Lee County-Second-Largest Drop in Population in FL (Miami, Cape Coral: house, buy)

[ChrisA70]

Originally Posted by yachtcare

Glad your coming here to save SW Florida, all by yourself. I'm sure the waterfront eateries, and contractors are waiting just for you...one to counter the thousands that have STOPPED coming, and the thousands more that have moved away. When are you coming down? This year? next? five years? By the time you get here, alot of those business owners that couldnt wait for you to get here, will be long gone already. Better hurry up! There wont be many places left where you can "spread" your cash around.

I talked with a restaraunteur in a Cape Coral hot spot this morning. Barely hanging on. Dont think he can make it til February, IF it takes that long for the "season" to kick in again here, like it did last year.

Kinda like my stepfather who nearly lost everything when he barely sold his restaurant on McGregor last fall and saved his butt BARELY. Ya season came and left, barely made it through the summer, then sold it to some dreamer who's daddy has deep pockets, now he is struggling to make it. Ya things are so good here, come on down and see the up and coming restaurants, businesses....

[faithfulFrank]

Originally Posted by ChrisA70

wow....... Nevermind I'll keep it to myself.

Smart.

[twobums]

Walk in most any retail locale in Lee County, including Sanibel, and you notice first, lack of customers, then bored employees OR desperate shop owners. It reminds me sometimes of walking into a funeral home.

[renate grunwald]

Originally Posted by yachtcare

Glad your coming here to save SW Florida, all by yourself. I'm sure the waterfront eateries, and contractors are waiting just for you...one to counter the thousands that have STOPPED coming, and the thousands more that have moved away. When are you coming down? This year? next? five years? By the time you get here, alot of those business owners that couldnt wait for you to get here, will be long gone already. Better hurry up! There wont be many places left where you can "spread" your cash around.

I talked with a restaraunteur in a Cape Coral hot spot this morning. Barely hanging on. Dont think he can make it til February, IF it takes that long for the "season" to kick in again here, like it did last year.

correct!

[renate grunwald]

Originally Posted by ChrisA70

Lee county has dropped dude, I have been here for 4 years right on from 2005 til this very minute(less the 4 months I went to MA) and see a difference in simple things such as a big decrease in traffic, empty, abandoned homes, closed businesses. Sometimes using your eyes will tell you more than a report....

sick of all mess!
Good post.

[nhkev]

Originally Posted by ChrisA70

Lee county has dropped dude, I have been here for 4 years right on from 2005 til this very minute(less the 4 months I went to MA) and see a difference in simple things such as a big decrease in traffic, empty, abandoned homes, closed businesses. Sometimes using your eyes will tell you more than a report....

Chris you again hit the nail on the head... it doesn't matter whether the population has dropped or increased. Either can happen year to year what matters are numbers of passengers in and out of Ft Myers, occupancy rates , comp store sales numbers , if the population went up but all these things were down what difference would it make. I've said before "maybe a little downsizing is the best thing for the city right now". Everyone thinks it grew too fast, complained about traffic, the bad element that moved in. I live in a very small town and 2 pizza shops can survive in the town. It never ceases to amaze me that a 3rd always tries to open up. For the short term it gets a little buzz because it's new and everyone wants to try it. A couple of the employees from the other places always end up jumping ship and going to the new place. And then the slow season comes (for us it's spring aka mud season) and one of them can't make it through. Point is, if there were only 2 they would do great. Sometimes businesses closing is not a bad thing, it is a survival of the fittest situation, those that survive this recession/depression will be the winners in the end.

[121804]

Originally Posted by nhkev

Sometimes businesses closing is not a bad thing, it is a survival of the fittest situation, those that survive this recession/depression will be the winners in the end.

Yes, but when the SAME thing that caused the mess in the first place is the SAME thing people want back....construction and the low paying jobs it brings with it.....

How many people who permanently live in SWFL would like to see professional jobs move to the area?

Seriously, it has a great airport. I'm not being sarcastic. I've been in more than a few airports. That's a good airport. Build up things around that area. There are several empty commerical buildings all down that road that has the Dunkin Donuts. There is direct access to 75 from that area.

But, again, what is the main draw of the area? And what does the city continually focus on?

Again, history repeats itself and many could care less about the lesson. They want the cheap house with access to the water. A job? They don't need one. And, that is again and again and again what so many seem to be relying on...the baby boomers moving to the area...that's all great & dandy, but it is NOT fixing anything.

And in this world, SWFL is not the only cheap & warm place for a retiree to move to or snowbird to vacation.

[nhkev]

What kind of jobs would you suggest? because every sector virtually has got hit in this recession. There are healthcare jobs, police jobs, fire jobs, teachers, sanitation ( I almost called them garbage men) . landscapers. the same as most areas of the country .. on top of that you do have the service jobs for tourism. Unfortunatley these especially get affected by recessions , and you couple that with the bust in construction it hurts twice as hard. Maybe there will be just enough retail, grocery , resturaunt jobs to serve a smaller population and then there will actually be a shortage of workers during the peak season. It's probably how it was when people actually liked the cape before it was ruined by the construction boom. I live in a resort area and the population works 7 days a week in the winter , 7 days a week in the summer , fairly normal hours in the fall and get 6 weeks completely off as most businesses close down. They know it's coming every year and bank their money when times are good and live frugally during the spring. We are at least a little lucky because one of the busy seasons also coincide with college kids looking for work. In the winter they need to import workers on visa from all over europe and south africa. Where the cape has the warm weather and the gulf access and has some ammenties and proximity to the air port , it really shouldn't become a ghost town. However I am guilty of saying this myself and may be changing my views. Regardless of the baby boomers all retiring over the next 5 years I'm beginning to believe more and more that they are already the ones buying these properties on the cheap and will not be the ones looking to buy in 5 yrs because they already own their, So people that have bought thinking they are going to flip properties when baby boomers retire may be in for a surprise.

[121804]

Originally Posted by nhkev

What kind of jobs would you suggest? because every sector virtually has got hit in this recession. There are healthcare jobs, police jobs, fire jobs, teachers, sanitation ( I almost called them garbage men) . landscapers. the same as most areas of the country .. on top of that you do have the service jobs for tourism. Unfortunatley these especially get affected by recessions , and you couple that with the bust in construction it hurts twice as hard. Maybe there will be just enough retail, grocery , resturaunt jobs to serve a smaller population and then there will actually be a shortage of workers during the peak season. It's probably how it was when people actually liked the cape before it was ruined by the construction boom. I live in a resort area and the population works 7 days a week in the winter , 7 days a week in the summer , fairly normal hours in the fall and get 6 weeks completely off as most businesses close down. They know it's coming every year and bank their money when times are good and live frugally during the spring. Where the cape has the warm weather and the gulf access and has some ammenties and proximity to the air port , it really shouldn't become a ghost town. However I am guilty of saying this myself and may be changing my views. Regardless of the baby boomers all retiring over the next 5 years I'm beginning to believe more and more that they are already the ones buying these properties on the cheap and will not be the ones looking to buy in 5 yrs because they already own their, So people that have bought thinking they are going to flip properties when baby boomers retire may be in for a surprise.

Then maybe that is what is should stay focused as...a retirement/snowbird destination. I think Hipknapster has a good take on how it was prior to the boom b/c she was there pre-boom. I know CC has never been a thriving metropolis nor will it ever be...

Keep it as is...a few hospitals/retirement homes, restaurants and shops. If a family decides to move there & need to send their child to a traditional school...it will be hit or miss...and jobs will be low paying customer service related.

But, if a family is happy with that & understand they are not moving to an area that is not professionally thriving, that's their perogative & they deserve a chance to succeed. Just don't tell people that you will move down with your know it all attitude and be the one with the most toys at the end of the day & that everything that is posted that goes against the images in your mind is right and reality is wrong...

One thing I refuse to do is compare the area to any other area. It makes no sense. It's not NH. It's not OH. It's not NY. It's not CA. For every laundry list that is provided, another one will be provided to counteract it.

I know a couple who has a home in FL. One. Other than that, I've don't know anyone who is running at full speed to live in Cape Coral, FL. I hear lots of other places, but never SWFL. There's choice. Lots of great places to live in this country.

I think investing in any property in any city USA right now is a risk. None of us have the answers to what is going to be. You can look at what was and how it effected everything to get a taste of maybe what will be.

Who makes the big bucks? Those who take risks But I have two toddlers so what I see as risk as compared to someone without children or older children is worlds apart!!!!

But, Nhkev, what happened in SWFL was a one time thing unless a hurricane comes along and blows away 75% of the homes and there needs to be another housing boom.

So, I would "guess" that the best thing to do is to look much further back than the mid2000s and see what & how places like CC & FM survived.

But, from what I have seen & heard, it has always relied on people moving there who do not need employment. They lucked out for some time. Is it going to happen again? I don't think it can nor do I think it should. It was false premises that could not be substained. Why would you want that again?

[mrcoolmrcool28]

Originally Posted by nhkev

What kind of jobs would you suggest? because every sector virtually has got hit in this recession. There are healthcare jobs, police jobs, fire jobs, teachers, sanitation ( I almost called them garbage men) . landscapers. the same as most areas of the country .. on top of that you do have the service jobs for tourism. Unfortunatley these especially get affected by recessions , and you couple that with the bust in construction it hurts twice as hard. Maybe there will be just enough retail, grocery , resturaunt jobs to serve a smaller population and then there will actually be a shortage of workers during the peak season. It's probably how it was when people actually liked the cape before it was ruined by the construction boom. I live in a resort area and the population works 7 days a week in the winter , 7 days a week in the summer , fairly normal hours in the fall and get 6 weeks completely off as most businesses close down. They know it's coming every year and bank their money when times are good and live frugally during the spring. We are at least a little lucky because one of the busy seasons also coincide with college kids looking for work. In the winter they need to import workers on visa from all over europe and south africa. Where the cape has the warm weather and the gulf access and has some ammenties and proximity to the air port , it really shouldn't become a ghost town. However I am guilty of saying this myself and may be changing my views. Regardless of the baby boomers all retiring over the next 5 years I'm beginning to believe more and more that they are already the ones buying these properties on the cheap and will not be the ones looking to buy in 5 yrs because they already own their, So people that have bought thinking they are going to flip properties when baby boomers retire may be in for a surprise.

nkev, ever think about running for Mayor?? I'm just saying, hee hee.............Mr.Cool