[Bigdawg107]

My wife and I live in Michigan and we are retired. we are planning on moving to florida and looking at Charlotte county....any suggestions?
maybe a different area?

[FLBob]

Charlotte county is a very nice part of Florida. I've lived there, and now live in Venice which is in Sarasota county. Charlotte county has a variety of options. There are a large number of waterfront homes with access to Charlotte Harbor.
Punta Gorda is the only city in Charlotte County, and in Punta Gorda you will find a beautiful small town with Riverfront parks.
Punta Gorda Isles and Burnt Store Isles are waterfront communities in the city of Punta Gorda.
Two rivers flow into Charlotte Harbor, the Peace River and the Myakka River. Both rivers have communities that are on the rivers. Harbour Heights is on the Peace River and Gulf Cove is on the Myakka. Both communities have a boat ramp for off water residents.
If you want to be close to the beach you might want to look into Englewood. The area is partly in Charlotte and partly in Sarasota county. You'll find waterfront and water access property in Englewood also. The body of inshore water in Englewood is called Lemon Bay. It is also the intercoastal waterway. There are a number of barrier Islands separating the mainland from the gulf. The major island is called Manasota Key. It's on Manasota Key that you will find the public beach access.
I currently live in Venice. In the part known as the island of Venice. I love it here. Everything is nearby. I can walk to stores and resturants, the beach has numerous access points. There are several boat ramps near by. Most homes are older and well maintained, with excelent mature landscape, numerous parks, and loads of activities. We have one of the most active orchid societies around.
Good luck in your search.

[Bigdawg107]

My wife and I are retiring and we are in our early 50's....we are looking at Charlotte county....any suggestions? Maybe a different area?....
WE NEED HELP!!!

[xlabel]

I would go to Citrus County. I have a home in a little town called Hernando in Citrus County and love it there. There are a lot of nice towns in Citrus like Citrus Springs, Dunnellon, Inverness, where real estate is more reasonably priced than say, Clearwater, St Pete. Citrus is a smaller laid back area with some rural charm. I've lived in FL almost all my life and it just seems to me the heat gets even more miserable when you live south of Tampa Bay. When you get up around Citrus , Marion Counties, it can be 10 degrees cooler so you can actually get a little taste of fall. My property tax bill is $86 a year, I don't get much in the way of services, I'm on well water and septic, but if that same house was down in Clearwater I'd probably be paying $1200 a year. It's a little backwoods in Citrus County, but they have everything you need, Wal-mart, Lowes, etc and the area is growing and probably would be a good investment since they eventually will further extend an expressway going into Tampa. Crime and traffic is minimal in that area as well, it's a good place to live. Be aware of where the flood zones are in that area, certain areas near the Withlacoochee River are flood zones, so buy high and dry.

[Bigdawg107]

Thank you so much for the info...we appreciate it
I was told Englewood, Rotunda and Placida area is nice too...What do ya think?

[yachtcare]

I'm in Cape Coral, FL. Thats Lee County, next one south of Charlotte Co. I would never suggest anyone come here, IF they need to work for a living. If you're retired, and self sufficient with pension, etc. there are some fantastic deals on foreclosures, or even new construction in the area. $105K will get you brand new 3bdr/2bth/2car garage. If you want to play the foreclosure game, takes a bit longer, but can get even cheaper than that. There is such a glut of housing here it's definatly a buyers market. Might be worth checking out.
And you might want to go post this in some of the Florida sections on the forum as well. The locals can help with specific questions.....

[nemcovic]

I would suggest Dunnellen. It is a great little town. My parents retired there and love it. I live in South Florida and it is very crowded and overpriced. Good luck with your move.

[FLBob]

What are you looking for in a retirement area? Beach, Fishing, Golf, Boating, Hunting, Shopping. Quiet neighborhood, close to shopping, new community, well manicured, more bohemian?

[magellan]

Huh. And I thought this was the Michigan section.

[Yac]

2 identical threads merged .
Yac.