Lehigh acre area feedback needed (Cape Coral, Fort Myers: low income, rental, crime rate)

[Mehtama1]

Dear forum Members

I was reaching out to check in a few duplex properties I am looking to purchase in Lehigh acre that I like. I am looking at a few houses on 12th street between the intersection of 12th street and Williams avenue and 12th street and Richmond Avenue. Is that a good area to be looking around or is that going to much into outskirts of Lehigh Acres. Not sure about the neighbourhoods in those parts and finding tenants in those parts if people like to live in that part of town. So wanted to check.

Manish

[Taratova]

Originally Posted by Mehtama1

Dear forum Members

I was reaching out to check in a few duplex properties I am looking to purchase in Lehigh acre that I like. I am looking at a few houses on 12th street between the intersection of 12th street and Williams avenue and 12th street and Richmond Avenue. Is that a good area to be looking around or is that going to much into outskirts of Lehigh Acres. Not sure about the neighbourhoods in those parts and finding tenants in those parts if people like to live in that part of town. So wanted to check.

Manish

you need to post this in Florida Fort Myers Cape Coral area to get a response..you posted this in the wrong forum.

[Absolom]

Stick around, we're real nice folks down here in P&OC.

[Kim in FL]

Stay as far from Lehigh as you can.

[ABQConvict]

Lehigh Acres' crime rate is above the national average, but well below a lot of places that are not so universally discredited and dismissed as "unlivable".

Also, Lehigh acres looks huge. Is it uniformly bad or are there really no decent areas? A perusal of streetview shows some areas looking shabby and depressed, while others, covering a large area, look well kept and "normal.

I am only superficially aware of the reputations of the Ft. Myers area neighborhoods and I am genuinely curious.

I know that many people who broadbrush areas the way Lehigh Acres is are the same people who are either afraid to live outside of a gated community, grew up in small-town USA/Mayberry, or are afraid to have neighbors with a different skin color.

So what I guess I am asking for is a more nuanced description of the reality of living in a place as vast as Lehigh Acres.


I went on GM streetview and randomly zoomed in on a few locations and it looks fine to me. Is this really such a dangerous place?

https://www.google.com/maps/@26.6340...7i13312!8i6656

https://www.google.com/maps/@26.6194...7i13312!8i6656

https://www.google.com/maps/@26.6381...7i13312!8i6656

[FloridaCT]

I retired and moved to Florida just over 10 years, first to Lehigh Acres without well informed. If I learned so much I might not have the courage to come here. Afterwards, I was attracted by the beautiful sunset on Caloosahatchee river and moved to Fort Myers living by the river. In few years, I bought few more houses in Lehigh Acres renting out for investment. Even though a management company has been handling the rental business, I still like to drive to each house monthly, or more frequent to have a first look at the house which I would enjoy staying there if not living riverfront. The houses are newer and more beautiful than many of old towns in the north, the drawback is some tenants do not like to pay rent. But, some tenants pay on time without worry. Based on my personal limited experiences in 10 years, I would say I like Lehigh Acres overall.

[Kim in FL]

I’ll say it again.... stay away from Lehigh. Spend your money elsewhere... you’ll be much happier.

[wjj]

To make things more confusing, there are a couple of pretty nice communities that are actually within the City of Fort Myers but have Lehigh Acres addresses. Sherwood and Olympia Pointe. Near 82 and Colonial/Lee.

[SkyNSea55]

Had to sell my vacant lot at a big loss. (After paying years of taxes.) Not a good investment at all. The place never delivered on the promises made in 1969.

[Kim in FL]

Originally Posted by SkyNSea55

Had to sell my vacant lot at a big loss. (After paying years of taxes.) Not a good investment at all. The place never delivered on the promises made in 1969.

And sadly, it never will. Once they sent the project tenants out there, the place when to crap. Crime, lots and lots of crime as well as drugs. It’s the low income housing area of Lee county.