Horizon House

Horizon House is a single high-rise condominium at 3951 Gulf Shore Boulevard North in Park Shore, built in 1972 and run by its own association, Horizon House of Naples, Inc. Venetian Village lies about half a mile to the north in a straight line, or about 0.6 mile along Gulf Shore Boulevard.

Two rules can settle a purchase here before the view gets a say. A dog or cat kept as a pet is not allowed, and a home can be let only once a year, for 90 days or longer. If either one rules you out, it's better to know before the first viewing.

What are the homes like at Horizon House?

There are 77 homes in two floor plans: 70 have two bedrooms and 7 have four. No home has three bedrooms. The sizes are about 1,770 square feet for a two-bedroom home and about 3,540 for a four-bedroom home. Across both plans, homes have sold from the $820,000s to around $1.3 million, and a four-bedroom sale sets the top.

The building curves around a central courtyard with palms and a fountain, and its hallways are open to the air. The association describes what sits above it: "The courtyard is covered by a geodesic dome that protects it and the halls from weather, while still being open to the fresh air."

Each home has a Spanish-style entrance in wrought iron and terra cotta tile, a curved open lanai about 30 feet long, and a self-watering planter built into the corner of the balcony. What a lanai looks out on depends on which side of the curve the home sits: the Gulf, Venetian Bay, or both.

What's in the building?

A free-form pool sits on the land side, with lounging areas, a shower and a large grill. Indoors, the social room has several seating areas, TVs, an electric fireplace, a bar and a full kitchen, and owners and tenants can reserve it for private parties. There is also a fitness room with cardio machines and free weights, plus a game room with a pool table, ping pong, air hockey and a TV area.

The front desk in the lobby, beside the two elevators, has staff on duty around the clock, and everyone arriving at the building checks in there. The desk staff are not guards, and the association employs a licensed manager and its own maintenance crew.

How do parking and storage work?

Parking is under the building, in a garage and in a covered parking area. Each covered space is tied to one home and passes to its buyer, and most two-bedroom homes have one. Boats, trailers, recreational vehicles and commercial vehicles are barred from the property, and motorcycles need board approval.

Every home has two storage lockers of its own, either one in the hallway beside the front door and one downstairs, or both downstairs. Shared storage includes a kayak storage room and a chair room on the building's beach side.

What are the rules on pets and renting?

The declaration prohibits pets. Fish or caged birds are the only exception, and even those need advance approval from the board and mustn't become a nuisance. Tenants and visiting guests cannot have pets at all.

Renting is possible, within firm limits:

• the lease covers the entire home and must be approved by the board beforehand
• the shortest term is 90 days and the longest is one year
• a home can be let only once in any calendar year
• subletting is not allowed
• an owner gives up the pool, the shared rooms and the parking for the length of the lease

That rules out short stays and leaves room for one tenancy a year, of three months or more.

How are the assessments shared?

By fixed shares, set out in the declaration. Ownership is divided into 84 parts: each two-bedroom home owns 1/84 of what is held in common and pays 1/84 of the shared costs, while each four-bedroom home owns and pays 2/84. Whatever the budget, a four-bedroom owner pays exactly double.

Assessments are billed quarterly, in advance, and fall due on January 1, April 1, July 1 and October 1. The budget's shared costs include water and sewer for every home, plus whatever a second association, Commons "R" Association, Inc., charges the building. Membership and a vote there go with every home automatically.

What should you sort out before you sign?

The association's approval, the structural paperwork and, if you plan to remodel, the work calendar. Start with approval, which every purchase needs before closing. You'll submit an application with personal and financial references and be interviewed by a committee, so build that time into the contract.

Built in 1972, Horizon House is long past the point where Florida requires periodic structural inspections and fully funded reserves for structural components. Ask first for the reserve study, plus the report from the latest inspection. Those two documents decide whether owners pay the budgeted assessment alone or face a special assessment as well.

Remodeling permits and inspections go through the City of Naples rather than Collier County. Work needs the board's sign-off, and contractors must be licensed and insured. The hard limit is the calendar: apart from emergencies, no construction work is allowed in the building from December 15 to April 30, which leaves May 1 through December 14 for remodeling.