Naples Area 2010 annual report shows rising sales and declining inventory.

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Courtesy of Naplesarea.com

View 4th quarter 2009  real estate statistics.  Rising Sales & Declining Inventory.

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Courtesy of Naplesarea.com

The members of Shadow Wood Country Club and The Commons Club at The Brooks in Estero on Friday completed the purchase of their clubs’ assets for a combined $8.25 million, according to a statement released Friday by the Bonita Bay Group.

More than 90 percent of current members joined the new member-owned clubs under an agreement between an affiliate of the Bonita Bay Group and the respective clubs’ member boards.

Bonita Bay, based in Bonita Springs, has been negotiating for much of the year with community committees to sell the clubs.

2009 was a turbulent time for real estate in Lee County, with home values drastically falling before stabilizing in the fall as buyers entered the market with a vengeance, drawn by fire-sale prices. Meanwhile, the commercial market — long seen as more solid than residential — started to show cracks late in the year as even major players went into foreclosure and vacancy rates soared.

Here’s what experts say is in store for 2010:

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WASHINGTON — Home resales surged last month to the highest level in nearly three years, reflecting an extraordinary level of federal support that has pulled the housing market back from the worst downturn since the Great Depression.

Buyers were racing to complete their sales before the original expiration date of a tax credit for first-time buyers that was scheduled to expire Nov. 30. Last month, Congress decided to extend and expand the credit to ensure the housing market could sustain its recovery.

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Naples — Builders have gone bust with the collapse of the housing market in Southwest Florida.  Some have closed their doors. Others have retreated from the market or are barely hanging on.  Naples-based London Bay Homes is fighting the odds. While many new home builders are cash-strapped, the builder remains financially strong and has a plan for survival.

That doesn’t mean the company isn’t facing challenges. Sales have been slow and the luxury builder has been forced to cut prices and staff to make it through hard times.  But the company continues to look for ways to grow.

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The Collier Building Industry Association (CBIA) named Stock Construction the 2009 Builder of the Year. The award was announced Dec. 12 at CBIA’s annual installation banquet. Brian Stock, CEO of Stock Development, the parent company of Stock Construction, accepted the award.

Earlier this year, Stock Development and Stock Construction received 21 Sand Dollar Awards from CBIA for their work at Lely Resort. Among the Sand Dollars awards were Community of the Year honors, four clubhouse and pool awards, three residential design awards and two interior design awards.

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The retirement dream of many — joining a country club — is becoming more attainable and affordable.

With the economy wreaking havoc, golf clubs are hacking fees like a 30-handicaper in a sand trap. The Daily News surveyed more than 30 golf clubs in Southwest Florida — from communities with mandatory memberships to public facilities — and found bargains are as bountiful as birdies and bogeys.

From slashing initiations fees by 60 percent to eliminating them altogether, local golf clubs are going to extreme measures to attract business.

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The buying goes on.  Home resales rose again in November in the Naples market.  There were a total of 511 sales, up from 307 in the same month a year ago, according to a monthly report by the Naples Area Board of Realtors.

The report tracks sales made through the SunshineMLS, or multiple listing service, in Collier County, excluding Marco Island.  The strongest sales continue to be in the under $300,000 market. There were 367 sales made in this category last month, up from 218 a year ago.

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NAPLES — Last week, the Naples Area Board of Realtors reported that the sales of high-end homes are picking up.  Friday, there was more evidence of this when a 6,406-square-foot, waterfront single-family home in Port Royal sold for $9,560,000.  Mark Weber, real estate broker and owner of Whitesands Realty, said the home sold for about 20 percent less than the original list price.

“Clients in the higher-end market are feeling more confident in the economy and at the same time they are looking for a good value and a good deal,” Weber said. “I think these are all signs that the higher-end market (homes) are starting to see a comeback, too.”  This is the second-highest priced home to sell in the upscale Port Royal community this year. In April, a home on Rum Row sold for just more than $14 million.

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