Rent Sarasota house with a dog under $1000/mo? (Goldenrod, Fruitville: foreclosure, rentals)

[moving_from_volusia]

Relocating from the FL east coast in about a month for a job and looking for a place to live. We have only visited Sarasota once and don't know the area at all. Looking for:
1. Easy commute - job is in downtown Sarasota and want to keep the commute under 20 minutes and avoid whatever roads are the clogged mess at rush hours (41?, Fruitville?)
2. 2 thirty-something adults and 1 dog over 50 pounds (lab mix) - so we need a place where we can have a large dog and don't share walls (for everyone's sake) and we need at least two bedrooms (one for us, one for stuff and visitors)
3. Safe - can a female walk down the street after dark and not feel like she has to have pepper spray at the ready? Are bars on the windows and a chain-link fence around the front yard a common sight (that signals unsafe to me)?
4. House doesn't have to be pristine, have a pool or anything special but it should be in decent shape where we aren't spending a small fortune trying to keep it cool in the summer and calling the landlord every other week because something is leaking or we are being pelted by flying palmetto bugs while sleeping
5. We would like to be close to where people our age like to spend their evenings and weekends, not out in the country, in the overwhelming families-with-little-kids zones, or in an area of only 55 and over.

All this for $1000/month or less, not including utilities but including any extra "pet fees". Is this realistic? What neighborhoods? If not, what is realistic based on our criteria and which neighborhoods would we find it in?

[Ladywithafan]

Originally Posted by moving_from_volusia

Relocating from the FL east coast in about a month for a job and looking for a place to live. We have only visited Sarasota once and don't know the area at all. Looking for:
1. Easy commute - job is in downtown Sarasota and want to keep the commute under 20 minutes and avoid whatever roads are the clogged mess at rush hours (41?, Fruitville?)
2. 2 thirty-something adults and 1 dog over 50 pounds (lab mix) - so we need a place where we can have a large dog and don't share walls (for everyone's sake) and we need at least two bedrooms (one for us, one for stuff and visitors)
3. Safe - can a female walk down the street after dark and not feel like she has to have pepper spray at the ready? Are bars on the windows and a chain-link fence around the front yard a common sight (that signals unsafe to me)?
4. House doesn't have to be pristine, have a pool or anything special but it should be in decent shape where we aren't spending a small fortune trying to keep it cool in the summer and calling the landlord every other week because something is leaking or we are being pelted by flying palmetto bugs while sleeping
5. We would like to be close to where people our age like to spend their evenings and weekends, not out in the country, in the overwhelming families-with-little-kids zones, or in an area of only 55 and over.

All this for $1000/month or less, not including utilities but including any extra "pet fees". Is this realistic? What neighborhoods? If not, what is realistic based on our criteria and which neighborhoods would we find it in?

Gillespie Park. Check craigslist. Some streets are better than others. My friends live there & if you want to be close to downtown & have a dog in that price zone....I know there was a sweet little bungalow over on Kumquat for less with a HUGE yard & dog friendly....again, check craigslist...dm me if you need more info...I'd be your downtown leader!

[ladyflyfsh]

There is a nice 3 BR/2 BA house for rent across the street from me. It is a quiet residential non through street. It has a garage and fenced back yard. I believe the rent is 1150. and the people who lived there before had a dog. DM me for specifics if interested. The area is near Swift and Wilkinson (Bee Ridge) Close to everything!

[Sunshine Rules]

You might try the South Gate area. South Gate "unofficially" runs from Bahia Vista down to Bee Ridge and includes the "flower" streets such as Clematis, Wisteria, Oleander, Goldenrod, Magnolia, etc and other streets such as Waldemere, Hawthorne, Arlington, Hillview, Hyde Park, Tangerine, etc. You should be able to find a 2 bedroom or smaller 3 bedroom home in that area in your rental price range.

You might go further east out Webber or Wilkinson and consider some of those subdivisions for affordable rentals, but you will have to deal with more traffic.

The main traffic gridlocks during rush hour time periods would be US41, Beneva, Tuttle, Fruitville, Bee Ridge (one of the worst), Proctor and Clark. Basically, any of the main north-south or east-west 4 or 6 lane roads.

Having a larger dog may create some difficulty as many landlords don't want pets. Most condo associations will not allow dogs over 25 pounds or so, so condos would probably not be an option.

You might also try the Sarasota Herald Tribune's classified ads for rentals, especially the weekend papers, for rentals as there's always a lot of listings.

It's been mentioned several times on various threads, but anyone looking to rent in the Sarasotaarea these days should always check to see if the home is in foreclosure. To check, go to the property appraisers web site at Sarasota County Property Appraiser to do a property search of the address of the property you wish to rent to get the official name of the owner of the home. Then go to the clerk of court's web site at SARASOTA : Clerk of Circuit Court & County Comptroller, click on "online services," then "official records." Enter the owner's name to see if a Lis Pendens has been filed. That means the property is in foreclosure. If it is in foreclosure, you may want to rethink signing a long term lease, especially as some lenders are sending around people to change locks and throw out the belongings of people occupying these properties if the owner is living elsewhere.

I would also be especially careful about rentals on craigslist as there have been articles in the paper lately about scammers who break into vacant homes in foreclosure and change the locks, then rent the homes out via craigslist to unsuspecting victims. They suggest people ask for photo ID of the person showing you the home, then check out the owner of the property appriaser's site (see link above).

Good luck in your rental home search.

[dijolee]

Hey, that would be my neighborhood! A house across from me rented for 950 and she allowed them to have pets. I live in a neighborhood near the intersection of Fruitville and Ringling Blvd. I'm very close to downtown and I rent too for the 950 range. Neighbors are friendly and it is safe here too. My kids and I walk our dog and the kids play in the neighborhoods too. Some people just put up rental signs like the lady across from me did and my house I found on Craig's list a few years back, but as others have said on here , you need to be careful. If you get a chance to come down and drive around I think that would be a great way to find a rental that you like. Gillespie Park is up and coming still, but you need to be a little careful in some of those areas. I would be happy to answer any other questions. I've lived in Sarasota County for over 20 years.

[keelybella]

Originally Posted by moving_from_volusia

Relocating from the FL east coast in about a month for a job and looking for a place to live. We have only visited Sarasota once and don't know the area at all. Looking for:
1. Easy commute - job is in downtown Sarasota and want to keep the commute under 20 minutes and avoid whatever roads are the clogged mess at rush hours (41?, Fruitville?)
2. 2 thirty-something adults and 1 dog over 50 pounds (lab mix) - so we need a place where we can have a large dog and don't share walls (for everyone's sake) and we need at least two bedrooms (one for us, one for stuff and visitors)
3. Safe - can a female walk down the street after dark and not feel like she has to have pepper spray at the ready? Are bars on the windows and a chain-link fence around the front yard a common sight (that signals unsafe to me)?
4. House doesn't have to be pristine, have a pool or anything special but it should be in decent shape where we aren't spending a small fortune trying to keep it cool in the summer and calling the landlord every other week because something is leaking or we are being pelted by flying palmetto bugs while sleeping
5. We would like to be close to where people our age like to spend their evenings and weekends, not out in the country, in the overwhelming families-with-little-kids zones, or in an area of only 55 and over.

All this for $1000/month or less, not including utilities but including any extra "pet fees". Is this realistic? What neighborhoods? If not, what is realistic based on our criteria and which neighborhoods would we find it in?

The house next door to me is for rent for $850.00. They say no pets... but previous tenant had a dog and the owners are very nice people. I'm sure you can negotiate that (everything is negotiable these days!) especially since you have a lab and not an "aggressive" breed. Neighborhood fits the bill for all the requirements you described. House is newer: 2 bedrooms, 1 bath, 1 car garage. Front yard is partially fenced, but I'm sure you can add a little bit of fencing for your dog (we did the same as lots don't offer large back yards). I'll message you the phone number for the property manager in case you might be interested.

[keelybella]

Sorry, I take that back... ad does say pets allowed. I'll message info to you now.

[moving_from_volusia]

Thank you all for all of your responses so far. It has given us some places to look at for sure!

[isabelnana]

Originally Posted by Ladywithafan

Gillespie Park. Check craigslist. Some streets are better than others. My friends live there & if you want to be close to downtown & have a dog in that price zone....I know there was a sweet little bungalow over on Kumquat for less with a HUGE yard & dog friendly....again, check craigslist...dm me if you need more info...I'd be your downtown leader!

Please do you have phone for this house it sound perfect for me
Thank you
Isabel

[isabelnana]

Originally Posted by ladyflyfsh

There is a nice 3 BR/2 BA house for rent across the street from me. It is a quiet residential non through street. It has a garage and fenced back yard. I believe the rent is 1150. and the people who lived there before had a dog. DM me for specifics if interested. The area is near Swift and Wilkinson (Bee Ridge) Close to everything!

Please do you have a phone or realtor? Appreciate sounds like what we need.
Thank you
Isabel