Thinking of buying or renting a Property in Florida?
- choose Naples on the beautiful Gulf of Mexico.

Don’t miss out on buying a property in Naples, Florida during 2007 and 2008.
The £/$ Exchange rate is excellent.
It’s a 'Buyers Market' with plenty of bargains to be had. This will not last!!

Can I share a secret why we bought a Second Home six years ago in Naples in Southwest Florida? As British Citizens, we look forward to getting away from gloomy winter days of cold and rain. It gets too cold for us in Spain, Greece, and the South of France during the winter when you need some sunshine and warmth. Unlike Florida, most resorts there close down until the following Spring. In Florida, the 'locals' speak English and things get done efficiently and promptly.

Why is Naples in Florida so very special?
We British are very choosy people and fell in love with Naples and Southwest Florida for many reasons. We have a comfortable Condo, minutes from Old Naples with low running costs.

Getting There: There is a splendid new International Airport at Fort Myers, just 40 minute direct access on the I 75 motorway. You can now fly from Bristol via Newark which avoids all the hassle of using Heathrow and Gatwick. It’s only 5 hours to Newark where Immigration checks are quick and efficient. The facilities there are superb. From Newark, it’s about 3 hours to Fort Myers. Alternatively, you can fly direct to Miami and then over to Ft Myers or hire a car. There are endless possibilities.

Beaches: The powder white beaches are beautiful and safe for swimming. Naples has an attractive Pier for watching the dramatic sunsets. If you like fishing, it’s great fun off the Pier, and Permit free!

Old Naples: A great place for the sophisticated Brit! It’s just a short stroll from the beach, past beautiful houses and palm trees to shops, art galleries, antique shops and excellent restaurants with live music. Cambier Park hosts free Sunday afternoon Naples Big Band concerts , with a separate childrens park and tennis courts. The magnificent Von Leibig Art Center has regular free exhibitions, and if you have time hosts art lessons. Tin City and the City Docks are worth a visit. The Sugden Theatre in Fifth Avenue has regular Plays and Shows at reasonable cost. Old Naples hosts plenty of street shows and parades to entertain everyone.

Culture: The Naples Philharmonic Center for the Arts is an outstanding building. It is a world class centre with it’s own Philharmonic Orchestra led by famous conductor Jorge Mester. Stars appearing this 2006/2007 season include Paul Anka, Tom Jones, Liza Minnelli, Michael Feinstein, Manhatten Transfer, Woody Allen, Eartha Kitt plus Riverdance and various Classical Operas. The separate beautiful Museum of Art hosts regular exhibitions by world famous artists. Where else in a seaside resort, can you admire paintings by Renoir, Van Gough, Cézanne etc.! The Naples Botanical Garden has a 160 acre showcase of tropical and sub-tropical plants. Regular tours include the butterfly and humming bird enclosures.

Shopping:America is a shoppers paradise. Naples has many to choose from including cost-cutting Walmart Super Stores, the up-market Waterside Center, and the indoor Coastland Center.

Sports: This area is renowned as ‘The Golf Capital of the World’. You are spoilt for choice with hundreds of golf courses to choose from. Many are on private residential developments, but there are public and semi-private ones open to visitors. High season is January through March when prices are higher. It’s an excellent place to shop for new golf equipment at good prices. Naples also has the World Tennis Center with plenty of facilities around the area. Naples, Florida is the home of fast and furious Swamp Buggy Racing.
Children will enjoy the Ten-pin bowling center. There’s good fishing to be had - both fresh and salt water. Apart from off the Pier, it’s fun to charter a day boat from Marco Island and fish around the Thousand Islands for grouper, sheeps heads and lady fish.

Children: When you mention Florida, most people think of Disney and Busch Gardens as the attractions. They can be reached from Naples in about three hours and worth the occasional visit, but not every Parent wants to spend there vacation in an expensive Theme Park! There are cheaper alternatives. Besides the beach attractions there is the fascinating Everglades with boat rides and Indian Reservations. Naples has the Caribbean Garden Zoo, Crazy Golf, a Skate Board Park, Water Park, the Nature Conservancy, 10 Pin bowling and Cinemas. At the Germaine Arena it's fun to watch the Everblades Ice Hockey team in action.
Remember, when you own a property, it’s possible to join the library for free access to the Internet, borrow books and DVDs for the occasional night-in!

Eating Out: Naples has numerous excellent restaurants and pubs to suit all tastes, some alongside the water, serving local fish dishes. Interesting for Brits, a Curry House has recently opened in Bonita Springs, plus an English style Pub!

Walks: There’s so much to choose from - Beaches, Parks and Indoor Shopping Centers! We particularly love to visit the Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary - a 3 mile board walk above the Everglades through various ecology. There’s always something to see - wild otters, racoons deer, alligators, snakes and magnificent birds.

Getting Around: Obviously you need a Hire Car and there plenty of 'All Inclusive' good deals on the Internet. Our Teenagers also use the regular Panther low-cost Bus service around town.

Climate: It is sub-tropical and being almost the southerly point of Florida gets more consistent warm weather throughout the year, than say Sarasota, Tampa or Orlando which are further north. During the winter months, it can be cooler and wetter north of Naples. The humidity can be high, but it is bearable even during the Summer months as all buildings and cars have air-conditioning. When tropical rain comes it is usually brief and the sun comes out again. Hurricanes hitting Naples are very rare, as they usually come ashore further north. If it happens, repairs are made quickly and within a few months everything is back to normal. In the past, our condo suffered some small damage, but was quickly repaired by the Condo Association. During 2006 there have been no hurricanes during it's short season affecting Florida

Tip: When choosing a Second Home, look for a property with concrete tile roof and walls and perhaps the new Hurricane proof windows if you are really worried.
To keep your running costs down avoid buying a place with golf equity. It can be cheaper to use public & semi-private golf courses.

Real Estate: I guess if you’ve got this far, we have wet your appetite! The buying process is quick and straightforward in Florida. Check it out first by renting a Condo.

Naples has it all!

David.