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Location: Gulf Harbors Woodlands, New Port Richey, Florida
11 posts, read 57,516 times
Reputation: 15
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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.
back to the NP thing. I was just in Biscayne neighborhood... There are slums in NP !!!!
The western end of Biscayne is the area that is not as nice....it's older, more trailers etc. However, it doesn't matter where you go in Florida...you'll have those pockets. In Florida, that is not necessarily indicative of an area's desireability. Drive around some more....Venice, Nokomis, Sarasota, Naples, Clearwater Beach, Tampa, Jacksonville, Orlando, PSL, Miami, FT Lauderdale. Enjoy! You'll see that every single area has more than a couple of streets that look slummy. There will be 50's style block ranch homes, trailers, very old raised ranches, horrible landscaping, trucks on blocks in driveways etc. Welcome to the sunshine state.
Make sure to visit mid August, you'll get the effect of what 9-10 months of your life will feel like weather wise. As far as beaches, The Gulf is notorious for brown water most of the year its had a murkey look to it and some days couldn't see our toes in the water. The other half is red tide. Living up north now I see soo many commericals especially now for vacations to Naples and SWFL and they show two young people running on the beach , hand in hand crystal blue water, sun setting. I laugh hysterically because thats not how it is at all and the beaches definetly weren't like any I saw in my 24 years there. I think most people on here can attest to that. The commericals are very decieving and ment to catch your attention. If your going off of what you see on tv and tour books well don't. If you're going for the beaches you're going to be sorely dissapointed. Its not that they're not nice.. yeah some of them are really really nice, but day after day after day of the beach will get old.. Even people who say no it won't i love the beach , after months and months of it grow tired. Between fighting the tourists half the year for parking and spots on the beach and then the other half being hotter than he-ll its not fun.. Remember unlike the Atlantic the Gulf of Mexico heats up VERY fast. Don't be surprised if when its 98 degrees out the water is between 85-90 degree's itself so you won't be taking a cool dip by any means.. Think warm bath outside in the hot sun. Make sure you do ALLLLL your homework. Just cause florida is fun to visit doesn't mean thats what its like to live there. Many people move back to where they came from when they find this out. Go during tourist season , make sure to do things you would normally do if living there, go out to dinner, drive during rush hour etc.. Really get a feel for it.
Hello FringedNfab,
At first when I was reading the threads I was thinking are you kidding NorthPort would be great for someone who is up in Ohio. Despite what others might think or say NothPort is a rapidly growing city with the best school district in Florida and yes that is a fact look it up. However, it is very slooooow paced around here which is nice in my opinion to raise a family and such and that's just it. You DON'T have a family (right know). It seems to me your simply looking for a nice decent place to live close to beaches, but not neccesarrily( i know i spelled that wrong)the hustle of Miami and or other big metro cities.However, TRUST me with out a family to keep you busy there is not much to do here you WILL be bored out of your wits this is basicly a RURAL city. I know you are trying to get the best home your money can buy and that is smart but consider your options. It is nice here but again not much to do. I guess you could drive up to sarasota but that gets old after a while. Have you visted NorthPort? If you haven't I suggest you do, never rely on pictures or hear say. Best of luck!!!
Well I try to be as open as I can, without letting just anyone know what corner my desk is gonna be in when I get there.... and I'm also thinking of working from home. I may get that going before I even head out from up here. Geez you Floridians make it seem like theres no one in Florida. Do you live on Planet Earth 2007? it's rough all over really. But people somehow manage to live.
I am guessing you were in the construction industry or something? Your quote is very condesending. While I agree that times have been better, some of these responses make SW Florida out to be a dump. Why don't you move yourself to Michigan where the unemployment rate is one of the highest in the nation, or stay in Ohio where there aren't a great deal of jobs, and it's full of snow, AND has income tax (two things Florida doesn't have), or move yourself to parts of California where you get paid Loads of money BUT your home is a 500 sq. foot million dollar trailer so even people who make over 100K per year are forced to RENT. I consult for the construction industry, and there are areas in the country WAY worse off than SW Florida. All the builders moved out for one reason....they can't make money. There are too many homes right now. The inventory has to be bought, and then builders will come back. They still own land there, don't be silly. They just closed shop to avoid paying salaries to people for building NO HOMES! When a city gets flooded with inventory, people pull out to let it all sell off. Then, they have people who watch the market, and when the appropriate time to move back in is clear, they will. Construction companies could care less about anything in an area other than how much will they be able to build and SELL! 3/4 of the country isn't selling anything right now. Thus, while I agree with you that the cost of living ANYWHERE IN FLORIDA is higher than the measly wages they like to pay..it's not just SW Florida. I am sure FringedNFab would not move somewhere and buy a home without looking at work. Tell me if I'm mistaken but a bank won't let someone BUY a home these days without solid employment...so it is a moot point, and pretty negative. The job market is crap everyone right now along with the housing industry etc. They go hand in hand whether you are in FL, AZ, CA, MI, OH, KY, NY, etc. It never stays that way, and the true visionaries who make money and run business...know that and capitalize on it when the taking is good. The true formula to "paying your bills" in any part of the US, or Florida, is to NOT buy a home you can not afford. Once America figures that out....everyone will be better off.
Ok, let me just say that you obviously have an opinion, but you are merely giving it, and not really giving any helpful information to the OP. The OP obviously doesn't want to stay in Ohio...so instead of making blanket statements about how wretched somewhere is....don't post. OR, merely say that "in your experience" it is not a great place for jobs. I lived in Ohio my entire LIFE, and there are great things about it, I agree. However, your spouse is luck to work for a company that hasn't laid anyone off in 60 years. Not sure if your remember all the steel mill issues in Ohio. So he landed a great job...good for you/him. 110 weather is hot, and yes, the muggy conditions are not great to be out in. NEITHER IS THE -20 below temps in the winter up there. If you want to get real about it, you are just slamming things about the area, and building up some Ohio town you live in. Every place in the country has it's negative and positives. Depending on what the OP, or anyone else for that matter, wants in the place they call home, home is where they'll be. If you like your Ohio suburb, good for you...Florida is tired of having the negative naysayers living here anyway. As another poster put it.."Life is what you make it". You didn't make one in SW Florida, but that doesn't mean you have to bark such crap at the OP. Whether the OP was trying to stir the pot or not...there are several things you are incorrect with.
1. The beach etc. does nothing for you when you deal with the stuff that surrounds SWFL? SWFL is made up of people from all over the US who moved here. I know you are happy in your "towny" place where everyone is local and lived their forever. That's not realistic in FL.
2. The drug circle?????? Ok, clearly you don't pop the bubble you live in to realize that drugs are out of control EVERYWHERE! Try to buy antacid at Walgreens for crying out loud. Stay out of the drug scene. I'll take note of that.
3. Pedofiles: Yes, they are everywhere...thanks to the wonderful internet! There were always there, but now they can be seen, heard and found by anyone with a computer. It's 2007, so I don't care where you live...keep a keen eye on your children!
4. Your kids never played with anyone b/c of the heat. Get a pool...go to the beach....buy a boat, play inside, go to the movies, teach them to draw. What do your kids do in 15" of snow? Extreme weather isn't fun regardless.
5. The OP never said they didn't have a job. I don't think moving to SWFL without a job is any more stupid than moving anywhere and buying a home without a job. Duh. Also, you have no idea what the OP does for a living. Like I said, my husband is a captain....I think moving to Ohio for us would be Stupid.
6. You mention Port Charlotte, but nag me about mentioning other areas of Florida. Again, OP said North Port
7 Water and septic....Ohio has plenty of places where homes have water and septic. I'm glad that you just insulted anyone who owns a farm, country estate, or a piece of property that isn't in the plastic, stepford wife, suburbia. You should watch yourself on that one.
8. Much of the US is headed for ecomonic disaster. Watch the news, read the newspaper...get out a bit. SWFL is no different. Again, as I stated...it was the flood of people trying to capitalize on an area of Florida that was still affordable. It will happen again and again and again all over the US. Cheap land is followed by speculators. Greed is then followed by quick money, and unfinished homes is followed by the greed that got out of control. It's cyclical, and will right itself. Tell me what happened to the US in the 70's with interest rates at 21%? Ugh....it got better
9. School systems: Again, get some information. Florida schools are not the greatest as a whole. Sarasota has Pine View School (one of the best in the nation) Sarasota County schools are not ranked terribly compared to other areas. Also, in Jax, St. John's County Schools are some of the highest in the state, and A ranked nationally. Learn yourself. School systems need good teachers to be strong. When Florida starts paying teachers what they deserve, the schools will improve. Until then....it all starts at home anyway. If a parent is solely relying on the school to teach their child....GOOD LUCK, anywhere!
10. The reason there are so many homes for sale in North Port is not b/c it has nothing to offer. Obviously you are not keen on the industry or have any type of monies tied up in the real estate market. FIRST come homes, then come businesses. Businesses don't build UNLESS there are people there to buy things. Duh again. North Port B/C of it's affordability in 2003-2005 was lambasted by investors trying to capitalize on buying a 10K plot of land, building a home and selling it for 1/2 a mil. Too many of them did that, and the scale was shifted too far one direction. The businesses will still come, but the homes for sale are all out of state buyers who can't sell and thought they could.....people who worked in construction and lost their jobs. Jacksonville is still a very fast growing area, but I don't think the folks here who haven't been able to sell their homes in 2 years would say it's great! When people overprice their homes, and they sit on the market, and then the foreclosures happen....lots of homes for sale. Welcome to the US...not just SWFL.
11. Lastly, give me one place in this country where the homes are very very cheap, people get paid great money and jobs are falling off trees. That will be the next place to take a nosedive in 5 years! Unless you are speaking of Texas......Now, you can get a good job there, cheap home, etc. BUT, not everyone wants to live in Texas. You can take Ohio. It's beautiful in spots, horrendously ugly in others....drugs, crime, etc. It's anywhere you go. You are entitled to your opinion...as everyone is. However, please don't make blanket ignorant remarks based soley on your opinion. I'm sure there are many people out there who hate Ohio, but will say that...they won't say it's a horrible place for you to move....you love it, and have a perfect job. America congratulates you for being the minority these days. To each his own.
YOU ARE MY NEW FOUND HERO! that's right tell it like it is OP I hope you're listening.
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.
Thanks I will be moving down here very soon! I can't wait!
Fringe, don't let these people fool you. North Port is fine. I work there all the time and 10 of my employees live there and like it very much. I myself am looking into it because of how cheap the homes are going for. There building a lot there and there's plenty to do near by. I came from a high crime rate area of NY and North Port doesn't even come close. The schools are new and the teachers and Admin are right on top of it! NP has the best deals in Florida right now. Bradenton Sarasota has more problems than NP so don't worry. The police down there are ontop of everything. NP is a great place to live. You can get a new home for $189 K with a pool and all the extras.
Good Luck.
Thanks. I can't wait to move down and get out of this COLD up here in Ohio. I also know there are pro's and con's ANYWHERE you might live, so none of this will deter me. And I appreciate the insight from all sides.
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