The 1%'ers

I've thought long and hard about writing this post. 

I want to share my thoughts on life in southwest Florida, but I'm cognizant of it coming across the wrong way. Please take these words as, "You may not know but ..." and not, "Hey, look at me!"

The vacation routine in SW Florida, at least for me, includes many a sightseeing tour atop my Argon18 as I explore all that Naples and surrounding area offer for those that are interested. Interested might not be the best way to describe it since much of this area is only affordable to a small percentage of North America's population with high-end condo developments, gated communities, sprawling villas, and small castles aplenty, enough to boggle the mind of a lowly ex-public servant such as myself. I  find myself truly unable to fathom their level of wealth.

The main roads down here are filled by drivers who must be very busy "chasing the dream" since cycling on some of them is akin to taking one's life in one's hands as Maseratis, Bentleys, Ferraris, Maclarens, Mercedes, and the occasional Rolls wizz past me, by my estimation blatantly ignoring the posted speed limits. Heck, I've spied an SUV Rolls Royce the other day shopping at a consignment store, no less. Go figure! Perhaps, if I were to drive a baby blue convertible Bentley like this one that is parked daily near the tennis courts (a 400k vehicle), I too might feel the need to chase the sound barrier, but the chances of that are more astronomical than winning one of those crazy Powerball lotteries they have down here. 

A little "research" reveals that some of these cars cost more than my condo back at the beach!

The real estate market down here must make agents back home in Wasaga salivate with their multi-million dollar listings and Uber high-end finishes. I've discovered that there are some areas on the main roads around here that a drive-by results in a rubber-necking, mouth agape, forehead crinkled in sheer wonder kind of look, but the truly ridiculous builds require a turn off the beaten path, often down private developments with guard houses. I feel a lot less "touristy" atop the bike than in the RAV. If you've never seen neighbourhoods like these in real life, I'd wager that my very average photography skills will not do these monstrosities justice, and while I fully admit that there are some areas of Ontario that boast their own architectural monstrosities, for this bike-riding guy these are bordering on utter ridiculousness ... and they're landscaped to the hilt ... and not blanketed in a few cm of snow.

I have had conversations with some that I trust who have personal experience with employment in the US of A, and they swear that those with decent jobs ... I know, define decent ... make and keep more money than comparable jobs in Canada. While astutely aware that the discussion surrounding the factors at play that contribute to this are deep, detailed, and contentious, I'm positive that it's on a completely other level down here. The people that I have gotten to know don't seem like tycoons or like they come from "old" money, but when you can plop down 2 or 3 million for a second residence? 

I struggle to comprehend! 

My parents worked very hard throughout their lives to earn a comfortable living, meaning I admit that my brothers and I were afforded a privileged lifestyle which included purchasing a beautiful place in North Naple's Pelican Bay early on in the development of the area. They felt strongly that they wished to make the necessary sacrifices to afford their place, but if you account for the fact they bought 30+ years ago, the cost of ownership in PB has septupled during that time, meaning it's only feasible to a small percentage these days. Part of that is due to the real estate lunacy over the past 5 years, but another significant reason is the dwindling supply of units on the market. The PB development is presently building their final project on the only land left available, the entrance units listing for 2 million in pre-construction, and when it's done, there'll be bidding wars for places that come available, at least in my estimation.

2 million AMERICAN folks ... that's 2.84 million Canadian ... BEFORE finishing in out!

Through the enormous generosity of my mom, Joyce and I have enjoyed "playing house" in southwest Florida with all it has to offer, but the sad reality is that we can only ever hope to be visitors because ownership is completely impossible. Still, the visit is pretty gosh darned spectacular, and we are eternally grateful that my mom is so willing to tolerate us for long stretches. We've met some really wonderful people during our time here, some that are becoming friends, and we'll forever cherish the memories of visit!

It all comes to an end next week when we point the cars northward and return to our own "slice of heaven" in Wasaga Beach ... where we love it, BTW!