Buying Gulf Properties in Naples Florida: Five Helpful Tips you Must Remember

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Real estate property buyers consider Naples, FL to be one of the most suitable cities to purchase a house. Properties in the city tend to hold on to their values more resiliently, thanks to the beaches and an excellent socio-economic infrastructure in place.

However, settling for a home in Naples comes with its risk points, and that’s especially true for gulf coast properties in the area. It’s important that you avoid these pitfalls, or at least understand them when you close a purchase deal. This article explains five helpful details necessary when buying gulf properties in Naples.

Significant Weather Risks

If you’re out to buy gulf properties in Naples, FL, then you’ll need to understand the significant weather risks of having a waterfront house. These houses straddle the coastline and the Gulf of Mexico. Some defining features waterfront houses have are the ocean view and numerous beaches around.

However, these characteristics also present certain risks to waterfront homeowners. Weather can be destructive and unpredictable on the coastline, thereby keeping you on your toes every time. 

Waterfront homes are also likely to be in the contact zone for hurricanes as they make landfall. You must have an evacuation plan ready, with bags and essentials ready to go when there’s dangerous weather on the gulf.

Suppose you bought the house from the Gulf Coast Realty Naples, FL, you’d get to see several beautiful beaches every day. However, the scenic beaches would also attract tourists all year round. This situation would often have an adverse effect on commuting for the residents and visitors alike.

You might have to deal with finding an alternative route to work or other places in the area, as tourists could occupy the major access roads during peak days.

Higher Insurance Costs

Most gulf home buyers get tempted to stick with standard insurance policies for their new property. In fact, the insurer would prefer it that way, as they get to pass huge costs on you when there’s a natural disaster.

Insurance companies are also aware of the coastline weather and the dangers it poses to gulf properties in Naples. As such, it’s common practice to see insurance companies try to get off with as little indemnity as they can manage when a disaster occurs. This strategy would often leave homeowners to make expensive repairs by themselves.

On the other hand, it’s important to make the policy cover as many damages as possible. For gulf homes, it’s best to include hurricane, flood and wind insurance to the policy. As a result, the premium you’d have to pay goes up as well.

The Homeowners Association’s Strict Policies

One popular byproduct of buying beachfront or gulf properties Naples, FL is that you automatically become a member of the HOA (Homeowners’ Association). For the most part, they’re an integral part of your residency in the city, and a massive reason why you’ll enjoy living there.

Homeowners’ Associations differ across neighborhoods and you can recognise their presence by gated communities and beachfront estate houses. Furthermore, you’d have to pay certain fees as a HOA member.

In order to have a uniform housing experience for everyone, HOA has several policies you’d have to follow. Some of them include:

  • House Colors

HOA stipulates a certain color for properties in the neighborhood. This is to ensure aesthetic cohesion among the homes in the area.

  • Pets

The HOA has an influence on the number of pets you get to have. They may also review conditions for having a pet in the neighborhood periodically.

  • Lawn Maintenance

Your house lawns have to look a certain way under the HOA’s policy. Typically, they shouldn’t be overgrown, as that can affect the neighborhood at large.

  • Miscellaneous

The Homeowners’ Association could decide other minor things like the layout for your garage and driveways.

Overall, these rules are favorable to the neighborhood in the long term. They allow the properties in the areas to hold on to their values for longer, and prevent certain homeowners from neglecting caring for their houses.

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Property Management

Once you complete the purchase contracts on your gulf homes, you’d quickly realise that you become solely responsible for its management. However, waterfront houses aren’t regular property, and you’ll need extensive property management that might cost significantly more.

Property management is especially imperative if you’re leasing the home to tenants. Failure to meet up with maintenance and repair requirements could affect the house’s rental value.

Generally, the homeowner has to handle repairs, landscaping, pest control and maintenance. The recommendation is to get a property manager when these functions become too tedious to handle alone. 

However, property managers generally charge high prices, especially if you want a professional hand from any of the Naples real estate companies offering management services. It’s best to consider your options and see what works best for you.

Marginally Higher Taxes 

Beach front houses generally demand higher property taxes than inland ones. These taxes are a significant contribution to your budget annually. Thankfully, you can sort out your tax requirements before you complete the purchase process. It’d give you the opportunity to plan your expenses accordingly.

Furthermore, a Naples luxury real estate agent can assist you in figuring out when taxes will impact your ownership positively or negatively.

Conclusion

Buying a gulf coast home in Naples can be a wonderful experience as it’s one of the few ways you get to enjoy the city. The ocean view and beaches would give the property vibrancy and appeal. It‘s no surprise that Gulf Coast international properties listings enjoy a strong influx of would-be buyers yearly.

Ordinarily, the positive features are enough to get you to sign the purchase papers, but it’s imperative to research a little further before concluding. There are numerous factors at play after buying a waterfront house and for the most part, they’re different from that of properties in other locations.

We’ve highlighted some of these factors above, to give you an idea on how you can successfully manage a waterfront property. Understanding these details – preferably with the help of a real estate agent –  enables you to avoid hidden long-term issues.

William Charles

By William Charles

My name is William Charles and I am the CEO of Orlando Real Estate Resource. For over 10 years, I have been helping people find properties for different purposes. From residential homes to investment commercial properties.

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