[FringedNFab]

Originally Posted by SoFLGal

I just spoke with LewLew last night. She thought her husband was going to get a job in Venice but it turns out they offered him a job in Ft Myers. She was going to buy in North Port but thought that the drive for her husband would be way too much.

She just put in offer in on a home in Ft Myers a week or so ago and should be closing next week. I'll keep you posted. She was pretty bummed about not being able to move to North Port since I sold her in-laws a home here. LewLew has been pretty busy packing and so forth and hasn't had much time to post. I'll tell her your looking for her

Really? tell her I said hey! Thanks. Yeah for me, my hearts set on the NP general area based on a number of things and I can't wait. I may fly down at some point this summer and look around a few days. Thanks for the info and happenings on people! Talk to everyone soon

[LewLew]

Originally Posted by FringedNFab

I am the OP of this thread and still plan on moving down to the general area by this fall with some of my family members (then after, hopefully others will follow us!) and I think people have to go down and try these areas out for themselves. It seems that for every area of Florida, you have as many lovers as you do haters so take it all with a grain of salt. People create and find their own paradise. I like everyone else use this forum for general information good and bad, and it's been a great help. Where is LewLew? lol did you move down to NP yet? I haven't heard from you since so fill me in on the happenings I should be down by late September early October so I hope to get settled in. Still wrapping things up, up here in crappy Ohio! As they say, it's wise to have a plan in place before a big move like this. Hope to still see some of you once I make it down ttyl

Hey FringedNFab, and Everyone! So sorry I've been MIA for a while. Life turned upside down, and plans changed a bit. I started a new job, my DH transferred to his new job in Ft Myers. We are very excited, but it made purchasing in NP impossible. My DH is making the drive right now, as he's staying with his P's until we close on our home. It's a bear. 3 hours of the day are spent driving. That just wouldn't have worked long term! However, we are just a little over an hour away, and still can NOT wait to be back in SW FL!!!! I also had to remove myself from all the negative threads as we LOVE LOVE LOVE FL, and wanted to just enjoy the great things about our move, and looking forward to being back in "real" Florida.

I am so glad to hear you are still planning on making the move Fringed! You will love it, I just know it. I promise to jump back on the board when we get settled!

Enjoy your trip down, and best of luck to all making the move to NP, or anywhere in SW FL! B back soon!

[whippersnapper]

Hey LewLew! Where did you buy? Congrats on the move!

[StaceyWilson]

We are looking to relocate from Wisconsin. My husband and I are were both born and raised in Wisconsin. The winters are just getting too long. We don't do any winter activites, so we feel like prisoners in our house. He is 29 and I'm 28. We have two children, our daughter is 8 and our son is 2. He works from home and I have worked at Wal-Mart for over 10 years, so jobs aren't an issue. We are open to anywhere in the sw part of Florida. We want to be in a family friendly area with good schools. We are first looking to rent. At least three bedrooms and our daughter says a pool would be "Awesome!" From what I have read, North Port would be a good area? Any tips or advice are welcome.

[SoFLGal]

North Port is a great area for kids, IMO. There are lots of homes available to rent at reasonable prices. The average age in North Port is around 38, much younger than other parts of Florida. There is a brand new Wal-Mart in North Port as well. I think it's worth checking out

[kberr32]

Originally Posted by 121804

It's not condescencing; it's the harsh reality. Give me a break.

And we were not in construction; not even close. We were doing just fine economically & moved due to family & personal reasons. We had to move to SW FL due to job circumstances; knew what was to greet us; & left at the first moment possible. Sorry, the baech & warm weather does nothing for us when its surrounded what makes up SWFL. Why should I talk about other parts of FL when the OP is specifically mentioning North Port? SWFL in most parts is a joke starting with employment then let's talk about its school system if it can be called that & then the housing issue. Oh, but wait!!! You don't have to shovel snow! That makes it ALL worth it. Actually, I am questioning the true intentions of the post for its pure vagueness & just title alone...seems some like to stir up issues.

Funny,we moved back to NE OH where my husband is working for a Fortune 500 company that has not had a layoff in its 60 years of existence; our health insurance is $200 less a month but has no deductible & less copaymnet; we bought a home that is not the SWFL crappy built cookie cutter ranch; we are not surrounded by snowbirds who are cranky, grumpy & plain out nasty; my child has seen more children in 2 weeks than he did all summer in SW FL b/c it is impossible to go out & play in 110 degree heat indexes for weeks & weeks. We have all our family & friends around & live in on of the best school districts in the state.

It's OH & has its fair share of problems. But, it's not SWFL; it never will be & I never have to endure that place again. It's awesome.

Please tell me the main companies in North Port, Port Charlotte & Sarasota? The place is headed for economic disaster if not already there. Yeah, Midway Blvd in Port Charlotte is a pure GEM of beauty & perfect example of that part of SWFL. Please tell me what sense it makes to move that area of SWFL without a job & b/c its near beaches.

Does the OP know how many half complete homes are in North Port? The true number of homes for sale b/c it has nothing to truly offer other than cheaply built homes & Target? Wow, well water & septic...that's moving up in the world... Don't forget to mention the drug ring that circles North Port & Port Charlotte.

No one says other states are better for they are not; but SWFL is not the place to be moving to if someone does 5 mins of serious research & not get their info off a random personal website.

There are better places to live in FL with better opportunity than SW FL.

Never met anybody who didn't like Florida until i read your post. Enjoy Ohio???!!??!!??!!??!!!!

[kberr32]

Originally Posted by belloisec

I keep reading posts from a handful of posters which makes me think so.

Brown Waters? We take our boats out frequently during the summer and the waters are crystal clear and Caribbean-like.

I've been up and down the west coast of Florida many, many times and the only murky waters I've come across are in bays and running inside in the Intracoastal ways.

Now storms can stir the water up and make things murky, but it always clears up after a few days of laying down. In the winter the water is even more clear, except after a cold front passes and the North wind blows stirring things up, but again, after a few days of laying down the water is clear again.

Caledesi Island was voted as the #2 Beach in the country being only beat out by a beach in Hawaii! Fort Desoto beach was voted as the #1 beach last year! So I don't know where these brown waters are.

So unless I'm living in my own private Idaho, these beaches are some of the best in th USA. So come on down and see for yourself - you won't be disappointed.

good post!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I agree

[kberr32]

Originally Posted by paradiddle

back to the NP thing. I was just in Biscayne neighborhood... There are slums in NP !!!!

There are slums in every city!!!! wake up!!

[bmacdo]

My wife and I left North Port for Virginia about 2 1/2 years ago. We lived in North Port Estates, a subdivision where most homes sit on 3 1/2 acre lots. A lot of the people living there are horse people so it had a nice community feel. Our problems with the area stemmed from just too many people in too small a place. Hwy 41 is very congested for 2/3 of the year and same thing goes for stores, restaurants, banks and the post offices. It's a known fact that when you put too many rats in a cage, they tend to turn on one another. I actually saw a couple of geezers in their 70s out of their respective Cadillacs and duking it out on the side of the road one day, a road rage thing. In the 7 years we were there, we saw people getting angrier, ruder and less patient. Road rage is an everyday thing. We've always lived in smaller towns up north so it was getting kinda weird for us.

On the plus side, the Estates offered great bicycling and horseback riding and was adjacent to the Carlton nature preserve. The hot humid weather was never a really big problem for us but the mosquitoes were pretty bad for part of the year. They spray for them but they're still fairly bad. Mainly it was just the stress of living in an area of relatively high population density that made us move on. Most of the people we hung out with down there have since left as well. Right now, there are homes in NP Estates selling for $100,000 less than we sold for in 2005. It would be a good time to buy if you can afford $250,000 for a place on 3 1/2 acres. If you're into horses, it can be a good lifestyle.

I would by no means describe NP as either laid back or 'old Florida' as the OP had alluded to. I'd suggest looking at Punta Gorda which is a nicer (imo) town in the same general region. I have no idea about real estate prices there now, maybe a little higher than NP but probably worth it. Punta Gorda feels more like an actual town whereas NP is more just a couple of retail strips surrounded by subdivisions. Actually, this describes a lot of SW Florida in general. Port Charlotte is another place that consists mainly of a long retail strip with subdivisions branching off from it. This design works for a lot of people, I guess. Anyway. we took the same money from NP Estates and bought a 50 acre farm in the Shenandoah Valley, never looked back. Good luck with your move.

[cindy65]

Originally Posted by JJJNEY

Hey I just noticed something! what happened to all the Neg Posters! I think LEWLEW scared them off. LOL

I moved from Miami 2 and 1/2 yrs ago for the quiet of Venice but no one warned me how bad it is during season when the snow birds come, they are rude, pushy old people hwo think you owe them. If you work somewhere that caters to snow birds, IE Nursing, Waitressing, retail, you will make no money in off season which is summer and your hours are cut drastically, they have closed several restaurants and stores in past few months. I am now moving to GA, where I will be making $3 an hour more then here.

Also houses average $80,000 in awesome neighborhoods and median age is 38 not 90 like here. The nickname for Englewood is wrinkewood, and they say the old people come to die here. Just telling you, I thought it was great when I visited but its not all its craked up to be and Everyone I know who lives in North Port are having problems with thier kids in the high schools there, drugs, violence and they had three different teachers arrested last year for molesting two in public school one in private,.