possibly headed to this area

[mr&mrssunshine]

Mike, yes Rotonda allows fences and the limit on pets is not enforced ,we ,along with a few others have 3 (or more in some cases) dogs...the HOA is $82 a year.............in the sands and heights

[coastal chic]

Yes, they allow fences, but they can only be 4' high. And they have to be chain link, vinyl, or aluminum. HOA fees in Rotonda West are about $165/ year. The HOA is great- the rules are fair, not too strict, but strict enough. Just avoid the older areas because there are more rentals there, and the rules seem to be optional, unless you like that!

[3dogs&aspouse]

TamRE

really big help on the links. Wife is waiting for confirmation of placement and possible corporate placement. My wife is a Realtor here in Texas and should she not get her Florida license before we are ready to buy and you're an agent, your hired. Should we need someone for rental, if you bother with those, would you mind?

[Messing About]

I agree. 3 full size dogs will be a challenge to find a rental...fenced with a large enough yard for them to run...likely need a home with a double lot (20k sqft). Month to month is possible coming into season but you will pay through the roof for it, I would guess.

I had a Malanois when I was a K9 LEO in AZ. Great breed but 3 that size under one roof? Foooey!!!

My advice is to start spending 3 day weekends here, immediately, to check out the areas and hunt for a land/home purchase. TamRE will be a great help if you want an experienced agent who knows the area. You'll have fewer challenges with your "kids" if you avoid deed restricted communities. I can see some people pitching a (rhymes with pitch) about your big scary dogs. (I'm surprised sunshine can walk dogs off lead without hassle so maybe I'm wrong on that front.

I travel for a living, now as well. 50-60 flights a year. It takes me 90 minutes to TPA and 60 minutes to RSW. (Ft. Myers) both from Port Charlotte, near US 41 & 776. I'm partial to Southwest so I've never flown out of SRQ or Punta Gorda regional. I get the most flight choices out of TPA but can work the entire Eastern US out of RSW. For Western states, it's TPA or 2 connecting flights to get where I'm going (I won't connect more than once...it already takes all day to get to LAX from here with changing in Phx.)

You are spot on correct to stay away from Cape Coral and Ft. Myers in my opinion.
I'm partial to PG, although you get more for your money in PC, which is why I'm here.
North Port has nice neighborhoods and Rotunda is nice as well, although more money than the others listed here. There's a house in PG I'd like to step up to but it's twice the investment I have here in PC (199 vs 460). I think I'm going to stay put and spend 50k to turn my back walls into pocket sliding glass doors and put in a pool & cage. I'm on a Gulf Access canal with a dock and lift. I bought in 4/08.

I will be interested to follow this thread and see how it plays out for you. Best of luck.

[3dogs&aspouse]

Thank you sir. We are excited and surprisingly not too worried about the Florida side of the move. Making sure we get our house sold here is the bigger issue. We may entice a landlord to allow us if we provide 1st, last, and pay a security deposit prior to moving in a place. We only plan to live in a rental for no more than 6 months. That should give us time to determine where we would like to place our new Florida roots. The weather would be a blessing. Warm winter and mild summers. I realize that for most, mild, is relative. We live in Texas and our normal daily temp from June through Sept is 96 on average. We other get weeks in the triple digits with lows around 89 to 92. An ocean breeze will be appreciated.