8/19/2006
NAPLES, Florida is one of the most beautiful places in the country. For the period of 1995-2000, Naples led the country with the highest net migration of young, single, college educated residents. The Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight says the Naples-Marco Island metro area is No. 1 in the nation for home price appreciation for the second quarter ending June 30, 2005 compared with the same time last year. Single-family homes appreciated 35.6 percent during that time.
In May 2005, The Florida Association of Realtors reported that the median sales price for single-family homes in Naples rose 24% during the first quarter of the year to $468,000 compared to the median price of $377,000 from the first quarter of 2004. By the end of June, 2005, the median price had risen to $491,400. The median price of homes in Naples is the highest in the state and the fifth highest in the nation with Palm Beach second at $363,600.
Naples, Florida has always been rated highly on the list of Money Magazine's Best Places To Live in the U.S. And that is not by accident. The weather is tropical with temperatures in the winter in the 70's and 80's, yet there is always the influence of subtle Gulf Breezes. Majestic Sunsets are the rule rather than the oddity.
The opportunities for recreational activities are endless. With over 90 golf courses, both public and private, there are more holes per capita than any other place in the U.S. Golf courses, tennis courts, swimming pools, walking paths and biking lanes abound. Naples is also home to the Franklin Templeton Shootout, The ACE Senior Tour Event and many top tennis events. Golf Magazine's 2005 Dream Home was built in Naples Florida.
One is never far from the water in Naples. Directly on the Gulf of Mexico and near the 10,000 islands in the Everglades, Naples affords boaters some of the prettiest waterways and beaches in Florida where dolphins and manatees cavort in the waves and where sport fishermen can experience some of the best fishing in the world. Waterfront homes need not be on the Gulf of Mexico as there are hundreds of lakes that dot golf courses and developments throughout the area.
Safe harbors for boaters include the Moorings and Venetian Bays, located between Gulf Shore Boulevard and US 41, Naples Bay, Wiggins Pass, and the many canals and waterways that span the magnificent areas of Port Royal, Aqualane Shores, Windstar, Parkshore, Royal Harbor, Bayshore, Oyster Bay, Seagat