Waterside Shops/Pelican Marsh, Naples, FL (Fort Myers, Bonita Springs: credit, relocate, insurance)

[Lattegato]

My company is asking me to relocate to work at Waterside Shops in September. I am a white single female who doesn't speak Spanish, 39, make $50000/year, drive a jeep, and have a toy dog. I am General Manager of a restaurant. My only beach community experience has been 8 years in Virginia Beach, Va. I loved it, loved the weather, loved the heat, went thru a hurricane with power outage for 9 days, and one ice storm, power out for 9 days also, but otherwise fine. After reading the hate/love comments regarding Naples, am getting concerned that I should turn down this relo. I was there for a week last year, and am coming down in 2 weeks to look for possible housing before I have to make my decision. The most I can spend on rent is $1200/mo, was hoping for less because that's almost one whole paycheck per month. Am I better off to rent an apt, rent a condo, rent in Naples, rent in Bonita Springs? Which areas? Any SPECIFIC suggestions for places to live? Would like to make use of them while I am down there looking around. Also I keep reading about the heavy amount of mold and roaches, on apartmentratings.com??? Any info is appreciated. And btw, what do you guys think of Waterside Shops as a place to work? Is it safe?

[THX 1138]

Naples is a nice place to visit off season, on season well you work in the restaurant business and the people can be let's say crabby, Waterside is very upscale and posh, I never felt unsafe in Naples. Only when you go to Immokalee or Fort Myers then worry. Bonita Springs is nice too, just further north.

You can probably rent a 1/1 apartment for that rate or less. I was there this past summer and the number of homes for sale compared to here at the time was more, now of course it's even worse. You might be able to rent a home for a decent price if you can find someone willing that can't sell.

$50K/year take home or gross? With 1 exemption after federal withholding you would have roughly $1,489 take home (if paid bi-weekly, with no overtime annual salary). Rule of thumb is 30% of your income should be rent/mortage. Now we all know that's not a reality with 70% of Americans living paycheck to paycheck.

$50K is much better then the Florida and National Average income, but unfortunately it doesn't go too far here or there due to the high cost of living.

The negativity on Naples is due to many reason, mostly to the cost of living, seasonal issues traffic and overcrowding and the job situation. The heat and humidity is something you should not complain about, it's Florida. I live on the east coast and it's always nuts here, but when I go to Naples during off season it's like another world.

I would really think hard before making the plunge, unless you work for a good company with solid advancement potential, the good thing is you can find work in your line of business in several areas in Florida if Naples didn't work out.

[Tarastomsgirl]

I think you'd really enjoy working at the waterside shops.. They've very nice, very safe (its for mostly rich people with stores like Gucchi and coach) You're in North Naples and centralized to everything and only a couple blocks from the beach. You'll certainly be able to find a place for cheaper than $1,200 a month. I suggest trying The Reserve on Pine Ridge Rd. I can send you a link if you'd like to PM me.. I lived there and LOVED it.. Its gated, with a beautiful swimming pool, club house, bar, exercise room, indoor raquet ball court etc. You'll bang out the big bucks in season for sure, the waterside shops are a hoppin place then.
I was just there a couple weeks ago visiting and made a point to stop at the waterside shops. The renovated them and wanted to see the finish product.. MUCH different than it used to be but very nice and very calming.
$50,000 WILL be fine if its just you. Esp with the housing as it is, if you have a good steady job you'll be able to afford an apt. Yeah traffic can be bad inseason, so what, what place DOESN'T have traffic.. Heck I live in a tiny town and we have traffic. Its about being in a place you enjoy. If you like where you live then none of that is a huge issue. Go down, scope it out and see how you like it. Its a beautiful place to live and I'm sorry I left but I'll be down in a week to finalize my moving plans for going back!

This is the only picture I can find that I took.. I know I took more lol but this is just a very small section the waterside shops are pretty large with different water features and statues


They do have a website Waterside Shops Gallery (if you click on All around Waterside shops on the left it will bring up a lot of pictues) where you can find pictures, store lists etc.

[RMD3819]

Originally Posted by Lattegato

My company is asking me to relocate to work at Waterside Shops in September. I am a white single female who doesn't speak Spanish, 39, make $50000/year, drive a jeep, and have a toy dog. I am General Manager of a restaurant. My only beach community experience has been 8 years in Virginia Beach, Va. I loved it, loved the weather, loved the heat, went thru a hurricane with power outage for 9 days, and one ice storm, power out for 9 days also, but otherwise fine. After reading the hate/love comments regarding Naples, am getting concerned that I should turn down this relo. I was there for a week last year, and am coming down in 2 weeks to look for possible housing before I have to make my decision. The most I can spend on rent is $1200/mo, was hoping for less because that's almost one whole paycheck per month. Am I better off to rent an apt, rent a condo, rent in Naples, rent in Bonita Springs? Which areas? Any SPECIFIC suggestions for places to live? Would like to make use of them while I am down there looking around. Also I keep reading about the heavy amount of mold and roaches, on apartmentratings.com??? Any info is appreciated. And btw, what do you guys think of Waterside Shops as a place to work? Is it safe?

Waterside shops is safe. My daughter worked in retail and a restaurant there. It is very upscale with snobby rich people there in the winter.

You will be fine here on 50K with no kids if you can manage your money. Be warned-Naples is expensive.

I would look at renting a condo. There are tons of them in the Forest Lakes section off Pine Ridge Road. I would also look at the Oasis on Airport. Don't be afraid to negotiate. People are desperate to get tenants, especially reliable ones.

I would stick to Naples if I were you, only because of the commute/gas costs. Bonita is not all that far, many areas are nice and safe, and in general housing is less there. The housing market in Naples is so bad you could probably get just a good a deal as Bonita and save the commute.

You won't need Spanish at the Waterside Shops. In fact, WalMart and the grocery chains are employing more and more English speakers as the illegal population has been dwindling. The new WalMart has a requirement that you must speak good English to work there. You did not need to speak English at the other ones. (I am not kidding).

I wouldn't worry about bugs-they are easily contolled with general sanitation and a pest control service.

If this is a good career move then I say go for it. The people who have the most problems in Naples are the ones that move here mesmerized by the weather. They get here with no job, no job skills, little money, and no place to live. The dream evaporates when they see the payscale, cost of living, and housing costs and they realize that sunshine doesn't pay the bills.

[THX 1138]

The Reserve at Naples which is off of Pine Ridge is not cheap, a 1/1 starts at $1,026/month, starts meaning if you can get a 1st floor. Usually they are taken and you have to step up to 2nd or 3rd floor which jumps the price up considerably.

I would be a little hesitant in suggesting someone move to Naples or even my side of the state for $50K pretax. Depending on where they are coming from, the sticker shock and detuned lifestyle required to make ends meet may be too much.

Now if your very frugal it's possible, but you may find it hard to be that way when others around you are living La Buena Vida.

[Tarastomsgirl]

Originally Posted by RMD3819

The people who have the most problems in Naples are the ones that move here mesmerized by the weather. They get here with no job, no job skills, little money, and no place to live. The dream evaporates when they see the payscale, cost of living, and housing costs and they realize that sunshine doesn't pay the bills.

AGREED! Most of the ones you hear complaining about Naples repeat they didn't come here on the own will (eg spouse got a job and had no choice but to relocate with them) Don't be afraid of what others are saying about Naples. Since you are visiting make your own assumption and see how you like it.

[Tarastomsgirl]

Originally Posted by THX 1138

The Reserve at Naples which is off of Pine Ridge is not cheap, a 1/1 starts at $1,026/month, starts meaning if you can get a 1st floor. Usually they are taken and you have to step up to 2nd or 3rd floor which jumps the price up considerably.

I would be a little hesitant in suggesting someone move to Naples or even my side of the state for $50K pretax. Depending on where they are coming from, the sticker shock and detuned lifestyle required to make ends meet may be too much.

Now if your very frugal it's possible, but you may find it hard to be that way when others around you are living La Buena Vida.

I just recently saw an add for The Reserve for 1 bedrooms for $850-900 on craigs list.. I dunno if its still there but with season ending tenants are going to be hard to find and rents will drop more.. Keep an eye out for deals they are everywhere!

[THX 1138]

Originally Posted by Tarastomsgirl

I just recently saw an add for The Reserve for 1 bedrooms for $850-900 on craigs list.. I dunno if its still there but with season ending tenants are going to be hard to find and rents will drop more.. Keep an eye out for deals they are everywhere!

The Reserve at Naples meaning apartment complex managed by a property management company that has an office in the clubhouse?

It's news to me that someone can sublease an apartment on Craigslist that's owned by the property management company. Unless it's the management company and they are desperate which wouldn't surprise me.

This is the place I'm talking about:

Capreit Residential Communities - Reserve at Naples

[Lattegato]

Yes, I make $50,000 gross. No kids. I do live fairly frugally, I'm not trying to be one of the "beautiful people" with the best clothes, dining out, fancy car. I get one meal per day complimentary at my restaurant, so that helps the grocery bills. I am trying to reduce all credit card debt down to zero by the time I move, so I'll just have car, gas, insurance, rent and utilities to pay. I had looked at the Reserve previously and will look again. I got kind of confused, as their website says Condos for sale, but then they also have rentals??? Seemed like a lot of the "apt complexes" I looked at a year ago were going condo. Wasn't sure what that was all about. If I have a problem, do I call the apt complex or the condo owner or what? We don't have that kind of thing here. I had heard that Waterside was undergoing a renovation, I think to the Saks and adding a Nordstrom?? I hope they add a parking garage, it was really cramped when I was there last year.

[Lattegato]

Thanks for posting the photos and links. I have a few more specific questions.
Forest Lakes looks really nice. Says its a +55 community. So do you have to be that age to own the building but not to rent it?
What about the Enclave? Positano Place?
Thanks for the tip about CraigsList! You're right. It seems there are some great deals on there, and I never would have thought of that site.