Young Family Planning to Move to Punta Gorda / Port Charlotte Areas (North Port: low crime, homes)

[nopsled]

Greetings,


I have been lurking here for a while and love the community and how there is a solid group of people who are always so happy to help people thinking of making the move to SW Florida. Thank you all who are in that group (you know who you are).


My wife and I have been considering moving to Punta Gorda / Port Charlotte area for a little over a year now, and we think we are ready to make the jump. Currently we are living in ATL, and are really tired of the changes that have been taking place in recent years. We have visited SW Florida multiple times and absolutely love the people and lifestyle.


All that being said, we are expecting a child soon and really want to ensure we are in a safe area. Now I know this question has been asked so many times over the years, but I would really like a cut and dry answer when it comes to which areas are the safest and which areas near Punta Gorda / Port Charlotte / North Port to steer clear of. I am not trying to stir up trouble or ask questions that are difficult to answer, but I am concerned with the fact that I will need to be traveling for work and do not want to have to worry about my wife and child being home alone while I am gone. This is one of the reasons I am really pushing for us to move from ATL.



We have been down a few times and driven around the areas. Unfortunately it is difficult to get a true feel for the areas when visiting. I have tried looking on crime maps, but the data was either outdated or not working in the case of the local police website.


I guess a TLDR would be:


1.) What areas / neighborhoods are worth looking in ( We have a budget of about 260K)?
2.) What areas / neighborhoods are best to stay away from?


Any advice is very much appreciated, this is our first time buying and I want to be better informed before I start working with a buyer's agent.


Thank you all for your help!

[oddest artist]

I would suggest doing a Zillow search based on your buying parameters - cost, rooms, size, etc. Once you narrow it down to prospective homes, do a Google Street View to see if you like the visuals of the neighborhoods. Once you narrow your scope and selection it would be easier for folks here to give potential feedback on what they know about neighborhoods you are interested in. In general, all of this area is safe. Crime in the county is down year over year. There is a low crime rate overall. Most things are burglaries of unsecured vehicles. The biggest crime last week was a guy coming home to find a woman skinny-dipping in his pool.

[nopsled]

That sounds good. I really appreciate your response.
We have been around different areas, but I couldn't tell if they were just older areas (kind of run down looking). I am fine with these kind of areas, and don't think the "curb appeal" always indicates the safety.



I was just wondering if there were specific areas that are known to be not very safe or recommended for a family with a young child.


Thanks again for your help!

[oddest artist]

I'm not about to begin to redline areas here. Overall, the entire county is safe. When we still had kids at home we always cruised neighborhoods looking for basketball goals and bikes in the yard. I'd also suggest centering your search around elementary school districts. Some schools rate better than others and that could be a big factor for you.

[Ron61]

I live in the Deep Creek community of Punta Gorda, which interestingly enough is located on the Port Charlotte side of things. Been here five years and still don’t understand that. Oh well.

There are many homes here in your price range, but like everyplace else home prices are rising quickly. I believe this community is very safe, and wouldn’t hesitate to live here if I travelled frequently on business.

While many see this as an older persons community, we are seeing a lot of young families moving here. There is a POA here, which is primarily why we bought here. Things are hardly perfect here, but this isn’t the place to go into that. Compared to other areas near here in your price range it’s pretty nice.

[nopsled]

Thanks for the reply and filling me in on the area you live.


We did check out Deep Creek area while we were visiting and liked it a lot, but just weren't clear on how the "deed restricted" would workout. Have you seen that as an issue, or has it helped in your opinion?


We actually are more laid back and prefer the slower / non wild type of living. That was one of the reasons we were drawn to this area of FL. We like to enjoy life but not really into the fast life anymore.



Thanks again for the great info... this is why I love this community here. Always helpful

[Old Rocky]

For a deed restricted area, Deep Creek is not as strict as some I've heard about and been to. The rules here are more about good home ownership & care than worrying about fussy things. I.e., no boats, trailers, RVs parked in front of your house, get your bins in after they're emptied, keep the weeds and shrubbery under control, etc. Nobody's dictating what shade of ecru you can paint your house. If you want to hang your washing out on a line though, or keep chickens, this isn't the neighborhood for you. Those are a couple of things I'd like but accept I can't here.

The annual fee last year was $145 if I'm not mistaken. Some people pay more than that per month. ​When we looked here, we had no idea there were deed restrictions. It looked like a nice area with neat properties but not overly perfect. It's what attracted us and many others to the place and the deed restrictions are mostly the reason for that. We've been through some parts of PC and PG without deed restrictions and seen a few of the "wild" types who blight the neighborhood and make me thankful we don't live near them.

It can take a while to deal with the trouble-makers though because they give people a few chances to rectify violations. There was a homeowner a few years ago who really pushed it. Thankfully he left. There's another near us who is also pushing it but hopefully he'll be dealt with too eventually. There's always one of those it seems.

[PamelaIamela]

Originally Posted by nopsled

...

We have been around different areas, but I couldn't tell if they were just older areas (kind of run down looking). I am fine with these kind of areas, and don't think the "curb appeal" always indicates the safety.

..

I always suggest househunters to ignore the cars and look closely at the landscaping!
Untended and hardscrabble grounds is always a huge red plag to me because the desire and ability to keep up a nice appearance is indicative of common middle class community values like personal safety.
Good luck.

[nopsled]

Thanks Old Rocky and Pamelalamela!



Great pointers and I think I understand a little better about the deed restricted areas. In my mind it is a two edged sword. On one hand, you don't have to worry about neighbors who don't care about the appearance of where they live, but on the other, you deal with rules that can seem petty sometimes.


Old Rocky, just start giving the neighbors some occasional free eggs and I am sure they will let the chickens slide haha



Again, thank you to everyone who has been so helpful and thanks for giving guidance.