Where to live in Southwest Florida?

[Seabeacon]

Naples is too expensive and crowded so don't go there. I really like the area north of Ft. Myers; Port Charlotte, and Sarasota. There is alot more to do in Sarasota than Port Charlotte and it's classier.

[Chromedome]

if u dont want to live in a retirement community, pretty much every part of southwest florida is out of the question lol

[wawashi]

my husband is now in the interview process with a bike shop in Estero. So I have searched many areas around Estero such as Fort Meyers, Bonita beach, Lehigh Acres and ect for a place to live(family of three)...and I happend to found that home rentals are extremely reasonable priced compare to where I'm now (I'm WAshington state). So I'm just wondering if anyone out there can give me advices on where is a good place to live with good school system (my son will be going to kindergarden next year).
So far I think Cape Coral and Lehigh are on my list, but what do you think?

Thanks

[121804]

Yes, you are going to find good home rentals right now & some exceptional condo rentals right now. The reasoning for this has to do with the excessive inventory in SW FL. SW FL is smack dab in the center of the housing bust & due to overspeculation & overconstruction, there is way more inventory than there are buyers. This will be the case for several, several years. There is in the area of 25,000 single family homes for sale in SW FL.

So, you can get a great deal on a rental b/c owners are desperate to get some $$ back on their investment. I would go with a condo. Less upkeep when you intially move across the country, probably safer, & you can get some awesome deals on renting condos. Look for condos that have hurricane resistant glass. I don't say this due to hurricanes, but it makes it quite hard for someone to break into your home b/c those windows & doors are shatter proof. SW FL has a slew of robberies due to the transient nature of the area & so many homes being left filled with valuables but no people.

Stay far, far & even farther away from Lehigh Acres. That is a bad area; robberies, murders, gangs & drugs. There is a toll bridge that you need to take to get from Cape Coral to Fort Myers & cost $1 each way. You can buy a buy a bridge pass though for like $30/month. Cape Coral is riddled with issues--gangs & drugs. You just need to be VERY careful where you would rent in that area. I don't trust Cape Coral or Lehigh Acres. You are looking at hundreds of empty homes that get all sorts of squatters...drug dealers, illegal immigrants, etc.

I would stick with Estero & Bonita Springs. Just better for families & not suffering from the negative press & vibes Fort Myers, Cape Coral & Lehigh are right now.

Keep in mind retiree season starts soon. They love SWFL b/c the big thing to do here is golf & boat. Traffic will really pick up as will the crowds of over 65+ who are not the most congenial.

Best of luck. If you want to get a good pic of crime stats, go on the News-Press website. All the areas you asked about are represented.

As for schools, well, Lee County has school choice. Your children will attend the school you choose. It is not based on geographical location. Keep in mind all parents want to send their kids to the best schools, hence, there is always a waiting list for the good schools. Your child then gets placed in whatever school has a spot. Not a logical or compotent system, but welcome to SW FL.

Again, good luck. Just do all the possible research you can. SW FL is very "unique".

[thebigr]

You want to know about traffic. I spend 10 hours a day driving all over Southwest florida, and these are some of the most rude, inconsiderate drivers I have seen. Very dangerous! I have been riding motorcycles for 31 years and I would not even consider ridiing my motorcycle here.
You being a young person I believe you will like it here. Lots of places for rent as they built way to many houses, condos, and apartments during the building boom.
And the weather is nice. You will not have to deal with that cold German winter. I lived in Ansbach for 2 years which I really enjoyed.

[Donna-50]

Originally Posted by wawashi

my husband is now in the interview process with a bike shop in Estero. So I have searched many areas around Estero such as Fort Meyers, Bonita beach, Lehigh Acres and ect for a place to live(family of three)...and I happend to found that home rentals are extremely reasonable priced compare to where I'm now (I'm WAshington state). So I'm just wondering if anyone out there can give me advices on where is a good place to live with good school system (my son will be going to kindergarden next year).
So far I think Cape Coral and Lehigh are on my list, but what do you think?

Thanks

I have lived in Cape Coral for 14 years and it is very safe. My children attend A and A+ schools. My kids have attended school here from day 1 and most of the kids in there classes have been here since kindergarten also. My oldest is in high school.

Estero is also very nice and you may want to consider there as it is a trip to get from Cape Coral to Estero in rush hour. Best of luck in your search.