5 Red Flags to Watch for When Buying a Home in Fort Myers or Cape Coral

Most home inspectors in Florida will spend 2–3 hours walking through a property and produce a 40–60 page report that covers everything from a missing outlet cover to signs of major structural distress. The challenge isn’t the length of the report — it’s knowing which items are cosmetic noise and which ones should make you renegotiate or walk away.

I walk properties with buyers as both a contractor and a Realtor. That dual perspective — understanding what things cost to fix and what they mean for your negotiating position — is something most buyer’s agents can’t offer.

Here are the five issues I specifically look for in Fort Myers and Cape Coral homes that buyers most often overlook or underestimate.

Red Flag #1: Roof Age and Condition

Florida homeowners insurance companies have become aggressive about roof age since Hurricane Ian. Many carriers are now declining to write new policies on homes with roofs over 15 years old, and some have drawn the line at 10 years.

Before you fall in love with a house, find out:

How old is the roof?

• Ask for permits or the seller disclosure
• Lee County permit records are searchable online at leegov.com
• A qualified inspector can estimate age by examining granule loss, shingle curling, and underlayment condition

What type is it?

• Asphalt shingles: Typical life 15–25 years in Florida’s UV environment (shorter than the northern US)
• Concrete tile: 25–50 years, but underlayment beneath the tile needs replacement at 20–30 years
• Metal (standing seam or corrugated): 40–70 years, excellent storm performance
• Flat/modified bitumen: Common on older Fort Myers homes; requires regular maintenance and inspection

What to ask: If the roof is 10+ years old, ask the seller for a recent roof inspection or 4-point insurance inspection. If they don’t have one, get your own. If the roof needs replacement, that’s a $10,000–$25,000 cost that should come out of the price.

The post-Ian wrinkle: Many Cape Coral and Fort Myers properties have had insurance-funded roof replacements since 2022. Ask specifically: was this roof replaced? By whom? Do you have the permit and the warranty? Unpermitted roof work is a problem that will follow the house.

Red Flag #2: AC System Age and Condition

In Southwest Florida, the air conditioning system is not a convenience — it’s a structural necessity. A failed AC system means the home is immediately uninhabitable during the summer months, and the mold clock starts ticking within 48–72 hours in Florida’s humidity.

What to look for:

• The age plate on the condenser unit (outside) — manufacturers stopped using easily readable dates on some units, but an HVAC inspector can determine age from model and serial numbers
• Rust on the condenser coil fins (salt air corrosion in coastal areas)
• Soft or wet spots around the air handler (condensate pan overflow)
• The size of the unit relative to the home — older homes in Fort Myers were sometimes fitted with undersized systems that run constantly and never truly cool

The standard:

• Under 7 years: Good
• 7–12 years: Acceptable, monitor
• 12–15 years: Budget for replacement in the near term
• 15+ years: Negotiate a credit or seller replacement — you are likely 1–2 years from a $5,000–$10,000 HVAC replacement

Always have an HVAC technician inspect separately if the standard home inspector doesn’t have a mechanical specialty. A general home inspector can flag obvious issues; a certified HVAC tech can tell you remaining capacity, refrigerant levels, and electrical condition.

Red Flag #3: Signs of Water Intrusion — Past or Present

Water is the enemy of a Florida home. Given our rainfall (53 inches per year in Fort Myers), storm surge history, and humidity, the opportunity for water intrusion is constant. And water damage that isn’t fully remediated leads to mold, structural rot, and eventually catastrophic failure.

Where to look:

Stains on ceilings and walls: Yellow, brown, or white circular stains indicate past or present water intrusion. Ask when they occurred and what was done. “Oh, that’s from a leak we fixed years ago” is not a complete answer — you need to know what was remediated and whether drywall and insulation were replaced.

Baseboards and lower walls: In Florida, water intrusion from storm surge, flooding, or plumbing leaks shows up first at the floor level. Swollen, stained, or replaced-looking baseboards in specific areas (not consistent throughout the house) warrant investigation.

Soft spots in the floor: Walk through every room pressing firmly underfoot. Soft or springy spots in tile floors indicate that the mortar bed beneath has failed (common after water intrusion). Soft spots in wood flooring mean subfloor damage.

Garage: Check the walls at the base of the garage — particularly in Cape Coral and Fort Myers Beach post-Ian homes. Water intrusion in garages is common and often incompletely remediated.

Musty smell: Don’t ignore your nose. A musty smell in a closed-up Florida home often means mold is present somewhere, even if you can’t see it. Look inside closets, behind furniture, and under sinks.

Post-Ian specific: Many Fort Myers-area homes that flooded during Ian have been sold since. Some were fully and properly remediated; others were cosmetically fixed and put back on the market. An experienced inspector in a post-Ian home should be looking specifically for signs of flood damage remediation quality.

When in doubt, hire a mold inspection company separately. A standard home inspection does not include mold testing.

Red Flag #4: Electrical Panel Issues

Florida homes from the 1980s and early 1990s sometimes have electrical panels and wiring that don’t meet current standards or present insurance problems.

What to watch for:

Federal Pacific Electric (FPE) Stab-Lok panels: These panels, installed in many Florida homes in the 1970s–80s, have a documented tendency to fail to trip under overload conditions — a fire hazard. Insurance companies often refuse to insure homes with them or charge significant premium surcharges. If you see an orange FPE or Stab-Lok panel, budget $2,500–$4,000 for replacement.

Zinsco/Sylvania panels: Similar issue, different brand. Also common in Florida homes of that era.

Aluminum branch circuit wiring: Homes built from the late 1960s through mid-1970s sometimes used aluminum (not copper) wiring for branch circuits. Aluminum wiring requires specific outlets and connections and is a fire risk if improperly maintained. Identification requires an electrician opening outlet boxes to check wire color.

Double-tapped breakers: Two wires connected to a single breaker is a code violation in most cases and common in older panels. An inspector should flag this.

No GFCI protection in kitchens, baths, garages: Required by code within 6 feet of water sources. Straightforward fix, but its absence in a recently renovated home is a sign of unlicensed work.

Insurance companies do 4-point inspections (roof, HVAC, plumbing, electrical) on older homes before writing policies. If the electrical fails a 4-point, you may not be able to get insurance — which means you may not be able to close.

Red Flag #5: Unpermitted Work

This is the one that surprises buyers most. In Fort Myers and Lee County, a significant percentage of home additions, conversions, and renovations are done without permits.

Why does it matter?

• Insurance: Work done without permits is not covered if it fails. If your unpermitted Florida room burns or collapses, your claim may be denied.
• Resale: When you sell, unpermitted work can blow up a deal during the buyer’s due diligence. You may be required to pull retroactive permits, which means current code compliance — even if code has changed significantly.
• Safety: Permits require inspections. Unpermitted electrical, plumbing, and structural work has no documented inspection — which means no one verified it was done correctly.

How to check for unpermitted work:

• Search Lee County’s online permit system for the address
• Note any square footage that doesn’t match property records
• Look for rooms or areas with inconsistent electrical (no outlets, wrong outlet height), plumbing that looks improvised, or structural modifications that seem unfinished

Common unpermitted items in Fort Myers-area homes:

• Garage conversions to living space or workshops
• Florida room / lanai enclosures
• Additional bedrooms in garage space
• Electrical panel upgrades or additions
• Plumbing rough-in for future bathrooms

When you find unpermitted work, get a contractor’s assessment of the cost to permit it retroactively (or remove it). Use that as leverage in negotiations.

The Bottom Line: Bring a Contractor to Your Inspection

Standard home inspectors do their job, but they’re generalists. They see many things. They don’t always know the cost to fix them, the insurance implications, or the red flags specific to post-Ian South Florida.

I attend inspections with buyers as part of my Realtor services. If I see something that concerns me — structural, mechanical, or water-related — I can tell you on the spot what it costs to address and what it means for the deal.

That’s the advantage of working with a contractor who’s also your Realtor.

Frequently Asked Questions

How important is a home inspection when buying in Fort Myers? Extremely. Florida’s climate creates specific failure modes (roof, HVAC, water intrusion, mold) that differ from northern states. Never waive an inspection in Florida.

Should I hire a specialist inspector or a general inspector? A qualified general inspector is the baseline. For older homes (pre-1990) or homes in coastal areas, also consider specialist inspections for HVAC (age and condition), mold (if any smell or visible signs), and electrical (if the panel is 30+ years old).

What is a 4-point inspection and do I need one in Florida? A 4-point inspection covers roof, electrical, plumbing, and HVAC. Florida insurance companies require it for homes over 25–30 years old before writing a policy. Your lender may also require it. Budget $75–$150 for a 4-point.

How do I check if a Fort Myers home has unpermitted work? Search Lee County’s permit system online. Any permitted addition or renovation will show up. If you find rooms or square footage that don’t appear in the permit records, you’ve found unpermitted work.

What’s the biggest mistake buyers make when purchasing in Fort Myers? Waiving inspection contingencies in a competitive market, or getting a general inspection without understanding Florida-specific risks. The cost of a thorough inspection is trivial compared to buying a problem home.

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Brian Cappucci is a Florida Certified General Contractor (CGC1531080) and Realtor (SL3538466) serving Fort Myers, Cape Coral, Bonita Springs, and all of Southwest Florida. He attends inspections with buyers and brings a contractor’s eye to every deal. Contact Brian to discuss your home search.