The truth about Cape Coral/ Ft Myers SWFL Area (Sanibel: sale, foreclosure)

[cicilyb]

Mike p- I don't live in cape coral- however, I do like your post. There seems to be so many bitter angry people on this forum giving harsh and negative opinions about south FL as a whole. First off- it is hot and humid here for several months. People that move here without that understanding are dumb. It is South Florida after all. We have beautiful fall, winter springs here. Yes-it can be hot during those seasons as well- but overall it is really very beautiful. I grew up here- I get frustrated myself by all of the growth and congestion- but I get sick of hearing the complaints about the weather, the schools and the culture. All things considered it is a nice place to live with much to offer.

[kroeran]

Originally Posted by Needtannow

Hi,

We are looking to buy a condo in Ft. Myers and I was wondering what the Cottonwood Bend area (near Palm Beach/Verandah) is like?

We are in the initial stage of looking and would like to try and narrow down our search area prior to contacting a realtor and arranging showings. This would be a vacation home for us (from Canada) and want to make sure we are in a relatively safe area within a gated community.

Thanks!

L

check out Paseo...many Ontarians such as myself buying

Paseo Ft. Myers

a little more money than Cottonwood, but worth it....they put us up no obligation for a couple of nights

[hiknapster]

Originally Posted by KitKatLuvr2

Cape Coral has little to offer. It's not oceanside, it's bayside, and the beaches are NOT close. Fort Myers beach sucks - it is not gorgeous, and the water is NOT aqua like everywhere else - it's brown, probably from the tannin in the tree roots. Add to this their little parking problem (there is literally NO parking to be heard of - it is all taken up by the beach eateries that want you to eat there and leave). Then you have Sanibel, a brown sand beach shelling beach, and Captiva - whiter sand, clearer water - yet these are hard to get to, and take a lot of travel time to even get to.
Add to this the unemployment rate - which topped 14% a couple weeks ago when we were there....and you know that this is just not a good place to live. I looked in the classifieds and saw FOUR jobs. Four! How do they expect you to pay for a house when you buy it?

Bottom line - this area is facing hard times. It is depressing, and when you're out in the streets you can feel the oppression. You can feel it in the air, you can see it on the poor inhabitant's faces. Any smart people, will run, not walk, as far from this place as you can. Investment opportunity? Well, maybe for the uber-rich that can afford the high-end homes and areas. As far as the rest of us go, there are far more desirable areas one can relocate to! I'm sorry if this is offensive to any Cape Coralites, but I came, and I saw it firsthand. This city is full of woe and sadness.

Great post. I thought the place was the pits before the bust. We left during the boom. It's always been a "low rent" area, and unfortunately, it looks like it is going to be much worse. People like you won't buy there.

By the way, the brown ocean is due to the runoff from the agriculture in the middle of the state. It flows down the Caloosahatchie and into the gulf.

Tropical paradise. Meh. I can go to Bermuda for that.

Great call. Run. Run far, far away.

[nhkev]

Hik, How did I know you were going to latch on to that post? I'm not saying that a lot of what she was saying is untrue. The low end properties now are all undesirable pieces of property. Fort myers beach.... Hardly beautiful but still a fun place to be. Sanibel brown sand??? maybe I go to a different beach than kitkat did. Where I disagree is the oppression on people's faces. I found most people to be very friendly with 2 exceptions- both were waitresses at resturaunts. Which I can't understand why managers would allow that. IMHO if you are in the service business and you can't greet the patrons with a big smile like they were a long lost friend every time , you shouldn't be in the industry. Anyway.... I was fishing off a bridge and the guy that lived on the corner came out and invited us in his yard said we could sit on his seawall under the shade of his palm trees because he knew it could be hot out there in the sun, and was pointing out to us were the good fish were... We also went to a Memorial/fundraiser/fishing derby/ cookout at the D&D marina along with about 200 other people that were almost all year round residents and they came together as a community to raise money for the trauma center for lee memorial.. they were some incredibly warm and friendly people there and what was a common theme was the fishing teams donating their winnings back to the cause. The sense of community was very moving.

[121804]

Originally Posted by nhkev

Hik, How did I know you were going to latch on to that post? I'm not saying that a lot of what she was saying is untrue. The low end properties now are all undesirable pieces of property. Fort myers beach.... Hardly beautiful but still a fun place to be. Sanibel brown sand??? maybe I go to a different beach than kitkat did. Where I disagree is the oppression on people's faces. I found most people to be very friendly with 2 exceptions- both were waitresses at resturaunts. Which I can't understand why managers would allow that. IMHO if you are in the service business and you can't greet the patrons with a big smile like they were a long lost friend every time , you shouldn't be in the industry. Anyway.... I was fishing off a bridge and the guy that lived on the corner came out and invited us in his yard said we could sit on his seawall under the shade of his palm trees because he knew it could be hot out there in the sun, and was pointing out to us were the good fish were... We also went to a Memorial/fundraiser/fishing derby/ cookout at the D&D marina along with about 200 other people that were almost all year round residents and they came together as a community to raise money for the trauma center for lee memorial.. they were some incredibly warm and friendly people there and what was a common theme was the fishing teams donating their winnings back to the cause. The sense of community was very moving.

Difference b/w being on vacationing and fishing and having to waitress and kiss the rear end of tourists and retirees for a 5% tip to pay your rent

I waitressed through high school & college..it wasn't a choice...and I tell my children that they WILL do the same job...what you learn about yourself & others is amazing. I'm taking it you never have worked in the restaurant business? It's one of the hardest jobs.

The point is being on vacation with the biggest issue being where you are going to fish and figuring out how you are going to pay next month's rent and car payment.

Not justifying poor customer service, but cmon...

Your cracking me up with trying to make it sound like living on Sanibel is the norm with cookouts and fishing 24/7. It's not.

When I'm on vacation, life is about as good as it can get & I cannot pathom how someone could not be whistling while they work.....then I stop & realize "Oh, I'm on vacation...that's right!"

Report just came out on the bacteria count of Sanibel........

[TedTLPN]

Originally Posted by 121804

Report just came out on the bacteria count of Sanibel........

Link?


I agree about the waiting tables thing. It's one of three jobs EVERBODY in the U.S. ought to be required to do along with a year in the military, and tech support.

[nhkev]

Originally Posted by 121804

Difference b/w being on vacationing and fishing and having to waitress and kiss the rear end of tourists and retirees for a 5% tip to pay your rent

I waitressed through high school & college..it wasn't a choice...and I tell my children that they WILL do the same job...what you learn about yourself & others is amazing. I'm taking it you never have worked in the restaurant business? It's one of the hardest jobs.

The point is being on vacation with the biggest issue being where you are going to fish and figuring out how you are going to pay next month's rent and car payment.

Not justifying poor customer service, but cmon...

Your cracking me up with trying to make it sound like living on Sanibel is the norm with cookouts and fishing 24/7. It's not.

When I'm on vacation, life is about as good as it can get & I cannot pathom how someone could not be whistling while they work.....then I stop & realize "Oh, I'm on vacation...that's right!"

Report just came out on the bacteria count of Sanibel........

your post says it all... and I see why you only got 5% .... it's all you deserved. I'm not on vacation anymore.... so what did I do yesterday? I woke up went out on the boat from 11am to 6pm fished , swam, played in the water with my kids, then went to work ,in the resturaunt business , which i've been involved in one form or the other for 25 yrs).

[ChrisA70]

Nice guy....... Such a gentleman!

Originally Posted by nhkev

your post says it all... and I see why you only got 5% .... it's all you deserved. I'm not on vacation anymore.... so what did I do yesterday? I woke up went out on the boat from 11am to 6pm fished , swam, played in the water with my kids, then went to work ,in the resturaunt business , which i've been involved in one form or the other for 25 yrs).

[TANaples]

Originally Posted by nhkev

your post says it all... and I see why you only got 5% .... it's all you deserved. I'm not on vacation anymore.... so what did I do yesterday? I woke up went out on the boat from 11am to 6pm fished , swam, played in the water with my kids, then went to work ,in the resturaunt business , which i've been involved in one form or the other for 25 yrs).

I would rather shovel the snow in my driveway, work a Mighnight shift in the middle of a northern winter, work til I'm 80, than do any of those things you seem to be bragging about.

We are not impressed.

[ChrisA70]

I am for sure not impressed. Nothing like making yourself look conceited.

I prefer to wake up, go outside where it is low 70's, tinker with my truck, load it up with camping gear, go to Vermont, NH, or out in western MA. Drive off into the woods smell the fresh air, swim in a lake where the water is not 95 degrees, or worry about being eaten by a gator, go hiking, cook out, sit around the fire....

Winter... Go outside play in the snow with my daughter, throw a few snowballs, go inside, hot chocolate or coffee, watch a movie. Cross country ski.