{"id":4726,"date":"2022-10-03T22:34:00","date_gmt":"2022-10-04T02:34:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/?p=4726"},"modified":"2026-03-17T11:24:50","modified_gmt":"2026-03-17T15:24:50","slug":"investing-in-lee-county-florida-real-estate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/investing-in-lee-county-florida-real-estate\/","title":{"rendered":"Investing in Lee County Florida Real Estate"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>Lee County Florida real estate investing<\/strong> attracts investors from across the country because the Cape Coral and Fort Myers markets combine strong rental demand, consistent foreclosure auction activity, and acquisition prices that support solid cash flow returns.<\/p>\n\n<p>Real Estate is one of the most stable ways to build and protect wealth. Real estate <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"investing (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/7-real-estate-investing-tips-for-beginner-investors\/\" target=\"_blank\">investing<\/a> is easy, you crunch some numbers and buy houses that financially make sense. The most difficult part of real estate investing is finding deals where the numbers make financial sense, especially since 2020 as home prices skyrocketed. There are many methods to finding good deals. Today, we\u2019re going to focus on buying a house from the Lee County auction. We will discuss how to prepare and what to expect. Let&#8217;s dive in.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_82_2 ez-toc-wrap-left counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">In this Article:<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/investing-in-lee-county-florida-real-estate\/#Bidding_on_foreclosures_at_the_Lee_County_auction\" >Bidding on foreclosures at the Lee County auction<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/investing-in-lee-county-florida-real-estate\/#Registering_for_the_auction_reserve_requirements_and_final_payments\" >Registering for the auction, reserve requirements, and final payments<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/investing-in-lee-county-florida-real-estate\/#Preparing_for_an_Auction_Research_and_then_do_more_Research\" >Preparing for an Auction, Research, and then do more Research!<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/investing-in-lee-county-florida-real-estate\/#Skip_Trace_to_find_the_previous_owner\" >Skip Trace to find the previous owner<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/investing-in-lee-county-florida-real-estate\/#You_might_need_to_evict_an_owner_or_tenant\" >You might need to evict an owner or tenant<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/investing-in-lee-county-florida-real-estate\/#What_if_you_cant_determine_the_interior_condition_or_if_the_home_is_vacant\" >What if you can\u2019t determine the interior condition or if the home is vacant?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/investing-in-lee-county-florida-real-estate\/#Research_title\" >Research title<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Bidding_on_foreclosures_at_the_Lee_County_auction\"><\/span><strong>Bidding on foreclosures at the Lee County auction<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>But why would want to check each county manually?<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>Each county auctions foreclosed properties throughout the month; they post the upcoming <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"foreclosures (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/11-questions-newbies-have-about-starting-in-foreclosure-auctions\/\" target=\"_blank\">foreclosures<\/a> on the <a href=\"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/property_search\/Lee-County?view_type=calendar\" target=\"_blank\">Lee County Auction Calendar<\/a>. It&#8217;s best to check with the county you plan to bid at to see how they do things. Lee County and Collier County have different processes. Lee County uses online bidding (I prefer this method), and Collier County is only in person. Let\u2019s focus on Lee County and how to be prepared.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But why would want to check each county manually? You can quickly find ALL of the counties\u2019 auction properties in one easy to use search tool at <a href=\"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/property_search\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\">PropertyOnion.com<\/a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The first thing you will need to do is register with the county to bid. Next, you should attend some online auctions and see how it works, watch what the homes are selling for and if it\u2019s worth your time. With the pandemic, foreclosures have been way down; they even had a moratorium, not allowing the start of any foreclosures for a while. <a href=\"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/are-there-more-foreclosures-so-far-in-2022\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"They have now begun again (opens in a new tab)\">They have now begun again<\/a>. Because it takes a long time for them to work their way through the systems and make it to auction, we can anticipate a slow continuing uptick in county auction foreclosures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Registering_for_the_auction_reserve_requirements_and_final_payments\"><\/span><strong>Registering for the auction, reserve requirements, and final payments<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>How to register as a bidder with Lee County: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lee.realforeclose.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\">Lee County register<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Prior to bidding, you\u2019ll need to deposit 5% of your anticipated bid with the Clerk of the court via cashier\u2019s check or money wire.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Once you\u2019ve created an account and deposited the 5% of the anticipated bid, you\u2019re ready to go. Easy. Next comes the work part.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you are a winning bidder, you \u201cmust pay the balance of the final bid plus all fees by 4:00 p.m. on the next business day following the day of sale. Fees include the Doc Stamps ($0.70 per each $100) and a Registry fee (3% of the first $500 and 1.5% of the balance) of the successful bid amount. Payment may be made by cash, cashier\u2019s check, or wire transfer. Failure to pay the balance of the final bid plus all fees by 4:00 p.m. the following business day will result in forfeiture of the deposit and nullification of the sale.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You will be issued the Certificate of Title \u201celeven days after the sale date provided there has been no Objection, Appeal, Suggestion of Bankruptcy, or any other action staying the proceedings.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Preparing_for_an_Auction_Research_and_then_do_more_Research\"><\/span><strong>Preparing for an Auction, Research, and then do more Research!<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>These homes are auctioned As-Is or \u201cSight Unseen,\u201d with no warranties or disclosures, we don\u2019t even know if someone is living in the home\u2026so preparation is an absolute must in being successful. Do not buy a home at an auction <a href=\"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/what-is-due-diligence-in-real-estate\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"unprepared (opens in a new tab)\">unprepared<\/a>, you could get burned badly and lose a lot of money or buy a home that\u2019s not in a first lien position and has no equity, we will discuss this more.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Start your research by calling the city and county. Ask if there are any open permits, assessments, or future assessments. I recommend starting here because it&#8217;s free and just takes some time. If you run into deal killers, you move to the next property, and no money is wasted. If there\u2019s any open permits and you later go to sell, it can cause problems. It\u2019s very important to know if there\u2019s any open permits and how difficult it will be to close them. It\u2019s not uncommon for a storm-chasing roofer to replace a roof and never close the permit; they are paid and long gone, chasing the next storm. Maybe, it\u2019s a minor issue to get it closed. Maybe, it\u2019s not; therefore, you\u2019re researching. If you discover open permits or assessments, you want to know what\u2019s going on so you can factor them into your budget if needed <strong>BEFORE<\/strong> bidding. After you\u2019ve completed this step, you can move to the next step.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Drive by the homes you\u2019re researching<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>Do everything you legally can to find out as much information about the property condition as possible, so you can put together a rehab budget.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>Drive by the home. If you see a neighbor, you can ask them about the home; this is usually the best source to find out why the home became a foreclosure and its history. You\u2019re not supposed to go on the property. You could get in trouble for trespassing, although some investors do\u2026 Do everything you legally can to find out as much information about the property condition as possible, so you can put together a rehab budget.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Skip_Trace_to_find_the_previous_owner\"><\/span><strong>Skip Trace to find the previous owner<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>You can try to track down the previous owner. Many investors use a process called <a href=\"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/skiptrace\/skip-trace.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\">skip tracing<\/a>, where you pay to get the former owner&#8217;s contact information; they might talk to you, or they might not. Some people are not happy about going through foreclosure and don\u2019t want to talk to investors amidst their turmoil.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"You_might_need_to_evict_an_owner_or_tenant\"><\/span><strong>You might need to evict an owner or tenant<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>When you drive by, try to determine if someone is living in the home: is their car in the driveway; from the street, can you see someone\u2019s personal belongings in the window? If you see a neighbor, they will probably know. Many investors knock on the neighbor\u2019s door, and the neighbors are usually more than happy to explain what\u2019s going on and to see a new owner coming in to take care of the home. When you bid on the home, it may come with the tenant still living there, and you\u2019ll need to evict them or continue renting to them; this is something you will need to figure out. and you can <a href=\"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/foreclosure-eviction\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\">read this tutorial on evictions after you win a foreclosure auction<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_if_you_cant_determine_the_interior_condition_or_if_the_home_is_vacant\"><\/span><strong>What if you can\u2019t determine the interior condition or if the home is vacant?<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>When I don\u2019t know if there\u2019s someone living in the home I bid on at an auction, I assume there is and have a budget to evict the tenant or owner occupant. When I\u2019m not able to get any information about the interior condition, I assume it\u2019s a full rehab. I\u2019m conservative in my approach because I would hate to buy a home and be way over budget due to having guessed it would be okay. You\u2019ll need to find your risk tolerance; the less risk tolerance you have, the fewer homes you\u2019ll buy, but every home you get will likely be a winner. Plenty of people buy more than I do; they have a higher level of risk tolerance and sometimes get burned, but they figured doing more volume works itself out, and I\u2019m on the opposite side. I research a lot and bid only on homes I really want at my price point; I get a lot less properties, but they are all great buys.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Research_title\"><\/span><strong>Research title<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>You must know what\u2019s going on with the title; this is an absolute must. You need to know lien positions and the amounts owed. You can buy second and third lien position and still make money, but you need to know what you\u2019re doing. To keep this simple, let&#8217;s focus on first lien positions mortgages only. Make sure the bid you\u2019re placing is for a first lien position. What if you skipped title search and bid on a home worth $300k and bid $20k and won, thinking you\u2019ll make a lot of money only to find out you bought a third mortgage and the other two mortgages with priority over you are owed $350k, you\u2019d lose all your bid money and own worthless piece of paper\u2026it happens.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>My brother attended an auction where a new investor did this; he thought he beat everyone and was the smartest guy in the room, only to find out what he bought was worthless. Bidding on homes or acquiring real estate costs some money, and you\u2019ll need to invest a little money in title searches. The best pricing I\u2019ve seen is through the PropertyOnion.com <a href=\"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/titlecheck\/about_title_check\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"title search (opens in a new tab)\">title search<\/a> service.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So now that you\u2019ve researched for open permits, assessments, and the property conditions, you\u2019ve received title and know if there are title issues. You can run your numbers and bid. Do these steps enough times, and you will win some houses.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Imagine winning only four homes a year with solid equitable positions. Within a few years, you could create a lot of wealth. I\u2019m not saying this is easy, but it\u2019s a rock-solid way to accumulate wealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n<p>Lee County investors should monitor the local <a href=\"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/florida-foreclosure-county-auctions-mini-guide\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">florida foreclosure county auctions<\/a> calendar, since Lee County has historically been one of Florida&#8217;s most active foreclosure markets.<\/p><p>Before bidding on any Lee County property, conduct a complete <a href=\"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/florida-title-search-101-how-to-uncover-hidden-liens-encumbrances-and-red-flags-before-you-bid\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">florida title search<\/a> to identify code enforcement liens, HOA assessments, and other encumbrances common in the area&#8217;s older housing stock.<\/p><p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/what-is-the-price-to-rent-ratio-and-how-to-use-it-to-profit\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">price to rent ratio<\/a> in Lee County markets like Cape Coral and Fort Myers has fluctuated significantly in recent years, making regular market analysis essential for investors who want to buy at the right point in the cycle.<\/p><p>Lee County investors evaluating rental properties should calculate the <a href=\"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/what-is-a-cap-rate-in-real-estate\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">cap rate real estate<\/a> for any acquisition to confirm the deal generates acceptable returns after accounting for insurance, taxes, and management costs.<\/p><p>Investors who purchase distressed properties in Lee County need to understand the <a href=\"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/understanding-foreclosure-laws-in-florida-for-real-estate-investors\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">florida foreclosure laws<\/a> that govern the judicial foreclosure process, since Florida&#8217;s system is more complex than non-judicial states.<\/p>\n<div style=\"background-color:#eef6fd; border-left:5px solid #1a73b8; border-radius:6px; padding:24px 28px; margin:32px 0; font-family:Georgia, serif;\">\n<p style=\"font-size:20px; font-weight:bold; color:#1a3a5c; margin:0 0 10px 0;\">Start Investing in Florida Foreclosures the Right Way<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-size:15px; color:#2c4a6e; margin:0 0 14px 0;\">Join <strong>PropertyOnion.com<\/strong> free and immediately access Florida&#8217;s most complete foreclosure auction database, professional research tools, and a growing library of investor eBooks you can download today.<\/p>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/?&#038;reference_member_id=wpposts45&#038;ref2=wpposts45\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" style=\"display:inline-block; background-color:#1a73b8; color:#ffffff; font-family:Arial, sans-serif; font-size:15px; font-weight:bold; padding:12px 24px; border-radius:4px; text-decoration:none;\">Try Membership Free Today<\/a>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Lee County Florida real estate investing attracts investors from across the country because the Cape Coral and Fort Myers markets combine strong rental demand, consistent foreclosure auction activity, and acquisition prices that support solid cash&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":44,"featured_media":4757,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[60,419,123,446,438,356,79],"class_list":["post-4726","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-real-estate-investing-articles","tag-auction-bidding-strategy","tag-florida-real-estate","tag-foreclosure-auction","tag-lee-county","tag-prepare-for-auction","tag-skip-trace","tag-title"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4726","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/44"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4726"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4726\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13404,"href":"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4726\/revisions\/13404"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4757"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4726"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4726"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4726"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}