Florida west coast

[Jon Holdman]

I'm looking for information about Florida west coast cities. In particular, Clearwater along the coast down toward Naples. What are good areas? What are areas to avoid? Both for rentals and residences. Hows the market? I've owned property in TX where flooding, termites and expansive soils are an issue. What are issues to watch out for in this area?

[Jerry R.]

Hi Jon,

I am a Realtor and rehabber in the Naples to Cape Coral area. The west coast as you have described is a large area. I would think most these coastal areas are pretty good, at least I know that in the SW section things are very good as far as rentals go.

The problem you may have is that the prices are rising fast and you may not find properties at what is discussed on BP as a good price or rule of thumb for rentals.

Areas in SW Florida which are good include Naples, some sections of Fort Myers, Cape Coral, Punta Gorda and Port Charlotte. Watch out for certain areas in Fort Myers.

Areas I am not familiar with but suspect would still be good are Sarasota, North Port, Bradengton, Englewood

Issues? Non really. Wood frame homes tend to take longer to sell and at a much lower price than concrete homes. Also insurance will be higher in these areas and a wind mitigation inspection is required to get an insurance discount. I see termite homes once in a while but not often.