Port Charlotte vs Punta Gorda (Cape Coral, Delray Beach: apartments, to rent, crime rates)

[wpc691]

Originally Posted by chuckycheese

Punta Gorda Isles is very cool.....no two ways about it. And, it's not really all that expensive... although it may be someday since it's rather unique because of the canals. It seems so unlikely that any development like it will ever take place again in Florida because of all the environmental 'hurdles'.

If anyone is interested, the canal maintenance fee that's added to your property taxes in PGI, is $500 a year. It's a pretty good 'lick', for sure, but it went up only a couple of years ago so I would think it probably won't go up again for a long time. (It was $300 before and that was in effect for quite a few years.)

The best part about PGI seawall maintenance isn't when your seawall falls down - it's when your neighbor's does.

[chuckycheese]

Originally Posted by wpc691

The best part about PGI seawall maintenance isn't when your seawall falls down - it's when your neighbor's does.

Yeah, you're very right. It's really nice to know that EVERYONE's sea wall will look nice.....since you see so many of them.....and so little of your own!

[coastal chic]

A great neighborhood in north englewood, with canals that go right out to Lemon Bay, and a quick 15 minute cruise down the ICW to stump Pass is Englewood Isles. Mainly older homes, but very well maintained, low crime, in Englewood but an easy 15 minute drive to Venice Island, 8 minutes to Target, Walmart, Outback Steakhouse, publix, pier one, etc etc. I live in this area and love it!

The feel of Englewood Isles is like PGI on a much smaller scale, but the boating is better.

[southbound2014]

Thanks again to all who have chimed in. It appears PG is favored over PC by the majority of the posters.

The responses also appear to have come from short and longer term residents. On a scale of 10 my knowledge of buying and living on a canal home in PG is very close to 0. So my next question would be directed to the folks who are newer and still have the sting of the mistakes they made when purchasing their home. The basic question would be what do you know now that you wish you had known then?

For the long term guys there must be those secrets that you only learn about the area after living there for a number of years that would also affect your purchase if you were doing it all over again.

Are most of the areas of PC Canal Homes equal in curb appear? From a boating and fishing stand point what are important issue to consider that might be over looked by myself who is totally unfamiliar with the area; especially with the canal system and getting to open water etc.

Obviously I need to do more research but gathering information from those who live it daily is not only more insightful but also more interesting.

I do appreciate your comments.

Southbound2014

[MikMal]

Originally Posted by southbound2014

.... So my next question would be directed to the folks who are newer and still have the sting of the mistakes they made when purchasing their home. The basic question would be what do you know now that you wish you had known then?....

I do appreciate your comments.

Southbound2014

I bought a canal front home in PC on the Ackerman Canal in June of '12. I have no regrets on the area in general or the neighborhood in specific. While we loved PG Isles, we didn't want to be under deed restrictions, plus it was more affordable in PC. The only thing I would have done differently (hind sight is 20/20) is buy something a bit newer, and thus higher elevation because of the impending flood insurance debacle.

[Dukenyc]

For the same money spent you can have a much nicer house, and better waterfront than in PGI.

Most houses in PGI have to contend with bridges, and many houses have quite a long idle out to the harbor. There are some nice sailboat lots, I looked at one on Luna that was a decent deal.

In PGI you can't park your boats trailer on the property, you can't wash your boat on your lawn, the list goes on. There are setbacks from the properties edge so you can't put a dock on your whole waterfront. There are also restrictions on the number of lifts you can have, 1 only if you have the typical 80' lot.

A nice area, sure,but it has nothing on the canal homes in the southern part of Port Charlotte.

Come to my neighborhood in Port Charlotte, the Grassy Point area, or any home with frontage on Alligator Bay and I promise there will not be toilets in the yard.

[Vikingen]

Punta Gorda is a really nice town, but one drawback nobody mentions here is distance to beach. If you are heading to a nice beach area - which after all is one of the main reasons one lives in FL - it is easily 45 minutes one way with a car.

If you ever get visitors - which you will - they will want to go to the beach - and you know that taking the boat is not going to be somerhing you will do every time. Too much hassle.

Check out Gulf Cove or Rotunda across the river Myakka in PC. Gulf Cove is hardly ever mentioned in this forum. Here you have a real nice residential area - with canal fronts too - much shorter distance to the beaches - short distance to shops on 41. Also, sailing distance to harbor is mostly short.

And if you ever want to go to cultural events in PG - hop in your car - but you don`t have to live there.

Crime? Basically non existant either in PC or PG. IMO, Venice/Englewood is too crowded.

[chuckycheese]

Before I decided to build a house in PGI, I went to the city website and read almost every word of the City of Punta Gorda code. I don't remember all of it, of course, but it's readily available and I would recommend that anyone serious about building or buying in PGI, do the same thing. There's simply no substitute for information that comes straight from 'the horse's mouth'.

Another suggestion I have regarding canal property is that you be very mindful of the time/distance to open water. I've been amazed at how many people seem to ignore that when shopping for a home. Even homes advertised as "Quick access" are often not really all that quick. There are lots of great locations in PGI but there are also many that are a long way from the harbor....and you practically need a GPS to find your way!

Most of the realtors can give you a plot map of PGI and you can figure times/distances really easily by having good, reliable information about a few of them. If it takes 45 minutes or an hour to get out, it's going to seem like 2 hours when you're coming back! That's just my opinion, of course.

[wpc691]

If going to the beach is one of your "main reasons" for being in Florida, PGI probably isn't a good choice.

Time out to the harbor is easily calculated on Google Earth using the ruler function to get the distance, and your particular boat's no-wake speed. As mentioned here before, homeowners looking to sell will regularly give you a time that is half the actual.

Also keep in mind shallow canals (maybe can't get your boat off the lift on a winter low tide), and some bridges are low (usually not a problem unless you're thinking cruiser).

Don't forget the no-see-ums. The closer you are to mangroves, the more there will be. Screens keep them in check, but don't stop them.

Grassy Point is very nice. We looked there, but wanted to be on the other side of the bridge to cut down airport drive time.

To each his own. We looked at about a hundred houses in PC and PG before buying canalfront in PGI a year and a half ago. It's worked out very well for us.

[MikeM8560]

Originally Posted by Dukenyc

There are setbacks from the properties edge so you can't put a dock on your whole waterfront.

FYI I had my dock built 2 years ago in PC and I had setback 7 ' I think to my neighbors line and 15' to edgewater side , im on a corner