Within the metro area of New Orleans, the best public school districts are in St. Charles, East Jefferson, and St. Tammany, achieving high ranking academic scores and showing excellence in their other programs as well. Still, these are not the only good schools in the area, you just need to check around into other individual schools to find out their reputations. There are several great private schools in many parts of the metro area that also meet top quality standards.

If you’re not interested in living right inside the city boundaries, there are several wonderful communities within an hours’ distance of the city. These include Slidell, Mandeville, and Hammond to the north of the city and across Lake Pontchartrain. Much closer and to the northeast are Metairie and Kenner and to the immediate east are Harahan, River Ridge and Destrehan all along the river.

As with any major city, the real estate prices in the New Orleans region are likely to decrease the farther away they are from the metro area. Plus you get more house and yard for your dollar outside the city limits. One nice thing about the area is that home prices have slowly but steadily continued to appreciate over the past several years, unlike many other parts of the nation.

Since the inner parts of the New Orleans metro area have been so heavily filled in, some of the smarter, less expensive options are condos and townhouses. There are many conversion projects taking place within the city, turning old factories and commercial buildings into condos. For those looking into buying investment property, these brand-new high rise flats can be the perfect way to go.

Finally you may want to know how much you will end up paying in property taxes to own a home in New Orleans. The good news is that the tax rates are relatively low compared with much of the country. In some cases you may pay just 0.5 percent to 1 percent of the home’s value. Be aware that flood insurance is required for most of the surrounding areas and will add slightly to your total homeowner’s costs.

There are several different kinds of people investing in real estate in Cape Coral. There are those who want a second home, a retirement home, real estate investors, or those who wish to relocate to the area. Property is still affordable in this region, and it is a good time to consider investing in real estate. Some people invest now and plan to relocate to Cape Coral some time in the future. Others invest with the idea of putting their property to work to produce income through rentals, leases, or other methods.

The prime areas for buying a home are on the waterfront. There are five categories of waterfront properties: Gulf, River, Sailboat Access Canals, Gulf Access Canals, and Freshwater canals and lakes. Generally, the closer you are to the Gulf of Mexico or the Caloosahatchee River, the prices will be higher.

Popular Waterfront property

Cape Coral real estate includes many miles of waterfront property on canals. These meander through residential communities and offer many recreational possibilities. Most of the canal routes go to the Gulf of Mexico or the Caloosahatchee River. There are more than 400 miles of canals – this is even more than Venice, Italy!

The popular Cape Coral real estate on the Sailboat Access Canals is higher-priced but also tends to have the highest appreciation value. The Gulf Access Canals are popular for boaters and fishermen who want access to the Gulf. The freshwater canals and lakes do not go to the Gulf, but the real estate is lower in price. It is still a good location for boating and fishing. The river properties include single-family homes and gated communities. The gated communities often have private marinas.

Find your dream home in Cape Coral

Once you have decided your price range and the area that will suit your needs, you can begin the search for your ideal home. You can search online and find the Cape Coral MLS listings to browse through listings at your own pace. If you would rather have help, contact a realtor or luxury home specialist to assist you in finding what you want. If you are in the market for selling a home, a realtor will have contacts and links that will help you get top dollar for your property.