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Old 10-25-2011, 01:38 PM
 
80 posts, read 161,777 times
Reputation: 42

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Relocating from MI next year and I will be working in Riverview (closer to Brandon). My husband is currently on the hunt for a job and we want to live closer to the beaches than the Brandon area if we are buying a house. I like Passagrille Beach and Anna Maria Island. I think living in the Ellenton/Parrish area puts me (I am guessing) 30 min from work and less than an hour from the beaches???

Do people in their 30's move to that area? It seems like it's all retirees and I would like to find a nice family neighborhood, good schools, low crime and homes between 150-250K. When we were down there over Labor Day, all the nice neighborhoods were age restricted :-( I'm too young to get in.

Thoughts on the area w/in driving to Brandon and the beaches for the weekends? I did NOT like Ruskin and Apollo Beach I didn't care for the power plant.

Thanks!
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Old 10-25-2011, 02:02 PM
 
Location: Sarasota/ Bradenton - University Pkwy area
4,614 posts, read 7,535,442 times
Reputation: 6036
You will find lower prices in the Parrish & Ellenton areas of Manatee county than further south, closer to Sarasota. Part of the reason is that land is cheaper for developers, the other reason is you are also further out, away from town and, as you noted, the beaches.

There are quite a few newer as well as brand new developments in that general area, many in your price range.

What are some of the specifics that you're looking for in a community?
Gated? Or not?
Community amenities like a pool and clubhouse important?
Newer construction or is older ok?
How close do you want to be to grocery stores, restaurants, etc?
One level or two story?
Are school districts a factor for you?

You may also want to consider just a little further south, towards the SR64 & I75 area. It's only a few minutes driving time from Ellenton but gives you neighborhoods in the north end of Lakewood Ranch and other communities such as Greyhawk Landings, Heritage Harbour, Greenfield Plantation, Mill Creek, etc. Plus, take SR64 all the way west and you end up at the beach.
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Old 10-25-2011, 02:56 PM
 
80 posts, read 161,777 times
Reputation: 42
What are some of the specifics that you're looking for in a community?
Gated? Or not? I do not live gated now so not sure what the difference is there w/ gated and non-gated.
Community amenities like a pool and clubhouse important? I would like a pool in my backyard but if I do not have one, a community would be nice.
Newer construction or is older ok? Prefer newer
How close do you want to be to grocery stores, restaurants, etc? within 10 minutes
One level or two story? Doesn't matter. Ideally 2000sq ft+
Are school districts a factor for you? YES I have a 3rd and 5th grader.
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Old 10-25-2011, 03:20 PM
 
Location: Port Charlotte, FL
3,979 posts, read 10,547,697 times
Reputation: 1940
There are homes in these communities with 2000+ square feet.

Oakley Place in Ellenton – convenient to I-75, US 301, Sarasota, Tampa and St. Pete. There are no CDD fees. Blackburn Elementary and Lincoln Middle.

River Plantation in Parrish – excellent community with a community pool, tennis and basketball courts, kayak launch, and no age or pet restrictions. Less than a mile to public boat ramp and half mile to new elementary school. 10 minutes to I-75. Only a few minutes to Ellenton Outlet Mall and a variety of restaurants. Williams Elementary and Buffalo Creek Middle.

Ancient Oaks in Parrish – Centrally located in Manatee County. Close to shopping, beaches and I-75 access. Easy access to Tampa and St. Pete as well as Sarasota/Bradenton area.

Chelsea Oaks in Parrish – gated community, includes yard sprinkling water, cable, playground, pool, walking trails, close to Ft Hammer rowing facility and boating. Williams Elementary and Buffalo Creek Middle.

Creekside Preserve – minutes from Elleton Prime Outlets, shopping, dining, entertainment and beaches. Premier oversized home sites, conservation areas, and ponds are available. Blackburn Elementary and Lincoln Middle.

Click the image to view a list of homes. Just to give you an idea of what you can get up to $180k.
How about Parrish and Ellenton?-manatee-homes.jpg

Here is the link to Manatee County Schools - http://www.manatee.k12.fl.us/
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Old 10-25-2011, 06:26 PM
 
Location: Parrish, FL
233 posts, read 720,679 times
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I live in Ancient Oaks in Parrish and my husband and I are actually older than many immediately in our section. Now, keep in mind, we are not in the "rich" section. There are two different parts of Ancient Oaks. Overall, I don't find Parrish all that "old". In fact, there are more families around with kids than I would have thought. We like where we are and enjoy our neighbors! Brandon is not far. I work in Tampa and make that commute every day. Not a big deal. We are not beach people, since I have lived here since I was 10, so the beach is not something I need to see all the time. However, if we do go, it's not all that far, especially if you are planning a "beach day". Check out Parrish/Ellenton. You might be pleasantly surprised.
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Old 10-25-2011, 08:27 PM
 
Location: Sarasota/ Bradenton - University Pkwy area
4,614 posts, read 7,535,442 times
Reputation: 6036
Since you have 2 small children and schools will be an important factor, you'll want to know that the Manatee county school board is working on redrawing districts yet again, which will not impact this school year but may change boundaries for some schools for the following school year. School districts in the Ellenton & Parrish areas are more likely to be affected as those areas are where much of the new construction is going on and where school enrollment is expanding.

Someone else already posted the Manatee county school board web site, but another one for parents is www.greatschools.org as it not only posts school testing results, it also posts parent comments and ratings of the schools.

Annie Lucy Williams Elementary School has decent ratings, but Blackburn Elementary tests below the state averages in both math and reading.

You'll find as you look at the school districts that Parrish tends to rank better than Ellenton overall.

In the Parrish area, you can find the following new or newer construction subdivisions that fit into your price range. Most will have homes at or slightly below your sq ft requirements:

Harrison Ranch - built by Pulte Homes. Harrison Ranch is a planned community and homeowners will pay an annual CDD fee along with their tax bill to fund the amenities such as the clubhouse and community pool.

Forest Creek - built by Neal Communities. They actually started building in 2006, but there's still some new construction. Forest Creek has a huge lake for fishing, canoeing and kayaking. I especially like the old, tall oak trees.

Woods of Moccasin Wallow - built by Inland Homes. This community also has a large community lake and a picnic area for homeowners. About 1/2 of the lots in phase 1 are lakefront, homes are 1 or 2 story. This community does not have CDD fees, annual HOA fees are supposed to be $408/year.

River Plantation on Mulhulland Rd - new construction by Medallion homes. The new homes are priced over $300,000 but there are resale homes in your price range. This community does have a community pool, playground and tennis courts. Some of the homes built between 2005 and 2006 had chinese drywall. This drywall has been linked to health issues in some people and corrosion of metal within the homes. Most has been found and removed, a good home inspector knows what signs to look for and testing can be done if there are concerns.

Creekside Preserve is a new community by M/I Homes that is in your price range, but it is in the Blackburn Elementary school district.

Chelsea Oaks is a gated (electronic gate) community on Old Tampa Road. It does not have CDD fees. The larger, new construction homes are priced closer to $300,000 but there have been some short sales and other resale homes priced under $200,000. The lots run up to 1/2 acre, which is nice.

River Woods - Lennar is building 260 homes in this community on old Tampa Road, next to the Manatee River. River Woods has a clubhouse and community pool.

Greyhawk Landings - located about 5 miles east of I75 on SR64. This is a gated community (manned) that is made up of several neighborhoods. The homes were built in the 2000's. The community features a large, lagoon style pool, a playground, clubhouse with fitness, tennis courts, basketball courts, soccer & baseball fields and fitness trails. It's located within the Gene Witt Elementary district, which is an A rated school.


Some people prefer gated communities as it gives them a sense of security, plus many insurance companies give a discount if your community is gated. I've lived in both non-gated and gated, it's all a matter of preference.


There are probably another 20 subdivisions I could list for you in the Ellenton & Parrish area. Many were built in the early 2000's so there have been a lot of foreclosures and short sales in those communities, but those distress sales are finally winding down and the prices are becoming stable again. Obviously the builders think so, as several of them have started up new construction in Manatee county again. You can find most of them by checking the real estate sites for zip codes 34219, 34221 and 34222.
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Old 10-26-2011, 08:27 AM
 
153 posts, read 287,942 times
Reputation: 81
Moved to Parrish from Chicago aout 6 months ago. We live in a gated country club (manned gate). If you want more info, contact me. We have a child in Williams and one at SCF. I will tell you up front that I'm glad we aren't any closer to the congested areas than we already are. We are centrally located to everything.
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Old 10-26-2011, 08:52 AM
 
3,409 posts, read 4,887,077 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JohnInChicago View Post
Moved to Parrish from Chicago aout 6 months ago. We live in a gated country club (manned gate). If you want more info, contact me. We have a child in Williams and one at SCF. I will tell you up front that I'm glad we aren't any closer to the congested areas than we already are. We are centrally located to everything.
You're going to have to change your c-d name!!
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Old 10-26-2011, 06:24 PM
 
53 posts, read 142,978 times
Reputation: 28
Can you rent for a while? We rented for a few months and are so glad we did as it helped us know which area we wanted to live. We had vacationed on Anna Maria for years, but living here helped us decide on the ideal location for our family.
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Old 10-26-2011, 06:59 PM
 
153 posts, read 287,942 times
Reputation: 81
Quote:
Originally Posted by mrs.cool View Post
You're going to have to change your c-d name!!
I reckon I do, huh?
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