[ddlove01]

yeah Sarasota and PSL are two different worlds. Comparing a town like Port Charlotte or North Port (west coast of FL) against Port St Lucie might be a better choice. Sarasota has more history and architecture, no doubt about it. PSL doesn't. Not going to argue with that point.

[miltysmum]

Originally Posted by stevehawk

I am getting a divorce and will be a single father of a 10 year old boy. My sister has a condo in Sarasota and I do like the area. I was also interested in Port St. Lucie. I have heard it's a good family town. I am not a big city person so Miami,Jacksonville,and Tampa are out. I would be looking for a condo maybe 1200-1500 sq.ft. for maybe 100k ? Would this be possible? A safe area is my prime consideration.

You might want to look at recent rankings of best cities. Example, check out Forbes.com, Best Places for Business, 2009. There you will see Sarasota and PSL ranked as a good place for business to thrive. Yes, sarasota ranks higher, but on note for you might be job growth rates. Of the top 200 cities, PSL ranked #7 in job growth, Sarasota, #73; projected job growth, PSL #23, Sarasota #69; crime/100,000 in population, PSL 76, Sarasota 154. Good recent stats may also help your decision. Oh, median home price 40% lower in PSL than Sarasota.

It's always good to look a hard data. Study came out 3/25/2009 so info is recent. Also, Forbes is a very reliable source.

Good luck!

[Chrome Microphone]

PSL #7 in job growth? Riiiight.

[TriMT7]

Originally Posted by Chrome Microphone

PSL #7 in job growth? Riiiight.

It's POTENTIAL job growth. Like Florida, PSL does have a lot going for it, when it recovers from the raping it received from contstruction companies and over-development of the past few years. It still is a very under-serviced city for its size and population, though there has been progress (evidenced by some Martin County stores shuttering up as PSL residents no longer have to drive to Jensen and points South for retail and restaurants).

I think there'll be some major changes as well when the 2010 census numbers start showing up in market studies.

[psouth]

You have to take some of these studies with a grain of salt and not at face value a lot of times. I think some of the cities actually pay for their ratings some times since they are so far off.

The job market in Florida is now one of the worst not that it was ever really any good. They are saying PSL is 7th in the country in job growth?? With at least a 15% and probably much higher unemployment rate? Yea right. What is the growth in? Maybe the foreclosure industry or Chinese drywall. Any one who believes that will probably be suckered into buying more Florida swamp land also. What a laugh.

[Chrome Microphone]

#7 in job growth and # 23 in projected job growth.

[TriMT7]

Originally Posted by psouth

You have to take some of these studies with a grain of salt and not at face value a lot of times. I think some of the cities actually pay for their ratings some times since they are so far off.

Yeah, you HAVE to be right. Something like THAT won't show up in any budget or anything. Maybe some cash slipped under the table. Yeah, that HAS to be it. Whew, have you considered a career in the burgeoing forensic scientist field? Pays more than a wait staff job.



BTW, what is your deal with Chinese dry wall? Why does C-D attract people with strange obsessions and hangups?

[psouth]

The study is probably using the housing boom as its growth gauge. The housing boom is long over. If PSL is number 7 with all the layoffs and foreclosure people leaving in droves then this is not a list I would be using for anything. The only thing burgeoning in PSL right now is Chinese drywall. That is growing and exploding like crazy. Maybe tearing down all the thousands of homes and rebuilding them properly will lead to growth like the list says.

By the way, if PSL is number 7 then where is Dallas, Atlanta, Charlotte, Houston, Austin, Phoenix, Denver, Wash, D.C., Boston, etc.? You mean to tell me PSL is on par with and beat out these high growth huge cities? I hear the Brooklyn Bridge is for sale again too.

[TriMT7]

Originally Posted by psouth

The only thing burgeoning in PSL right now is Chinese drywall. That is growing and exploding like crazy. Maybe tearing down all the thousands of homes and rebuilding them properly will lead to growth like the list says.

AGAIN with the Chinese drywall! Obsess much?

Chinese drywall is a problem for ANY and ALL areas in THE COUNTRY that had new homes built AFTER 2006, when there was a drywall shortage.

If you don't buy or live in a home built after 2006, no worries. If you did, check with your builder, and have them fix your house. They have or had insurance.

Originally Posted by psouth

By the way, if PSL is number 7 then where is Dallas, Atlanta, Charlotte, Houston, Austin, Phoenix, Denver, Wash, D.C., Boston, etc.? You mean to tell me PSL is on par with and beat out these high growth huge cities? I hear the Brooklyn Bridge is for sale again too.

Why don't you take some time to actually read the study, the methodology, and the classification before making a comment. That might help ya.

[psouth]

Here is an excerpt from a Chinese drywall study:

[B]WHAT IS THE TIME-FRAME?

Hundreds of millions of sheets of Chinese drywall were imported from 2004 to 2006, but Chinese drywall has recently been found in homes built or remodeled as early as 2001. Accordingly, this phenomenon cannot be explained solely by the shortage of American-manufactured drywall. [/b]



The tainted drywall was used during the PSL Erik Estrada advertising boom years. This was when most of the houses in PSL were built. It is a big concern before you buy that's all. Even if it's in 10,000 homes that's 10,000 way too many. By the way, the Chinese drywall had little to do with a shortage. It was all about the builders saving money. The drywall saved an average of $1,000 per home built. Some of these big builders built hundreds of thousands of homes. The math is easy. All our products including food coming from China with no regulation is getting very scary. It is a big mistake. By the way, many of the builders have gone bankrupt and left town so you could be stuck with this problem for a very long time. It is best not to buy one at all and not go back and forth to court for years and then have to abandon your house while it is torn down and rebuilt. It has to be stripped to the block.

As I said before I take little stock in this study. PSL has declared a financial state of emergency, is laying off teachers and infrastructure jobs, laying off city jobs, one of the highest foreclosure rates in the country with people leaving in droves because of it. I haven't heard of any job growth whatsoever like new companies relocating and hiring etc except for Liberty Medical hiring customer service reps for $25K per year. All you have to do is watch the local news or visit the area to know. PSL never had a job market even during the boom years. It was all about housing and construction. That will never be back. Most people commuted to Palm Beach County and points south. Unlike what Obama thinks, every one is not going to suddenly become civil engineers and bridge builders across the country either.