Danish family moving to Naples- HELP (for sale, rental, condo)

[WestcoastBrit]

700/6 months was what it cost in 2001. At that time I'd only had US license less than 2 years. Regardless of my previous driving experience/ clean record in other countries and insurance paperwork showing proof of no accidents ( full no-claims discount ), every small and large insurance company treated me as a new driver. If you buy a car from a car dealer you have to show insurance(or did), however in a private sale you don't. I still think you need a FL license to legally drive if you plan on staying more than 90 days. Like I said, the first few weeks will be hard for you and husband but you will settle down, it''s just a different system here.

[RMD3819]

Originally Posted by gamel

Thank you all for good information :-)
About car-insurance : I have had car-insurance for about 12 years without any claims- does it really costs 700 for 6 months? Very expensive- I think. Any advise for at cheap insurance- other than taking a FL drivers license ??

My husband would like to live in zip code 34104- he know other students there, any one here know the area ? Good or bad for children ?? What about the school ? I have looked on the school zone map, I think the school is Calusa Park- many of the children do not speak English, but that goes for a lot of schools in Naples. I don't care if the kids are black or white- I just want my kids to learn English and to join a good school. Grades are not important for us, my children are little and we only live in Naples for a year while my husband is getting his pilot license. I'm going to teach my children the Danish school stuff at home, but to get friends and lean English they are going to a school in Naples.

On rent.com I have found a place called "ibis club rentals", in zin code 34104. Its affordable and seems okay.

I also found Malibu Lakes ( zip 34119). Its pretty far from the airport where my husband is going to study, but the school seems okay maby ?

Again thank you for all your help. We leave on 6.february.. SOON!! We have booked a hotel for at week, then we have to find somthing for the next 12 months.

34104 is a pretty big area to give specific advice on.

I think Summer Lakes apartments is your best bet. It is farthest from the airport but is right next to I-75 (interstate highway). I went by there the other day. It is not as new as I thought but it looks OK. The best part is you can easily walk to the Super Wal-Mart. This is a combination grocery and department store. This will be useful if you only have one car.

Ibis Club apartments-these are so-so. A lot of low income residents.

Malibu Lakes-these are nice. A co worker lives there. I'll ask her about it.

Given you will be here one year I think your kids will be fine in any school. They will learn English as that is what is spoken at school. Many kids come from non English speaking families although the majority of kids will speak English.

[WestcoastBrit]

You need to start phoning apartment complexes NOW. Find out if they'll have available units in Feb. Staying in a motel/hotel with 3 children and 350/450 sq. ft. to move around in isn't fun( I've done it). Any delay in moving to an apartment can quickly deplete your estimated moving funds. Additional costs of lodging and eating out can add up. I spent extra 5 days waiting for my apartment( had viewed and booked it 4 months previously ),then moved in to find broken a/c unit which took 7 days to fix. No a/c in august in Tampa Bay isn't pleasant. Remember, cost of furnishing 3 bedroom unit + hassle of selling quickly before leaving U.S could be more than rent difference of furnished/unfurnished home.

[Mrs.Bewitched]

I posted in this post in your previous one...one of the posters is right...something is strange...this is the same post??? 34104 is pretty good- there are worse, but I am sure there are pockets. Anyway, I just copied and pasted what I wrote last time, and that will be in bold:

North Naples is nice. A lot of the rentals are cheaper now than in previous years. You should be able to get something for $1200. I know in Milano, a condo community in North Naples, there are some for about $1200. These are 3 bedroom, 2 floor condos. Your elementary school child will go to Veteran's Memorial and your middle (if you have one) will go to North Naples Middle. Someone mentioned Veteran's Memorial was a good school. That is too early to tell. This year is the first year it has been opened, and the principal, who worked at a previous school, is coming from a "C" school (stats from the district website)....so if that is any inkling into what this school might turn out to be....then I am not sure how far I will vouch for that school. North Naples is an "A" school. So is Lake Park, but you will have your mix of children as many children from the "ghetto" (as ghetto as you can get in Naples) attend there.

Someone said to avoid East Naples. I don't find that to be true. There are a lot of nice areas in East Naples- look for places to rent in Berkshire (not Berkshire apartments- a little nasty, my mistake in renting there), but the berkshire condos/homes. Calusa Park is a school in that area and that is an "A" school. Golden Gate City is not too nice...and the schools that service that area are not highly rated so you need to be careful there.

River reach- I looked there when I had been out renting in 2005....the highest priced with the least amount of square footage. But then we saw some of the residents and that nixed it for us

[RMD3819]

Originally Posted by RMD3819

34104 is a pretty big area to give specific advice on.

I think Summer Lakes apartments is your best bet. It is farthest from the airport but is right next to I-75 (interstate highway). I went by there the other day. It is not as new as I thought but it looks OK. The best part is you can easily walk to the Super Wal-Mart. This is a combination grocery and department store. This will be useful if you only have one car.

Ibis Club apartments-these are so-so. A lot of low income residents.

Malibu Lakes-these are nice. A co worker lives there. I'll ask her about it.

Given you will be here one year I think your kids will be fine in any school. They will learn English as that is what is spoken at school. Many kids come from non English speaking families although the majority of kids will speak English.

I have two co workers with experience in Malibu Lakes.

One lived there a few years ago with his two small children and said it was great and safe.

The other lives there now and has been there four years. She has no kids but feels feels safe and likes it there.

[gamel]

Thanks again :-)
I'm afraid Malibu Lakes is too far away. We cannot afford 2 cars. Unless it's possible for me to walk to school ( elementary) and walk to a shopping center/store - then my husband can use the car.

We have contacted som real estate brokers - they will mail us lists of available places for us to see. We already have 1 appoinment on 8. february. We are going to see a house on Leawood Cir 235, 34104. I don't know the area, but it's close to the airport and not far from school. I think it's shadowlane elemantary school- even though Calusa Park is in the same zip, but according to the zone map it's shadowlane.

I know it will be expensive to buy furniture, but we just haven't found a furnished place near the airport we can afford. Furniture ect does not cost as much in US than in Denmark. The difference between fursnished/unfurnished is about 500$, I think it shoud be possible to buy furniture for less than 5000$.

If we are lucky to find something furnished and affordable near the airport we prefer furnished, but we do not want to spend 500$ a month for a furnished place. We'd rather buy furniture for that money and make a garage sale when we move or give it away.

:-) Camilla

[gamel]

Ive found this 776 Landover Circle - is it okay ?

[Tarastomsgirl]

Mod deleted

Have you tried home rentals in Naples park, you can find 3 bedrooms for $1200 and under some furnished and its walking distance to Naples Park Elm. Also try Arbour Walk for apts and Laguna Bay across the street. There are rental guides all over in the stores there, prices are coming down everywhere, you should be able to find something. Good luck

[RMD3819]

Originally Posted by gamel

Ive found this 776 Landover Circle - is it okay ?

Landover Circle are condos in the Berkshire Lakes subdivision. This is a very nice and safe area. It is in the Calusa district.
It is behind a shopping center. You could walk there but it would be a little bit of a hike. You might consider a bicycle.

Leawood is in Leawood Lakes. It is a little bit closer to the airport and is an OK area. The drawback here is Radio Road is very mixed. There are many trailer parks. Some are retirement parks and are fine. The others tend to have a low income migrant population. This is in the Shadowlawn district.


If the costs are similar I would go with Landover.

I would consider renting furniture if you can't find a furnished place.

[Air]

Originally Posted by gamel

Thanks again :-) We'd rather buy furniture for that money and make a garage sale when we move or give it away.

Maybe people will give furniture to you, too. I find it very easy to get furniture in the United States.