November 14, 2015 Posted by Matt

If you are in the trees or blocked from a clear shot to the green, you might try to hit a trap draw.  To play this shot, first close your stance by bringing your front foot closer to the target line.  De-loft your iron by setting your hands ahead of the ball, and take a backswing that is low to the ground and to the inside.  Swing from inside to out and strike down on the ball.  Hold your finish low to the ground.  The ball will fly out like a low line drive and turn sharply to the left.  A trap draw is a great shot to learn to get out of trouble and get your ball in a good position to save par.

November 13, 2015 Posted by Matt

If you simply can’t chip the ball at all, here is a fix.  Some golfers feel no matter what they do they just cannot chip the ball.  They give up and always putt from wherever they are off of the green.  If you are one of those players, here’s a simple chipping method.  Set up to the ball in the middle of your stance.  Point your elbows out in both directions back and front.  Make a motion of rocking your upper body while holding your elbows in place.  It will feel similar to a putting stoke but the club will move back and through like a chipping stroke.  Do not try to manipulate the stroke, as the loft of the club will get the ball into the air.  Just feel as if you are putting and let the club do the work.

November 12, 2015 Posted by Matt

Homebuilders gathered for the Urban Land Institute’s 18th annual Emerging Trends in Real Estate conference yesterday and at this point, they remain optimistic about the economy and their own building initiatives.  Naples real estate economic adviser Michael Timmerman told attendees that although home prices are expected to grow at a slower pace than they did over the past 12 months, new jobs are attracting new residents. He also expects population and employment to continue to grow over the next three years.  “Short supply has been underpinning skyrocketing resale prices in both Collier and Lee counties”, Timmerman pointed out.

In Collier county, inventory of existing homes fell to 4,498 units this year from 5,452 in 2012. In Lee, it dropped to 5,598 from 7,525.  However, over the same period, new homes have been replenishing the supply: to 4,589 from 2,459 in Collier and to 4,700 from 2,350 in Lee.  The burst of new home starts seems to have slowed in Collier County. There are only 2,750 home starts this year compared with 2013 when there were 5,081.  Lee County followed a similar path.  In 2014 builders began work on 4,061 homes and year-to-date only 2,300 homes have been started.

Another trend in real estate in Collier County is a shift from single family homes to multifamily homes to provide more affordable options.

According to Timmerman, there is still a lot of space to build in Southwest Florida.  There is still approximately 23,000 development units in Collier county. Based on the current average sales rate of 2,800 units per year, it would take eight years to build out the area.  Lee County has less room to build, with only 10,000 development units remaining. That’s a four-year supply at the current average sales rate of 2,500 units annually.

While there is plenty of reason to be optimistic, 10 to 12 percent price increases Southwest Florida has been experiencing the past few years is not sustainable.

November 12, 2015 Posted by Matt

Learn to pitch the ball close to the pin like the pros.  Pitch shots should fly in the air, take a few hops, and then roll to the pin.  When you watch the professionals on TV, they make it look easy.  Many amateurs have difficulty with the pitch shot, because they take a long backswing, then slow down as they come into impact, and use their hands to get the ball into the air.  This usually results in flubbed shots.  Swing the club back to about waist high, and hinge your wrists, so the club points upward.  Swing down and keep your hands passive, so they do not roll over or try to help the ball into the air.  Your wedge has enough loft to do the job for you.  Play the ball in the middle of your stance, and let your lower body make a little pivot as you swing through your pitch shots.

November 11, 2015 Posted by Matt

You must keep your legs still to be a good putter.  If you stand to the side and watch a group of golfers putt on the putting green, take note of their legs.  Most higher handicap players will move their legs during the putting stroke.  This causes the putter fact to open and close and send the ball off line from the start.  One way to help instill the feeling of quiet legs is to lean a club against the outside of the thigh of your front leg.  When you stroke the putt, the club should not move or fall.  To become a good putter, practice this way to make sure your legs are still, and you will make many more putts drop into the hole.

November 9, 2015 Posted by Matt

Many golfers who slice the ball, or hit it low and from left to right, simply give up on becoming better and play it as their natural shot.  Do not aim way to the left and then cut across the ball, hoping the ball will curve and stay on the fairway.  In practice, set up squarely and aim your feet, hips, and shoulders at the target.  Swing back so your shoulders and hips turn and bring the club to the inside of your target line.  From the top of your swing, feel as if you are a right-handed batter trying to hit a line drive over the second baseman’s head.  Swing in-to-out and you will produce a draw.  Gradually adjust your swing plane until you are hitting the ball with a  slight draw or straight to the target instead of that dreaded slice!

November 9, 2015 Posted by Matt

Fannie Mae recently released their nationwide projected housing forecast for the 4th quarter of 2015 and all of 2016.  Home sales from both resales and new construction are expected to surpass 6 million annually by the end of 2016.  Thirty year fixed mortgages are also expected to continue their steady increase over the next year.

Some Housing Forecast Highlights: 

• 30-year fixed mortgage rates are projected to increase steadily over the next year.
• Housing Starts will well surpass 2015 numbers.
• Home Sales will reach an annual rate of over 6 million by the fourth quarter of 2016.

Are you considering buying a home in Naples? Or perhaps you are thinking about purchasing a condo in Bonita Springs?  Let me be your guide.

Start your own search:

• Single Family Homes for Sale (Naples, FL)
• Condos for Sale (Naples, FL)
• Single Family Homes for Sale (Bonita Springs, FL)
• Condos for Sale (Bonita Springs, FL)

Matt Klinowski – Golf Community Real Estate Expert – 239-370-0892

November 9, 2015 Posted by Matt

Think smooth when you have shots that call for long fairway woods.  Most players will naturally try to swing hard when they are hitting a long shot with a fairway wood.  This actually causes the swing to be shorter and the transition to be jerky, sending the club off plane.  Think smooth when hitting a fairway wood.  Grip the club lightly, play the ball off your front heel, and take a slightly wider stance.  Make a smooth backswing with a good shoulder turn, then drop the club down and through with no excessive force.  Your arc and shoulder turn will create all the club speed you will need, and the better contact will produce solid shots with your fairway woods.

November 8, 2015 Posted by Matt

How do you read the sand in a bunker?  When you enter a sand-trap and set your feet into the sand, you can get an idea of how firm or how soft the sand is.  If the sand is firm, you can hit closer to the ball and expect it to come out with a lot of spin.  If the sand is soft and fluffy, you will need to take a lot of sand and get the ball on the green, expecting it to roll a good way.  Always open your face a bit to put some bounce on your wedge no matter what the texture of the sand in the bunker.  If possible, always take the opportunity to hit a few shots from a practice bunker at the course to get a feeling of how the ball will react.  This should help you set your bunker play for the day.

November 7, 2015 Posted by Matt

A great way to see if you are rolling your putts correctly is to place a stripe around the equator of the ball.  Use a plastic line guide available in most golf shops to make a circle around your ball in black marker.  Strike your putt and watch to see how the ball rolls.  If the line appears to be solid as it rolls, you are making square contact.  If, however, the line wobbles as it rolls, you may be striking the putt with an open or closed face, causing sidespin.  Make corrections until you can see the solid stripe as you roll your putts to know that you are hitting them correctly.