So many properties, what's the down side?

[FlaLadyB]

Originally Posted by bell125

Hi,
We currently live in New Jersey and are thinking on moving to Florida. My husband will be retiring soon. We have three children ages 11, 8, and 6. We visit Florida every year because my husband's whole family lives there, between Miami and Orlando. We are looking to settle into Port St. Lucie/Stewart area. My concerns are housing and the school system. Any advice is appreciated and welcomed.

There are a LOT of threads on here concerning exactly what you are asking. You might want to hit the top of the page and do a search. Stewart is spelled STUART - just an FYI.

[Snow Allergy]

Originally Posted by Fishboy Brian

I've done a search of properties within 50 miles of Port St. Lucie on realtor.com, setting the property criteria at 3\2\2, single-story, swimming pool, waterfront, less than $150,000. I came up with 32 such listings, several of which have to have been worth three or four times the amount I see they're listed.

So, there are SO many great looking properties in the Port St. Lucie area I have to ask what I should look for and what I should stay away from. Any advice is welcome.

Now you have to be wary of 'American drywall' as well as the chineese version. Also mold, high utility rates in some areas (vero, ft. Pierce) can cramp your style. Oppressive home owners associations abound. Which way will you be commuting to and from work? Traffic is an issue in some areas. Although I've never seen it drop as dramatically as it has recenlty. It's the holiday shopping season and it's very tolerable, which is unusual for here.

Homes with high roofs don't do well in hurricanes. If you can find a nice one with a low profile roofline (rare also) it will fare better. Better too is a home that has preinstalled shutters. You'll get a discount on insurance that way.

If it was built from 2002 to 2006 or 7 you may suffer in quality as they were hiring just about anyone who could pick up a hammer then. Florida is a very complex place to buy a home because it has unique problems vs. the rest of the U.S. What seems nice online is often not so in person.

Also homes that back up to water or nothing are hard to come by and preferable. I wouldn't want a home that has the back of another home behind me. Yet most of the people in PSL live this way. Other parts of Florida did better at planning so more homes are not oriented like that.

Homes nears schools may seem like a good thing. But in many cases it's not optimum here. You have to deal with getting in and out and the kids. Often your kid gets bussed somewhere else anyway. So being close to one can be moot. Morningside is about the only school neighborhood I like in PSL. Club med area is a nice neighborhood too.

[FlaLadyB]

Also note that Realtor.com is not always up to date. Many of those homes you see are probably already taken. It doesnt take them off the market when they are contingent or pending.

Also, photos only can be deceiving if you do not actually come down here and look. The house might look great but you might have a not so great house next door.

I could run an mls list of every house you say you like first to see which ones aren't even available. If the house is in foreclosure or short sale the elec is possibly off and that is not good for any Florida home since that invites mold. What you see in photos is not particularly what you get once you actually see them. Are you not coming down first to spend time investigating?

[stevep111]

FlaLadyB is correct. You have to come down and see the neighborhoods. Some are good house bad house. Kind of looking at somone with half of their teeth missing. If I only show you a picture of the teeth that still exist you will miss the ones that are missing in between. One day driving around will tell you which neighborhoods you would never buy in because they are that obvious.

You also need to drive the neighborhoods in the early morning at commute time and then in the evening just before dark. You will get a picture of how the neighborhood really is.

One thing though. If you plan on knocking on doors to talk to neighbors, leave the white shirt and black tie at home. (insider joke) Don't carry small black books either. Wear jeans and a Tee Shirt.

[dbay]

All good info...You will not be able to tell if a location is right for you unless you visit..A few years ago
I did a ton of research on up state South Carolina..man, I though I had found paradise..( up near Clemson)...was I wrong, one day visit and I was gone..Internet just doesn't cut it..

[Vibrane]

I've been tracking the different views; reference to PSL...I'm hoping to become a new home owner in the area. I've read the comments in regards to Realtor.Com & they are mostly true, however the site does list how long the house was on the market & when the home was posted to give you a ball park figure as to when the home became available, which at times you can't really rely on, So get a Realtor to be safe. My sister & I are both considering relocating to the area. We have heard however that PSL is having alot of problems with child abduction, so my concern is really for my sister who have small children. Is this factual? I would also like to know What is the reasonings for PSL having what seems to be the highest rate of foreclosures in such a small area? Are the homes troubled with Chinese Drywall?

[TriMT7]

I sometimes wonder where people hear things like, "PSL is having a lot of problems with child abduction?"

PSL remains one of the safest cities in the state, and amongst the safest in the country for its size.

The high foreclosure rate is due to overpriced homes and overbuilding in the area, coupled with a loss of jobs when the bubble burst. PSL is not a "small area" though --- it is 80 square miles and about 150k people, give or take depending on the time of year. Chinese drywall is a POTENTIAL problem in any home built roughly between 2004 and 2007. If you plan on buying a home built during that period, have an inspection done to ensure that the house is clear of Chinese drywall.


PSL is mostly a town of non-gated communities. It is a working class to middle class town overall, though it has its share of million dollar homes and upscale areas. There is a TON of inventory right now, so buyers have their share of choices. A knowledgeable realtor will be able to take you to a number of different and distinct areas in the city, from Southbend to St. Lucie West, Torino to Tradition, Club Med to the Savannas, St. James, to the Reserve.

[Vibrane]

Thank you for responding to my concerns, I appreciate your knowledge on the area, and will take everything in consideration whenever I choose my home. I will also have an inspection conducted before I purchase the home that I'm most interested in. I love the layouts of the homes in the Port St Lucie area. I'm actually coming from the South Broward area, in which a home costing $120,000 in Broward looks like the slums compared to the home in the Port St Lucie area at the same price, that looks like a home that can easily cost 300,000 if placed in other areas.

[stevep111]

I can tell you that Five houses in my neighborhood have sold in the past two months. A few more are undergoing rehab to be put back on the market. Things seem to be taking off so you had better find a good deal while they last. It appears as if the banks are holding on to foreclosures and are stopping people from doing short sales again in anticipation of higher prices once inventories of "good homes" gets low enough.

[FlaLadyB]

Yes, sales are moving quite well. The well priced homes are moving. The other good thing is that not all of them are homes that need work. Many I have seen lately are just fine with little or no work needed at all. If you're going to move....there are plenty to choose from so ...go!