Cape Coral Florida's Real Estate Guide

Cape Coral is a city in Lee County, Florida, United States. With over 400 miles (640 km) of navigable waterways, Cape Coral has more miles of canals than any other city on earth. According to estimates as of April 2008, the city had a population of 165,774,[2] making it the largest city in Southwest Florida. The population estimate for the Cape Coral-Fort Myers metropolitan area was more than 623,725 as of April 2008.

Geography

Cape Coral is located at 26°38′23″N 81°58′57″W / 26.639600°N 81.982471°W.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 115.10 square miles (298.1 km2), making it the second largest city in Florida in terms of area. 105.19 square miles (272.4 km2) of it is land and 9.91 square miles (25.7 km2) of it (8.61%) is water.

Cape Coral is bordered on the south and east by the Caloosahatchee River and on the west by Matlacha Pass. The city of Fort Myers lies across the Caloosahatchee River to the south and east, and Matlacha and Pine Island lie across Matlacha Pass to the west.

Canals

Cape Coral Florida has over 400 miles (640 km) of canals, more than any other city in the world[6]. Cape Coral's canal system is so extensive that local ecology and tides have been affected.

Bridges

Cape Coral is connected to Fort Myers by two bridges. The Cape Coral Bridge connects Cape Coral Parkway to College Parkway in Fort Myers. The Midpoint Memorial Bridge connects Veterans Parkway to Colonial Boulevard.

Hancock Bridge Parkway, after intersecting Santa Barbara Boulevard, sweeps north to its approximate terminus on Pine Island Road, with the east end of Hancock Bridge Parkway terminating at U.S. Highway 41.

History

Over the course of a few years, beginning in 1958, canals were dug, homes and businesses built, and a city was born. Celebrities were brought in to tout the benefits of "the Cape," as it is known by the locals. The first building was a four-plex at the corner of Coronado and Cape Coral Parkway. This building was the Rosen's company headquarters and the temporary home of Cape Coral's first permanent resident, Kenny Schwartz, the Rosens' new general manager. Cape Coral's first four homes were completed in May 1958 on Riverside and Flamingo drives.[8]

Through the rest of the 1950s and early 1960s, development moved quickly, mostly on Redfish Point, south of Cape Coral Parkway. By 1963, the population was 2,850; 1,300 buildings had been finished or were under construction; 80 miles (130 km) of road had been built, and 160 miles (260 km) of canals had been dug. The yacht club, a golf course, medical clinic, and shopping center were up and running. A major addition for Cape Coral was the construction of the Cape Coral Bridge, which opened in early 1964. Before the bridge, a trip to Fort Myers was more than 20 miles (32 km), following the long haul up Del Prado, then over to the Edison Bridge to cross the river.

Since its inception Cape Coral had been known as a "sleepy" community with its large retirement population. This all changed with the population boom of the 1990s that brought with it young working class families. There is still a larger than normal retirement population. While the majority of the community still has to cross the river to Fort Myers for work and entertainment, this has improved in recent years with new stores, restaurants and nightclubs opening up. Today, Cape Coral offers a lively strip of restaurants and stores along Cape Coral Parkway, Del Prado Blvd. and Pine Island Road.
 
www.capecoralchamber.com (Chamber of Commerce)

http://capecoral.net/  ( Capecoral.net)
 
 http://www.lee.k12.fl.us/home.asp  ( Lee County School Board)
 
http://www.leeparks.org/ ( Lee County Parks and Rec)
 
http://www.activediner.com/all/restaurant/Cape-Coral/FL/US/region-4   ( Active Diner)
 
www.miraclebaseball.com ( Fort Myers Miracle)
 
http://www.floridaeverblades.com/ ( The Everblades)
 
http://www.fgcu.edu/  ( Florida Gulf Coast Unniversity)
 
http://www.capecoralfestival.com/ ( Cape Coral Festival of the Arts)
 
http://www.whatsupcapecoral.com/ ( Whats up Cape Coral )

There has never been a better time for European investors to purchase real estate in the United States. Simply put, historically low home prices plus the rising value of the euro equals a real estate investment that is second to none. People all over Europe are recognizing this opportunity and taking this chance to own their own home in the U.S. Recently, in many cities, foreign investors are coming to real estate agents requesting to buy up to an astonishing 1,000 homes at a time. Why? It is really one of the safest investments that you could possibly make.

It is only a matter of time before the U.S economy stabilizes and recovers from the current recession. With President Obama so determined to stabilize the housing market, change is bound to come sooner rather than later. When that happens, homes purchased during this down time will spike in value and investors will see a dramatic return on their investment. Unlike many Americans, Europeans have the finances to take advantage of this down economy and low housing prices to make an extremely lucrative investment.

Are you a European investor looking to purchase property in the U.S.? Look no further than Cape Coral. Home prices are incredibly low-million dollar homes can be purchased for pennies on the dollar. This location has nowhere to go but up so get in now while you still can! Contact me for information on available properties in Cape Coral today!

President Barack Obama's $787 billion economic stimulus plan may have passed Congress last week, but when it comes to who gets what, the fighting has only begun.

Who are the winners and losers?

Here are some perspectives from FOX News, CNN, U.S. News & World Report and the Washington Post.

Although they weren't all that happy with the stimulus package, Fox News noted that President was victorious since he "got his way with the bill."

"Let's take a look at who we think are the big winners and losers in this big stimulus fight starting with a winner: President Obama. He basically got it in the scope and form he wanted." (FOX News)

CNN said that while Obama may be a winner in some respects, his effort to reunite the Democratic and Republic parties was a failure.

"There are losers in this fight, the fight over bipartisanship, the fact that people thought this new era had come to Washington, D.C., that people were going to work together and get things done, there wasn't going to be any partisanship bickering. Well, guess what, this is Washington, D.C." (CNN)

Who comes out ahead? U.S. News & World Report, said there are "dozens of potential winners in the gargantuan package":

"...from highways to health-information technology, from nuclear power to NASA, from first-time home buyers to food-stamps recipients, from unemployed workers hitting the pavement to college students hitting the books." (U.S.News & World Report)

The losers? The Washington Post singled out executives at financial institutions.

The stimulus package sets limits on executive pay that goes further than those previously proposed by the administration

"The bonus restrictions would apply to a varying number of employees at each firm, depending on how much money the firm has taken in government assistance...Other measures in the bill include a ban on golden parachutes to departing executives." (The Washington Post)

Courtesy of Newsy.com

Courtesy of msnbc.com

FORT MYERS, Fla. - Fresh from his first White House news conference, President Barack Obama hit the road on Tuesday to rally support for a huge economic stimulus plan among Americans hit by the deepening recession.

Obama lobbied Congress hard from Florida, declaring that Americans are out of patience with Washington gridlock as lawmakers dicker over legislative details.

In a throwback to last year's political campaign, Obama held town hall meeting-style event in Fort Myers.

The state's Republican governor, Charlie Crist, who was a vocal supporter of Sen. John McCain in the 2008 election, introduced Obama.

"This is not about partisan politics," said Crist. "This is about rising above that."

The president called for Democrats and Republicans to work together, telling the crowd: "When the town is burning, you don't check party labels. Everybody needs to grab a hose."

"That is why I put forth a recovery and reinvestment plan, and that is the simple idea at its core," added Obama. "It's a plan that will save or create up to four million jobs over the next two years, ignite spending by business and consumers alike, and make the investments necessary for lasting economic growth and prosperity."

Meantime in Washington, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner unveiled a highly anticipated new bank rescue strategy.

He promised that the administration will cleanse up to $500 billion in spoiled assets from banks' books and support $1 trillion in new lending through an expanded Federal Reserve program.

"To get credit flowing again, to restore confidence in our markets, and restore the faith of the American people, we are fundamentally reshaping the government's program to repair the financial system," said Geithner at the Treasury Department.

Read more »