Thoughts on Port Charlotte/Punta Gorda areas (Sarasota, Fort Myers: for sale, rental)

[sr021505]

I thinking about possibly applying for a couple jobs at the Bayfront hospital in Port Charlotte and was curious as to your thoughts on living in these two cities. Ideally I would rather live in Fort Myers, but if I were to get a job in Port Charlotte or Punta Gorda I'm not so sure I want to drive a half hour plus each way.

I've never been to either Port Charlotte or Punta Gorda so I don't know much of anything about them except for the little bit I've read on here. Any kind of information would be great.

Thanks!

[fiege1224]

Live in PGI if you can afford it. Very nice area on or off the water.

[tropicare]

When you are looking online, also check out North Port. North Port is only about a 10 minute drive to Port Charlotte, but you will find that there is a lot of houses to choose from online in the North Port area.

[TamRE]

Are you looking to purchase a home or rent if you were to live here? Where you live would also depend on your price range. Punta Gorda is a quaint small city with parks, recreation, boating, fishing and more. The homes in the Punta Gorda Isles area are in a flood zone and most homes start at $400k and above. There are less expensive homes but they would be high for homeowner insurance. Port Charlotte is a larger, older town than Punta Gorda. There are shops, restaurants, schools, hospitals, grocery, library, cultural center, shopping mall and just about anything you would be looking for along US 41. The homes are in a variety of price ranges, sizes and locations. North Port is just a little north of Port Charlotte and has newer, more affordable homes where your homeowner insurance won't be quite as high. North Port is closer to the beaches than Punta Gorda or Port Charlotte. Here are some links.

City and County Offices

Charlotte County - Charlotte County BCC

City of Punta Gorda - City of Punta Gorda Florida

City of North Port - City of North Port, FL : Home


Chamber of Commerce

Charlotte County Chamber of Commerce - Charlotte County Chamber of Commerce || Port Charlotte, Florida

Punta Gorda Chamber of Commerce - Punta Gorda Chamber of Commerce: Home Page

North Port Chamber of Commerce - http://www.northportareachamber.com/


Local Area Hospitals

Bayfront Health - Bayfront Health Port Charlotte - Punta Gorda

Fawcett Memorial Hospital - Fawcett Memorial Hospital | Port Charlotte, Florida - Fawcett Memorial Hospital | Charlotte, FL

Englewood Community Hospital - Englewood Community Hospital | Englewood, Florida - Englewood Community Hospital | Englewood, FL

Venice Regional Medical Center - Venice Regional Bayfront Health

[SoFLGal]

It would help to know a little more info. What appeals to you about Ft Myers? Do you have kids? If so, then you would want to investigate the schools. What kind of things interest you--going to the beach? Fishing? Golfing? Tennis, etc? Both areas are different and I would suggest one over the other depending on your interest, amount you are looking to spend and if you have school age children or not.

Punta Gorda Isles (PGI) is a large upscale waterfront community in Punta Gorda. With city water and sewer and close proximity to I-75 and US 41, Punta Gorda Isles is convenient to all services and amenities and close to downtown Punta Gorda, Fort Myers and Naples. Punta Gorda Isles was once swampland dredged by General Development Corp. in 1957 to create a maze of seawalled saltwater canals. Canals in Punta Gorda Isles are 100 feet wide and 12 feet deep, and the seawalls and canals are maintained by the city of Punta Gorda. This is a primarily a boating, golfing and country club neighborhood with pretty Spanish tile roofs and a strong homeowner’s association to help maintain value.

You’ll find alluring street names like Aqui Esta, Via Paloma and Santa Margerita in the older section and bird names like Whippoorwill, Plover and Turtle Dove in the newer area.

Punta Gorda also has a restored downtown area only a few blocks from Punta Gorda Isles that will send you back in time with quaint brick walkways, gas lights, fine food and interesting shops and art galleries while Fisherman’s Village is the gem of the waterfront, with lots of shopping and dining. The city of Punta Gorda appeals to families, retirees and winter residents. There is a strong civic pride and very active civic organizations in the Punta Gorda area. Ponce de Leon Historical Park and boat ramp are at the western end of Punta Gorda Isles. The Punta Gorda Yacht Club is located on the harbor and is always a popular place for visitors and residents alike.

At the center of Punta Gorda Isles is the St. Andrews Golf Club, along with a small commercial area that offers services to residents. Punta Gorda Isles is a deed restricted community with over 6,000 lots. Punta Gorda Isles has its own yacht club, and a private golf club, so residents never have to leave home to pursue their passion. This community is an ideal location for nature lovers, water enthusiasts, boaters and golfers. Homes in Punta Gorda Isles are beautifully landscaped and intelligently conceived to suit the surrounding environment. A few homes border the St. Andrew’s South Golf Club. The Punta Gorda Isles road system was designed to minimize traffic and to give the community the feel of a small, private neighborhood. There are a few new homes and lots in this community but many purchases today are for existing homes and condos, some dating back to the 1960s. Compared to Sarasota, Fort Myers and Naples, purchase prices in Punta Gorda Isles are very affordable. In Punta Gorda Isles you can find moderately priced waterfront homes and glorious waterfront estates. Residential lots are either on a canal or surrounding the St. Andrews South Golf Club. Most homes in Punta Gorda Isles have 3-5 bedrooms and 2-4 bathrooms.

With 130 miles of water, natural preserve Charlotte Harbor is popular with boaters and fishermen, and leads out into the waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Punta Gorda, is situated on the Peace River and is ranked one of the Money Magazine best places to live in America.

Port Charlotte was first developed in the late 1950s by General Development.

Some Port Charlotte communities include:
Section 15 is not an alien landing strip. It is an upscale neighborhood in Port Charlotte, Florida. This comment is often seen in listings because this area has both city water and city sewer without the dues of a homeowner’s association. These are generally larger homes with pools. This is a handy location for both shopping and traveling via I-75.

Lea Marie is an elegant, small gated waterfront community on Lea Marie Island next to the Charlotte Harbor. Most of the homes are custom built and spacious.

Other Port Charlotte area communities include
• Collingswood Pointe, a street of beautiful sailboat waterfront homes at the eastern end of Collingswood Boulevard
•Deep Creek, a vast development with all types of housing and golf course whose actual address in Punta Gorda but is on the same side of the Peace River as Port Charlotte
•Riverwood Golf and Country Club, a gated, golfing community between Port Charlotte and Englewood
•Grassy Pointe, a small gated waterfront subdivision with million dollar homes and million dollar views
•South Gulf Cove, an enormous area close to Englewood with miles of Gulf access canals and Gulf access
•El Jobean, a small fishing community just before the bridge over the Myakka River
•Gulf Cove, a mix of smaller homes and waterfront mansions along the Myakka River and close to Englewood
•Harbour Heights, located upriver on the Peace River has some waterfront property and a large park

Visitors boat on the Peace River and fish for Tarpon in the Gulf of Mexico. Charlotte Harbor has one of the world’s largest protected marine estuaries – 270 square miles with over 219 miles of natural shoreline. Barrier islands and mangrove islands abound with pelicans, seagulls, cormorants and osprey everywhere. Even a bald eagle is spotted now and then. Friendly dolphin often swim alongside your boat.

Both communities area beautiful and have their own unique features.

[sr021505]

Wow!! Thanks for the information. I don't have any kids and don't plan to buy right away, which leaves me with renting. My budget partially depends on what they pay rate would be, I do have savings but I would rather not have to tap into it too much if I don't have to.

I would like to be fairly close to the beach and I like towns with a small town feel that aren't small, if that makes any sense. I currently live in a town of about 12,000 (population increases during the summer months like it does in FL during the winter months) and everybody knows everybody's business and I can't stand it.

I guess I would trying to get opinions on the good and bad of the areas and pretty much any other information that wanted to be shared.

[mylittletyguy]

my husband currently works for bay front as an RN...we are currently seeking employment elsewhere because of the take over. do your research before you accept a position there and pick up your life and move here. They came in and cut pay, took away PTO and changed other benefits that do not work anywhere close to the favor of the employees.

[SoFLGal]

Originally Posted by sr021505

Wow!! Thanks for the information. I don't have any kids and don't plan to buy right away, which leaves me with renting. My budget partially depends on what they pay rate would be, I do have savings but I would rather not have to tap into it too much if I don't have to.

I would like to be fairly close to the beach and I like towns with a small town feel that aren't small, if that makes any sense. I currently live in a town of about 12,000 (population increases during the summer months like it does in FL during the winter months) and everybody knows everybody's business and I can't stand it.

I guess I would trying to get opinions on the good and bad of the areas and pretty much any other information that wanted to be shared.

Well, it might be a bit hard to recommend an area without knowing a rental range. In the $600-$700 a month range you will get an older 1950-1960's, smaller house, probably somewhere in the vicinity of the hospitals. In the $800-$1000 range you will get a somewhat newer home, probably built in the 1980's and maybe in the Peachland Blvd area. In the $1k-$1300K you could probably get something in Deep Creek and something built in the 1990's or possibly 2000's. $1400 and up you can get a newer, pool home and in the higher range you can secure something on the water.

Hope this helps

[ping18n1]

My wife and I are looking to move to the port Charlotte area, but are concerned about all the insurance that it looks like you need on a home. We live in east Tennessee, we only need home owners insurance. Do all residents carry flood, wind, hurricane insurance or is this one policy. Also what is a good area to look at homes for sale

[TamRE]

Homeowner Insurance rates vary by age of home, size of home,
conditions of home, and location of home. Insurance is more expensive if you live
near any type of water – pond, lake, river, Gulf. Insurance is more expensive if
home was not built to current hurricane standards. You can get discounts the home
qualifies for by having a wind mitigation inspection done at the same time as your
home inspection. Discounts are available for building features that reduce damage
during high wind events. Overall discounts include things such as age of home, style
of roof, how close the home is to a body of water, how close to a fire hydrant, how
the roof is tied down, if the home has hurricane shutters or impact resistant
windows, frame or block home, etc. If the home is in a flood zone, the insurance
company will require a flood elevation certificate. That can be obtained by paying a
survey company to prepare it. To check Flood Zones go to Flood Insurance | Flood Maps | Flood Risk | FloodSmart and
type in the address of the property. It will give you the flood zone, rates, and
insurance companies.

If you don't want to pay flood insurance then you would want to search for homes that are listed in the
X or X500 Flood zone.