Communities

Overview

This site differs from other real estate sites in many meaningful ways, and one of the most useful is the community search. With a few clicks, you can begin to see which Naples communities might be a great match. With hundreds of communities in Naples, it is a good place to start.

The search can narrow communities by area, by type, by the kinds of homes in them and how new they are, by price and fees, by the amenities they have on site, by whether pets are allowed, by whether they have homes for sale, by flood and evacuation zone, and by distance to a beach, to downtown and to Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW). Each community also has its own page: what its association fees cover, when its homes were built, how many are primary residences, its subdivisions and buildings, its flood and evacuation zones, and the driving times to the destinations in Chapter 4.

Beyond what each community page tells you, there are some things to know about Naples communities overall. Here is that general information.

Community Types

The site sorts Naples communities into these types: Gated or Non-gated, Golf, Boating, Beach and Resort. A community can be more than one. The Methodology page gives the exact definition of each. Here is some commentary on each type.

Gated

Gated communities require passing through a gate at the main entrance to enter. There are many in Naples. Some gates are staffed. Some have a “live” attendant by video monitor. Others simply open with a remote control in the car, just like a garage door. Within some communities, individual homes, subdivisions or buildings have their own private gates; a community counts as gated only when its main entrance is.

Many Naples buyers end up in a gated community simply because so many of our communities are gated. To rule out gated communities in a search is to limit your options substantially here. Many buyers choose a gated community because it offers desirable amenities, because it is particularly beautiful, because the right home happens to be behind a gate, or because the cachet of living in one appeals to them. Some believe a gated community is necessary for security and safety. Gates do keep most unwanted visitors out, but if someone really wants to get into a community, they will find a way. And, as Chapter 2 notes, Collier County has one of the lowest crime rates in Florida.

Non-gated

Non-gated communities have no gate at the main entrance, and they usually do not have a clubhouse or other amenities. Most are typical of what you will find in many northern states, with a variety of home styles, quality and condition. They are also mainly older communities, developed well before gated, resort-style communities became the norm.

Non-gated does not mean modest. Our “billionaire’s row,” in Aqualane Shores and Port Royal, is in non-gated communities. A Port Royal estate sold for $225 million in 2025, a Florida record at the time.

Golf

Among other things, Naples is known as the “golf capital of the world,” with about 90 golf courses in Naples, Marco Island and the rest of Collier County. Most are private and require membership; a small number are public.

Golf communities offer membership in four ways:

Equity Membership

Equity membership means that a member is a part owner of the club, with a financial stake in it and, ultimately, responsibility for its operation and maintenance. Members of equity clubs elect a board of directors to manage the club, which hires staff to run day-to-day operations. Most require members to spend a minimum on food and on other services, like carts and club storage. Equity members may also be assessed to cover capital improvements and other costs.

• Members own a share of the club
• Members have voting rights
• Members are subject to assessments for improvements or other operating expenses
• Membership is usually transferable

Bundled

In a bundled golf community, the cost of golf is bundled into the community association fees. There is typically no large initiation fee to join the club and no separate annual membership fee. Bundled golf is usually the most cost-effective way to play a lot of golf; the cost per round is generally lower if you play several days a week. Not every cost of golf is always included, though: some bundled communities still charge cart fees and other fees.

Non-equity Membership

Non-equity membership means that the club is owned and operated by someone other than the members: the developer, a professional firm or another party. Members are not involved in running the club; they pay for membership and enjoy the lifestyle. Non-equity members are not assessed for the club’s deficits or improvements the way equity members are, but the owner sets the dues and can raise them.

• No ownership
• No assessments for the club’s deficits or improvements, though dues can rise
• Usually not transferable

Public

A public golf course is within the community, and anyone can play it.

What to Ask About Golf Membership

Golf membership is where buyers most often misjudge the cost of a community. The questions that decide what membership costs:

• Is membership mandatory with the home, or optional? If optional, is there a waiting list, and is there a social membership for those who do not play?
• What is the initiation fee or equity contribution, and how much of it, if any, is refunded when you sell? Some clubs refund only after a new member joins.
• What are the annual dues, the food and beverage minimum and any cart or storage fees, and how much have they risen in recent years?
• Is the club planning a capital project or an assessment?
• Can the membership transfer to the buyer of your home?

Boating

Boating communities either have homes with their own private docks or a marina in the community. The Boating type also applies to communities very close to a marina or, at least, a boat launch. If it is very easy to keep a boat, get to it and be out on the water quickly, the community is a boating community.

Beach

Beach communities are on a beach or close enough to one for an easy walk or bike ride to the sand: within a mile of a beach access, or with a beach access of their own. Most are west of US 41 (Tamiami Trail).

There is no denying that views of our beautiful white-sand beaches and the jade-colored waters of the Gulf are highly desirable. They are a priority for many buyers, and they come at a price: communities on the sand or very close to it command some of the highest prices in the area. Being on or near a beach also means a higher risk of flooding from storm surge, and property insurance will be higher in beach communities.

Resort

Resort communities give residents a full, active, on-site lifestyle if they want it. They have a full amenity center: a clubhouse with a pool, function space and full-time management; fitness; tennis or pickleball; often dining; many planned social activities; and, in some cases, a spa. A community tied to a resort or hotel counts as Resort too.

Some Resort communities require a separate club membership to live the resort lifestyle. In Lely Resort, for example, membership in the main club, the Players Club & Spa, is required for most homes: those built after the club opened, around 2001. Membership in the Classics, a second, private golf club, is optional. For owners who do not have to join, which some see as a benefit given the cost of membership, the resort lifestyle comes at an additional cost: you can live in a resort-style community and have no access to the amenities that define it unless you join the club.

Amenities Vary

A few communities have no amenities of their own; any amenities belong to their subdivisions or buildings. The site marks these “Amenities vary.”

55-and-Over Communities

Some Naples communities are age-restricted: their homes are meant for residents 55 and older. Under federal law, at least 80% of the occupied homes in such a community must have at least one resident 55 or older, and the community must publish and follow policies showing it is meant for that age group and verify residents’ ages at least every two years. A less common form requires every resident to be 62 or older. Other communities simply draw an older crowd, or are marketed as “active adult,” without any restriction; anyone can buy and live there.

Each age-restricted community sets its own rules on younger residents and on how long guests, grandchildren included, may stay. Keep in mind, too, that the restriction still applies when you sell: it limits who can live in the home.

Community pages note when a community is 55 and over, and the home search’s “55+ / Age-Restricted” filter, under More Filters, narrows homes the same way. The community’s documents are the final word on the restriction.

Other Ways to Define Communities

Subdivisions & Buildings

On a home’s page on this site, the Community card names the community, with a link to its page, and the subdivision or building the home is in. Some homes have a subdivision or building and others do not, because some communities have named subdivisions and buildings (mainly condominiums) and some do not. The largest communities can have dozens. Each community page lists its subdivisions and buildings.

The number of subdivisions and buildings in a community helps define it: the more there are, the more variety of homes and prices. There can also be significant differences in rules, regulations, bylaws and finances from one subdivision or building to the next, which buyers should understand before buying.

CDD & MSTU Communities

From time to time, you might see listings that say “CDD paid in full” or “No CDD!” You will rarely read about MSTUs anywhere. Either way, it is important to know what they are, and whether a home you are interested in is in a CDD or an MSTU.

What Is a CDD?

CDD is short for Community Development District. A CDD is a limited, independent unit of local government. It finances a community’s infrastructure, and sometimes its amenities, by issuing tax-exempt bonds, while the county or city keeps authority over zoning, permitting and land use. The district repays the bonds through assessments on the land in the district. While a developer owns a lot, the developer pays its share; when a home is sold, the new owner takes over the remaining balance for that lot. CDD assessments appear as non-ad valorem assessments on the annual property tax bill. Most CDD bonds in Naples have a 20- or 30-year term.

What Is a CDD Used For?

CDDs pay for upfront development costs: clearing land, laying utilities, creating water retention ponds and building roads, for example. Those costs are what the bond’s outstanding balance represents. A CDD has a second purpose and cost, known as Operations & Maintenance (O&M). What has been built must be maintained, and the upkeep of the ponds, roads, utilities and, in some cases, the common landscaping is paid through the O&M portion of the CDD.

Please know:

• A CDD is governed by a five-member board. Landowners, which at first means the developer, elect it; once the district is six years old and has at least 250 registered voters living in it, seats pass to members elected by residents as their terms expire.
• The bonds carry interest. If the home you buy still carries a principal balance, you can generally pay it off in full rather than in annual installments and save the interest; the district manager can give you the payoff amount and the district’s terms. (Most owners do not realize this, paying little attention to their property tax bill.)
• The O&M assessment continues indefinitely, and it will likely increase from year to year.
• A CDD can levy a special assessment if a need arises that its annual budget does not cover.
• A CDD board has the authority to issue a new bond if major work is needed in the community and funding is not found elsewhere.
• CDDs are an often overlooked part of evaluating a home and its value. Any principal balance, the current O&M amount and its history of increases, and any special assessments should be understood before you decide to buy and before you negotiate a purchase agreement.

What Is an MSTU?

MSTU is short for Municipal Service Taxing Unit.

Where a CDD is usually created to build a new community and is repaid through bonds, an MSTU is created by the Board of County Commissioners, often for an established neighborhood, and is usually funded by an added property tax (millage) on the homes within it, up to a limit set when it is created. Collier County has MSTUs in areas such as Vanderbilt Beach, Bayshore and Golden Gate.

The purpose of an MSTU is to fund projects that improve or maintain a community: drainage improvements, sidewalks, road improvements, beautification projects, burying power lines, pedestrian improvements and more.

So CDDs and MSTUs are similar. How they are created, managed, funded and used can differ, but both improve or maintain communities, and both are paid through the property tax bill: a CDD as a non-ad valorem assessment, an MSTU usually as an added tax rate.

Communities by Age

Each community page shows when its homes were built.

Older Communities (Before ~1980)

Communities built before about 1980 are mostly in the western part of Naples: on the coast, mainly in the City of Naples, or within a few miles of it. They are almost all non-gated, though individual houses or buildings in them might be today. Any amenities are likely on site in condominium complexes, or otherwise through optional private club membership. Many of the finest older communities are among the first developed here; Olde Naples, Coquina Sands and Park Shore are good examples, now largely considered luxury communities. A little east of the coast are other pockets of older, more affordable communities; two that come to mind are Lakewood and Palm River. No-to-low fees, mature landscaping, a variety of home styles, many price points and the overall “flavor” of older communities appeal to many. And most communities built before about 1980 have already had their aging infrastructure dealt with, a cost that can fall on residents, particularly in private communities.

Please note that no-to-low fees do not mean no or low costs. Lawn care and landscaping, for example, might be the owner’s responsibility in an older community, where in a newer one the association fee covers it. Condominiums also differ greatly from houses: they will always have fees for maintenance and insurance, and high-rises on the beach have substantial fees.

1980 – 2000

A great deal of money was available in the 1980s in particular, and Naples, once again seeing a lot of positive press, saw a large influx of it. The area west of I-75 drew builders and new residents alike, and Naples began to expand east of the highway, where land was more affordable. The larger non-gated communities that began development as far back as the mid-1950s were built out during this period, and a number of newer developments saw explosive growth: Kings Lake, Logan Woods and Victoria Park really took off, among many others. This is also when large, resort-style communities began to appear. Notable Resort communities that began building out during this period include Collier’s Reserve, Pelican Bay, Vineyards and Fiddler’s Creek, some of the most highly regarded in Naples today.

Variety marks this period: from older coastal neighborhoods filling in to brand-new, amenity-rich resorts like Lely Resort, the 1980s and 1990s saw significant growth across every community type and area. For communities built in this period, an important consideration is the age of their amenities and infrastructure. Heavily dated clubhouses and amenities can cause property values to decline and resident costs to rise. If a community is private, its residents very likely maintain its infrastructure too, and roads, community irrigation and power lines are very costly to repair and replace. Communities built before about 1980 have very likely dealt with these needs already; some built from 1980 to 2000 still need attention.

2000 – Today

Most newer communities across much of the country, Naples included, were built by what are called “production” builders. Lennar was the largest builder in the Naples area by homes sold in 2023; other national names you may know that build here include Pulte (and its Del Webb brand), D.R. Horton and Toll Brothers. There are also large regional builders, such as GL Homes, Minto and Neal Communities, and a number of local ones. Some build to a price point, some are mid-tier and some are high-end, and prices and construction quality run a wide range. That last point is something buyers need to be very mindful of. Unfortunately, I have many stories to tell of issues in new construction communities.

Newer communities represent the era of resort-style, “cookie cutter” developments. Cookie cutter may sound negative, and I understand the lack of appeal for some, but I do not mean it that way. The homes in these communities might lack variety of style, but many newer communities and their homes are beautiful, many are amenity-rich with ample social activities, and they offer a wonderful lifestyle.

Whether your interest is in older communities or those in their infancy, there are important financial considerations at the community level. Many communities, whether non-gated, gated, resort or golf, are private, which means the community is responsible for everything within it. Many have large budgets overseen by elected boards. Reserves can be inadequate, and special assessments might be required. Some communities are managed much better than others.

Communities by Seasonality

Did you know that some communities are more seasonal than others? (You do now.) Some have larger full-time populations, and others much smaller ones. If you plan to live in Naples full time, now or eventually, this can be an important consideration. Some communities really clear out before our rainy season begins; others have much steadier activity year-round.

Each community page shows the share of its homes claimed as a primary residence (Florida’s homestead exemption), a good guide to how full-time or seasonal a community is.

Co-ops & Land Leases

A co-op, or cooperative, in residential real estate is essentially a condominium building owned and run by its residents: owners hold shares in the whole building rather than owning their own unit. Co-ops are not particularly common in Naples, but they do exist, and most are in the highly desirable communities of Coquina Sands, The Moorings and Olde Naples. If you want or need to finance a purchase, know that few lenders make loans on co-ops here.

A land lease is in play when the land and the building on it have different owners. These are also uncommon in Naples, but they exist in some older beach communities. What is critically important to understand about a land lease community or building is when the lease expires and what happens after it does.

Community Population Age

Many buyers here are at or near retirement age; nationally, the median age of repeat buyers was 62 in 2025. There are certainly many younger buyers, and plenty of older ones. When you consider the typical age of buyers alongside the age of a community, you can see when its population is in transition: when the first buyers bought, roughly how old they were, and when they will sell, or have sold, to new, younger buyers. It is not an exact science, but knowing when a community is getting younger again might help you decide where you want to live in Naples.

Some communities also skew older or younger overall, for various reasons. Different age groups have different priorities: some favor particular community styles and amenities, some gravitate toward certain home styles, and where a community sits in relation to family, friends, schools and other destinations matters to different age groups to varying degrees.

Amenities

The amenities in a community can vary widely in number and quality, and so can the level of service in managing them. Large, resort-style communities have the greatest breadth of amenities; most non-gated communities have few or none on site.

The community search can narrow communities by the amenities they have on site: a pool, fitness, tennis, pickleball, bocce, a spa, a clubhouse, on-site dining, and a dog park.

Clubhouses

Old. New. Large. Small. Beautifully designed and maintained. Desperately seeking attention and upgrades. Clubhouses come in all varieties. A community’s clubhouse, the main gathering place for community events, often reflects the overall vibe of the community. It might also say something about residents’ priorities (or lack of them) and, in some cases, the community’s financial health. Some clubhouses have space for special events, for residents and, if privately owned, for non-residents too; space is sometimes rented for weddings, meetings and the like.

Recreational & Fitness Opportunities

A hard weightlifting session. Some time on a treadmill. Tennis, anyone? Namaste. Learning to play pickleball. Pilates. A dip in the community pool between cold, refreshing beverages at the bar. (Yes, please.) An hour at the spa. Bocce. What recreational activities, ways to keep fit or ways to just have some fun do you prefer?

Most communities with any amenities at all have a pool. The next step “up” is usually a gathering room and gym, then tennis courts, then bocce and the rest. Pickleball grows in popularity every year, and many communities are building pickleball courts or replacing tennis courts with them. The best resort-style communities have a weekly schedule of fitness classes, sometimes at extra charge, that might include spinning, yoga and weightlifting basics. Some allow private training and physical therapy, and a handful of larger communities have spas.

Food & Beverage

Having a restaurant on site can be a wonderful thing. It encourages residents to mix, and it is just easy when you do not feel like cooking or going out. While dining out in Naples is usually casual, the community restaurant is often as informal as it gets, though there might be planned “formal” events too. On-site restaurants and poolside tiki bars have many “regulars” in Naples, and they can be fun to frequent. Many who buy here appreciate having a libation (or two…) within private community grounds without having to drive home on public roads. (Please, do not drink and drive.)

Most communities with on-site restaurants are resort-style golf communities; only a handful have one without golf. If golf membership is optional and the restaurant is in the golf club, a “social membership” is usually required to use it, which lets residents who do not play golf take part in the club’s social life, dining included. One question about food and beverage in a community is how it is funded. Is there a minimum annual spend that helps keep the restaurant (hopefully) profitable? Or is it funded through community fees? It could be a combination.

Social Activities

Are you social? If not, would you like to be? Communities of every size and price point have social activities to take part in. What differs is the facilities for them, their variety and frequency, and who leads the charge to bring residents together. Larger resort-style communities have a full-time social activities director, and the largest might have a small staff. Smaller communities usually rely on residents to organize events and keep a sense of community.

Social activities in many communities might include:

• Trivia night
• Dine and dance
• Mahjong
• Book club
• Cards
• Live entertainment

Some larger communities also plan off-site events, from small gatherings at local hot spots to trips to other cities and even cruises.

If a large resort-style community with a busy social calendar is not your thing, or is beyond your budget, there are plenty of other ways to meet people and be social in Naples, including many special interest groups not tied to any community. And, as Chapter 2 notes, people are happy in Naples. Striking up a friendly conversation is very easy here.

Community Associations

Most communities in Naples have a homeowners association (HOA). Whether small or large, amenity-rich or not, the majority of communities buyers choose here have one. Residential buildings are usually governed by an HOA or a condominium association (COA). Some very large communities with many subdivisions and buildings have a master association, and some have all three: you could live in a condominium, in a subdivision, in a large community, each with its own association. (This is not common.) What you pay to each, and what it covers, is in Chapter 8.

What an Association Does

A community association is a private, common-interest organization: a legal entity, bound by Florida statutes, that governs a residential community and manages it. Each association has an elected board made up of owners in the community. The board makes the rules, regulations and bylaws, and manages the budget, funded by annual fees and, when necessary, special assessments. Some decisions must go to a vote of the owners, but boards can act on their own in many others. Electing a strong board and staying up to date on the community’s governance, needs and finances is very important if you live in a community with one or more associations. After all, it is your community, and looking after it is in your best interest. That is the main point: an association is meant to keep a community healthy, and a healthy community, with sound infrastructure, amenities, homes and finances, keeps property values up and residents happy.

Florida’s Newer Association Laws

Since the 2021 collapse of Champlain Towers South in Surfside, Florida has rewritten much of its condominium law, and has changed its HOA law as well. What a buyer should know:

• Condominium buildings of three or more stories need a “milestone” structural inspection by the end of the year they turn 30, and every 10 years after; the local building official may require it at 25 years, for example near salt water.
• The same buildings need a structural integrity reserve study (SIRS) at least every 10 years, and for budgets adopted on or after December 31, 2024, owners can no longer vote to waive or reduce reserves for the structural items it covers. A 2025 law lets those reserves be funded by special assessment, a line of credit or a loan, and lets owners pause or reduce them for up to two years to pay for repairs a recent milestone inspection found.
• Many older condominiums have faced large special assessments or fee increases as a result, and some lenders will not finance a unit in a building with unfinished repairs. They are among the most important facts about any condominium.
• Condominium associations with 25 or more units must post their official records on a website or app (since January 1, 2026), as must HOAs with 100 or more parcels (since January 1, 2025). These are generally for owners only, behind a password.
• HOA directors must now complete education when they join a board, and continuing education each year after.

Renting Out Your Home

If you might rent out your home, now or later, the association’s rules matter as much as the home itself. Many Naples communities set a minimum lease, often 30 days or more and sometimes several months, and limit how many times a year a home may be leased. Some require the association to approve each tenant, some do not allow an owner to lease during the first year or two of ownership, and some do not allow leasing at all. If its documents allow it, a condominium association may also require a tenant’s security deposit of up to one month’s rent.

Florida law protects owners from some later changes. When a condominium’s documents are amended to restrict leasing, the change applies only to owners who agree to it and to those who buy afterward. HOAs follow the same rule for amendments made since July 1, 2021, except that an HOA may still limit rentals shorter than six months, or more than three a year, for every owner. For a buyer, this means the rules in place when you buy are the ones to read closely: they apply to you.

Short-term rentals carry taxes and licensing of their own. A rental of six months or less is taxed: Florida’s 6% transient rental tax plus Collier County’s tourist development tax, paid to the Collier County Tax Collector. Some booking platforms collect and pay these for you. A home rented more than three times a year for less than 30 days at a time needs a vacation rental license from the state, and the City of Naples requires rentals of at least 30 days in most of its residential areas, with limited exceptions.

Each community page shows the minimum lease and the number of leases allowed a year where they are on record, and the home search’s “Leasing Allowed” and “No Leasing Allowed” filters, under More Filters, narrow homes by whether leasing is permitted. Rules can differ from building to building within a community; the association’s documents are the final word.

Pros & Cons

Some buyers appreciate what community associations bring to the table. They require owners to maintain their properties to a community standard. They provide amenities, facilities and services. They offer self-governance of the community you live in. Ultimately, they help keep property values as strong as possible and residents happy.

Some absolutely loathe the idea of living in an HOA community. Having to abide by any rules at all in the place they call home is not what they have in mind, and to others the fees, and their typical annual increases, are not worth what they get in return.

Most desirable communities in Naples, and in Florida, have community associations. If you want to own real estate here, I hope you will weigh their positive attributes against what some consider negatives.

How to Choose

The first step in finding the best community for you is to determine which communities offer what you want and need within your budget: those in a preferred area of Naples, with the types of homes you are most interested in, with the amenities that matter to you, and with the lifestyle you want to live. The community search is a great tool to begin. Then visit the communities high on your list; there is no substitute for seeing them in person. For gated communities, you will likely need to tour with a real estate agent to get in, and it should be of great benefit to you to do so. A knowledgeable agent will point out the pros and cons of each suitable community, answer your questions and more. For some communities, I encourage a meeting with club management, and arrange it for the buyers I work with.

Choosing the best community should also include examining its financial health, its bylaws, rules and regulations, and its governing documents. Most associations do not make these public; they are private communities, after all. So how do you get this critically important information? Through the purchase. In most cases, you will not receive the documents until you are under contract, which means agreeing to buy before seeing them. Florida law protects you here. A buyer of a resale condominium is entitled to the association’s documents, including its budget, its financial statement and any milestone inspection summary and structural integrity reserve study, and may cancel the contract within 7 days, excluding weekends and legal holidays, after signing it or receiving the documents, whichever is later. A buyer in an HOA community must receive a disclosure summary before signing, or may cancel within 3 days of receiving it, if before closing. Beyond what the law provides, a well-written contract can give you time to review the documents and walk away if you do not like what you find; that is part of your agent’s job.

In Closing

Many buyers weigh the community they buy in as heavily as the home itself, though few make it an even 50/50 decision. Some put more weight on the home, some on the community. Would you rather have a highly appealing home in a community that is a little off target? Or a home that is not quite as strong as others, in a community that is right on target, with friends or family close by? (I know that you want it all.) Many factors come into play when choosing the right community. I focus significant attention on helping buyers choose a community they will be happy in, because helping them find and buy the right home, in the right community, to spend high-quality years of life in is very important to me.