Buying in Sarasota area this summer (house, money, ranch)

[photoman_6]

we live in a small development just west of the Cascades with a small community pool and houses in the price range you are looking for. the hoa dues are slightly higher than what you are looking for, but it's a quiet safe community near everything

[Sunshine Rules]

You mentioned Barrington Ridge, I live in a subdivision thisclose to BR. There were a couple of teens that got caught a little while back, they were going through UNLOCKED cars parked on the streets of Barrington Ridge, Regal Oaks & Riomar and taking stuff. I don't understand why people would leave things like cell phones, laptop computers and expensive GPS systems in unlocked cars parked overnight on the street. We walk in the evenings through our neighborhood, sometimes later in the evening, and it's always quiet.


Mandalay on Lockwood Ridge Road might appeal to you. The homes were built after 2002 by Ryland Homes and Neal Communities, it's gated (clicker) with sidewalks & playground but no community pool, HOA fees run about $380/quarter. Great HOA board this year, working hard to give that neighborhood more of a community feeling, bring neighbors together.

Regal Oaks on 39th St has newer homes too, built by Diamond Homes, not gated, community pool, HOAs of $425 - $500/year.

South of Regal Oaks is Riomar. I have mixed feelings about this community because back in the mid 2000's the builder, Levitt, went bankrupt and there were a number of homes that were mid construction that sat for a long, long period of time before another builder came in and completed them. It's really going to depend on who the builder was and when the home was constructed.

South of Riomar on Prospect is a new subdivision, Cottages at Blu Vista. No community pool, HOA fees of about $525/year.

Across the street from Blu Vista is a slightly older but really lovely community, The Trails. These homes were built mainly in the 1990's, the driveways are paver stones, there's a community pool, HOA fees run $240/year.

North of SR70 off 45th St (Lockwood Ridge Rd becomes 45th north of SR70, confusing) is Sabal Harbour. Homes there were built late 90's to 2000's. HOA fees run $50/month. There's a large, lagoon style community pool. It's gated (clicker).

Closer to Lakewood Ranch, just west of I75 on SR70 is Creekwood. Homes there were built late 1990's to early 2000's. Medallion Homes. Community pool, HOA fees run about $180/quarter.

There are 2 new construction communities on Lockwood Ridge Rd south ofSR70, Arbor Preserve and Woodbrook. Arbor Preserve has 2 builders, Ryland Homes is doing the less expensive ones & they just opened their model home last week - have already sold 9 homes as of Monday. Taylor Morrison will be doing the more upscale homes in that community. It will be gated (clicker) with a community pool and sports area. Woodbrook is by Neal Communities, is gated (clicker) and has a community pool as well. Both have reasonable HOA fees. Woodbrook's lots are a little narror for my personal taste, except for some of the corner lots for which they charge a premium.

There are several neighborhoods within Mote Ranch area - Arbor Lakes, Treymore at Palm Aire, Chaparral, Copper Ridge, Carlyle at Palm Aire, Longpond, Mote Ranch. All have very reasonable HOA fees and the community has a great community pool, playground and fishing pier on the Braden River at Honore and Old Farm Rd intersection.

Off of SR70, south of the Tara golfing community, is River Place. It's gated (clicker) with community pool, small clubhouse, nature trails, tennis and playgrounds. HOAs very by section, but the main part runs about $170/quarter.


Stoneybrook at Heritage Harbour has been dealing with litigation over the CDD fees charged to the business entity that owns the golf course/country club. The last story I read about the ongoing dispute is that there is a new board over the CDD district and that they hope to resolve the issue with the country club people by fall. If this would go to court and the country club people win, the CDD fees for homeowners in Stoneybrook would increase. I do not know by how much. Current CDD fees for many of the Stoneybrook homes are reasonable, less than $400 per year.

Heritage Harbour is a master planned community on a smaller scale than Lakewood Ranch. It has several communities within it, River Strand Golf & Country Club being the newest, Stoneybrook being the most popular. Stoneybrook has great community amenities -- 2 pools, rec center, tennis, fitness, playgrounds, sports fields, dog parks, etc. There's a beautiful lake for fishing within Heritage Harbour too. HOA fees run about $400/quarter, there's also an annual Heritage Harbour Master Association fee. Buyers within Stoneybrook are required to pay a capital contribution of typically $2000 at closing, many agents either don't realize that or fail to mention it up front.

You probably can find a more current update on the CDD litigation at the community web site at www.heritageharbourcommunity.com

[lucky300]

Sunshine,

Thank you so much for the detailed information. You have really covered the area and I will now be able to start researching the communities and looking for a house. I really appreciate your help. Thank you again.

[Sunshine Rules]

Originally Posted by lucky300

Sunshine,

Thank you so much for the detailed information. You have really covered the area and I will now be able to start researching the communities and looking for a house. I really appreciate your help. Thank you again.

You're welcome! I would have loved, loved, loved to have had access to an information site like this back when I moved down to Sarasota from the midwest. Of course, the Internet was barely a blip on the technical scene back in the early 80's.

[macyny]

I agree with Gypsychic, look in the University Pkwy area. Its a great location and doesn't have the high fee's and restrictions of Lakewood. However, I think the houses were built before 2002.

[goin south]

We spent the month of January and put 1800 miles on our car within Sarasota, looking at every community from Mote Ranch to Palmer Ranch.

We are closing on a house in Serenoa on Monday. We fell in love with the pristine, large lots, beautiful views, proximity to I 75 (15 minutes or less to Univercity Parkway or Siesta Key). Serenoa closes it gates in the evening around 9PM and opens again early in the morning to accommodate golfers and tennis players who use the facilites. So it's semi -gated. We are not golfers or tennis players, we sail. HOA is $875, no CCD fee. Our taxes will be under $4,500 with no homestead exemption---the older your house, the lower the taxes. Ours was built in 1992 and is 3,000 sq. ft., with a pool overlooking the lakes and golf course. Very active community association to keep things nice.

[Rushmore]

Originally Posted by goin south

We spent the month of January and put 1800 miles on our car within Sarasota, looking at every community from Mote Ranch to Palmer Ranch.

We are closing on a house in Serenoa on Monday. We fell in love with the pristine, large lots, beautiful views, proximity to I 75 (15 minutes or less to Univercity Parkway or Siesta Key). Serenoa closes it gates in the evening around 9PM and opens again early in the morning to accommodate golfers and tennis players who use the facilites. So it's semi -gated. We are not golfers or tennis players, we sail. HOA is $875, no CCD fee. Our taxes will be under $4,500 with no homestead exemption---the older your house, the lower the taxes. Ours was built in 1992 and is 3,000 sq. ft., with a pool overlooking the lakes and golf course. Very active community association to keep things nice.

Serenoa has some really nice, diverse homes.

As you likely know, the course just changed hands in the past year, and the new owners are really making a go of it. I can tell you from experience, they are doing a very nice job.

Best of luck.

[BigDaddyMoosh]

Great information! It would be extraordinarily helpful to have a map of the area with all these developments/subdivisions identified. Does such a thing exist?

[StepHome941]

Heritage Harbour is a "CDD". CDD stands for community development district. Lakewood Ranch is also a CDD. A CDD is a quasi-governmental entity that has the power to tax you, these taxes get added to your county property tax bill. You may want to consider a community called Greenfield Plantation which is off State Road 64, just north of LWR. It is just east of Heritage Harbour. This is located on a public gulf course with low HOA fees, and not part of a CDD. You get all the pro's of LWR without the high fees.

[Markymcd]

lucky300: the one thing that is different in Florida is the CDD fees, which are added to your property taxes. Most of the planned development communities have them, so it is important to factor in those along with the HOA's in deciding what community is best for you

I actually ended up purchasing 4 bedroom home in Lakewood Ranch's Central Park and the CDD + HOA fees are about $2100 a year.

One neighborhood I really liked was Greyhawk Landing. It is north of Lakewood Ranch and had some great houses for resale.

Don't let the gated community thing throw you off, there are a LOT of gated communities in the Bradenton/Sarasota area.