Best area (Cape Coral) to find a house but want to find a house on a canal (Matlacha: 2013, insurance)

[dis2cruise]

Since there’s plenty of canals want to make the correct choice.
THANKS

[peta2013]

Originally Posted by dis2cruise

Since there’s plenty of canals want to make the correct choice.
THANKS

Fresh water or gulf access? big or small boat?

Commuting to work somewhere else?

Budget?

Cape is huuuge and varied.

[dis2cruise]

Hi, sorry should have been more specific ☺️

gulf access

No work

25’ boat

Up to 675k

[CRC2020]

I have extensively researched the entire Cape Coral saltwater access areas and there are a few additional questions you need to ask yourself.

Bridges - How high is your boat? There are several websites and YouTube channels that document the various bridge heights.

Idling Time - How long do you want to spend idling out to the Gulf. Homes on the east and south side empty into the river, but there is still the miserable mile that everyone has to go through. Homes on the southwest side have to contend with the Chiquita Lock. Homes on the Northwest (Matlachay outlet) have the 7 Islands development and long idling times to the gulf, as well as bridges.

Garage Spaces - 3 is the norm for new construction, 2 is far more common in the older sections.

Home Age - Newer homes are built up higher than the BFE to get a little back on Flood insurance, older homes have older seawalls and potential issues there. HOWEVER, the older sections in the south have been upgraded with new utility connections (sewer and water), but you have to make sure that those connections are made and the assessments are paid - which are not cheap. There are some new builds in the South, but their price reflects their location.

Home Size - The newer homes are typically larger, more bathrooms, but a bit pricier, but more and more have the open concept walls that make the covered pool space part of the living area. Some of the real older homes are still the old broken up concept.

Canal Water Quality - The further away from the mangroves on the west side, and the river, on the east side, the less the water in front of your house will move and refresh which will affect fishing, sea life viewing and taste (when you flip the kayak).

Distance to Amenities - Do you want to walk to shopping and restaurants? How far to commute to work, doctors, banks, etc?

Now all of these are the result of my current research. I'm still waiting for this COVID #### to ease so I can actually come down and see for myself.

For my preferences I am concentrating on the N/W side (Matlachay outlet) on a spreader canal or across from the mangroves - I want to fish from my own backyard! Idling time is in the top 10, but well below price, age, size, location, garages, water quality, etc.

Google, Youtube, Realtor and Zillow are your friend. My poor realtor as well!

Good Luck!

[Luvboats]

My choice would be SW Cape but east of Chiquita Blvd. Homes on the west side are long slow ride to open water.You will get tired of that very soon.There is a website (howfartothegulf) that shows time to open water by address.I would want no more than 15 minutes to open water and you should be ok in your price range.
SW is close to restaurants,shopping,Tarpon Point Cape Harbour and best for boating in my judgement....just so much more to do.
Homes around the yacht club are convenient to the gulf but are mostly older,smaller homes.
Love my place in SE but it's a long haul to the gulf.

[dis2cruise]

Originally Posted by Luvboats

My choice would be SW Cape but east of Chiquita Blvd. Homes on the west side are long slow ride to open water.You will get tired of that very soon.There is a website (howfartothegulf) that shows time to open water by address.I would want no more than 15 minutes to open water and you should be ok in your price range.
SW is close to restaurants,shopping,Tarpon Point Cape Harbour and best for boating in my judgement....just so much more to do.
Homes around the yacht club are convenient to the gulf but are mostly older,smaller homes.
Love my place in SE but it's a long haul to the gulf.

Thanks for your info

[peta2013]

Originally Posted by Luvboats

My choice would be SW Cape but east of Chiquita Blvd. Homes on the west side are long slow ride to open water.You will get tired of that very soon.There is a website (howfartothegulf) that shows time to open water by address.I would want no more than 15 minutes to open water and you should be ok in your price range.
SW is close to restaurants,shopping,Tarpon Point Cape Harbour and best for boating in my judgement....just so much more to do.
Homes around the yacht club are convenient to the gulf but are mostly older,smaller homes.
Love my place in SE but it's a long haul to the gulf.

Tried a couple of the HOW FAR IS THE GULF tools on the first page of a google search. One totally broken (obviously abused googles api) and the other can’t find my address.. Bummer.. got excited.

[CRC2020]

Originally Posted by peta2013

Tried a couple of the HOW FAR IS THE GULF tools on the first page of a google search. One totally broken (obviously abused googles api) and the other can’t find my address.. Bummer.. got excited.

The one that worked for me, twice, is the Nautical Realty Group, but then they want your email address.

If it can't find your address, use google maps to find a nearby address that it does recognize, or eyeball it!

[Compression]

Originally Posted by CRC2020

I have extensively researched the entire Cape Coral saltwater.......



For my preferences I am concentrating on the N/W side (Matlachay outlet) on a spreader canal or across from the mangroves - I want to fish from my own backyard! Idling time is in the top 10, but well below price, age, size, location, garages, water quality, etc.

Google, Youtube, Realtor and Zillow are your friend. My poor realtor as well!

Good Luck!

As someone who used to spend plenty of time servicing boats all over the Cape, that area along the "spreader" was always my greatest nightmare, for one reason, and one reason only.......

For those that are not in the "know" we have this tiny little flying bugger around here that the locals call "no-see-ums". So small you have to look real hard to see one on the surface of your skin. And imagine their mouth is one one thousandth of the size of that.......but when they bite, you'll be on fire for hours, or days, until you get used to them.

Near the end of the day, or early in the morning, you don't want to be outside when they swarm out of the mangroves on the other side of that "spreader".

YMMV.

Just sayin'.


CN

[CRC2020]

Originally Posted by Compression

As someone who used to spend plenty of time servicing boats all over the Cape, that area along the "spreader" was always my greatest nightmare, for one reason, and one reason only.......

For those that are not in the "know" we have this tiny little flying bugger around here that the locals call "no-see-ums". So small you have to look real hard to see one on the surface of your skin. And imagine their mouth is one one thousandth of the size of that.......but when they bite, you'll be on fire for hours, or days, until you get used to them.

Near the end of the day, or early in the morning, you don't want to be outside when they swarm out of the mangroves on the other side of that "spreader".

YMMV.

Just sayin'.


CN

I've seen those on youtube videos, especially from the wade fishers that trek through the mangroves to fish the shallows on the other side. Pretty nasty little buggers it looks like.

I also read that you can rescreen your pool enclosure with a smaller mesh to keep those out.

Just another one of those things to keep in mind...

Thanks!