While you have definitely heard about Cape Coral and you might already be thinking of visiting, there are some interesting facts about the sunny retreat that you might not know yet, facts which this article aims to talk about. Without further ado, here we go:
1. The municipality, founded in 1957, was developed as a master-planned and pre-platted community. What the former means is any community carefully planned from its very inception, constructed typically in previously undeveloped areas, unlike townships that developed ad-hoc. As another fun tidbit to know and an interesting comparison, Washington D.C. is also a master-planned community.
A plat is a map, drawn to scale, that shows the divisions of a piece of land. Such plats show subdivisions into blocks, with streets and alleys. Reasons for platting include designation of roads, ensuring that all properties have access to such roads, splitting land for other public use, such as parks or areas for flood protection and access for all properties to public utilities.
2. With over 400 miles (640 kilometers) of navigable waterways, Cape Coral is known as a "Waterfront Wonderland" and has more miles of navigable canals than any other city in the world, including Venice, Italy. Actually, Cape Coral's canal system is so extensive that local ecology and tides have been affected!
Some of the canals have access to the Gulf of Mexico and also provide many residents with waterfront living. These extensive waterways are contained in Cape Coral's total area of 120 square miles (310.8 square kilometers), with 91% of it land and 9% water. The total area size makes it the largest city between Tampa and Miami, Florida.
3. Out of 365 days in a year, Cape Coral averages 355 days of sunshine. Perfect weather is practically guaranteed in Cape Coral, with temperatures averaging between 85�F (29�C) and 65�F (18�C). Such great weather classifies Cape Coral with having a subtropical climate.
4. While starting out as a community for retirees, residents under 25 now outnumber those over 65. In its starting years, Cape Coral was known as a community with many retired residents. This changed with the population and construction boom in the 1990s, which brought in younger families and professionals.
Now, more than 60 percent of the population is between the ages of 15 and 64 and Southwest Florida's 18-24 age group is growing at a faster rate than that of the state of Florida and even the entire United States. This makes Cape Coral both a young and dynamic community, and one for total relaxation and bliss.
5. Following the 2006 real estate bust, you can afford a house in Cape Coral. Cape Coral was considered to be one of the largest real estate and building booms in the entire United States of America. When the crisis came, the city was listed number 1 out of top 25 foreclosure cities in the United States and for this reason, a lot of properties became available at highly discounted prices, making them great for an investment. Foreclosures in this market quickly adjusted property values back down to a level that the city had not seen in many years, making that in late 2009, a new home could be purchased for under $80,000, more than a steal and under a total bargain!
In order to find affordable Florida vacation rental properties make sure to visit www.capecoralvacationrental.net.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ronnie_Fazer
http://EzineArticles.com/?Top-5-Things-That-Might-Surprise-You-About-Cape-Coral&id=6456278
