrared beam. A bit like the check outs at Walmart.
The estate is managed by an HOA and there is usually a property manager often referred to ( behind his back..... ) as Hitler as he generally likes to make it clear that he is in charge and what he says goes...
Dont leave your car in the road as it may get towed away
Dont let your grass grow too long as you may get a fine
Dont put any fencing around your yard as it is not permitted
Dont let your dog off the leash as it is not permitted
Are you getting the idea ?
Dont grow your hedges over the authorised height
Dont paint your house an un authorised colour as you will have to repaint it
Ok so I have gone to the extreme but mainly to make you think what is best for you. If you are not going to live in the home all year around then I think it is a pretty good option as you have a good degree of peace of mind.
However if you do not like being told what to do, or you are this is going to be your home and you want flexibility to do what you want then i may be worth looking at a non gated option.
Contact me on 239 596 0445 or simon@simplythinkusa.com and we can talk it through to establish what is best for you or visit our web site http://www.simplythinknaples.com/
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
As soon as you come to Florida and get to the stage where you need a local bank account you start to realise the differences from the UK system . Lets face it a drive through bank is not exactly the norm in London but over in Florida everything is drive through from a burger bar to a bank and a funeral directors...and yes I did say funeral directors and by the way its a Drive Thru here.
Most people utilise their UK financing to purchase their holiday home but need a bank to transfer money over to for day to day use , paying of bills etc.
One thing I would never do is recommend the quality of a bank or financial institute as this is way above something I can quantify and for various license required reasons I cannot make comment on performance. What I can do is tell you my experience with one bank and why I am exceptionally happy with them.
Three years ago my wife and I decided we needed to have a Florida based bank and went around to meet and greet a few of the options before making a decision. One of the key issues for us was that our money was safe if for any reason the bank failed as it was not long after the Halifax fiasco in the UK and at the time our savings were split over a number of banks to keep the balances withing the government protected scheme. To say we were getting confused and frustrated is an understatement.
By luck more than judgement we stepped into what was then an Orion bank on Airport Pulling Road and met a fantastic young lady by the name of Helen Acura who is.....from Essex and yes she wont mind me saying not your typical essex lass, She has the blonde hair and the accent but she also has a fantastic brain and knows her job inside out. She also has a great sense of humour !
The feeling of relief didnt just end at someone understanding us and realising why we were finding it a bit daunting to deal with the differences in UK banking to the US. Helen set our personal accounts up and everytime we had a query was immediatley on the other end of the phone or e mail helping us out.
Eighteen months ago we moved to Naples on a permanent basis to expand our UK company. Helen sorted out our business accounts and put everything we needed in place. She introduced us to services we knew about and new options which make our banking so easy and straight forward.
Just over a year ago the Orion bank was taken over by Iberia Bank. Our funds were fully protected whatever the outcome and Helen and the team have worked around the clock explaining and helping us with the changes in banking services that differed with the two companies.
Helen is part of a great team at the Airport Pulling Road branch headed by a very approachable and knowledgable manager by the name of Sean Friend. As mentioned at the head of this post, I cannot recommend the performance of a bank and would not want you to take these comments as any indication as to the banks performance, stability or otherwise.
What I can say is that if you need to open an account in Naples and want someone to guide you through the process and understand why you may not fully understand what to them is straight forward go to Iberia Bank on Airport Pulling Road and ask for Helen...give her my regards.
Most people utilise their UK financing to purchase their holiday home but need a bank to transfer money over to for day to day use , paying of bills etc.
One thing I would never do is recommend the quality of a bank or financial institute as this is way above something I can quantify and for various license required reasons I cannot make comment on performance. What I can do is tell you my experience with one bank and why I am exceptionally happy with them.
Three years ago my wife and I decided we needed to have a Florida based bank and went around to meet and greet a few of the options before making a decision. One of the key issues for us was that our money was safe if for any reason the bank failed as it was not long after the Halifax fiasco in the UK and at the time our savings were split over a number of banks to keep the balances withing the government protected scheme. To say we were getting confused and frustrated is an understatement.
By luck more than judgement we stepped into what was then an Orion bank on Airport Pulling Road and met a fantastic young lady by the name of Helen Acura who is.....from Essex and yes she wont mind me saying not your typical essex lass, She has the blonde hair and the accent but she also has a fantastic brain and knows her job inside out. She also has a great sense of humour !
The feeling of relief didnt just end at someone understanding us and realising why we were finding it a bit daunting to deal with the differences in UK banking to the US. Helen set our personal accounts up and everytime we had a query was immediatley on the other end of the phone or e mail helping us out.
Eighteen months ago we moved to Naples on a permanent basis to expand our UK company. Helen sorted out our business accounts and put everything we needed in place. She introduced us to services we knew about and new options which make our banking so easy and straight forward.
Just over a year ago the Orion bank was taken over by Iberia Bank. Our funds were fully protected whatever the outcome and Helen and the team have worked around the clock explaining and helping us with the changes in banking services that differed with the two companies.
Helen is part of a great team at the Airport Pulling Road branch headed by a very approachable and knowledgable manager by the name of Sean Friend. As mentioned at the head of this post, I cannot recommend the performance of a bank and would not want you to take these comments as any indication as to the banks performance, stability or otherwise.
What I can say is that if you need to open an account in Naples and want someone to guide you through the process and understand why you may not fully understand what to them is straight forward go to Iberia Bank on Airport Pulling Road and ask for Helen...give her my regards.
When is the right time to put my A home on the market in Naples Florida ?
What a million dollar question and what a difficult one to answer. The response has got to be very much dependant on the circumstances of the home owner who is asking it.
For example , if you are looking to just sell your home and not immediatley buy again then the chances are you will lose money from the value your home was 3 maybe 4 years ago and you will never get that back so we have got to factor into your decision, the thought, is the market going to pick up and are prices going to increase in the not too distant future.
A few months ago a few brave Naples based realtors proclaimed that things were turning around and true enough price increases in town were starting to be recorded for the first time in many years. However you have to look deeper to establish what is driving these prices and not just take things at face value.
Because of the uncertaintly of the first question which you will note I still have not attempted to answer many home owners are holding off and just watching. This means that there is limited property stock on the market and all of a sudden it becomes a sellers market as even in difficult times as we are in, some people just have to move for a variety of reasons......ie two bedroom house , four children doesnt work !!. This pushes the prices up and in my opinion is the cause of the statistics quoted above, a typical demand and supply characteristic.
On the negative side we are hearing that there are potentially thousands of foreclosures due in a month or so on all types of homes from small condos all the way to the top end houses on Port Royal. If this is the case then when these come to the market place the current demand will become satisfied and there will be excess property stock on the market which will then reverse things to a buyers market again. This will bring prices back down and potentially we could see further decreases in value possibly in double percentage figures maybe even 12 - 13%. So still coming back to that first question ( which I still havent answered ) we have to factor this thought in as well.
Finally we have also got to consider other influences. For example the property market throughout America is struggling and in many states houses are just not selling at all. Yet in Florida we do still see a good number of homes sold every month and it is expected that this coming season will be no exception. WHY ?
Simple its called sunshine. One thing that Florida does have which cannot be taken away by the economy is our glorious weather ( athough as I am writing this it is pooring down with rain ) .. People pay for sunshine and this is why a large percentage of homes in Naples are owned by foreign individuals or out of state Americans just so that they have someone in the sunshine to go to when the weather in their home is grey and miserable.
OK so with situation one and the various factors which I have noted here is the answer.....know one knows and if someone tells you an answer ,ignore it and think for yourself as to what suits you best. This is not crytal ball time we cannot see or predict the future of this economy or market you are the only one who can answer this question once you have all of the facts you need in front of you . ie current value, cost of selling etc.
If you need to sell, sell. If you have something better to invest your money in sell. If you want to gamble then hang in there , rent your home out for a year or so and see what happens. But take on board that you could be taking a risk.
I said that this was the answer for someone who is not going to re buy in todays market and there is a major difference and reason.
When you sell a home and buy another one the figure that is important to you ( as long as your mortgage is the right way up ) is the difference in value.
For example if your home was worth $500,000 3 years ago and the home that you want to buy was worth $700,000 at the same time, then the difference is only $200,000. Therefore if you sell for only $200,000 and buy for $400,000 its the same deal. In fact you will pay the realtor less commission so you are actually better off.
Seasons have a bearing on the right time to sell as Summer in Florida is very quiet and the serious buyers are out of town. NOW is the right time to be getting market appraisals and preparing your home for hitting the market in late September ready for the vacation travellers and snow birds who want a second home in our wonderful town.
So who do you use to sell your home
Being the British realtor in Naples gives me the ability to not only utilise the traditional marketing tools in Florida such as MLS but also to maximise our contacts in the UK. We would love to advise you with absolutley not committment and a call or e mail will recieve our immediate attention.
simon@simplythinkusa.com Tel: 239 596 0445
Simply Think Naples Realty is a trading name of Simply Think Florida Realty inc ( A brokerage company )
For example , if you are looking to just sell your home and not immediatley buy again then the chances are you will lose money from the value your home was 3 maybe 4 years ago and you will never get that back so we have got to factor into your decision, the thought, is the market going to pick up and are prices going to increase in the not too distant future.
A few months ago a few brave Naples based realtors proclaimed that things were turning around and true enough price increases in town were starting to be recorded for the first time in many years. However you have to look deeper to establish what is driving these prices and not just take things at face value.
Because of the uncertaintly of the first question which you will note I still have not attempted to answer many home owners are holding off and just watching. This means that there is limited property stock on the market and all of a sudden it becomes a sellers market as even in difficult times as we are in, some people just have to move for a variety of reasons......ie two bedroom house , four children doesnt work !!. This pushes the prices up and in my opinion is the cause of the statistics quoted above, a typical demand and supply characteristic.
On the negative side we are hearing that there are potentially thousands of foreclosures due in a month or so on all types of homes from small condos all the way to the top end houses on Port Royal. If this is the case then when these come to the market place the current demand will become satisfied and there will be excess property stock on the market which will then reverse things to a buyers market again. This will bring prices back down and potentially we could see further decreases in value possibly in double percentage figures maybe even 12 - 13%. So still coming back to that first question ( which I still havent answered ) we have to factor this thought in as well.
Finally we have also got to consider other influences. For example the property market throughout America is struggling and in many states houses are just not selling at all. Yet in Florida we do still see a good number of homes sold every month and it is expected that this coming season will be no exception. WHY ?
Simple its called sunshine. One thing that Florida does have which cannot be taken away by the economy is our glorious weather ( athough as I am writing this it is pooring down with rain ) .. People pay for sunshine and this is why a large percentage of homes in Naples are owned by foreign individuals or out of state Americans just so that they have someone in the sunshine to go to when the weather in their home is grey and miserable.
OK so with situation one and the various factors which I have noted here is the answer.....know one knows and if someone tells you an answer ,ignore it and think for yourself as to what suits you best. This is not crytal ball time we cannot see or predict the future of this economy or market you are the only one who can answer this question once you have all of the facts you need in front of you . ie current value, cost of selling etc.
If you need to sell, sell. If you have something better to invest your money in sell. If you want to gamble then hang in there , rent your home out for a year or so and see what happens. But take on board that you could be taking a risk.
I said that this was the answer for someone who is not going to re buy in todays market and there is a major difference and reason.
When you sell a home and buy another one the figure that is important to you ( as long as your mortgage is the right way up ) is the difference in value.
For example if your home was worth $500,000 3 years ago and the home that you want to buy was worth $700,000 at the same time, then the difference is only $200,000. Therefore if you sell for only $200,000 and buy for $400,000 its the same deal. In fact you will pay the realtor less commission so you are actually better off.
Seasons have a bearing on the right time to sell as Summer in Florida is very quiet and the serious buyers are out of town. NOW is the right time to be getting market appraisals and preparing your home for hitting the market in late September ready for the vacation travellers and snow birds who want a second home in our wonderful town.
So who do you use to sell your home
simon@simplythinkusa.com Tel: 239 596 0445
Simply Think Naples Realty is a trading name of Simply Think Florida Realty inc ( A brokerage company )
Friday, September 2, 2011
The weather in Naples Florida
Today for example it is overcast and looks more like the days in Britain that we came away from, however they say that Florida has 300 days of sunshine each year and from my experience this is true.
From July to the first week in October you will get an hour or so each day which is rough and normally stormy but once it has passed over the sun comes back out and you just get on with the day.
Of course we live under the threat of hurricanes in season but you get used to it and just make sure you have everything ready for if and when it hits. I haven't been in town for a hurricane but I am told the noise is the worst part and as long as you get through it unscathed you can look forward to the hurricane parties afterwards.........
Temperatures this time of year will be 90,s everyday and very humid. For comfort the best time of year starts in November and runs through to June.
Come and see us soon. Simon@simplythinkusa.com
From July to the first week in October you will get an hour or so each day which is rough and normally stormy but once it has passed over the sun comes back out and you just get on with the day.
Of course we live under the threat of hurricanes in season but you get used to it and just make sure you have everything ready for if and when it hits. I haven't been in town for a hurricane but I am told the noise is the worst part and as long as you get through it unscathed you can look forward to the hurricane parties afterwards.........
Temperatures this time of year will be 90,s everyday and very humid. For comfort the best time of year starts in November and runs through to June.
Come and see us soon. Simon@simplythinkusa.com
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Good restaurants to eat at in Naples Florida
Obviously a lot depends on the budget that you want to spend, whether you have children with you and what type of food you enjoy but here are some of my wife and my favorites.
Jolly Cricket in Fifth. The restaurant is owned by an English man ( Tony ) whiich obviously is a bit of an incentive as we get chance ot catch up with him every time we are there. However the food is great and the atmosphere makes the evening. In season the restaurant often has live bands.
Watermark Grill Tamiami Trail North ( next to the BMW garage ) . Your going to spend a few bucks at this one but with flambes at the table and really fine dining it is a great romantic evening spot. In my opinion the steaks here are the best in town and you hardly need to put any presure on the knife when cutting through as they are so tender.
Buca Italian restaurant on Tamiami Trail near Immokalee Road. From the outside this place looks simply strange and when you walk in and see all the italian memborabilia over the walls it gets even stranger. There are apparantly over 1000 pictures of italian life and artifacts on the walls including shots of the mafia. One table has a full size head of a pope in the middle of it. Its fun and serves fantastic real italian food.
I would love to hear about your favorite places in Naples. Talk to me on simon@simplythinkusa.com
Jolly Cricket in Fifth. The restaurant is owned by an English man ( Tony ) whiich obviously is a bit of an incentive as we get chance ot catch up with him every time we are there. However the food is great and the atmosphere makes the evening. In season the restaurant often has live bands.
Watermark Grill Tamiami Trail North ( next to the BMW garage ) . Your going to spend a few bucks at this one but with flambes at the table and really fine dining it is a great romantic evening spot. In my opinion the steaks here are the best in town and you hardly need to put any presure on the knife when cutting through as they are so tender.
Buca Italian restaurant on Tamiami Trail near Immokalee Road. From the outside this place looks simply strange and when you walk in and see all the italian memborabilia over the walls it gets even stranger. There are apparantly over 1000 pictures of italian life and artifacts on the walls including shots of the mafia. One table has a full size head of a pope in the middle of it. Its fun and serves fantastic real italian food.
I would love to hear about your favorite places in Naples. Talk to me on simon@simplythinkusa.com
Five things you need to ask before buying a home in Naples Florida
Five things you need to know before buying a home in Naples Florida.
1. If you are intending to rent your home and it is located on a gated community or in a block of condos make sure there are no restrictions on how often it can be rented. The realtor who is selling the home to you does not have to tell you.....if you do not ask !
2. Is the home in a flood plain area ?. Be careful if the realtor gives you a big smile and avoids the real question by saying ..all of Florida is a flood plain. They are not lying as it is but if you are in an area that floods frequently your insurance will be sky high. E mail me Simon@simplythinkusa.com and I will tell you where to find out yourself.
3. If a home over here has mould on the walls it is not just a case of washing it down with bleach as we would in England. It may mean that all of the internal walls need ripping out and replacing.....ring me on 001 239 596 0445 and I'll put you ontoma company who canprocide you with a low cost report.
4. As soon as you speak with a realtor they will want you to sign an exclusive contract with them to act for you I finding a home. This can be very useful as they knowmthe area, however be careful what you agree to pay. Whatever you gave heard you do notnhave to pay 6% !
5. When you make an offer it is binding. If you want tomoull out you will lose your deposit and can be sued by the vendor. Don't rush...if you are meant to get the home you will, if you are not you won't. Make sure you are 100% happy before you. Ake that final decision.
1. If you are intending to rent your home and it is located on a gated community or in a block of condos make sure there are no restrictions on how often it can be rented. The realtor who is selling the home to you does not have to tell you.....if you do not ask !
2. Is the home in a flood plain area ?. Be careful if the realtor gives you a big smile and avoids the real question by saying ..all of Florida is a flood plain. They are not lying as it is but if you are in an area that floods frequently your insurance will be sky high. E mail me Simon@simplythinkusa.com and I will tell you where to find out yourself.
3. If a home over here has mould on the walls it is not just a case of washing it down with bleach as we would in England. It may mean that all of the internal walls need ripping out and replacing.....ring me on 001 239 596 0445 and I'll put you ontoma company who canprocide you with a low cost report.
4. As soon as you speak with a realtor they will want you to sign an exclusive contract with them to act for you I finding a home. This can be very useful as they knowmthe area, however be careful what you agree to pay. Whatever you gave heard you do notnhave to pay 6% !
5. When you make an offer it is binding. If you want tomoull out you will lose your deposit and can be sued by the vendor. Don't rush...if you are meant to get the home you will, if you are not you won't. Make sure you are 100% happy before you. Ake that final decision.
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