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                        JOE SELLS SUNSHINE

                           LEE COUNTY’S BEST BUYS

 

REAL ESTATE RAINBOWS IN CAPE CORAL, FL!  AKA: JOE’S BEST BUYS

 

As a Century21 Birchwood Realty  agent I live and work in Cape Coral FL.  While I cover all of Lee County, Cape Coral properties are my specialty.  In presenting tips for buyers and sellers, this blog focuses on less-publicized, superlative opportunities in Cape Coral. Please log into Listing Book to do your own Lee County MLS searches.  Listing Book data updates every 5 minutes, with IDX (Internet Data Exchange). Never waste time on properties already pending, sold, expired, or terminated.  To access Listing Book, log on to: www.swflmls.listingbook.com.  (You won’t be spammed, sold, or harassed!!)  Show me your interests, and together we can chart a great course.

 

                                               

AHOY, SAILOR/INVESTORS!  CAPE CORAL’S “YACHT CLUB AREA” OPPORTUNITIES!        

The first 2 blogs studied real estate buys in Cape Coral, FL for sailors and investors, starting along the northern entry points to the Caloosahatchee River off the eastern shore and working south.  The 3^rd blog was devoted to Cape Coral’s geography, demographics, unique characteristics, recent history, growth, and potential plans. Today you’ll continue your clockwise tour for sailboat access property bargains around the outer edge of Cape Coral by focusing on the oldest part of Cape Coral, its southeastern/southern corner.  Residents call this the “Yacht Club Area”. 

                            Introduction to the Yacht Club Area

 Under the Leonard brothers, Gulf American Land Corporation began digging hundreds of miles of canals outward into what is now Cape Coral from this southern area.  They knew they could attract the most buyers by building a “community centerpiece” so they dedicated the 13-acre premium site that is now known as “Yacht Club Community Park”.  They focused on dredging a yacht basin and built an impressive modern club house with a fountain, plus a community pool, tennis courts, and a boat ramp.  They built the fishing pier and created a length of sandy beach. The postcard image below from my collection features the Yacht Club’s earliest developed appearance.

                                                                                                                                                          

 Postcard:  “Cape Coral, Florida   Cape Coral Yacht Club”  (circa 1965)

Published By Tropical Cards & Souvenirs, 838 9^th St. W., Bradenton, Florida

 Today the park also features a senior center, shuffleboard courts, a playground and picnic area, a facility for the harbormaster, and it offers facility rentals and special rentals. There is a covered pavilion, as well as a small outdoor eating cafe near the fishing pier. Boat slips can be rented at the Yacht Basin on a daily, monthly or annual basis with charges based on dollars per running foot, plus a rate for electricity and water with 6% sales taxes being additional.  The Harbormaster told me recently that there were 9 spaces available in the up to 25′ section, 8 spaces in the 30′ section, and 5 spaces in the 42′ section.  Availability is always subject to change and so are the rates.  The table below summarizes the June 2009 rates for the different rental periods.  There is much more comprehensive info online at:

http://www.capecoral.net/Government/ParksRecreation/ParksFacilities/RecreationCentersAttractions/YachtClubCommunityPark/CapeCoralYachtBasin/tabid/223/Default.aspx 

 Table:  Rental Rates at the Cape Coral Yacht Basin (Residents Only)  – June 2009

 

Rental Rates at the Cape Coral Yacht Basin
(6% Sales tax	is additional)
		Annual	Basis
Daily Basis	Monthly Basis	(Residents)	(Non-residents)
$2/foot/day	$12/foot/month	$9/foot/month	$11/foot/month
Water+Electric	Water+Electric	Water+Electric	Water+Electric
$3.50/day	$35/month	$35/month	$35/month

           Terminology: Sailboat Access vs. Direct Access vs. Gulf Access, etc.

 In the June 5^th and 12^th blogs, every waterfront property was a sailboat access property, using the strict definition that all Cape Coral real estate agents use: there can be no restrictions (such as overhead bridges) along the water route to open water. [I live in an area where there is one bridge between my dock and the river. I chuckle whenever I see this one sailboat go by with its mast horizontal, knowing it easily clears that one bridge.  I don't think this is common, but it is a clever way to have a sailboat further inland where properties tend to be cheaper -- even if the distance to open water is often further!]

 Technically, a lock or lift is not a restriction, but for the purposes of these blogs, I consider the absence of a lock or lift to be so desirable that I normally recommend buyers give preference to properties not subject to them. Locks and lifts introduce bottlenecks and do occasionally, albeit fairly rarely, break down and/or shut down for repairs. (Not good for “Type A” personalities!)

 By the way, properties referred to as “sailboat access” can appear equally often in Cape Coral real estate ads as either “direct access” or “direct gulf access”.  Unfortunately, the term “gulf access” is also in common use here, which occasionally causes confusion.  A property can be called “gulf access” even if there is a fixed bridge, lock or lift, as long as a watercraft can ultimately reach the Gulf of Mexico after launch. Please note that watercraft here likely means a motorboat. (Incidentally, in Cape Coral all bridges are fixed.) I use “sailboat access” in the blogs to be really clear that there won’t be a fixed bridge en route, and I add “no lock” or “no lift” to further define it.

 Not all canals in the Cape were dredged equally deep, so you shouldn’t assume that “sailboat access” implies anything about canal depth.  Your yacht’s draw might impose special search limitations.  The deepest canals occur nearest the river, which (of course) translates into the most expensive property sites.

                        The Yacht Club Area’s Sailboat Access Boundaries

 Nowhere in the Yacht Club Area are there any locks or lifts. However, there is 1 bridge (where Del Prado Blvd. passes over Bimini Canal).  At high tide the clearance under this bridge is only 8.5 feet.  The map below identifies our focus area: the sub-area of the whole Yacht Club Area that is suitable for sailors wanting to dock their sailboats at their personal residential docks. Only a small section is removed. You should also note that where the Bimini Canal continues to the west, it passes under Coronado Parkway, but there is no clearance here - not even for canoes or kayaks, so it is a restriction as severe as a dead end or a weir. Bear in mind, if you keep your sailboat in the community Yacht Basin, additional properties in the Yacht Club Area (and other areas) would be suitable for you - ones that either are not on canals or are on canals that have a bridge restriction. 

 

            ( Map Courtesy of Cape Coral Association of Realtors Copyright 2004 by Frank Gubasta) 

                   Southeastern Cape Coral, Florida — The Yacht Club Area

                         Sailboat Access — No Bridges, Locks or Lifts

 The sailboat access area lies just south of Cape Coral Parkway East, beginning near the entrance to the Cape Coral Bridge to Ft. Myers.  It is bounded by the river to the east. The western boundary from this point follows Del Prado Blvd. south until it terminates, merging into El Dorado Parkway East.  Then it moves westward until El Dorado Parkway East meets Coronado Parkway.  At Coronado, the boundary runs immediately to the north to Cape Coral Parkway, creating a jog.  At Cape Coral Parkway the boundary heads west, defining the northern end of the Yacht Club Area.  The final western boundary is defined by two canals, not a street.  The San Carlos Canal runs north to south from Cape Coral Parkway, until it merges with the Bimini Canal.  The western boundary then follows the Bimini Canal south to where it merges with the Caloosahatchee.

 The June 12^th blog explained the single lots were plotted as 40′x120′.  Early buyers evidently knew enough (or were encouraged) to purchase double (and sometimes triple lots) for their homes.  (It turns out the single lots were mostly sold for small commercial enterprises.) Now the minimum lot size throughout the Cape is 80′x120′ or a double lot. Sometimes, but rarely, agents find “orphan” single lots for sale.  They are not buildable, but could be purchased to merge with another property. Small ranch houses sprang up with carports or single car garages.  The construction continued.  Newspaper headlines raved you could find the Naples (Florida) lifestyle here at affordable prices and it didn’t sound exaggerated. (It still doesn’t.)

Along with booming development, the phenomenon of teardowns struck the Cape. Waterfront land in prime areas such as the Yacht Club Area and the Gold Coast Estates became so valuable, buyers snatched up the older homes so they could tear them down to rebuild. If you could have watched in fast forward mode from a satellite parked over Cape Coral, it must have looked like a Pac-Man game screen, as heavy equipment gobbled up the homes furiously.  Mini-mansions kept rising and rising.  Suddenly, with little warning, the musical chairs stopped. What exists now is a gigantic opportunity for serious buyers who know what they want and can picture the future.  Since 1957 many fortunes have been made here by visionaries (and some lost). True investors know this is cyclical.  The luckiest buyers will probably be those who want personal homes to fully enjoy the great weather and boating lifestyle at prices hard to match elsewhere.  Investors who want to buy prime vacant waterfront or riverfront lots to hold for profit, will benefit from the inevitable turnaround, but their wait could seem longer without the bonus of personal enjoyment.

                                    Neighborhood Character

 You’ll find quaint, older (circa 1958-1969) homes mixed in with homes from the ’70’s to 90’s.  There are also new larger homes (many of these built on the sites of “teardowns”) and a fair number of mansions built on riverfront lots. The southernmost area that surrounds the Yacht Club Community Park is strictly residential, as it was from the beginning.  Fanning out to the north, you’ll begin to encounter a fair number of mostly low-rise condos. As you approach the northern border at Cape Coral Parkway, you’ll come upon a narrow business district. Throughout the mix are the “City Interrupted” sites — where older homes were torn down and then plans for rebuilding came to a halt when the real estate and credit markets became troubled. While these are scattered around, they occur most commonly on the waterfront lots. Fortunately, most of these vacant lots are growing greenery, which the city requires to be mowed.  (Few ugly skeletons of incomplete structures exist.) You can expect to find quite a mix of available properties, and the mission remains to identify the best buys.

 Homes are usually well-maintained with mature landscaping.  Most homes have docks and many have pools.  This is the least homogeneous of the areas we’ve considered, in terms of the age and style of the homes, but very homogeneous in that, this too, is primarily a residential district.  There are many sidewalks and designated bike paths along the streets.  The Yacht Club Community Park remains the centerpiece it has always been, but residents also enjoy the other public waterfront park in this district: Four Freedoms Park (3.2 acres) on Bimini Basin.  This park offers special programs, a playground, and a picnic area. While there are no golf courses in this district, good golfing is nearby. Since there are no gated communities, association fees or rules are not concerns, except with condominiums, which won’t be included in the best buys.

 Churches, grocery stores, banks, schools, and a post office were erected later, further inland. The Yacht Club area lacks a typical waterfront night club district.  It has clubs and hotels, but they are in the business district, not on the water. (A small waterfront nightclub district is beginning to emerge further west and out of the Yacht Club area.)  The commercial areas that include restaurants, bars, and retail businesses are concentrated within a region defined by the following parallel streets, from south to north: Miramar St., Lafayette St., and Cape Coral Parkway East.  Outside the Yacht Club Area, you’ll find the commercial activity continues to the north on SE 47^th Terrace, SE 47^th St. and SE 46^th Lane, as well as along Del Prado Blvd.

 Generally, these are quiet, well-established neighborhoods. Rental homes and condos can be found. This section has seen more property churning.  It’s been very desirable from the early days: it provides the fastest boating route to the Gulf of Mexico from Cape Coral.  The number of foreclosures here, while still small, is higher than the 2 previous areas. 

                                       Are There Negatives?

 This is a difficult question.  Some people may find it too quiet.  Some people may wish it totally knew what it wanted to be when it grew up.  I like this quiet neighborhood.  Most of it is fairly removed from traffic. Since there are no gated communities, there is a friendly openness.  My best guess is that as the economy and real estate market recover, the teardown/rebuilding activity will resume. Whatever the future brings, this area will be relatively stable, because it is substantially built up.  The sailboat access portions of the Yacht Club Area furthest from Cape Coral Parkway won’t see commercial or industrial developments. There may be a few more condos added (probably of the high-rise variety) or even a resort area or two, and the “South Cape” (formerly called downtown) will undergo change. However, there just are not many large tracts of land available to support extreme change.   What you see is likely what you’ll get.  And that’s really very, very nice — and likely to get better.

 Some physical concerns to be alert for:

• 1.) Homes built before 1978 could have lead paint.
• 2.) Some of the oldest homes still have terrazzo floors. I have seen this treated as both a positive and a negative. I’m neutral; it’s your choice, but I’ve flagged homes where this is the case.
• 3.) Copper plumbing was the norm in the earliest homes. The Cape’s reverse osmosis water process, while good for water quality, has proven tough on copper plumbing. Many homes have been updated with PVC, CPVC, or PEX plumbing. (Good agents alert clients to copper piping during showings.)

                            Bonuses Properties Here Could Offer

 As part of southeastern Cape Coral, all the homes here have access to city utilities for potable water, sewer, and irrigation water, just as described in the first 2 blogs.  Remember, whenever you can purchase a lot where a home has been torn down, there can be several possible bonuses to watch for: 1) utility fees could have been paid in full; 2) if the city’s impact fees have already been paid once, they won’t apply to new construction on that particular lot; 3) there may be a seawall in place; and 4) earlier owners may have already installed “rip rap” in the canal or riverfront to protect their seawall.                                                                                                           

                              The Property Selection Process

 Per the June 12^th blog, I don’t include condos in the selections.  I’m still not urging short sale purchases.  If you are patient and: 1) do not need to co-ordinate the sale of a present residence with your new purchase or 2) have no moving deadline, and 3) preferably can pay cash, you may obtain a foreclosure-like bargain.  I will certainly entertain your inquiries, but these transactions are often painfully drawn out.

 The variety of homes available in this region is wider, so the property selection process has been adjusted to be more inclusive.  The older properties tend to be smaller, some have 2 bedrooms, and many were built with single car garages or carports. Many lack pools because of their proximity to the community pool and beach.  Don’t judge the small homes by their exteriors; much interior updating occurred recently. The land values are what place these smaller homes among the best buys. Over almost 50 years these sturdy little homes brought many families happiness.  At today’s prices, snowbirds and retirees ought to find them especially intriguing.

                                    Best Buy Property Overview

 Houses under 1700 sq. feet are included for the first time because they comprise their own market niche.  They are older, mostly dating from 1958 to 1965 (with the exception of Code #270, built in 1973).  The largest house in the sample is under 2700 sq. feet, but remember, there are some very large homes in this region, with some even for sale.  However, (as in the Gold Coast area), the asking prices are significantly higher than the county’s 2008 assessed values (reflecting the rarity), so they miss the selection as best buys. 

Alert readers will see the land value assessments range from $160,000 to $626,000.  They follow a continuum based on greater proximity to the river. Increased proximity to the Gulf of Mexico further increases the land values. If you study the similar table in June 12^th’s blog, the oversize lots for the 2 riverfront homes maxed out at $616,000. In this sector, the assessed land values for the riverfront properties max out at $626,000.  Note that 4 of today’s homes are on oversized lots (#277, 280, 285, and 287). Three homes and 1 vacant lot are on the riverfront (denoted by Status of RF) - see Codes # 285, 286, 287, and 290.  The most expensive property included is just under $850,000, for a 2237 sq. ft. home.

 

                            JOE’S BEST BUYS  07-12-09

         SAILBOAT ACCESS HOMES & LOTS IN THE YACHT CLUB AREA

Status*: F=Foreclosure, NF=Not Foreclosure S=Short RF=Riverfront CD=Concrete Dock D=Dock beyond seawall   P=Pool  spa=spa fpl=fireplace +swl=plus seawall  (not all vacant lots have seawalls)

 

 

JOE’S BEST BUYS: SAILBOAT ACCESS YACHT CLUB AREA  7/12/09
Code	Asking	Yr	Status	Acres	Bldg.	Days	Last Sale	Amount	2008 Assessed		$/Sq.Ft.
	Price	Blt			Sq. Ft.	on	or Mtg.		Value (Rounded)
						Mkt.	Date		Land	Total
268	199,000	‘62	NF,NP,CD	0.230	1586	292	09/05/00	130,000	203K	256K	126.04
269	199,900	‘63	F,P,D,CD	0.263	1350	17	08/04/04	285,000	176K	242K	148.07
270	219,000	‘73	NF,NP,D,CD	0.230	1470	30	05/20/09	136,000	243K	298K	148.98
271	219,900	‘65	NF,NP,CD	0.230	1658	88	04/12/05	440,000	202K	260K	132.63
272	225,000	‘62	NF,P,D,CD	0.227	1250	320	09/02/03	270,300	211K	268K	180.00
273	250,000	‘58	NF,P,D,CD	0.230	1414	78	03/19/03	205,000	206K	258K	176.80
276	269,900	‘59	NF,P,CD	0.236	1199	586	12/13/02	270,000	311K	365K	233.44
277	294,500	‘59	NF,P,CD	0.364	1440	47	12/11/89	112,000	318K	361K	204.51
279	309,900	‘66	NF,P,CD,spa	0.232	2032	16	08/23/04	332,500	228K	356K	152.51
280	359,900	‘65	NF,P,D,CD	0.344	1753	79	01/05/01	230,000	259K	346K	205.31
281	369,000	‘64	NF,P,D,CD	0.231	1268	292	05/07/07	270,000	253K	366K	291.01
282	414,000	‘81	NF,P,D,CD,spa	0.287	2547	40	02/21/07	514,500	218K	427K	164.51
283	479,900	‘69	NF,PD,CD,spa	0.230	1964	30	03/02/04	525,000	310K	434K	244.35
284	575,000	‘08	NF,P,D,spa	0.226	2658	167	N/A	N/A	162K	N/A	216.33
285	699,000	‘75	NF,P,D,CD,RF,fpl	0.401	1936	275	08/15/01	524,500	613K	739K	361.05
286	745,000	‘90	NF,P,CD,RF,fpl	0.290	2076	368	01/03/01	470,000	620K	785K	358.86
287	849,900	‘74	ND,P,D,RF	0.305	2237	112	N/A	N/A	618K	774K	379.93
288	199,900		CD,seawall	0.230		129	02/11/06	50,000	227K	227K
289	229,000		D,seawall	0.232		474	03/10/08	195,000	225K	225K
290	627,000		RF,seawall	0.266		95	07/20/04	1,500,000	626K	626K

 

 

 

Cautions don’t mean you shoud bypass any property. Rather, when I represent you, I research more and then we discuss the information fully.

 Caution 1:  All properties (except Codes # 282, 284, and 286) may need to be inspected for lead paint. 

Caution 2:  Property Codes # 282 and 288 are in the Community Redevelopment Agency designated area.

Caution 3:  Property Codes # 269, 270, 272, 273, 276, 277, and 281 are small with only 2 bedrooms.

Caution 4:  Property Codes # 273 and 274 have carports and Property Codes # 268, 269, 272, 276, 277,

            279, 281, and 285 have single car garages. (Those not cited have 2 car garages.)

Caution 5:  Property Codes # 268, 271, 273, and 274 have some terrazzo floors (all the flooring is not necessarily terrazzo).

Caution 6:  Property Code # 269 is near Cape Coral Parkway, so expect some noise.

Caution 7:  Property Codes # 269 is being sold “AS IS”.  This is a foreclosure, so the seller will not make

            repairs or lower the price if an inspection turns up problems.  If the seller were not to specify

            this, Florida Real Estate law would require the seller to make repairs potentially totaling up to 3%

            of the selling price.

Caution 8:  Property Code # 273 is also being sold “AS IS” but is not a foreclosure.  As in all cases, I

            recommend careful home inspections to prevent surprises.  In the “AS IS” properties, a properly

            written inspection clause protects the buyer from discovery of unexpected repairs and permits

            withdrawal from the contract, if necessary.

 

 

 

Summary statistics for the full sample of sailboat access homes in Cape Coral’s “Yacht Club Area”

 

 

Cape Coral Yacht Club Area Sailboat Access Single Family Homes Summary Statistics
		Joe’s  Best	Buys	7/12/2009
No.	Lowest	Highest	Ave.	Smallest	Largest	Largest	Average	Ave. $ per	Ave. Days
	Cost	Cost	Cost	Sq. Ft.	Sq. Ft.	Lot Size	Lot Size	Sq. Ft.	on Mrkt.
17	$199,000	849,800	392,294	1199	2658	0.401	0.251	$218	167

 

 

 

               Remember:  A rising tide lifts all boats!

 

For more property info, always call Joe Dolliver: (239)218-2677

JOE SELLS SUNSHINE

REAL ESTATE RAINBOWS IN CAPE CORAL, FLORIDA

(All information herein may only be reproduced with written permission of author — 06/28/09)

As a Century21 Birchwood Realty  agent I live and work in Cape Coral FL.  While I cover all of Lee County, Cape Coral properties are my specialty.  In presenting tips for buyers and sellers, this blog focuses on less-publicized, superlative opportunities in Cape Coral. Please log into Listing Book to do your own Lee County MLS searches.  Listing Book data updates every 5 minutes, with IDX (Internet Data Exchange). Never waste time on properties already pending, sold, expired, or terminated.  To access Listing Book, log on to: www.swflmls.listingbook.com.  (You won’t be spammed, sold, or harassed!!)  Show me your interests, and together we can chart a great course.

A Brief Digression

If you know Cape Coral well, you can stop reading and wait for next week’s blog about the best buys in the Yacht Club Area. Today’s blog is for readers who want to understand more history behind the development of Cape Coral, what it has to offer, and what distinguishes it from other Florida cities. Readers considering buying in Cape Coral need to understand the soul of the place. I easily wrote about the other two areas without connecting them to the city as a whole.  But from here on, I think readers need more of the whole picture in good focus.  I believe Cape Coral’s soul was born in the Yacht Club Area; today’s city was predetermined by those first site development plans and then by the character of the first owners who settled their new hometown.

Map  showing Lee County, Ft. Myers and Cape Coral

Courtesy of www.floridacountiesmap.com/lee_county.shtml

Cape Coral’s Geo- and Demographics

Cape Coral is a Lee County Florida community of approximately 170,000 people. (The city’s population numbers fluctuate in the current foreclosure environment as properties change hands.) Although a large portion of the population are retirees, the 2000 census set the average age in Cape Coral at 41.6 years, so it is also attractive to young working families. Geographically, it encompasses 114 square miles. It lies near the western coast of South Florida, north of Naples, south of Port Charlotte, and west of Ft. Myers.  It is protected from the Gulf of Mexico on the west by the nearby barrier islands: Gasparilla, Cayo Costa, Captiva, North Captiva, Sanibel, and Pine Island. Most of Cape Coral’s western land is a typical, state-protected mangrove buffer, a perfect nursery for fish and shellfish and favored habitat for many birds. The Caloosahatchee River originates out of Florida’s largest lake, Lake Okeechobee, is part of the Intracoastal Waterway, and runs southwest along Cape Coral’s eastern and southeastern edges. Fort Myers Beach (Estero Island) lies further to the southeast.  To the north are North Ft. Myers and Punta Gorda. Cape Coral was very lightly settled until the middle 20^th century, so it is one of the newest cities in South Florida.

Cape Coral is now the largest city south of Tampa in Southwest Florida.  Its primary feature is a network of over 400 miles of man-made canals.  Most are interior and freshwater canals. Some lead to small inland (dredged) lakes. (These inland passageways offer jet-ski, kayak, canoe, motorboat, and rowing experiences with good fishing, too.  I know of one inland area where you can boat for 30 miles.)  Leaving interior Cape Coral and moving out eastward or to the south, you find brackish canals that lead to the Caloosahatchee River.  Most of these require boaters to pass under low bridges.  Elsewhere, lifts or locks were installed to separate fresh and salt water. Bridges, locks, and lifts are little impediment to the ardent recreational boaters and fishermen who live here.  Along the eastern and southeastern fringes of Cape Coral are those canals closest to the River that we’ve been considering: the true sailboat access canals where you can reach open salt water without traversing lifts or locks or going under any overpasses. In the northwest quadrant of the city a lift has been removed, so at this time the canals there flow with saltwater. They lead outwards to Matlacha (pronounced mat-la-shay) Pass, permitting sailboat travel north to Charlotte Harbor, or southward toward the eastern tip of Sanibel Island. Further north is another Cape Coral boat ramp and access point to Charlotte Harbor.  (This sailboat access real estate blog series will continue clockwise around Cape Coral until we reach the northwest, in future issues.) In just 50 years, Cape Coral has grown from a small development in the Yacht Club area to a bona fide city, where personal boating dominates.

What Cape Coral Does and Does Not Include

To evaluate whether Cape Coral is a good match for you, you need to recognize some of the things you won’t find here at all, such as: railroads, interstate highways, a major bus hub, a bustling shipping port, airports,  huge shopping malls or large retail outlets, an “auto mile” of car dealers, heavy industry, a university, major sports teams, commercial skyscrapers, campgrounds, time-shares, casino boats, flea markets, manufactured homes, a fishing fleet, strip clubs, ghettos, or even dedicated agricultural areas.  There is one new condo hotel that is a spa resort.  There is one motor home park. We have a small theater group and a cineplex. We have antiques and collectibles shops plus consignment stores as well as a seasonal downtown farmer’s market. There are several new and used car dealerships, but my best guess is that if you compared the number of boat dealers to car dealers, the boat dealers would win. There are two industrial areas that feature light industry. We have one community yacht basin and several marinas for residents of specific communities (e.g., Burnt Store Marina, Tarpon Point Marina and Cape Harbour). A Dock-o-minium can be found on Del Prado Blvd. There are no covered public parking garages. Cape Coral has just one small historical museum, but the county offers many museums.  While you have to leave the county to find a major art museum, there are many artists and an increasing presence of interesting art galleries. The Alliance for the Arts in Ft. Myers is a source of enrichment for art lovers, and Florida Gulf Coast University (also in Ft. Myers) further promotes art education. Cape Coral has a dedicated art studio that provides many courses in a wide variety of media.  Cape Coral does not have a suitable location for indoor concerts or exhibitions, but Ft. Myers and Estero do.  Lest you despair that this is way too quiet a place for you, take heart. Everything that seems missing (except a bustling shipping port) can be found nearby on the other side of the river in Ft. Myers. Plus, greater Lee County offers a far greater selection of just about everything Cape Coral has.

Among the things not found in Cape Coral are prisons. (Ft. Myers provides the county jail for those arrested and awaiting prosecution and sentencing. Charlotte County to the north has the nearest Correctional Institute. Prisoners who have proven adequate adjustment at a correctional facility, may be relocated to some of Florida’s Work Camps, where they serve time in work squads performing public and community services.  Ft. Myers has a Work Camp.) There are no nuclear power plants. Lee County gets its electricity from a natural gas/oil power plant on the Orange River (a Caloosahatchee tributary).  There are no refineries (sugar, oil, or other), although a biodiesel refinery is proposed for Ft. Myers, to its north, near I-75.

In many U.S. localities the oldest section near a water body features a contiguous roadway that attracts sightseers. You haven’t seen this in the 2 areas we’ve visited so far and when we study the older Yacht Club Area, you’ll quickly realize this was never part of the plan.  Instead, the city’s design maximizes the number of waterfront lots for residences.  Quirky, bending residential waterfront roads deter speeding and afford homeowners remarkable privacy from sightseers.  Early advertising for Cape Coral aptly dubbed it a “sunlit city of winding waterways”.

Only within the last 12 or so years has Cape Coral begun permitting high rise condominiums (but so far none have been built in the Yacht Club Area). Gated communities have sprung up in recent years (but again, none are in the Yacht Club Area). Cape Coral has one or two shops offering pornography now (but they are discreet, as those things go). Waterfront dining opportunities are limited, but growing.  There are several low- to mid-rise national chain hotels and a few independent motels, as well as an ever-growing number of restaurants to suit wide tastes. There is public transportation (known as Lee-Tran) between these 2 major cities on opposite shores of the river. There are nightclubs and bars mixed in with the commercial areas. A free downtown trolley operates daily and then runs on Friday and Saturday nights to encourage movement between favorite entertainment spots. One spur of the route takes users to the Yacht Club during the day. Strip malls predominate in Cape Coral. However, the rising population has attracted major new stores: Sears, Lowe’s, Home Depot, Kohl’s, Target, J. C. Penney, Super Wal-mart, Bealls (pronounced “bells”), and many more.  There’s a full range of doctors but only one hospital. (Look to Ft. Myers for more hospitals and many more doctors).  “The Cape”, as residents affectionately call it, boasts a terrific modern library with a major recent addition.  It is part of the excellent Lee County Library System.  A huge second library is rising in the Cape’s northwest to serve not only Cape Coral but North Ft. Myers and Pine Island. The public and private schools are all quite modern and seem well-respected. Graduates certainly are accepted at the finest universities and military academies.  I volunteer every year as a judge at the Edison Science Fair, and the projects the students present always amaze me and bring pride.  Furthermore, when you compare the Cape to other Florida cities, the educational levels attained plus the per-household incomes are very high. (I used a Google search for “Lee County Demographics” and could select cities outside of Lee County, too.)

Most people in Cape Coral are fairly happy with this mix.  It means the city is remarkably quiet, crime is fairly manageable, residents tend to come and stay (which also promotes good schools), and the pollution is quite low.  Yet the rest of the county amply fills the void for any enterprises or amenities you might seek. Meanwhile the city benefits from the county’s larger commercial tax base.

As far as city descriptors, “trendy”, “elegant”, “cosmopolitan”, or “sophisticated” aren’t right.  The projects being designed and executed here now are definitely more upscale and the city is in a “polishing” phase, acquiring luster.  The city has always stood out as clean, friendly and by no means “backward”.  Somehow this city of 170,000 people maintains its surprising “home town” feel.  We have an amazing number of parks that offer an extremely wide range of activities. I would challenge you to come up with a favorite interest for which there’s no affiliated group in Cape Coral.  Early residents started the Power Squadron and the Sportsman Yacht and Sailing Club. Religious choices abound. There are groups for bingo, bridge, mah-jong, sewing, gardening, biking, antique car collecting and more, plus we have Elks, Moose, American Legion and VFW clubs, an Italian American Club, the German American Club, newcomers’ clubs for people originating from specific states — and it goes on and on.  Among the fun events the city sponsors are Oktoberfest, a holiday parade of lighted boats, the Tour de Cape bike ride, Cinco de Mayo, numerous street fairs and shows, and monthly sunset gatherings at the Yacht Club beach with car shows and vendors. The annual cardboard boat race typifies the fun and energy citizens put into (and get out of) life.  The 4^th of July features a spectacular “Red, White, and Boom!!” show of fireworks off the Cape Coral Bridge.

The late 20^th century settlers of Cape Coral imprinted it with their values: they were a good mix of hard working, successful, energetic, social, decent, nature loving, and entrepreneurial people.  Many came to escape the cities of Cleveland, Chicago, Pittsburgh (and others), but weren’t looking to be recluses. The Cape provides an awfully nice quality of life. You could be as proud to call it home as I am!

As Cape Coral Grew and Grew

Early city planning provided minimal shopping, police, fire protection, schools, churches, etc.  From 1959 to 1964 mail came by boat. The land developers were instrumental in getting the Cape Coral Bridge built between Cape Coral and Fort Myers. (It opened in 1964.) In fact, the developers very nearly built their own airport, but instead helped Ft. Myers extend the runway at the old military base known as Page Field into a suitable resource for early Cape Coral visitors and buyers. (The land developers marketed Cape Coral in the northern states with a “Fly and Buy” program!)  Now there is a very large modern, international airport in Ft. Myers, with Page Field servicing many private jets and corporate aircraft.

Early residents expanded facilities as growth demanded.  The land mass was eventually divided into quadrants: the southeast, northeast, southwest and northwest. The city grew by fits and spurts, beginning with the southeast and moving into the southwest next. A lot of infrastructure backfilling occurred, but the city was rich with vacant land. Roads were widened (and then widened again)!  Originally, everyone relied on private wells and septic systems. Cape Coral became a city in 1970.  In the ’70s the city installed the first public utilities for the southeast quadrant.  At the end of the 20^th century and the beginning of the 21^st, Cape Coral experienced unbelievable growth. The canals, the land, and the roads were all there waiting and suddenly we were on the national radar. The largely vacant northeast and northwest quadrants attracted many new single family homes and with them commercial development. Real estate prices have always been attractively low for the region. In 1997 the city opened a second bridge to Ft. Myers (the Veteran’s Memorial Mid-Point Bridge). The Cape added schools, fire stations, a new City Hall, and much more.  Utility expansion plans were laid, and the rising population plus rising property values seemed ready to provide tax money to fuel all the infrastructure growth needed or expected.  A very large part of Cape Coral’s growth was fed by liberal mortgage lending practices combined with low costs of new homes and the enormous spiral of ever-increasing property values.  Speculation and greed were rampant. Unfortunately, when property values fell, many of Cape Coral’s newest residents were upside-down in their mortgages.  Speculators rushed to get out of their contracts. Property abandonment mushroomed.  Foreclosure news took over the headlines.   There are still some homes under construction and building permits are being issued, but growth is negligible compared to what it was in 2006 when the air began to escape the “bubble”.

What Lies Ahead for Cape Coral?

The city hopes to improve its old downtown area with a vibrant urban village and there is a desire to bring in one or more colleges and/or new branches of existing Lee County colleges. Clean industries are sought. The city would love to acquire a sports team, but Ft. Myers has taken the lead in that area for now — with spring training sites for The Boston Red Sox and The Minnesota Twins.  They also host The Miracle, a Florida State League baseball team.  An East Coast Hockey League team, the Florida Everblades, has a 7000-seat home arena in nearby Estero. During hockey’s off season, the Florida Firecats, an AF2 arena league football team, fires up that arena.  Discussions are ongoing to possibly lure the Baltimore Orioles to the old Red Sox stadium in Ft. Myers when the new Red Sox stadium (that will replicate Fenway Park) is complete.

Meanwhile, around 2001, the Cape set up its Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) to define new plans for the old downtown. With it came big plans, the designation of redevelopment areas and a staff of planners.   They envision a modernized walker’s downtown area with large riverfront condominiums and hotels on the fringes.  The city has made grants to businesses to promote improvements. Ironically, it may turn out this unexpected “breather” in all the rapid development may result in even better improvement plans being made.

To examine some of the planning underway, go to the website: www.downtowncapecoral.net.  You can view impressive architectural renderings by highlighting “About the CRA” at the top left, and then selecting from one (or all) of the first 3 entries: “Projects”, “Redevelopment Plan” and “Master Plan”.  Sections of the city have already been legally designated for redevelopment.  While the city experiences financial shortfalls (and budget readjustments occur), the CRA continues to plan, but execution has slowed. Watch for an upcoming report of my July 8^th bus tour with Century21 Birchwood Realty, Cape Coral Mayor Jim Burch, and CRA members, as I learn even more about the redevelopment area and the plans.

You’re ready to integrate these descriptions into a visual tour of the Cape.  To watch a little over a 3-minute video with an aerial tour of the city, visit the website:  www.whatsupcapecoral.com.  Select the blue tab at the top right: “New To The Cape”. At the beginning, traffic approaches Cape Coral from the east via the Cape Coral Bridge. On the rightmost portion of the screen is a glimpse of the Gold Coast area (subject of the June 12^th blog). At 3 minutes and 35 seconds you will be over the Caloosahatchee River at the southeastern end of Cape Coral approaching the Yacht Club Area.  Observe the beach and fishing pier as the segment ends.  Hold that image; you’re ready for the next blog: the Yacht Club Area’s Best Buys.

If Cape Coral (or Lee County) seems to offer what you like, you may want to follow some newspapers or other sources to increase your familiarity.  You may want to check out The Cape Coral Daily Breeze (www.cape-coral-daily-breeze.com), or the paper published in Fort Myers that covers local, state and national news, The News-Press (www.news-press.com).  You can also visit web sites for the various Chambers of Commerce.  (For example, the Cape Coral site is: www.capecoralchamber.com.)