To Gate or Not to Gate? THE PROS AND CONS OF GATED COMMUNITIES
It seems like every time we turn around in Naples, another
both stricter and more expensive than those for ungated neighborhoods. That can be a good thing, as it leads to a very clean, homogenous look in the neighborhood thanks to the HOA’s high standards. However, if you’ve got something elaborate planned for your front lawn, you might feel like the rules stifle your creativity. feel insular even though the rest of the world is just outside the neighborhood’s gate. If you choose to live in one, be prepared to become part of a tight-knit community where everyone knows each other well. Of course, this isn’t exclusive to gated communities, but living under strict HOA rules and with fewer visitors driving through has a way of bringing people together, like it or not. KNOW YOUR NEIGHBORS Gated communities can sometimes
COST VS. VALUE According to the American Real Estate Society, homes in gated communities are worth an average of $30,000 more than those in neighborhoods without gates. That means you’ll likely pay a higher price up front, but your home might also retain its value better in the long run. Alternately, gated communities can have restrictions that discourage growth, which could keep property values down. As our fellow Florida real estate agent Kase Ellers put it in a Forbes article, “Diversity with nearby homes often allows for more opportunity for sales price growth that gated communities often never see.” THE HOA HUSTLE While nearly all quality neighborhoods have homeowners’ associations (HOAs) with rules and fees attached, gated community HOAs tend to be
neighborhood is putting up a gate. No doubt, gated communities are trendy, and, according to ScienceDirect, their popularity is booming outside of Florida, too. Still, buying property behind closed doors comes with a few pros and cons. Here are a few things to consider before you choose a neighborhood to call home. SAFETY OR CONVENIENCE? Gated communities are widely considered safer than non-gated ones, as the guard stations, fences, and gates deter criminals. However, some people find those safety measures more inconvenient than comforting. Gated communities sometimes restrict guests or require residents to call in with permission for them to enter, which can be a hassle for those who regularly entertain.
THE WORLD’S WACKIEST HOMES Designed by Their Owners
It doesn’t always take a master architect to create a breathtaking home. Some homeowners have shunned suburban domiciles and, with a little artistic vision and a lot of determination, built homes that capture their identities. Quirky, meticulously constructed, and always unique, here are a few of the world’s wackiest homes designed, and sometimes built, by their owners. FREEDOM COVE, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA When someone says they live on the water, they probably don’t mean they actually live on the water. But for artists Wayne Adams and Catherine King, the statement is literal. Freedom Cove, their remote, magenta-green island home, floats in Clayoquot Sound near
resident Steve Rood was going for. The staircase looks like human vertebrae, skeletal hands act as towel hooks in the bathroom, and tendril-like fixtures surround the living room couch. Perhaps the most out-of-character addition to the house is a large mural of the bat symbol painted on the garage door, which is the origin of the property’s name. HOBBIT HOUSE, INVERNESS-SHIRE, SCOTLAND Surprisingly, Stuart Grant’s cozy forest cottage was not inspired by the hobbit holes of “Lord of the Rings.” In fact, Grant built it over 15 years before the first movie was released. Still, it’s hard not to imagine some magical creature taking up residence in this house, which appears to be an extension of the forest itself. Gnarled tree trunks frame a circular door, moss coats the roof, and ivy covers most of the walls, all belying a cozy interior fit for many a hobbit meal or dwarf song. These homes may not be for everyone, but that’s kind of the point. Each of these homes was built by a specific resident, for a specific resident. Still, you can’t help but be impressed by the determination of their owners to make something truly one of a kind.
Vancouver Island. They started building it from old, interlocking steel docks in 1991, and now it includes 15 platforms, four greenhouses, a guest house, an art workshop, and more. BAT CASA, SAN MIGUEL, MEXICO The best word to describe this home is probably “anatomical.” That’s certainly the aesthetic movie set designer and Bat Casa
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