Cape Coral/Fort Myers FAQ - Must read for newbies! (Punta Gorda: low income, short sales)

[kroeran]

WEATHER | HURRICANES | REAL ESTATE | JOBS | SCHOOLS

WEATHER - SWF does not get any snow, but there are about five months of very hot summers (>90F), often with high humidity dew points (>70F DP ) and mid-December to mid-February can have brief cold snaps where nights can dip into the 30s and 40s, but usually only for a week or two.

The most reliable pleasant weather is October/November and March/April. If thinking of moving here year round, make sure you spend some time here in summer, when everyone runs from their cars to inside to escape the often oppressive heat, so that you know what you are signing up for. Most people adapt, but some leave Florida due to the summers or are unhappy about it.

This is of course not an issue for snowbirds who go back north in the summer, or for second home people who spend their stays in the pool or at the beach. Beach area homes are slightly cooler than inland area homes in the summer. For some, sitting inside looking out at a hot sunny day is less depressing than looking at snow and gray skies.

Weather forecasts in the summer may show rain for many days, but this is most often just an afternoon tropical shower, with sunny skies the rest of the day. You need to experience all this yourself, BEFORE you commit to a purchase.

Bear in mind that often the heat can be the same or higher where you now live but the dew point is usually much higher in SW Florida, and that will make a big difference in comfort. But, once again, most people that live year-round eventually acclimate.

HURRICANES - Hurricane season runs June 1 to November 1, but the historical odds of a Cat 1 or higher in Lee County is about 16% for the entire season, so the odds that there would be one during YOUR short visit is minimal. The season peaks in early September, so try to avoid that period by a month either side, or have flexible arrangements. Hurricanes more or less announce themselves a week ahead of time and you can monitor the projected paths. National Hurricane Center

For ownership, if you are concerned, consider living in higher number evacuation zones (inland on higher land) and buying property built after the new building code was put in place in 2001, or reassure yourself that wind mitigation has been done on an older property. Beware that properties near inland rivers and sloughs may also be considered high risk for FEMA insurance purposes.

PURCHASING REAL ESTATE - Thoroughly explore Florida and neighboring States and then decide on which county, near beach or on canal, rural or urban, or on gated condos with or without a captive golf course. Each choice has benefits and costs/risks. If you can, buy in the off-season. The more restraint you show in delaying purchasing, by renting initially or vacationing in the area, the better a choice you will make that suits your needs.

Pay attention to monthly carrying costs. Florida real estate is “on a super sale” now, but make sure you do not commit to a property without seeing the full county tax bill, including ad valorem taxes not only for the city, but as well the county (capital & general funds, library, hyacinth & mosquito control), school, SWF water levies, inland waterway, & non-ad-valorem Community Development District (CDD) bond payment (if applicable), as well as HOA fees, and insurance (regular and flood). Note that MLS short sales are very uncertain and can take months, and that post-foreclosure MLS Bank Sales are much easier. For the brave, there is this:
Tax Deed Sales - https://www.lee.realtaxdeed.com/INDE...METHOD=TAXDEED
Foreclosure sales - https://www.lee.realforeclose.com/IN...THOD=FORECLOSE

The good news is that the Florida property tax homestead exemption reduces the value of a home for assessment of property taxes by $50,000, so a home that was actually worth $100,000 would be taxed as though it was worth only $50,000. However, the second $25,000 of homestead coverage does not apply to the school portion of property taxes.
Exemptions - http://dor.myflorida.com/dor/propert...xemptions.html
Here are some useful government tools:
Look up a Tax bill - Lee County Tax Collector's Office
Insurance Est’r - Compare Homeowner's Insurance Rates
Flood Insurance -http://www.floodsmart.gov/floodsmart/pages/residential_coverage/rc_overview.jsp (http://www.floridadisaster.org/mitigation/nfip/Documents/2007/FOT/downloads/WhyYouNeedFloodInsuranceBrochure-OT2007.pdf - broken link)
Lee County Property Line

Pay attention to which evacuation zone the property is in. This will not only bear on the actual risk to you and your property, but as well will affect how often you will be ordered to leave the area (if you summer over) and the insurance costs, which can be higher than other parts of the US. Make sure you determine what insurance is required by your mortgage lender and obtain a quote from your insurance agent, before committing to the purchase. Be sure to make receipt of an acceptable flood certification, a contingency of your initial offer. Keep in mind that the actual risk of your home even being subjected to damaging winds is remote over a lifetime of residency, and with educated selection, your home should be able to withstand the unlikely event of even a Category 5 hurricane. More radically, without a mortgage, a person with a solid wind mitigated house on high land with a high evacuation number, far enough from the coast, with sufficient funds set aside to make repairs and recover, might consider self insurance.
http://www.floridadisaster.org/Publi...eZones_Lee.pdf (http://www.floridadisaster.org/PublicMapping/SurgeZones/SurgeZones_Lee.pdf - broken link)

Chinese drywall is estimated to be in less than 4000 homes in Florida (6,300 nationwide, with 58% in Florida - U.S. CPSC: Drywall Information Center ), and as well is found in most other States. Generally, it is believed to have been used between 2002 to 2009, with 2006 & 2007 being years of main concern, but there is no hard and fast rule. It could also be found in homes pre-2002, but which have been renovated. As always, it is absolutely necessary to get a licensed insured home inspector (who is a member of the American Society of Home Inspectors or another professional association) to thoroughly check the home for Chinese drywall and other issues such as termites and mold as well ($400ish depending). While this is a significant issue that should not be ignored, Chinese drywall is easily detectable by a professional, so this should not be a stumbling block.
2009 Chinese drywall controversy - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
http://www.doh.state.fl.us/environme...spections.html

If all this due diligence is scaring you off, choose to indefinitely rent to eliminate many of the expenses and risks of home ownership, such as being trapped by a house if you lose your job, divorce, or more remote risks such as condo gets into trouble and raises fees dramatically, the captive golf course goes under, builder folds with unfinished facilities, bad neighbors move in, city decides to put in city water and charge you, hurricane damage to area, personal health change, and so on. Enjoying the Florida lifestyle does not mean having to take on the risks of home ownership. Wait, and make a smart insider move in the off season, rather than a sucker Yankee move after a week of driving around.
ft myers / SW florida apts/housing for rent classifieds - craigslist

JOBS IN SWF - The most dangerous thing you could do would be to give up your lease or sell your house and move to Florida on the HOPE that you might find a job within a few weeks or months. Locals with many connections are having trouble and hundreds of people apply for a minimum wage job when it comes up. Moving down with kids in tow who are relying on you to find work would compound your danger. IF you are determined to move to the sunshine and are prepared to scrape by on wages for much less than the north for the rest of your life (IF you find work at all), it is essential that you come down and find the job BEFORE pulling up stakes up north. Better, if you want to raise a family, especially on unskilled wages, study this information and move to where there are better prospects, at least to more northerly Florida, or better yet, Texas and the midwest.

Table 1. Civilian labor force and unemployment by state and metropolitan area (Alphabetical)
Unemployment Rates for Metropolitan Areas (Ranked by lowest unemployment)
http://www.bls.gov/lau/maps/aacnrt.gif (map representation, slightly dated)
ft myers / SW florida all jobs classifieds - craigslist

SCHOOLS -Public schooling in Lee County employs "School Choice" within a large zone, which requires the parents to rank their school preference by March of the preceding school year, then the school district attempts to match the student with the ranked choices. The higher rated schools usually have more demand than slots, so these are allocated on a lottery basis, which may lead to your child being assigned to a lower quality or more distant school (up to an hour bus ride each way) than you had hoped, which is almost a certainty for new residents who miss the March deadline.

Possible public school solutions include renting until you know your assigned public school(s), then move to the neighborhood of the school to minimize busing or drop-off distance. If you don't like the school assigned, you may try getting on a waiting list for a more desirable public or charter school. It is not uncommon to reside just outside of the county boundary (in Punta Gorda or south of Woods Edge Parkway - verify County you are in!) and take on a possibly long commute to Lee County for employment. In Florida, it is more common than elsewhere for middle class parents to pay for private, Catholic (tuition subsidies may be available for low income attending Catholics) or Protestant/Christian schools. Finally, some choose to home school.

Welcome to The School District of Lee County
Florida School Performance Maps [Charlotte & Gulf Coast are B level Highschools north & South of Lee]
Elementary Schools in Lee County Public Schools - Fort Myers, FL | GreatSchools
http://schoolgrades.fldoe.org/pdf/0809/SGGuide2009.pdf [grading system explained]
Florida schools - FL elementary, middle and high school information [Cape Coral]
Florida schools - FL elementary, middle and high school information [Fort Myers]
Browder: 2010 FCAT scores encouraging - cape-coral-daily-breeze.com | News, sports, community info. - Cape Coral Daily Breeze
Lee County Private Elementary Schools - Florida/FL - Private School Review