What Do You Know About Naples FL

[JourneyOfLife]

Does anyone have any experience living in the Naples Area, or an extended visit/rent checking it out for a potential home buy?


If so, what did you learn?

[JoelJohnson]

Too expensive!

[Madelaine Amee]

Does anyone have any experience living in the Naples Area, or an extended visit/rent checking it out for a potential home buy?


If so, what did you learn?

Personally, we love anything on the water: Naples, Venice, Sarasota, St. Petes Beach, Clearwater .......... all beautiful areas, but anywhere within easy reach of the beach is very expensive, very busy year round and more expensive than here. We would have stayed on the beach, but I hated the transient way of living. We were in Reddington Shores, loved it, but hated the fact that the cost of wintering there is so expensive that people rent for just one week at a time, so people are coming and going constantly. Plus the dreaded Spring Break ................ ugh! Our friends rent in Naples, off the beach, on a golf course that is too expensive for them to play, for $5,000 a month!

[Mudder]

Beautiful beaches.....everything beautiful for the beautiful and wealthy. Anything west of 75 is very expensive, east of 75 still kind of a wasteland. A great place to visit if you have friends you can stay with!

[Waverunner]

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[dewilson58]

Personally, we love anything on the water: Naples, Venice, Sarasota, St. Petes Beach, Clearwater .......... all beautiful areas, but anywhere within easy reach of the beach is very expensive, very busy year round and more expensive than here. We would have stayed on the beach, but I hated the transient way of living. We were in Reddington Shores, loved it, but hated the fact that the cost of wintering there is so expensive that people rent for just one week at a time, so people are coming and going constantly. Plus the dreaded Spring Break ................ ugh! Our friends rent in Naples, off the beach, on a golf course that is too expensive for them to play, for $5,000 a month!

I also felt the traffic was horrible. Traffic in TV is nothing compared to the areas you mentioned.

[Waverunner]

My husband and I lived in Pinellas County (Clearwater, St. Petersburg area) for many years. After the 2004 and 2005 hurricanes, the homeowners insurance market changed drastically for all living in coastal counties. The building codes also changed after 2005.

Our home was built pre-2005. We lived five miles from the water. Our homeowners insurance was $14,000 a year in 2012-13, the year we left. Our homeowners insurance in The Villages, (similar value home but post-2005 built), is around $1,000.

If costs are a factor in your decision, look carefully at all the cost of living items.

[Fraugoofy]

...

[vintageogauge]

We rented down there several times. It is beautiful however way to congested for me and the traffic is a nightmare. Can't get a parking spot near the beaches, long waits at restaurants, and as noted above very expensive, a lot of the retail stores have closed their doors for some reason also, not worth it at all. Go a little north to Bonita Springs, still crowded but less expensive and nearer to the Ft. Myers Airport .

[HimandMe]

We used to go there often but if you think the traffic here is bad...wow, it is way worse there. I love the beach but there was other beaches just as wonderful. We got so that we hated to travel to Naples because of the traffic.
On the good side, it is a beautiful place, landscapes resembling much of what you see in The Villages, nice shops on 3rd Avenue. As with Sarasota and other places anything east of trail (Tamiami Trail hwy 41) is very expensive even for the most rudimentary housing.

[manaboutown]

Naples is nice but congested and expensive. They do have an authorized Rolls Royce motor car dealer if that tells you anything as they of course locate where the big bucks are. If money is no or not much of an object you may enjoy its restaurants, boutiques and its lifestyle in general. A rather successful high school classmate of mine has lived there over 30 years; she fits right in and loves it. Last we spoke she told me her 2400 square foot Gulf of Mexico and Venetian Bay view condo in a high rise buildng was worth about $2M. She paid a little over $800K for it about twenty years ago. Different strokes for different folks.

[doran]

Tried to make the move three years ago. Lot's of traffic and inflated home prices near the water. I tried, could not swing it. If I want to visit, the drive is not bad at all.

[chuckinca]

I always get it confused with Venice.

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[JourneyOfLife]

Housing is expensive nearer to the coast.

But like many areas in FL, the periphery of the Naples area seems to be growing. A few miles inland, home costs are quite a bit lower.

If you look at an aerial shot of the land from Bonita Springs down to Naples inland a few miles, it looks like the land has been laid out for a lot of homes to be built.

One other thing I noticed; while there are a number of 55+ communities in the area, there are also quite a number of the HOA communities with amenities that are Not Age Restricted.

[Chi-Town]

Checked out Ave Maria early on in its development phase. Timed it to the nearest beach, as that was s big draw to me. Way too long of a drive and that was when it was open road travel.

Sent from my VS995 using Tapatalk

[justjim]

We crossed off Naples a couple years before we retired for many of the same reasons already posted. At the time our grandchildren were visiting the Theme Parks when they came and Naples was not near to the parks. There are better beaches elsewhere too.

[graciegirl]

Does anyone have any experience living in the Naples Area, or an extended visit/rent checking it out for a potential home buy?


If so, what did you learn?

Close relatives lived there for many years. We know the area well. One of the reasons we found The Villages so refreshing and different and nice.

[Mrs. Robinson]

If you want to go south and be on the west coast, consider Sarasota.
I lived there for a few years and one of the first things I remember noticing that the city is immaculate.
Siesta Key is known for being one of the finest beaches in the country.
The sand there is so fine -- like baby powder, and you can always walk on it because it never gets hot; it's quartz.
Great restaurants, a performing arts center fondly known as The Purple Cow (!), the Ringling Museum, etc.
Check it out!

[Gerry P.]

We lived on Marco Island and Naples for 10 yrs. If you ever lived there you would know the traffic is not an issue. All the roads are at least 6 lanes wide. As far as cost you get what you pay for. That entire area is clean, cooler in the summer, warmer in the winter and absolutely beautiful. The restaurants are more than plentiful and unless your on 5th Ave. never an issue.
Best place in the world to live in my opinion.

[Sgroemm]

:angel:Also factor in that most Naples condos generally only offer tennis, a pool, golf, and some pickle ball. If you desire a more active lifestyle with many more choices consider the villages over Naples. I rented in Naples for years and finally decided to buy in TV. HOA fees in Naples were close to 3500 a year, taxes almost the same. The beaches are beautiful, but that also means the chance for hurricane damage is higher, hence the high homeowners insurance and flood insurance rates. Definitely rent where you are considering buying....some parts of Naples are a bit less friendly (nice way of saying a little snobbish). Gated is almost a must in Naples, for security, especially if you are going to leave the home/condo vacant for any length of time. Talk to a knowledgeable agent in the Naples area of real estate. There are quiet areas, busy areas, high rental areas, country club areas and they differ greatly. Naples and TV are paradise compared to my NJ winters....just investigate fully and try it before you buy it. Enjoy whatever you decide!

[drdodge]

too far south

[CT514s]

Lived in Naples for almost 11 years before moving to The Villages and absolutely loved it. If you want to live on or very near the beach, then yes, it's very expensive. We lived in North Naples, west of 1-75, but less than a 10 minute drive to the beach. We were in a lovely gated community of 800 homes and condos, had a 2200 sq. ft. house on a lake, with a pool, and paid more for a similar house here in TV, without a pool. HOA fees were about $3200 a year, BUT they included landscaping, irrigation, cable TV and internet. Taxes were about the same as here, BUT, no bond. Yes, insurance was a bit more, restaurants a bit more expensive, BUT we find the cost of living here higher overall. If you're a golfer, that cost in Naples is high, especially in season. If you live in Naples year round, traffic is definitely heavier December through March, but really isn't an issue, as the roads certainly are well equipped to handle it. And the rest of the year is great ! Beaches, shopping, convenience to airport are real bonuses. Why did we move here ?? Still second guessing ourselves on that one. BUT, the activities here in TV are unending, golf is included, and it's a fun place to live. Some really nice gated communities in North Naples are Island Walk, Carlton Lakes, Cypress Woods, just to name a few. Good luck with your search !

[shelcran]

Owned a condo in North Naples, 2 blocks from Vanderbilt Beach/Wiggins State Park. Great area, great beach, lots of traffic and yes $$...moved to Bonita Beach, even better area, awesome beach, less traffic (except from 7am -9pm, Ha!)...sold the beach house and now rent in The Villages. If you are a golfer..be prepared to pay close to or atleast $100 for 18...more on some of the better courses. We miss the area but seriously, The Villages is a much better place for us to rent (not interested in ever owning a seasonal home again...guess that means we're infamous snowbirds). Long story short...Naples/Bonita Springs is a great place to visit and live...but don't expect your $$ to last as long.

[Mrs. Robinson]

I always get it confused with Venice.

.


Huge difference between Venice and Naples, not just in Florida, but in Italy, too!

[justjim]

As others noted the Naples area golf is much more expensive. Property values in the Naples area really plummeted during the 2007-2008 economic crisis. Not so much in The Villages. Of course, not a problem unless circumstances requires you to sell. We almost purchased there (Naples) in 2005 instead purchased in The Villages in 2006 and very happy we did. Our grandchildren loved the Theme Parks and The Villages is much closer to all the Central Florida attractions. A couple of days at the beach was always enough for a good sunburn and no worry about hurricanes in The Villages.

[allamericanmuclemoving]

If you have questions about Naples, Fl. I can help. I lived there for 20 years.
It is expensive but he beauty is so worth it. Yes, there is alot of traffic in season. The beaches are prestine and a real delight.
I moved here to the villages about 3 years ago and I miss Naples constantly. They just have more choices for food and shopping
and entertainment. I rented because Im younger and could not afford the houses there, but here I was able to buy a 3/2 outside of the villages
that is brand new and if I were to try to get the same house in Naples it would be double in price and taxes would be much higher.
Naples is growing as always and the small town feel that it once had is not very prevalent any longer.
Just like here, there are snowbirds which means congestion during season and wait time for restaurants are to be expected anywhere in florida during season.
IS there something specific you want to know?