Naples Country Club Communities.
Every year in June, Naples Florida temperatures creep into the 90s and the heat rises in waves from the ground, making the flat landscape look like an undulating, watery mirage. It might seem like the worst possible time to try to convince someone to pay $100,000′s for a chunk of land in an empty development where only a few cows serve as neighbors. But in Naples, there’s no bad season for selling real estate.
Buyers have been putting down millions of dollars to build homes in country club communities that in many cases are undeveloped tracts of land miles east of the Gulf of Mexico or even I-75—an area once considered way too far out. But buyers seemed as undaunted by the drive as the summer heat. They were paying million in cash—for villas, or perhaps $8 million for single-family homes, then writing a check for up to $250,000 for an equity membership for clubhouses and courses that weren’t even finished.
Naples has become a destination for the well-heeled and that Collier County real estate, can command high prices. Most of the people who head to Naples Florida are coming for either the Gulf waters or golf courses. Golf is especially popular. The New York Times once reported that Naples has more golf courses per capita than any other area in the country.
But was is surprising is how elite and exclusive many of these communities are, and how much money developers were getting for lots, homes and club memberships in them, many times without even being built.
Exactly why Naples country clubs became so pricey is a matter of some speculation. Naples is a beautiful spot with lovely beaches, great golf courses, plenty of choices in master-planned communities and less congestion than the east coast of Florida. It also offers a more comfortable, understated elegance than the flashier east coast.
The clubhouses are also bigger and better equipped in Naples. It’s not enough just to have two dining rooms, locker rooms, a pro shop and a fitness room. For Example; Pelican Bay provides a tram service to the beach. Naples Mediterra, which has a knockout clubhouse in classic Tuscan style, offered a wellness center with massage therapists and personal fitness trainers. Mediterra is also including an enrichment center where members can use computers, take art classes and hear lectures.
