Thinking of moving to SW FLA, like Cape Coral, are there any "bad" parts?

[yernogood]

F-NJ wrote:

<quoted text> So true. I read and hear so much its hard to get fact from fiction. I hope to get back down next month. In Dec DQ is closed down so my wife and I can both go down and start to look over model homes. I don't think we can build for another 5 years because my youngest daughter is only 11, so we woulden't be able to spend the winter there yet. Thats a good thing so we have a lot of time to look for a good builder. The next thing I need to do is to put in a Sea Wall. When I went down to look for a lot I wanted to find 3 things. QUIET, water front, and nice homes around. When I saw this lot in the North it had many things going for it. QUIET, water front, and it had that nature preserve on the cornor, a 10 min walk to a beach on the other side of the preserve, and the lot was 160 by 125. I saw it and I just knew this was the one. We plan on a small house so we will have space between us and the neighbors if anyone else ever builds there. I cant wait to get back down there in Aug. I want to hit that Brick house Pizza place again. LOL

Oh yea? What do you want to hit it with?
Good sized "oversized lot" Plenty of play room there.

[BTZ5150]

Glad to see there are so many opinions, most of them pretty positive about Cape Coral. I will be coming down again before I would buy anything for sure, I'm just very surprised, even shocked at how low the prices are for what look like decent homes, at least in pictures. Being somewhat experienced in life, it just made me think that something must be wrong somewhere, there must be some catch! Even the prices of places that have canal frontage with access to the Gulf amaze me, up here in the Milwaukee area, anything with lake frontage, even a lot with a "tear down" junky house starts at half a million.(and our boating season lasts about 4 months!)

I'll have to find time to get down there and really explore these areas. The several times I have been to SW Florida, I have spent more time in Naples, where I have friends who are in a pretty fancy area, most of Naples is probably out of my price range, at least for now. Ft. Myers has some very nice parts, but also some pretty sketchy looking parts, too. That's why I was wondering about Cape Coral, I haven't spent much time there, but the prices just seem too good to be true!

[Looks better on the net]

Don't buy in the N.E. Cape zone if you are white and the least bit racist. It's 85% Hispanic and Black in that area. The newer houses are already starting to look run down and a lot of houses are empty from foreclosures. They make it look nice on real estate sites but it isn't. If you can afford it, move to the S.W. zone or the Yacht Club area.
Good Luck.

[Looks better on the net]

Wanted to add:
Many of the houses that were foreclosed on in the N.E. zone are being used to house victims of the Haiti earthquake and used as HUD homes for section 8 housing. They are being occupied by the inner-city ghetto type. Yes it's the "bad" section of Cape Coral.

[yernogood]

I’m not sure where this person in posts #23 and 24 got their information or get’s their information but the information they posted here is utter nonsense. There isn’t a single true fact in any of what they have written.

[yernogood]

BTZ5150 wrote:

Glad to see there are so many opinions, most of them pretty positive about Cape Coral. I will be coming down again before I would buy anything for sure, I'm just very surprised, even shocked at how low the prices are for what look like decent homes, at least in pictures. Being somewhat experienced in life, it just made me think that something must be wrong somewhere, there must be some catch! Even the prices of places that have canal frontage with access to the Gulf amaze me, up here in the Milwaukee area, anything with lake frontage, even a lot with a "tear down" junky house starts at half a million.(and our boating season lasts about 4 months!)
I'll have to find time to get down there and really explore these areas. The several times I have been to SW Florida, I have spent more time in Naples, where I have friends who are in a pretty fancy area, most of Naples is probably out of my price range, at least for now. Ft. Myers has some very nice parts, but also some pretty sketchy looking parts, too. That's why I was wondering about Cape Coral, I haven't spent much time there, but the prices just seem too good to be true!

It’s very true homes are cheap here but you really need to be careful when looking at homes. Remember realtors are vultures and right now in CC they are especially predatory. I do a lot of work with banks asset management companies and realtors. None of which are very professional at the moment. There are many homes here that were built with less than desirable materials and you need to know what you’re looking for. The vast majority of realtors and asset companies have no idea what to look for when inspecting these homes. Be very cautious there are many swindler companies working here right now. When you get a referral from a realtor don’t use it, in many cases it will be a family member they have opened and operate a side business with. Most of these “professionals” are merely landscape outfits or other people that lost their jobs and now doing business in the “consulting” and repair industry. In a word, they don’t know shit. Realtors help realtors and the great buys go to one another’s investors first. They all have them and they give them first dibs. So when you find that dream home and you’re thinking of bidding on it..Good luck, unless you have cash money. Cash is king. Once again don’t bother listening to posters about the SW section, these are the people that no less about what their talking about than you know from a realtor.com website. Realtor .com is Bullshit..Mainly you need to know how to read what that particular description says. Most people don’t.

[yernogood]

I'd love to mention particular companies, realtors and agents by name, but my attorney's told me not to.

[jrt11]

yernogood wrote:

<quoted text>And there you have it. Thanks for proving my point doll.

lmao

[Crystal]

Hi, I have been reading your posts and some on other forus about the cape, I have rented a vacation home on the 15th st, roght off delp prado, 3345. Is this a pretty safe area? and about the home purchases, do you recommend a realtor or a inspector?

[yernogoood-]

Crystal wrote:

Hi, I have been reading your posts and some on other forus about the cape, I have rented a vacation home on the 15th st, roght off delp prado, 3345. Is this a pretty safe area? and about the home purchases, do you recommend a realtor or a inspector?

In that area not knowing what quad you’re in I can only assume which one you are in based on the address info..Please don’t post the exact address..I get it!
There are only a few areas of Cape that aren’t very desirable but the area you are talking about is older, well established and close to everything. Pretty tucked back so no real easy exit or escape for the would be POS. As far as home purchase goes, you obviously need a realtor and you should have a home inspection done so you know exactly what you’re getting into. I also recommend hiring a real estate attorney to look over your docs. The 300.00 bucks you’ll ever spend.

[Crystal]

thank you

[yernogoood-]

anytime

[moonwater]

If you are moving from a big city, or the Midwest, east coast...do not expect anything to be similar. If you have small children to highschoolers...I would wait to move unless you are already in a bad situation/ school where you are now. It is total culture shock here! I am from the suburbs of Chicago and only want to get my family out of here!
While I do not feel unsafe in my home or walking around, NO ONE feels safe letting their kids play outside in the front of homes or walking a short block to a bus stop! Elementary schools are probably fine and perhaps middle (although very behind Eastern or Midwest)FORGET high school. I know families who moved her not knowing much with high school kids, and literally moved right back after less than 3 months! There are gangs in the schools and just overall, very low-class feeling of people. Not everyone, as we have gotton to know some great people here..but overall...yes! Do your homework. Knock on doors of the neighbors near where you are thinking of moving..check them out and ask their opinions too. Go into a local bar and have a look..think about it..would you want your son or daughter in here in years to come? For me and many others the answer is a big NO!

[Newbie]

Don't move here. Yes it's pretty and the homes are also nice and cheap but there is absolutely nothing to do here. It is the most boring place on earth. There is absolutely nothing to do here with kids( teenagers specifically). If you live in NJ now you will be shocked at the price of food here . You don't have much of a choice as to where to buy groceries as Publix has the monopoly on supermarkets. You will miss your ShopRite intensely . The weather is great but that gets old really fast. The summer is very hot and it rains Alot so the summer sucks. No one comes out of their house so you won't really get to know your neighbors other than to say hello or goodbye. The schools are "choice" schools where you pick where you want to go so it is hard for your children to make any friends in their "Neighborhood". Also if you do go to a school that is close to your home they will have to walk to school. That's okay as they do it in Nj too. But... There are no sidewalks which is not safe and ridiculous that it is allowed. I would sue big time if anything ever happened to my children walking to school in the street. I drive mine everyday because the way the bus schedules run they could be on the bus for up to an hour and a half after school lets out or have to be at the bus that long before school starts. I do live here so these are some of the things I've learned. I would NEVER recommend this place to anyone even my worst enemy. I came here with a positive attitude but that did not last long. Please reconsider and stay where you Are.

[tony56]

Make sure they have replaced the drywall incase of chinese drywall or meth lab activity