Best of Lee is South Ft. Myers (Cape Coral, Fort Myers: mortgage, property taxes)

[SWFL_Native]

Decided to register here as I've seen many of the Cape Coral vs. Ft. Myers posts/threads and wanted to add my $0.02. I am a native and have lived all over Lee County (grew up on Sanibel, High School in the Cape, and College/post college in Estero and Ft. Myers).

The Cape is a bedroom community and the traffic sucks during commuting time for the Midpoint. Colonial / Midpoint at 4:30 - 6:00 = Yuck

Lehigh use to be nice but has been infested with the leftovers from the other coast. Don't touch it!

North Ft. Myers is ok, more of the rural / redneck community. You can find some nice newer communities for a good deal but still not my cup of tea.

East Ft. Myers Moderator cut: comment is a ghetto, I wouldn't touch the riverside high rises. $500k+ to be 5 min walk from Michigan ave., no thanks. For those prices you can look to Bonita & Naples. The downtown revitilization project is a joke and I don't really ever see it becoming the urban center many invision.

Estero would be my 2nd choice but is a bit too much of a commute to most jobs. Watch out for the I-75 projects and construction over the next few years. 41 and Treeline are not adequate to accomodate the spillover.

Finally my choice for the best area is South Ft. Myers. Both in terms of value and location it offers the best of everything. Being off Daniels you're in a relatively safe area but can still find nice SFH's for under $300k. Minutes from Bell Tower, Gulf Coast Town center, and the Airport. The best local restaraunts are also in the Daniel's/Cypress Lake corridor. The Summerlin/Gladiolous area is also nice but still not quite my favorite.

[Cougar31]

Welcome to the Ft. Myers Thread. It's nice to have a native's input.
Regards,

[justNancy]

SWFLA_Native, although I agree with some of your input, your post sounds a little bigoted to me.

Sanibel or Captiva would definitely be my choice if I were very wealthy. I lived on the islands for a couple of years, although I heard they look very different since Charley hit in 2004. It was so peaceful living there, but also very inconvenient. I can't imagine finding a home for under a million however. I finally had to move because I could only afford an off-season rental.

IMO Naples is the prettiest city (not including the islands) but it's so overpriced that most people can't afford to live there. I live in Bonita Springs near the beach and, although my street is not considered to be an upscale area at all, there isn't much for less than $350,000 and some homes are still on the market for over $2 million. To those who haven't lived in SW Florida, unless you live in a gated community, when you're close to the beach you will see a strange mix of dwellings. There will be several old duplexes for rent, some single family homes, condos, trailers, and a $3 million house all on the same block.

Your comments about South Fort Myers might have some validity to them, since it's certainly convenient, but that area is still pricey for some people (inlcuding me) which is why they are looking at the Cape. $300,000 is a lot for many families. The property taxes and insurance alone would be over $8,000. So maybe crossing a bridge to save tens of thousands on a home isn't such a bad idea!

[121804]

Originally Posted by justNancy

There will be several old duplexes for rent, some single family homes, condos, trailers, and a $3 million house all on the same block.

Why is this so prevalent in SWFL? I noticed this in Punta Gorda. There was a home for sale (over 2 years mind you & he refused to lower the price)for $989,000 & was on a curve that overlooked a canal. On the other side was a completely nasty apt complex & a few roughed up ranches that had seen much better days. This sort of thing was really common throughout PG & always amazed me. Odd.

[SWFL_Native]

Originally Posted by justNancy

SWFLA_Native, although I agree with some of your input, your post sounds a little bigoted to me.

no, you're right but I couldn't fathom moving back to the Cape after spending the past 5 years off of Daniels. I know there is alot of commercial development, there are just no jobs available paying a decent wage. I guess the value of my time not stuck in traffic is invaluable to my happiness.

Originally Posted by justNancy

Sanibel or Captiva would definitely be my choice if I were very wealthy. I lived on the islands for a couple of years, although I heard they look very different since Charley hit in 2004.

Definately, I just ASSumed that anyone reading this forum also could not afford to live on Sanibel and Captiva. Growing up out there was a great experience, the school and culture were fantastic. I knew nothing of racism, drugs, and much crime until I moved to Cape Coral. It's just too expensive but if you've got the money, it's about the last place where you can let your kids ride their bikes all around the island alone and still have comfort of mind.

Originally Posted by justNancy

IMO Naples is the prettiest city (not including the islands) but it's so overpriced that most people can't afford to live there. I live in Bonita Springs near the beach and, although my street is not considered to be an upscale area at all, there isn't much for less than $350,000 and some homes are still on the market for over $2 million. To those who haven't lived in SW Florida, unless you live in a gated community, when you're close to the beach you will see a strange mix of dwellings.

Agreed, I was born in NCH so I'm partial to it, thus the title Lee County. Naples has some issues but overall is the preferable location but a bit overpriced. Bonita is meh... It has it's nice neighborhoods but you're always 2 min away from little Mexico city.

Originally Posted by justNancy

Your comments about South Fort Myers might have some validity to them, since it's certainly convenient, but that area is still pricey for some people (inlcuding me) which is why they are looking at the Cape. $300,000 is a lot for many families. The property taxes and insurance alone would be over $8,000. So maybe crossing a bridge to save tens of thousands on a home isn't such a bad idea!

I think you can find a nice older home/townhome for closer to 200k or just below. I'm in the process of looking to buy my first home and there are a ton of options in the 185-225 range. Most have a tax assessment from 07 of about 4k and shouldn't be trending downward once reassessed this year.

[NY62]

Just want to add something for the folks complaining about the bridge and $2.00 toll. people living on Long Island for many many years have commuted to NYC for work and they have gone over bridges that cost upwards of $8.00 , traffic is way worse and the distances further then the cape to ft myers. People here would love that commute. Long Island started as a bedroom community to NYC and has thrived. Not everyone lives around the corner to work. As more stores and such get built in the cape, blue collar jobs will expand, people will open auto and other businesses for the homeowners. One day the houseing mess will be over , There are alot of people in other parts of the country that would love to only pay 80 to 300 k for a home. Where I am they rent for 1800 to 2500 for an apartment, and they would not worry about that commute.

[121804]

Originally Posted by NY62

Just want to add something for the folks complaining about the bridge and $2.00 toll. people living on Long Island for many many years have commuted to NYC for work and they have gone over bridges that cost upwards of $8.00 , traffic is way worse and the distances further then the cape to ft myers. People here would love that commute. Long Island started as a bedroom community to NYC and has thrived. Not everyone lives around the corner to work. As more stores and such get built in the cape, blue collar jobs will expand, people will open auto and other businesses for the homeowners. One day the houseing mess will be over , There are alot of people in other parts of the country that would love to only pay 80 to 300 k for a home. Where I am they rent for 1800 to 2500 for an apartment, and they would not worry about that commute.

Where is someone complaining about the toll in this thread?

Yeah, one day the mess will be over for many. But right now the job outlook & housing market in CC is not good. Two years ago the realtor we were working with in CC was stating the same as you; speculating that CC would be flourishing with jobs by end of 2007 & people would not have to rely on the bridge b/c the jobs would be in CC. Not the case, is it? There are still homes we were looking at 2 yrs ago that are still for sale in CC. It's hard to pay a mortgage on Wal Mart wages as most jobs in CC are min wage except medical.

Also, if one is not retiring to CC & has a job that requires them to use the bridge, the wait on the bridge during season is quite a challenge most days. Basic fact; not a complaint.

NYC/LI cannot be compared to CC & trying to do so is misleading. There is nothing around CC that even resembles NYC minus the people who move there due to weather. Of course COL is cheaper in CC...NYC & its surroundings is one of the most expensive cities in the world & has been for years.

Just b/c homes are cheap in CC does not it the ideal location for every person. There are definitely some great deals out there right now for those who are in the right financial/economic situation to buy a home.

Everyone's experience & needs are unique & different. What may be the best decision for you may be the worst decision for someone else.

[hiknapster]

Originally Posted by NY62

Just want to add something for the folks complaining about the bridge and $2.00 toll. people living on Long Island for many many years have commuted to NYC for work and they have gone over bridges that cost upwards of $8.00 , traffic is way worse and the distances further then the cape to ft myers. People here would love that commute. Long Island started as a bedroom community to NYC and has thrived. Not everyone lives around the corner to work. As more stores and such get built in the cape, blue collar jobs will expand, people will open auto and other businesses for the homeowners. One day the houseing mess will be over , There are alot of people in other parts of the country that would love to only pay 80 to 300 k for a home. Where I am they rent for 1800 to 2500 for an apartment, and they would not worry about that commute.

There are plenty of businesses that have already been built. Plenty. The problem is that many of them are going out of business.

Yes, Long Island is a bedroom community to NYC.

What is Cape Coral a bedroom community to? Fort Myers? Surely you are not comparing NYC to FM!

Where do you plan to be working in Lee County? Are you going to be writing mortgages?

[NY62]

Originally Posted by 121804

Where is someone complaining about the toll in this thread?

Yeah, one day the mess will be over for many. But right now the job outlook & housing market in CC is not good. Two years ago the realtor we were working with in CC was stating the same as you; speculating that CC would be flourishing with jobs by end of 2007 & people would not have to rely on the bridge b/c the jobs would be in CC. Not the case, is it? There are still homes we were looking at 2 yrs ago that are still for sale in CC. It's hard to pay a mortgage on Wal Mart wages as most jobs in CC are min wage except medical.

Also, if one is not retiring to CC & has a job that requires them to use the bridge, the wait on the bridge during season is quite a challenge most days. Basic fact; not a complaint.

NYC/LI cannot be compared to CC & trying to do so is misleading. There is nothing around CC that even resembles NYC minus the people who move there due to weather. Of course COL is cheaper in CC...NYC & its surroundings is one of the most expensive cities in the world & has been for years.

Just b/c homes are cheap in CC does not it the ideal location for every person. There are definitely some great deals out there right now for those who are in the right financial/economic situation to buy a home.

Everyone's experience & needs are unique & different. What may be the best decision for you may be the worst decision for someone else.

I was not compareing it to NYC . was comparing commute to the city for work. same as commute to ft myers for work from cc. And I know people that work at walmart and own homes.

[NY62]

Originally Posted by hiknapster

There are plenty of businesses that have already been built. Plenty. The problem is that many of them are going out of business.

Yes, Long Island is a bedroom community to NYC.

What is Cape Coral a bedroom community to? Fort Myers? Surely you are not comparing NYC to FM!

Where do you plan to be working in Lee County? Are you going to be writing mortgages?

Nope I am semi retireing. LOL , I was compareing the commute for work. Also believe it or not people still are buying homes and need mortgages, even in florida. CC also is selling homes.