SOUTHWEST FLORIDA -- From Naples to Captiva, the rich and famous love Southwest Florida. And we're not just talking about Judge Judy!
We sent Fox 4 investigator Alan Jennings to scope out real estate records along the Gulf of Mexico to see which big names have property here.
We discovered there are a lot of rich and famous people in Naples, from rock stars to big businessmen.
As we cruised luxurious Gordon Drive, one construction site caught our eye, so Alan and chief photographer Curt Tremper and I pulled over to check it out. What in the world is being built there, and who owns it? It’s not Donald Trump, but another billionaire: Richard Schulze, co-founder and CEO of Best Buy.
One person in the know in Naples told us this is actually a real compound; walls that reach 20 feet in the air, with what looks like four guard towers for total privacy. Our source says the compound will consist of six separate homes, 3,000 square feet each for the Schulze's grandchildren.
Price tag: $120 million.
Right behind the compound is Schulze's already standing grand mansion right on the Gulf of Mexico. Price tag: unknown. Sources guestimate: over $50 million easy.
Living high in the sky over Naples overlooking the turquoise beauty of the Gulf is Fox News's Sean Hannity. Colleague Brett Baier lives nearby.
Here's a list of other stars we've confirmed who own property in Naples and Marco Island:
As we cruised the neighborhood we discovered through Collier County records that Tom Cruise visits his mother here Naples.
Without question the homes here are extraordinary, most of them electronically gated. Fascinating yard sculptures, with fountains galore. Truly for the rich and famous.
Other lovers of the land here:
- NBA star Larry Bird
- Rocker Bob Seger
- Alex Lifeson of Rush
- Legendary NFL coach Mike Ditka
- PGA star Rocco Mediate
- LPGA's Nancy Lopez
- A half dozen MLB stars, including Greg Luzinski and Bullet Bob Turley
Retired NBC weather star Williard Scott lives on Sanibel Island, not far from him is Aerosmith rocker Joe Perry.
And, of course there’s Governor Rick Scott's beachfront mansion in Naples.
