A lot has changed in the Bonita Springs/Estero/Naples area since we first bought a home in Hacienda Village in 1981.  Bonita Beach Road was 2 lanes; Page Field was the local airport; I75 stopped in Tampa; and cattle roamed the fields up and down US41. 

Jan and I moved here permanently in 2001, and we never take our new home for granted.  We continue to appreciate the climate, the beaches, the bike paths, the golf courses, etc.  This season, we have hosted 5 different sets of house guests from “up North” who are trying to escape the harsh winter of 2011.  In addition, we are working with buyers from Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, the East Coast of Florida, and Ontario, Canada.  We get to see our area through their eyes as well.

What our guests/buyers appreciate are sometimes things we tend to overlook, such as the “newness” of everything here.  Nearly everything has been built in the past 25 or so years, including the airport, roads, neighborhoods, churches, restaurants, hospitals, office buildings, schools, parks, golf courses, and retail malls.  Northerners are constantly amazed at the landscaped parkways, palm-lined streets, and lush vegetation in and around the communities.

As recently as 10 years ago, I felt more comfortable having bypass surgery in Indiana rather than Florida.  Today, I am totally impressed with the medical community that has been attracted to our area.  The medical community has come a long way in a short time, bringing some of the best and the brightest to live and work here.  I know of many situations in which “snowbirds” have opted for the doctors and hospitals in Southwest Florida rather than returning to the frigid North.

This season has reminded me why we moved here 10 years ago.  The Bonita/Estero/Naples area is a great place to call home.