looking 2 move 2 port charlotte (Sarasota, Bradenton: budget, income, rent)

[moving2florida]

Hi

Moving from Michigan to Florida. Young couple with 2 kids, 1 starting middle school and 1 in preschool. Looking to rent a home, looking for good middle school, safe area. Trying to find a fun neighborhood-preferably not a lot of seniors. Looking from Naples to Bradenton. Port Charlotte is on the radar at the moment. We are moving in 3 weeks! HELP!

[laurasrn]

pt charlotte. We live in punta gorda and there is absolutely noone our age here, 34 and 41. They are ALL retirees! I can't wait to leave for TX! Homes are way over priced, crime is going up because of the economy, there are no jobs here, so you better be coming for work w/ job already lined up, or be very wealthy.Also be ready to over spend @ the restaurants especially the over priced water front rest.

You'll enjoy it @ 1st then it will get old after 34 yrs. I use to love it down here, thought it was just the place to be until we found out how rude people are here. I cannot wait to go back to where there is "southern hospitality"!

[SoFLGal]

Did you look in North Port? It's just north of Port Charlotte and the average age is 38. The average home price is $150K. Good luck with your search!

[yachtcare]

Only weighing in on this one because you mentioned school age kids. You mentioned looking as far south as Naples, so that includes my area. I cannnot comment much on Port Charlotte, or points north, I would say to concentrate you search there however. Why? The school system in Lee (from practical experience) and Collier (from what I have heard, and seen a bit of) absolutely suck. Drugs, crime, weapons, in the schools. Poor academic acheivement, taken on the national average. My friends kids tell me horror stories of what goes on here. Likely no worse, or better than most other school systems? I wouldnt know. Only know about this area.
Also, since you seem open to searching such a large area, I assume, perhaps in error, that you have not found employment yet. If that is the case, consider CAREFULLY, if moving here is truly what you want to do. Even the minimum wage jobs are tough to find in these parts right now. Thousands of people were turned away when they lined up at a new Target store to apply for jobs here in Fort Myers recently. There's a ton of competition, for very few jobs. Best of luck for the future.

[memoriesbre]

At least you are renting a house for now. Do NOT buy. See if you like Florida first.
We lived in Deep Creek which is in Punta Gorda but really Port Charlotte.. it's just the address that has Punta Gorda. The people are rude and mostly seniors at that. There are tons of people from Michigan in Deep Creek too. There are young families in the community but there are also many many old folks. Alot of empty homes still waiting to be sold.
We lived down there for 7 years. In 2004 Hurricane Charley destroyed our town, community... That was the last straw for us.
We are now back up in the Northeast thank goodness!!

[GrannyII]

Lots of areas of the country are experiencing problems in schools. I don't know of any areas that are immune. Perhaps Alaska?

Also, employment is down. But guess what major demographic is affecting our employment situation? That is all over the US. Don't blame the place. Blame some humans.

[MemphisMonkeyMane]

Port Charlotte has ALWAYS been given a bad rap...since the late 1970s and so has NorthPort which is in Sarasota County- Sarasotans have always looked down theri noses at folks in Charlotte county fo some reason

Yes, jobs are tight

Yes, there are issues with schools (imagine that)

Houses are cheap as they have been in a while- a BUYING opportunity but choose wisely

No markets go down in a straight line- or up in a straight line

People packed up their 4 year old SUV's in the 1980s and headed for the sunshine in hopes of the good beach life- many didn't have a pot to pee in, in the first place ! but everyone it seems to expect to be able to live in paradise or close to the beaches in America----well...NOT so - everyone is not entitled to live on Park Avenue or on Maui either, or White Plains- so if you can't afford it- it makes sense to move somewhere that YOU CAN

Personally I like some of the bargains that can be found NOW even on the water or on canals it's CHEAP, and it's not going to stay that way forever...we're taking advantage of it, but you have to have some resources for sure- but that should not be a revelation ! You can't have champagne tastes on a freakin beer budget

Half of these idiots are running right back up I-75 to places like E TN and north GA, and NC- heck, many of them didn't have any business coming to FL in the first freakin place- n'er-do'wells, scammers, runnaways-from-their-pasts, fortune seekers, and wannabe beach-bums. Let them exit, it's for the best, for them financially and many solid FL residents and citizens who can, and wish to build a community.

I think Port Charlotte shall rebound even though it's taken longer than anyone thought...but the pure attraction of FLORIDA will eventually prove a positive, but not for everyone- some shall fail- others will prosper

[memoriesbre]

It just seems that Port Charlotte has been taking forever to grow and prosper. False promises from commissioners about the beautification projects... this was even before Hurricane Charley blew through. You can take advantage of the lower home prices right now but I still think the county could keep their promises about making the area a nicer place to live. Drive on 41 and see the difference of what is kept nice and what's not.
Everything that is done in Charlotte County seems to been done without thinking.
At the Super Walmart off Rt. 41 they put in Bougainvia shrubs in the media on Toledo Blade then went and ripped them all out a year later. Where does that make sense?

People move there thinking it's going to be a nice place to live then they realize that nothing ever gets done to better the place. They move away to wherever because possibly they were tired of all the FALSE PROMISES!

[jumperplight]

I have lived here for almost 10 years and I have loved every bit of it.. I am 41 years old and I found this place as a safe haven against rocketing sky prices and the economy.. I paid cash for my house back in 1999 for 20K.. Florida is so cheap to live.. I would reccomend you come and buy a cheap fixer-upper for under 50K and they can be had now... NO heating in winter.. Dry your clothes in the sun.. Plenty of Oranges to eat.. Traffic is not that bad here - Naples and Sarasota is 10 times worse.. Can drink beer on the beach.. Don't listen to these people.. Wherever you are there you are.. You make your life and you live it..

[121804]

Sure, buy a "fixer upper" with school age children. Smart. Whatever.

No heat in winter but be ready to run the a/c non stop from June through Oct.

No where is cheap to live. Some places are more financially afforable than others, but no place is "cheap".

Really classy people drink beer on the beach. It's always a treat to watch drunk middle age men fall in the sand as you try to have a nice day at the beach with your family.
But, then again, when one thinks of PC, it wouldn't be a surprise.

Memoriesbre--There is no thinking required in Charlotte County. When the majority of the population of the county is bringing their retirement income & spending it with open arms, why "think"?