Cape Coral, FL. (Tampa, Sarasota, Jupiter: mortgage, real estate, for sale)

[bamboosmom]

News flash from last night's news.

A drug bust was made in the Cape for POT. The value of the bust was over $1,000,000. There were at least 4 homes that were busted.
Children on a school bus witnessed all of this going on right in their own neighborhood!
So, what about the crime rate there Connie? I believe that there is much more crime than what is said by the public information director.

[firemed]

Originally Posted by bamboosmom

News flash from last night's news.

A drug bust was made in the Cape for POT. The value of the bust was over $1,000,000. There were at least 4 homes that were busted.
Children on a school bus witnessed all of this going on right in their own neighborhood!
So, what about the crime rate there Connie? I believe that there is much more crime than what is said by the public information director.

Don't forget the Gang murders and the other Grow houses last week. Is that on the DVD ? Come and see the Cape Coral First. Moderator cut: URL cut

[TalmudRabbi]

Good job Connie !

There's a lot of almost intentional inaccuracies that seem to permeate the discussion about many places in Florida (and elsewhere).

I have seen quite a bit of inaccurate 'loathing' of where we choose to live, sarasota (and no, I'm not a retiree, from Michigan either !)

Want a job in Sarasota/Manatee? I think I can get something done here !


SHALOM

[bamboosmom]

Originally Posted by TalmudRabbi

Good job Connie !

There's a lot of almost intentional inaccuracies that seem to permeate the discussion about many places in Florida (and elsewhere).

I have seen quite a bit of inaccurate 'loathing' of where we choose to live, sarasota (and no, I'm not a retiree, from Michigan either !)

Want a job in Sarasota/Manatee? I think I can get something done here !


SHALOM

I can't say that what I heard was an inacurracy. The local news broadcast this. ABC-7, NBC and Wink news!

[Littlewoman]

Connie,please don't tell people that Cape is a safe City.We have gangs on every corner,violence in schools,grow houses all over the place,home invations and let's not forget the murders that have happened here in the last six month,all gang or drug related.I live here for 15 years and whoever said that crime has gonne through the roof is absolutly right.I understand that if you work for the city you want to make Cape look at it's best,but please don't hide the truth.My brother is a Police officer in Cape ,so I know exactly where we are with our crime rate.One reason I want to get out of here and put my house up for sale is that reason.CRIME.
So whoever wants to move here,please come here for a few month and rent,go to councel meetings,city hall meetings and see for yourself how people are getting forced out of their homes because they can not pay the assesments.If you are on a fixed income and get hit with that amount they have no joice but to sell and move.The City is beeing sued right now because of this.Connie,you want to denie that to.And even if the city dropped the cost's from 22 to 18K,by the time they add everything on you are still ending up with 25-28 K.So Connie get your facts straight,you should know all that,you work for the City,second thought it does not supprise me that you don't know what your talking about,I think a lot off people in the Cape are used to it.

[MOTV8D]

Please, if you are considering moving to Cape Coral, talk to people who aren't extremists or negative nellies.

Many people have referred to the News-Press forums and Council Meetings to find out "what is really going on" in Cape Coral. Really, all you will get is the opinion of 10 chronic complainers out of 153,000 who are dissatisfied with Cape Coral. Is that objective? No. There are many, many, many people, including myself, who are very happy in Cape Coral.

Yes, the price of housing, insurance, taxes, utility assessments are increasing. This is a coastal community -- a paradise -- and that is to be expected. The prices were so low in the Cape for so many years compared to other coastal communities that the prices are simply correcting and catching up. Yes, the utility assessments create a hardship for some. But as a growing community, city water and sewer are necessary for water supply and sanitary reasons. It may sound cruel but, if people can't afford to live here, then it is time for them to move on. Personally, I would love to live in Naples or Captiva but I can't afford it. So I don't live there. It is simply illogical to expect prices to be what you can afford. Rather, you buy the product you can afford.

Yes, the Cape has a lot of codes and ordinances. Personally, I view these as a good thing. These codes and ordinances ensure that my $400,000 investment isn't ruined by having a hillbilly next door who wants to park eight junk cars in their yard, have weeds growing 4 feet tall, trash strewn about, etc. These codes and ordinances are designed to maintain an image and standard of living. Honestly, I think the codes could be much stricter.

Yes, there has been an increase in crime. There have been a couple pot house busts. OMG! A pot house! It conotates a certain image but I can assure you, that is not the case. There are NOT gang members hanging out on every street corner. There are teens who wear baggy pants maybe but that does not make them gang members. The overwhelming majority of crime that has happened in the last year or so has not been random. It is crime targeted at people who were involved with the wrong people and were no saints themselves. I feel extremely safe in this community. I don't always lock my doors, I don't hesitate to take a walk at 10 pm. There are no "ghetto" neighborhoods. The police department has a zero tolerance policy. Throughout SW Florida, the Cape police are well known for their intolerance of drunk driving. Do NOT drive in the Cape drunk, with no insurance, with no driver license...you will get caught.

Yes, Cape Coral has it's issues. This is a rapidly growing community and we are experiencing growing pains. We will get through it and be better than ever. If anyone can point out a city with this beautiful climate that has no crime, no issues, homes and taxes are priced so that every Joe Citizen can afford to buy a home, please point it out. I would consider moving there myself. For now, I'll stay put because I can't imagine living anywhere else and having what I have here. I do not regret for one millisecond my decision to move here.

[Floridamex]

Originally Posted by MOTV8D

Please, if you are considering moving to Cape Coral, talk to people who aren't extremists or negative nellies.

Many people have referred to the News-Press forums and Council Meetings to find out "what is really going on" in Cape Coral. Really, all you will get is the opinion of 10 chronic complainers out of 153,000 who are dissatisfied with Cape Coral. Is that objective? No. There are many, many, many people, including myself, who are very happy in Cape Coral.

Yes, the price of housing, insurance, taxes, utility assessments are increasing. This is a coastal community -- a paradise -- and that is to be expected. The prices were so low in the Cape for so many years compared to other coastal communities that the prices are simply correcting and catching up. Yes, the utility assessments create a hardship for some. But as a growing community, city water and sewer are necessary for water supply and sanitary reasons. It may sound cruel but, if people can't afford to live here, then it is time for them to move on. Personally, I would love to live in Naples or Captiva but I can't afford it. So I don't live there. It is simply illogical to expect prices to be what you can afford. Rather, you buy the product you can afford.

Yes, the Cape has a lot of codes and ordinances. Personally, I view these as a good thing. These codes and ordinances ensure that my $400,000 investment isn't ruined by having a hillbilly next door who wants to park eight junk cars in their yard, have weeds growing 4 feet tall, trash strewn about, etc. These codes and ordinances are designed to maintain an image and standard of living. Honestly, I think the codes could be much stricter.

Yes, there has been an increase in crime. There have been a couple pot house busts. OMG! A pot house! It conotates a certain image but I can assure you, that is not the case. There are NOT gang members hanging out on every street corner. There are teens who wear baggy pants maybe but that does not make them gang members. The overwhelming majority of crime that has happened in the last year or so has not been random. It is crime targeted at people who were involved with the wrong people and were no saints themselves. I feel extremely safe in this community. I don't always lock my doors, I don't hesitate to take a walk at 10 pm. There are no "ghetto" neighborhoods. The police department has a zero tolerance policy. Throughout SW Florida, the Cape police are well known for their intolerance of drunk driving. Do NOT drive in the Cape drunk, with no insurance, with no driver license...you will get caught.

Yes, Cape Coral has it's issues. This is a rapidly growing community and we are experiencing growing pains. We will get through it and be better than ever. If anyone can point out a city with this beautiful climate that has no crime, no issues, homes and taxes are priced so that every Joe Citizen can afford to buy a home, please point it out. I would consider moving there myself. For now, I'll stay put because I can't imagine living anywhere else and having what I have here. I do not regret for one millisecond my decision to move here.

It was Cape Coral that has had the 44% drop in price in one year and still dropping. Your 400k is gone. You might want to ask the hillbilly next door if he would give you .50 on the dollar and you would be all set. Give it two years and it will be a ghetto.

[MOTV8D]

Originally Posted by Floridamex

It was Cape Coral that has had the 44% drop in price in one year and still dropping. Your 400k is gone. You might want to ask the hillbilly next door if he would give you .50 on the dollar and you would be all set. Give it two years and it will be a ghetto.

Actually, the $400k is the current value AFTER the market has dropped. Still not a bad investment considering I only paid $150k 5 years ago.

Unless someone bought high with the intention of an immediate flip, you still can't make a bad investment. After the market adjusts, property values will begin to see normal appreciation. Many took for granted the 40%+ annual appreciation we had for three years.

Now is actually a very good time to buy if someone is looking for a longer term investment. It is a buyer's market and prices are lowering. But they WILL begin to increase in the next year or so, O ye of little faith.

[firemed]

Originally Posted by MOTV8D

Actually, the $400k is the current value AFTER the market has dropped. Still not a bad investment considering I only paid $150k 5 years ago.

Unless someone bought high with the intention of an immediate flip, you still can't make a bad investment. After the market adjusts, property values will begin to see normal appreciation. Many took for granted the 40%+ annual appreciation we had for three years.

Now is actually a very good time to buy if someone is looking for a longer term investment. It is a buyer's market and prices are lowering. But they WILL begin to increase in the next year or so, O ye of little faith.

Not too bad for 5 years. I dont think buying in Cape Coral right now is a good investment. I have been in lee county all my life and made a s*&t load of money last year. But now is not a good time to buy. Next year might be. but now I don't think so.

[rlavin]

Looking for some "gotchas " when looking to purchase property in Cape Coral . Coming in from New Jersey DEC 28-29 looking at waterfront property in Unit 58 and unit 59. Any helpfull hints or preliminary questions I should ask ?