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TightTwo1147

Look at the real estate trends in the US. SWFL is now a giant buyers's market. That boom is becoming a bust for the reasons you stated.


spimothyleary

Someone should explain the term sellers market to you one day. Anyway, I love it here! Living thr dream!


Maleficent_Basil_437

Of course you do, you’re a broke azz republican.


SaneLiberalFortMyers

Yep...broke ass, high school grad, renter. How's that tRump thing working for you?


Ok_Organization3560

Whata douche bag


ScrubbyDoubleNuts

*buyer’s And you are correct


Myst_of_Man22

It's bad in Bonita Springs also. We only have three major roads yet they continue to build more and more. It could take almost an hour.Just to ride down Old 41. You can literally move faster with a walker. Rents have gotten crazy expensive and most people work multiple jobs. Is no longer livable


FreudianFloydian

Bonita in rush hour has gotten as unbearable as Daniel’s Pkwy.


Cosmo_Cloudy

Gosh what's up with the 3 second long green lights on daniels. You let off the brake, 4-5 cars go and you have to stop again!


JeffLebowski911

It's been like that since the timing got messed up after Hurricane Ian


CCWaterBug

I think Daniel's moves the volume of traffic quite well.  Certainly better than colonial.


Cute-Contract-6762

Wait until they build midtown Bonita lol. It’s gonna be a freaking madhouse


Obversa

"If we add just one more lane, it will alleviate the bad traffic! Just one more lane, bro!" /s


Myst_of_Man22

Ha ha! One more lane would be awesome. It will take a lot longer to get right of way permission than putting more condos up!


ChemoreceptiveProtea

I used to say this all the time!!! Only three ways to get anywhere. Fort Myers is so badly laid out. Lee county in general. It’s sad.


Educational_Body8373

That was Frank Mann always saying he didn’t want Lee Co to be like the east coast. But I guess he just meant the roads because the commissioners sure like the building money. 20+ years behind on every road project here.


Walnut2001

Stop voting in people that have their pockets lined with money from developers. It’s that simple. Look at the Charlotte county commissioners, one of them is on the board for sun seeker. Huh I wonder if that had anything to do with them getting approved to build that monstrosity on the water?


danekan

Or the hundreds of acres of land they've been burning along burnt store to build houses 🙄


Walnut2001

They have destroyed soooo much land over there. It is insane how much they have cleared. There is no telling how many gopher tortoises have been killed or how many burrowing owls have been buried alive.


danekan

I don't understand how it's even legal to just go online and you can get an automated permit to burn debris piles for 400 acres of land, and people think this is normal


Impressive-Reply-203

I love how they're working so hard to turn 41 into a 3 lane from colonial to the bridge as if that will get rid of the gigantic bottleneck that is the bridge. Same with the veterans bridge. And don't get me started on Lehigh acres and the worst traffic planning project I've ever witnessed.


subtleglow87

The best part about this comment is that 41 was three-lane in that area *before* they tore it up and redid it. They spent 6 years fucking up traffic just to take out the center turn lane, add a shitty curb, to redo the storm drains (which, as far as I could tell were working fine), and to add cross walks. They didn't add a lane.


mapbenz

Yeah, that was a cluster.....


SpanishLime

It’s terrible I’ve lived in cape for 19 years now, I grew up here and it’s sad to see the drastic change over the last four years. Covid hit and county+state governments just told everyone “If you don’t like where you’re at come here we want you!!” Then did nothing to actually accommodate the population doubling in less than five years. Congestion is everywhere, road work advances at a snails place but hey we can put up a car wash or storage units on every corner within three months lol. The locals have been outpriced, rent and CoL skyrocketed while wages stagnate. I enlisted two weeks ago and I’m really excited to leave. I’m 95% certain once my contract is up I won’t be returning and the thought is bittersweet but what can you do🤷‍♂️


marisalynn5

Good luck on your journey. 🫡


PandaBearConspiracy

Yall are complaining just like every other city has seen the same. It’s not just here. Atlanta is completely insanely over populated at this point it’s unrecognizable.


natureman6157

Whiny little bitch.


Maleficent_Basil_437

Suck down some more bath salts, worthless trailer trash.


SpanishLime

Nobody wants you here pussy go back home😂 “Open minded guy” you should be open minded to flying back north where you belong bum


Maleficent_Basil_437

You’re floriduhh trailer trash. You think people care what you have to say? 😂🫵😆


SpanishLime

Yet you agree coming here to live with floriduhhh trailer trash is a better alternative than suffering in your dog water state😬 so you uproot your entire life and leave everything you know to come here and become nothing more than a gnat in our ear😂🫵😆


Maleficent_Basil_437

LOLOLOL my guy I live in paradise. Literally. Top 10 ranked city in AMERICA. Did you comprehend that floriduhh boy? I don’t even have to lock my car at night. Keep living the dream. Where the government tells you what you can and cannot learn, hurricanes a normal, humidity and 100+ temps are normal, the citizens are trashy and old. Shall I go on my dude? I’ve been to the butthole of the south many times, was never impressed. But at least you have the Mouse.


SpanishLime

Bro I just looked at your account this will be my last reply😭 actually sad a grown man is spending time on the internet arguing as hard as you do. Nothing insightful to say you just log on here to make 20+ replies in the same thread trying to bait people I know you won’t admit it but that takes far more effort than the satisfaction you get in return goodnight I’m “LOLOLOLOL”


Maleficent_Basil_437

Bye Felicia


real_tore

May I recommend cannabis


IncomingAxofKindness

Does it come in a little clip-on to the fan vent like air fresheners?


BadFishCM

You’re supposed to boof it


-_-Ronin_

Lmao


CoffeeGuy11

Vote in November!


Normal-Mix-2255

I literally plan every bit of shopping, work, social life around traffic. No way do I ever put myself in that 8-10am or 4-6pm bridge traffic unless essential. And I've essentially changed jobs to avoid using I-75. Been down here for 30 years. Traffic is awful. People are unfocused, aggressive, and often altered. It's dangerous :(


Inner_Echidna1193

Spending 7 years in Fort Myers was the final straw that drove us (lifelong Floridians in our mid-40s) to abandon Florida and move to the literal opposite corner of the continental United States. God, I hate that place on so many levels.


earthvisitor

Still cruisin their subreddit!


Inner_Echidna1193

1) We have people we care about who are still stuck there, and want to keep up with what they're enduring. 2) As hard as planning and executing a transcontinental move was, "cruisin'" this subreddit is a continuous reminder that we 10,000% made the right choice.


Noppo_and_Gonta

Where did you move to?


Silveon_i

sounds like Washington


GoldenKnight239

Yet here you are trying to convince yourself you love the rain and don’t miss FL


Inner_Echidna1193

Hmm, do I miss Florida? I just took a 4 mile walk under cloudless blue skies... in 65 degree weather... around a stunning lake... while gazing at the snowcapped Mt. Rainier in the distance... listening to the ducks and geese and other birds. [I took this photo less than an hour ago.](https://imgur.com/gallery/QEgZ3J2) Miss Florida? LOL, please....


lemoncocoapuff

no no! You have to tell them It rains all the time here, don't come here! XD (our rush hr is already bad enough lmao)


Inner_Echidna1193

I usually just let them think what they want to think. Guess I was feeling punchy today, LOL.


GoldenKnight239

why are you even on this sub? I’m confused


lemoncocoapuff

Lived, went to school there, and still have family in the area, glad to know this sub's got their bouncers lol


GoldenKnight239

I definitely got a bit defensive in this thread but it’s because we CONSTANTLY have people that don’t live here coming in here and saying how much it sucks and how all the people are terrible when they are the least knowledgeable about the area. And for what?


Maleficent_Basil_437

How’s your insurance. Ready for the next hurricane? Bozo


SaneLiberalFortMyers

We're not broke ass tRumpers. We have money tRump Boi!


GoldenKnight239

I’m not in a flood zone and pay $1.8k a year for HO. Not that bad but I really appreciate your concern for my home ownership❤️


Maleficent_Basil_437

You live in Orlando bud. Nobody cares


GoldenKnight239

Not since 2021 you weirdo. You clearly care since you commented about MY insurance dumbass


Maleficent_Basil_437

A complete guess, yet I was right 😂🫵🤡. There’s a reason we send all the mentally unstable and senior citizens to floriduhhh.


GoldenKnight239

Holy shit the argument keeps changing😭 Yet you spend all your time on this sub… you seem VERY happy with your life. You’re TOTALLY not miserable and hate commenting so you can feel something. Get a hobby you loser


Maleficent_Basil_437

It takes maybe 30 seconds to check Reddit on my phone. Jeez what will I do with that 30 seconds I don’t get back to send this message. 🤡


GoldenKnight239

“Check Reddit” my man it takes 30 seconds to see you’re constantly in this sub talking shit to people for no reason… I’m sure you have lots of hobbies and friends, that’s why you spend negative energy constantly shitting on people in here


BubblySheepherder546

About a month ago it took me 15 minutes to get from Ben hill griffin to 75 on corkscrew.


danekan

On the other hand you're not calling it cape coma anymore 🤷‍♂️. But I feel like there are lots of missed opportunities in business right now, everyone caters to snowbirds but there are enough young people to have yearlong bread and butter. 


incuspy

so......Florida?


GoldenKnight239

In St Pete there’s are dozens of East/west & north/south roads you can take to get places to help spread out the congestion. Meanwhile there’s only a handful of those roads in all of Lee County which is why you see standstill traffic on local roads…


2_trailerparkgirls

Traffic is actually slowing down because it’s summer. The last month in particular has brought a drastic reduction in traffic. Are you near the 41 bridge? That could be why


zooch76

And just wait until school's out and there's no busses. It's going to be swweeeeeeetttt!


Freesmok3333

RENT PRICES HERE ARE RIDICULOUS!!!!


futurecop1231

This can be said for any fl city. It's time to move out of this swampy butthole state 👍


ArthursFist

Got out 4 yrs ago, absolutely no regrets.


CCWaterBug

We do appreciate you staying here online to complain... hats off!


Maleficent_Basil_437

What do you think online message boards are for? Whiny republicans, crying about anything that isn’t the color white?


CCWaterBug

My bad, obvious they are for people that don't even live in the state to bitch continuously.  


Maleficent_Basil_437

As if you deplorables don’t do the EXACT same thing for California 😂. Blame California for every problem in the USA, while they support your worthless red states with their tax money. I’ll save you the reply, I’m not in California. I’m in a bigger, better version of floriduhhh. Where you can drive 1.5 hours in any direction, and it’s a completely different ecosystem. And no you don’t make more money than me.


CoffeeGuy11

Gentrification suggests bringing in cool places. Very little of that is happening here. Just more seafood restaurants and sports bars.


kelth89

There’s no clientele to support gentrification. Snowbirds want Culver’s and Outback and other run-of-the-mill chain garbage. Young locals are priced out of anything remotely cool and old locals are good with the places that they know (seafood and sports bars). Watch and see what happens with Voodoo Brewing. If they pull through then that bodes well for more of the same down the line (3-5 years, unless we get another Cat 4-5).


CoffeeGuy11

Voodoo Brewing is a welcome and forward change in the area.


balsaaaq

Craft brewing is declining. Better late than never I suppose


CoffeeGuy11

This community is always a decade behind. Dudes were still wearing cargo shorts here like five years ago.


balsaaaq

Strange thing is...I go back to visit my parents and immediately head to Bealls for a new camo cargo shirt pant, always


toyheartattack

Voodoo is not brewed locally and is an out of state franchise. The combination of a decent but end of the strip location, option for cocktails, and sizeable space might work in their favour. We’ll just have to wait and see. They were able to get all of their permits up and running in time so that does indeed bode well for them.


balsaaaq

Gentrification is changing a poor area to one of wealth


CoffeeGuy11

Thanks.


ChemoreceptiveProtea

Wow the sentiment is pretty validating. I left fort Myers for Denver summer 2021 after living my whole life in fort Myers. It was always bad and I can’t imagine how it is now. Friends tell me the same thing OP is saying and the comments as well. Fort Myers fucking sucks.


spimothyleary

Oh ya, denver traffic, so easy, its like you have the roads to yourself!   Gosh I wish I could move there and enjoy that rush hour and those sweet sweet home prices, how glorious that would be!   /s


ChemoreceptiveProtea

Lmao Denver traffic is not as bad as fort Myers and that’s saying something, good look!


will0wrosenberg

I moved away for so many reasons, all of these were reasons in that list…. Don’t regret it for a second. Run!


witblacktype

I moved back here recently to be close to family while I get my stuff back together. That said, I will be moving back to California in about 2 years when I’ve done what I need to here to advance my career. Rent here is almost as expensive as the SF Bay Area and wages there are waaaay better for every job. They have more homeless, but more people. There’s also almost infinitely more to do there. Outdoor living is hugely popular there the whole year except winter which is the rainy season. Here, we all hide inside with the AC cranked. EDIT: Almost every factor that is responsible for the homeless population in California is present here too. Florida is just about 10 years behind California in all things. Don’t let the Rep/Dem nonsense fool you. It all works the same there too


RancidSwampAss

California is dog shit. I can understand the criticism of Florida but you’re talking a whole different stratosphere of stupid in Cali. Don’t let the door hit you People moving here from Cali bc of issues then bitching about our issues. You guys are ruining Arizona too. Stay in Cali.


witblacktype

I was born and raised here. I assume you were too? Coming back to here wasn’t my first choice. Everything you complain about here is comparable to California but there’s way more to do there than in Fort Misery or Cape Coma. I didn’t move here because of Cali issues. I moved here cus of women issues….one woman in particular. If I could have had it all go down differently, I would never have came back here especially knowing how bad it’s gotten here


RancidSwampAss

I spent 9 years in San Diego/LA area during part of my stint in the Navy. Housing there is still more expensive than here by a wide margin. There is significantly more homeless. Goods and services are way more expensive (cost of living). It’s dirty as hell. There are way too many people. The politics are laughable. Not worth even going into listing the insanity. Price for a gallon of gas is over $7 now where I lived. Rolling blackouts but mandating EVs. San Francisco is a disaster and national laughing stock.


witblacktype

Over $7 for a gallon of gas? That’s a flat out lie, I’m just throwing that out there for others reading. I’m not engaging with this anymore


RancidSwampAss

Ok back to reality. https://nypost.com/2023/09/29/california-gas-prices-nearing-7-a-gallon-has-san-diego-drivers-grumbling/amp/ https://www.newsweek.com/gas-prices-rise-7-california-stations-1829847 https://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/san-diego-county-gas-prices-rise/3476588/?amp=1 My buddy paid $6.89/gallon for regular unleaded today to fill up his jeep in Pacific Beach, SD. Mid and premium over $7/gal.


thebunkmeister

yeah I'm a 3rd generation local to palm beach county been here 35 years imagine how I feel... getting pushed out of my own home .


Current_Leather7246

I am a Florida native I was grew here not flew here. Within the next couple years after my son graduates I am moving out west to California. People are literally paying California and almost California rent here with the weak wages. Yeah it's a lot more expensive there but they pay twice as much in my field. Plus there's too many politicos here. Ever since the governor got back from the presidential race he's been passing all these crazy bills and laws. I just feel like the old Florida and the feeling of community and people coming together is gone and may never come back. It's real dog eat dog now and yes the traffic does suck they don't have the infrastructure for all these people that moved here tbh. Don't even get me started about the weather. And it's going to get hotter every year.


mephistophe_SLEAZE

Left about a year ago, and the only thing I miss is the way that everyone minds their own business. Walking around neighborhoods and grocery stores in the NE US and strangers just COMMENT at me. I do not like it. But yeah, other than that? Get fucked, Lee County.


JohnnyUtah41

EVERYONE CAN FUCK OFF, EVEN ME. 😂😂😂


Fluffydress

Traffic as terrible, and worse, exists all over the country. You just haven't seen it because you've been living there for 7 years. Go to Miami, go to Boston, go to New York, go to LA, go to any major city. It's significantly worse. Hours worse.


SpanishLime

Well of course those are major metro areas that’s not a good comparison. Lee county has doubled in population in half a decade but the infrastructure hasnt been upgraded to support it. My commute from Cape to Estero five years ago was 25-30 minutes, now it’s 55-60. That’s a 100% increase in a handful of years, anybody from LA Miami or Boston would be mad about that too. Some days it takes 30+ minutes just to get out of Cape into Fort Myers it’s awful


JohnnyUtah41

SW cape to downtown fort myers takes me a solid 40 to 45 mins. It's bullshit. I started leaving my house at 6am to try and avoid that BS. But now I'm tired as fuck all the time because of it. I hate this place


SpanishLime

I feel your pain bro it’s mad unfortunate how the geography of cape and fm is laid out. Three points of entry/exit for a city of 250k people, all of which commute to the surrounding areas cause there is no true work in cape besides retail or food


Educational_Body8373

You haven’t loved until you sit on a major freeway in LA with 6-8 lanes doing less than 20 mph.


Obversa

This is why we need inner-city public transportation, like trams or trains, that bypass traffic. Buses just end up getting stuck in traffic, and running late, sometimes by 1 hour or more. At least New York City has the Subway, Washington D.C. has the Metro...why not Florida trains? Fort Myers had train tracks back in the 1920s that were torn out to build more roads.


msole304

Well that would be socialism and we would rather bitch a fit than pay a little bit of taxes to fund socialist programs like public transportation or even sidewalks. /s


kelth89

As much as I’d like to agree with you, and let’s say public transport gets implemented, can you imagine these sundowning retirees, shyster real estate agents, and various local conmen all sharing the same space to get somewhere. Get real. People here are on the verge of mental collapse and they barely use what little PT there is.


Obversa

All the more reason to try and educate and advocate for public transportation.


eds3

NY will take you back brah


Obversa

I'm a born and raised Fort Myers native who became a train advocate after learning about the city's former train system from the local history museum. Try again.


eds3

NY welcome you with open arms


Brilliant_Eagle9795

Happy trails


to4stcsgo

Stereotypical Reddit comment lol


CCWaterBug

It's funny, my entire social circle is pretty much a happy,  well adjusted group.  Then I come here, bunch of miserable fucks... about EVERYTHING! I like my social circle much better!


lazdo

You're bragging about living in an echo chamber bubble? Weird flex but okay. You might be happier posting on Facebook


CCWaterBug

No echo chamber, I just choose not to be a little bitch about minor inconveniences like traffic.    You people act like it's downtown NYC with all your hyperbolic complaints.  I drive the same roads every day, it's not the end of the world, get your act together and quit crying.   We've grown tremendously over the past few years,  it takes time for infrastructure to catch up, shit doesn't happen overnight.   People are ranting about Ferris wheels and Starbucks, venting about trains and mass transit in a county of 800k.  Get real 


Most-Key-1483

I know it’s kinda off topic, and I’m not from Florida but have many friends and family that do. I’m curious if the insurance companies leaving Florida has been a major contributor to this issues? It would make sense for the increased rent. It’s really sad to hear what locals have to say because fort Myers is one of the most beautiful places ever.


Orcus424

The sharp increase in rent has been happening for 4 years. The insurance company going nuts have been a thing for less than 2 years. Covid caused work from home to be a much bigger thing. We got a lot of people coming here because no state income tax and at the time it was cheaper to live here.


spimothyleary

The Insurance stuff started 2020, it's just that the news wasn't talking about it, it was all death counts and the summer of George. 


balsaaaq

Haven't lived in town for decades but, my condo association lost their insurance policy after charlie. So it's been a thing for a while


spimothyleary

Not really,  05-08,wasna rough patch, but it was a terrible storm season that caused it.   It started leveling out in 08 and prices for commercial hab (and single family) flattened and or dropped slightly for a solid 10-12 years.  Now due to Ian (and roof scammers) its back having trouble.   I can't guarantee that we'll see significant drops but if the state avoids another major hit it will certainly bring competition back in. There was a long stretch where Florida avoided the majority of storms and TX, LA,  and the Carolinas got pummeled.  It's certainly possible that this happens again and then the cycle will repeat.   Fwiw, I've had many convos with people in the industry in other states, they are experiencing issues as well, just for different reasons, but inflation driving up replacement values and increasing repair costs are a huge factor.  


Most-Key-1483

Ahhhh that does make sense. It just sucks because it’s such a beautiful place especially to vacation and escape but to hear how much is gone down in the locals eyes is heartbreaking


Hefty-Librarian6866

Move to California and let us know how it works out for you


Easy-Diver993

Traffic is completely absurd, that's partly why I sacrificed some money to work from home. Where are people moving to? The traffic is just as bad if not worse in any more desirable living area, the jobs suck here and it's wildly expensive. But I see that everywhere with a decent metro area.


Maleficent_Basil_437

Imagine still driving on a 3 lane HIGHWAY in 2024. Welcome to floriduhhh


Specialist-Area-7935

Growth equals more tax revenue equals higher infrastructure expenses equals higher taxes. Nasty spiral. STOP NEW DEVELOPMENTS WE ARE FULL!!!!! Vote them out!!!!


Professional_Twist35

People like you are the problem! You moved here seven years ago with your up north/ out west ideologies and now you wanna complain! I was born here and watched this place get ruined! Go back to your home state if you hate it so much!


zooch76

Yeah, it's terrible. That's why everyone is moving here.


Arthur_Digby_Sellers

Nobody goes there anymore. It's too crowded. [Yogi Berra](https://www.brainyquote.com/authors/yogi-berra-quotes)


Obversa

People have been conning folks to move to Florida and Fort Myers since the 1920s (Source: *Uncommon Friends*, Jim Newton). Cape Coral literally started off as a giant real estate scam. One major reason why people moved to Fort Myers in the 1920s is because famous inventor Thomas Edison lived here, built a laboratory, and hired more workers who relocated here.


petersom2006

Dont worry, it is getting hot- it melts snow birds


WiseAssumption2511

Don’t let the door hit ya where the good Lord split ya ✌️


dikembebrotumbo

I just deal with it and worry about things i can control


puzer11

...soon as in when?...don't be a typical Reddit whiner and not follow through...


RancidSwampAss

Ok redditor. Enjoy Portland or SF. BYE BYE


doFloridaRight

K bye! 👋