January 2012

Mediterra Naples – Community of the Month

This month we turn our attention to Mediterra as our community of the month. Mediterra stands tall among the most elite communities in Naples. The lush, manicured landscape and more than one thousand acres dedicated to golf and preserve make it a truly special place. Bonita Bay Group, with their reputation for first class developments, pulled out all the stops when they established this amazing place.

At the center of any world class community is the golf course and Mediterra boasts not one but two 18 hole Tom Fazio designed courses. Not only are these courses challenging to the golfer, but they are trophies to the environmental community as well. The Club at Mediterra has been certified as the world’s first 36 hole Audubon International Silver Signature Sanctuary.

Not to be outdone, the tennis crowd has their own facilities to boast about. Six and soon to be eight Har-Tru courts and a top rated tennis program round out the mix. In addition there is a state of the art fitness center featuring every type of equipment you need to get into shape. In the event you overdo it, a trip to the spa and their professional therapists will soothe those overworked muscles. Rounding out the fitness center are the outdoor heated pool, the sauna, and the Enrichment center offering classes in health and nutrition.

Last and certainly not least is the Beach Club. Located just 20 minutes away on the glistening Gulf of Mexico, it is a first class escape from the day to day stresses we all run into. This private beach club features valet parking, a restaurant, bar, locker rooms, a swimming pool, and private cabanas for your beachside relaxation.

Join our growing list of clients who have come to find out that Mediterra is not only beautiful but relaxed and friendly as well. Call us today for a personal tour of this unique and wonderful community.  Homes in Mediterra fall into three classifications, coach homes, detached villas, and single family homes. Coach homes currently start at $439k+, villas at $700k+ and single family homes at $750k+. Call us today at 239-963-4811 for a personal tour of this unique and wonderful community.

OR, you can visit the community website at http://LiveInMediterra.com.

 

Southwest Florida is the #1 Place in the World…

Southwest Florida is the #1 place in the world!?!? 

Well, to be exact, Arthur Frommer, the man behind the travel website & books “Frommers” thinks so.  He rated Sanibel Island as his #1 favorite place in the world to visit.  

Locally, this is a big deal, as he ranks the Islands of Bali and Paris as #2 and #3 respectively and Kenya rounding out the list at #10.  This is not just any man’s opinion, Arthur Frommer is famous for traveling the world and for his published traveling guides.

Here is an excerpt from his post:
To Do Some Long-Range Vacation Planning, I’ve Compiled a List of My 10 Favorite Travel Destinations
Posted by Arthur Frommer at 12/28/2011 10:02 AM EST

To me, the leisure enjoyed during the holiday season is a perfect time in which to plan future vacations. And so I’ve compiled a list of my own favorite destinations, of which there are 10:

1) Sanibel Island, Florida: Off the west coast of the Sunshine State, a few miles from Ft. Myers, is this idyllic haven of white-sand beaches, condos whose seafront apartments are available for weekly rentals, excellent restaurants, good shopping–and most important, the Ding Darling Nature Preserve, visited by thousands of birds of every species, who bask in the sun after diving for fish, and are one of the great natural sights of wildlife in America.

There was a News Press article about his blog post which can be found here.  If you would like to see Frommer’s original blog post, you can do so here.

The islands are a very special part of Southwest Florida.  Between the white sand beaches and the plethora of wildlife sanctuaries, Sanibel & Captiva bring many tourists to Southwest Florida.  There is just something special about being on the islands.  Personally, every time I head over the bridge to Sanibel, it feels as though I am on vacation.

This news of Frommer’s ranking comes just days after local real estate industry experts gathered to discuss and predict what was to come in 2012.  The overall attitude is very optimistic for the local real estate market and local economy.  Jobs will continue to be a main concern, but local real estate values are predicted to continue rising.  Contributing to this fact is the slow down in foreclosure activity.  People are finally getting back on their feet.

Judging by the number of people on the road, at stores & at local restaurants, we have a lot of confidence this will be a very good season!

Clearly This Would Not Have Happened Without Your Involvement.

“Hi Dick,

Thanks again for your help in purchasing our home in Gateway, Fort Myers.  You made the “home buying” experience an efficient and pleasant one.

From the beginning you impressed us with your knowledge of the market, organizational ability, interpersonal skills and overall professionalism. Initially we covered a lot of territory and saw many homes; because you’re observant and a good listener it became clear to us that you had knew exactly what we were looking for.  After our initial inability to reach a deal on our first offer, we remained confident even after we left Fort Myers for Massachusetts that we would still make something happen this year.  And, of course, we did!

As a result of your professionalism, we felt comfortable with you and trusted your instincts about the property that we finally purchased (for us, sight unseen.)  We believe that says a great deal about your skills as a realtor and also about your ability to work hard and effectively with others.  You sent photos via email and did the homework necessary to close the deal in a timely fashion. Clearly, this would not have happened and been such a smooth transaction without your involvement.

So thanks again for taking the time to work with us, and for being a positive and skilled real estate advocate in the purchase of our new home.

Gets it Done when No One Else Can

“My wife and I have been actively trying to purchase a second home in the Fort Myers/Estero area for three years. We made several offers on both short sales and traditional sales, but none panned out. It was either we were not the first offer (even if our offer was higher), or it was our offer was not the highest (even though we were first in), or we had the offer the bank was working with on a short sale, but the bank decided at the last minute to foreclose instead and we got pushed to the side.

We were ready to give up, but discovered Brad Dohack online back in Chicago with his 2 cent tours. He was touring places we had not even seen before, so we gave it one last shot with Brad last spring.

To summarize, Brad got it done when no one else could. After working with Brad in the spring without scoring, he kept working behind the scenes and called us out of the blue in September with news of a home he thought would be perfect for us that came on the market that day. He emailed us over 50 pictures and said it was an excellent short sale property and would not last long. And he was right.

We had our offer submitted within 24 hours, but there was an offer in front of us and several right behind. The seller considered them all and chose ours and sent it on to the bank. But Brad did not stop there. He worked tirelessly with the negotiator to get bank approval within two and a half months. During that time, we asked for a number of things and raised a number of difficult issues. Brad could have said he would get back to us in a day or two, but instead he would always respond within an hour and whatever was requested was in my email shortly after that and every issue got resolved quickly and to our satisfaction.

If you are an out-of-town buyer looking for a second home, there is no better agent to have working with you than Brad Dohack. He will not give up until he gets you what you are looking for. And he is always reachable so there is never a feeling of not knowing what is going on. He gets it done when no one else can.”          

~Jim & Michelle Wisniewski

Professional with Integrity

“My wife and I worked with Brad for nearly a year in an attempt to secure a lot (which was in short sale) and then to negotiate to build a home.  Along that journey we also looked at existing homesites.  Throughout this process, which ran the full gamut of realty services, Brad was truly a professional gentleman.  He was always accessible, prepared and knowledgeable.  He was flexible and accommodating.  It was easy to become his friend because it was clear he was concerned about us and was treating us as he would a close friend.  You can rest assured that you have found a professional with integrity.”  ~Joshua and Ronna Nagin