fort myers is it good place to live????? (Tampa, Cape Coral: apartments, foreclosure)

[independent man]

Originally Posted by hiknapster

No. It is not. I would not consider it safe. Is there a particular house you are interested in?

Okay I have the safety concern. Again, any info on the quiet/litter front would be appreciated.

Several Dean Park houses look interesting from afar. In addition to liking old houses of the 20's and 30's, I also appreciate dense, mature tropical landscaping. Dean Park seems to be greener. McGregor, other than the majestic palms, seemed a bit dryish and at times brown rather than green. The general residential landscape more typically Florida suburban than lush tropical.

Miami's Coconut Grove area is my ideal community landscape. But, the palms lining McGregor are stunning. Probably among the most beautiful display of its kind anywhere.

[hiknapster]

Originally Posted by independent man

Okay I have the safety concern. Again, any info on the quiet/litter front would be appreciated.

Several Dean Park houses look interesting from afar. In addition to liking old houses of the 20's and 30's, I also appreciate dense, mature tropical landscaping. Dean Park seems to be greener. McGregor, other than the majestic palms, seemed a bit dryish and at times brown rather than green. The general residential landscape more typically Florida suburban than lush tropical.

Miami's Coconut Grove area is my ideal community landscape. But, the palms lining McGregor are stunning. Probably among the most beautiful display of its kind anywhere.

I appreciate the same things that you do. I even lived on 2nd street. It borders the ghetto and the ghetto comes through all the time. I would not buy a house there and I bet I've lived in worse neighborhoods than you.

[michellenugent]

Greetings...My neighbor came across this blog while doing research for our neighborhood.
I live in Dean Park ,list homes in Dean Park, have chosen to raise my 3 children in Dean Park, been on the board of DP historic District for the past 5 years, many as President, and sit on the Board of Lee Trust for Historic Perseveration.
When searching for a home to purchase as with any location you are unfamiliar with, I strongly encourage buyers to speak with residents whom live in that area to get adequate information.
Dean Park is currently registered a LOCAL Historic District, although currently information is being complied to submit Dean Park be placed on the National Register of Historic Districts. This would be an honor for both our district as well as the City.
Yes, Dean Park has gone through a period gentrification and still is. Back in the boom many homes in Dean Park where purchased by investors, most of those homes have gone or in the processing of going into foreclosure. I am happy to say that most are being purchased by end-users whom have an appreciation for older homes.
Yes, you are correct in your response regarding the statics of urban neighborhoods. Although like any neighborhood we have had some minor issues. Honestly I know of many gated communities that are being hit hard and yes neighborhoods with higher priced homes have also been very appealing to criminals. Times are tough people do stupid things. I would encourage you to speak with the local police dept and get the stats, which by the way we get from our local community officer. Which our local police dept. has told us we have one of the best neighborhood watch programs in the city and use us as an example of what to do right!
I LOVE Dean Park, as does everyone I know in my neighborhood. There are many positives things in store for our Little Historic District…all thanks to the diligence and dedication of is wonderful residents.

[MrsTommy]

If you "list homes" in an area, I assume you are a Real Estate Salesperson and should (our Mod. uses the phrase "strongly advised") register as such with the site as per Terms of Service you agreed to.

If, by reviving a 7 month old dead thread, you hoped to undo some of the negative P.R. the area received, I'm afraid you've made a mistake. This thread was gone and long forgotten. Now you've brought it to the top of the list again for all to read the negatives about your neighborhood.

[hiknapster]

Very, very, very true, Mrs. Tommy.

I lived in that area just before the boom and it was not good. I can't imagine what it is like now, after the boom, when neighborhoods far away from the city are struggling.

Is it the kind of area I would live in? Yes. But I love old homes. I like moving into an area that is undergoing gentrification and get a deal. I love everything about that. But it is not for everyone.

I honestly answered that gentleman's questions.

And by the way, when I wrote them, I was not a real estate agent. I've been on this forum for 3 1/2 years. I've been an agent for three months.

I am keenly interested in the area. Most of our very large family lives in Lee County. If I were ever to move back, I don't know if I would move to Dean Park, though. Probably not. That was one of the reasons that I didn't buy in Lee County. That good area is far too small-tiny really-and very outnumbered by the bad area.

It's one of the biggest reasons why we now live where we live. It has a large gentrification area, and the balance is tipped in the good-guys favor.

michellenugent, I would suggest you put your real estate hat on. It is to your benefit. Otherwise people feel that you are disingenuous. You are new and you didn't know.

Best of luck to you. There are a lot of people on this forum that are looking for a very good agent.

[purplegal55]

Thinking about a buying a condo in for the winter. Are the association fees high? Are there good deals and good neighborhoods. Would like to be close to spring baseball. We are looking for a deal. Thanks for any info. We are from a smaller larger city in SD.

[mikezak]

Try Southern Ft. Myers area (Estero) or Bonita Springs. We like it.

[iluvfl001]

I would recommend you Bonita Springs or Naples. Beautiful beaches, high end restaurants and shopping. Naples also has a more rural area, called Golden Gate, if you are into acreage and farm.

[Bahamut5098]

I recommend staying away from anywhere near the Fort Myers area. I lived in Cape Coral for 3 years, not much better than Fort Myers. Foreclosures are rampant and the whole city feels like a big strip mall. Crime is rampant and the majority of neighborhoods are lousy and sketchy.

Lehigh Acres is especially bad, my coworkers told me the first day to stay away from LA. I figured out soon it wasn't Los Angeles they were referring to.

People here seem nice but there is very little to do, and the majority of people living here long-term are 50 and over. Honestly, I hated living here and will never go back. Add to that the horrible city council that taxes the hell out of residents and gets nothing done.

I can recommend Bonita Springs or Naples if you've got the cash, and you're over 50.

[rikoshaprl]

Baha mutt, There are nice areas in Fort Myers. The foreclosures in Cape Coral were bad 4 years ago but are almost gone today. Crime in Cape Coral 2nd lowest in FL of cities of the same size. The rest of your post is just plain negative. Perhaps you are bitter due to you home being foreclosed or some other reason. Many of us love Cape Coral.