Fort Myers Real Estate & Home Prices

Life in Fort Myers

Beaches, birds, and baseball – you can find them all in Fort Myers! Fort Myers is the county seat of Lee County, and the gateway to southwestern Florida. With balmy weather that averages between 65°- 85° F year-round, Fort Myers has become a haven for “snowbirds” to escape from colder climates. Two Major League Baseball teams – the Boston Red Sox and the Minnesota Twins – call Ft. Myers home during spring training, which takes place during February and March. Tickets for “Grapefruit League” games are inexpensive and plentiful, as games are scheduled almost daily during the season.

With seven miles of golden sand along the Gulf of Mexico, Fort Myers has a lively beach scene. The water is warm and shallow, perfect for families, swimmers, and a leisurely beach stroll. The Fort Myers Beach Fishing Pier, which bisects the beach, offers fishing, dolphin watching, and is considered a premier sunset spot. The Pier is anchored by Times Square, a compact area featuring restaurants, surf shops, and street performers.

Outdoor activities are a hallmark of south Florida, and Fort Myers offers miles of hiking and biking trails. The sport of golf reigns supreme in Florida and there are 42 courses in Fort Myers alone. A visit to the J.N. Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge presents an opportunity to get up-close and personal with the native wildlife, including crocodiles and flamingoes. A 90-minute tram tour led by a naturalist is available, but you can also explore the park on your own. Another preserve, the Six Mile Cypress Slough, features 3,500 acres of natural beauty complete with a 1.4-mile boardwalk featuring interpretive kiosks. It’s a perfect spot to spend time with the family. Also family-friendly is The Lakes Regional Park. A former gravel quarry transformed into 289 acres of fun, it features a splash pad, playground, and a 1/8 scale miniature train that runs hourly seven days a week.

Fort Myers history and famous residents

Although the territory has been claimed by both the Spanish and the British, it was originally inhabited by the native Seminole. The Seminole Wars (1816 – 1858) ensued when the US attempted to relocate the indigenous population to make room for US settlements. Fort Myers was an actual fort, named for Colonel Abraham C. Myers, Quartermaster of the United Confederate States. The fort was positioned to restrict access to the Caloosahatchee River, a major freshwater source.

During the American Civil War (1861-1865), Confederate blockade runners and cattle ranchers were stationed at the fort and prospered through trade with both the Seminole and Union soldiers. By 1863, Confederate forces had become entirely dependent on Ft. Myers for beef and were purchasing up to 2,000 head of cattle from Florida every week. Eventually the Union Army began purchasing beef for their troops as well, which led to the supply-and-demand Battle of Ft. Myers near the end of the war.

The US government abandoned Ft. Myers after the war and, in 1866, Captain Manuel A. Gonzalez founded a new settlement there. He established a trading post stocked with tobacco, beads, gunpowder, and the hides of otters, bobcats, and crocodiles. A small community grew up around the trading post.

In the late 1800s northerners began to travel to Florida to escape the bitterly cold winters. A few entrepreneurs saw development opportunities in the “snowbird migration” and began to expand the area. Part of the Everglades was dredged, creating a steamboat route from Lake Okeechobee to the Caloosahatchee River, which allowed travel from the Gulf of Mexico.

In 1885, inventor Thomas Alva Edison was touring the western Florida coast and stopped in the tiny hamlet of Ft. Myers. He soon purchased 13 acres and built his winter home, Seminole Lodge. This retreat included a laboratory, allowing him to continue working while absent from his primary residence in New Jersey. During his stays in Fort Myers, Edison enjoyed fishing and became a skilled angler.

Edison invited his friends to visit Seminole Lodge, and it wasn’t long before his dear friend, Henry Ford, purchased the neighboring estate and named it “The Mangoes.” These two grand residences are now a National Historic Landmark open to the public. The extensive waterfront site includes a museum, botanical garden, a display of vintage Ford automobiles, and an interactive exhibit about electricity. Edison imported a series of royal palms which were planted along McGregor Boulevard, which runs in front of the estates, giving Fort Myers its nickname, City of Palms.

Fort Myers real estate trends and architectural influences

Fort Myers saw its first real estate boom after the opening of the Edison Bridge in 1931 — which is actually two one-way bridges that bring US Highway 41 over the Caloosahatchee River directly into downtown Ft. Myers. The bridge was dedicated by Edison on his 84th birthday, and he was the first person to drive across.

In 2018, Fort Myers was named the fastest growing city in the nation. Climate, tax incentives, employment opportunities, and a balanced mix of young professionals, families, and retirees have contributed to Ft. Myers’ popularity. Data analysis by Realm shows that the majority of homes in the city were built in 2005, so potential homeowners can expect to find many newer builds on the housing market.

With climate as a driving influence, it’s not surprising that the area’s home architecture embraces outdoor living. Realm’s data shows that swimming pools are the most popular amenity, with 2,942 mentions in recent real estate listings. High humidity is also a factor in Florida, so efficient air conditioning is a primary consideration. It’s no wonder that HVAC systems were the second most popular feature, noted in 1,414 listings, followed closely by roofing, with 1,399 mentions, and new paint, which was featured in 914 listings. Open windows and doors invite the Florida sunshine inside, making privacy an issue, so it makes sense that fencing rounded out the top five most popular features, with mentions in 917 recent real estate listings.

A significant number of homes bear a strong Spanish influence. Stucco walls, red clay roof tiles, and terracotta pavers all hearken back to the area’s earliest explorers. Low-pitched Mediterranean style homes are also popular, as the flowing arcades and light colors lend themselves to the climate.

Florida Vernacular architecture is a popular design that’s unique to the area. It developed as a practical response to the subtropical climate. The signature style, called Florida Cracker, has high ceilings that allow heated air to rise above the living space and large windows that permit cross breezes to move throughout the home. Large porches and steep roof overhangs offer protection from the summer sun. Cypress wood is traditionally used for roofing, as it is both termite and rot-resistant and sourced locally. Similarly, a crawl space beneath the home offers additional ventilation and protection from flooding. 

Hurricanes and tropical storms are common in the region. Anyone considering purchasing a home in Fort Myers should find out whether potential homes sit in a flood zone — which is quite likely, given that Realm’s data analysis indicates that 40% of Fort Myers homes are located within a flood zone. If your home is at risk, you’ll want to make sure that you have the proper flood protection insurance. 

Of course, as you may have guessed, with the humidity, hurricanes, and tropical storms, wildfires aren’t an issue for Fort Myers homeowners. According to Realm’s data analysis, 100% of homes in the city are outside a designated perimeter for wildfires that occurred in the last five years.

Frequently asked questions about Fort Myers real estate

Is Fort Myers a hot real estate market?

Yes! Current trends demonstrate that Fort Myers has a very competitive market. On average, homes in Fort Myers receive four offers and sell in around eight days. As of October 2021, the average sale price was $310,000 – up 22.1% from the previous year.

Is Fort Myers a good place to invest in real estate?

Although homes continue to sell quickly, experts predict that the peak has passed and there is a slight market correction in the Fort Myers area. The housing market is beginning to move in favor of buyers, with the pandemic-fueled home-buying frenzy subsiding. Although home prices remain significantly higher than last year, listing prices are showing a more gradual increase.

Is Fort Myers an expensive place to live?

Fort Myers is considered an affordable place to live. Florida does not have state income tax, a very attractive benefit. Overall, the cost of living here is 4% less than the national average: housing expenses are 15% lower, utilities are 12% lower, and the cost of healthcare is 4% lower. However, groceries are approximately 5% higher than the national average and transportation (gas, bus fares) are about 7% higher. Fort Myers has seen a job market increase of 1.9% during the past year and it’s predicted that that future job growth will top 44% — significantly higher growth than the national average.