Naples/Bonita Springs/Estero/Marco Island? (condos, houses, neighborhood)

[ML09]

Adamio, saying it sucks is a stupid thing to say. Sure, it may not be the best place to live in, but it's better then a lot of places. Saying "it sucks" is childish. What are you, 11 or something?

Naples offers some good areas. If you're looking for a family community, Saturnia Lakes is a nice place to look. Quail Creek and Longshore Lakes are nice, but you're going to need a good 600,000+ and up for those places.

Estero is really nothing. Nothing to do. Just lots of homes.

Marco Island is nice, but it's kind of disconnected from the rest of Collier County. You have the bare necessities there, but if you want to go to anything more then a movie, you're have to take the 45 minute drive to Naples.

Bonita Springs is nice, in certain areas.

Hope this helps.

[nibseysgirl]

Originally Posted by Nancy Lynne

Hi all. Now that it appears my 10 year old son and I may indeed be moving from NJ to one of "the", if not "the" most expensive places in the US to live (with a job in Naples, close to downtown area)...........can you all who are familiar with these areas please help me with some regional specifics?

How far can one reasonably commute to/from downtown Naples? I HAVE experienced the incredible grid-lock traffic so I am keeping that in perspective. Since my son and I will be "brandy new" and alone, I "think" it would be best for us if I could keep my place of employment, his school, and our home as close together as possible so that he does not feel geographically estranged from me when he is at school --- and I won't panic about getting quickly to him should I need to. However, there may be overriding factors that are more important, i.e., friendly, kid-oriented community, schools, safety, etc. We will be renting for awhile until we figure out the area and hopefully prices go down....but where would be a good place to start?

Naples, Bonita Springs, Estero, Marco Island?
Are there any particular communities within these towns that you can suggest? Thanks!

ps. LOL about Marco Island. ...but just wanted to hear what it is like there. I know it is for the extra extra extra extra rich, over and above the already extra extra extra rich in Naples, etc.

Does anyone know anything about The Seacrest Country Day Scool in Naples?

THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!

....if you help me...........I'll send you NJ pizza!!!!!! LOL!

Hi there,
I love and live in Naples, but I am looking to move due the the cost of living here(not all of us who live here are rich rich...like the government(taxes, homeowners etc) would like everyone to believe. I can tell you Naples is a beatiful place and the schools are very good. I have a 11 yr old daughter who has gone to 3 elementary schools here and I have never had one complaint.
Traffic...well this is Fl so watch out cause there is TRAFFIC everywhere especially during season of Nov-May...And crazy drivers...they blame it on the northerns and visitors bah humbug cause I know ppls that have lived here all thier lives....its ppl here in general.
The best part of Naples is North Naples it is pricey but with prices (homes) coming down more and more you can still find some nice places for a semi reasonable rate(for this area at least...but watch out cause homeowners is absolutely thru the roof....ie 4000.00 a year...property tax is typical to any other areas that I have have owned so its not to bad....Rents if you do that are anywhere from 900-1500 average. I have lived in East Naples, and North Naples as well as Naples Park where I live now. It is a great place, lots of shopping beaches etc but as far as kids go there is a Boys;Girls club YMCA and Collier County parks and Rec which are great but thier summer and after school programs in my opinion(being from the north) are outrageous.
I have only been to Marco once and it is lovely but I owuldnt want to live there, to far out of the way and TRAFFIC..One way in One Way out...and its right off of 951(Collier Blvd) which is always way way too conjestied...
Hope this helps and you can email me anytime if you need any help with "stuff" It really is beautfiul here and Id stay if not for the prices of things(oh and grocery prices are higher than north too...lb of bologna averages 4.99.,,,you can get the idea...Puplix is the best market here but it does has a tendancy to be a bit higher than some but they also have great sales...Bealls is a clothing store(totally awesome place...a MUST)...Another thing on schools...alot of schools are now going to uniforms which is actually a great thing...and not expensive at all...If you find out where you might be living I could help you a bit more....I have rented only here but I know lots of places for homes and apartments alike...
Good Luck
Lisa
My email is the same name as here but at comcast.net

[nibseysgirl]

I have never had any issues with any of the 5 schools(Elementary and HS) that I have had to deal with . I always found the teachers and staff helpful and very caring of the kids and respectful of the parents and great educators..I love the schools here in Naples.
I agree with the poster that wrote about homeowners fees they are outrageous most of the time so read the fine print if you go that route, if you RENT, you may be required(if not expected) to pay application fee, put first last and security as well as pay water(which is not how it is dont up north at least not where I live...all most all utilities are electric. You will also pay apprx 55.00 for cable(basic) and another 100 or so for electric (using a family of three estimate)High speed internet is 43.00...Although if you move into a comcast area(which I now believe all of Collier County is) you will be able to take advantage of triple play whiich is phone(unlimited local and long distance) and high speed internet and basic extended cable with digital0 not a bad deal when your yr intro offer is over it goes to 165.00 so definatly take advantage of if ...its 99.00 for the first year.
As far as "snob" goes..its true there is quite a bit of it here and its sad to say but even some kids are snobs due to thier parents thinking they are superior...thankfully not all of us who have kids or even live here are like that and you should be able to find lots of ppl who are friendly and welcoming.
Good Luck
Lisa
PS when you first register your car expect it to be in excess of 200-300 if you have bought your car in the last 6-12 months as they charge you sales tax of 6%(if you can show proof you paid in your home state they will adjust it to include that as a payment so to speak) and they will charge you a 100.00fee(one time) to be able to trafer your plate to another car at another time or a replacement without having to pay it again...that is a one time thing. Insurance is mandatory. Shop around prices vary. If you rent I would suggest getting renters insurance with hurricane season coming especially. I have lived here 3 yrs and been thru many including charlie and wilma and thankfully didnt have any problems at all but it is wise you get none the less...One last thing...remember in Florida...RED does not mean stop and GREEn does not mean go....ALWAYS LOOK first dont just think oh its my light I can go...you may be saddly mistaken...and also seatbelts are mandatory and we do not have rotaries here in FL we have turning lanes though which are a great idea but it takes getting use to as they are not farmilar like back in the northern states....Oh and U TURNS are plentiful....
Hope this helps...sorry I had alot of thoughts after reading your post and others again..Good Luck with your new job

[firemed]

This is old 41

Originally Posted by shevsky31

Oh please. There have been two hurricanes that have directly hit Naples in over 40 years, Wilma in 2005 and isabell and 1964. It is not a very hurricane prone area at all for direct hits. Tropical storms hit here and there, and they're not that bad. The weather is clearly the most ideal in the US, if you like subtropical climates.

1960 hurricane Donna sept 10th a 10 ft storm surge press 27.97 naples fishing pier destroyed.Winds sustained at over 100mph with gusts to 130mph,12:20PM. Landfall just north of Naples about where Pelican Bay is now. Just a few names that hit that area.
Donna,Isabell,Jenny,Judith,Dennis,Bob,Andrew,Gordo n,Mitch,Harvey,Charley,Wilma,Ernesto,

Naples,Florida hurricanes

[oeabel]

Originally Posted by oeabel

We just moved to Estero a few months ago and my kids go to Bonita Springs Charter on Old 41. We picked our house solely because we got the kids into the school. I don't know where the "touchy feely" thing came from but it is the best school in the area. That said, it is still tough around here. The kids are snots but we're slowly meeting a few families we like. Mostly, the school system is scary. You can email me directly if you have more questions. It's been quite a learning experience but we're figuring it out and liking it more and more each day. As was said above, Estero is the most affordable but it's a hike to school and I drive them every day (by choice).

For the record, I take back everything I said about Bonita Springs Charter School... I think it has some huge ethical issues that are not being addressed by anyone (no oversight) and I would recommend staying away until things are improved.

[jaissu]

Everyone,

My family and I are looking at moving to Naples, Bonita Springs, etc. due to a potential employment opportunity. I have been reading a lot of the postings and it seems as though Naples is not an affordable place to live. I ask, what would one have to make to be comfortable living there?

[HockeyMom72]

Didn't she just move out of Naples after four months? Did she go back to NJ? This is a very old thread.

[RMD3819]

Originally Posted by jaissu

Everyone,

My family and I are looking at moving to Naples, Bonita Springs, etc. due to a potential employment opportunity. I have been reading a lot of the postings and it seems as though Naples is not an affordable place to live. I ask, what would one have to make to be comfortable living there?

Housing in Naples has always been very high. It is coming down now, but it still generally higher for what you get than Bonita or Estero.

I would say you would need to make at least $75-80K combined income depending on your housing choices and overall lifestyle. You could probably live OK but not extravagant with this. Housing costs would be the main wild card. That and how many kids you have.

Post some more details of your situation and maybe I can help.

[jaissu]

I have only one child, age 3 and my girlfriend would look be an RN down there. I am an executive in the hospitality business. I have researched a lot of homes through realtor.com and it does seem expensive. However, if schools are better there than other places (i.e. Bonita Springs, Estero) it is certainly worth it. I live in a very small town in PA right now, so I know the cost of living would go up but I was unsure by how much. Do you have any idea how much child care is in the area?

[RMD3819]

Originally Posted by jaissu

I have only one child, age 3 and my girlfriend would look be an RN down there. I am an executive in the hospitality business. I have researched a lot of homes through realtor.com and it does seem expensive. However, if schools are better there than other places (i.e. Bonita Springs, Estero) it is certainly worth it. I live in a very small town in PA right now, so I know the cost of living would go up but I was unsure by how much. Do you have any idea how much child care is in the area?

I can't help you on the child care issue or schools. I have one child and she is 22. I will say in general that Florida ranks near the bottom nationwide for schools. The schools in Naples seem to have mixed reviews. Schools with a high population of non English speaking families (and there are plenty) tend to have lower standardized test scores.

Your girlfriend will have no trouble getting a job. The NCH hospital system has some employee housing but I don't know how that works. It's worth looking into. They are one of the major employers in the county.

As a side note-About a year and a half ago when the real estate market was at its peak, a committee was formed of governement and business people to discuss the problem of affordable housing. In Naples affordable=middle class. To the wealthy of Naples affordable=ghetto. Employers were having a terrible time filling vacancies because of the high housing costs. NCH hospital was a major player in this. They showed example after example of people who turned down very high paying jobs because they could not afford housing. The most extreme example was for a job that paid $120,000 per year (non-physician) and every applicant turned it down. The school system had similar issues recruiting teachers. The market has gone down since then but Naples has always been more expensive.

Gas is higher in Naples than the surroundig area because of a local option tax that is used to build roads. Groceries seem reasonable to me but I haven't lived anywhere else for 21 years.

Let me know if I can help further.