Fort Myers, FL

[wfwhitaker]

Any folks here live in the Fort Myers, FL area? I might have an opportunity to relocate there and need to find out about cost of living, quality of life, etc.

[Ralph Barker]

Would Rio Rancho qualify as a suburb of Fort Myers?

We have fairly decent weather, are relatively stable quake-wise, and have no hurricanes or 'gators. Plus, real estate is still relatively inexpensive.

[Alan Curtis]

I live on the other side of Florida from Ft. Myers and didn't realize Rio Rancho was so close. Ft. Myers is a nice area as far as larger Florida cities goes.However, if you want to live near the Gulf the housing cost is very high and homeowners insurance in all of Florida is also very high because like Ralph mentioned there are hurricanes. During the winter (Nov.-April) it is very crowded. The quality of life is good and you will find why most Floridians go to NC in the summer.

[Doug Howk]

Now might be a good time to relocate to Florida since housing prices have fallen. I saw in an article recently that Florida leads the Nation by a wide margin in foreclosures.

[Pat Kearns]

Houses may be cheap because of foreclosures but insurance, if you can get it, isn't. Check the flood planes near the house, if it is in a flood plane buy flood insurance. There are government sponsored flood insurance programs. FEMA might be a source of new flood planes because of recent hurricane seasons. Enjoy the sunshine, HEAT AND HUMIDITY. It's not the DRY HEAT found in Ralph's neck of the woods.

[John Brady]

I live in Naples about 30 minutes south of fort myers. This is a great area to live but we are undergoing very difficult times. I own a large retail business and our sales are off by 50% over two years ago. When real estate plummeted so did everything else. Unemployment is over 7% and Lee county is in the top five in the nation in foreclosures.

Now because of that it is a great time to buy property here but it will still be a while until we see a turn around.

Also depending on the type of photography that you do this is a great location, remember this is the home of Clyde Butcher.

Oh yeah and did I mention the weather? PM me if you want to talk more and I will give you my phone number so you can get more info.

jb
www.timeandlight.com

[Bill_1856]

Drugs, street crime, hurricanes, depressed real estate market, high property taxes, red tide, nearest "city" is 100 miles away (Tampa), giant cockroaches, mosquitoes, termites, elderly tourists, 30+ minutes drive to the beach, "attitude" of old residents, irresponsible/greedy city/county regulators, boom/bust "to hell with the enviroment" development, invasion of legal and illegal Hispanic immigrants.
Welcome to Florida.

[John Brady]

Drugs, street crime, hurricanes, depressed real estate market, high property taxes, red tide, nearest "city" is 100 miles away (Tampa), giant cockroaches, mosquitoes, termites, elderly tourists, 30+ minutes drive to the beach, "attitude" of old residents, irresponsible/greedy city/county regulators, boom/bust "to hell with the enviroment" development, invasion of legal and illegal Hispanic immigrants.
Welcome to Florida.

Wow, I thought my post was depressing

[darr]

I moved out of south Florida last year and "retreated" to Tallahassee. I feel like I am back in the USA again! From Orlando and south I would not touch with my real estate dollars. Since I made the move, I have received a raise in my income just from the savings on home owners insurance, auto insurance and cost of living. Do some research before you make your decision. PM me if I can help.

Best,
Darr

[DavidFisk]

Drugs, street crime, hurricanes, depressed real estate market, high property taxes, red tide, nearest "city" is 100 miles away (Tampa), giant cockroaches, mosquitoes, termites, elderly tourists, 30+ minutes drive to the beach, "attitude" of old residents, irresponsible/greedy city/county regulators, boom/bust "to hell with the enviroment" development, invasion of legal and illegal Hispanic immigrants.
Welcome to Florida.

....and these are the good points.....