What a Cape Coral Lot Cost in 1959 (and What Changed)

By Brenton Miebach, REALTOR® | Updated October 5, 2026

In the early years, a Cape Coral waterview lot sold for $990, a waterfront lot for $1,990 and a riverfront lot for $3,390. The Cape Coral Breeze lists those prices for the first year of sales, 1958. The book Lies That Came True dates them to 1959. This page is part of our history of Cape Coral.

Photo: The first houses in Cape Coral, seen from the air in September 1958. Restored and colorized from Lies That Came True by Eileen Bernard. Colors are added digitally.

What lots cost in 1958 and 1959

The three prices above were for homesites, not houses. The book also says business lots 25 feet wide sold for $1,000 in 1958. A 1959 dollar was worth far more than a dollar today, so these numbers show the scale of change, not a direct comparison.

How people bought them

Lots were sold on installment plans, not with bank mortgages. The Cape Coral History Museum says the terms were 10 percent down and $10 a month. The book says monthly payments ran from $20 to $80. We show both.

Sales were strong. The Breeze says property sales passed $9 million in the first year. The book says sales “skyrocketed” to $5 million in five months. See how buyers found the lots in our story on the Fly and Buy airplane rides.

What the first homes cost

The book says the first model homes stood on York Court. It lists a Cherokee, with two bedrooms and one bath, at $10,500, and an Ambassador, with three bedrooms and three baths, at $25,000. For a comparison, the book gives its own 1982 ranges: $3,500 to $16,000 for waterview lots, $25,000 to $60,000 for waterfront and $85,000 to $100,000 for riverfront.

How to see today’s prices

Prices change every month, so we do not print one here. As of October 2026, the live numbers are on our Lee County market statistics page. If you own a home here and want to know what yours is worth, start with a home valuation.

Cape Coral price history FAQ

What did a Cape Coral lot cost in the 1950s?

A waterview lot was $990, a waterfront lot $1,990 and a riverfront lot $3,390. The Breeze places these prices in 1958. The book places them in 1959.

How were lots sold back then?

On installment plans, not bank mortgages. The museum says 10 percent down and $10 a month. The book says payments of $20 to $80 a month.

What did the first homes cost?

The book lists a two-bedroom Cherokee model at $10,500 and a three-bedroom Ambassador model at $25,000.

What are Cape Coral prices today?

They change monthly. See the live numbers on our Lee County market statistics page. As of October 2026, that page is the best place to check.

Sources

• Cape Coral Breeze, History of Cape Coral (2011)
• Cape Coral History Museum, History of Cape Coral
• Eileen Bernard, Lies That Came True (book)

Eileen Bernard worked in Gulf American’s publicity department, so her book is an insider’s account of Cape Coral’s early years. We use it alongside the other sources listed here.