Stonecreek Naples Fl (Golden Gate, Lely: rent, HOA fees, new home) - Florida (FL) -Collier County - City-Data Forum

Trevor152 · 03-20-2016, 03:01 AM

I am looking at new single family construction in Naples for a 2017 completion date (target price 700-800) I have narrowed my list to four; Isles of Collier Preserve, Marbella Isles, Stonecreek, and Lely. Any thoughts on build quality? I am concerned about the availability of quality sub-contractors in the area with the high level of building currently taking place. Has build quality become an issue with newer product? (Riverstone vs. Stonecreek/Marbella Isles). (Currently working with a realtor.)

Russman3000 · 03-20-2016, 11:04 AM

I bought a lot in Stonecreek. GL homes has, by far, the best reputation of all the builders. On the east coast of Florida there is literally a lottery for the right to purchase a lot in a GL homes community.

Between the communities you mentioned, I think it comes down to location and the kind of community you're looking for.

movin1 · 03-20-2016, 01:21 PM

We bought in Riverstone a few years ago. We have been living in our house here for about a year. Since we have lived here, we have looked at all the places you mention except Lely.

We did not care for Isles of Collier Preserve at all, but that's a personal preference, though it has been mentioned on the Naples thread as having financial problems (do a search here).

Same thing with Lely, someone here complains about problems living there.

Marbella Isles and Stonecreek are GL, same as Riverstone. Marbella prices are way higher due to cost of land and location closer to downtown. You can easily spend $100,000 more for the same house as in Riverstone.

Stone Creek looks to be quite nice and not much more expensive than Rivestone. I think you will get your best bang for the buck there.

Lely and Isles of Collier are down south closer to old Naples, downtown etc. It is older down there.

Marbella is kind of dead center but between some very busy streets.

Stone Creek is North Naples. We like it up here and think it's a great location.

As far as build quality, Stone creek and Marbella Isles are GL, so they are the same. Not great quality, but not bad. We had 2 houses custom built in Illinois before moving here. Quality of construction was a lot higher than here. That's not saying our GL home is poorly built, just not the quality I was hoping for. You pay a lot for fast track/mass construction which seems backwards to me.

I don't know what it would cost to find a quality builder and build a home in Golden Gate Estates if you could find a good location.

We thought the houses in Isles of Collier looked cheap and the build quality was not as good as GL. The landscaping in the community looked cheap.

If you can still buy in Riverstone, I would do it asap.

relocatingtonaples · 03-20-2016, 05:54 PM

It all depends on what you're looking for.

We looked at Lely and parts of it seemed targeted toward investors and part-time homeowners who rent their homes for the season. As I recall there was a $3k+ charge annually for the Club -- in addition to HOA fees. Once you get inside Lely it's nice but the surrounding area didn't seem that great. Most of the best shopping is north, other than Olde Naples.

If you are looking for a family environment and good schools try Stonecreek.

Marbella Isles is $100K more expensive than Stonecreek. While Marbella Isles is more centrally located than Stonecreek, Marbella also is geared toward more second homes and empty nesters. Certainly there will be families in Marbella, but consider the number of duplex models which are not meant for families. And is that $100K extra really worth it? Most of the new Naples-area development is moving northward so the northern locations will eventually seem right in the middle of things.

The Collier Preserve seemed good if you were into kayaking, but to me lacked a broader appeal.

Trevor152 · 03-21-2016, 05:02 PM

Thanks for the quick feedback everyone. It seems to us that the price for all the homes we have seen is high for average to good build quality. Is GL considered the best of the semi custom builders in Naples or is it Stock? Minto? WCI? Taylor Morrson? We already know that DR Horton and Lennar are cookie cutter developers.

movin1 · 03-22-2016, 06:09 AM

For us, it wasn't just build quality. We lived in a Stock home for 9 months while our house in Riverstone was being built.

The Stock house was the same size (3 br, 3 bath + den), same sq ft etc. The GL floor plan was much better. The finish quality at GL was better. The interior design choices were (more modern, less Tuscan).

In another thread here on the Naples forum, someone said Minto is having financial problems.

Prices for construction are high now and I agree they are too high for the build quality.

I think you need to go see homes from the other builders and look at communities you are considering. Build quality is one thing, there are a lot of other factors to consider in where to buy. HOA fees vary quite a bit and can affect the monthly budget. Quality of the clubhouse and other amenities varies.

Be sure you want in the community, not just the house.

Figgy 44 · 03-22-2016, 07:18 AM

My wife and I 34 and 31 years old with no kids yet are relocating from NYC just bought in Stonecreek. We looked at most of the ones you mentioned and thought Stonecreek was the best fit for us. Lely is very nice but has a lot of snowbirds depending on the community you pick. Also very high fees. Marbella isles was in the middle of the action but like previously mentioned 100k more and I personally liked the home options in Stonecreek that weren't an available option in Marbella isles. Stonecreek had new home layouts. Stonecreek like Riverstone seem geared towards families ie kids pools and no golf course. we are just finalizing our options now and have an expected move in date of around nov of this year. hope this helps!

JP

InPlaneSight · 03-22-2016, 09:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by movin1

For us, it wasn't just build quality. We lived in a Stock home for 9 months while our house in Riverstone was being built.

The Stock house was the same size (3 br, 3 bath + den), same sq ft etc. The GL floor plan was much better. The finish quality at GL was better. The interior design choices were (more modern, less Tuscan).

In another thread here on the Naples forum, someone said Minto is having financial problems.

Prices for construction are high now and I agree they are too high for the build quality.

I think you need to go see homes from the other builders and look at communities you are considering. Build quality is one thing, there are a lot of other factors to consider in where to buy. HOA fees vary quite a bit and can affect the monthly budget. Quality of the clubhouse and other amenities varies.

Be sure you want in the community, not just the house.

"Be sure you want in the community, not just the house." Greater words could not be spoken. We love our house, but not the area. We are leaving Riverstone, and Naples, after 15 months.

movin1 · 03-22-2016, 09:19 AM

Very sorry to hear that IPS. Please PM me and tell me your reasons. We communicated a few times during our building processes.

Would be curious to hear where you are going.

Best wishes to you on your journey!

Trevor152 · 03-27-2016, 04:47 AM

InPlaneSight, your comment is very telling. Thank you for sharing it. Our concern about build quality was not meant to be our only concern. We are also concerned about the community feel and fit. We are semi retired and my wife is not keen about moving into a community geared primarily towards families. She is worried that we will be known as the old couple!! I have no problem with this and we often debate about it. We are trying to find the new community that best reflects who we are. This is a tall order complicated by the fact that new communities are often in the midst of developing an identity. We think in general the closer you are to the heart of Naples the living dynamics become different. Dining, shopping, cultural activities, proximity to the Gulf of Mexico, etc. have a better opportunity to become the focus of your routine. We have lived in suburbia San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Boston and while city amenities were generally about a 45 minute to one hour drive away, we found that if the activity was further than 15 minutes away we rarely participated. Maybe just us, but that is who we are.