Just bought in Sarasota. Helpful hints. (Venice, Punta Gorda: rentals, lenders, houses)

[smiledoc1]

Originally Posted by lrodptl

Just came home to Ma. from Sarasota and spent a couple of days viewing with Bryan. We've narrowed it down to Palmer Ranch (Pinestone or Plaza de Flores). He really eliminated all the crap beforehand. There are only 25 units out of 300+ for sale. We got the entire sales history of the developments and 3-5% below asking is what's expected here unless there's something unseen. Thanks for the referral,he's exactly what we were hoping for.

Glad things worked out for you. When you decide to buy, let me know and I can pass along some real money-saving tips on furnishing your home. There are some places where top quality furniture can be bought quite inexpensively. Even in the well known name stores you can ignore the sticker price.

[sarasota1970]

Dear Smiledoc1,
Could you please send us the name of the realtor and the tips for furniture shopping? Thanks!

[loves2read]

regarding insurance on homes/condos close to the water--could you rebuild a 1200 sq ft anything for 2K--I doubt it--

insurance is a crap shoot--you are paying for something you hope you never really have to use---and the ins co is betting that you won't either--but it is also investing the money (hopefully not in sub-prime mortgage derivatives or CountryWide stock) so that it will be able to payout if you and all the others it insured actually DO need it...

there are some people who believe anyone stupid enough to build along a coast that has exposure to fairly frequent hurricanes and/or in a flood plain like along a riseable river should have NO subsidized insurance coverage at all--that you should assume ALL the risk yourself--how high do you think the rates would be then???

[smiledoc1]

Originally Posted by sarasota1970

Dear Smiledoc1,
Could you please send us the name of the realtor and the tips for furniture shopping? Thanks!

Hi Sarasota 1970,
I have DMed you the name of the realtor.
As to furniture, the best deals are at Simon's Used furniture and Iverson's. The Iverson's on Bee Ridge is much better than the one on Clarke. Always negotiate the price. Consignment shops in FL are much different than here in New England. Here in NE, most used furniture stores sell junk. The stores I mentioned can have great deals on great quality furniture. I would not hesitate at all about buying furniture there.
For new furniture, we like Steven's on Tamiami Trail. Good furniture at a good price. They too will negotiate.
We bought some stuff at Rooms to Go and it really is a cut below in terms of quality. Their service is not very good either. I think their furniture is one cut about IKEA.
Kane's north of the airport beyond the cheap motels is much better. Similar to Steven's in terms of quality and price. Good service.
But overall, were I to do the furniture shopping all over again under different circumstances, I would buy 99% from a good quality consignment shop.

Best,
smiledoc1

[jimyful]

Enjoyed reading about your home-buying process! Sounds like you made a great choice!

I, too, am looking to buy in the Venice area...it appears have have everything that my wife and I could want! We're looking for a place to escape to for several months every year from our home in Virginia Beach, Va. We have four weekly vacation rental homes here, and we rarely travel during our summer rental season.

I'm currently considering the purchase of a home in the Islandwalk community. It appears to be a great place with lots of amenities and an active group of people in the community.

We'll most likely be coming down in the next few weeks to tour the home, and hopefully reach an agreement to purchase. We're anxious to become part of the greater community there, and enjoy all the area has to offer!

Enjoy your new home!

Jim

[Big House]

Originally Posted by jimyful

Enjoyed reading about your home-buying process! Sounds like you made a great choice!

I, too, am looking to buy in the Venice area...it appears have have everything that my wife and I could want! We're looking for a place to escape to for several months every year from our home in Virginia Beach, Va. We have four weekly vacation rental homes here, and we rarely travel during our summer rental season.

I'm currently considering the purchase of a home in the Islandwalk community. It appears to be a great place with lots of amenities and an active group of people in the community.

We'll most likely be coming down in the next few weeks to tour the home, and hopefully reach an agreement to purchase. We're anxious to become part of the greater community there, and enjoy all the area has to offer!


Enjoy your new home!

Jim

Hi Jim,
Welcome to the board. You've found a site that really has a lot to offer if you are looking to buy, and want to know more about the area and what is going on down here! There are a lot of people that check in regularly and offer a lot of great advice on everything SWFL, and post here with different thing to do and see.
I had pretty much the same experience buying a home here. I'm a little further south in Punta Gorda. There is a lot to learn. Look for a thread called Punta Gorda Anyone. It is like a journal of my experiences. My agent was SoFLGal who posts here a lot. I highly recommend that you speak to her! She knows everyone down here and is extremely good!

You can Direct Message me by clicking on my name in the upper left corner. A drop down menu will appear asking if you want to send me a direct message. It works like email. I'd be happy to help in anyway I can.

When are you coming down?
If you tell us more about what you're looking for a lot of people here will be glad to offer sound advice.

Good Luck

[smiledoc1]

Originally Posted by jimyful

Enjoyed reading about your home-buying process! Sounds like you made a great choice!

I, too, am looking to buy in the Venice area...it appears have have everything that my wife and I could want! We're looking for a place to escape to for several months every year from our home in Virginia Beach, Va. We have four weekly vacation rental homes here, and we rarely travel during our summer rental season.

I'm currently considering the purchase of a home in the Islandwalk community. It appears to be a great place with lots of amenities and an active group of people in the community.

We'll most likely be coming down in the next few weeks to tour the home, and hopefully reach an agreement to purchase. We're anxious to become part of the greater community there, and enjoy all the area has to offer!

Enjoy your new home!

Jim

Hi Jim,
You will find lots of good, sensible advice on this board. You will also find some garbage was well. No place is absolute heaven, and few places are absolute hell.
This is truly a buyer's market. Though the value of my house in Sarasota has gone down in a year, the value of my stocks has sunk even more. I made the right decision to sell tsome of my stocks in April and buy the house.
I can't speak for escaping from Virginia Beach to Sarasota, but I suspect escaping from central Massachusetts is a bit different!!
Take your time hunting around and remember, there is lots of inventory.

Best,
smiledoc1

[Stacybananas]

Hi we are in the same boat and looking for a wonderful agent who will work tirelessly finding us the right neighborhood. We live in Charlotte Nc now , and my husband will be working in downtown Sarasota. We have an 11 year old son, love the outdoors and beaches and happy hour. We need a pool, and lots of living space. Looking in the 150k range and flexible on price but not on qualitly of neighborhood, want a younger safe neighborhood that my son can ride his bike to the store or friends house.

[Big House]

Originally Posted by Stacybananas

Hi we are in the same boat and looking for a wonderful agent who will work tirelessly finding us the right neighborhood. We live in Charlotte Nc now , and my husband will be working in downtown Sarasota. We have an 11 year old son, love the outdoors and beaches and happy hour. We need a pool, and lots of living space. Looking in the 150k range and flexible on price but not on qualitly of neighborhood, want a younger safe neighborhood that my son can ride his bike to the store or friends house.

Hi Stacybananas,
Firstly I'd like to welcome you to the Citi Data boards!

You will find a lot of people here that would be happy to help you, and have fun at the same time.

If you are looking for the best agent to help you buy a place, you should DM (direct message) SoFLGAL! She is a great real estate agent down here, and can save you tons of time searching the MLS database for a house. You can do that by clicking on her name when you see one of her posts. It allows you to send here a direct message which works like email, but keeps your identity conceal until you feel comfortable.

I think you will find a number of great places in that price range. The market is great down here.

I gotta run, but there are lots of questions that people will ask you to help you get your bearings, and make the right decision for yourself and your family.

Good Luck!

[GabeM]

How are the real estate prices now, a year later?