Q: Bob, I’ve read your articles for years and have followed many changes in our housing market. Over these times, you have always provided an educated, informative answer to any and all questions presented to you. Here’s one for you that in the years I have been here, I bet you have never had to address. Vacant homes in Cape Coral are becoming an ever increasing problem. Hard to believe, considering that 28 months ago a person was hard pressed to even find a house to buy! These vacant homes are becoming blemishes to otherwise well manicured neighborhoods with their unmowed lawns, the ever increasing numbers of newspapers piling up, belongings and trash left behind and the sheer darkness of the properties, as I can clearly see that a great percentage of these properties are now without power. Here you go, Bob. What can be done to clean these eyesores up in order to protect our investments and to keep our neighborhoods safe?

Thanks Bob.

Dennis and Maureen



A: You are absolutely correct on that one. In the years that I have been writing my column, I have never had to address this issue as it would concern Cape Coral. I have heard from many a Realtor their concerns on the ever increasing vacant home dilemma and can say that in time, anything left vacant and unattended will and does become a problem for everyone. The scope of these problems affects the surrounding neighbors all the way to city hall itself. As a member of this community, you have the right to call your concerns in to the Code Enforcement Center of Cape Coral to assist in making them aware that there is a vacant structure in your area. This will start the process of attempts to contact current owners to inform of compliance to maintain their property or, in time, will allow Code to file to the city for a forced mowing and clean up of the property. Another department that is affected by these vacancies is our Cape Coral Police Department. They have to adjust and regulate various areas among the patrols in order to do drive by surveillance so as to protect that vacant property as well as its neighbors. This obviously puts more strain on an ever increasing payload for our men and women in blue. I have always been an advocate of self preservation and would like to throw this out to all of you. If you are in a neighborhood that has a vacant property in it, consider the following. Do take the time to insure that the Code Enforcement Division is aware of the vacancy, but also you might consider taking some time to walk over with a trash bag or two and pick up those accumulating newspapers and trash in the yard to help make the property more lived in. Call the newspapers that are dropping those papers and have them stopped. Keep a watchful eye out on the property to notice any and all activity so that it can be reported if necessary. The point here, Dennis and Maureen, is that as neighbors, if you all work together among yourselves to try to at least minimize the situation, it can have a great effect on your neighborhood as well as the added relief to an already strained Code and Police Department. Add to this knowing that you helped your community by insuring its appeal and safety and I bet you’ll have no troubles or concerns about those vacant properties again! Also remember that these times will not last forever, it’s a cycle, and the cycle seems to be coming around! If you can, call your local Realtor, as now’s the time to invest!



Have a real estate question? Write, call, fax or e-mail:

Bob Jeffries, Realtor

Century 21 Birchwood Realty, Inc.

4040 Del Prado Blvd.

Cape Coral, FL 33904

239-540-6659 Office

239-542-7760 Fax

e-mail: bobjeffries@juno.com

Web site: www.c21birchwood.com