Recommendations on areas to look for buying... (Sarasota, Bradenton: for sale by owner, real estate)

[kmachine]

I've already moved down here in Sarasota and once my house sells, I'll be looking for a home. Does anyone have any suggestions? Realtor.com and some of the others don't really list much in what I'm looking for. People continue to tell me Bradenton has higher crime and to stick to Sarasota by 75.

Budget is up to 300K. Really looking for at least a half acre. I can't stand living on top of someone. As far as square foot, I'm ok with 1800+. It just seems anywhere I look, that number seems to be on the low end of housing in somewhat decent areas. Schools aren't an issue. Wife doesn't work and kids are taught at home.

Does anyone recommend a really good realtor to use? Someone who knows the market well and what houses should sell for? I see many are extremely over inflated in price by the days on the market. Lakewood Ranch seemed nice but either too expensive or lots too small. I'd be willing to do new construction but I think that would be higher?

Thanks for any insight you have.

[nphomeowner]

I suggest using one of the realtors here on the board. They seem to really know the area and people who have used them seem to have nothing but praise for them. Good luck in your search.

[Rushmore]

If I am reading your wants correctly, you could get a 3/2 in Palmer Ranch at right about 300K, and it would likely be more like 2000 sq ft.

There are many communities in Palmer Ranch that should have something for you, especially is you stretch it out to $320K.

Good luck.

[beninfl]

1/2 acre is where the problem is............

[Sunshine Rules]

With the exception of Wellington Chase, most single family homes in Palmer Ranch are now starting in the mid to upper $300's. Few would be 1/2 acre sized lots. I know The Estates within prestancia has 1/2 to 3/4 acre lots but home prices start at over twice the poster's price range.

Are you looking specifically for a newer construction home? I am asking because lot sizes have typically gotten smaller and smaller within the past 15 years of building as developers squeeze as many lots into a subdivision as they can. Many of the new home construction lots in LWR are now just 55 feet wide, the homes are in more of a New Orleans "shot gun" style to accomodate the narrow lot size.

The newest section of Mill Creek, located near Lakewood Ranch, has 1/2 to 2 acre lots and the homes are mostly 1990's - 2000's. Country Creek is also in that area. Fox Chase, River Wilderness, Foxbrook in the Parrish area has newer construction within your price range but you are further from Sarasota.

Braden Woods near Lakewood Ranch has homes built in the 1980's to early 90's on 1 acre lots.

Some older subdivisions in Sarasota with 1/2 to 1 acre lots:
Wades subdivision on Ashton Rd.
Settlement subdivision off of Fruitville Rd.
Pine Tree Acres off of Beneva Rd
Oak Run
Maple Ridge in north Sarasota
Shadow Oaks & Country Wood Estates off of Bee Ridge just east of I75
Racimo Ranches off Fruitville east of I75
Wilkinson Oaks east of Beneva off of Wilkinson Rd


Inventory of homes for sale is currently low and I don't know if any of these neighborhoods have active listings at this time, but it does give you some options to check out.

[kmachine]

I saw some in Mill Creek that seemed nice. I currently have my house about 2 hours north near the villages on an acre. I really don't want more than that. I'll start looking in those subdivisions. I'll check some of the realtors on here. I just didn't want to waste their time as I have to sell my house first. I personally don't care about new construction. I'd like something with higher ceilings is all so I'm guessing that puts it in the 90's and higher. I'm currently renting a mother in law place near Tutter ave and I'm not really liking the area too much. I don't mind a little bit of a drive as my employment is now on longboat key.

Do many people sell homes by owner? Any local resources to look for that may show that?

[stumble]

Try Parrish

[kmachine]

Parrish did seem a little far for me. That was really pushing the boundary for driving. I'll have to check those other neighborhoods. Nothing really open in Braden Woods but I'll look at others.

[beninfl]

Parrish didnt used to be too bad but the traffic on 301 to I-75 has really grown over the years. Now it's a bit of a hassle but still not terrible.

River Wilderness is a great community, my Uncle bought his house there in 1997 and still lives there today. He even used to sell houses there. The yearly dues are a bit high, but you do get a guarded gate with real service and a quality clubhouse. And you have clubhouse monthly minimums whether you eat there or not. The restaurants food is always up and down in quality as they keep changing things all the time to try and make it better. The golf course is now open to the public, too, which you can consider good or bad or both. But a 1/2 acre lot there wont really happen unless you buy a few lots and that'd push your price range really far.

I'd recommend Foxbrook or Mill Creek. That's really about all I can think of. And Sunshine Rules and TammyRE are two of the most helpful people on this site and also realtors, I'll give you an unbiased thumbs up to them and recommend them for real estate services. You said you dont want to waste a realtors time since you have to sell your house first. I bet they'd work you a deal to sell your house AND buy you a new one!

For for sale by owner stuff, it has its ups and downs, if you have the time to dedicate to all the tire kickers go for it! You can save some money but you lose a lot of time and a lot of the FSBO sites charge for listings etc...... I'm not in the real estate game at all, as I'm a scientist in real life, so dont take my word on the FSBO stuff get some advice from others on what works best if thats the route you want to take.

Good luck!

Ben

[Cardiff by the Sea]

Originally Posted by kmachine

I just didn't want to waste their time as I have to sell my house first.

It is not a waste of time if you use that realtor when you do buy. You can learn what you like. You can see what houses you would buy actually do sell for. Then when your house sells, you will be able to make purchase decisions quickly because you are past the learning curve.

The good deal with your name on it won't get away because you are still trying to figure things out. It is going to take some time with a realtor to get educated. It really doesn't matter if it happens now or later so long as you are loyal to the realtor who educates you. It is only a waste of the realtors time if you let one realtor educate you and then you buy with another on an impulse.

I am not sure that days on the market is a reliable indicator of being over priced. When I first started looking in May, there were a lot of houses that had been on the market for 2 and 3 years. Then a lot of them sold in the buying frenzy this summer. They weren't over priced before. It was just no one was buying. Not all of those houses have been absorbed.

Houses can be on the market for a long time for other reasons. They can be a traditional plan rather than an open plan. It may not have granite. A realtor told me about having a hard time selling a house because you couldn't see the pool from the house. Lot of people want new construction. Maybe none of this matters to you but it matters to the masses so it doesn't sell as quickly.

Houses with big lots are priced higher. There may be fewer buyers for houses with big lots because they are not willing to pay extra for the big lot and don't want the maintenance cost. Your ideal house may sell slow exactly because of the big lot.

It takes realtor comps to know if a house is over priced.