Welcome to City-Data.com Forum!
U.S. CitiesCity-Data Forum Index
Go Back   City-Data Forum > U.S. Forums > Florida > Naples
 [Register]
Naples Collier County
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
View detailed profile (Advanced) or search
site with Google Custom Search

Search Forums  (Advanced)
 
Old 02-07-2017, 01:31 PM
 
Location: New Jersey
858 posts, read 2,986,666 times
Reputation: 708

Advertisements

We are interested in possibly retiring to Bonita Springs (mainland), or Estero; maybe Naples, and would appreciate some insight into these areas.

Mainly interested in a single family home, no HOA, under $375K

Thank you,
m
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message

 
Old 02-07-2017, 03:25 PM
 
Location: Las Vegas
1,595 posts, read 1,673,124 times
Reputation: 2880
Bonita and Estero are in Lee County and property taxes are higher than Collier County (Naples).

Both are nice towns and there is a fair amount there, but nothing like Naples which has everything including lots of great restaurants.

You might get more bang for your buck housing wise (more sq ft for the same money as in Naples).

On your budget, you need to look around at all three places to find no HOA properties. Only real way to do it is to spend time here getting to know the areas and getting a realtor. Trying to use Realtor.com, Trulia is a waste of time. Everything you find may not be available, there is not enough info about hidden fees, HOA's etc.

One area in Naples folks talk about is Golden Gate Estates where you can get more land and no HOA. There are lot of HOA communities in Naples.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 02-08-2017, 06:19 AM
 
Location: Flahrida
6,286 posts, read 4,798,778 times
Reputation: 7426
There is no substitute for boots on the ground. Plan on coming down and spending a few weeks looking around. Housing and community are personal things and what we like you may hate and visa versa. Keep in mind Naples and the area is very seasonal, packed with snowbirds Dec-Mar and pretty sparse after. The healthcare is not the greatest either, just a few things to keep in mind. Good luck.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 02-08-2017, 09:14 PM
 
Location: the beach
146 posts, read 334,269 times
Reputation: 217
[quote=marc515;47114034]We are interested in possibly retiring to Bonita Springs (mainland), or Estero; maybe Naples, and would appreciate some insight into these areas.

Mainly interested in a single family home, no HOA, under $375K

Thank you,

Bonita has certain areas that get flooded streets in the storm season. I would perhaps study a map of flood zones. In the older downtown zones, I would think you would be safer further away from the water.

Estero has a lot of new developments, but most will all have HOA fees. It has some older homes areas, but I would not choose to live there.

Finding anything under $375 without HOA in Naples may not be possible unless it is in need of lots of TLC. There are a few hidden neighborhoods tucked away. Nothing beats driving around and looking. Right off the bat don't bother searching anywhere west of 41 in Naples because of price, taxes and the flood zoning. I would prefer a house off of Immokalee Road in Palm River vs. Golden Gate. Yes, you will find a house in GG but you will need a good security system there for peace of mind. Theft can be a problem there because some many houses are hidden by trees from the road.

I would not want to live to the south of Naples, except maybe in Lely, but I do not know if there are association fees there, probably a low one if so.

Naples of all places is hands down the best for all reasons, shopping, restaurants, markets, etc. But it's expensive. Most condo associations are ridiculous and even then you can up with bad property management that does not maintain property values.

If I couldn't find a place in Naples, I would probably skip over Bonita and have a look at Venice. I would not choose Ft. Myers or Cape Coral or Punta Gorda.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 02-08-2017, 09:20 PM
 
Location: the beach
146 posts, read 334,269 times
Reputation: 217
Quote:
Originally Posted by marc515 View Post
We are interested in possibly retiring to Bonita Springs (mainland), or Estero; maybe Naples, and would appreciate some insight into these areas.

Mainly interested in a single family home, no HOA, under $375K

Thank you,
m
One afterthought.....after I submitted my reply I got an email from the realtor who sold my house for me here. (I moved away and moved back) . He sends me a list every evening of homes available. I would highly suggest you talk with him. His name is Mel. He is an excellent realtor. He's been here for a long time and is a good guy. 239-216-6400.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 02-09-2017, 09:22 AM
 
1,394 posts, read 2,073,049 times
Reputation: 1362
Very few of the houses in Golden Gate are hidden by trees. The lots are roughly 85x100, which is definitely larger than most of the HOA developments, but the houses certainly aren't hidden. That said, it probably doesn't matter if they are or not, much of Golden Gate is not the greatest area, crime wise.

I'd be looking into the Estates if I were the OP. Much larger lots, and no HOA nonsense.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 02-09-2017, 06:33 PM
 
214 posts, read 283,282 times
Reputation: 365
I think Tripower 455 is referring to Golden Gate City, an area near Santa Barbara and Golden Gate Parkway where many smaller homes and rental homes are located.

It's a little confusing from afar, but this is very different from Golden Gate Estates ("The Estates") where lots started out at a minimum 2.5 acres. Over time, some have been split I think. Lots of trees. Lots of bears. Privacy, but at the cost of being kind of out in the sticks and a good drive from amenities. But nonetheless.

Anyway - excellent advice to have a realtor looking out for you. And excellent advice above to make a trip and see for yourself. Your price range is going to be hot - any desirable properties under 375 will be snapped up quickly so you need someone to advise you and watch the market carefully. There are indeed some market differences between Naples (Collier County) and Estero/Bonita (Lee County).

Since you don't have kids to consider, the school districts won't be a huge concern. Most areas are gated communities with HOA fees, if nothing else to cover the maintenance of the gates. And signage. And landscaping. We've gotten very lucky to be on a public golf course (no fees - but watch out for that one!) and have very nice community pools, without exorbitant fees. It's a key qualifier to your search, though, and one that will definitely take a realtor to help navigate.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 02-16-2017, 11:46 AM
 
174 posts, read 205,893 times
Reputation: 115
Nothing going on in Bonita springs
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.

Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.


Reply
Please update this thread with any new information or opinions. This open thread is still read by thousands of people, so we encourage all additional points of view.

Quick Reply
Message:


Settings
X
Data:
Loading data...
Based on 2000-2020 data
Loading data...

123
Hide US histogram


Over $104,000 in prizes was already given out to active posters on our forum and additional giveaways are planned!

Go Back   City-Data Forum > U.S. Forums > Florida > Naples
Similar Threads

All times are GMT -6.

© 2005-2024, Advameg, Inc. · Please obey Forum Rules · Terms of Use and Privacy Policy · Bug Bounty

City-Data.com - Contact Us - Archive 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37 - Top