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Fort Myers Real Estate News and Information
Welcome to ft. Myers Beach Florida
Greetings From Paradise Newsletter August 2005
If you would like ANY information on current listings in and around Ft. Myers Beach, or for a free Market Analysis of your property, just give us a call! If you are interested in any of the other beautiful Florida areas, whether it is houses, condos, or commercial properties, we would be happy to refer you to an excellent agent. Don't forget, we cover all of the surrounding areas!
Greetings from Paradise!
The Ft. Myers Beach LPA (Local Planning Agency) voted YES for an 18,000 square-foot office building that will replace the Shell gas station at 6231 Estero Boulevard. Sunstream Inc. requested that the one-half acre site located at the intersection of Estero Blvd. and Bahia Via Drive adjacent to Charley's Boat House Restaurant and 7-Eleven, be rezoned from Commercial Boulevard to Commercial Planned Development; this will allow them to construct a two-story commercial office building over parking.
The Town Council approved an $890,000 grant from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection that could be used for dune restoration and vegetable plantings in a four-mile stretch of the beach damaged in last year's Hurricane Charley. Council also approved a new contract for Town Attorney Anne Dalton that will pay her $125 per hour, plus one-half hours for drive time to all meetings.
In other business, the Town recently negotiated with owners of the Beachway Resort
(a proposed 240-unit hotel at San Carlos Boulevard and Pine Ridge Road), to pay the Town $20,000 per year to help offset trolley costs. Council voted also to set the tentative millage rate for the 2005-2006 budget at .85, the same rate that was assessed last year, and set the public hearing for Sept 12. In a new development, Council approved an engineering study to determine right of ways that would be needed to construct a road parallel to Estero Boulevard that would help motorists exit Estero Island more quickly. The new road would be possible because David Meyers owns the property necessary for the Town to build the new road. Meyers has offered to help the Town by donating the necessary property for some considerations on a new hotel complex that he would build near the Times Square area.
Portable A-frame signs have been banned from Estero Blvd. This has a number of small business owners upset; they claim it hurts their visibility to attract customers.
Cut-rate carrier Southwest Airlines announced service to Fort Myers from Southwest Florida International Airport beginning in October. Historically, when Southwest enters a new city, fares drop dramatically and demand for travel increases.
The re-trial of Don Moringiello, the Ft. Myers Beach man accused of shooting his 57-year old wife Fern at their house on Randy Lane and then dumping her body in the Back Bay, is scheduled to begin on July 18. The last trial ended in a hung jury and received national attention when it was aired on Court TV last time around.
In the cover letter to the Personal Brochure we mailed recently I mentioned that I met Isabelle in 1998. Ahem..... that would be 1988. My only excuse is that she's made every day seem so new and exciting and she's so..... I better stop while I'm ahead.
Biographies: "Nicholas and Alexandra" by Robert K. Massie
This is one of the classic biographies I have been meaning to read for a long time. Nicholas II, Tsar of all the Russias, would have ruled very comfortably in peacetime, but WW I exposed his essentially platonic nature. Many of the events leading to this family's demise began with the discovery that their only son Alexis was a hemophiliac. Endless lengths were resorted to in keeping this from the outside world, lest the crown be found vulnerable. The strain on the parents accelerated as they dealt with numerous "accidents" in which the young Tsarevich nearly died from internal bleeding. Alexandra, at her wit's end, turned to the religious healer Gregory Rasputin (as fascinating and repellant a figure as any in history). His psychological hold over the Empress was to have disastrous consequences, as she became convinced that he alone could save her son and thus preserve the future succession. When Nicholas took direct control of the armies on the Front, Rasputin came to have inordinate powers over Alexandra in the appointing and firing of ministers, advisors, etc. It was only a matter of time before the Bolshevik uprising played on these themes and brought everything to a crisis point. After the Communist Revolution, the royal family was shunted from one lonely Siberian outpost to another. Abandoned by his royal cousins, Kaiser Wilhelm of Germany and King George of England, the sad, tragic last days of the Tsar and his family is one of history's more lamentable chapters. As it turns out, the author, Mr. Massie, has a special insight into their lives, as his own son is also a hemophiliac.
"Sinatra: The Life" by Anthony Summers and Robbyn Swan
Most of us are familiar with the very public life of Frank Sinatra, but it's the private life, away from the paparazzi and hangers on that we long to see. After all, very few singers have been able to pluck the heart-strings of generations of listeners the way this man could. What drove Sinatra, what made him tick? What gave the songs an immediacy that other singers lacked?
The tantalizing lights and glamour of New York beckoned like a siren song across lower Manhattan to his hometown, Hoboken, NJ. Bing Crosby, his idol, set the mark and then Frank exceeded it. He went for it all, got it, and then faced the disillusionment of money, power, and a lost love named Ava Gardner. Tommy Dorsey, the Big Band leader who gave him his first break, may have summed it up best: "'''He's the most fascinating man in the world, but don't stick your hand in the cage."
Classical Music: My fifteen favorite pieces I ever heard. (My abject apologies to all the giants that I had to leave out.) ( in no particular order:)
"The Transcendental Etudes" by Franz Liszt. Performed by Claudio Arrau. The Chilean master patiently lifts us up to the Teutonic regions where Liszt dwells.
"Piano Concerto #2"by Johannes Brahms. Leon Fleischer with George Szell and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. This was one of my early favorites. As good as communication gets between performer and conductor. Welcome back Leon!
"Concerto for Cello and Orchestra" by Sir Edward Elgar. Yo Yo Ma with Sir Colin Davis conducting. The brilliance of any composer is to bring you into their world and show you the truth. Mission accomplished here.
"'Quiet City" by Aaron Copeland. Pick an orchestra, but preferably one conducted by Copeland. It evokes the lonely, twilight canyons of New York like nothing else.
"The Rite of Spring"' by Igor Stravinsky. I can't imagine what it was like to attend the world premiere of this revolution in sound. Run for cover!
Trilogy: "An American in Paris" "Concerto in F" "Rhapsody in Blue"by George Gershwin. Andre Previn and The Pittsburgh Orchestra. Pulses with the energy and optimism of the young American genius.
"The Unaccompanied Suites for Cello" by Johann Sebastian Bach. Performed by Yo Yo Ma. It feels like you know Bach after hearing these, but it only scratches the surface of this Leviathan's powers.
"Piano Concerto #3"by Sergei Rachmaninov. Those Russians had a stranglehold on evoking the "bittersweet" elements in music.
"The Violin Concertos"' by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. David & Igor Oistrakh work their magic with The Gewandhausorchester, Leipzig. If this was all we had of Mozart, he would still be on a pedestal by himself.
"Symphony #4"by Gustav Mahler. The playful, younger side of the composer before the dark complications of the later works. Wagner taught everybody something.
Any Chopin polonaises, waltzes, or mazurkas performed by Artur Rubenstein. A refined style filled with deceptive simplicity and an occasional sly wink.
"Symphony #3 Eroica" by Ludwig Van Beethoven. Herbert von Karajan and The Berlin Philharmonic. Napoleon's heroics are given a grand scale to play on, and von Karajan is the man to compel it.
"Symphony #3" by Johannes Brahms. Leonard Bernstein and the New York Philharmonic. A kinder, gentler presence after the volcano of Beethoven, but still plenty of power.
"Romeo and Juliet" Music for the ballet by Sergey Prokoviev. Lorin Maazel and The Cleveland Orchestra. Brings some modern muscle and sinew to a familiar story.
"Violin Concerto #1" by Beethoven. Jascha Heifetz and The Boston Symphony Orchestra. Complete mastery of an instrument. Due diligence has been served.
Real Estate Update:
The following are closed sales taken from the Multiple Listing Service for the period May 22nd to July 22rd this year.
Condominiums Single Family Homes
Ocean Harbor #1103 $965,000 5640 Williams Dr. $2,410,500
Waterside #534 $796,000 3131 Estero Blvd $2,200,000
Pointe Estero #501 $642,500 3120 Estero Blvd $2,100,000
Sandarac #303-A $660,000 5790 Estero Blvd $2,010,000
Riviera Club #604 $625,000 5820 Estero Blvd $2,00,000
Seaside #209 $620,000 8068 Estero Blvd $1,650,000
Harbour Pointe #1023 $599,000 120 Little Carlos Ln $1,600,000
Carlos Pointe #624 $595,000 4960 Estero Blvd $1,600,000
Ocean Harbor #1201 $586,000 21 Bayview Blvd $1,299,000
Palm Harbor #703 $595,000 270 Tropical Shores Way $1,200,000
Harbour Pointe #611 $585,000 724 Estero Blvd $858,500
Captains Bay N. #402 $565,000 121 Sand Dollar Dr $790,000
Islands End #103 $550,000 380 Donora Blvd $779,000
Riviera Club #806 $545,000 444 Washington Ct $749,000
Ostego Bay #3-C $540,000 3 Avenida Carita $720,000
Bermuda Dunes #1002 $515,000 14 Sunview Blvd $720,000
Creciente #605 $510,000 421 Connecticut St $700,000
Hibiscus Pointe #842 $500,000 240 Bahia Via $680,000
Terra Mar #905 $469,000 215 Bahia Via $675,000
Privateer #213 $460,000 101 Baymar Dr $650,897
Casa Marina #721 $459,900 111 Estrellita Dr $640,000
Terra Mar #202 $434,000 473 Washington Ct $620,000
Marina Towers #307 $415,000 722 Estero Blvd $610,000
Hibiscus Pointe #724 $399,000 430 Donora Blvd $610,000
Est. Bch &Tennis #PH7-A $399,000 250 Flamingo St $595,000
"""""""""""""""#605-A $389,000 135 Gulfview Ave $590,000
"""""""""""""""""100-B $370,000 5525 Avenida Pescadora $585,000
""""""""""""""""901-B $370,000 9 Pepita St $575,000
""""""""""""""""1001-A $315,000 212 Flamingo St $515,000
Creciente #123E $398,000 3306 Shell Mound Blvd $510,000
Windward Point #708 $385,000 8001 Buccaneer Dr $510,000
Royal Pelican #312 $380,000 219 Ohio Ave $443,000
Estero Cove #353 $345,000 207 Miramar St $363,500
Estero Cove #432 $310,000 5809 Lauder St $240,000
Admirals Bay #242 $330,000
Want to know what houses and condos were selling for in 1999? Check out the bottom of the last page.
Recent Sales by Bob & Isabelle Wells:
Island Beach Club #901 $700,000 Pointe Creek (Bell Tower) $345,000
Hibiscus Pointe #724 $399,000 Parker Lakes (The Grove) $344,000
Estero Beach & Tennis #605-A $389,000 Ocean Harbor #601-A $545,000
Please call us if you are thinking of selling now or in the near future! We have been
among the Island's top producers since 1990 and can assure you excellent service.
Bob & Isabelle Wells
Nesbit Real Estate
7205 Estero Blvd. Santini Marina Plaza
Ft. Myers Beach, FL 33931
239-463-3188 ext. 207 (Bob) ext. 214 (Isabelle)
Toll Free Hot Line: 866-765-8500
Internet: http://www.bobandisabelle.com/
E-mail: realtors@bobandisabelle.com
Rated in the top 1% of brokers in the U.S.
If you would like the newsletter e-mailed to you, please give us a call, or e-mail us or Click Here
Some 1999 selling prices:
Condos Houses
Creciente #211 $195,000 8258 Estero Blvd $705,000
Waterside #335 $251,900 5485 Avenida Pescadora $175,000
Hibiscus Pointe #631 $169,900 200 Virginia Ave $100,000
Estero Cove #323 $109,000 21 Fairview Blvd $360,000
Eden House #301 $225,000 935 3rd St. $125,000
Creciente #905 $227,000 11851 Isle of Palms Dr $130,000
Sandarac #305-B $220,000
Royal Pelican #331 $170,000
Ocean Harbor #601-A $227,500
Terra Mar #1003 $219,900
Est. Bch & Tennis #501-B $123,000
Captains Bay #403 $175,000
Greetings From Paradise June 2005 Newsletter
Greetings from Paradise!
Ft. Myers Beach Mayor Bill Thomas lost his three-year battle with pancreatic cancer on April 19th at the Hope Hospice in Ft. Myers. He is survived by his wife of forty- two years, Diane, and their three sons and ten grandchildren. He was 68 yrs old. Originally from Boston, Massachusetts, he grew up in Rhode Island. Vice Mayor Bill Van Duzer has succeeded him as Mayor.
The Ft. Myers Beach LPA (Local Planning Agency) voted unanimously to approve a multi-family Gulf-front condominium project that will replace the aging Carousel Motel at 6230 Estero Blvd. There will be twelve upscale Gulf-front condominiums with a building height limited to three stories over parking, not to exceed 45 feet over base flood elevation. The combined maximum interior space of the structure cannot exceed 48,926 square feet. The project should start construction early next year. If you would like sales information on this property, call Isabelle here at the office hot line: 866-765-8500.
Town Attorney for the last ten years, Richard Roosa, was dismissed and replaced by Anne Dalton Esq. Dalton graduated from Fordham University in 1997. She will serve as an interim replacement for a time not to exceed one month, at a salary of $150.00 an hour, until a permanent attorney is named.
Ken Katcko has been appointed to fill the vacant seat of Bill Thomas on the Town Council. Katcko owns Hammerhead Gym on the Island. He is originally from Canada.
The Town Council voted to rezone The Mound House from residential to Commercial Planned Development. Details will be studied by the Cultural and Environmental Learning Center Advisory Board to clarify what uses would be allowed at the facility.
It's so nice this time of year to walk into the pro shops at area golf courses and be greeted like a long lost friend. Staid country club atmospheres lessen noticeably and, even better, you can actually finish a round in four hours or less. Rates are at least 50% cheaper too. Now that we have so many good courses within a twenty-mile radius, this area is becoming a golfer's paradise.
Just a reminder: The primary election for town council is October 4, 2005. The General election is November 5th. The qualifying period for candidates is noon August 15th through noon August 19th. The only requirements are: 1) being a beach resident for a one-year period, and 2) being a registered voter.
Do you know what property on the Beach was selling for in 1991? I looked at an old Multiple Listing Book for the period of July-Sept. 1991. The results are at the bottom of the last page.
Books: "The Last Party " (Scenes from my life with Norman Mailer) by Adele Mailer
Wow! Talk about a no-holds-barred tell-all- this is it! Adele Morales met Norman Mailer in New York in 1951 just after his novel about WW II, "The Naked and the Dead" had made him the hottest young writer in America. Over the next ten years she saw all the good, bad, and ugly of this complicated, driven man, while also struggling to maintain her own identity in the glare of his world. The ugly ended with Norman stabbing her one ill-fated evening. These two seemed to bring out the best and the worst in each other, and Adele doesn't hold back on the telling of either.
"Irrational Man" A Study in Existential Philosophy by William Barrett
Written in 1958, this brilliant, lucid explanation of existential thought could have been written yesterday, it is so relevant. From the Greeks through the Middle Ages, The Enlightenment, Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Heidegger, up to Sartre, the author traces the roots of man's journey to understand "being"and what it means to take his place in the universe.
"John Adams" by David McCullough
It's hard not to like the style of Mr. McCullough, and harder still not to like John Adams. We all wonder what those"founding fathers" were really like, and thanks to the abundant written correspondence of John and Abigail Adams we get first-hand impressions of Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, and George Washington, to name the most illustrious. If you had to start a country, you could do worse than this group, but I'm not sure it would have come out as well as it did without Adams and his tenacious character. A remarkable man from a remarkable time.
Weekend Getaway Tip: Boca Raton Resort & Spa
When you are a couple, and work together like we do, it is imperative to get away for a weekend every few months or so. But where do you go without getting on an airplane and killing one-third of your time passing in and out airports? Key West is too long a drive and Miami Beach is fun, but getting there is nerve racking. Boca Raton is a nice alternative and it's only two-and-a-half hours away by car on Florida's east coast.
After cruise-controlling through the sensory deprivation of Alligator Alley (audio deprivation too, because we have a rule of never talking business on these trips, which can lead to some stunning silences for the first hour or so) you can skirt around Ft. Lauderdale and sift through west Boca until you get to the Intercoastal Waterway. Look for the big pink Tower: this is going to be the resort. After getting past the security gate you will feel "untouchable" in the freest sense of the word. You are now in the world of founder and high society eccentric, Addison Mizner. It was his dream in 1926 to create "the greatest resort in the world." It certainly feels like he succeeded! They still talk about the days when Mr. Mizner would stroll the grounds greeting guests with a pet monkey on one shoulder a macaw on the other, and two chows leading the way. The Cloister rooms have views of the golf course and gardens, while the Tower rooms have spectacular views of the Atlantic Ocean and the Intercoastal. Just walking around here is a visual experience: the architecture is a pastiche of ecclesiastical, Italian Renaissance, and Greco-Roman, with lots of flamingo pink colors framed by lush foliage. You'll find guests wandering around in a cocoon of self-contentment, nary a worry line to be seen. If you want to curl up and read a book, I suggest the croquet court: players in white flannel putter around, hitting about one shot every two minutes. One note: Pass on the option of playing golf at the Boca C.C. It's a twenty minute shuttle ride away, and is not as plush as the more famous older course on the hotel grounds. There are three restaurants at the resort, six or so bars, so you don't really need to go anywhere. If you do, and it's around dinnertime, make sure to allow about twenty minutes for valet parking to get your car to the front. You won't mind waiting however, because this is a great place to people watch. You'll have fun guessing who is going to get in, or out, of the white Bentley, or who might have to fess up about renting the Toyota Tercel.
We got the Bed and Breakfast package. There are few things more pleasurable in life than trying to act nonchalant as you answer the gentle morning knock and wave the hushed attendant in with the white linen-draped table. Let's see: morning newspaper, fresh flowers, little cards reading "decaffeinated" and "tea"' next to their decanters, the heavenly aroma of baked croissants, toast, slightly seared ham, the eggs trembling ever so over-easy under their metal heat covers, squeezed orange juice covered with plastic wrap to save each precious drop, four different kind of preserves in their little jars waiting to be slathered with abandon once you sign your OK and the door closes on the retreating attendant. We wouldn't mind being kept prisoner in our pink Tower for a few more days! There's also a wonderful spa on site, but after paying for our room, we couldn't fit it into the budget.
501 East Camino Real, Boca Raton 33431 http://www.bocaresort.com/ Tel: 561-447-3121
The Market was the hottest we have ever seen it this past season. Many properties had multiple offers within the first few days of listing. If you think you might want to sell, please call us; there has never been a better time to maximize your profits.
.Recent Sales by Bob & Isabelle Wells:
Palm Harbor #701W $580,000 130 Ohio Ave. $280,000
Waterside #243 $499,000 Creciente #912 $529,000
Palm Harbor #202W $460,000 Creciente #410 $755,000
Yacht & Racquet Club #228 $277,000 Captains Bay #203 $360,000
Estero Cove #453 $265,000 Ostego Bay II #5-C $545,000
Royal Pelican #337 $339,000 7879 Buccaneer Drive $500,000
Real Estate Update:
The following are closed sales taken from the Multiple Listing Service for the period March 23rd to May 22nd of this year.
Condominiums Single Family Homes
Bermuda Dunes #1403 $532,500 4340 Estero Blvd. $526,950
Waterside #521 $755,000 237 Egret St. $730,000
Palm Harbor #701-W $580,000 3306 Shell Mound $361,000
Estero/Bch Tennis #PH2 $274,000 21050 St Peters Dr. $1,235,000
Marina Towers #603 $425,000 341 Jefferson Ct. $535,925
Sandarac #404-B $500,000 250 Primo Dr. $690,000
Estero/Bch Tennis #302-A $220,000 726 Estero Blvd. $1,050,000
Waterside #421 $505,000 540 Randy Ln. $1,025,000
Lovers Key Resort #805 $375,000 127 Washington Ave. $339,000
Ocean Harbor #1205 $610,000 7979 Buccaneer Dr. $500,000
Santa Maria #310 $259,000 140 Bay Mar Dr. $565,000
Island Beach Club #1004 $665,000 3320 Shell Mound $410,000
Creciente #723 $499,500 135 Bay Mar Dr. $465,900
Estero/Bch Tennis #206-A $293,000 330 Madison Ct. $650,000
Waterside #2H2 $685,000 117 Gulfview Ave. $545,000
Caper Beach Club #906 $842,000 200 Eucalyptus Ct. $442,000
Creciente #912 $529,000 117 Hibiscus Dr. $357,000
Estero Bch/Tennis #801-C $269,900 130 Ohio Ave. $280,000
Pointe Estero #1001 $657,000 40 Fairview Blvd. $479,900
Terra Mar #704 $449,000 2543 Cottage Ave. $540,000
Island Winds #501 $585,000 428 Palermo Cir. $370,000
Creciente #410 $755,000 460 Palermo Cir. $475,000
Estero Cove #453 $265,000
Royal Pelican #328 $400,000
Captains Bay #403-N $439,900
Estero Bch/Tennis #801-A $254,900
Casa Marina #634 $434,900
Island Shores #101 $820,000
Boardwalk Caper #201 $402,500
Riviera Club #903 $500,000
Sandarac #610 $650,000
Sunset #105 $650,000
Hibiscus Pointe #342 $379,500
Estero/Bch Tennis #706-A $355,000
This is the best real estate market we have seen in fifteen years. If you have thought about selling, we can assure you an excellent price for your property. Call us today for a Free Market Appraisal !
If you would like the newsletter e-mailed to you, please give us a call, or e-mail us.
1991 Condominium selling prices: Yacht & Racquet Club #224 $87,900 Seaside #206 $155,000 Estero Cove #521 $115,000 Riviera Club #105 $130,000 Creciente #712 Listed @ $159,900 (Expired w/o selling!) Creciente 920 $175,000 Sandarac #503 $163,000
Sunset #1005 $188,000 Estero Beach/Tennis #1008 $78,500 Average sale price: $127,817.
Single Family Home Selling prices: 145 Jefferson St. $92,000 3552 Estero Blvd 3br 2.5 bath gulf front built in 1990, 3709 total sq. ft. 5 car garage $539,000 161 Chapel St. $82,500
7830 Buccaneer Dr $133,900 5560 Avenida Pescadora $190,000 Average sale price: 167,312.
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