Travel + Leisure magazine ranks Naples in the top 5 on their "Best American Towns for the Holidays" list. Christmas is my favorite time of year and nothing feels more festive than a palm tree decked-out in twinkly lights. A cherished family tradition is to head to the beach after opening presents. We load up the car with beach chairs and a picnic basket and spend the afternoon enjoying gentle warm breezes, soft white sand and the sparkling Gulf of Mexico.

If you are lucky enough to be in beautiful Southwest Florida for the holidays (then you are lucky enough!) … here are just a few of our favorite holiday events:

November 27: 44nd ANNUAL TREE LIGHTING & FESTIVAL - Live music, carolers, and snow (!) falling in the charming Third Street South shopping district, 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm. www.thirdstreetsouth.com, 239-649-6707

November 29: CHANUKAH CELEBRATION – A community-wide joyous celebration on the lawn at Mercato with candle lighting, traditional music and food. The event begins at 5:00 pm; 9132 Strada Place; www.jewishnaples.org

December 1 & 3: HANDELS MESSIAH at Artis, featuring the Naples Philharmonic & Naples Philharmonic Chorus - A most beloved choral works in a rousing holiday classic. www.artisnaples.org, 239-597-1900

December 3: CHRISTMAS ON THIRD - Live music, decorated window displays, twinkling lights and Naples "snowfall"  www.thirdstreetsouth.com, 239-649-6707

December 1 – 31: CHRISTMAS AT HISTORIC PALM COTTAGE - Naples oldest home (circa 1895) dons all of her holiday finery and is open Tuesday thru Saturdays from 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm (and until  7:00 pm on the weekends). Located at the corner of 12th Avenue South and Gulf Shore Boulevard in Old Naples. www.napleshistoricalsociety.org;  239-261-8164

December 3 - 4: THE 48^TH ANNUAL CHRISTMAS WALK & TREE LIGHTING ON 5^TH AVENUE SOUTH – A delightful tradition not to be missed. Fifth Avenue closes to auto traffic, the Avenue shops and restaurants are festively adorned, local choral groups & choirs perform, and Mr. and Mrs. Claus are available for photos. It's sparkly, twinkly, family fun! From 5:00 pm to 10:00 pm on Friday evening, and 10:00 am - 10:00 pm on Saturday, along the length of Fifth Avenue South; 239-692-8436

December 7: NAPLES CHRISTMAS PARADE – One of my favorite events of the year, a fabulous holiday parade complete with lighted floats, marching bands and Santa, of course! The parade kicks-off at Broad Avenue South and heads north on 3^rd Street, then turns east onto Fifth Avenue South continuing to 8^th Street. From 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm; 239-692-8436

December 11: CHRISTMAS BOAT PARADE – An impressive armada of boats bejeweled in Christmas lights travels up Naples Bay. Favorite viewing spots for this festive event include the restaurants at Tin City, Kelly’s Fishhouse, Naples City Dock, and Bayview Park.  The parade kicks off at 6:15 pm – 8:30 pm; for the parade route visit www.miacc.org

December 16– 19: NAPLES PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA HOLIDAY POPS CONCERT – Enjoy a little Christmas shopping at Waterside Shops, have an early dinner at one of Waterside’s fine restaurants, then take the short stroll to Artis – Naples for a traditional holiday concert presented by Naples’ beloved orchestra. www.artisnaples.org; 239-597-1900

December 21 - 22: THE NUTCRACKER presented by Naples Ballet - Enjoy the enchanting, timeless classic. www.artisnaples.org; 239-597-1900

December 31: NEW YEAR’S EVE FIREWORKS – Wrap up 2021 with a beautiful bang, spectacular fireworks will be shot off the Naples Pier at 12^th Avenue South and Gulf Shore Boulevard at 7:00 pm. Cheers!

By: Jackie Perrett

There’s nothing like a New Year to inspire a fresh start.  I feel energized with a sense of urgency…getting back-to-business after all the holiday fun. For our clients – those fortunate souls looking for beautiful property in gorgeous Naples – we also see a back-to-business attitude adjustment.  As another cold winter hammers most of the country, real estate inquiries have increased and travel plans are confirmed for real estate centric visits. 2018 is in the rearview mirror, the "season" is upon us and I couldn't be more excited.

A common concern I'm hearing from Buyers is that perhaps they have “missed” the market. They keep reading and hearing about increasing real estate prices. If that has been on your mind – rest assured – it's a great time to be a buyer and there are a wide variety of fairly-priced properties available.  (Please see the most current market statistics on our website).  There are a slew of new developments coming on line. New golf course communities, sexy in-town-walk-to-everything developments and water-oriented communities in a wide range of prices are new to the market.  The Naples real estate market is very diverse and complex. There are fabulous opportunities – you just need to know where to look and how to assess values in the current climate.

If you have serious interest in Naples real estate, it is more important than ever to work with a seasoned, qualified Buyers Agent.  We are expert negotiators and work exclusively with Buyers. That means we are working FOR YOU – we never take listings and our sole motivation is to get you into the best property for you, at the best possible price. There has never been a better time to make your move to Naples.

By: Jackie Perrett

An IPhone snap of today's weather map in the Naples Daily News...

Resolution #1 for 2019:

Buy a home in Naples!!

During 2015 and 2016, more income migrated to Collier County (Naples area) and Lee County (Ft. Myers area) than the entire state of Texas. Florida has a warm climate and no income taxes, making it an enticing place to call home for people with large incomes. Especially if they are leaving states with high income taxes. 

“How Money Walks,” a book and website of the same name, has been created using information gathered by the IRS on wealth migration.  In all, the income of people moving to Florida in 2015 and 2016 was $17.4 billion more than the income of people moving out of state. Collier County’s net “in-migration” was $1.7 billion in annual income.  The largest share of that wealth is coming from residents from Illinois, New York, Connecticut and New Jersey. 

The demographics of those moving to Naples tend to be affluent, so local businesses and charities benefit from the new residents.  Because recent changes to federal laws mean money paid in state income taxes is no longer deductible for federal tax purposes, we can expect the in-migration to continue and probably increase. 

Source: Naples Daily News