New home in South Florida.

[Trojan]

I thought south Florida is warm. I just spent 3 weeks in weather from hell.
Is there anyone here from Pine Island. I have just been looking and going through a home on a slip in, on Pine Island and soon plan to finalize a price. I would like to find out more about the area. The house is 3096sq ft. with 120ft seawall on a channel with shore davits for a 24ft boat. Plus shore piling for a bigger boat. A large screened pool with hot tub. Covered la-nigh attached. 2 car garage. Family room, LR, kitchen, dining, 2 bath, 2 beds. Just about everything I want, need. Waiting on a survey.
Whats the water like out front and around the island?

Bill

 

[captddis]

Pine Island sound is beautiful and there tons of nice places to go nearby.

 

[Liquid Asset]

You are speaking of the Pine Island near Ft. Myers in SW Florida? If so, my associate has a home on the Monroe Canal. Nice area, lots to do and a great deal of places to go in the boat.

 

[SKYCHENEY]

Some of the best flats fishing is found around Pine Island as well.

 

[Maynard Rupp]

My friend has a home on Pine Island. This is a very under-developed place for Florida. The folks that live there say that it is because there are no beaches. They do have lots of bugs there. A very different place from the rest of South Florida. You can see Sanibell Island from there, but it has beaches. Lots of Mangroves on Pine Island, hence the bugs. Pine Island sound is very neat, but better to explore in a center console than a Hat. Kinda skinny on water depth, but most of south Florida has quite shallow water unless you go offshore a ways.

 

[Trojan]

Thanks guys. What's the average tide drop in that area. There is some question on whether the water is deep enough in the canal at low tide. I sure don't want to be setting on the bottom at the dock. I don't know what this canal is called.

BILL

 

[Maynard Rupp]

Trojan...As you know, tides very a bit even from nearby areas. We are spending a month at Ft. Myers Beach right now and I can see Pine Island from our slip. The tide here is as much as 3 ft., but always around 2 ft. A bigger problem caused by all those mangroves around tis area is nutrients in the water. The growth buildup on boat bottoms is pretty awesome. I guess that the bug and mosquito population in summer months is pretty large also. Having said all that negative stuff, there are some very big positives also. Lots of open areas and friendly folks for instance.

OK Trojan...I just fired up my machine to look up the tides. At St. James City, on the south end of Pine Island, today's tides are higher than normal. Normal is 2.3ft. Today's low tide adds another .2 ft. for a total of 2.5ft. These thins are something new for both you and I eh?

 

[Spellbound]

Great area, unique in the sense that most of the island still holds some "old Florida" feel without all the restrictions (zoning) of surrounding areas. Skinny water indeed ESPECIALLY with winter tides below normal. Great pass to get to the gulf (Boca Grande & San Carlos) depending which end of the island you settle upon.

 

[DeeRow]

Get the broker to run you around in a boat! Most of the brokers in my area that sell waterfront/canal front are happy to write-off use of their boat.

 

[Trojan]

Thanks guys. I'm going to do some more checking. I'm not sure on the house just yet. Like a boat I need to check everything. I'm not sure I want to move quite yet. My 94 year old parents are having second thoughts about moving now and I can't leave them. They depend on me to much.

BILL

 

[Maynard Rupp]

Bill..If you will be using the Pine Island house for a winter place you'll love it. If it will be a year round home, you want to make sure you are OK with high heat and humidity. Some folks love that. Almost nobody enjoys Michigan winters, so Pine Island, even with the heat and humid summers, is a better deal than Michigan.

 

[hyperfishing]

I dunno, it can be cold in Florida, anything north of Palm Beach can be very uncomfortable in winter. You can buy raw, buildable, waterfront land in the Keys for around 50K. Attach your boat, and you are done.

 

[Maynard Rupp]

Yup, the farther south in Florida, the better it is in winter. The west, (gulf) side is a bit colder than Miami, and a bit more humid on most days. All of Florida is kinda' tough in summer.

 

[Skip]

We live in North Fort Myers, FL, about a 25 minute drive by car to Pine Island. This winter has set records for the cold weather this year. Pine Island would be a super place for a winter home, but I would be careful about living there during huricane season- especially with old folks. Pine Island's elevation can't be more than a foot or two... good luck, and let me know if you decide to move down here-I'll give you a hand

 

[SKYCHENEY]

We live in North Fort Myers, FL, about a 25 minute drive by car to Pine Island. This winter has set records for the cold weather this year. Pine Island would be a super place for a winter home, but I would be careful about living there during huricane season- especially with old folks. Pine Island's elevation can't be more than a foot or two... good luck, and let me know if you decide to move down here-I'll give you a hand

Good point. N. Ft. Myers and Cape Coral are higher elevations and insurance would have to be less there than Pine Island.

 

[Trojan]

I lived in Naples in the fifties and sixties. Hot weather is OK, but it was cold this year in all of Florida clear to the Keys. I'm not sure if I can give up the Great Lakes. There is a lot to be said about boating on the Great Lakes. Worst is I'm going to miss all my children and grand children. I guess it all depends on My Realtor. I'm also looking at a home in Ft Myers off a slip on the Caloosahatchee river.

BILL

 

[SKYCHENEY]

Bill,
I have a friend with a couple of houses for sale in Cape Coral. One of them has sailboat access (no bridges or locks). He built his dock there for his Hatt 60MY. It has tall pilings and 50a service, etc. If that is something you might be interested in, let me know and I'll give you his phone number.

 

[Trojan]

Thanks Sky, but I think I will see how this first home is going to play out. I'm already wondering what the realtors part in this home. The market is still quite bad and getting worse in spite of the reports. I need to see how this one plays before I get to crazy.

BILL

 

[krush]

My 94 year old parents are having second thoughts about moving now and I can't leave them. They depend on me to much.

BILL

Wow, I thought you were 100 years old....how can you be older than your parents?

 

[Maynard Rupp]

Krush, Krush...Be kind. Besides it is once again past your bedtime...Now go to bed.