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SW FL Guide > Waterfront Property > Cape Coral > Direct acess canals & Restricted access canals

Cape Coral direct access canals vs. restricted access canals

PAGE 3 of Cape Coral Waterfront Buyer’s Guide

Take note that Cape Coral includes sailboat access canals, unrestricted direct access canals, and partially restricted access canals. A common misconception is that “direct access” means no bridges are along the path: this is not necessarily 100% true! Even a fair number of local Real Estate agents may get this one wrong, so please be certain you know what you are potentially purchasing!

Direct access means that there are no city boat locks or lifts interrupting the flow of water. Multiple bridges still technically qualifies as direct access (and bridge heights can vary from about 8 to 11.25 feet in Cape Coral).  The good news is most listings avoid dubiously getting into this technicality- but to be sure, if it’s completely uninterrupted canals you need, then you are looking for unrestricted, sailboat access canals.

Again, bear in mind: even if your boating plans have nothing to do with an actual sailboat BUT you are trying to park a large vessel (for example, a 42 footer with say 12 feet of clearance) you DO actually want to focus in on those referred to as ‘Sailboat access’ and not necessarily just ‘direct access.’ The reason being those possible bridge obstructions.

It should come as no surprise that Sailboat access is the most sought after and typically the most expensive too.  And if you don’t need the additional clearance, you may not want to pay the premium pricing for it!

I like to think of it in the following manner: If you are looking to spend, say, $400,000 on a waterfront home: would you prefer:

1) a sailboat access, short boating run location where the lot is worth $275,000 of the purchase price, which also features a pool and a boat lift worth another $50,000. That effectively leaves only $75,000 allotted to the actual value of the house, or

2) a Gulf access canal behind a bridge or two with a lot worth $150,000, the same $50k pool/dock setup, and therefore a much more notable $175,000 actual structure?

Few buyers I meet would be all that content in a $75,000 home, so in a number of cases where the big boat accommodation isn’t truly needed, it often makes more sense to get more house for the money and to go with an option behind a bridge or two.

Lastly, we should go over the definition of the ‘restricted access’ or ‘partially restricted access’ canals. These simply are behind a manned boat lock. Don’t automatically strike these areas out though! Because some of the last areas to develop are behind a lock, many of the prettiest areas in Cape Coral are actually in this category.  This is especially true in the very SW corner of Cape Coral.  Many buyers find it is well worth the tradeoff to be in such a nice area, but that’s a personal call!

continue to the next page ‘Entry and Exit Points to the open water’ >>