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SouthWest Florida Real Estate Services
Cape Coral | Fort Myers | Punta Gorda | Burnt Store | Naples
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About SouthWest Florida
SouthWest Florida has a stable economy, with great year-round weather, beautiful beaches, golf, tennis, boating, fishing, and more. This section of our site provides information on market trends, the economy, and why so many people make this area their home.
First, Where Exactly is "SouthWest Florida"?
Southwest Florida with unspoiled beaches, exotic ildlife and lush subtropical foliage is comprised of Charlotte County, Lee County, Collier County, and Hendry and Glades counties. The area combines the sophistication of a pampered island resort with the relaxed style of Old Florida. Click here for a view of the map.
SouthWest Florida (SWF) at the most northern end is Port Charlotte. Going south along the coastline, primary cities are:
Punta Gorda, Cape Coral, Fort Myers, Sanibel, Captiva,
Bonita Springs, Naples, and Marco Island.
Getting Here
Our area is served by the SouthWest Florida International Airport in Fort Myers, with direct flights from Toronto, Munich, Minneapolis, Milwaukee, New York City, Memphis, Dusseldorf, Indianapolis, Washington DC, St. Louis, Cinncinati, Boston, Chicago, and many more major cities in North America and Europe.
Alternatively, the international airports in Miami and Tampa are just a two hour drive.
Water, Water, Everywhere
It's well known that the closer a property is to water, the more valuable the property becomes. This is especially true if the weather, the shopping, and the related community services are superior as well.
In consideration of all factors including amenities, affordability, Gulf of Mexico access, and opportunity for growth and ppreciation, Lee and Collier Counties offer a solid opportunity for real estate investment.
While all of SouthWest Florida has many water options (beaches, rivers, lakes), Cape Coral is known for its miles of canals weaving through the residential communities. Most of those canals are routes to the Gulf of Mexico and the Caloosahatchee River. (Cape Coral has over 400 miles of canals, consisting of more inland waterways than Venice, Italy.)
Punta Gorda is also know for its expansive canal system and beautiful views over Charlotte Harbor.
Perhaps the best tarpon fishing in all the world lies just north of Bokeelia (Pine Island), in Boca Grande Pass at Charlotte Harbor. Other popular game fish are snook, redfish, trout, grouper, snapper, cobia, sheepshead and many others. A fisherman's paradise!
Golf Every Day
According to the National Golf Foundation, Fort Myers ranks fifth in the nation for golfer-to-holes ratios. More than 975 holes perforate more than 60 golf courses throughout the county, 27 of which are open to the public. Get detailed information on Golf courses here. And read about Golf Course Community Types in Naples, Bonita Springs, Fort Myers, and Cape Coral.
Buyers Market
Those in SouthWest Florida are a perfect position when it comes to cash in on the second-home market surge, when compared to other Florida areas. As value-conscious baby boomers join the bandwagon and look to purchase second-homes/vacation-homes, they will look to purchase in communities where they can enjoy affordable resort style living and get the most for their money.
For example, according to the US Census an average of 20,700 people move to Lee County (Fort Myers, Cape Coral, Sanibel/Captiva) annually. U.S. Housing Markets has ranked Fort Myers-Cape Coral as the number one housing market in a metropolitan area for two years running. The Fort Myers-Cape Coral MSA consistently ranks as one of the top 10 metro areas in this index.
Job Growth and Positive Trends
Cape Coral/Fort Myers is ranked as the #2 Top Performing City by the Milken Institute in their 2007 Study. While many people are here to retire or semi-retire and not necessarily looking to re-enter the job market, it is important to invest in communities that are healthy. (As a side note, we can't help but notice that many of the "retirees" here are in their 40's and 50's.)
Additionally, it's one of the safest places to live in Florida, ranked 3rd safest in cities with populations over 100,000.
Affordable Living
The composite cost of living is consistently at or below the U.S. average. (ACCRA Cost of Living Index, which measures relative price levels for consumer goods and services in participating areas). For example, New York's composite score is 215.0, while SWF is 101.7. Chicago's composite score is 131.1. Click here for a table that ranks these and other cities' cost of living index.
Quality of Life
Recreation and entertainment includes Gulf and freshwater fishing, boating, golf, tennis, parks, Twins and Boston Red Sox spring training, and more.! The Barbara Mann theater has broadway caliber plays and productions and many other cultural arts abound. That the water and golf courses here are some of the best in the world is obvious. [Read more...]
But other factors such as great health care systems, local shopping, government services, no state income tax... add up to a lifestyle choice that is hard to beat.
Money magazine ranked Fort Myers-Cape Coral as one of the "Best Place to Live in America." Expansion magazine named Lee County a four-star community in its annual quality of life scorecard for 2003.
More Information
You will find a great deal of more information about us, about the real estate market here, and buying and selling, and about the SouthWest Florida lifestyle on our web log: SouthWest Florida Real Estate. The web log is updated frequently with news you can use, from foriegn buyer experiences, to closing process and costs, to current price trends, and more.
Quick Links: Listings by City
To learn more about the area, browse some of the current listings in the Quick Links below.
Cape Coral Homes for Sale
Fort Myers Homes for Sale
Fort Myers Beach Homes for Sale
Punta Corda Homes for Sale
Naples Homes for Sale
Sanibel Homes for Sale
Estero Homes for Sale
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