Possible Naples Relocation, lots of ?

[janp]

Thanks so much for all of the info. Slowly I am figuring some things out. (Much thanks to all of you on this board that take the time to post!) It is so overwhelming to move 2500 miles to a city that I've never been too. I'll be on my way in a few days, and I can't wait to see things in person. We will only have a weekend to decide which school district to move into before school starts, so it helps to get a little perspective before we get there. We won't know about renting or buying until we get there...but will have to commit to a school zone. ugh!

I have heard so many good things about Naples, I'm very excited to get to Naples and get settled... of course this board has given me a dose of reality as well.

I did get my application in for the county job, would be awesome if things worked out

Thanks again. I'm sure I'll have more questions in the next couple of days.

[TANaples]

Originally Posted by janp

Thanks so much for all of the info. Slowly I am figuring some things out. (Much thanks to all of you on this board that take the time to post!) It is so overwhelming to move 2500 miles to a city that I've never been too. I'll be on my way in a few days, and I can't wait to see things in person. We will only have a weekend to decide which school district to move into before school starts, so it helps to get a little perspective before we get there. We won't know about renting or buying until we get there...but will have to commit to a school zone. ugh!

I have heard so many good things about Naples, I'm very excited to get to Naples and get settled... of course this board has given me a dose of reality as well.

I did get my application in for the county job, would be awesome if things worked out

Thanks again. I'm sure I'll have more questions in the next couple of days.

Try to look for a school there. Don't look at the school ratings, but rather the demographics of the student population. That will give you a much better understanding of what the school is really like. You can get that information on the individual school's website.

There has been a major upheaval in the school district this year because of budget cuts, so please keep this in mind.

Good luck.

[Christopherdent]

Hope the job hunt goes well for you. Avoid wasting your money in gated communities. This is the biggest joke. The elite live in real private communities like Pelican Bay and Quail West - these small so-called communities are really affordable housing for the regular bloke and his small family and people who can't afford to build their own pool. Rent a nice home anywhere in North Naples and you''ll be fine

[nowannamove]

Originally Posted by janp

I have posted under the “Naples ANY positive” a few times, but thought I would start a new topic since it I didn’t really belong there and in hopes of getting a little more feedback.

I initially expected our housing budget to be ~250-300K…however, taxes, insurance and HOA fees might make this go down. All seem to be significantly higher than other places that we have owned homes.

You will have a hard time finding a decent home in Naples for 300K. Perhaps you can find a condo or an old home in Golden Gate City, which is not a desirable neighborhood.

1) Have found the middle schools that get the best ratings: N. Naples, Gulfview, Pine Ridge and Oak Ridge. Any comments about any of theses schools specifically?

North Naples is excellent for middle schools. When she goes to highschool Barron is good. Gulf Coast High is not. Think ahead move to the Barron district.

2) What is with all of the gated communities? According to most statistics, crime is very low in naples…why do people pay so much extra to be in a gated community? Is there something I’m missing. Any suggestions of developments or areas w/o gates/super high HOA fees?

Crime is low. Naples is all about status that is why folks like gated communities. Also, older folks feel 'safer' in gated communities, which is funny because there is actually MORE crime in gated communities. The one thing you should know is that gated communities usually have better resale value.

3) As much as I hate the thought of moving more than once…we may rent for a while. One thought is to rent a vacation type rental (furnished) for a month…I believe this is off season, so hopefully we could find a deal. Of course we would still have to settle on a school district even if we rent. Any one know of good rental or websites to find good rentals (have been looking at VRBO)?

Don't buy a house now!!! Naples property value is sinking every day. Rent for awhile, wait for the market to bottom, then buy. I anticipate that it will take awhile still. You will know the market has bottomed when foreclosure sales are 5-10% of market. So, once that happens start watching closely. It will probably take at least another year from there before prices rise, so buy then, just before prices rise.

4) Property taxes? I have found a place to check property taxes. They seem really high ($330K house, taxes were $5500, but found another $350K, taxes were $3600)! This may have big impact on what we buy. Are there areas within Collier Co. with lower taxes than others? The appraisals seem to be outdated as well (e.g. homes on the market for $300K have tax appraisals of $550K)?

Property taxes are reasonable

5) Homeowner insurance/flood insurance? Is homeowner insurance about the same as other states/areas if you are in a low to moderate flood risk zone? do people generally get flood insurance if they are in a low to moderate zone?

There are no low flood risks in Naples - LOL. Seriously, insurance can be pricey. We pay 2500 annually.

6) Commutes “in season”? Just curious why commutes are so much worse “in season”? I know there are many more people in town; however, aren’t most of the snow-birds retired? Why are they out during rush hours? Don’t they mostly live close to the beach?

This is exaggerated. IF you have ever lived in a 'real' city you will find Naples traffic problem laughable.

Thanks for any/all input!

Answered all your questions in the quote above.