Soon to Retire / Newbie pleading for advice!

[Peter Purcell]

The golf cart thing I just put out as when I looked into a couple of over 55 places last time in floriday / 2 years ago everyone seemed to be driving them. As far as wheelhouse? My age is 62 and I am trying hard to get out of here into the sun. Peter

[hiknapster]

Originally Posted by Peter Purcell

The golf cart thing I just put out as when I looked into a couple of over 55 places last time in floriday / 2 years ago everyone seemed to be driving them. As far as wheelhouse? My age is 62 and I am trying hard to get out of here into the sun. Peter

Well, he lives in Melbourne. That's in Central Florida, near the Atlantic Ocean. I strongly urge you to check out The Villages.

[dmapes]

"It is a long hard winter and going south means being able to swim in the ocean all winter .... unless the odd exception happens with the weather". You'll need to go further south than Fort Myers for this. The average gulf water temperature is in the low to mid 60's during the winter and you'll need wet suits to swim in the gulf comfortably. The ocean on the east coast might be warmer during the winter, but the shallow gulf coast water cools off pretty quickly in the fall. For swimming, you'll want to buy a place with access to a nice heated pool. If you aren't buying a home with a private pool, you'll be sharing it with a lot of other people in the winter, so make sure you know your neighbors before you buy. The weather is definitely nicer here than up north, and the daylight is an hour or 2 longer.

[Peter Purcell]

I don't know the name of the place? I have landed at the Punta gorda airport 2 times on my visits to Florida. The 2nd time I did not get back / I was using DIRECT AIR and they went bust but Visa was nice enough to give be back a refund. Good old credit cards. Sometimes they do work.

Can you elaborate more on I don't know the place... What was the place or is the place... Interested.

Thank You / Peter

Originally Posted by nhkev

I don't know the name of the place but it is located in Punta Gorda on Burnt store road. it is very close to shopping and not far from down town. and I am pretty sure they use golf carts.

[Florida Paradise]

I can't speak of any areas outside of Ft Myers, but my observations within Ft Myers on some of your questions are as follows (probably a little out of order)

Of the "gated" communities, I don't see too many golf carts. Property is at a premium here and the communities aren't really big enough to have golf carts (Whiskey Creek allows them but that is an "ungated" area with mostly single family and duplex homes.) Regardless, even if there are communities with carts, they aren't allowed outside the confinements of the community.

As far as costs in 3 years time in this area. I am afraid that another "bubble" is starting to form. Value has already risen 25-30 % in the last couple years. A condo that cost me 40 thousand 4 years ago, now goes for 79 thousand.

There are lot of really nice gated and non gated condo associations that could be in your budget. (depending on what that is) but I wouldn't count on being able to rent it out during the "non season" months. First off, if it is away from the beach (a few miles inland) most association do not allow you to rent for less than a 3 month time frame. Beach condo are allowed to be rented out on a weekly basis. That really cuts in to the possibility of renting outside of the High Season.

Just a few of my random thoughts on the subject.

[hiknapster]

As usual, you are dead on with your advice.

Originally Posted by Florida Paradise

I can't speak of any areas outside of Ft Myers, but my observations within Ft Myers on some of your questions are as follows (probably a little out of order)

Of the "gated" communities, I don't see too many golf carts. Property is at a premium here and the communities aren't really big enough to have golf carts (Whiskey Creek allows them but that is an "ungated" area with mostly single family and duplex homes.) Regardless, even if there are communities with carts, they aren't allowed outside the confinements of the community.

As far as costs in 3 years time in this area. I am afraid that another "bubble" is starting to form. Value has already risen 25-30 % in the last couple years. A condo that cost me 40 thousand 4 years ago, now goes for 79 thousand.

There are lot of really nice gated and non gated condo associations that could be in your budget. (depending on what that is) but I wouldn't count on being able to rent it out during the "non season" months. First off, if it is away from the beach (a few miles inland) most association do not allow you to rent for less than a 3 month time frame. Beach condo are allowed to be rented out on a weekly basis. That really cuts in to the possibility of renting outside of the High Season.

Just a few of my random thoughts on the subject.

[nhkev]

Originally Posted by Peter Purcell

I don't know the name of the place? I have landed at the Punta gorda airport 2 times on my visits to Florida. The 2nd time I did not get back / I was using DIRECT AIR and they went bust but Visa was nice enough to give be back a refund. Good old credit cards. Sometimes they do work.

Can you elaborate more on I don't know the place... What was the place or is the place... Interested.

Thank You / Peter

Look up amberjack alley punts Gorda FM on Google maps street view. It looks like a double wide resort with community pool right around the corner from public and home depot then maybe try zillow by map view and see if there's anything for sale. I'd help you out more but I'm up at my camp in Nh with just my smartphone

[nhkev]

I looked on zillow and it is called eagle point. It is a 55+ community. I only saw one for sale for 95k

[Peter Purcell]

To Nhkev and all of you: Thanks for your help in finding out for us. We really appreciate all the help and advice from you folks that participate in this forum. It truly has helped us generate some thoughts and ideas and the advice is super. I am sure that many... MANY others have been helped by all of you as well. Our deep thanks and gratitude goes out to all of you that take the time to respond to our many questions. Peter

[Florida Paradise]

Your so welcome. I know this forum helped me a lot 4 years ago when I purchased a home down there.