FORT MYERS, Fla. — The Vangelakoses’ southwestern Florida condominium has marble floors, a large pool overlooking a river and modern furnishings. What they don’t have in the 32-story building is a single neighbor.
The New Jersey family of five purchased their unit with a $10,000 down payment four years ago, when Fort Myers was amid a housing boom. Now, it symbolizes the foreclosure crisis. When the Vangelakoses travel from Weehawken, N.J., they have use of the pool, game room and gym, but they miss having a few tenants around.
“Being from the city, it’s very eerie,” said Victor Vangelakos, 45, a fire captain who planned to eventually retire and live permanently in the condo. “It’s almost like a scary movie.”
On Friday evening, the pool area was dark, most of the doors locked. Cathy Vangelakos and her daughter, Amanda, 19, stepped into an elevator. “Going up,” an automated voice chimed.
“Going up,” Cathy Vangelakos said. “That’s all we hear.”
