Rentals in Sarasota? And where is Venice? (Tampa, Dunedin: foreclosure, townhomes)

[fabsinger1]

I just got back to Vegas after visiting the Tampa area for several days. I drove all over the place and really liked Sarasota and Dunedin. I'm reading a lot about Venice here, which I missed completely.

Where is Venice and how does it compare to Sarasota?

I want to rent a place first and am looking for good sources for single homes and townhomes for rent.

Thanks!

[Peter the Brit]

Venice is cute laid back but the parents of the grandparents of sarasota all live there

[gypsychic]

Originally Posted by fabsinger1

I just got back to Vegas after visiting the Tampa area for several days. I drove all over the place and really liked Sarasota and Dunedin. I'm reading a lot about Venice here, which I missed completely.

Where is Venice and how does it compare to Sarasota?

I want to rent a place first and am looking for good sources for single homes and townhomes for rent.

Thanks!

Venice is much, much smaller than Sarasota. It has a very charming and walkable downtown and some nice beaches. Overall population skews a lot older there than Sarasota, and being small there is less to do if you are younger. I hope this answers some of your questions.

[fabsinger1]

Thanks for the info! I'll stick with Sarasota. I'll be looking online for rentals. Any recommendations on better neighborhoods there? I drove all over there Wednesday and couldn't believe how nice it was - much nicer than Tampa! I'm back in Vegas now and searching, searching...

[Ladywithafan]

Laurel Park, Burns Court, Southside Village (all around downtown neighborhoods).

[gypsychic]

Originally Posted by fabsinger1

Thanks for the info! I'll stick with Sarasota. I'll be looking online for rentals. Any recommendations on better neighborhoods there? I drove all over there Wednesday and couldn't believe how nice it was - much nicer than Tampa! I'm back in Vegas now and searching, searching...

Fabsinger - one of the many great things about Sarasota is that while it is only a fraction the size of Tampa, we have almost all the same amenities that Tampa does! My hubby works in Tampa and even all his friends and work-mates are a wee bit jealous we get to live down here!

Anyway, good luck on your search - I think Craigslist is a good start for rental search, and as SoFLGal suggested, you would probably like something near downtown. Be sure to ask us here before you commit if you find something so we can give you our opinion of the general area.

[SoFLGal]

Lady mentioned some great ones but when you look in the MLS under Southside Village nothing will come up because they're indexed under different names. Here are some of them:

Paver Park
Pomelo Park
Poinsettia Park
Floyd & Cameron
Avondale
Bayview Granada
Moller
McClellan Park
Granada
Oyster Bay Estates
Bayview
Bungalow Hill
Morton Terrace
Harbor Acres
Graham Heights
Hansen
Cherokee Park
Paradise Shores
Mandarin Park
Hartland Park

That should get you started. I lived there when I was younger and loved the whole vibe of the area. If I moved from North Port, that's the area I'd probably look into first. I love the proximity to downtown, the beaches, shopping, the library.

I think you can search the MLS for rentals as well. Here's the link for public access: http://www.myfloridahomesmls.com/ or you could just drive around and see what you find. Just make sure you do some checking to be sure the owners are not going into foreclosure. We just had someone on the board that had to go through a big mess due to this.
Good luck with it

[fabsinger1]

Thanks so much! I'm looking at either Sarasota or Dunedin.

[MissLizzie85]

I live in Paver Park, and I highly recommend the area. I feel very safe, the neighbors are really wonderful, and it's a totally unpretentious area. Just thought I'd put a good word in

[davery5872]

Originally Posted by fabsinger1

Where is Venice?

Not the end of the world, but you can see it from there.

Just kidding!