By Kerry Smith

WalletHub ranked 145 U.S. cities by affordability, weather, safety and economy. The final list includes 22 Fla. cities with 4 in the top 10 and 9 in the top 25.


ORLANDO, Fla. – WalletHub released its analysis of the U.S. beach towns, and Florida had 22 cities on the list – four in the top 10 and nine in the top 25.
The analysis didn’t look at the quality of a city’s beaches, however, it ranked cities by four primary characteristics important to people hoping to buy a home – affordability, weather, safety and the local economy – but says it used “63 key metrics” to determine an overall ranking.


In the analysis that included all factors – called Best Beach Towns to Live in (Ocean) – Naples ranked No. 1 with Boca Raton third, Sarasota sixth and Vero Beach in 10th place. The study includes a separate ranking for lakeside towns.


However, an interactive chart allows users to focus only ...

Naples, Fla. (June 19, 2020) - REALTORS® kept busy in May as pent-up demand for homebuying resulted in a remarkable spike in buyer interest. As a result, showings in May increased 244 percent compared to showings in April. As remarkable, showings in May outpaced showings a year ago, which increased 5.5 percent compared to May 2019. According to the May 2020 Market Report released by the Naples Area Board of REALTORS® (NABOR®), which tracks home listings and sales within Collier County (excluding Marco Island), broker analysts reviewing the report found the data reflected the everlasting desirability of the Naples real estate market, even during the COVID-19 outbreak.





"Despite the restrictions of social distancing, with many REALTORS® conducting virtual open home tours and adopting electronic signings and virtual closings, 599 buyers purchased homes in Naples last month. REALTORS® and brokerages adapted to the challe ...

Naples, Fla. (May 22, 2020) - Coronavirus slowed real estate market activity in April as expected during Florida's safe-at-home restrictions. According to the April 2020 Market Report released by the Naples Area Board of REALTORS® (NABOR®), which tracks home listings and sales within Collier County (excluding Marco Island), overall closed sales decreased 28.6 percent to 838 closed sales compared to 1,173 closed sales in April 2019. Inventory decreased as well in April by 29.1 percent to 5,394 homes compared to 7,605 homes in April 2019. The April report also confirms home values remain intact.






"Our priority is the safety of Naples residents and our members, as we all continue to practice socially responsible distancing while we conduct business during this health crisis," said NABOR® President Lauren Melo, PA, Licensed Real Estate Broker with Florida's Realty Specialists. "With the assistance of technology, creativity, and cooperation, real estate pro ...

All eyes are on the American economy. As it goes, so does the world economy. With states beginning to reopen, the question becomes: which sectors of the economy will drive its recovery? There seems to be a growing consensus that the housing market is positioned to be that driving force, the tailwind that is necessary. Some may question that assertion as they look back on the last recession in 2008 when housing was the anchor to the economy – holding it back from sailing forward. But even then, the overall economy did not begin to recover until the real estate market started to regain its strength. This time, the housing market was in great shape when the virus hit. As Mark Fleming, Chief Economist of First American, recently explained:
“Many still bear scars from the Great Recession and may expect the housing market to follow a similar trajectory in response to the coronavirus outbreak. But, there are distinct differences that indicate the h ...

Q: What is being built on Immokalee Road? I see a lot of trees are being cut.
— Roxana C. Gomez, Golden Gate Estates
A: Preliminary site work for a major housing development by GL Homes began at the end of April across Immokalee Road from TwinEagles residential golf community.
Formerly known as TwinEagles South, the future 853-home community – which will be one of the largest in Collier County – was part of the same approval process of the 750-home TwinEagles but is no longer aligned with that subdivision. The proposed development is named Brentwood Lakes in recent records filed with the county’s Growth Management Department, but other names such as Mosaic are still being considered for the gated community of single-family homes.
“We may possibly rename it. We have not finalized the name,” said Richard Arkin, a vice president of GL Homes of Florida Corp. “We haven’t finalized the plans. We’re s ...