Aqualane Shores ! Pleasant Waterfront Naples Community..

Aqualane Shores is a waterfront Naples community spread out over 300 acres, located in the southern area of Naples between Olde Naples and Port Royal. The land that is now Aqualane Shores was previously a mangrove swamp before Mr. Philip Rust had purchased the land in 1950. Properties in Aqualane Shores are loved by boaters due to deep water canals and access to both the Gulf of Mexico and Naples Bay. In addition to boating, the tropical setting is perfect for those who love to take advantage of other outdoor recreation such as fishing, walking, jogging, and biking.

Aqualane Shores is truly a community that offers something for everyone in the family; from those who love the water to those who want to be close to the action of the city.

With just over 300 properties in Aqualane Shores, residents find the community the perfect location to live, work, and play due to its close proximity to the beautiful white sand beaches, sophisticated 5th avenue shopping, and a wide variety of great restaurants that offer live entertainment.

Things to Know Before Buying a Home

1.   FIND OUT WHAT IS IMPORTANT TO YOU

You first need to ask yourself: What is Important?

Do you prefer a rural location, suburban or urban? Do you want to own or do you prefer renting?

How much square footage do you want? Does the neighborhood and schools in the area play

an impacting role in your decision making? Are you looking for a Single Family Home, Townhouse

or a Condo / Apartment? Do you want the home to be fully furnished? Are you interested in a

foreclosure or a fixer-upper? There are many factors that go into the decision making process.

2.   THE UPFRONT COST

Whether you are going to buy luxury homes or a family vacation home, you need to know that buying your home requires a much larger amount of cash upfront than renting. When it comes to the cost difference between owning and renting, there lays a drastic difference. When renting, we usually only have to worry about first and last month’s rent, a security deposit and maybe an application fee. When you are in the process of owning your own home, you have a down payment (ranging from 3%-20% of the sale price) and closing costs (attorney fees, title, insurance, mortgage fees, surveys that have to be conducted, etc.). With the average home selling for $350,000, you need to ask yourself if financially you are able to afford your own house/condo/townhouse.

“It all seems like common sense,” concedes Smock, “but people who are used to apartment living find themselves in a bind when they finally buy.”

3.   THE CONTINUING COST

If you answered YES to being able to afford the upfront cost, now you need to figure out your monthly spending’s. Your monthly payment will consist of PITI: principal and interest (determined by the home’s purchase price and your interest rate), property taxes and home insurance. Your monthly homeownership budget should also include utilities, cable/TV/Internet and general maintenance costs. When buying a condo or townhome, factor in the homeowners association fees and any special assessments.  Homes for sale in Naples, Florida that consist of an average of 2500 square feet in the Old Naples real estate district, have an average monthly spending similar to the market price for renting in that same area.

After you or you and your spouse have asked yourselves these questions mentioned above, you can finally ask yourself if buying is right for you at this time in your life. If you answered “yes”, then congratulations on starting your journey to becoming a homeowner, your first step is to reach out to a real estate broker in your area that knows the market and can help you make the right decision. If you answered “no”, don’t frown! Did you know that more people rent than buy in the United States? If you can answer “yes” and “no”, don’t feel stuck because there are many budget friendly options to take that could help you with your first purchase. You could always lean towards purchasing a foreclosed home or a fixer-upper, however, with that being said, it is highly recommended to choose a realtor agency that is knowledgeable in that type of home.

With any questions on the home buying process, contact David Bartley at Bartley Realty at (239) 261-1186.