After living and selling real estate in PGI for 21 years I have learned many important things about waterfront lots that most would not be aware of.
Normal considerations like size of lot, actual waterfrontage and distance to open water are commonly the main things to think of. Most think that a large water view near the end of a canal might be the ultimate lot. Lots in the old sailboat section, often called the original sailboat section have many streets that end in the Peace River. The open waters of the Peace bring amazing views. They also bring wave action. In the winter months you can expect north winds between 10 to 25 mph on a daily basis. These winds create significant waves into the ends of the canals and standing wave heights in the 2-3 feet can be experienced! I have seen it first hand many times in my career.
What does this mean? Lots of turbulence and wave action, some air aspiration and if your boat is moored in the water (not on a boat lift) you need to factor the wave action in your mooring lines and boat fenders. These are mainly a winter occurrence but you should be mindful of any lot facing north that has open water influences. Deploying your boat from its lift and taking off on stiff wave action could be daunting as well.
On the opposite end of the canal, meaning the dead end of canal systems there are some considerations to be mindful of. There is a possibility of debri, yard trimmings, coconuts and worst case dead fish carcasses piling up creating an eyesore and possible smelly situation. Honestly, this can happen but for the most part it should not present a problem. A nearby neighbor can comment on these types of worries. It also is a function of which way the wind is blowing. Normally, we do not have aquatic grasses piling up in our canals (a big problem in the Florida Keys). In my 21 years I only remember a fish kill once in PGI canals so a dead fish pile up would be an extreme situation.
You won’t find a better place to invest your money than this top neighborhood or to build your dream home. If you need canal depth information or boat ride times to open water I have recorded this information on this website so you can make intelligent decisions.
