Welcome!

Welcome to the first issue of the Carla Bonten Realty Digital Communiqué! Each issue will be full of interesting and important news about real estate and our community. If you would like to be notified of new communiqués monthly, just send your email address to newsletter@carlabontenrealty.com. Don't forget to include your email address! Enjoy!

Real Estate Market Update

Southwest Florida is still growing strong! Real estate prices are starting to level out and even drop somewhat in the wake of an uncertain economy. But national experts say rebound should occur in 2002. Experts say Florida is the last to be affected in an recession and the first to recover. The demand for housing remain strong. One positive factor in the current market is low interest rates, which may drop even further next month. We now expect mortgage interest rates to move even lower than today's rate. Our web site offers several FREE & handy tools, such as current mortgage rates (on the lower left of every web page), a mortgage calculator and a real estate glossary. Be sure to take a look at these.

Carla Bonten Realty News

We are proud to announce the addition of several new real estate agents to our office. Help us welcome Vonnie Blakley, Michael Clevenger, Adam Janowski, Bruce and Tine Roman and Vera Stec. You can get to know them a little better on our Agent Profile web page.

Don't miss our fine selection of International properties. From a Swiss chalet apartment to a Costa Rican hacienda - and even a Belgian mansion. Don't miss our exclusive private oceanfront villas in tax-free Cayman Islands!

We have officially launched the third web site in our Carla Bonten series. Please welcome Carla Bonten Annual Rentals! You can not only tour our repertoire of distinguished annual properties, but also find tools for discovering our area, schools, banks and resources in addition to relocation guides and calculators.

Have you visited our new FREE web greeting card page? If not, then hurry right over and send one of our beauties to someone you care about.

Are you planning to visit our area or know someone who is? You will want to visit our vacation property rentals web site. Each vacation property is listed complete with photos and a description. And best of all, our vacation properties are all gorgeous! We also have vacation packages to choose from. Let us help you have the vacation of a lifetime.

Bonita Springs News

A new 54,000 sq. ft. Publix Superstore shopping center on Bonita Grande Drive, just off Bonita Beach Road east of Interstate 75, is now underway!! The expected completion date is January, 2002. It is located between Hunters Ridge and Worthington Country Club just off exit 18 East, 6 miles from the Gulf beaches and close to the many restaurants Bonita has to offer.

The Art League of Bonita Springs is breaking ground for Phase II expansion. Costs are $1,500,000. They are within $400,000 of that goal. Naming opportunities are available for pottery, sculpture, graphic studios and the library, etc. Call the League at 495-8989 and arrangements can be made to have someone meet with you and discuss the various options or you may request an information packet about donations.

It is projected that a new Home Depot will be built on Bonita Beach Road East at the corner of Imperial Street. An Albertson's Food Center is tobe built nearby.

The new Hyatt Regency on Coconut Road is now open.

The Naples News has an article about the future of the Winn-Dixie building on Bay Landingg Drive - will it become a Broadway-quality, world-class theater?

Need an idea of what dining experiences are in our area? Click here for a list of some of the best!

Holiday Recipes

Here are a few great web sites offering sumptuous holiday recipes:

HolidayRecipe.com
Epicurius.com
RecipeSource.com
Southern Food Holiday Recipes
Good Morning America Recipes

Enjoy Our Area!

Beaches
From Wiggins Pass on Bonita's southern extreme to Lover's Key near the area's northeastern edge, beaches offer the chance for everything from a morning walk on a near-deserted stretch of sand to a low-tide shelling excursion.

The simplest route to the beach is to go west on Bonita Beach Road - which says it all - until you see the water. Many small beach access areas are dotted along the Gulf side of the road. One spot you should be sure to visit is the newly refurbished Lovers Key State Recreation Area. Even a drive by the park is enough to convince a skeptic that this must indeed be paradise. Sand is a brilliant white here, and visitors have an opportunity to explore the many mangrove islands. These "water-walking" trees are as much a part of Southwest Florida as the dolphins, manatees and capering, clowning brown pelicans.

Sand dunes, beaches and the Gulf of Mexico hug Bonita Springs' western boundary. To the east, tidy neighborhoods and residential communities reach to the borders of flourishing groves and rich farmland. Lazy oaks laced with Spanish moss line waterways that meander through forests rich with giant cypress stands. Wild orchids and wildlife thrive undisturbed just minutes from bustling neighborhoods.

In between the east and west boundaries lies the burgeoning land of business opportunity. Strategically poised between two metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs), Fort Myers and Naples, Bonita Springs has been called the area's epicenter for commercial development. With commerce comes a wealth of employment opportunities, which encourage new growth. But the balance is secure in this corner of paradise, where family values and precious natural resources - revered mainstays of Bonita's rich heritage - remain linchpins of the community's present lifestyle.

Fishing
Have your own boat and need local reef coordinates? Check out this web site that list them!

No boat? Don't worry, High Hopes Charters will take you fishing. Schedule private offshore or backwater charters with US Coast Guard Licensed Master Guide, Capt. Lindy Yow. 941-495-7589.

Area Events:

From The Art League of Bonita Springs:
Art Exhibitions
Held monthly with various themes. Public is invited to attend the receptions, hors d'oeuvres and wine provided. No charge.
December 14 - Three shows in One
"Fine Art Miniature Show", artwork cannot exceed four inches by six inches "Small Works Show" art work not to exceed 16x20inches "Photography Show". Great opportunity to find a gift for someone special.
Dec. 7th - OFF THE WALLS
Cost is $75.00 per person. Sumptuous hors d'oeurves table, fine wines and the opportunity to take a piece of art "off the wall". See their web site for more info.

Area Holiday Events:

The Promenade at Bonita Bay, U.S. 41 in Bonita Springs, will host an evening of holiday entertainment from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday, Nov. 23. The public is invited to this free event. Information: 261-6100.

2001 Bonita Springs Holiday Boat Parade, "The Spirit of America". Saturday, December 8, 2001 - 5:30 pm. New parade starts at Back Bay Marina passing through Little Hickory Bay, east on the Imperial River to Patrick Street, then returning along the same route back to Back Bay Marina.

Christmas Walk at Village on Venetian Bay on Park Shore Boulevard at Gulfshore Boulevard North takes place from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday, Nov. 23. Live entertainment is planned. The public is invited to this free event. Information: 261-6100.

"Naples Main Street Christmas Walk and Avenue of Lights" takes place from 6 to 9:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 6, along Fifth Avenue South. The mayor and Santa will light a Christmas tree at 6 p.m. in front of Sugden Community Theater at 701 Fifth Ave. S., followed by "A Merry Christmas Tuba" from 6:10 to 7:10 p.m. A special concert by the Oakridge Middle School Orchestra is set for 7:15 p.m. at Park Street. The public is invited to this free event. Information: 435-3742.

Naples Bay Christmas Boat Parade starts at 7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 14, from Tin City. The boats will travel to Bay View Park and back. A patriotic theme was chosen this year. Judging takes place at the Naples City Dock. Information: 261-0882 or 774-0222.