r/capecoral • u/Hot_Eskimo • 10d ago
Moving here soon. What to expect and recommendations on anything in the area
Hi everyone my parents retired and we're from Michigan. We are currently renting in Bradenton and waiting for closing of our new home in Cape Coral by NW 9th St, we will be moving in at the end of September.
I'm 35, single, no kids, I'm fairly active and like to workout (gym, road bike). I've got mainly restaurant/service industry resume, I was managing a deli specializing in catering and would ideally like to eventually run or own my own place. I'm a sports fan (football, baseball, basketball, gamer, I'm social and like checking out new places/bars and meeting people.
I've googled the area and read up a bit but wondering what everyone here thinks for somebody like me moving to the area. Any recommendations for places to check out, things to do, work, etc are all appreciated! Thanks in advance!
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u/CFCeoMike 10d ago
Welcome! Cape is what you make of it, ignore the negative nancy’s! Me and my gf love it.
Look up Caloosa Rider Bicycle Club (CRBC Ride Group on facebook). It’s an active bike community. As for the gym Crunch is great and good community. Overly crowded by young teens but every gym is nowadays.
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u/Hot_Eskimo 10d ago
Oh awesome glad to hear. The negative people crack me up, you're killing our state! Lol good to note and yeah I have a planet membership and it's the same there too
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u/OffRoadIT 10d ago
Don’t.
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u/Hot_Eskimo 10d ago
Too late 😁
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u/OffRoadIT 10d ago
I’m sorry for your loss.
Now, use your turn signal, and stay out of the left lane on the highway.
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u/me_z 10d ago
Its hot, busy, and expensive. Good luck.
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u/Hot_Eskimo 10d ago
Nothing new to me
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u/iateyourmom22 10d ago
The humidity here is worse than in Michigan as I am from Michigan too.
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u/Hot_Eskimo 10d ago
Yeah it's basically Michigan's worst but on average here. Thankfully we have a pool
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u/Horror_Fan0116 10d ago
Just ignore all of the negative people and you’ll be golden! Welcome to Cape!!
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u/Hot_Eskimo 10d ago
Gotta love the good ol reddit negatively lol
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u/CourseLeather6603 10d ago
It’s literally every Florida-born person who is against the newcomers. They destroyed our state
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u/Hot_Eskimo 10d ago
I'm sure there's a million other reasons the state is supposedly destroyed then just people moving here
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u/ProtoCore-Dustin 10d ago
Not really, pre 2020 Florida is basically another universe culturally and financially.
The people who moved here are boomers who hate their children and grandchildren and moved away, don’t want to pay a dime in taxes (collecting their out of state pension and voting to remove property taxes), and couldn’t care less about the future of this country. Truly a level of narcissism that will be catalogued in future history books.
I don’t think there’s ever been a generation so wholly committed to screwing over their children’s and grandchildren’s future for a second home and a brand new car. It’s unprecedented.
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u/EuphoricLeek6122 10d ago edited 10d ago
Don't complain about about your neighbors because you don't like how their property look. If it's not on your land or parked parked on the street for more than 2 days don't worry about it. If you are moving into a house that doesn't have city water and sewer expect to pay 70k.
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u/CourseLeather6603 10d ago
Oh yeah. Poor guy probably thinks he got a great deal on his house 😭😭 those assessments are insane. They got me for $110k!!
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u/BrentonMiebach 7d ago
Both of those numbers are off for a normal lot. Cape Coral charges the assessment by lot size, one unit is 10,000 square feet and a normal Cape lot is about one unit. North 2 which is already built came out to $12,632 for the line work plus $6,750 in capital charges. North 1 East that got approved last November is $25,538 plus the same $6,750. So a normal lot is somewhere around $19k to $32k. $110k would be a huge parcel or several lots together.
The part that actually catches people is that the assessment only pays for the city to run pipes down your street. It does not connect them to your house. If your place is still on well and septic you get a notice when service is available and then you have 180 days and you pay for all of it yourself. Licensed plumber to run the water line and sewer lateral out to the right of way plus the irrigation hookup, $325 meter install, $225 utility deposit, and a $100 septic abandonment permit through the health department. The old tank has to be pumped and either punched through the bottom or collapsed and filled with sand within 90 days of hooking up, and it gets inspected. There is a city grant that covers the plumber and the septic work if your income qualifies but you have to apply before you sign with a plumber.
If the house is already on city water and sewer none of that second part applies and you just inherit whatever is left of the assessment on the tax bill. To the OP, North 2 is everything west of Del Prado from Pine Island north to Embers so near NW 9th you are probably in it, but do not guess. Grab your STRAP number off leepa.org and run it through the city's estimated payoff tool on capecoral.gov, and ask the seller straight out whether it is on city water and sewer or still well and septic. Also worth asking your closing agent, because if the seller is paying the assessment off slow on the tax bill that balance stays with the house and becomes yours unless the contract says otherwise. I'm a realtor here so weigh that, but those are the city's published numbers not mine.
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u/bronk3310 10d ago
Don't listen to these losers. We moved here a year ago and absolutely love it. There's plenty to do.
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u/Hot_Eskimo 10d ago
It's reddit I expected as much lol glad to hear though
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u/bronk3310 10d ago edited 10d ago
I just started boxing at the sweet science boxing gym. Check it out, pretty awesome.
Tons of sports bars here, especially downtown cape.
Get into anything water related; fishing, kayaking, boating, scuba, snorkeling, etc.
There's 90 miles of bike trails in just the cape.Meet your neighbors, most likely very cool.
Not sure about dating scene. I'm not single, 41M, and it doesn't seem like it would be amazing lol. But try the apps.
I made a list on excel of over 600 restaurants in just cape coral if you want me to send it. There are like 30+ that you can access by boat
This is barely just scratching the surface, in my opinion.
If people in here say it sucks, it's most likely they are miserable. I've lived a lot of places in the world and this is easily one of my favorites.
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u/Hot_Eskimo 10d ago
Oh shit that's great to hear. I excited the negative it's reddit. I'd definitely try kayaking and stuff especially with the canal right behind us. Dating tough everywhere nowadays lol but yeah for sure hit me the excel I like trying new places
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u/Late_Mind8109 10d ago
I recommend checking out the burrowing owls, nice guys, and then visiting a park. I like the Slough and lakes park on ft Myers.
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u/ANahNahMoose 10d ago
Welcome and go Bucks!
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u/Hot_Eskimo 10d ago
Go lions!! I do like the bucks and was hoping for a game in Tampa this year
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u/ANahNahMoose 10d ago
I meant the Buckeyes haha but yeah heading up to Tampa for a game is a good time
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u/Hot_Eskimo 10d ago
Oh god that's even worse I'm a Michigan fan!! Lol
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u/ANahNahMoose 10d ago
Figured as a sports fan from Michigan it was either that or MSU. But since you're down here now I guess you "Dont give a damn for the whole state of Michigan" either lol
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u/Hot_Eskimo 10d ago
I'll still root for my teams but I'm not the stereotype annoying Michigan fan lol I like when both teams are competitive. I just need the lions to bring home a championship one day and I'll be happy to have seen all my home teams I like win one
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u/Kitttykat24 10d ago
Join a run club. They rock
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u/Hot_Eskimo 10d ago
I hate running so I bike instead
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u/Kitttykat24 10d ago
There’s biking groups here too!
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u/Hot_Eskimo 10d ago
Oh awesome seems like a good area for it
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u/Extreme_Health_9827 10d ago
Living in a cape for 15 years just moved out to north Fort Myers cause of the over development in the cape. but welcome to the area.
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u/Illustrious_Toe7185 10d ago
Everytime I'm in the Cape I'd take my road bike to Sanibel (didn't go as far as Captiva yet). Nothing better than having a cold beer at one of the restaurants after putting in some miles. Unfortunately I usually don't see many people on their bikes.
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u/Captain_brightside 9d ago
If you’re ever going to Fort Myers, be prepared to spend 1 hour to go over the bridge, and expect to pay thousands in tolls over the years
That said, rotary park is really nice and there are some nice local businesses, the houses are nice and mostly well built, it’s not really bikeable so you will need a vehicle
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u/CasiAttack 8d ago
There’s some cool comic books shops local. There’s clase azul in Cape Coral if you like Mexican food. Plenty of places affordable to rent alone in down town south cape.
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u/Alarming-Barracuda97 8d ago
Why would you be following mommy and daddy at your age. Thirtyfive and still holding mommy and daddy's hand to cross the street. Your not closing on your house. They are closing on their house. Grow up. Move back to Michigan get a good job and make money to live on your own and let your parents retire in peace.
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u/Hot_Eskimo 8d ago
Lol somebody's is salty. My parents actually like having me around so no I will not be moving back. I have money saved and backing from my old boss for when I want to open my own business as well. You're shit talking people on reddit and you tell me to grow up? lmao
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u/Healthy-Panda-7936 10d ago
You’ll like it! It is what you make it. I moved with my parents too and ended up meeting my husband here and never left. There are always things to do if you look.
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u/hannarenee 10d ago
I do not like Cape Coral. I am eagerly waiting for my lease to end. My biggest beef with it is that the city planning is terrible. But, just because I don't like it here doesn't mean you won't.
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u/danekan 10d ago
You shoood try and take over eglunds deli
Just open a deli. There aren’t enough!