Hurricane Irma Recovery Efforts

Many of you may be wondering about the Hurricane Irma recovery efforts in Naples and Bonita Springs Florida. As of Saturday evening, just about 100 percent of homeowners in Collier and Lee county who lost power because of the storm, had their power restored. Gas stations are operating at full capacity and grocery stores shelves are virtually full. Finally, most businesses are up and operating at full capacity.

Given the building codes in Collier and Lee counties, most homes were spared significant damage. The most common issues homeowners face are cosmetic. Most damage is to landscaping and pool cages for individual homeowners. All of which are easily fixable. In general, the areas with the most damage were mobile home communities and low lying areas that are prone to flooding during heavy rain.

We rebound quickly as evidenced by the Gulf of Mexico the day after the storm!

Clean-Up

Homeowners and business came together to clean up debris after the storm. The county has already begun removing debris, within a few weeks you won’t even know a hurricane came through Naples.

Also, the beaches held up well overall. The county has applied for federal funding to restore the sand in areas that were affected most. For example, Tiger Tail beach on Marco Island was reshaped by the storm. Read more…

Hurricane Irma Recovery Resources

In the event your home did sustain significant damage, you may apply for assistance through your home owners insurance or FEMA. Attached is a summary of the types of assistance, eligibility, documentation etc. as well as a checklist that to file a claim. POST-STORM FEDERAL FEMA CLAIM PROCESS .

Find out if your loss is a tax write-off – Uninsured losses caused by a natural disaster may be deductible under federal tax law. If you itemize your taxes, be sure to check with a tax professional to find out if your loss qualifies for the deduction.

For hurricane assistance for your business visit Collier EDO.

Golf Course Update

Many of the golf courses sustained damage to trees and flooded in low lying areas. However, several courses have already re-opened or are preparing to open soon.

Tiburon and the Naples Beach Hotel and Golf Club are already open. The practice facilities at Quail West are open and the course is expected to resume operation within two weeks.

Unfortunately, the U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur scheduled to be held at Quail Creek will be moved due to the flooding on the course.

Impact on Real Estate

I’ve been through multiple hurricanes in Naples and to date have been in two hurricane eyes, we rebound very quickly. In short order it will be hard to believe we experienced a major storm. While it’s too early to know the full extent of how Irma will effect the housing market, preliminary indications show that buyers are still planning to purchase a home, they’ve just delayed their trips to Naples by a few weeks or month.

No matter what, Naples is still paradise and there is no better place in this country to relocate, retire or buy a second home.

Begin Your Own Naples Property Search:

So, if you’re ready to begin your property search, I encourage you to explore my website to find information about communities in Southwest Florida. If golf is your game, I specialize in golf community real estate and would be happy to help you navigate the more than 100 different golf communities in our area. If you prefer a more direct approach, I will provide a list of properties that meet your criteria and/or communities that meet your needs.

Bottom Line:

If you are buying a home in a golf community, you will find it’s more complex than a typical home purchase. As you can probably imagine, there are significant differences between golf communities. There are many different fee structures, membership options, pet restrictions, demographics and many other details that apply to the SWFL golf communities.

Also, if you are considering new construction, remember the contractor’s real estate agent represents the builder’s best interest, not yours. There is no cost to you to have an agent represent you. In fact, I may be able to help you save money and negotiate for extras which the builder may not let you know about.

If you’re looking for information about a specific community in Bonita Springs, Estero or Naples, please contact me and I will prepare a custom market report for you. I will provide the market information and insights to help make sure you select your dream home!

Lastly, I will handle all contract negotiations for your property from offer to close!