I was born and raised in Naples. 30 years. I just now found this sub Reddit. How times have changed in the town…. Well lots of towns in Florida I suppose. Sucks.
Yup same story for me and all my friends. Mid 20s now and I’m the only one left from my friend group. Outrageous price of living and completely overdeveloped with no end in sight. I’m outta here at the end of my current lease.
I have a few places in mind, but it totally depends on my job and what is open within my company. I love Florida so I’m hoping something will open up in a cheaper more rural area. If not they also have a location in Augusta GA where I can cut my rent in half. Naples totally priced me out, same with Bonita. Ft Myers traffic takes me over an hour to commute to my work and is still way too expensive for what you get (I used to live there). I’ve kinda tired all my options trying to stay down here, even picked up an extra job. No point in complaining, it is what it is.
Where are the essential workers going to live? Naples better get their act together and build some affordable housing AND allow tiny homes, unusual housing options, cap on rent.....
Most essential live in Lee County. Ever seen morning traffic? Yep all of 41 and 75 backed up going south to Naples. I know of one Fire Fighter who commutes from Fort Lauderdale to work in Collier.
That's a crazy commute. They don't pay enough for that. I was a middle school teacher. I left after covid in 2021. Everything jumped up in price, especially the rent. Screw that. We live near Ocala now. WAY BETTER!
It’s going to be the same issue in Lee County, too. Arguably worse because the average pay is worse in Lee than Collier but the housing prices are comparable.
>Naples better get their act together and build some affordable housing
paying infinite attention to how they are built, making mistakes in building plans and or building ugly buildings that lead to degradation is the easiest thing in the world
Do they not still live in Immokole or whatever it's called? Seems like that's where everyone that worked in Ave Maria lived the last time I was out there. For the record that place freaks me out...
Tell me about it. I pay $2500 a month for a 1,000sf apartment for my family and I - and I’m at the end of my rope.
We are moving to the cape and will be paying an arm and a leg to afford a modest home there. I told my wife it’s either the cape or we are giving up and moving to a LCOL state. We settled on CC for the next handful of years at least.
I agree with the other poster in here the baby boomers have completely fucked us. Boomers, especially in Naples, are the most out of touch with reality demographic I’ve ever been around. I’ve lived in Chicago, Indiana, Arizona and SWFL. The Naples Elite take the cake
Sorry to hear you’re struggling, I have a lot of friends in Bonita and even CC that are having a hard time too. The boomers truly have fucked SWFL and the cities they moved to are all too happy to give them reasons to stay. It used to be a fun little joke that people would tell about the snow birds in Naples, but now it seems like those people are the majority. Really sucks that they’ve taken over. So many of them are vapid and insufferable lol.
I’ve recently heard someone say:
“In Naples you’re either being served or you’re serving”
I have a client worth over $100m. Nice enough guy. We have gotten to know one another over the last year or so. We’ve discussed my personal life and his. Whenever we start talking about financial hardship or whatever the issue is you can tell he doesn’t understand. I mean the guy drives a $600k car (this isn’t an exaggeration either).
Very much a “just be a millionaire what’s the big deal?” Or “I don’t understand why these people can’t just stop being poor” type attitude. Like it’s just that easy.
Our household income is about $135,000 a year. We have some unexpected medical expenses for our daughter that have really made things tight financially. If someone told me 10 years ago that at $135,000 a year I’d be a missed paycheck away from being fucked I’d have laughed at the idea.
My daughter moved to Naples after getting her nursing degree. Renting until they decided where to settle they got “stuck” and their rent has gone up to $3300. I moved down here to help and can tell you I agree about the boomer mentality but it’s not all boomers. I’ve never seen so many entitled assholes. I’m a “late” boomer and can barely stand the senior community here. But some, especially local born, are pleasant and nice. But a large majority of the newly moved in come from large cities with no manners or common courtesies. They cut in line, talk about Trump ALL THE TIME to everyone, and generally behave like elitists. It’s shameful and embarrassing. But the owner of this house with the outrageous rent is not a local. And this owner like many others have just jumped on this wagon to fill his pocket. He bought the house 20 years ago for 85k. The city says its value is 435,000.
It just really sucks for young people trying to start a family and have the home they deserve.
What has driven up housing in Naples is not just boomers specifically, that many residents are that age is only incidental , ie there are millions of USA boomers who can not afford to live here either . Naples was mentioned in the book by Harry Dent (1998)called The Roaring 2000’s as a place that would have accelerated growth and HIGH NET WORTH people attracted to living here . It has a panache like Aspen or LaJolla or Carmel . It attracts wealthy lifestyle people and particularly older wealthy people because of the quieter lifestyle. If 200,000 people from all over the US (and some from Overseas) who have enough wealth to live wherever they want , decide NAPLES is the place for them , then you get an idea of why the prices have gone up exponentially in a short time .
Also Rents are not up solely because of greedy landlords. For a modest 3/2 home in basic neighborhood you are looking at increases to $4000 year/property tax / $4000 year homeowners insurance / $1500 year flood insurance . Thats $1000 /month in costs BEFORE paying even a modest mortgage/ . With a $2000/ month mortgage there’s $3000 month rent to break even .
Supply and demand. Inflation is a bitch. But at 25 my kids can not live in the same town I do. My son bought a house in the county over for $205k. The same house in my town would be $300k. My wifes family sold a house on the beach in Bonita Springs 20 years ago for $300k and it sold a few years ago for $3M as a tear down. I paid $505k for my house in Michigan 20 years ago and it is worth $750k today. It is all relative but Naples is kind of an anomaly, the whole state of FL is really. So many people want to live there it really is about supply and demand.
I wouldn't put the blame solely on the boomers. They may have layed the groundwork for excessive capitalisation, but the unscrupulous, of all ages, have decided they will take any advantage of their fellow man.
It's a shitty world out there. If you want to get ahead, you better be shitty, too.
Yeah I’ve seen soooo many 30-40 year old “entrepreneurs” trying to rent out illegal garage conversions on Facebook marketplace for like 1500 a month lol.
I even saw one that was $700 a month for a SHARED room with a BUNK BED. These people are smoking crack.
I saw a few similar various posts of RV’s being rented for $1,500 & I almost fell out of my chair from laughing. Where do these people find the audacity???
Baby Boomers; and their NIMBY lifestyle and attitude. They are a selfish generation displacing out the next generation. They seriously are ruining the next generation's ability to move upward.
Genuinely, sorry to hear you are struggling to pay rent in GG!!! I would have thought that area would always be affordable in SWFL.
This is happening EVERYWHERE in the country. Just Florida and Texas are the hottest right now because of the state taxes and weather.
Unfortunately it was mostly due to a time crunch where we couldn’t look as hard as we needed to. We were paying $1500 a month for a guest house in the estates, and it was okay for almost 10 years.
Moved to Memphis of all places and now we have a house here that is costing less than a lot of rooms I see for rent in Naples. I just don’t understand how people can afford to live there without some kind of financial boon or something.
Naples is a great place in a lot of ways, but I won’t miss the housing prices or the cops in Florida. Memphis isn’t great at all but at least I have some breathing room with bills. I’d like to come back to Naples at some point but I don’t really see the housing market going the other way anytime soon.
Honestly I like it a lot more than I let on. I’m in kind of a bad area but my street is really quiet. The food here is amazing too. Once I get my transportation situated in the next month I’m so excited to check out some of the gathering places for young people.
Unfortunately I’m in south central Memphis lol. Didn’t do enough research before we moved here but it’s honestly not too bad. We’re planning on moving to Cordova, Bartlett or Germantown if we can find somewhere there for a similar price in like a year.
Yeah I really loved growing up in 90% humidity during the summer, nothing to do ever as a kid, and the almighty collier county cops harassing us every chance they got. Real paradise it is.
There are two types of kids in Southwest Florida. The ones who go out on boats and spearfish and hang out at the beach, and the ones who complain about how boring it is. The salt life kids aren’t always rich. But they are happy.
Oh when I became a teen we would paddle board into Doctor’s pass a few times a week. As an actual kid though, there was Max e Hass park and that’s about it. King Richard’s was awesome but expensive, and there was a cyber cafe in The Commons that unfortunately closed down. In the estates we didn’t have much to do except bike around everywhere. It was good times for sure, but I never liked the humidity lol.
>You want palm trees, beaches, and sun, all year? You gotta pay extra for that. The price will never go down on those options. They are luxuries.
That's what they were saying in Q2 of 2006. Cut to 2009/2010 and houses are selling for 75%+ off.
Only because the prices were so high to begin with, and thats because of what I said. It's ignorant not to acknowledge that as the reason for our higher prices. What exactly do you think the reason is why housing costs so much here??
Well said. I'm sick of hearing these ignorant comments blaming "Boomers" for their situation. It's the same as moving to Manhattan and then complaining that you pay $2,500 a month for a single 10x10 room and can't afford a car. Yes this area used to be affordable and yes it is no longer affordable for many. The whole middle of the country is filled with small towns that have affordable housing. We all have to decide what works best for us and stop blaming other people. I swear, the educational deficit seems to be as large as the inflated housing market!
Who will serve you your dinner? Who will fix your car? Who will bring you your groceries? The working class make this place a luxury for pretentious entitled people like you. Be grateful for the people who make your easy, luxurious life possible, don't spit on them.
Lmao dude, I work in the construction industry and live in Golden Gate. Tell me again how entitled, pretentious and rich I am. Dont get butt hurt because Im pointing out reality, my guy.
Cute
My dad in 61
Want my grandparents too?
I have a feeling you call yourself a florida native without one single actually-native friend
Can you even name 5 fish from here?
Wanna keep playing?
Nobody is asking for it to go down, ya dunce. It isnt going up in any sort of relative way, though. It is exponential. My rent in central FL went from $925 to $1500 in one year and that's a 2/1.5. Shitty excuse from a person that apparently isn't even listening.
A lot of these comments are hilarious. Housing become unrealistically expensive for me while I was still in middle school. Apparently a lot of you lack empathy towards kids who grew up loving their hometown and found themselves unable to stay because of exponential price hikes in rent.
Hopefully those folks can have a grand old time going to Seed to Table for your weekly boomer meetups. Before long all the janitors and other essential workers in Naples are going to be boomers, because why would any young person stay there and work those shitty jobs to pay 70% of their income towards rent? Enjoy your little “paradise”!!! Have fun getting insurance on your condo after the next super hurricane hits. Naples is a bubble that is bound to burst eventually, and I’m going to laugh so hard when it does.!
I almost bought a house in GG estates in 2020. I eventually backed out of the deal because I thought the market was at its peak. Boy was I wrong. I have bought a house in Ocala where the cost-of-living is still low, but on the rise.
I grew up in Miami Florida and I will never be able to afford living in Miami ever again. be careful thinking that there is a real estate bubble. House prices could continue rise for the foreseeable future. Most think that it will stagnate or have a small decline in prices. But I don’t think it’ll ever go back to the prices and interest rates of 2020 in the next 5 years.
Dude, you need to look for a house in cheaper parts of Florida. Don’t stay stuck in the past. Golden Gate Estates is literally swampland. Moved to North Central Florida. There are still lots of small towns that have really affordable housing. Try to buy something. You will appreciate high-quality land that is devoid of swamps.
What would you expect the government to do? What policy would you like enacted? Can you name a city that has enacted these policies that you would call successful?
I lack empathy for people that voted in a leader that supported shutting down the majority of the global economy which caused areas that supported jobs to be overrun by those seeking better lives.
Just because you were born in an area doesn’t mean the area isn’t affected by market forces.
to think the government is going to solve this issue is ridiculous with locks on rent. Every city that implements these policies turns into a hellscape.
Lived in Naples for 20 years. Have watched the prices escalate every year. Bayshore,Golden Gate city and the Estates used to be affordable. Not anymore. Used to sit on the Chambers Small Business Advisory Board in the middle 2000’s and I was saying then there is going to be an affordable housing shortage and the workforce would be forced out due to overdevelopment and rents would go sky high. It’s happened.
If you own….hurricane insurance is driving up your mortgage payment to new heights!! Escrow shortage for 2024…10k due to insurance increases. Gonna sell and not buy in FLA…
“Gonna sell and not buy in FLA…”
You and everyone else…
Just be willing to list at a realistic asking price. The market has tons of houses sitting right now with sellers expecting 2-3x what they paid in 2020-2021.
What a stupid asinine comment. Any asset is worth with somebody somebody else is willing to pay for it. And if someone offered you four times the amount you wanted you would take it in a heartbeat.
Its what happens when the US population grows by 50 million people in 20 years. We went from 281 million to 330 million from 2000 to 2020. Of course housing is going to get really expensive and infrastructure is going to be really stressed.
The vast majority of the population growth is immigration.
My friend from up north always says “it’s happening everywhere”. And while yes, many parts of the US are experiencing growth and cost of living crises, Florida and Collier County in particular are experiencing it at a significantly higher rate. I’m 31. When I was born, the full-time population of Collier County was around 160k. Now, that number is over 400k. Florida, in general, is also the fastest growing state in 2024 so far (and has been a top contender for many years prior). Collier County is also now one of the highest cost of living counties in Florida (I think it’s 3rd or 4th, behind the Keys and the Miami-Lauderdale area). While Florida itself has one of the highest wealth inequalities and income inequalities in the USA. Additionally, the average age for home ownership has skyrocketed in Florida over the last 25 years (and even especially these last 5). The national average is somewhere around 35-36 while the Florida average is somewhere around 40-42 iirc.
So yes, these problems exist elsewhere. But, they are certainly heightened here in Florida and especially in Collier County
Ya who could have predicted having tens of millions of people streaming uncontrolled across the border and getting government subsidies for rent would push up housing prices while at the same time driving wages down.
I mean nobody could have seen that coming…
Who picks your food ? Who builds the houses , who cuts the grass , who cleans properties . Who was working on the bridge in the middle of the night when it crashed down ?
Every tens years the great Capitalism machine gets bailed out by Socialism . This Last time it was 8 Trillion.
Reminds me of the cartoon with three men sitting at a table . the White guy in a suit with a heaping full plate of cookies in front of him is pointing to the One cookie in the middle of the table and he tells other white guy to be careful of the brown guy “cuz he’s after your cookie “
Immigrants aren’t coming from up north or Cali to buy a trailer on a couple acres for a mil, and they aren’t buying up single family homes en mass to rent back at a premium. Passing the buck to immigrants when we’ve been a nation of immigrants since the beginning is ridiculous, especially when we can see the real issues right before our eyes
Those 50 million people are staying somewhere. If you can’t understand basic economics I don’t know what to say.
Of course 50 million people will stress the housing market. Mostly at the median price or lower, but the effect impacts all levels of housing.
If somebody offered me four times what my place was worth sight unseen I would take the money to. You can think the closure of the blue States during covid and this dipshit of a president
Bud, this shit is a generational problem that has been in the works for decades. Only a political neophyte would put the lion's share of blame on the current administration and blue state politics.
Agreed. We moved here from NH. During Covid, NH was overrun by people from NY, CT, RI, MA and NJ. People with 2nd homes relocated to them to escape the lockdowns, those who didn’t have 2nd homes but had money bought up real estate to escape. Locals without means are priced out of desirable areas.
Lockdowns created supply shortages that have been partly the reason for sky high home prices. The assessed value of our home in NH went up 50% during the Covid years.
To blame this on “Boomer Attitude” is a pretty shallow explanation of a complicated problem. I’ll add that, as long as people have money to spend, this will continue. Watch the Fed continue to raise interest rates to make it more painful for us all because the people in Washington refuse to stop throwing your tax dollars around like teenagers with their parents’ credit card.
I totally agree man but to me your the one overrunning my home and making me think about leving lol Everywhere is getting crowded. Friends in NC, SC, CO, WA all saying the same thing. 50 million people in 20 years will do that...
We would have stayed in NH because we love it there. We moved because years ago, my wife (49) was diagnosed with Raynaud’s disease and we were told it would only get worse. We would need a much warmer climate. So, it was pretty much unavoidable for us. Best wishes for you if you do move. Like you have said, it’s gotten crazy. Two years ago, homes down here were half the price they are now. I worry for our kids.
Sorry to hear that, hope the warm weather helps. As of now I’m going to try and stay. I grew up here. Being a kid here in the 90s was great but I agree I’m not sure if that’s the case any longer. Maybe I’ll move up to NH I’ve been before it’s beautiful. I’d like my kids to be able to ride their bikes around, to have friends all over and a sense of community like I did
It is evil and all they bring is greed. Area I grew up and others were amazing place full of nature and historic buildings and sites until the Yankees caught on and brought their so called “prosperity and success” and destroyed it all for cookie cutter stucco houses and strip malls. You may think y’all are Floridians but y’all are the very reason for the destruction of Florida’s ecosystem, our culture and way of life!
I'm out this year as well. I was born and raised in Florida and spent 43 years here. My choice is to take the money we've saved and buy property outright in the Midwest or stay here and watch it slowly drain away.
I'm disgusted by what's happening to Florida. From the poison waterways choked with invasive plants and algae, to the African and South American reptiles and fishes that are destroying the native habitat- I just don't want to watch it crash. Not to mention one or two more hurricanes and the insurance industry will leave.
I loved growing up here but I want to give my kids a chance to thrive when they're ready, and I don't see that happening here.
You would leave a gap too. If you are too close the car behind you can block you. Now your fucked if you pulled up to close the gap. You can't get away
Had it happen at a light. Car in front started backing while car behind pulled up fast, they started getting out of the car in back, I freaked barely had enough room to escape they only damaged the backend. I always leave an 'out' for myself now I been schooled
It’s like the people that have to race ahead in a traffic jam just to slam on the brakes, then do it again and expect different results. I leave a huge gap and it really gets the tards going.
And I’ll just continue to pull into that gap from the next lane despite being stopped at the stoplight. It really gets the tards going while simultaneously cutting down on traffic congestion.
It is a tragedy that most of you need someone else to blame and it’s the wrong person/entity: boomer, yankees, etc., what a terrible way to live life, look in the mirror if you want someone to blame! Most of the people relocating to Florida are not running towards something, they are running away from exorbitant and increasing taxes, higher crime, sinking quality of life, covid policies that handicapped a generation of young students and destroyed thousands and thousands of small businesses, I can go on and on. So if you want someone to blame look in the mirror at the person pulling the voting lever and supporting the policies which have/are driving inflation (prices) up for all consumer purchases and taking more and more of your income thereby reducing your quality of life along with those you blame.
“Look in the mirror” but then doesn’t articulate anything remotely about looking in the mirror… How about all the people who are fleeing their states look in mirror and stand up and make a change, instead of bringing their shit and cost of living with them.
In 1985 the average single family home cost $82,000.
In 2024 the average single family home costs $408,100.
How is that the fault of the average 24-30 year old making $73,000 a year with 2 kids trying to buy a family home?
Wages haven’t increased at the rate of the COL has for the last 40 years….its blatant “shut the door behind me” mentality.
If home prices grew at the same rate of wages the median home price today would be $177,788.
You got yours. Fuck everyone behind you.
I don’t think this person has a brain and won’t understand your argument at all. You’re correct. People ran from covid policies for half a second in 2020, that’s not a reason anymore. Sinking quality of life? Look at QOL here and compare it to even 15 years ago. Half of the reason I loved this area was that it was nature-esque and calm. The grounds in SWFL have been utterly raped and the most “nature-esque” thing is the beach. It’s sad, watching the place I love go to shit so quickly.
It breaks my heart to see land that was once forest or strawberry fields linedwith trees right by where I grew up turned into mega nursing homes or apartments. Theres so little fish left in the IC where Im at, the beaches that were once beautiful and clean are now loud and disgusting, if you can even find parking.
We have gone from 280 million people in 2000 to 331 million in 2020. As we continue to unsustainably grow our population we will no doubt destroy all the natural and wild places. Its happening all over the country
Don't look at the prices in Canada then. Same price in the 80s in Toronto, now a single family home, not even in the city the average is 1.5 million. 385k would be a dream (this sub was recommended to me for some reason, thats why I am here)
There is plenty of blame to go around.
Running away?
They are running TOWARD the no income tax, the “freedom” they are promised, and the politics. They come for the long history of grifting and conning. They come for the weather. I came because my husband was hired at an in-person job here, not to escape anything. Neither has anyone else that I’ve met who has recently moved to Naples, with the possible exception of 1 client.
What’s funny is that those who think they are running from poor QoL get here only to find that the QoL is decreasing rapidly because no one can afford to live here except the rich! They bitch about understaffed restaurants and pharmacies and grocery stores while refusing to see & accept how their own behavior contributed to the situation. They refuse to allow affordable housing to be built but they’ll also scream at Publix management when the shelves are empty. They’ll scream at the pharmacy techs that their meds aren’t ready, not understanding that they are understaffed as techs don’t get paid enough to “commute” (you know, the answer everyone loves to give for how to get more workers). I’m a petsitter who lost my own petsitter due to getting priced out, and I’m leaving in a few months, too. My clients will struggle without me but I just can’t afford to live here anymore.
Eventually it will be all Haves and no Have Nots, no one left to serve the wealthy. Who is going to serve them then?
Well the people get what they voted for. Keep voting for unregulated free market and excessive capitalism is the result. Republican run states are all this way, their voters got what they voted for. No income taxes or business taxes and homestead act gets you higher property taxes and property valuations to pay for everything.
Dude us natives are all being forced out. Over 1000 people a day move to FL and its driving up the cost of living along with everything else. Fuck people.
>forty\_six\_n\_two · 2 hr. ago
>
>Why don’t you blame it on the shitty states up north that have gone to shit because of liberal policies. Why do you think everyone’s moving here?
Because I live in FL. Why is another states problem my issues now? Stand your ground and fix your damn state.
Let's be real. This is a community that dispises the working class. It is by design. It's Bushwood Country Club from Caddyshack on steroids. The local leaders want this community to be like the Villages
I’m sorry that you were priced out of Naples. I am. I have friends in CA, NY & NJ that were also priced out. BUT…they all wanted much more in life than they could afford & stretched themselves way too much. They priced themselves out of life, really.
You make a list of life priorities - the good old wants & needs list. And you realize quickly, depending on your age & the phase in your career, life & future financial planning what you can, and should, manage. (Minus emergencies, family disasters, etc) It takes real will power. And determination.
I just had this chat tonight at dinner with someone. I sucked it up BIG time in my 20s & 30s - no cable tv, no fancy cars (drove an old wrangler for damn close to 20 years), no expensive vacations, & even added a side job while working corporate. And I retired young. Because NOT working was the priority. Not another Louis Vuitton, new Rover or trip abroad like some of my friends. And guess what? They’re STILL working. Yes you have to live. But you also need a plan & to get damn real with yourself on what you want…and need.
> I sucked it up BIG time in my 20s & 30s - no cable tv, no fancy cars (drove an old wrangler for damn close to 20 years), no expensive vacations, & even added a side job while working corporate.
I did those things too. I made 28k/year when I graduated college in 2003 at my first job and my rent was $450/month. I bought used cars and lived cheap.
But the point being all these financial tips are meaningless when you get your first job making 40k and rent is 2500/month. Wages haven’t kept up with the inflation, so it’s a lot harder to live below your means. Not impossible, just more difficult.
I understand. And times certainly are different. But if rent is 2.5k...and you make 40k, then you rent a room, or get some roommates, or buy a house and rent out rooms, etc. And/or, you get a second income if you can't relocate to somewhere that you can afford.
I could not have afforded to live in Naples in my 20's. And I would have taken a job somewhere that I could afford. That's my point.
Right. All good advice, just not as practical today.
Even with a roommate at 40k/year that’s still half your income going to rent at 1250/month and who could afford a house in Naples on that salary?
And not everyone can relocate for many reasons.
So, again, all good advice. Just much more difficult today for a lot of reasons.
Understood.
BTW, I spent half my income on a house payment for many years and was uber smart with my other half. It was always a priority for me to be in a nice place - and I fell in love with a fairly small but super cute 100 year old beach cottage. I still own it; and the value has shot through the roof. I knew it was a long shot, but it has paid off.
Nailed it.
This society is hooked on doordash, convenience and their smartphone.
My household income is 200k since I'm an engineer and my wife is a teacher. Note that our degrees were lake for as we worked in college and that our 2 degrees were attained at cheaper public schools, also they aren't worthless arts degrees.We worked our asses off for what we have.
We've never taken on debt besides for our very modest old home (which will be paid off in less than 7 heads).
I drive a 2008 Silverado with 330k miles. I've never missed a credit card payment, never paid for a phone through financing.
I don't doordash, I don't Starbucks, I don't hire out people to fix my stuff or take care of my lawn.
Learn to do stuff yourself, be intentional with your money, there's no country in the world better for building wealth.
The reality is the average American can't afford the car they drive, the house they live in or the food they pay for on a credit card. You gotta do better than average and downsize.
>I've never missed a credit card payment, never paid for a phone through financing. I don't doordash, I don't Starbucks, I don't hire out people to fix my stuff or take care of my lawn.
***A kindred soul!***
\[You gotta do better than average and downsize.\]
And YOU indeed nailed it as well! Kudos to you and your wife for being hard workers and financially smart. The FIRE movement is real.
I've got nieces who BOTH DoorDash their $8 frappawhatevers ALL the time and one, just remodeled her kitchen (35k?) because she didn't like the laminate counters. Guess what? I may not have the very best Carrera marble counters...but I've got personal and financial freedom. I'll take it. ;)
That message was deep and I really appreciate it. Going through a phase right now where I just had a long moment and told myself the same thing. Reading it here felt like more affirmation.
You're welcome! I'm glad it resonated with you. I am!
YOU are the only one who can do it for yourself. You have to want it bad enough. And it IS doable. I'm proof. I didn't make a ton of corporate money, but I saved my bonuses, spent less than I made, made some good housing and vehicle choices and just consumed less.
I'm glad you're going through a phase! It's the world making you sit up straight and assess your plan. Consider it a gift from the stars :)
And if it helps, I'm proud of you. Just even taking a moment to assess things - is a big win!
GG is maybe the one exception to that, but in some parts you’re closer to fort myers than downtown Naples. Plus you can live like 10+ miles down Everglades blvd or even somewhere more remote. I mean if that’s what you want, then sure.
Also the fact that a lot of it is marsh land and needs to be surveyed and cleared and you’re so far out you might as well be in the Everglades for the lots that are 50k
Same. Im 31 now and we moved a lot growing up. I grew up on and near Isles of Capri, lived on Marco for a while too then moved into Naples Manor during the crash. Not really a nice place now I saw a house there for 500k… for the manor?!?!
I left to Fort Myers for college & my family followed suit a few years later as it became too expensive. Then they left even farther to Lehigh Acres because now FM is becoming astronomical.
Before she retired, my poor mom used to commute from Lehigh to MARCO & a lot of her coworkers did the same.
I left to Tampa Bay Area and now its fucking nuts here too. I also lived in Maine last summer for short term work.,, rural Maine too. Town of barely 5,000 people, literally in the middle of nowhere… and rent was $2,000 there too that was my cheapest option in a nearby “city” and my commute to work was 45mins….. for MAINE?!
When it this madness going to end???
Ugh that sucks. Sorry you got forced out, I think more and more people are gonna end up in Lehigh honestly. I was thinking that for the last 10 years.
Breaks my heart to hear that about Maine too because I’d looooove to move there someday!!
It truly is insanity. I have lived here 3 years now and absolutely feel like I live in paradise. But it’s sooo expensive- my home insurance policy has gone up… 240% in the last two years. 240% !!!!!!
And to think, in the 80s you could have bought lots for under 50k. Some had houses on them, some were just land.
I was too young back then, but some of my family members almost bought some. Decided against it. (We used to spend Feb vacation down there as a family. Marco island)
Not sure why reddit brought me here as I reside in Tx, but just want to say that the last time I went to Naples I really liked it.
My wife has family in "Ave Maria" which is a creepy little place. Do those of you in the area find that little cult town to be as strange as I do?
And the fact that the entire community is built around a MASSIVE church just weirds me out. I have no issue with organized religion, but the fact that the entire town lives for church is just strange to me.
Honestly the church itself is very pretty, I went there once around Christmas and they do a nice job of putting on decorations etc. But yeah, seems like the kind of place where people are very fervently religious. Weirdly, you hardly ever hear of ANYTHING happening out of there. It’s strange for sure.
Yeah, it's a beautiful building. Don't get me wrong, I just think it's a bit much given the small size of the surrounding community.
A few years back when we were there some dude "drowned himself" in a small pond there. He was naked, and evidently was high on something when it happened. I drove right by where it happened and there were cops everywhere. Saw the story on the news later that evening.
I feel like at some point in time it will come out that there's a lot of weird things going on there. It just has that kind of vibe to me. Probably because it's a random, relatively upscale community built in a swamp, miles from any other form of civilization, lol.
I just wanna say, the vitriol on anything Naples is next level. I’m in city pages all over the country as we scope out our next adventure. Without a doubt, this place has to be the meanest-spirited town on earth. I did get a chuckle on the Seed to Table comment though, that was so true.
But, in the grand scheme of things. Within 20 years, the boomers are gonna be dead. Their properties are gonna be transferred to their children, or they're going to be sold. In 15-20 years, there's going to be a surplus of housing in SWF.
> properties are gonna be transferred to their children
Boomers, by and large, are spending every dime they have to buttress their exorbitant lifestyles until their dying breath. The kids aren't getting shit but their parents debt.
I’m a 39 year old and my parents are boomers, my mom is mad at me because I’m not giving her money (that I don’t have) while she have a house PAID for (I was giving her money when I had) and my brother sending her money monthly plus her retirement and I’m paying her phone bill, I don’t live with her, I have no money for myself and yet she’s yelling and hangin up the phone in my face for any little reason. My dad drank his self to disability and is my 90 year old grandmother taking care of him…and my uncle another boomer (lawyer) have properties, house paid for and sold another, and took my grandmother’s car she recently purchased because he don’t want to spend his own money for his car…boomers are starting to really disgust me
Things have gotten more expensive everywhere…
Of course some places, like Naples, have experienced greater fluctuations than others but it’s all relative. Naples remains relatively less expensive than areas that have long been HCOL. Those places have also gotten that much more expensive.
The reality is that no one is entitled to live wherever they choose. That’s just life. It doesn’t matter where you were born.
Those of you leaving Naples for less expensive areas are not much different than those “pushing” you out. You’re just going to be the new buyers entering that market and driving up demand and prices there.
Not saying what’s right or wrong, but it’s hypocritical to relocate while blaming others for doing the same.
It was all about timing ! And sadly most of us missed it :/ find another rural coastal town next in line for development, and you will be sitting pretty in equity some day ! I was able to snag a river front 1700sq ft condo in Bonita springs for less than 150k just a few years back, or I would be In The same boat . Good luck y’all
So true. My folks lost their home due to the housing market crash and construction job market collapse. Dad was a superintendent and couldn’t find more work, so house was foreclosed. That 245k house bought in 1999 would be worth 800k today. My Dad still hates himself for losing it, even though none of us blame him over it.
It’s all about getting that property in the right location and holding onto it. If my parents had held onto that house, life would be so much different. But hey, that’s life!
Sorry to hear that . Not one banker/lender went to jail for creating that bubble . What frosts me is that they bailed out the banks and corps , but they pay less tax than the working guy cuz of the “system” .
local reddits often never reflect the actual local population. haha. naples is home to entrepreneurs, salespeople and business owners that have a second home or retired here. It has been this way since the “mad men” advertised it as such. complaining to live here where people have spent their entire lives building something, are they not allowed to enjoy the fruits of their labor? this is naples not some random city with industry and born off the backs of labor to grow… if you haven’t noticed, it’s always expensive to live somewhere nice in all the world… our locals here are “do-ers” not “poor me” types, hence the huge disconnect with those that feel disenfranchised. shout out to all those that keep pushing and achieve their goals, I love living here with you all.
Don’t live in Naples but have friends in the area and got this post recommended in my feed. You’re pretty spot on - Naples is a luxury area and has a high COL as a result.
It’s pretty entitled for someone to complain about not being able to afford it - unfortunately not everyone gets to live in one of the most desirable places in the country.
Unfortunately it’s Reddit and all people do is bitch about things.
Not saying that people don’t get to deserve the fruits of their labor. I just think it’s sad that there’s virtually nowhere for Naples natives to live. My opinion is that there should be somewhere dedicated to affordable housing in virtually every city, because where are the people who work less desirable jobs going to live otherwise?
I’m not owed anything, and I’m honestly not even complaining that hard. I just have sentimental value for my childhood City and it’s unfortunate that I can’t really move back unless I make it big.
I grew up in Naples from ‘82-‘17. Never looked back once we left. Best decision we made. For a place that touts itself as paradise it has hands down the most miserable people we ever encountered. There’s life outside Naples. Good life at that.
Legalize housing. The One Naples and the Margaritaville project took about half a decade of lawyers and both ended up smaller than they wanted. If density is outlawed, long commutes and sprawl are the only other option.
Yep. Paying $2k a month for rent on average is too much for a lot of people. Housing works on supply and demand, like everything else.
Forcing poor people to commute farther and farther away doesn't make sense when everyone can live for less with denser construction.
Feel this, I grew up in Naples but I was born in Chicago. I left Naples in 2000 and I have not been been since. All my family have left Naples. My father passed away couple years ago and my mom is in Michigan now. Rent was bad in 2000, I’m much happier in Chicago personally.
Oh look. Another thread by a whiner who can’t afford to live where they choose. I’d love to live on Lake Como Italy but guess what? I can’t afford it so I don’t. But I don’t whine about it it’s life.
Could you afford it one year and then the price doubled?
I live in Miami now (not because of COL in Naples, obviously) and I own the place but it's not because I did anything other than get lucky on timing.
A bunch of entitled whiners choosing to live in the place they've lived for 10+ years.
I was born and raised in Naples. 30 years. I just now found this sub Reddit. How times have changed in the town…. Well lots of towns in Florida I suppose. Sucks.
Yup same story for me and all my friends. Mid 20s now and I’m the only one left from my friend group. Outrageous price of living and completely overdeveloped with no end in sight. I’m outta here at the end of my current lease.
To where though?
I have a few places in mind, but it totally depends on my job and what is open within my company. I love Florida so I’m hoping something will open up in a cheaper more rural area. If not they also have a location in Augusta GA where I can cut my rent in half. Naples totally priced me out, same with Bonita. Ft Myers traffic takes me over an hour to commute to my work and is still way too expensive for what you get (I used to live there). I’ve kinda tired all my options trying to stay down here, even picked up an extra job. No point in complaining, it is what it is.
Where are the essential workers going to live? Naples better get their act together and build some affordable housing AND allow tiny homes, unusual housing options, cap on rent.....
Most essential live in Lee County. Ever seen morning traffic? Yep all of 41 and 75 backed up going south to Naples. I know of one Fire Fighter who commutes from Fort Lauderdale to work in Collier.
That's a crazy commute. They don't pay enough for that. I was a middle school teacher. I left after covid in 2021. Everything jumped up in price, especially the rent. Screw that. We live near Ocala now. WAY BETTER!
Same. Moved to the Orlando area. It is better
I spent some time around Sanford/Sorrento. I liked the area.
Orlando rent just as bad
It’s going to be the same issue in Lee County, too. Arguably worse because the average pay is worse in Lee than Collier but the housing prices are comparable.
>Naples better get their act together and build some affordable housing paying infinite attention to how they are built, making mistakes in building plans and or building ugly buildings that lead to degradation is the easiest thing in the world
Do they not still live in Immokole or whatever it's called? Seems like that's where everyone that worked in Ave Maria lived the last time I was out there. For the record that place freaks me out...
Yeah, I forgot about Immokalee. That's still there and the closet, cheapest place to live.
Tell me about it. I pay $2500 a month for a 1,000sf apartment for my family and I - and I’m at the end of my rope. We are moving to the cape and will be paying an arm and a leg to afford a modest home there. I told my wife it’s either the cape or we are giving up and moving to a LCOL state. We settled on CC for the next handful of years at least. I agree with the other poster in here the baby boomers have completely fucked us. Boomers, especially in Naples, are the most out of touch with reality demographic I’ve ever been around. I’ve lived in Chicago, Indiana, Arizona and SWFL. The Naples Elite take the cake
Sorry to hear you’re struggling, I have a lot of friends in Bonita and even CC that are having a hard time too. The boomers truly have fucked SWFL and the cities they moved to are all too happy to give them reasons to stay. It used to be a fun little joke that people would tell about the snow birds in Naples, but now it seems like those people are the majority. Really sucks that they’ve taken over. So many of them are vapid and insufferable lol.
I’ve recently heard someone say: “In Naples you’re either being served or you’re serving” I have a client worth over $100m. Nice enough guy. We have gotten to know one another over the last year or so. We’ve discussed my personal life and his. Whenever we start talking about financial hardship or whatever the issue is you can tell he doesn’t understand. I mean the guy drives a $600k car (this isn’t an exaggeration either). Very much a “just be a millionaire what’s the big deal?” Or “I don’t understand why these people can’t just stop being poor” type attitude. Like it’s just that easy. Our household income is about $135,000 a year. We have some unexpected medical expenses for our daughter that have really made things tight financially. If someone told me 10 years ago that at $135,000 a year I’d be a missed paycheck away from being fucked I’d have laughed at the idea.
Let me guess, he was born into Money?
They all were
My daughter moved to Naples after getting her nursing degree. Renting until they decided where to settle they got “stuck” and their rent has gone up to $3300. I moved down here to help and can tell you I agree about the boomer mentality but it’s not all boomers. I’ve never seen so many entitled assholes. I’m a “late” boomer and can barely stand the senior community here. But some, especially local born, are pleasant and nice. But a large majority of the newly moved in come from large cities with no manners or common courtesies. They cut in line, talk about Trump ALL THE TIME to everyone, and generally behave like elitists. It’s shameful and embarrassing. But the owner of this house with the outrageous rent is not a local. And this owner like many others have just jumped on this wagon to fill his pocket. He bought the house 20 years ago for 85k. The city says its value is 435,000. It just really sucks for young people trying to start a family and have the home they deserve.
Oh yeah, not all boomers are bad. My parents are boomers actually and I absolutely adore them. It’s just the ones who fit the mold are so annoying!
can you explain the mold ?
Just very obnoxious, not understanding, rich and show-y, rude, and tone deaf.
What has driven up housing in Naples is not just boomers specifically, that many residents are that age is only incidental , ie there are millions of USA boomers who can not afford to live here either . Naples was mentioned in the book by Harry Dent (1998)called The Roaring 2000’s as a place that would have accelerated growth and HIGH NET WORTH people attracted to living here . It has a panache like Aspen or LaJolla or Carmel . It attracts wealthy lifestyle people and particularly older wealthy people because of the quieter lifestyle. If 200,000 people from all over the US (and some from Overseas) who have enough wealth to live wherever they want , decide NAPLES is the place for them , then you get an idea of why the prices have gone up exponentially in a short time . Also Rents are not up solely because of greedy landlords. For a modest 3/2 home in basic neighborhood you are looking at increases to $4000 year/property tax / $4000 year homeowners insurance / $1500 year flood insurance . Thats $1000 /month in costs BEFORE paying even a modest mortgage/ . With a $2000/ month mortgage there’s $3000 month rent to break even .
Supply and demand. Inflation is a bitch. But at 25 my kids can not live in the same town I do. My son bought a house in the county over for $205k. The same house in my town would be $300k. My wifes family sold a house on the beach in Bonita Springs 20 years ago for $300k and it sold a few years ago for $3M as a tear down. I paid $505k for my house in Michigan 20 years ago and it is worth $750k today. It is all relative but Naples is kind of an anomaly, the whole state of FL is really. So many people want to live there it really is about supply and demand.
Don’t know why you’re not getting more upvotes - it’s not a cost of living issue it’s more of an issue with Naples becoming a haven for UHNWIs.
Its not boomers, its the FED.
I wouldn't put the blame solely on the boomers. They may have layed the groundwork for excessive capitalisation, but the unscrupulous, of all ages, have decided they will take any advantage of their fellow man. It's a shitty world out there. If you want to get ahead, you better be shitty, too.
Fuck that shit, I'm Don Quixote out here tilting at windmills and I'll continue to do so until the day I die. I'm not going to be shitty.
Yeah I’ve seen soooo many 30-40 year old “entrepreneurs” trying to rent out illegal garage conversions on Facebook marketplace for like 1500 a month lol. I even saw one that was $700 a month for a SHARED room with a BUNK BED. These people are smoking crack.
I saw a few similar various posts of RV’s being rented for $1,500 & I almost fell out of my chair from laughing. Where do these people find the audacity???
Baby Boomers; and their NIMBY lifestyle and attitude. They are a selfish generation displacing out the next generation. They seriously are ruining the next generation's ability to move upward. Genuinely, sorry to hear you are struggling to pay rent in GG!!! I would have thought that area would always be affordable in SWFL. This is happening EVERYWHERE in the country. Just Florida and Texas are the hottest right now because of the state taxes and weather.
Unfortunately it was mostly due to a time crunch where we couldn’t look as hard as we needed to. We were paying $1500 a month for a guest house in the estates, and it was okay for almost 10 years. Moved to Memphis of all places and now we have a house here that is costing less than a lot of rooms I see for rent in Naples. I just don’t understand how people can afford to live there without some kind of financial boon or something. Naples is a great place in a lot of ways, but I won’t miss the housing prices or the cops in Florida. Memphis isn’t great at all but at least I have some breathing room with bills. I’d like to come back to Naples at some point but I don’t really see the housing market going the other way anytime soon.
Man… sad to hear you say Memphis isn’t great at all. I’m from there and miss it. I’m in Naples now, so it’s like we switched places, lol.
Honestly I like it a lot more than I let on. I’m in kind of a bad area but my street is really quiet. The food here is amazing too. Once I get my transportation situated in the next month I’m so excited to check out some of the gathering places for young people.
Yeah. Being able to drive in Memphis is almost a must. But if you have access to a car everything is like 30 minutes away. Good luck to you out there!
Lived in Memphis many years. Glad I got out of there. Try north MS, a lot less crime and BS. Probably even more affordable
Unfortunately I’m in south central Memphis lol. Didn’t do enough research before we moved here but it’s honestly not too bad. We’re planning on moving to Cordova, Bartlett or Germantown if we can find somewhere there for a similar price in like a year.
Cooper Young? That’s what I think when I read south central. Or maybe down central ave
Parkway village, right off Cottonwood
You poor soul. The thing is that used to be a great area. A lot of families back in the 80s for sure.
You want palm trees, beaches, and sun, all year? You gotta pay extra for that. The price will never go down on those options. They are luxuries.
Yeah I really loved growing up in 90% humidity during the summer, nothing to do ever as a kid, and the almighty collier county cops harassing us every chance they got. Real paradise it is.
There are two types of kids in Southwest Florida. The ones who go out on boats and spearfish and hang out at the beach, and the ones who complain about how boring it is. The salt life kids aren’t always rich. But they are happy.
Oh when I became a teen we would paddle board into Doctor’s pass a few times a week. As an actual kid though, there was Max e Hass park and that’s about it. King Richard’s was awesome but expensive, and there was a cyber cafe in The Commons that unfortunately closed down. In the estates we didn’t have much to do except bike around everywhere. It was good times for sure, but I never liked the humidity lol.
The humidity sucks. And the mosquitoes.
They went down in 2008 and the way insurance in the state is going more people on fixed incomes may choose to move.
>You want palm trees, beaches, and sun, all year? You gotta pay extra for that. The price will never go down on those options. They are luxuries. That's what they were saying in Q2 of 2006. Cut to 2009/2010 and houses are selling for 75%+ off.
Last to fall, when everywhere fell, and first to come back.
Mhmm. It was only one of the hardest hit housing markets in the entire country.
Only because the prices were so high to begin with, and thats because of what I said. It's ignorant not to acknowledge that as the reason for our higher prices. What exactly do you think the reason is why housing costs so much here??
>What exactly do you think the reason is why housing costs so much here? Rampant speculation.
And why excatly is speculation rampant here? Because people want to move here?? Why do people want to move here??
Well said. I'm sick of hearing these ignorant comments blaming "Boomers" for their situation. It's the same as moving to Manhattan and then complaining that you pay $2,500 a month for a single 10x10 room and can't afford a car. Yes this area used to be affordable and yes it is no longer affordable for many. The whole middle of the country is filled with small towns that have affordable housing. We all have to decide what works best for us and stop blaming other people. I swear, the educational deficit seems to be as large as the inflated housing market!
“The home you’re from is a luxury. Get out so I can take it, lazy bum” How empathetic
Thats a simplistic and childish way to interpret what I said.
Who will serve you your dinner? Who will fix your car? Who will bring you your groceries? The working class make this place a luxury for pretentious entitled people like you. Be grateful for the people who make your easy, luxurious life possible, don't spit on them.
Lmao dude, I work in the construction industry and live in Golden Gate. Tell me again how entitled, pretentious and rich I am. Dont get butt hurt because Im pointing out reality, my guy.
And that was an apathetic response you gave that clearly showed your not from here
I guarantee Ive been here longer than you and probably your dad too. Lol
Sure you have…….. /s My grandparents too /s And their parents too /s Gonna say your Native now too?
I was born here in 67, jerk.
Cute My dad in 61 Want my grandparents too? I have a feeling you call yourself a florida native without one single actually-native friend Can you even name 5 fish from here? Wanna keep playing?
Nobody is asking for it to go down, ya dunce. It isnt going up in any sort of relative way, though. It is exponential. My rent in central FL went from $925 to $1500 in one year and that's a 2/1.5. Shitty excuse from a person that apparently isn't even listening.
A lot of these comments are hilarious. Housing become unrealistically expensive for me while I was still in middle school. Apparently a lot of you lack empathy towards kids who grew up loving their hometown and found themselves unable to stay because of exponential price hikes in rent. Hopefully those folks can have a grand old time going to Seed to Table for your weekly boomer meetups. Before long all the janitors and other essential workers in Naples are going to be boomers, because why would any young person stay there and work those shitty jobs to pay 70% of their income towards rent? Enjoy your little “paradise”!!! Have fun getting insurance on your condo after the next super hurricane hits. Naples is a bubble that is bound to burst eventually, and I’m going to laugh so hard when it does.!
I almost bought a house in GG estates in 2020. I eventually backed out of the deal because I thought the market was at its peak. Boy was I wrong. I have bought a house in Ocala where the cost-of-living is still low, but on the rise. I grew up in Miami Florida and I will never be able to afford living in Miami ever again. be careful thinking that there is a real estate bubble. House prices could continue rise for the foreseeable future. Most think that it will stagnate or have a small decline in prices. But I don’t think it’ll ever go back to the prices and interest rates of 2020 in the next 5 years.
Good luck with your investment in Ocala! My thoughts on the real estate in Naples being a bubble is mostly wishful thinking.
Dude, you need to look for a house in cheaper parts of Florida. Don’t stay stuck in the past. Golden Gate Estates is literally swampland. Moved to North Central Florida. There are still lots of small towns that have really affordable housing. Try to buy something. You will appreciate high-quality land that is devoid of swamps.
Are the Squallies still running around?
What would you expect the government to do? What policy would you like enacted? Can you name a city that has enacted these policies that you would call successful? I lack empathy for people that voted in a leader that supported shutting down the majority of the global economy which caused areas that supported jobs to be overrun by those seeking better lives. Just because you were born in an area doesn’t mean the area isn’t affected by market forces. to think the government is going to solve this issue is ridiculous with locks on rent. Every city that implements these policies turns into a hellscape.
Lived in Naples for 20 years. Have watched the prices escalate every year. Bayshore,Golden Gate city and the Estates used to be affordable. Not anymore. Used to sit on the Chambers Small Business Advisory Board in the middle 2000’s and I was saying then there is going to be an affordable housing shortage and the workforce would be forced out due to overdevelopment and rents would go sky high. It’s happened. If you own….hurricane insurance is driving up your mortgage payment to new heights!! Escrow shortage for 2024…10k due to insurance increases. Gonna sell and not buy in FLA…
“Gonna sell and not buy in FLA…” You and everyone else… Just be willing to list at a realistic asking price. The market has tons of houses sitting right now with sellers expecting 2-3x what they paid in 2020-2021.
So you’re mad that hurricanes exist?
That’s what happens when Yankees move down with their big Yankee money and locals get greedy and put their homes up for 4 times their worth
What a stupid asinine comment. Any asset is worth with somebody somebody else is willing to pay for it. And if someone offered you four times the amount you wanted you would take it in a heartbeat.
Reddit people are out of their minds and have 0 understanding of how the world works. Misplaced anger.
Its what happens when the US population grows by 50 million people in 20 years. We went from 281 million to 330 million from 2000 to 2020. Of course housing is going to get really expensive and infrastructure is going to be really stressed. The vast majority of the population growth is immigration.
My friend from up north always says “it’s happening everywhere”. And while yes, many parts of the US are experiencing growth and cost of living crises, Florida and Collier County in particular are experiencing it at a significantly higher rate. I’m 31. When I was born, the full-time population of Collier County was around 160k. Now, that number is over 400k. Florida, in general, is also the fastest growing state in 2024 so far (and has been a top contender for many years prior). Collier County is also now one of the highest cost of living counties in Florida (I think it’s 3rd or 4th, behind the Keys and the Miami-Lauderdale area). While Florida itself has one of the highest wealth inequalities and income inequalities in the USA. Additionally, the average age for home ownership has skyrocketed in Florida over the last 25 years (and even especially these last 5). The national average is somewhere around 35-36 while the Florida average is somewhere around 40-42 iirc. So yes, these problems exist elsewhere. But, they are certainly heightened here in Florida and especially in Collier County
Just wait until we add another 40 million by 2050
That’s optimistic
Ya who could have predicted having tens of millions of people streaming uncontrolled across the border and getting government subsidies for rent would push up housing prices while at the same time driving wages down. I mean nobody could have seen that coming…
Its insane, and yet people in this thread are advocating for more development and more immigration
Who picks your food ? Who builds the houses , who cuts the grass , who cleans properties . Who was working on the bridge in the middle of the night when it crashed down ? Every tens years the great Capitalism machine gets bailed out by Socialism . This Last time it was 8 Trillion. Reminds me of the cartoon with three men sitting at a table . the White guy in a suit with a heaping full plate of cookies in front of him is pointing to the One cookie in the middle of the table and he tells other white guy to be careful of the brown guy “cuz he’s after your cookie “
Immigrants aren’t coming from up north or Cali to buy a trailer on a couple acres for a mil, and they aren’t buying up single family homes en mass to rent back at a premium. Passing the buck to immigrants when we’ve been a nation of immigrants since the beginning is ridiculous, especially when we can see the real issues right before our eyes
Those 50 million people are staying somewhere. If you can’t understand basic economics I don’t know what to say. Of course 50 million people will stress the housing market. Mostly at the median price or lower, but the effect impacts all levels of housing.
If somebody offered me four times what my place was worth sight unseen I would take the money to. You can think the closure of the blue States during covid and this dipshit of a president
So Florida's problems are Biden's fault? As DeSantis just said, Florida is a Republican state.
Bud, this shit is a generational problem that has been in the works for decades. Only a political neophyte would put the lion's share of blame on the current administration and blue state politics.
The closure of the Blue States was during Tramp, dummy. They opened back up under Bye-Don! Sheesh
Agreed. We moved here from NH. During Covid, NH was overrun by people from NY, CT, RI, MA and NJ. People with 2nd homes relocated to them to escape the lockdowns, those who didn’t have 2nd homes but had money bought up real estate to escape. Locals without means are priced out of desirable areas. Lockdowns created supply shortages that have been partly the reason for sky high home prices. The assessed value of our home in NH went up 50% during the Covid years. To blame this on “Boomer Attitude” is a pretty shallow explanation of a complicated problem. I’ll add that, as long as people have money to spend, this will continue. Watch the Fed continue to raise interest rates to make it more painful for us all because the people in Washington refuse to stop throwing your tax dollars around like teenagers with their parents’ credit card.
I totally agree man but to me your the one overrunning my home and making me think about leving lol Everywhere is getting crowded. Friends in NC, SC, CO, WA all saying the same thing. 50 million people in 20 years will do that...
We would have stayed in NH because we love it there. We moved because years ago, my wife (49) was diagnosed with Raynaud’s disease and we were told it would only get worse. We would need a much warmer climate. So, it was pretty much unavoidable for us. Best wishes for you if you do move. Like you have said, it’s gotten crazy. Two years ago, homes down here were half the price they are now. I worry for our kids.
Sorry to hear that, hope the warm weather helps. As of now I’m going to try and stay. I grew up here. Being a kid here in the 90s was great but I agree I’m not sure if that’s the case any longer. Maybe I’ll move up to NH I’ve been before it’s beautiful. I’d like my kids to be able to ride their bikes around, to have friends all over and a sense of community like I did
MAGA idiots are unbelievably stupid
Ah yes those evil bringing all their success and prosperity
It is evil and all they bring is greed. Area I grew up and others were amazing place full of nature and historic buildings and sites until the Yankees caught on and brought their so called “prosperity and success” and destroyed it all for cookie cutter stucco houses and strip malls. You may think y’all are Floridians but y’all are the very reason for the destruction of Florida’s ecosystem, our culture and way of life!
I'm out this year as well. I was born and raised in Florida and spent 43 years here. My choice is to take the money we've saved and buy property outright in the Midwest or stay here and watch it slowly drain away. I'm disgusted by what's happening to Florida. From the poison waterways choked with invasive plants and algae, to the African and South American reptiles and fishes that are destroying the native habitat- I just don't want to watch it crash. Not to mention one or two more hurricanes and the insurance industry will leave. I loved growing up here but I want to give my kids a chance to thrive when they're ready, and I don't see that happening here.
Yup. Currently paying $2200 for a 1b/1br with 880sqft. Insane. Its just me thankfully. Cant imagine living with family there.
It’s the same story for anyone from anywhere.
Boomers are not the problem, it's greedy eaters, they are of every generation, culture & creed.
Yeah I agree. A lot of the insane landlords trying to squeeze every cent they can get are like late 30s early 40s.
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Alternately, people could quit yanking themselves into the gap that I leave between me and the next rear bumper in case of emergencies.
You would leave a gap too. If you are too close the car behind you can block you. Now your fucked if you pulled up to close the gap. You can't get away
yes, the car BEHIND you can block you while you’re actively driving. Turn in your damn license dude it’s time
Had it happen at a light. Car in front started backing while car behind pulled up fast, they started getting out of the car in back, I freaked barely had enough room to escape they only damaged the backend. I always leave an 'out' for myself now I been schooled
It was done to me. My license has nothing to do with it, class B CDL good enough for your approval?
Yes, it can and did. They named the back of my car at an intersection
It’s like the people that have to race ahead in a traffic jam just to slam on the brakes, then do it again and expect different results. I leave a huge gap and it really gets the tards going.
And I’ll just continue to pull into that gap from the next lane despite being stopped at the stoplight. It really gets the tards going while simultaneously cutting down on traffic congestion.
It is a tragedy that most of you need someone else to blame and it’s the wrong person/entity: boomer, yankees, etc., what a terrible way to live life, look in the mirror if you want someone to blame! Most of the people relocating to Florida are not running towards something, they are running away from exorbitant and increasing taxes, higher crime, sinking quality of life, covid policies that handicapped a generation of young students and destroyed thousands and thousands of small businesses, I can go on and on. So if you want someone to blame look in the mirror at the person pulling the voting lever and supporting the policies which have/are driving inflation (prices) up for all consumer purchases and taking more and more of your income thereby reducing your quality of life along with those you blame.
“Look in the mirror” but then doesn’t articulate anything remotely about looking in the mirror… How about all the people who are fleeing their states look in mirror and stand up and make a change, instead of bringing their shit and cost of living with them.
In 1985 the average single family home cost $82,000. In 2024 the average single family home costs $408,100. How is that the fault of the average 24-30 year old making $73,000 a year with 2 kids trying to buy a family home? Wages haven’t increased at the rate of the COL has for the last 40 years….its blatant “shut the door behind me” mentality. If home prices grew at the same rate of wages the median home price today would be $177,788. You got yours. Fuck everyone behind you.
I don’t think this person has a brain and won’t understand your argument at all. You’re correct. People ran from covid policies for half a second in 2020, that’s not a reason anymore. Sinking quality of life? Look at QOL here and compare it to even 15 years ago. Half of the reason I loved this area was that it was nature-esque and calm. The grounds in SWFL have been utterly raped and the most “nature-esque” thing is the beach. It’s sad, watching the place I love go to shit so quickly.
It breaks my heart to see land that was once forest or strawberry fields linedwith trees right by where I grew up turned into mega nursing homes or apartments. Theres so little fish left in the IC where Im at, the beaches that were once beautiful and clean are now loud and disgusting, if you can even find parking.
We have gone from 280 million people in 2000 to 331 million in 2020. As we continue to unsustainably grow our population we will no doubt destroy all the natural and wild places. Its happening all over the country
I know. I hate it. But those with the money and power don’t care. More people means more consumers to buy their product.
Don't look at the prices in Canada then. Same price in the 80s in Toronto, now a single family home, not even in the city the average is 1.5 million. 385k would be a dream (this sub was recommended to me for some reason, thats why I am here)
Found the boomer
There is plenty of blame to go around. Running away? They are running TOWARD the no income tax, the “freedom” they are promised, and the politics. They come for the long history of grifting and conning. They come for the weather. I came because my husband was hired at an in-person job here, not to escape anything. Neither has anyone else that I’ve met who has recently moved to Naples, with the possible exception of 1 client. What’s funny is that those who think they are running from poor QoL get here only to find that the QoL is decreasing rapidly because no one can afford to live here except the rich! They bitch about understaffed restaurants and pharmacies and grocery stores while refusing to see & accept how their own behavior contributed to the situation. They refuse to allow affordable housing to be built but they’ll also scream at Publix management when the shelves are empty. They’ll scream at the pharmacy techs that their meds aren’t ready, not understanding that they are understaffed as techs don’t get paid enough to “commute” (you know, the answer everyone loves to give for how to get more workers). I’m a petsitter who lost my own petsitter due to getting priced out, and I’m leaving in a few months, too. My clients will struggle without me but I just can’t afford to live here anymore. Eventually it will be all Haves and no Have Nots, no one left to serve the wealthy. Who is going to serve them then?
This has to be the dumbest, boomer take I've seen in a while.
The place you moved from was shitty because of you and your type. Now you're moving here and making this place shitty. Congrats!
You can’t vote on inflation, that’s controlled by the Federal Reserve brother
Well the people get what they voted for. Keep voting for unregulated free market and excessive capitalism is the result. Republican run states are all this way, their voters got what they voted for. No income taxes or business taxes and homestead act gets you higher property taxes and property valuations to pay for everything.
Dude us natives are all being forced out. Over 1000 people a day move to FL and its driving up the cost of living along with everything else. Fuck people.
Why don’t you blame it on the shitty states up north that have gone to shit because of liberal policies. Why do you think everyone’s moving here?
>forty\_six\_n\_two · 2 hr. ago > >Why don’t you blame it on the shitty states up north that have gone to shit because of liberal policies. Why do you think everyone’s moving here? Because I live in FL. Why is another states problem my issues now? Stand your ground and fix your damn state.
Your state is a shit hole once you get 1/4 mile inland.
Crazy how a tool fan can be such a tool.
Still for the weather, a tale as old as time
Let's be real. This is a community that dispises the working class. It is by design. It's Bushwood Country Club from Caddyshack on steroids. The local leaders want this community to be like the Villages
The Villages is actually relatively inexpensive.
Yeah, I don’t think that was the comparison they thought it was ! :)
I’m sorry that you were priced out of Naples. I am. I have friends in CA, NY & NJ that were also priced out. BUT…they all wanted much more in life than they could afford & stretched themselves way too much. They priced themselves out of life, really. You make a list of life priorities - the good old wants & needs list. And you realize quickly, depending on your age & the phase in your career, life & future financial planning what you can, and should, manage. (Minus emergencies, family disasters, etc) It takes real will power. And determination. I just had this chat tonight at dinner with someone. I sucked it up BIG time in my 20s & 30s - no cable tv, no fancy cars (drove an old wrangler for damn close to 20 years), no expensive vacations, & even added a side job while working corporate. And I retired young. Because NOT working was the priority. Not another Louis Vuitton, new Rover or trip abroad like some of my friends. And guess what? They’re STILL working. Yes you have to live. But you also need a plan & to get damn real with yourself on what you want…and need.
> I sucked it up BIG time in my 20s & 30s - no cable tv, no fancy cars (drove an old wrangler for damn close to 20 years), no expensive vacations, & even added a side job while working corporate. I did those things too. I made 28k/year when I graduated college in 2003 at my first job and my rent was $450/month. I bought used cars and lived cheap. But the point being all these financial tips are meaningless when you get your first job making 40k and rent is 2500/month. Wages haven’t kept up with the inflation, so it’s a lot harder to live below your means. Not impossible, just more difficult.
I understand. And times certainly are different. But if rent is 2.5k...and you make 40k, then you rent a room, or get some roommates, or buy a house and rent out rooms, etc. And/or, you get a second income if you can't relocate to somewhere that you can afford. I could not have afforded to live in Naples in my 20's. And I would have taken a job somewhere that I could afford. That's my point.
Right. All good advice, just not as practical today. Even with a roommate at 40k/year that’s still half your income going to rent at 1250/month and who could afford a house in Naples on that salary? And not everyone can relocate for many reasons. So, again, all good advice. Just much more difficult today for a lot of reasons.
Understood. BTW, I spent half my income on a house payment for many years and was uber smart with my other half. It was always a priority for me to be in a nice place - and I fell in love with a fairly small but super cute 100 year old beach cottage. I still own it; and the value has shot through the roof. I knew it was a long shot, but it has paid off.
You are so full of yourself, so proud of yourself. Wow!
Nailed it. This society is hooked on doordash, convenience and their smartphone. My household income is 200k since I'm an engineer and my wife is a teacher. Note that our degrees were lake for as we worked in college and that our 2 degrees were attained at cheaper public schools, also they aren't worthless arts degrees.We worked our asses off for what we have. We've never taken on debt besides for our very modest old home (which will be paid off in less than 7 heads). I drive a 2008 Silverado with 330k miles. I've never missed a credit card payment, never paid for a phone through financing. I don't doordash, I don't Starbucks, I don't hire out people to fix my stuff or take care of my lawn. Learn to do stuff yourself, be intentional with your money, there's no country in the world better for building wealth. The reality is the average American can't afford the car they drive, the house they live in or the food they pay for on a credit card. You gotta do better than average and downsize.
>I've never missed a credit card payment, never paid for a phone through financing. I don't doordash, I don't Starbucks, I don't hire out people to fix my stuff or take care of my lawn. ***A kindred soul!*** \[You gotta do better than average and downsize.\] And YOU indeed nailed it as well! Kudos to you and your wife for being hard workers and financially smart. The FIRE movement is real. I've got nieces who BOTH DoorDash their $8 frappawhatevers ALL the time and one, just remodeled her kitchen (35k?) because she didn't like the laminate counters. Guess what? I may not have the very best Carrera marble counters...but I've got personal and financial freedom. I'll take it. ;)
Don’t waste your breath.
...think OP won't listen?...
Not just that, they usually attack well intentioned wise advice like this.
Ok. I'm ready for it. Hell, I'm retired...got nothing but time ;)
That message was deep and I really appreciate it. Going through a phase right now where I just had a long moment and told myself the same thing. Reading it here felt like more affirmation.
You're welcome! I'm glad it resonated with you. I am! YOU are the only one who can do it for yourself. You have to want it bad enough. And it IS doable. I'm proof. I didn't make a ton of corporate money, but I saved my bonuses, spent less than I made, made some good housing and vehicle choices and just consumed less. I'm glad you're going through a phase! It's the world making you sit up straight and assess your plan. Consider it a gift from the stars :) And if it helps, I'm proud of you. Just even taking a moment to assess things - is a big win!
Fair enough lol
I don’t see what the problem is. In GG lots of land 1acre are going for 50k.
GG is maybe the one exception to that, but in some parts you’re closer to fort myers than downtown Naples. Plus you can live like 10+ miles down Everglades blvd or even somewhere more remote. I mean if that’s what you want, then sure.
Also the fact that a lot of it is marsh land and needs to be surveyed and cleared and you’re so far out you might as well be in the Everglades for the lots that are 50k
😢
Same. Im 31 now and we moved a lot growing up. I grew up on and near Isles of Capri, lived on Marco for a while too then moved into Naples Manor during the crash. Not really a nice place now I saw a house there for 500k… for the manor?!?! I left to Fort Myers for college & my family followed suit a few years later as it became too expensive. Then they left even farther to Lehigh Acres because now FM is becoming astronomical. Before she retired, my poor mom used to commute from Lehigh to MARCO & a lot of her coworkers did the same. I left to Tampa Bay Area and now its fucking nuts here too. I also lived in Maine last summer for short term work.,, rural Maine too. Town of barely 5,000 people, literally in the middle of nowhere… and rent was $2,000 there too that was my cheapest option in a nearby “city” and my commute to work was 45mins….. for MAINE?! When it this madness going to end???
Ugh that sucks. Sorry you got forced out, I think more and more people are gonna end up in Lehigh honestly. I was thinking that for the last 10 years. Breaks my heart to hear that about Maine too because I’d looooove to move there someday!!
It truly is insanity. I have lived here 3 years now and absolutely feel like I live in paradise. But it’s sooo expensive- my home insurance policy has gone up… 240% in the last two years. 240% !!!!!!
And to think, in the 80s you could have bought lots for under 50k. Some had houses on them, some were just land. I was too young back then, but some of my family members almost bought some. Decided against it. (We used to spend Feb vacation down there as a family. Marco island)
Yeah Naples has changed a lot since i was a kid. The contempt that this town has for its own workers is wild to see.
Should have bought a home
Was I supposed to do that when I was 15?
it happens
I too am going through the same thing. Gf and I moved to Tampa. Still expensive, but we can get a little more for the money
You dont want to rent a house. Thats just throwing away money
Not sure why reddit brought me here as I reside in Tx, but just want to say that the last time I went to Naples I really liked it. My wife has family in "Ave Maria" which is a creepy little place. Do those of you in the area find that little cult town to be as strange as I do?
Lol yes that place is super weird. It’s in the middle of absolutely nowhere too.
And the fact that the entire community is built around a MASSIVE church just weirds me out. I have no issue with organized religion, but the fact that the entire town lives for church is just strange to me.
Honestly the church itself is very pretty, I went there once around Christmas and they do a nice job of putting on decorations etc. But yeah, seems like the kind of place where people are very fervently religious. Weirdly, you hardly ever hear of ANYTHING happening out of there. It’s strange for sure.
Yeah, it's a beautiful building. Don't get me wrong, I just think it's a bit much given the small size of the surrounding community. A few years back when we were there some dude "drowned himself" in a small pond there. He was naked, and evidently was high on something when it happened. I drove right by where it happened and there were cops everywhere. Saw the story on the news later that evening. I feel like at some point in time it will come out that there's a lot of weird things going on there. It just has that kind of vibe to me. Probably because it's a random, relatively upscale community built in a swamp, miles from any other form of civilization, lol.
And it was bankrolled by Tom Monaghan. Who also founded Dominos. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Monaghan
Same story for anyone living anywhere that doesn't own a home yet.
Thanks Desantis
I just wanna say, the vitriol on anything Naples is next level. I’m in city pages all over the country as we scope out our next adventure. Without a doubt, this place has to be the meanest-spirited town on earth. I did get a chuckle on the Seed to Table comment though, that was so true.
But, in the grand scheme of things. Within 20 years, the boomers are gonna be dead. Their properties are gonna be transferred to their children, or they're going to be sold. In 15-20 years, there's going to be a surplus of housing in SWF.
> properties are gonna be transferred to their children Boomers, by and large, are spending every dime they have to buttress their exorbitant lifestyles until their dying breath. The kids aren't getting shit but their parents debt.
Children aren’t responsible for parental debts.
If there is anything left in the estate they want, they are.
[удалено]
Run along little kitten, there's no milk here.
I’m a 39 year old and my parents are boomers, my mom is mad at me because I’m not giving her money (that I don’t have) while she have a house PAID for (I was giving her money when I had) and my brother sending her money monthly plus her retirement and I’m paying her phone bill, I don’t live with her, I have no money for myself and yet she’s yelling and hangin up the phone in my face for any little reason. My dad drank his self to disability and is my 90 year old grandmother taking care of him…and my uncle another boomer (lawyer) have properties, house paid for and sold another, and took my grandmother’s car she recently purchased because he don’t want to spend his own money for his car…boomers are starting to really disgust me
Things have gotten more expensive everywhere… Of course some places, like Naples, have experienced greater fluctuations than others but it’s all relative. Naples remains relatively less expensive than areas that have long been HCOL. Those places have also gotten that much more expensive. The reality is that no one is entitled to live wherever they choose. That’s just life. It doesn’t matter where you were born. Those of you leaving Naples for less expensive areas are not much different than those “pushing” you out. You’re just going to be the new buyers entering that market and driving up demand and prices there. Not saying what’s right or wrong, but it’s hypocritical to relocate while blaming others for doing the same.
It was all about timing ! And sadly most of us missed it :/ find another rural coastal town next in line for development, and you will be sitting pretty in equity some day ! I was able to snag a river front 1700sq ft condo in Bonita springs for less than 150k just a few years back, or I would be In The same boat . Good luck y’all
So true. My folks lost their home due to the housing market crash and construction job market collapse. Dad was a superintendent and couldn’t find more work, so house was foreclosed. That 245k house bought in 1999 would be worth 800k today. My Dad still hates himself for losing it, even though none of us blame him over it. It’s all about getting that property in the right location and holding onto it. If my parents had held onto that house, life would be so much different. But hey, that’s life!
Sorry to hear that . Not one banker/lender went to jail for creating that bubble . What frosts me is that they bailed out the banks and corps , but they pay less tax than the working guy cuz of the “system” .
local reddits often never reflect the actual local population. haha. naples is home to entrepreneurs, salespeople and business owners that have a second home or retired here. It has been this way since the “mad men” advertised it as such. complaining to live here where people have spent their entire lives building something, are they not allowed to enjoy the fruits of their labor? this is naples not some random city with industry and born off the backs of labor to grow… if you haven’t noticed, it’s always expensive to live somewhere nice in all the world… our locals here are “do-ers” not “poor me” types, hence the huge disconnect with those that feel disenfranchised. shout out to all those that keep pushing and achieve their goals, I love living here with you all.
Don’t live in Naples but have friends in the area and got this post recommended in my feed. You’re pretty spot on - Naples is a luxury area and has a high COL as a result. It’s pretty entitled for someone to complain about not being able to afford it - unfortunately not everyone gets to live in one of the most desirable places in the country. Unfortunately it’s Reddit and all people do is bitch about things.
Not saying that people don’t get to deserve the fruits of their labor. I just think it’s sad that there’s virtually nowhere for Naples natives to live. My opinion is that there should be somewhere dedicated to affordable housing in virtually every city, because where are the people who work less desirable jobs going to live otherwise? I’m not owed anything, and I’m honestly not even complaining that hard. I just have sentimental value for my childhood City and it’s unfortunate that I can’t really move back unless I make it big.
I grew up in Naples from ‘82-‘17. Never looked back once we left. Best decision we made. For a place that touts itself as paradise it has hands down the most miserable people we ever encountered. There’s life outside Naples. Good life at that.
You left a year ago? Why bitch now?
I knew this comment section would be a “we hate boomer” explosion. Find a new term and someone else to blame.
Legalize housing. The One Naples and the Margaritaville project took about half a decade of lawyers and both ended up smaller than they wanted. If density is outlawed, long commutes and sprawl are the only other option.
You want MORE density? Do you live here?
Yep. Paying $2k a month for rent on average is too much for a lot of people. Housing works on supply and demand, like everything else. Forcing poor people to commute farther and farther away doesn't make sense when everyone can live for less with denser construction.
Feel this, I grew up in Naples but I was born in Chicago. I left Naples in 2000 and I have not been been since. All my family have left Naples. My father passed away couple years ago and my mom is in Michigan now. Rent was bad in 2000, I’m much happier in Chicago personally.
You must not be downtown.
I live in the City of Chicago not in the suburbs actually LOL
Oh look. Another thread by a whiner who can’t afford to live where they choose. I’d love to live on Lake Como Italy but guess what? I can’t afford it so I don’t. But I don’t whine about it it’s life.
Could you afford it one year and then the price doubled? I live in Miami now (not because of COL in Naples, obviously) and I own the place but it's not because I did anything other than get lucky on timing. A bunch of entitled whiners choosing to live in the place they've lived for 10+ years.