New Yorkers looking for Florida house (Cape Coral, Sarasota: foreclosures, to rent, home owners insurance)

[mitchell.glass]

Hey, I know stupid title. Anyway, married white couple here with an 18 month old son looking for a vacation house in florida. We are right outside of albany ny. Looking for a good deal. We have been chatting with a realtor this week about getting something. We have been looking at punta gorda area, cape coral and naples area. Can anyone give me some advice on this? Looking to spend 150k. Let me know. I would really apreciate any advice anyone can give, as far as place to avoid, crime areas, gangs?

[Big House]

Originally Posted by mitchell.glass

Hey, I know stupid title. Anyway, married white couple here with an 18 month old son looking for a vacation house in florida. We are right outside of albany ny. Looking for a good deal. We have been chatting with a realtor this week about getting something. We have been looking at punta gorda area, cape coral and naples area. Can anyone give me some advice on this? Looking to spend 150k. Let me know. I would really apreciate any advice anyone can give, as far as place to avoid, crime areas, gangs?

Hi!,

I just bought in Punta Gorda Isles. It is a great area, and today we went to Venice Beach - great beach. There a lots of fun places within a 1/2 hour or so to visit and do fun things.

You are on the wrong thread if you want to find out things about the PGI area. Most of us hang out on the Sarasota Thread.

On the Florida Thread, I created a thread called "Punta Gorda Anyone" it was kinda like a journal of my experience looking and learning about the area. There is a lot to know, I asked a ton of questions, and a lot of great people replied and were really helpful to me. You can search it out, and you also can DM me if you have any questions.

Good Luck and welcome to the CD board!

[RMD3819]

How many weeks a year are you planning on vacationing in it? Do you want to rent it out the rest of the time?

[Big House]

Originally Posted by RMD3819

How many weeks a year are you planning on vacationing in it? Do you want to rent it out the rest of the time?

That is a question I'm still pondering. I'm in a situation where I can outright retire and stay here year round if I wish, but I don't want to stop working. We are here at least through April, but I have things set up that I work from down here and travel north maybe once a month to handle the hands on stuff I have to in MD. I may just keep doing that. We do have family and friends that we need to see so we do plan on spending some time back North. No I don't plan on renting. We have a couple daughters that are still in school and use the house in MD as their base right now. We are thinking of downsizing that and maybe buying a "starter house" for them so that will help them get started, and give us a place to hang our hats when we do go north. It's up in the air for us right now. I love it here!

[nhkev]

I bought a house in cape coral in october and am also from the northeast. before I bought I used this forum extensively ( thank you to all the people who have posted) Every one has opinions and I'll give you mine. There seems to be two groups of people

• residents who have lived in the cape , Know what it Used to be and prefered how it was
• new comers who see it for what it is now.

The deals on houses are undisputable. The people I have met were very friendly. drivers were much more courteous compared to northeast. Taxes and home owners insurance are less than what I pay in northeast. weather is great. the town does a great job with its parks. The yacht club community park is nice. everything is accessible, Never felt unsafe, in fact I went down with the expectation of seeing house after house boarded up , abandoned properties turned crack house, homeless people everywhere, hookers on street corners, illegals outside of home depot looking for work based off some of the threads that I have read. Nothing could be further from this.. Maybe out of every 200 hundred homes one was obviously abandoned I saw a couple with broken windows. From the northwest section near coral oaks golf course it took me 45 mins to get to fortmyers beach and 1 hr to get to sanibel island. sanibel was on a sunday and fort myers was a monday. I had a great time while I was down there, Not quite ready to move down there but for a vacation home it's perfect.

[Twobeach]

good for you,,,finally some truth to the CC deal! I too would like to tell all what Long Island used to be~ it too is not the same! This is why we too will be relo'ing to Cape Coral as soon as we sell~

[hiknapster]

Originally Posted by Twobeach

good for you,,,finally some truth to the CC deal! I too would like to tell all what Long Island used to be~ it too is not the same! This is why we too will be relo'ing to Cape Coral as soon as we sell~

Pssst....

You're talking to someone that bought a Cape Coral house as an investment. He lives and works in New England.

[JudiPatooti]

This is an old post so I imagine the OP has moved on by now, but if not I'd say to you if you have a bit more bucks I'd suggest you look into Naples, because you can get a VERY good deal on foreclosures here right now (spring '09) and this town is probably the best investment out of the three areas you named. The tax base is lowest in Collier County, Naples is a gorgeous town that is always improving on what's already tops, and you'll find little crime or gangs in Naples.

[csmithsr]

Originally Posted by mitchell.glass

Hey, I know stupid title. Anyway, married white couple here with an 18 month old son looking for a vacation house in florida. We are right outside of albany ny. Looking for a good deal. We have been chatting with a realtor this week about getting something. We have been looking at punta gorda area, cape coral and naples area. Can anyone give me some advice on this? Looking to spend 150k. Let me know. I would really apreciate any advice anyone can give, as far as place to avoid, crime areas, gangs?

[csmithsr]

I think you get more house in Estero.You are close to 3 major Shoping malls,Good medical,Close to airport.Good schools,The beach.Lots of restaurants.Clost to the University.Close to I-75.