Relocating to Sarasota area in August (Tallahassee, Bradenton: best city, short sales, real estate)

[vandywill07]

My wife and I will be moving to the sarastoa area in August. We orignally planned on just renting but in looking at the MLS, there are a lot of options to buy if approved thru a short sale. We liked what we have heard about North Port but not sure of the commute. I will be working near Fruitville Rd, my wife is looking for a job now, and we do have an infant that we wil need a day care for. Any help on areas of town would be greatly appreicated. We will probably end up renting since our last home sale did not go so well.

[SoFLGal]

Originally Posted by vandywill07

My wife and I will be moving to the sarastoa area in August. We orignally planned on just renting but in looking at the MLS, there are a lot of options to buy if approved thru a short sale. We liked what we have heard about North Port but not sure of the commute. I will be working near Fruitville Rd, my wife is looking for a job now, and we do have an infant that we wil need a day care for. Any help on areas of town would be greatly appreicated. We will probably end up renting since our last home sale did not go so well.

The drive from North Port to Fruitville Rd would be about 45 minutes via I-75. That's providing there are no accidents or anything. I worked in the Sarasota County Jail for many years and made the drive. It's a pretty easy drive but I guess it depends on your tolerance level.

Ok, next is the short sale issue. There are many homes out there that are available and are short sales. When dealing with short sales there are many, many things that you need to know. Some of the most important questions are: Have there been any other offers on the home? If so, then what happened with those offers? If not, then why? Is the price too high? Is the bank not willing to negotiate to a reasonable price? Is the price bank approved? Is the completed short sales package into the bank? What bank are you dealing with? Has either Realtor ever negotiated a short sale successfully? Is the bank going to continue to accept offers after they have received one?

Some short sales have a wait time of several months and often times the bank does not accept the list price and the bank can come back with a price that's more than list.

You might also want to consider foreclosures. The wait time is much less and the home will go for list price (or under) unless there are multiple offers. We have been seeing multiple offers on many of the properties lately. Whether you choose to rent or buy there are many homes available to choose from.

I can make a recommendation on a day care in the North Port area. My little one goes to Achievements Learning Center in North Port off Toledo Blade Blvd. She will be heading off to kindergarten next school year but we will have very fond memories of Achievements. This school is absolutely fantastic! They are caring, excellent with the kids, clean and very well run.

Good luck with whatever you decide

[Big House]

Originally Posted by vandywill07

My wife and I will be moving to the sarastoa area in August. We orignally planned on just renting but in looking at the MLS, there are a lot of options to buy if approved thru a short sale. We liked what we have heard about North Port but not sure of the commute. I will be working near Fruitville Rd, my wife is looking for a job now, and we do have an infant that we wil need a day care for. Any help on areas of town would be greatly appreicated. We will probably end up renting since our last home sale did not go so well.

Hey vandywill07!

Welcome to the board, I noticed that this was your first post.

You probably have been reading the board for a while before posting, and have learned a lot already.

SoFLGal handles tons of real estate deals in the area, so she will give you a lot of great advice as well as others that post on the board. She is also very helpful when you need to know about many of the schools and other services in the area. She is a great asset on this board!

If you're looking to rent in the Sarasota Area, check Craigslist, which is often recommended by Ladywithafan, another person that is really in the know in Sarasota.

Shortsales generally are a considered by most people as a bait and switch. The homes never sell at the list price which are really posted just to spark interest. The often have several bidders, and the property managment / lender tends to pit the interested bidders against each other driving the numbers up. The process can be very lengthy, and the current home owner, or multiple lenders may be involved and need to sign off, all wanting to be made whole on a deal that is underwater. It is very frustrating to the people that want to make offers. So if you decide to go that route, be prepared.

Foreclosures are a better faster route, with a list price that is actually closer to what the lender is willing to accept.

From what I understand, the market is stabilizing and offers are coming in at the list price, with all cash offers (quite often), and settlement within a week or two. So if your financing, make sure your financing is solid with a "pre-approval" letter in-hand.

If you looking, it would be helpful to note some things that others here can help you with. You mentioned an infant and day-care needs, so people can make suggestions to help you there.
Do you golf, bike, kayak, swim, like the beach? If so, then that will help people range you in on some good locations.
Do you want a swimming pool?
bedrooms and baths 3/2 4/2, 2/1.5
Schools are probably important
Do you fish, or need gulf access for a boat?
What price range are you looking in? There are lots of good deals down there, you might be surprised what you can buy.
Where are you from?
You're looking to move in August - when will you be around to look for housing?

Good Luck! I hope you find what you're looking for!

[vandywill07]

Thank you both Big House and SoFLGal. I really appreciate the info.

We are trying to get down in June to look around some.
Some of the things we would like to have in a home are:

A fenced yard. We do have two dogs. A lab mix that weighs 45 pounds and a miniature daschund.
Love sports----should not be a problem as there are a lot of minor league basebal teams around
Swimming pool would be nice but not a must have.
Low crime--I work a lot and dont want to have the added worry of is my wife safe or not
We will venture to the beach but being within 5-10 minutes is not neccessary
We must have at least 3 bedrooms. Four would be nice but then we start getting out of our price range. If we rent I prefer to stay under $1000 a month. Less would be nice. If we buy we would have to stay under $150,000. Ideally short sale list prices are prefered but doesn't everyone prefer them. My wife is more reluctant to buy since we do not really have a time frame of how long we will be staying in the area.

We are moving from Tallahassee, FL. I'm originally from TN and she is originally from IN. I have moved 8 times in the last 8 years so we probably are not as picky as we should be on where we live. Currently we have a 15 minute commute. It would be wonderful to stay that way but it seems like within Sarasota houses get pretty expensive. Thanks again for all your help.

[SoFLGal]

Well, you can pretty much figure the farther north you get in Sarasota county the less you get for your money. So, I would recommend starting in North Port-you could get a pretty decent home in NP for that kind of money. If you went to Venice then you need to start your search in the south Venice area, the homes would probably be smaller and older than what you could get in NP. And in Sarasota the communities you could afford for that kind of money would be Gulf Gate, Kensington Park, maybe a few in South Gate, but again smaller and older than NP. You should have no problem finding a home to rent in the $1000 range. You could probably pay less, around $800 per month if you searched around. Try Craigslist and local rental agents. Just make sure the home you are renting is not going into foreclosure.

North Port is about 25 +/- from the beach. In nearby Port Charlotte (5-10 mins), you have the Stone Crabs, a minor league team.

If you are looking to rent/own in a deed restricted/gated community you need to make sure of the pet restrictions. Often there is a limit on the amount of dogs or the poundage.

[Blinds Galore and More]

Hello,
Sarasota is a great place. The travel time on I-75 isn't bad, but keep in mind snowbirds. That will slow you down. Maybe Venice. You will get a great deal. Now is the time to buy. Even new. Hey any questions let me know hope I help a bit.
Kathy

[jusmee103dd]

Originally Posted by vandywill07

My wife and I will be moving to the sarastoa area in August. We orignally planned on just renting but in looking at the MLS, there are a lot of options to buy if approved thru a short sale. We liked what we have heard about North Port but not sure of the commute. I will be working near Fruitville Rd, my wife is looking for a job now, and we do have an infant that we wil need a day care for. Any help on areas of town would be greatly appreicated. We will probably end up renting since our last home sale did not go so well.

For rentals University Parkway is a great area to rent in Sarasota. There are alot of good deals in Bradenton in the Holiday Heights area or Bayshore Gardens where there are alot of young families. There are nice complexes off Fruitville Road by Sams. Also look off MacIntosh there are homes that are foreclosed or short sale. I know of a terrific 'homey' preschool in Bradenton at 2211 53rd Avenue West called Little Steps Big Steps which takes infants-preschool. The number is 941-758-5878 and my friend just put her child there.

[westcoast, fl]

North Port area can have some "dicey" neighborhoods...If your going to work on Fruitville, you should look for a home in Sarasota...believe me, your life will be alot easier, and Sarasota is such a great city...the best city in Florida in my opinion...lots to do, tons of restaurants, art, culture, and the views..beaches are second to none! Enjoy it!

[whitesandbeachbum]

Originally Posted by westcoast, fl

If your going to work on Fruitville, you should look for a home in Sarasota...believe me, your life will be alot easier, and Sarasota is such a great city...the best city in Florida in my opinion...lots to do, tons of restaurants, art, culture, and the views..beaches are second to none! Enjoy it!

Agree entirely. The best advice I received from a former employer was this: Invest your commute time into your job.

Depending upon the type of work you do, putting an extra hour in each day at work instead of using it for your commute will be very beneficial to your income. Even though you may pay a little more to rent near Fruitville, in the long run you will be better off financially.

This advice worked extremely well for me. Just a thought.

Joe

[cameraLens]

What if you lose your job and your car breaks down? Now you're stuck in North Port with no job and the world's worst public transportation. LOL.