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.
Showing posts with label the British realtor in Naples. Show all posts
Showing posts with label the British realtor in Naples. Show all posts
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
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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