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Considering Cape Coral (Burnt Store - interesting name - area) for retirement. I want a place I can boat from, fish from, and turnkey.
I settled on this area - and the Punta Gorda Isles area - based on researching down the coast on this bulletin board - reading hundreds of posts on weather, insurance, issues, alligators, snakes (including contractors) and neighbors.
Looking at houses in the area north of Matlacha on the outer canal rim overlooking the mangroves and swamp - looks like a nice view. The reason for this area is my assumptions that:
No one will ever build across the canal. Fishing would be ok in the canal - better than an interior lot. The barrier islands and swamps would mitigate storm surges. A gulf breeze would help mitigate the heat index records Cape Coral and Fort Myers have accumulated over the years.
If these assumptions are correct, I have some questions.
1 - Is there gulf/boat access via the canals through Matlacha Isles and Matlacha Shores? I know about the slow speed zones, so I am assuming it is slow speed all the way to the Matlacha Pass bridge.
2 - Is there an onshore breeze that would help mitigate the sweltering heat in this area? (Heat Index records are taken inland, not on the waterfront.)
3 - What internet connection choices do I have in this area?
4 - Most of the houses are septic and well - with reverse osmosis systems - so I assume the well water is iffy around this area. Is there a plan in the works to connect the area with sewer and city water? I have read about the "assessments", which I assume are the hookup fees. Anyone have any idea what the amount is?
5 - FEMA lists the area as Zone AE, elevations from 7 to 8 feet. Any idea what the insurance would be on a $500k house?
6 - Being new to Florida, I understand, or have read, that there are actually 3 kinds of property insurance for this area - Homeowners, Hurricane and Flood. Is that correct? Any idea or suggestions where to find estimates on the amounts?
I am also considering the area east of Chiquita BLVD with no bridges or locks for ease of access to the river, which from Google Maps, shows boats blasting down the river at full wake.
Is this area freshwater canals or brackish?
Can you fish from your dock and more importantly would you eat the fish you catch?
Anything else in this area to be mindful of? Most properties are sewer and city water, as well as some are even FEMA Zone X.
Thanks in advance for any information. I know its a long post, but I'm just starting my research into this area and I have a bit of an OCD problem when planning to spend a ton of money.
My single biggest concern is the heat and humidity. If not for this COVID 'stuff' I would have spent a couple of weeks in a VRBO in the area in August, but not willing to fly yet until a vaccine is available and a 30 hour drive is not on my favorite 'to do list".
Considering Cape Coral (Burnt Store - interesting name - area) for retirement. I want a place I can boat from, fish from, and turnkey.
I settled on this area - and the Punta Gorda Isles area - based on researching down the coast on this bulletin board - reading hundreds of posts on weather, insurance, issues, alligators, snakes (including contractors) and neighbors.
Looking at houses in the area north of Matlacha on the outer canal rim overlooking the mangroves and swamp - looks like a nice view. The reason for this area is my assumptions that:
No one will ever build across the canal. Fishing would be ok in the canal - better than an interior lot. The barrier islands and swamps would mitigate storm surges. A gulf breeze would help mitigate the heat index records Cape Coral and Fort Myers have accumulated over the years.
If these assumptions are correct, I have some questions.
1 - Is there gulf/boat access via the canals through Matlacha Isles and Matlacha Shores? I know about the slow speed zones, so I am assuming it is slow speed all the way to the Matlacha Pass bridge.
2 - Is there an onshore breeze that would help mitigate the sweltering heat in this area? (Heat Index records are taken inland, not on the waterfront.)
3 - What internet connection choices do I have in this area?
4 - Most of the houses are septic and well - with reverse osmosis systems - so I assume the well water is iffy around this area. Is there a plan in the works to connect the area with sewer and city water? I have read about the "assessments", which I assume are the hookup fees. Anyone have any idea what the amount is?
5 - FEMA lists the area as Zone AE, elevations from 7 to 8 feet. Any idea what the insurance would be on a $500k house?
6 - Being new to Florida, I understand, or have read, that there are actually 3 kinds of property insurance for this area - Homeowners, Hurricane and Flood. Is that correct? Any idea or suggestions where to find estimates on the amounts?
I am also considering the area east of Chiquita BLVD with no bridges or locks for ease of access to the river, which from Google Maps, shows boats blasting down the river at full wake.
Is this area freshwater canals or brackish?
Can you fish from your dock and more importantly would you eat the fish you catch?
Anything else in this area to be mindful of? Most properties are sewer and city water, as well as some are even FEMA Zone X.
Thanks in advance for any information. I know its a long post, but I'm just starting my research into this area and I have a bit of an OCD problem when planning to spend a ton of money.
My single biggest concern is the heat and humidity. If not for this COVID 'stuff' I would have spent a couple of weeks in a VRBO in the area in August, but not willing to fly yet until a vaccine is available and a 30 hour drive is not on my favorite 'to do list".
My quick answers, since I’m a Florida realtor but really only deal down in Naples. However I have a home pending in Fort Myers in a flood zone so I can assist quickly.
1)Don’t know and haven’t tried to research
2)No, the east side of Florida gets better breezes from the Atlantic in the summer then we do on this coast. Thunderstorms are your best reprieve here in the summer. The gulf is so warm in the summer any onshore breeze isn’t really refreshing. During the winter and early spring yes the gulf breeze makes a difference.
3)Xfinity
4)Good question
5)except to pay $500-1500 per year
6)I haven’t heard of hurricane insurance. Just flood and homeowner’s insurance.
7) Don’t know
Last edited by JPrzybylski07; 09-30-2020 at 06:07 AM..
It’s not that it’s so hot and humid...it’s just as hot (or hotter) and just as humid (or more humid) in lots of places. The thing in SWF is that it’s hot and humid for a long time. On or about May 15, the temperature goes up to 90-93 with matching humidity. And it stays there...and stays there...and stays there. By Sept 15 you’re past ready for nice Fall weather...but you’ve got another month of 90-93...every day. It takes some getting used to.
You’re right about insurance, you’ll have homeowner’s, wind and flood. We’re in an AE zone, and our total is a little over $3K. Of course, if you pay cash for the house, it can be anything you want, including $0. You’ll have a very hard time getting quotes before you buy the house. The national flood insurance program is always on shaky ground, and could go away some day when budget cutting is back in fashion, which will make flood insurance very expensive, and for structures below BFE, probably unavailable. Newer houses are typically no problem, but older houses may have below-current-BFE’s. Pay attention to wind mitigation, it makes a big difference on the wind portion of your policy; have your home inspector do a wind mitigation inspection in addition to the regular home inspection. If you weren’t planning on a home inspection, get the wind mitigation inspection done, it costs about $85, and you’ll need it to get the discount on your insurance.
Spend some time in the neighborhood you’re thinking about in the evening. Mangroves mean no-seeums. In some places, they make it almost impossible to be outside in the evening. They don’t bother some people, but that’s the exception rather than the rule.
Consider your time out to open water. The farther you get from the harbor (or Gulf, or river), the less expensive the same house will be, but about the hundredth time you spend 40 minutes puttering along at no wake speed, you’ll wish you weren’t quite so far up the canal. And those 80 min in/out cruises will eat up a lot of your 100 hr maintenance interval on the outboard. Use the ruler function on Google Earth to check distances, and calculate cruise time at 4mph. If you ask the owner, the actual time to open water will always be about twice what they tell you, and the realtor’s answer will always be “I don’t think it’s that long”.
The barrier islands mitigate breaking water (velocity zone), but a flood zone is a flood zone. If there’s a 20 ft storm surge, your house will be under water. Next hurricane, look at the NHC predicted storm surge map. The worst storm damage is always in the velocity zones, but plenty of flooding occurs behind barrier islands.
We’ve eaten plenty of fish out of the PGI canal system, as well as crabs, don’t know why Cape Coral would be any different.
My quick answers, since I’m a Florida realtor but really only deal down in Naples. However I have a home pending in Fort Myers in a flood zone so I can assist quickly.
1)Don’t know and haven’t tried to research
2)No, the east side of Florida gets better breezes from the Atlantic in the summer then we do on this coast. Thunderstorms are your best reprieve here in the summer. The gulf is so warm in the summer any onshore breeze isn’t really refreshing. During the winter and early spring yes the gulf breeze makes a difference.
3)Xfinity
4)Good question
5)except to pay $500-1500 per year
6)I haven’t heard of hurricane insurance. Just flood and homeowner’s insurance.
7) Don’t know
Fellow realtor here, sold props all over the state of Florida. I wanted to chime in on J's responses to you
1) Yes
2) Agree with this guy, much cooler breezes in Miami/Broward than Ft Myers/Bonita
3) You can run a check on xfinity site with the address. Hopefully not AT&T Uverse!
4) I haven't heard of a plan for that yet. They are doing that in Cape Coral and people are paying a large assessment on their property tax bill for it. But in the end, homes will be worth more.
5) I think he's right, at least $1k/year, could be as high as $2k but you need to send in the survey/elevation certificate
6) Hurricane insurance is 'wind' insurance J - c'mon man, you should know that! Wind isn't required on cash deals and strictly just for 'canes. Once you're 4pt inspection is completed, the inspector will send your policy to the insurance company (or you will, depending) and they will quote you. Just asking about 'the area' will do you no good. At least provide them an address with no mitigation and get worse case scenario. Hurricane shutters make a difference, newer roof makes a difference, and impact windows all around makes a huge difference. You can even finance hurricane windows now at a low rate and the different in insurance almost makes the payments (plus it increases home values and lower electric bills - and you don't have to race to put up shutters before a storm!)
7) People eat the fish all the time. I wouldn't personally but I'm sure the 'fresh fish' I eat at Bonefish probably comes from canals like that so maybe its a psychological thing!
Hurricane Insurance = Wind Insurance. Got it. Definitely planning on either upgrading wind resistance or buying one already upgraded. Another negotiation point. I will have to work more closely with my realtor to understand the elevations and pricing parts of the equation. Hate to see that after closing the price of insurance is ridiculous.
If the property is financed don't the appropriate insurances have to be in place for closing to occur?
I have noticed properties southward in the development (below Tropicana) and between the two burnt store roads are advertising that installation work is beginning, ending or in the middle of. So it looks like sewer and water are coming...just a matter of time.
No-seeums: Do these penetrate the screens around pool areas and patios?
Time to open water - Agreed. I am going to pull the navigation charts to see what the speed limits are in the various passages, but I am aware of the idle speed limits as well as the Chiquita lock chokepoint.
Thanks for all the responses. Back to more research as I am a bit OCD on that subject!
Hurricane Insurance = Wind Insurance. Got it. Definitely planning on either upgrading wind resistance or buying one already upgraded. Another negotiation point. I will have to work more closely with my realtor to understand the elevations and pricing parts of the equation. Hate to see that after closing the price of insurance is ridiculous.
If the property is financed don't the appropriate insurances have to be in place for closing to occur?
I have noticed properties southward in the development (below Tropicana) and between the two burnt store roads are advertising that installation work is beginning, ending or in the middle of. So it looks like sewer and water are coming...just a matter of time.
No-seeums: Do these penetrate the screens around pool areas and patios?
Time to open water - Agreed. I am going to pull the navigation charts to see what the speed limits are in the various passages, but I am aware of the idle speed limits as well as the Chiquita lock chokepoint.
Thanks for all the responses. Back to more research as I am a bit OCD on that subject!
As long as the screen netting is no-seeum grade then you’ll be fine. If you’re not sure then you’ll have to find out the hard way or just replace before next summer.
Yes your insurance premium will show up on the closing disclosure in the prepaid section, it may be just 3 months up front or 6, or whatever the lender requires. There should be no surprises from the insurance company about your cost because you will provide them the wind migitation report, as well as the elevation certificate before closing.
I will have to work more closely with my realtor to understand the elevations and pricing parts of the equation. Hate to see that after closing the price of insurance is ridiculous.
These are really all questions you should be asking your realtor. If they don't know the answer, they can easily find out same day and get back to you. I would use forums like these to get like multiple opinions on traffic, best beaches/restaurants, etc.
If you're realtor can't answer these questions (especially about insurance), then you need to find a new one quick
In my OCD search for information I came across CapeIMS. A GIS system that gave me information on assessments for some of the more recent connections to sewer and water. It looks like up till Phase 4 some of the lots I was looking at were between $15 and $20k in total assessments. Not sure what the lower amount was - monthly payment amounts?
Also found I could track building permits issued for the property, what and when something was added, current owners and a bunch of other stuff.
If you want to find out how far the sewer and water projects have gotten to, just click on the Coral Layer list and check the box for the fire hydrants. That shows the approximate extent of the water network which is just starting north of 78.
Amazing and scary what you can find on the internet nowadays...
Thanks OP for asking these questions! Perfect timing
We are considering a move (who isn't these days? ) to the same region of Florida as well. My wife lived in the Ft. Myers area (Lehigh Acres) for over 15 years (80-90's) and has wanted to return after spending the past 20+ in the DC area.
Over the past 5 years or so, we've bounced around like a gulf hurricane - visiting the larger Ft. Myers and Pensacola regions in an attempt to compromise on where we should make landfall. Climate enters into it some...I'd prefer more seasonal change (P-cola), she likes it hot(ter). Our most recent trip to Pensacola left us in agreement that it just doesn't have the Florida "feel".
(side note: Pensacola made the list because we had considered relocating my dad to Gulfport MS as his retirement home has a location there. We have opted not to move him from his current DC home, and that has impacted our search)
Our wish list differs from the OP's in that we're not boaters/fishers (although I wouldn't dismiss a canal home), and our price range is lower ($300-350k), but his questions mirror mine regarding insurance, flood zones, utilities, etc. I appreciate the responses from the realtors as well...very helpful, basic info provided.
We have a trip planned for early November that will no doubt include more serious "looking around". Like the OP, I've searched the Burnt Store area too. It seems nice, at least from satellite images and street views. I'm thinking our N. Ft. Myers to North Port out to Lake Suzy.
Good luck OP, ...keep us updated.
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Thanks!
) to the same region of Florida as well. My wife lived in the Ft. Myers area (Lehigh Acres) for over 15 years (80-90's) and has wanted to return after spending the past 20+ in the DC area. 
