A lot of people turn to ‘the people of Facebook’ to make a decision for them as to WHERE In Florida they should move to.

We decided to move in 2016 when we came to a cousin’s wedding in Estero.

I never heard of Estero, Naples, or thought about moving. We had one night free from the wedding festivities and drove to Naples. We stepped onto the beach, looked at each other, and said ‘WTF are we in Jersey?’

We came home, put a plan together, and moved a year later.

You see…a plan. You NEED a plan.

Florida is a BIG state. We (ok not me, just the husband) did a LOT of legwork and drove up and down both coasts looking at areas that would be a good fit for our family.

Schools were a big consideration.

Now mind you, we knew we wanted to be in Naples but we had FOMO and wanted to make sure we weren’t missing anything anywhere else.

We came back to Naples and knew that it was the perfect fit – it just FELT right.

No one can tell you where you will FEEL at home. Don’t be lazy, this is a major life decision and an expensive one. Do your RESEARCH.

Do you have kids? Schools are important! Know the difference between counties – they have different options.

Do you want to be close to the beach? Understand that the closer you are to the beach, the more it will cost. Have realistic expectations.

Maybe 10-15minute drive to the beach is a good compromise

Gated or NON gated? It’s a FLorida thing for the most part. It’s not even about the gate. It’s about the HOA controlled communities and amenities that these ‘gated’ communities offer.

Try to look past the bells and whistles or resort style pools and fancy club hous. Will you use them? You don’t need them for bragging rights. They cost a lot per month and eventually you will have ‘special assessments’ to pay for the upkeep.

Do you have a large vehicle, RV, boat? Remember- most HOA communities don’t allow those to be parked outside. Something to consider!

Do you want to be in a large community? Amenity rich? Family oriented or more for an ‘active adult lifestyle’ (tennis, pickleball, etc, NOT what you may be thinking ).

Do you want one level? Do you want/need a pool?

Do you want to save money and move further away from town? Do your research! Traffic, proximity to shopping, restaurants, etc.

Here is a big one that people don’t think about…pay attention to how many gates a community has. And how will you get in and out every day? Some have one gate and with traffic it can be frustrating leaving it.

I know a LOT of our communities and I’ll be happy to give me my honest opinion and experience from when we moved in 2017.

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