Del Mar

Del Mar, also known as Del Mar Club, is a mid-rise at 1300 Gulf Shore Boulevard North in Naples, built in 1966, with homes on seven floors. Its grounds take up the southeast corner of Gulf Shore Boulevard North and Banyan Boulevard and run back to Yucca Road, and it shares the block with a neighboring building to the east.

The age of the building is the thing to weigh most carefully. Once a building like this passes a certain age, Florida requires an engineer to examine its structure, and to do it again every ten years. Del Mar is well past that point. Two things decide whether a special assessment lands on top of the monthly charge: what that inspection found, and how much money sits in reserve for big repairs to the structure.

Is Del Mar on the beach?

No, though the beach is close: Lowdermilk Park lies straight across Gulf Shore Boulevard North, at number 1301. The sand on the park's far side is roughly 500 feet from Del Mar's property line as the crow flies, or about a tenth of a mile.

The park and its beach are a separate property on the other side of a public road, and nothing in the park belongs to the building. If a beach of its own is on your list, Del Mar isn't the place.

What are the homes like at Del Mar?

The typical home has two bedrooms and two baths, from about 850 to about 1,000 square feet, and most sit at the smaller end of that.

Views depend on where the home sits in the building. Many have full or partial Gulf views, and some on the upper floors take in the bay as well. Others look onto the pool, the gardens or the parking area, so don't count on a Gulf view from every home.

What's on the grounds at Del Mar?

The grounds hold an outdoor pool with a cabana beside it, a grilling area, bike storage, a community room and a laundry room for shared use. Some homes also have their own washer and dryer, but not all of them do.

Expect one assigned parking space per home, usually with guest parking as well, and no garage. If you keep two cars, plan around that single space.

What does it cost to own at Del Mar?

Del Mar's homes have sold from the $350,000s to around $600,000. Budget around $1,100 a month for the association charge, a deliberately cautious planning number that sits above what a typical home is charged. Whether the charge stays at that level depends mostly on what the inspection turned up and how well funded the reserves are.

What should you have in hand before making an offer?

Three things, and the association is the source for each:

• the report from the most recent structural inspection, which says what the engineer found
• a clear account of how much money is set aside for big repairs to the structure
• confirmation of how the building is owned

Settle the third early, before a lender gets involved, since it decides exactly what you're buying and how you can finance it.

Where is Del Mar, and what's nearby?

Del Mar is in Coquina Sands. By road, NCH Baker Hospital downtown is about 1.4 miles away and Fifth Avenue South at Third Street South about 1.7 miles. The Naples Pier is about 2.2 miles, and Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW) about 35 miles. Closer than any of them, Charleston Square, a small center of shops, offices and places to eat, sits directly across Banyan Boulevard to the north.