The truth about Cape Coral/ Ft Myers SWFL Area (Fort Myers: real estate, lease)

[MikeP]

I'm not one to post, but I felt I needed to address some of the nonsense I've been reading. There's good and bad and I'll address both, but there are clearly people grinding axes in this forum.
First I've read a couple posts saying that there is a lot of crime in Cape Coral or that it's unsafe. This is an absolute joke. Cape Coral is one is the safest citys in the country for it's size. Look at the data. East Fort Myers is a tough area and it's true that Lehigh Acres has seen a significant crime increase.

It is HOT here in the summer and summer is June-October, but November - May is as close to perfect as I've ever seen.
We do have fire ants (as does the whole southeast US), but if you treat your lawn a couple times a year you won't have them.

I've also been reading posts about how expensive homes, taxes and insurance are. Home prices in 2005 were overvalued. Now they're downright cheap. You can get nice 3 bedroom 2 bath homes in Cape Coral (with city utilities) for $150K and you can be on a golf course or gulf access canal for under $300K. These are in clean safe neighboorhoods. Where else can you do that?

Taxes and insurace have increased in recent years, but my taxes and insurance combined are still far less than taxes alone in the northeast.

As for the Water and Sewer assesment in Cape Coral.... Some people here are telling partial truths to scare you.
It's true that it exists and $18K is probably pretty accurate. However thousands of homes already have city water and sewer so there is no assessment. The homes that don't have it still use well and septic. If you buy one of those homes you will eventually (could be a year, could be 20 years) have that assessment, but those homes cost at least 20K less than similiar homes with city utilites. You simply buy a home that already has city utilites if you don't want to deal with the hassel of the assesment. This info is easily available. Any realtor or real estate add will tell you. Or just look on the side of the house, if there's a big water tank thier still on well and septic. Nearly all of SE and SW Cape are now on city utilites. NE and NW are mostly well and septic.

Several posts have said this is a bad area for kids or families. When I moved here 12 years ago that may have been true, but so many young people have moved here in recent years that it's much better. The parks and rec department is unreal. There are tons of activites, classes, sports and the ball fields are like minor league parks. My wife has a mom's groupl that meets once a week at he park. The library has tons of programs too, we're there at least once a week.

I'm a teacher. The schools here are like anywhere there are very good, good, not so good and bad. All schools are given grades A-F. Just research before choosing. I'd be glad to debate the difference between a good school and a bad one. Do you really think all the good teachers and administrators are at the "good" schools? Maybe that should be a different post.

Some areas I'd recommend.... 1. Pine Island it's the best ! Close community, inexpensive Island living 2. McGregor Blvd area of Fort myers. A little pricey but charming. 3. Cape Royal (AKA Royal Tee CC) .It's a beautiful gated community with all houses on the golf course. Prices are from upper $200's into the millions. 4. SW Cape. My favorite section of the Cape.

I wouldn't recommend..... 1. East Fort Myers 2. Lehigh Acres

I'd be happy to give anyone looking for an honest opinion just that. Those of you here to scare people or grind axes please find another place to do it.

[WW47]

Mike, this is a wonderful post! I was so happy to read something positive. I enjoy living in SW Florida and I am in my early 30's. There's many things to do for any age group. Art related, music related, young professional clubs, and other Chambers of Commerce. I am currently buying a residential property because the prices are great right now. Now IS the time to buy! SW Cape is also my favorite area, as well as Fort Myers. Lehigh Acres DOES have some nice areas, just have to know which ones. :0)

[to570717]

Mike is 100% right. Doom and gloom is too prevalent. This is a great area with a few issues. One thing to point out though, East Ft Myers, is on the up and up. Look at the Veranda(sp) and back in Davis St. All those areas are nice and that is East Ft Myers. Its flordia for Christ sake. Enjoy it!!

[MikeP]

You're correct, East Fort Myers is was far to general a statement on my part. Veranda is beautiful. Buckingham has some nice areas as well. I'm sure there are nice areas I'm unaware of also. Same goes for Lehigh Acres, I'm sure there are plenty of nice areas there.
My post was getting long and I was trying to rap it up quickly.

[whippersnapper]

I'd include SE Cape in the recommended areas, especially south of Veteran's along Del Prado. Some of those neighborhoods are really nice and they do little community events and they're close to the downtown area of Cape Coral.

Nice post

[scott7876]

Good for you MikeP, nice to hear something good here! I have recently moved to Ft Myers from Long Island. We are renting now, as I just sold my home back in NY, so we will start looking for a house probably in Cape Coral next year when our lease expires.

All areas have their goods and bads, it's just nice to hear some "goods" every now and again!

Scott

[LostFtMyers]

Originally Posted by scott7876

Good for you MikeP, nice to hear something good here! I have recently moved to Ft Myers from Long Island. We are renting now, as I just sold my home back in NY, so we will start looking for a house probably in Cape Coral next year when our lease expires.

All areas have their goods and bads, it's just nice to hear some "goods" every now and again!

Scott

Anything in Florida would be better than NY. I am 5th generation from this area. Believe me when I say Cape Coral is nothing like it used to be nor is Ft Myers. True there are nice places on the Cape to live provided you have enough money to do so. After being a victim of 3 burglaries and 2 auto thefts and 3 counts of vandalism (by the way; they don't call it vandalism in Cape Coral anymore) I believe Cape Coral has the rating it has is because the records are fudged a little because that would be bad for the city keeping away all the New Yorkers from moving there and bringing all that union money with them.

It is now and has been for a long time hard to find anything nice to say about Cape Coral a.k.a Little Russia.

And just because taxes here maybe cheaper than NY does NOT mean the taxes are cheap. The job market pay scale has remain the same for the last 20+ years while the cost of living has got so stupidly high. Now is NOT the time to buy...Buyers need to hold out longer to keep those prices coming back to reality.

[scott7876]

I have no doubt that Cape Coral and Fort Myers are not like they used to be. Sadly, I think thats the case in a lot of places, including NY. It certainly is the case for Long Island.

3 buglaries, 2 auto thefts, and 3 counts of vandalism? You have my sympathy, that really stinks.

Scott

[LostFtMyers]

Originally Posted by scott7876

I have no doubt that Cape Coral and Fort Myers are not like they used to be. Sadly, I think thats the case in a lot of places, including NY. It certainly is the case for Long Island.

3 buglaries, 2 auto thefts, and 3 counts of vandalism? You have my sympathy, that really stinks.

Scott

All this within 4 years, only to have Cape Coral's finest stand in front of me and have the balls to ask me "What do you want me to do about it?". Yes, those are the exact words they used. If Cape Coral is the 4th safest place, then I would really hate to see what the unsafest place is like.

[MikeP]

I too am sorry you've had this trouble. I've been here (Cape Coral) for 12 years and certainly it is different than when I arrived (both good and bad)
The population has doubled in that time, so naturally crime has increased. 160,000 poeple commit more crime than 80,000.
If you moved here to retire 8+ years ago I can understand why you don't like the changes. It was mostly retiries then. The area is getting bigger and younger.
I've never once felt unsafe here. It is about as safe as a city this size gets.
I've also never heard the Cape refferd to as little russia except in your posts.
I hope you have better luck in the future.