Nice area in Fort Myers -help please (Orlando, Cape Coral: real estate, apartment)

[sbapasto]

My husband took a job in Fort Myers near the airport that he is starting in about 3 weeks. We have been looking at housing in North Naples, which we love, but it seems like its a little aged for our kids who are in their early 20's ans want to build a life in the area too.

I hear that Fort Myers is nice in the South corridor. But I have also read that there is a ton of crime in Ft Myers. I kind of take it with a little bit iof a grain of salt because it seems that a lot of people come on her to complain and Im really looking for real advice. Looks like we will need to rent before buying to find what we want. We just want to limit the area.

Any help is greatly appreciated!

[Florida Paradise]

I saw your posting on the Naples forum. It isn't easy moving to a new area that you know little about. Ft. Myers is definitely a little more bustling than Naples, but you have to be really careful you know almost each and every street and area in Ft. Myers to know what you are getting into. There are some really nice homes and communities backed up to a bad street or bad area. That said, if you are looking for a good upper priced home, I wold look near McGregor (along the river) but no higher than Colonial. (look at a map)

Estero is probably more upscale than South Ft. Myers... but I like the Mcgregor corridor for it's history and proximity to the Calossahachee River. But that is just my opinion. There are some very nice homes in a development called Town and River. I have driven through there from time to time. Some are on canals that lead out to the river (which empties into the ocean)

Good luck

[wjj]

If near the airport, I would suggest looking in Gateway. It is a planned community with about 25 separate communities within. Wide range of price points and some new construction going on as well. Many communities are gated and most are built around water or the golf course. Has its own water and sewer system, several schools within the community, gas station, community parks and pool, etc. But you do have to drive outside of Gateway for shopping and restaurants (there is a deli in Gateway, but that is about it). Red Sox spring training facility borders Gateway to the west.

Clean, quiet, and safe. Boring to some.

As for Fort Myers bad areas, they are pretty confined within certain sections within the city limits (the city itself is quite small - only about 65,000 people). What people generically call Fort Myers is a much larger area than the actual city itself. There are some areas outside the city limits that are bad as well, but they are pretty confined too. If you stay along the Daniels corridor, you will be fine. There are several quite expensive and exclusive communities on either side of Daniels along with many more affordable communities (Daniels is the southern border of Gateway as well).

The recommendation above to stay south of Colonial for most things, is a good one. Do that and you avoid most of the bad areas. It is like any other decent sized metropolitan area. It has good areas, great areas, and bad areas. If you come from a big metro area, you will already know how to deal with it. It will be second nature.

Don't get scared away by some of the horror stories on this board. Most are directed at people coming in with small budgets thinking they will find a decent area to live where the best they could realistically do would be a place in the hood. Those warnings are warranted though sometimes a bit emotional. But if you have a decent budget, there are plenty of very nice and safe places in the area. Also consider Estero. Near the airport (to the south) and generally very nice.

[elston]

We moved to Gateway Greens this past July.....and absolutely love it! The community is gated, very safe and its like living in a park.....beautiful. There are several communities in the Gateway area....and they all look nice. Check it out. I don't think there are rentals in my immediate area....but there are definitely apartment homes for rent in some of those communities. Good Luck.

I haven't been concerned about crime for an instant since I moved here. It feels as safe as the small town in Maine that I moved from.

Gateway is about a 15 minute drive from the airport.

[garix]

I have moved twice from state to state and might also be moving to the Cape Coral/Fort Myers area if all goes well with a job interview. What I would recommend is RENTING first before you buy anything. Talk to a local real estate agent and work with one as a buying agent (it's usually free).

But like I said we have moved from NJ to Richmond VA and also from Richmond to Ithaca NY. Both times we rented a house before buying. There are so many things you just can't tell by just looking at a house if you don't know the area. You don't know what traffic is like, if planes fly over, if a train goes by, how supermarkets are ... just rent a house for a year and THEN buy. You'll be so happy you did.

[justNancy]

Originally Posted by sbapasto

My husband took a job in Fort Myers near the airport that he is starting in about 3 weeks. We have been looking at housing in North Naples, which we love, but it seems like its a little aged for our kids who are in their early 20's ans want to build a life in the area too.

I don't know your budget, but Gateway was the first community I thought of since it is close to the airport and a safe place to live, while being only 15 or 20 minutes from downtown, depending on traffic.

The above comments all have good suggestions. I agree with garix, however. You should rent for a few months before buying a home, so you become familiar with the general area.

[PhilS999]

What is considered a "small budget" for this area?

Looking at moving from Orlando.

[justNancy]

Originally Posted by PhilS999

What is considered a "small budget" for this area?

Looking at moving from Orlando.

There is no definitive answer to this type of question. I know people who think $5,000 a month isn't enough and others who live on less than $2,000. Are you single? Do you have a family? Medical coverage? Car payments? Too many variables.

[Ltspla]

Hi all,
I came across this thread and like the previous poster, have a tough time answering the budget question. Its relative to you, very subjective.
That being said, I'm also a Realtor and urban planner and will offer my two cents.

I'm 32, never married, moved here 7 years ago, bought a house, lost a job, etc etc. As a younger professional planning on staying put, the purchase made sense to me (near bottom of market, foreclosure home, great neighborhood) and I think its making sense to others.
The median household income for our lovely county is almost $50,000/yr. IF a third of that figure were budgeted towards housing expenses (mortgage, insurance, taxes) thats a considerable amount ($1387) available for housing isnt it? Even without factoring in the tax benefits or more importantly the pride of ownership. Gawd I'm sounding like a salesman. Sorry.
Good news is, that'll buy some nice real estate here in SWFL, for now.
PCW

[justNancy]

Originally Posted by Ltspla

The median household income for our lovely county is almost $50,000/yr.

Although I cannot confirm this number "household income" includes all income, which might be 2 or more working adults. It also includes retirees who often relocate from states in which their income is/was much higher along with other sources of income. I know plenty of people who don't work and make over $50,000 a year in investments and that has nothing to do with location.

I am only writing this because many people do not even consider the effect income has on your future earnings, i.e., Social Security benefits. On this board we talk about salaries vs cost of living, but not on how a lower income eventually impacts your future.

Florida has many advantages, one being lower housing costs than other states. (depending on the area of course) There is also no state income tax. However, one's overall savings will depend on from where a person is moving. Compared to New Jersey, property taxes are low. Compared to Louisiana, they're very high. As previously stated, so much depends on one's lifestyle, needs, age, health and spending habits.

I want to add this info from the last Census:

Lee County

Per capita money income in the past 12 months (2011 dollars) -- $28,946
Median household income -- $49,444
Persons below poverty level -- 13.5%