Need some advice re: Florida (Tampa, Sarasota: rental, insurance, house)

[BTF11]

We are a few years away from retirement, but are considering moving from the midwest to Florida.

I guess I have a few questions:

1) We're not sure if we want to live down there full-time, or just during the winter months. How difficult would it be to find a furnished rental home during the winter months in an area like Punta Gorda?

2) We aren't completely sure where we might want to live/rent. We have been to the Tampa area before, so we're pretty sure that we'd like to stay on the west coast of the state. Things we are looking for include a town with 1) good walking/biking trails, 2) a somewhat wide assortment of decent non-chain (seafood) restaurants, 3) a public library that has a pretty good collection of older DVDs available to watch, 4) a community with a mix of retirees, middle-aged people, and some younger people, and 5) within 30-45 minutes of the ocean. 5) If we decided to buy, we'd like to find a 3 bedroom, 2 bath house with an outdoor pool for under $200k. I've done a bit of research, and it kind of sounds like Punta Gorda might fit what we're looking for.

Thanks for your help.

[mr&mrssunshine]

I presume you mean Punta Gorda Isles as opposed to 'just' PG

you will not find a pool home under $215k as of today unless you go for something built in 1980.....

[BTF11]

Originally Posted by mr&mrssunshine

I presume you mean Punta Gorda Isles as opposed to 'just' PG

you will not find a pool home under $215k as of today unless you go for something built in 1980.....

We just started doing research, so I don't even know the difference between Punta Gorda Isles and PG?

Also, we might not be opposed to something built in 1980; our current home was built in the 1970s.

Thank you for responding to the post.

[BTF11]

By the way, hello to everyone in the community. It's snowing here and I've got a bit of a cold, so I am having warm, fuzzy feelings towards Florida at the moment.

[the searchers]

BTF11 have you visited Punta Gorda yet?

We moved here pushing 15 years ago and prior to that we visited most all the coastal areas of Florida. Obviously we liked this area the best. At the time we also got the best bang for our $ here. We have only regretted the move once and that was about 15 minutes after Hurricane Charley blew our lanai cage in. That being said, I still think a good look around Florida will help you with future decisions.

[BTF11]

Originally Posted by the searchers

BTF11 have you visited Punta Gorda yet?

We moved here pushing 15 years ago and prior to that we visited most all the coastal areas of Florida. Obviously we liked this area the best. At the time we also got the best bang for our $ here. We have only regretted the move once and that was about 15 minutes after Hurricane Charley blew our lanai cage in. That being said, I still think a good look around Florida will help you with future decisions.

Not yet.

I have enjoyed our trips to the Tampa area, and everyone we have talked to has said good things about vacationing in areas further south like Sarasota, Sanibel, etc.

So, I just pulled out a map, and was looking near those areas, and saw Punta Gorda, and it intrigued me.

[BTF11]

Originally Posted by Hometasticservices

You may want to consider PortCharlotte
In that price range. You can get a really nice place for that.

Okay. Thanks.

Actually, I read something at USNews and World Report about Port Charlotte being a great place to retire, IIRC.

The Port Charlotte/Punta Gorda area sounds very nice.

[TamRE]

It is a good idea to rent before purchasing. Spend one winter in a rental and get a good feel for the area and take a look at some homes in Punta Gorda and Port Charlotte in your price range. If you are planning to rent, it is a best to book a year in advance. New rental listings do come on the market, but they go pretty fast.

Here are some links about the area:
City of Punta Gorda - City of Punta Gorda Florida
Punta Gorda Chamber of Commerce - Punta Gorda Chamber of Commerce: Home Page
Punta Gorda Isles Civic Association - Punta Gorda Isles Civic Association
Charlotte County - Charlotte County BCC
Charlotte County Chamber of Commerce - Charlotte County Chamber of Commerce || Port Charlotte, Florida
Cultural Center of Charlotte County - The Cultural Center of Charlotte County, Inc.
Charlotte County Library - Library
Charlotte County Beaches - Community Services

[BTF11]

Originally Posted by TamRE

It is a good idea to rent before purchasing. Spend one winter in a rental and get a good feel for the area and take a look at some homes in Punta Gorda and Port Charlotte in your price range. If you are planning to rent, it is a best to book a year in advance. New rental listings do come on the market, but they go pretty fast.

Here are some links about the area:
City of Punta Gorda - City of Punta Gorda Florida
Punta Gorda Chamber of Commerce - Punta Gorda Chamber of Commerce: Home Page
Punta Gorda Isles Civic Association - Punta Gorda Isles Civic Association
Charlotte County - Charlotte County BCC
Charlotte County Chamber of Commerce - Charlotte County Chamber of Commerce || Port Charlotte, Florida
Cultural Center of Charlotte County - The Cultural Center of Charlotte County, Inc.
Charlotte County Library - Library
Charlotte County Beaches - Community Services

Thank you for the information. I am going to start looking online at vrbo at rental properties in the area.

[MikMal]

Originally Posted by BTF11

We just started doing research, so I don't even know the difference between Punta Gorda Isles and PG?

Also, we might not be opposed to something built in 1980; our current home was built in the 1970s.

Thank you for responding to the post.

It's not so much the age to be concerned about, but the elevation that the house was built at. Check out the thread on flood insurance; it goes into the debacle of flood insurance rates vs/ building elevation.