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I need some advice on the North Port, Port Charlotte, Punta Gorda, and Cape Coral areas. I've done A LOT of research on each of these areas and I've read MANY mixed reviews. I've read generally good things about both North Port and Punta Gorda (except higher taxes in Punta Gorda), but people either love or hate Port Charlotte and Cape Coral.
1. For people who have lived in the area for a while, how do you like the area? What is this general area like or what is the area like that you live in (safe? quiet? relaxed? etc...)? Is it still more relaxed or is becoming more chaotic and touristy now that the housing market is recovering?
2. What are some safe, low crime neighborhoods in these cities? (This is most important to me as I'm home by myself a lot and want to feel safe in my own home!) What areas should we stay away from? What are some up and coming areas or developments, growing areas?
3. What is the infrastructure like in these cities? (I read that Cape Coral's infrastructure isn't good as far as water quality. Not sure if this is still true...) Are most houses in these areas on well water and septic systems or are they connected to city or county lines? How are the roadways (paved? kept up? or city lets them go? etc...)? How are property taxes (is the average property taxes high or low compared to the rest of Florida?)?
4. Any additional information you think would be helpful would be great!
Anyway, here's our situation. My husband and I are looking to move back to Florida from the Pittsburgh area (closer to the Youngstown, Ohio border). We are both originally from the Pittsburgh area, grew up here and moved back up about 4 years ago from the St. Pete area. We lived in the St. Pete area for about 4 years before moving back up to PA (closer to Seminole about 7 minutes away from Madeira Beach and John's Pass) and the Clearwater area for the 2 years prior to moving to St. Pete right off of Gulf to Bay Blvd. We liked Pinellas County and that area of Florida, but what we're looking for now is way different than when we originally moved down to St. Pete.
We can afford way more of a house than when we originally moved down there. I think we're leaning towards buying land and building new because my parents might be coming down with us and we're looking to build a MIL suite on to the house, but we're open to buying an existing home if it has the amount of land we want and we're able to add a MIL suite to the house (so certain deed restrictions that don't allow add-ons or separate dwelling units would be out of the question). We're looking to move within about a year after we sell our house up here and are planning a trip down there in a few months to do some scouting of a bunch of areas, but we're pretty wide open to many areas so we're trying to eliminate some so we don't have to drive through 20-30 different cities within a week (While my husband is on vacation. Not sure if that's even possible to do...lol!). We'll rent first to make sure we like the area before buying. I would like to stay on the Gulf side as I've visited Orlando a few times and it's WAY too busy over there and we want to live closer to the water at least with 30-45 minutes of a beach. We both like the Gulf side better than the Ocean side. We are both in our early 30's; however, we're NOT looking for somewhere with nightlife and we're NOT looking for a place with a lot of hustle and bustle or even young family neighborhoods. We always joke that we're old people at heart. We do NOT need jobs, my husband works as a consultant from home and travels a lot and I'm lucky enough to have retired early! We do not have any kids (just 2 fur kids) and are not planning on having any (don't judge, that's just something we never wanted! ), so schools are not an issue. We're not religious, but wouldn't mind living close to a Roman Catholic church because my dad attends weekly, and him and my mom will be coming down to stay with us for a few months as snowbirds. Because my husband travels a lot, safety and space is the most important to us! We need a safe neighborhood and we don't want to live somewhere where the houses are right on top of each other. We want a quiet neighborhood that's within proximity to groceries and shopping, but not in a busy downtown area. We would be fine with a 15-20 minute drive within shopping complexes. So here's a breakdown of what we're looking for. What area in the Sarasota/Manatee Counties do you think closely matches what we're looking for?
Here's what we're looking for:
-SAFE neighborhood
-Quiet neighborhood
-Lot of land that's .5 acre or more where houses aren't on top of each other.
-Our budget for an existing home is: $200,000 - $350,000.
-Our budget for a half acre or more lot of land is up to $45,000 (preferably with lot already cleared with available utilities to connect to) and then we would build new.
-Neighborhood that allows new construction without restrictions like what color you can paint your house and what kind of mailbox they require. I want to be able to build a new home to my specifications not an HOAs. We're not opposed to HOAs and deed restricted communities as long as they're not really strict with their rules and regulations.
-Laid back and relaxed area (preferably where roads aren't packed and chaotic)
-Within 30-45 minutes of beaches/water and other outdoor amenities like kayaking, golfing, trails, etc...
-Within 15-20 minutes of grocery stores, medical offices, shopping, etc...
-Within 1 hour - 1 1/2 hours of an airport.
-Paved roads and established city infrastructure and high speed internet availability (either cable or FiOS).
-We have NO preference of neighborhoods with a lot of retirees and/or young people with families as long as the people are friendly and the kids don't cause damage or vandalism (and most importantly not criminals).
-Possible up and coming neighborhood (area where the market is growing)
We moved back up to PA to be closer to family, but we also left a lot of friends when we left Florida and we miss the relaxed, coastal living and the sunny, warm weather. My husband doesn't miss the weather as much as I do, but he also travels to cold climates often so he won't be missing out on the depressing, cold, snowy weather that he likes so much and I loathe. Haha! PA weather has been so wacky this year and it's been SO WINDY, you'd think this was Chicago! It rains, snows, gets up to 70 degrees in the winter, drops to 20 degrees the next day, snows, rains, dries up, snows again, it's a vicious cycle. It's just so up and down. The inconsistency makes it hard to live here because you don't know how to dress anymore and lately we've had more cloudy, depressing, dreary days than sunny days. We know it's time for us to be happy in the FL sunshine again! Also, PA is killing us on income taxes. Insurance rates might be higher in FL, but we'll still have more take home pay at the end of the day in Florida than we do in PA.
For the Florida naysayers: We know what the weather is like as we lived there for 6 years before moving back up here and we know about the bugs and lizards (they're honestly no worse than the huge freaking black, furry spiders that I kill on a weekly basis in my basement up here and don't get me started on the stink bugs! Gross! There are critters everywhere no matter where you live!). Also, we prefer FL weather over PA weather any day of the week (at least I do). We know what the economy is like, it's no worse than PA's where they tax you to breathe here! I'm asking about these areas because when we lived in Florida, we unfortunately never got the chance to visit these areas, so that's why I'm asking for any helpful information and expectations of these areas for when we come down to scout the areas. All negative remarks about Florida in general is not of any use or help to me as I have already lived there, so please refrain from replying to this board if that's where you're going with you're answers. Pros and cons are what I'm looking for, not all cons. And again, we do NOT need jobs, that part is already taken care of!
I apologize for my long winded post, I figure the more info I give the more info I'll get! Thanks in advance for all of your help!!
Last edited by BacktoFL17; 03-23-2017 at 01:15 AM..
Reason: Forgot something...
For anything approaching 350k top ? good luck, with over 1/2 acre, and relatively close to a decent airport for your husband to travel.
Given those specific and narrow criteria, you might consider southern Hillsboro, Riverview, Apollo Beach, Ruskin, and northern and eastern Manatee County.
Perhaps you should focus on brand new and developing areas east of the I75 along hwy64, Upper Manatee, Range and even farther out hwy 64 or sr70.
Check out the development popping up around Ft Hamer new bridge. Maybe around Fishwawk as well.
Also Parrish.
The impedence is you price point, and lot size.....maybe Mill Creek (big lots)
BTW, I'm NOT a sales person like tons on city-Data, some disclosed, others hidden. I'm an investor and long time resident.
Keep in mind getting a permit to later ADD a MIL suite will be almost impossible in most "subdivisions" with HOA's around this place, so you might FOCUS on non deed-restricted communities, and that carries other problems as you know.
If you remotely think that a MIL suite is, or WILL be necessary, find a house already with one, or that can be configured by a builder already on the property for sale.
If you don't want a house, really close to another, that's going to be TOUGH in all puds around here, except places like Mill Creek, or the order Braden River development, and I don't think 350 is going to buy anything in BR.
I've lived in this area for 6 years. Three in Punta Gorda and three in Englewood (another town) you may look into. As far as airport that would SW FL in Ft. Myers. From PG it is 45-50 minutes, North Port 60 minutes, Englewood 75 minutes. Beach time PG is 50 minutes, NP 25 minutes, Englewood (beach town) 0-15 minutes.
Most of PG is in a flood zone and probably out of your price range. NP and Englewood would be doable. I had a home in East Englewood and uncleared lots go for 10-12k. I had a home on a double lot which is just shy of a half acre. There are homes with MIL and it is not deed restricted. The area does not have sewers so it is septic. I hear prices are similar in NP.
Location: Sarasota/ Bradenton - University Pkwy area
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Some general info on North Port. The actual city limits of North Port covers over 100 square miles of land, but a large portion of it is not developed. North Port was originally laid out in the 1950's by a company called General Development Corporation. They laid out grids of roads within the huge land area of their city of North Port, then started selling lots to winter visitors. Things didn't go as planned and the company eventually abandoned North Port. So outside of the more established subdivisions you will find miles and miles of roads with few homes and many vacant lots. More of the development is between Biscayne Blvd and Toledo Blade Blvd, where there is more access to utilities (much of North Port is on septic systems and well water). North Port actually has an entire state forest located within the city limits. North Port does not have a downtown area like those in Venice or Sarasota, most of the shopping areas are smaller retail centers or strip retail shopping centers.
Many of the individual, vacant lots are vacant because of the cost of running electricity to those lots is very expensive. You also have to check whether a vacant lot can actually be built on because of scrub jays, a protected bird that can be found on vacant NP lots, mainly east of I-75. Last but not least, check any lot (or home for that matter) with the latest FEMA flood maps to see the flood zone designation. Flood zone info is important to know if you want to build a new home, but also if you are buying an existing home. The current flood zone program is going to be up again this fall and who knows what Congress will do regarding the program's insurance rates this time around.
Keep in mind that developers and spec home builders have bought up a lot of the less expensive plots of land, so if you do decide to build, be very careful to do your homework up front before buying a lot. What appears to be a "bargain" may be a very expensive lesson learned instead.
Thank you all so much for your help! I greatly appreciate it! It's good to have updated information from people who have lived in the area for a while. A lot of the info on here can be outdated and just like everywhere else, things in FL change quickly and like I said it's been a few years since we lived down there. I'll definitely keep all of this info in mind while we're scouting the areas and I'll also extend my search to some of the areas you all listed to see what they have available. I'll also keep in mind to look at FEMA maps. I noticed that a large part of Punta Gorda was in a flood zone so we'll try to avoid looking in those areas. We'll also do our homework before deciding to buy anything. We're looking for our forever home so I will definitely do my research! Thanks again everyone, we will keep this info in mind! ☺
There are homes in this area that come on the market with a mother in law suite already. One type of home that lends itself well to a mother in law suite is a courtyard style home where there is a separate entrance with bed bath and sometimes a kitchenette. If you want to build a home with a mother in law suite then you need a lot that is zoned for multi family. You cannot put a full kitchen in a single family residential area. You didn't say whether you needed a full kitchen for the mother in law suite. In your price range I am not sure you are going to find what you are looking for in this area. You are at least very limited.
If you decide to look at lots, work with a builder who can do a feasibility study for you and tell you what needs to be done to the lot and the costs involved such as bringing electricity to the lot, whether it has city water or needs a well, whether it has sewer or needs a septic tank, how much fill is needed, what the impact fees are, etc. You can build on a scrub jay lot in Charlotte County if you pay the fee. Do not rely on some of the descriptions in the MLS that say a mother in law suite or rental income can be added. There are county zoning regulations and you must abide by them. Also some of the listings says mother in law suite, but they are really just a bed and bath and sometimes a sitting area. It depends what you really need. Larger lots with acreage can be found in North Port Estates and Charlotte Ranchettes. If you want at least a half acre, then you can search for what we sometimes call double lots. Most lots are 10,000 sq ft, so a double lot would be around 20,000 sq ft.
If you want to look at crime statistics for the different areas go to the city and county Sherrif Department web sites for North Port, Charlotte County and Punta Gorda.
To learn more about the the cities, go to their web sites:
I'm going to say maybe North Port Estates, East of 75, back by Tropicaire. Probably about 1-1 1/2 hours to Ft. Myers Airport but closer to the new airport in PG. Close to stores but basic stores like groceries, etc. NP has begun to build more and has more stores and restaurants but is still lacking. NP is close to Sarasota though and downtown PG which is a fun place to be.
There are homes in this area that come on the market with a mother in law suite already. One type of home that lends itself well to a mother in law suite is a courtyard style home where there is a separate entrance with bed bath and sometimes a kitchenette. If you want to build a home with a mother in law suite then you need a lot that is zoned for multi family. You cannot put a full kitchen in a single family residential area. You didn't say whether you needed a full kitchen for the mother in law suite. In your price range I am not sure you are going to find what you are looking for in this area. You are at least very limited.
If you decide to look at lots, work with a builder who can do a feasibility study for you and tell you what needs to be done to the lot and the costs involved such as bringing electricity to the lot, whether it has city water or needs a well, whether it has sewer or needs a septic tank, how much fill is needed, what the impact fees are, etc. You can build on a scrub jay lot in Charlotte County if you pay the fee. Do not rely on some of the descriptions in the MLS that say a mother in law suite or rental income can be added. There are county zoning regulations and you must abide by them. Also some of the listings says mother in law suite, but they are really just a bed and bath and sometimes a sitting area. It depends what you really need. Larger lots with acreage can be found in North Port Estates and Charlotte Ranchettes. If you want at least a half acre, then you can search for what we sometimes call double lots. Most lots are 10,000 sq ft, so a double lot would be around 20,000 sq ft.
If you want to look at crime statistics for the different areas go to the city and county Sherrif Department web sites for North Port, Charlotte County and Punta Gorda.
To learn more about the the cities, go to their web sites:
Thanks for the information TamRE, this will help eliminate some areas where we definitely won't find what we're looking for. If we decide to build, the MIL suite would be connected to the house through a shared laundry room/breezeway/mudroom, so it would be part of the house. We're not necessarily looking for a house with a separated MIL suite because we're not looking to rent it out. We mainly want it for my parents so they have their "own space" to stay when they come down for a few months or maybe other family members or friends that want to come down and visit. We even thought about maybe building a home where the 4th bedroom has it's own bathroom and a door to the outside of the house. We're still tossing around some ideas, but I'm glad I posted on here because now I have a much better idea of what we can and cannot do. Thanks again!
I'm going to say maybe North Port Estates, East of 75, back by Tropicaire. Probably about 1-1 1/2 hours to Ft. Myers Airport but closer to the new airport in PG. Close to stores but basic stores like groceries, etc. NP has begun to build more and has more stores and restaurants but is still lacking. NP is close to Sarasota though and downtown PG which is a fun place to be.
I would avoid Port Charlotte.
Thanks for sharing! We'll consider this information when we come down to look!
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We do NOT need jobs, my husband works as a consultant from home and travels a lot and I'm lucky enough to have retired early! 
), so schools are not an issue. We're not religious, but wouldn't mind living close to a Roman Catholic church because my dad attends weekly, and him and my mom will be coming down to stay with us for a few months as snowbirds. Because my husband travels a lot, safety and space is the most important to us! We need a safe neighborhood and we don't want to live somewhere where the houses are right on top of each other. We want a quiet neighborhood that's within proximity to groceries and shopping, but not in a busy downtown area. We would be fine with a 15-20 minute drive within shopping complexes. So here's a breakdown of what we're looking for. What area in the Sarasota/Manatee Counties do you think closely matches what we're looking for?
And again, we do NOT need jobs, that part is already taken care of!
