Two Hotels Worth Knowing in the Heart of Old Naples

Founded in the late 1880s as a winter retreat, Old Naples (also spelled Olde Naples) remains the city's most historic and most closely watched neighborhood, a mix of tree lined streets, beachfront estates, and two distinct shopping and dining corridors in Fifth Avenue South and the quieter Third Street South. Here are two stays worth having on your radar.

Why They're Worth Knowing

Together, these two properties add more than 300 hotel rooms and nearly 200 residences within walking distance of downtown Naples. For anyone hosting guests, or tracking Old Naples real estate, hospitality of this scale tends to bring more foot traffic to Third Street South and Fifth Avenue South retail, worth factoring into how the neighborhood's pricing and demand continue to evolve.

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Naples & Bonita Springs Real Estate: This Week's Market Pulse

NABOR and CCOR, the official boards for Naples/Collier and Bonita Springs/Estero, publish their market reports once a month. In between those releases, here is a lighter weekly pulse using Redfin's data center, useful for spotting a trend line even though the underlying methodology (active listings and recorded sales) is not identical to the board data.

This Week's Numbers

What Stands Out

Naples' double digit median price decline looks dramatic, but a trailing three month median can swing hard based on which price tiers happened to close in that window, especially in a market with as much luxury activity as Naples. Marco Island moved the other direction, and Bonita Springs is showing a smaller, more believable softening. None of this should be read as a forecast. It is a snapshot of what actually recorded over a rolling window, and the fuller, board level picture returns when NABOR's next report lands September 18.

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Marco Island's $23 Million Bridge Bond Passes by a Single Vote

It doesn't get much closer than this. A $23 million bond referendum to fund bridge replacement work on Marco Island passed by exactly one vote after a recount, according to Gulfshore Business.

Why the margin matters

A one-vote margin is about as close as a municipal bond referendum can get, and it underscores how divided Marco Island voters were over taking on new debt for bridge infrastructure. The bond clears the way for replacement work to proceed on the island's bridge, though the underlying reporting did not specify which bridge or the full construction timeline.

Marco Island has separately kept its property tax rate flat even as officials have warned that this bond vote and Florida's Amendment 3 in November could both pressure the city's finances in the years ahead, according to related Gulfshore Business reporting from earlier this month. Residents and prospective buyers on Marco Island should expect this bond's debt service to factor into future property tax discussions as repayment begins.

Sourced from Gulfshore Business.

The Carlisle Naples Sells for $148.75M as Naples Home Sales Jump 14.5%

Two stories converged this week to paint a picture of a Naples market with real momentum: a major senior living community sale in Collier County, and fresh July data showing home sales climbing while inventory keeps shrinking.

The Carlisle Naples deal

Harbert and the Senior Resource Group had purchased The Carlisle in 2021 for $101.5 million and undertook an extensive renovation before this sale, according to county records cited in the Business Observer's reporting. The broader portfolio Healthpeak acquired totals 811 units across nearly 1 million square feet, spanning Florida, New Mexico, Colorado and two properties in Texas.

What the July 2026 market data shows

Naples' residential market posted a notably strong July: 733 closed sales, up 14.5% year-over-year, with a median closed price of $590,000 (up 2.6%). Inventory fell 21% year-over-year to just 5.8 months of supply. Single-family homes led the gains, with a median of $745,000 (up 12.9%), while condos saw a median of $400,000 (down 4.8%), per NABOR's own July 2026 market report.

By contrast, Bonita Springs and Estero look far quieter. Estero's median sale price sits around $510,000, up a modest 1.6% year-over-year on a rolling three-month basis, according to Redfin. Bonita Springs-specific figures varied more widely across sources checked this week, from roughly $507,000 to $589,000 depending on the month pulled, a spread wide enough that we'd rather flag the inconsistency than present a false-precision number.

Note: Redfin's separate "Naples" city-level median of roughly $1.3 million (down 10.4% year-over-year) reflects a different geographic boundary and property mix than NABOR's MLS-area figure above, and the two should not be treated as directly comparable.

Sourced from Business Observer (The Carlisle Naples), NABOR, and Redfin.

Florida's Amendment 3, Explained: What Homestead Exemption Changes Mean for Your Move

If you're weighing whether to make Florida your primary residence before the end of this year, there's a ballot measure worth understanding now. Amendment 3, officially titled "Increased Homestead Exemption; Lower Cap on Increases in Non-Homestead Property Assessments," is a Florida constitutional amendment on the November 3, 2026 statewide ballot. It is not yet law, and it requires 60% voter approval to take effect.

The exemption increase, and the caveat that matters most

Under current law, Florida's base homestead exemption sits at $50,000, though most homeowners actually see $51,411 once the CPI-adjusted portion is factored in, according to the Pinellas County Property Appraiser's official, nonpartisan FAQ on the measure. Amendment 3 would raise that non-school exemption to $150,000 in 2027 and $250,000 in 2028.

The caveat that tends to get left out of promotional materials: this exemption applies only to non-school property tax levies. School taxes, frequently the single largest component of a Collier or Lee County tax bill, are unaffected and continue to be assessed on full market value regardless of how this vote goes.

The residency deadline that matters for a Florida move

This is the part with a real clock on it. To qualify for the increased exemption on the 2027 tax roll, a homeowner needs to have established permanent Florida residency (homesteaded the property) by December 31, 2026. Residents who establish Florida homestead after that date start at the current $50,000 exemption and must wait roughly five years to phase up to the full $250,000 amount.

The fiscal tradeoff, and where opposition stands

Florida's Revenue Estimating Conference projected the amendment would cost roughly $12 billion a year in recurring lost state and local revenue once fully phased in, building from an estimated $5 billion in the first year. That projection is the basis for most organized opposition to the measure. A Leon County circuit judge ruled in early August 2026 that the state's ballot title and summary language was misleading and ordered it rewritten ahead of the vote, according to the Florida Phoenix. The No On 3 campaign has since picked up endorsements from 31 Democratic state lawmakers, the Florida Democratic Party, and groups representing police, firefighters, sheriffs, hospitals, cities and counties, per WFLX's reporting. Polling from the James Madison Institute found support around 74-76% when the measure is described plainly, but dropping below the 60% passage threshold once voters are told about the potential service-funding tradeoffs, according to Florida Politics.

Amendment 3 is a proposed constitutional amendment requiring 60% voter approval on Nov. 3, 2026. It is not current law, and the figures above are subject to change pending the outcome of that vote and any further ballot-language rulings.

Sourced from the Pinellas County Property Appraiser's official FAQ, Florida Phoenix, WFLX, and Florida Politics.

This Naples Condo Just Became the First in the City With a Hurricane Flood Barrier

A beachfront Naples condominium is setting a new standard for hurricane protection in Southwest Florida. The Allegro Condominium recently installed the Aquafence flood protection system, becoming the first building in Naples to do so, according to WINK News.

Why this building specifically

The Allegro took on 38 inches of water during Hurricane Ian in 2022, an event that knocked out the building's generator, fire panel and electrical panel on the ground floor. The building underwent an approximately $15 million renovation in the years since. Resident Tom Marth described the aftermath: "Everything was in disarray. Elevators weren't working, and then we were doing a major renovation here at the same time... so it was like I wouldn't say it was a war zone, but it kind of was a war zone here."

How the system works

Aquafence president Patrik Hansson described the system's design: "The invention itself, it's like a laptop. So it folds up, and once the water hits the system, it stabilizes the system." The barrier has been tested to withstand 140 mph winds applied directly at ground level, and it previously protected Tampa General Hospital during Hurricane Helene in 2024. The system is stored off-site and deployed as needed, typically within 72 hours before or after a storm, according to Allegro Condominium general manager Joni Cline.

What it could mean for other Naples buildings

Aquafence engineers worked with the Allegro's team alongside Naples city building, planning and fire officials to complete the installation, a process the reporting suggests could create a framework other Naples communities might follow. For buyers and owners in beachfront or flood-prone buildings, a proven, permitted flood mitigation system is the kind of resilience investment that can matter as much as square footage when it comes to long-term property value and insurability.

Sourced from WINK News.

A Federal Lawsuit Over a 10,000-Home Development Near Corkscrew Swamp Just Settled

Audubon and developer Cameratta Companies reached a settlement over the Kingston project, clearing a major legal hurdle for one of eastern Lee County's largest planned communities.

A legal fight that had cast uncertainty over one of the region's biggest planned communities has come to a resolution.

The National Audubon Society and Cameratta Companies have settled a federal lawsuit over Kingston, a planned 10,000-home community near Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary in eastern Lee County, according to Gulfshore Business. The settlement follows an earlier court ruling that had already allowed the development to proceed over environmental objections.

Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary, one of the region's most significant wetland preserves, sits near the Kingston site, and the scale of the proposed development, roughly 10,000 homes, had drawn sustained opposition from conservation groups concerned about habitat impacts in the area, including for the Florida panther, according to earlier Gulfshore Business coverage of related litigation.

With the lawsuit resolved, Kingston's path forward appears clearer, though Gulfshore Business's report doesn't detail a revised timeline for construction phases or infrastructure. Given the project's scale, its progress will likely have ripple effects on traffic, schools, and housing supply across eastern Lee County and the broader Bonita Springs/Estero corridor in the years ahead. We'll continue tracking Kingston's progress as new permitting or construction milestones are reported.

Sourced from Gulfshore Business. Every factual claim above links to its original source, click through to verify before sharing.

Six New Condo Projects Are About to Remake Downtown Naples

Six projects near Fifth Avenue South will add 214 residences and a hotel to one of Naples' most walkable districts.

Downtown Naples is entering a new phase, with a concentrated wave of luxury condo development reshaping the streets around Fifth Avenue South, Davis Boulevard, and Third Street South.

According to Gulfshore Business, six buildings rising three to 15 stories within a 1-mile radius will collectively add 214 residences, a 126-room hotel, a 120-slip marina, retail, restaurants, and office space, positioning the corridor as a walkable alternative to Port Royal and The Moorings.

The Six Developments

This building boom comes even as broader market data shows some cooling: Redfin reports Naples homes are taking longer to sell than a year ago, and a regional FGCU study covered by Gulfshore Business found Southwest Florida inventory and permitting activity easing off 2022 highs. That combination, new luxury supply arriving even as the broader market normalizes, is worth watching closely over the next year, since it could affect pricing and absorption for both new construction and existing downtown condos.

Sourced from Gulfshore Business and Redfin. Every factual claim above links to its original source, click through to verify before sharing.

Bonita Springs Voters Approve $35 Million Rail Trail. What Happens Next?

With 68% of the vote, Bonita Springs residents cleared the way to convert a historic rail corridor into a multiuse trail. Here's what comes next.

This is one of the biggest local votes of the year for Bonita Springs, and it just cleared decisively.

Bonita Springs voters approved a referendum authorizing the city to issue up to $35 million in general obligation bonds to fund the Bonita-Estero Rail Trail, according to WINK News. The measure passed with 68% in favor in Tuesday's primary election, though turnout was modest at 21%.

The bond funding will go toward acquiring and converting the former Seminole Gulf Railway corridor, which runs through Bonita Springs and into Estero, into a public trail for walking, running, and cycling. Independent appraisals had valued the rail corridor at roughly $75 million ahead of the vote, according to Gulfshore Business.

With the referendum passed, the next steps reported by WINK News include a full inspection of the rail property, followed by the closing process to formally acquire the corridor. From there, the city will need to plan the conversion work itself, which typically involves removing rail infrastructure, grading, paving, and adding trail amenities, though specific timelines for that phase haven't yet been reported.

For homeowners near the corridor, a project like this can be a meaningful long-term amenity. We'll track the timeline as more details emerge from the city.

Sourced from WINK News and Gulfshore Business. Every factual claim above links to its original source, click through to verify before sharing.