Question 1

Do you lend in Fort Myers and Cape Coral?

Accepted Answer

Yes. We fund across the metro. That includes Fort Myers, Cape Coral, Lehigh Acres, North Fort Myers, Estero, Bonita Springs, Punta Gorda, and Fort Myers Beach. We are headquartered in Bee Cave, Texas, and every loan is business-purpose only, on investment property, with terms subject to underwriting. See loan programs or talk to us.

Question 2

What is the FEMA 50% rule, and how does it affect a Cape Coral or Lee County rehab?

Accepted Answer

If your repair cost reaches 50% of the structure's market value, the property has to be elevated or brought up to current flood code, and that number, not the purchase price, is what makes or breaks a flood-zone rehab here. The rule runs under the National Flood Insurance Program and is applied through local floodplain ordinances. Cape Coral removed its five-year cumulative lookback with Ordinance 96-22 on November 30, 2022, so pre-storm improvements no longer count toward the 50% threshold. FEMA has separately audited Lee County's enforcement of the rule since 2024, with the county's flood insurance discount at stake, so a clean permit file matters on any coastal or canal-front collateral. Budget for an independent appraisal on the structure rather than relying on the tax-assessed value if you are near the line. Talk to your attorney or CPA about your specific property.

Question 3

How much should I budget for property taxes and insurance on a Lee County investment property?

Accepted Answer

More than the last owner's bill, and the number depends on which city you're in. Lee County's 2025 total millage runs from 10.9125 in unincorporated Lehigh Acres to 16.5034 in the City of Fort Myers, with Cape Coral at 15.3806. Those figures are ad valorem only: Lehigh Acres Fire funds itself through non-ad valorem assessments the millage book does not capture, and every Cape Coral Utilities Extension Project assessment sits on top of the millage the same way, so read the non-ad valorem section of your TRIM notice as closely as the millage section. Investment property loses the seller's homestead protections and resets toward market value on sale, so budget the buyer's number, not the seller's. On insurance, Lee County's average homeowners premium including wind was $3,576 as of March 2026, below Collier County's $5,534, and premiums fell in 51 of Florida's 67 counties between FLOIR's January and July 2026 reports. Flood coverage is a separate policy on top of that. Punta Gorda sits in Charlotte County, not Lee, so a different millage stack applies there. Talk to your CPA about your own position.

Question 4

What does the current market look like for an investor buying in Fort Myers or Cape Coral right now?

Accepted Answer

A correction that is showing signs of finding its floor, against a county that never stopped growing. Mid-tier single-family home values were $353,521 in June 2026, down 6.0% year over year and 18.0% off the August 2022 peak of $430,975. Median list price sat at $390,000 in July 2026, down 6.2% year over year and about 22% off its June 2022 high. Active listings have fallen 20.4% year over year to 9,834 after peaking in March 2025, and median days on market improved to 94 from 101 a year earlier, though that is still well above the 40-day 2021-22 froth. None of that has slowed population growth: Lee County added roughly 115,000 residents between 2020 and 2025, up 15.1%, and Cape Coral grew 21.8% to 236,264 over the same period. That combination, a deeper price correction than most Florida metros paired with steady in-migration, is the entry argument here.

Question 5

Why does a direct lender matter in a market this cash-heavy?

Accepted Answer

Because you're competing against cash, and a bank timeline loses that fight. Cape Coral was a top-5 all-cash home-flipping market in the country in the first quarter of 2026, at 77.5% of flips purchased with cash, the 5th highest share nationally. A financed investor here needs a same-day term sheet and a close that moves at cash speed, not a committee. We lend our own capital and decide in house, so the answer on your deal comes from the person underwriting it. Every loan is business-purpose only and subject to underwriting. Apply now.

Fort Myers Hard Money and Investor Loans

A correcting market, priced for entry

The FEMA 50% rule is the underwriting fact that matters most here

Cape Coral's ground-up construction machine

Loan programs in Fort Myers

Fort Myers lending questions

Funding Fort Myers deals fast.