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The next area we will be discussing is the very SW corner of the City of Cape Coral. It is comprised of two areas known as Unit 69 and 72. Together, they are defined as the properties to the West of Chiquita Blvd, and below Cape Coral Pkwy. In this discussion, we are referring only to those behind the bridges.
For many years, virtually nobody built here. Only a small number of homes exist that are older than 1990 or so. This is because everything West of Chiquita Blvd must pass through a man-operated boat lock to get out to open water. This meant that at the time, buyers chose elsewhere to construct their homes. (On a side note the water height is actually pretty much the same on both sides of the lock, so it’s really not that much of a hindrance anyway!) There is also a bridge height limitation of 8’9”.
However, beginning around 1990 some homes started to go in. And it’s not until around 2000 that the area was really booming. In fact the majority of Gulf access homes in this area are built since 2000. The real benefit here is that the neighborhoods are very pretty. The homes are of later model style, they are very well maintained, they often are a bit larger and have the nice extra touches like tile roofs and nicer landscaping. (Hint: a quick gauge of which neighborhoods are the nicer ones is to simply look for modern tile roofs. Nobody needs to go tile, but it sure dresses them up nicely and in the superior areas, owners are willing to do so). And for those who don’t like how certain sections of Cape Coral may have a rather unusual mixture of modest old homes sitting right next to opulent, large new ones, this is where you will likely want to be! Everything has a very nice appeal here, just as long as you are okay with the boat lock and a bridge or two.
Another huge benefit to this area that will be apparent upon studying the maps is just how wide the canals are. Most all of them are oversized and some are outright enormous! Whereas most of the city has simple 80 foot wide canals, here they often are in the 120 to 200 foot range. Some are even on 250 foot wide ones. That’s twice the depth of a building lot! Needless to say, the view out the back of some of the homes here is quite impressive. Many buyers determine that it’s worth the tradeoff of the lock and bridges to be in such a nice area, with nice homes all around, and a beautiful view out the back door. For the commercial fisherman who’s out every day no(!), it wouldn’t be a good choice. But for those of us who are periodically taking the boat out and enjoying the house the majority of the time, this often makes more sense.
Another quick note to make about the SW: In this case we are talking the very SW corner and as far South as you can go. As you proceed further North along this Western edge of town, you will get more for the money. This is because the boating run is getting progressively a little longer the more you head North. But if you want the very best neighborhoods and the shortest runs along this Western edge, this is it. But it will cost you more! If you find the prices to be a bit higher than you are after, consider expanding your search to include a little further North. Expect to pay $600k+ for homes build since 2000. And homes from the 90’s more often are in the $500s+.
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Boating access out is noted below, with the dotted red line added to help you differentiate between Units 72 to the left (West) and Unit 69 to the right (East). Unit 69 has a bit longer run, as the exit point for both sections is to the very Western boundary. Unit 69 also has two bridges, but because the second one is actually taller, the limiting height for both sections is the 8’9” bridge. These areas, like everything West of Chiquita Blvd, all pass out through a man operated boat lock as well.
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