April 22, 2016 Posted by Matt

Are you decelerating on your putts?  Deceleration during the putting stroke is when you take a long backswing and then slow down the putter head as you make contact with the ball.  The result is your putts will often come up short over and over again.  A good way to eliminate deceleration is to line up five balls about five feet from the a hole.  Address the ball like you normally would.  From this position, push the ball toward the hole without taking a backstroke.  This forces you to accelerate into the ball.  When you go back to your normal setup, you will notice your backswing will be shorter and you will accelerate through the ball instead of decelerating at impact.

Q1 FORECLOSURE FILINGS DROP IN SWFL

The number of foreclosure filings in Collier County fell 27 percent from 470 in Q1 2015 to 341 during the first quarter of this year according to RealtyTrac.  Lee County foreclosures dropped 38 percent for the first three months of the year, falling from 1,658 properties down to 1,028 properties a year ago during the same time.  Charlotte County foreclosure actions decreased 17 percent during Q1.

The significant decline in foreclosure filings is another indication we are well down the road to recovery.

Are you considering buying a home in Naples?  Or perhaps Bonita Springs?  Let me be your guide.

April 20, 2016 Posted by Matt

You are not getting the clubface on the ball if your shots from the rough go short and left.  When the rough is thick you are probably catching the grass behind the ball and slowing down your swing speed if you are using a normal golf swing.  Here are a few swing adjustments you can make to ensure clean contact with clubface which will help propel the ball up and out of the rough.  Set your weight on your left side.  Make a three-quarter backswing that is upright.  Come down steeply on the ball which will minimize the amount of grass you catch.  Try it out the next time you head to the course.

April 18, 2016 Posted by Matt

Are you swaying?  If so, you are probably seeing a wide variety of poor golf shots.  A sway happens when you shift your weight to your back foot and your hips shift in the same direction instead of turning so your back is to the target.  A good way to check if you are swaying is to stick an alignment rod next to your back foot so that it is vertical.  Make a normal golf swing.  If your hip hits the stick than you are swaying instead of turning during your golf swing.  A good drill to help you fix a sway is to go to the driving range and place a golf ball under the right side of your back foot.  Practice hitting shots with and you will find you will feel what it is like to turn instead of sway.

Supply Up in Collier

Home supply was up in Collier County during the first quarter of 2016 according to the latest market statistics released by NABOR (Naples Area Board of Realtors).  Inventory increased 44 percent during the first quarter of this year when compared to the first quarter of last year.  With the added supply and season nearing its end, sellers are adjusting prices and becoming more flexible than they were at the beginning of season.  Properties are still moving quickly.  The average days on market continued to fall, down 12 percent for the quarter.

Overall closed sales fell 19 percent from 2,380 a year ago to 1,926 this year.  Pending sales also fell during the first quarter falling 23 percent from 3,628 a year ago to 2,768.  The one price category to see an increase in pending sales was single family homes between $500,000 and $1 million which grew 11 percent.  The slowdown in sales was due to the increased supply which had previously been tight.  As of the end of the quarter, there were 5,651 properties for sale versus 4,235 a year ago.

For the month of March, pending sales and closed sales fell 25 percent.  However, closed sales in the $500,000 – $1 million single-family home price category increased 34 percent to 90 homes in March 2016 from 67 homes in March 2015.

The overall median closed price increased 8 percent year-over-year with the biggest increase in condos in the $2 million and above price category which was up 18 percent from $2,405,000 last year to $2,837,000 this year.

Inventory increased 33 percent on the month.  Condos in the $1 million to $2 million price category saw the largest increase at 61 percent to 208 condominiums in March 2016 from 129 condominiums in March 2015.

March Highlights Year-Over-Year:

• Overall pending sales decreased 25 percent to 1,136 homes in March 2016 from 1,520 homes in March 2015.
• Overall closed sales decreased 25 percent to 794 homes in March 2016 from 1,063 homes in March 2015.
• Overall median closed price increased 8 percent to $323,000 in March 2016 from $300,000 in March 2015.
• Overall inventory increased 33 percent to 5,651 homes in March 2016 from 4,253 homes in March 2015.
• Average days on market decreased 4 percent to 76 days in March 2015 from 79 days in March 2015.

Are you considering buying a home in Naples?  Or perhaps Bonita Springs?  Let me be your guide.

April 17, 2016 Posted by Matt

When you are practicing on the putting green, close your eyes to get a feel for what your stroke is doing.  Place some balls about five feet from the hole.  Set up over the ball and close your eyes.  Make your putt and before you open your eyes listen for the ball to drop into the cup.  If you do not make the putt, try to determine if the ball went left or right, long or short.  Repeat this drill from ten feet.  After a while, you should develop a feel for your stroke and know what a solid, straight putt feels like.  Make this drill a part of your routine and it will help you become a more consistent putter.

Southwest Florida Foreclosures Down

Southwest Florida foreclosures dropped significantly during the first quarter this year.

 “For Southwest Florida this report proves that the housing market is officially back to pre-recession norms, at least when it comes to foreclosure activity” according to Daren Blomquist, vice president of RealtyTrac.

“Foreclosure activity in Southwest Florida has been below its pre-recession quarterly average for three consecutive quarters now, demonstrating this return to normality has legs,” Blomquist said.

Foreclosures fell just over 27 percent from 470 in 2015 to 341 during the first quarter this year in Collier County.  Lee County’s foreclosure rate decreased even more than Collier County falling 38 percent from 1,658 a year ago to 1,028 this year.

Only 1 in every 586 homes in Collier County was in foreclosure during Q1.  Lee County had 1 in every 363 houses in foreclosure.  In Florida, 1 in 274 houses were in foreclosure.  Nationally, 1 in every 459 homes was in foreclosure.

“This is good news for sellers who won’t have to compete against as many foreclosures, but it may be somewhat bad news for buyers trying to find a bargain,” said Blomquist. “This also doesn’t mean Southwest Florida is inoculated against another foreclosure epidemic hitting sometime in the future, but for now the market is enjoying a period of good health.”

Nationwide, foreclosures decreased almost 8 percent during the first quarter.

The good news is about one-third of the country’s foreclosure activity was at pre-recession levels.  For those still in the foreclosure process, the average time for banks to move houses through the system is just under two years.  In Florida, it’s taking just under three years for foreclosures to wind their way through the foreclosure process.

Even though Southwest Florida foreclosures are down, there are still good deals to be had.  As season ends, sellers are lowering prices in hopes of selling their home before summer.  If you’re interested in buying a home in Naples or Bonita Springs, let me be your guide.

About Matt Klinowski
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April 15, 2016 Posted by Matt

Many golfers think their golf swing should go straight back and through to make the ball go straight.  In reality, this type of swing causes a steep up and down swing which creates a whole bunch of issues.  Think of a hula hoop which is tilted about 30 degrees.  A good golf swing should put your hands just over your back shoulder not up by your head.  Your follow through should result with you standing straight up on your left side in perfect balance.  If you swing up and down instead of around your body, it will be impossible to finish your swing on balance.

April 11, 2016 Posted by Matt

Use more than your eyes to determine the slope and break of your putt.  A good way to get a handle on how much your putt is going to break is to walk the line of your putt from the ball to the hole.  Use your feet to help sense if you are moving uphill or downhill.  You can also feel whether or not the green slopes left to right or vise versa.  Try using both your eyes and your feet to determine the slope and the line and you will sink more putts!

April 10, 2016 Posted by Matt

Do you want to improve your short game and hit better chips and pitches? One of the main reasons amateurs hit poor chip shots and pitch shots is due to too much tension in their arms and hands.  You will often see them make a jerky motion which results in a chunk shot or they skull the ball well past the pin.  When you address the ball, try thinking of the word “relax” and concentrate on removing all tension from your hands and arms.  Take a breathe and then make a smooth swinging motion.  You will start to hit better chips and pitches right away.