Family of 8 buying a house in Cape Coral :) (rentals, transfer)

[Coco_camila]

Hello,
I would like to Thank you in advance for your comments and your advice.
My family and I are transferring jobs from Ohio to Florida. We are a family of
8, we have 6 kids ages 14-3 and would like some info on the area. We are thinking
that Cape Coral would be a good idea because the houses seem affordable for
our budget under 150k (4bed/2bath). we also have 2 large dogs a pitbull and a lab.
Please give us some advice on the location, schools, dog laws, neighborhoods and safety.

[DennisDaMenace]

6 kids? Good lord, you know what causes them, right?

[MikeP]

There really aren't bad neigboorhoods in Cape Coral. There are a couple that are mostly rentals where it's less desirable but if you're looking for a single family home I think you'll be fine. Most people agree that the NE Cape is less desirable than SE,SW & NW but I don't consider the NE bad. People will try to scare you away from the NE and NW because of water and sewer assessments that could happen in the future. It's true that it could happen and cost about $20k when it does, but you'll pay much less for those homes than the homes that already have the assessments in and paid. All in all the Cape is a pretty good. The prices are going up fast though. Good luck!

[Olereb]

If your dead set on the Cape I'd say SW Cape or SE Cape,there areant any really bad areas but the south cape does have less problems than the northern parts. Also if you need to find out if you have city utilities already because if you don't eventually the city will force you to get them and at this time the cost is $24,000 just to have the pipes put in,then you have to pay thousands more to have a licensed plumber come and actually hook the house up and fill in your septic tank. This is something that the realtors aren't going to tell you nor will the city,i am going through this right now so I know first hand the cost and how shady the city is regarding telling you the truth. It can be a nice place but the city is horribly run and with no real business base the residents shoulder 95% of the tax burden,also look into what is against the codes here,there are a million little things here that you will get fined for and they have people driving around 24/7 trying to bust you. I live in SW Cape and as much as I detest the laws and the way the city is run this area is good for kids if you really want to be in the Cape.