Shakett Island Questions???Tell Me More (Tampa, Sarasota: for sale, to rent, insurance)

[JennySquirrel]

Could anyone help me out with some questions about this area?

I was reading that it was gated. Could you tell me what that means? Do you get in by passing by a guard? or do you need a senor in your car to open a gate? Or does it mean that the builder just built a nice brick entrance so they can call it "gated" yet anyone can get in?

Is there alot of crime in the area?

My next question is, I assume this is a major flood area. How much of a surge would it take before your home was under water?

Next,would I have to be concerned about Aligators in that water or would I be busy watching Manatee's?


Lastly, so people who live there Kayak or have Zodiacs or is it best to have a bigger boat there?

Thanks!!

[SoFLGal]

I'm out of town but happen to log on and see your question about Shakett Creek. As far as gated, it has a huge white, iron gate in the front. There is no guard but it is open up by a remote. There is no other way on Shakett Island because it is completely surrounded by water. There are just a handful of homes on this island. There could be some alligators in Dona Bay which runs nearby but very unlikely. Alligators prefer the fresh or brackish water canals to the more salty canals. I would say your home would be pretty vunerable to storm surge being built on this island. Here's something I wrote about it:
Just a little south of Laurel Road is an exclusive peninsula called Shakett Island.
Home to million dollar estates, this small community only has a couple dozen homes, but each one is more spectacular than the next. The only access is either by boat or out the one road with gated entrance. Naturallly, the area has underground utilities, central water and sewer, and street lights. The theme of this deed restricted community is Key West style with metal roofs and various custom homes, all built since 2000. Only one private road runs down this little finger of land.
On Shakett Island you are only a few minutes from the Gulf of Mexico via Dona Bay, and the panoramic water views are breathtaking. With a low tide depth of above five feet and one bridge to go under, smaller boats are recommended.
Ten different beaches inVenice and Nokomis are just minutes away, and I-75 is maybe 10 minutes giving you easy access to Tampa, Sarasota or Fort Myers airports. Venice also has it own airport accommodating small planes.
On the opposite of the creek is Shakett Creek Pointe, an even newer area of exclusive million dollar homes averaging 2,000 to 4,000 sq. feet under air. Both deed restricted communities border Shakett Creek and therefore, are waterfront peninsulas.

Both communities are secluded yet close to beaches, shopping, schools and restaurants.
For a dream waterfront home in a more protected environment upstream from the Gulf, look at Shakett Island and Shakett Creek Pointe.

[Carbondated]

Shakett Island is a tiny little island in Shakett Creek. It only has about 20 homes on it. The neighborhood surrounding the island, (that you have to drive through to get to the island) is older and definately much poorer in comparison. Not sure if it is all that great of a neighborhood. I guess homes are running around $900k to $1 million. For that money, you get a small stamp for land, a dock for your boat, and direct access from creek to Gulf. Houses are overpriced there, IMO. Sorrento Shores in Osprey is a nicer community and better value for the money, I think.

[SoFLGal]

Carbondated-I would have to agree with you. The neighborhood that you have to drive through to get to Shakett Island is very mixed (some trailers and some homes) and certainly doesn't match the homes on the little island.

[JennySquirrel]

Thanks to both of you Are the homes that you see before you get to Shakett Island druggie people? I looked on Google maps and it looks pretty crusty. I don't really care if they are smaller older homes and it is Seniors. I do care if it is druggies who are lurking around, trying to figure out how to get through the gate!

SoFlGal, I knew you would come to the rescue! Your article you wrote is very helpful.

Now can you tell me how much would the water have to rise before it was in my house? I have 2 dogs so that is the part I would worry about.

Thanks again

[Carbondated]

Originally Posted by JennySquirrel

Thanks to both of you Are the homes that you see before you get to Shakett Island druggie people? I looked on Google maps and it looks pretty crusty. I don't really care if they are smaller older homes and it is Seniors. I do care if it is druggies who are lurking around, trying to figure out how to get through the gate!

SoFlGal, I knew you would come to the rescue! Your article you wrote is very helpful.

Now can you tell me how much would the water have to rise before it was in my house? I have 2 dogs so that is the part I would worry about.

Thanks again

Drug addicts can find their way through anything if they are desperate enough. And Shakett Island's unmanned gate isn't exactly Fort Knox.

Check the FEMA website for flooding maps. Here's the link: FEMA Map Service Center -

FYI... hope you don't have a tall boat. You have a low fixed bridge to navigate to get out into the Gulf.

Best of luck.

[SoFLGal]

Jenny- Insurance companies look at what is called the base flood elevation and you would also have an elevation certificate, if you lived in a flood zone. The elevation certificate tells insurance companies how high your home stands as compared to what their maps tell them.

I don't know what the BFE is for that certain area is but the FEMA maps or an insurance agent could tell you. Then you would have to look and see what the elevation for the home is.

As far as the direct neighborhood goes, since I am a Realtor, I am not permitted to "steer" you to or away from neighborhoods. What I would say though is that if you are considering any home, do a drive by in the afternoon and then go by the home between 8-10 pm. The whole picture could change dramatically when you go back in the evening when people are home from work. I believe the police department would have crime stats for that area. I really don't know what the actual drug activity is for that neighborhood.

[Big House]

Originally Posted by SoFLGal

I'm out of town but happen to log on and see your question about Shakett Creek. As far as gated, it has a huge white, iron gate in the front. There is no guard but it is open up by a remote. There is no other way on Shakett Island because it is completely surrounded by water. There are just a handful of homes on this island. There could be some alligators in Dona Bay which runs nearby but very unlikely. Alligators prefer the fresh or brackish water canals to the more salty canals. I would say your home would be pretty vunerable to storm surge being built on this island. Here's something I wrote about it:
Just a little south of Laurel Road is an exclusive peninsula called Shakett Island.
Home to million dollar estates, this small community only has a couple dozen homes, but each one is more spectacular than the next. The only access is either by boat or out the one road with gated entrance. Naturallly, the area has underground utilities, central water and sewer, and street lights. The theme of this deed restricted community is Key West style with metal roofs and various custom homes, all built since 2000. Only one private road runs down this little finger of land.
On Shakett Island you are only a few minutes from the Gulf of Mexico via Dona Bay, and the panoramic water views are breathtaking. With a low tide depth of above five feet and one bridge to go under, smaller boats are recommended.
Ten different beaches inVenice and Nokomis are just minutes away, and I-75 is maybe 10 minutes giving you easy access to Tampa, Sarasota or Fort Myers airports. Venice also has it own airport accommodating small planes.
On the opposite of the creek is Shakett Creek Pointe, an even newer area of exclusive million dollar homes averaging 2,000 to 4,000 sq. feet under air. Both deed restricted communities border Shakett Creek and therefore, are waterfront peninsulas.

Both communities are secluded yet close to beaches, shopping, schools and restaurants.
For a dream waterfront home in a more protected environment upstream from the Gulf, look at Shakett Island and Shakett Creek Pointe.

If you go to Google, and search Shakett Island - the first item that comes up is very informative! Good luck with your search!

[JennySquirrel]

Thanks again everyone! You are all so helpful. No armed guard at the gate? ROFL! Well we can see how well that worked. The Google maps car seemed to get through the gate just fine! LOL

I like the idea of going by during the day and then again at night. That way if there is druggies there, I can spot them.

I have seen a few houses there to rent. $2,500 a month. The look beautiful but I don't want the ghetto right outside of my area. I did a drive by on Google maps and there were trailer houses with the tell tale rotten Caddy out front. That is a big flag.

I did some research and one house was bought for 1.1 million in 2005 and now Zillow claims it is worth 569K BUT the people have it for sale for 1.4 million. They have to be living in a bubble to think it is has gone up in value.

SoFlGal~ I know you can't steer me. That is the craziest rule the Board of Realtors ever came up with. That really leaves the buyer out on their own to do their research. But thanks for the info you did give me.

Thanks to all

[Carbondated]

Originally Posted by SoFLGal

As far as the direct neighborhood goes, since I am a Realtor, I am not permitted to "steer" you to or away from neighborhoods. What I would say though is that if you are considering any home, do a drive by in the afternoon and then go by the home between 8-10 pm. The whole picture could change dramatically when you go back in the evening when people are home from work. I believe the police department would have crime stats for that area. I really don't know what the actual drug activity is for that neighborhood.

TBO.com used to have a map with statistics for Sarasota County from the Sheriffs Office. You could zoom in and see what, when and where criminal events happened for the previous year. It was an easy way to check out a neighborhood. It's too bad there is no longer that type of service online anymore.
I use National Sex Offender Registry to see if there are registered offenders in an area that I am interested in. It usually gives me a general idea that if there is a concentration of them, then the neighborhood isn't good.
Call the Sarasota County Sheriffs Office and I am sure they will give you the statistics for that area.