FORECLOSURES SKYROCKET
>>Lee County foreclosures in 2007 totaled 7,474, up from 1,950 the year before, according to Data Research. The Mount Pleasant, Pa., firm, which researched foreclosures in nine South Florida counties, did not include Collier and Charlotte. “There is no end in sight for Florida foreclosures in 2008,” said Serdar Bankaci, president and CEO of Default Research. “Median home prices are still decreasing as home inventories increase. That is a recipe for more foreclosures in South Florida.”

BANK CEO HIRED
>>Bank of Florida-Southwest has hired Danny E. Morgan as CEO for the region of Collier and Lee counties. Morgan, who has more than 20 years of sales management and leadership experience, will be responsible for business development, deposit growth and management of the six Southwest Florida retail financial centers. Morgan previously worked at Regions Bank, where he served for more than 11 years in a number of leadership roles in Southwest Florida, West Florida and West Tennessee. Prior to his banking career, Morgan served as a captain in the Army after graduating from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. Craig D. Sherman will continue to serve as president for Bank of Florida–Southwest, in addition to serving as the market’s senior lender and chief lending officer for the holding company, Naples-based Bank of Florida Corp.

“HOT SPOTS” REPORT
>>Fort Myers-Cape Coral and Naples earned national rankings among “Entrepreneurial Hot Spots” for businesses based on research of the National Policy Research Council’s (NPRC) interactive data base of 19 million companies. Fort Myers-Cape Coral came in first in the “Mid-sized Metro” category, and Naples finished third in the “Small-sized Metro” areas. The study, conducted by the NPRC, can be purchased online at www.nprcouncil.com. It looked at fundamental site selection factors, such as workforce availability and cost and community infrastructure, as well as the success of existing businesses. The report appeared in the October 2007 issue of Expansion Management magazine and was submitted by Randal L. Mercer, a partner in CB Richard Ellis, Fort Myers – Naples, and former president of the Real Estate Investment Society.

REAL ESTATE SCHOOL
>>Downing-Frye Realty Inc. has reached an agreement with the Agora School of Real Estate (www.agorarealestateschool.com) to open a classroom facility in Downing-Frye’s Bonita Springs location. The Agora School of Real Estate offers certified Florida real estate courses and review sessions for candidates preparing for the state examination as well as post-licensing and continuing education courses for Realtors. The school also offers mortgage broker and community association manager courses locally. Courses begin this month and will be offered in a traditional classroom format as well as online and via CD-ROM and distance learning options. For more information, call 498-6700.

BROKERS MAKE THE MOVE
>>Commercial real estate brokers Joe Ferrao and Bob Reynolds have joined NAI Southwest Florida. NAI is a collection of independently owned commercial real estate brokerage firms with offices in 55 countries worldwide. NAI manages more than 250 million square feet of commercial space and provides a broad range of brokerage and advisory services. Reynolds and Ferrao previously worked at VIP Commercial in Fort Myers.

ALZHEIMER’S FUNDRAISER
>>Fox Electronics (www.foxonline.com) will sponsor the 10th annual A Light to Remember for the Alvin A. Dubin Alzheimer’s Resource Center (www.alzheimersswfl.org). The event is at 5:30 p.m. on Jan. 24 at Centennial Park in downtown Fort Myers. A Light to Remember helps increase awareness of Alzheimer’s disease and raise funds for the resource center. The event will include a display of luminaries purchased by families and friends to honor or remember a loved one with Alzheimer’s disease. For more information, call 437-3007.

PRACC LUNCHEON
>>Chris Doyle, president and publisher of the Naples Daily News will speak at the Public Relations, Marketing and Advertising Professionals of Collier County luncheon at 11:30 a.m. on Jan. The event will be held at the Naples Grande. For more information, www.pracc.org.org. RSVP by Jan 15 by calling 436-2105.

FPRA MEETING
>>Lanette Hart, the Florida Public Relations Association’s vice president and president-elect will speak at Southwest Florida Chapter of the Florida Public Relations Association monthly luncheon on Jan. 15. The meeting begins at 11:30 a.m. at the Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre, 1380 Colonial Blvd., in Fort Myers. Reservations must be made at www.fpraswfl.org.org no later than Wednesday.

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