Prices are way down right now. A LOT of houses are sitting empty which isn’t good for homes in Florida. Do an inspection on anything you buy. Mold is a HUGE issue down here so pay attention to that part of the inspection.
You’re looking in the right area. I have no particular tips for you though. Good luck.
If the latter, I'd seriously advise against it, because you don't want to be a long distance absentee landlord. A lot can happen to a house in 5 years..tenants can do a lot of damage...
Leni, you have any advice or any contacts for clifcrds?
The Naples area in Collier County to the south is nicer in many ways, and with a noticeably lower crime rate than Ft. Myers/Lee County. Bonita Springs, which is in between Naples and Ft. Myers, also merits consideration.
Be very cautious. There’s a reason even neighborhoods of very modest homes frequently are surrounded by walls and gates. Florida has changed drastically in the last ten years. I suggest you rent for awhile before you sink a hunk of your life savings in a house.
I spent 7 months in Tucson last year and decide without a doubt that I will retire there
The dry heat really does make a difference
and it was beautiful there- I was outside every single day
Dont even worry about the heat
Been there. Like it. Naples and Marco Island are cool, too.
Have you ever spent an entire year in the area? It is very humdit and require small heater elements in cloests to protect your clothes. Pensacola area has a bettero overall climate.
For me I am in Yuma and while temps reach 120 in sun, it is very dry and it is difficult for me sitting in the shade trying to read a book without going to sleep. You don’t have to deal with heat rash here either. If I was on the coast I would almost be bed ridden because of all the aches and pains I would endure.
I have traveled all over the world as well as in the states and find here is the best for me and many thousand other old farts.
Look out for people wearing hoodies.
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First, there are major cutbacks in public services currently pending due to plunge in tax revenues and huge foreclosed property overhang.
Fort Myers side of Caloosahatchee:
1. Avoid Lehigh Acres
2. Stay south of College Ave. (east-west drag) away from downtown
3. Stay west (river side) of Cleveland Ave (Rt 41/Dixie Hwy)
4. Noted exception is “Little Harlem” on Gladiolas between Summerlin and McGregor.
5. Check Fort Myers Police reports for area around MLK Blvd near downtown and the courthouse
Cape Coral:
1. Like boating? The city is laced with canals that have gulf access although some require small boats that can get under some bridges on the way to getting to the gulf.
2. Some areas north of Pine Island Rd may not be in incorporated Cape Coral (I don't get up there much) and residential building there doesn't seem to be up to codes.
I live near Sanibel on the Caloosahatchee river. Nearly every day I see dolphin, manatee, eagles, pelicans, antenna's and a variety of herons. It is glorious! It is a fisherman's and boaters paradise.
I don't mind the humidity or heat as I avoid going out in the day during the summer. A record high temperature would be in the mid-upper 90’s in the summer but the ocean breeze is always there near the water. You get six solid months with highs in the 80’s (spring and fall), three summer months in the 90’s and three winter months with highs in the lower 70’s most days... only a few days with highs in the 60’s or rarely in the 50’s.
Hurricanes can buzz-saw the area in any given year and must be prepared for (check out websites) and insured against and built into your budget.
I live in Florida and it is gradually becoming more like the over regulated police state I left NY to avoid 30 years ago. That being said it is still a good place to retire. There are lots of activities a lot of which are designed for seniors. Plenty of restaurants , beaches and entertainment venues. If I was to come looking to retire I would look for a condominium with the amenities I was looking for but I would carefully investigate the association and the associated fees. I would not buy from a developer as they usually subsidize the operating expenses. A mature assoc. run by the residents that has reasonable mait fees along with proper reserve amounts for the major expenses they will incure. Beware condos that are selling for very low prices, often these are people looking to unload the unit at any price because they know the fees are going to go through the roof. The state has an ongoing crack down on condos that are dipping into reserves to pay operating expenses and is forcing boards to raise fees to cover the actual costs and not allowing them to count on blue sky fees due from units that are in foreclosure and noone is paying the fees. Banks are only liable for 1 years fees in most cases even when the foreclosure takes longer.
Stay the hell out of there. It’s going to dissolve into a chaos of race warfare sooner rather than later. Move to the Pacific Northwest. Four real seasons and vigorous winters tend to keep the riffraff out.
I first looked at local sales and asked my Realtor about foreclosures or VA homes for sale and he advised me to buy a NEW home instead because ALL of the builders were giving extra incentives including covering all the closing costs.
I followed the realtor's advise and did buy a brand new home. The model we bought was to be the model in our subdivision and wasn't even built yet. We had to go to another subdivision to see the model.
We bought the Nautilus model at Sullivan Ranch in Mount Dora which is now selling for $209,000 base price. Our home is 3514 sq feet with 6 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, living/dining room, Family Room, and very large Bonus/game room along with a 2 car garage.
Further details at: http://www.centexhomes.com/fl/orlando/north/mt-dora/sullivan-ranch-60s/nautilus
There were other houses available which were much smaller but also More expensive. We simply felt that the house we bought was the very best value both in size and in price.
We had already visited two other new subdivisions but nothing came close to what we eventually bought. I would recommend Central Florida over either coast because of the humidity.
Learn Spanish.
Sanibel Island is hard to beat, but pricey. I have a friend who is and has been for years a real estate agent in Ft Myers. If you would like a way to contact him, send me a private note.
I live in North Fort Myers. Moved here in 1999 from RI. Pretty much all real estate is priced about what it was a decade ago. There are some extremely good deals. Not sure what your looking for. My parents just purchased a beautiful two bedroom home on a lake in a 55 plus community for $17k turnkey. Turnkey as in all new furniture, electronics, kitchen utensils.
Acreage is fairly pried as well.
Feel free to send me a freemail if you have any questions.
Because I’m a widow, several friends told me to settle in Fort Myers when I ready to move to Florida. I was told that there were lots of single older wealthy gentlemen in the area.