Tried it for 4 years -- saying goodbye (Naples: sale, house)

[Fltaz]

Originally Posted by bbtondo

Fltaz: What you have described about Naples is very true for many cities in the United States. I can only imagine what Naples was 35 to 40 years ago. I live on Long Island and can tell you that 35 to 40 years ago it was very different than today. More people, more building and more expensive. For people on Long Island that don't like it here anymore, they move to a location that suits their budget and lifestyle better. It doesn't mean that Long Island is horrible. It just means it's no longer for them. Same as Naples. Just because some people don't like it anymore, doesn't mean it's bad there.

When I tell friends and family that we are retiring to Naples Florida I get two responses. Most people love Naples. Some people just plan out hate Florida. To each their own!

If someone wants to live in a city in Florida that is quiet and affordable, Naples is not that place. I happen to like all the stores and restaurants, etc. in Naples. But I totally get that it is too crowded and costly for some people. Again, doesn't mean its a bad place.

It sounds like you have found your retirement spot. May I ask where? Congrats to you!

We retired to East Tennessee. We love it here. Low cost of living, nice people, very scenic, a mild change of seasons and very little traffic. We are not alone with this move. There are many people here that have moved here from Florida. Some are like us and moved when they retired and others are know as "half backs" as they retired from a northern state to Florida and decided it was not for them so they moved half way back. This is a common thing in Tennessee, North Georgia, and the Carolinas. Naples is not a bad place but it is not the town it use to be and we felt the need for change. Naples is not for everyone now a days. If you are going to retire there you better be financially independent. Not only is housing very expensive, things like home owners insurance is gotten out of site. Everyday things like gas and groceries are more expensive in Naples that most anywhere else in Florida. If you really want to live in Naples my best advice is to do your home work and be financially prepared to live there.

[RMD3819]

This is a post I wrote in 2010. Many people found it helpful:
//www.city-data.com/forum/naple...l#post14807112

[bbtondo]

Fltaz: I hear a lot of people move to Tennessee. Glad you are happy there! I have heard the term "half backs" many times describing people leaving Florida and moving half way back. LOL


Totally agree with you that Naples is not for everyone. DH and I are well aware of the budget that's needed to live in Naples. We are fortunate that after working for most of our life we are financially prepared for it.

[rickmaz]

Originally Posted by movin1

Sorry to hear it didn't work out for you.

We have been here for 2 years and like it a lot. Sure there are some issues, but it's way better than where we came from (Illinois).

Tired of the summer weather, hoping to leave for a while next year. Other than that, it's cheaper to live here than Illinois, the most financially messed up and corrupt state in the US.

Hard to beat the weather here at least half of the year and the Gulf of Mexico is still nice in Collier.

I'm sure there are people who complain about most every place in the world and yet others who live there think it is perfect. Different strokes, different folks.

Hope you find happiness wherever you go.

We are in Illinois also with two kids (girl 6 and boy 8). We live in Arlington Heights but want to move to Naples. It seems you liked your move. Do you have younger children also?

[movin1]

Originally Posted by rickmaz

We are in Illinois also with two kids (girl 6 and boy 8). We live in Arlington Heights but want to move to Naples. It seems you liked your move. Do you have younger children also?

Sorry, can't help with your question re: children here in Naples. Ours our grown adults and still live in Illinois.

We do like Naples a lot, but this summer the heat and humidity bothered us. Ready for it to get nice for a while. There are at least 6 months (November through April) where it is darn near perfect every day.

If we could afford to have 2 homes, we would have a place somewhere cooler to escape Naples from June through the end of September. The restaurant deals are great here in summer and it's nice to get in the pool a few times a week, but other than that, it's freakin' hot non-stop.

[Sweetbottoms]

Originally Posted by movin1

Sorry, can't help with your question re: children here in Naples. Ours our grown adults and still live in Illinois.

We do like Naples a lot, but this summer the heat and humidity bothered us. Ready for it to get nice for a while. There are at least 6 months (November through April) where it is darn near perfect every day.

If we could afford to have 2 homes, we would have a place somewhere cooler to escape Naples from June through the end of September. The restaurant deals are great here in summer and it's nice to get in the pool a few times a week, but other than that, it's freakin' hot non-stop.

Recent years it hasn't cooled down at all. It hasn't cooled down nearly enough to even open your windows. Last Halloween everyone was dying from heat and humidity. People were handing out water and ice pops and we cut it short cause the kids were done after an hour. We checked and it was 98 heat index when we started with 80% humidity. During Christmas I have pictures of my daughter trying out her new roller skates with a red hot face.


The cool down years are over. They used to come first week of Oct and stay till April-May. During those times we could keep our windows open 24/7 for months. We opened our windows about 5 days total last year. The rest were too hot. Our last actual cool down winter was 09. This summer was hotter than the last, which was hotter then the previous. It's not going to improve. Kids don't play outside here in the summer and some days it's too hot to go to the pool and sit in hot water. Forget about the beach. I have pics of the heat index reaching 116 this summer. No one goes outside for that and does anything they don't have to. A family friend died of heat stroke this summer here and it's been never ending. Triple digit heat indexes since March this year and still going in Sept.

[Bruins_Fan]

Originally Posted by Sweetbottoms

Recent years it hasn't cooled down at all. It hasn't cooled down nearly enough to even open your windows. Last Halloween everyone was dying from heat and humidity. People were handing out water and ice pops and we cut it short cause the kids were done after an hour. We checked and it was 98 heat index when we started with 80% humidity. During Christmas I have pictures of my daughter trying out her new roller skates with a red hot face.


The cool down years are over. They used to come first week of Oct and stay till April-May. During those times we could keep our windows open 24/7 for months. We opened our windows about 5 days total last year. The rest were too hot. Our last actual cool down winter was 09. This summer was hotter than the last, which was hotter then the previous. It's not going to improve. Kids don't play outside here in the summer and some days it's too hot to go to the pool and sit in hot water. Forget about the beach. I have pics of the heat index reaching 116 this summer. No one goes outside for that and does anything they don't have to. A family friend died of heat stroke this summer here and it's been never ending. Triple digit heat indexes since March this year and still going in Sept.

Gotta say, you seem ill suited for the Florida heat. Not a good place to live if you don't like heat and humidity! It's already too cold up here for my taste. Wanna trade?!

[Tripower455]

Originally Posted by Bruins_Fan

Gotta say, you seem ill suited for the Florida heat. Not a good place to live if you don't like heat and humidity! It's already too cold up here for my taste. Wanna trade?!

I still can't fathom how being cold in other places makes 95 squared, with heat indexes well into the 100's, for 7-8 months, comfortable. They both suck.

Naples is a nice place, but the fact remains that the weather is downright miserable from late April til November. This makes outside activities very uncomfortable, unless you're in water.

There's a reason so many people are snowbirds, and it's not just the lousy winter weather up north. The weather here in the summer is equally tough to take, unless, of course, you never go outside.

[movin1]

We traded miserable winters, rainy springs, hot humid summers and cold and damp falls in Illinois for hot and humid half the year and pretty darn nice the other half in Naples. The older we got, the less we could tolerate cold and just downright hated snow.

I much prefer not having to put on lots of clothes every time I want to go outdoors. I have barely worn anything other than shorts and short sleeve shirts since we moved here. Back in Illinois, it was a constant issue trying to figure out how to stay warm and dry. Different weight coats for every possible scenario from just a windbreaker to 20 pound shearlings to be able to brave the wind chills.

We got rid of a closet full of coats and haven't worn any more than a few times here.

[seeshelly]

Its brutally hot in the summers. And I like the heat! Its the HUMIDITY that is so unbearable. Its a very uncomfortable wet heat that Ive felt nowhere else in the country. You either deal with 4 mos or so of winter weather or 4 mos or so of scorching heat. Pick your poison I guess.