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My family is considering a move to the Florida Gulf Coast at the end of next year when my husband retires.
Though I'm American, I haven't lived in the US in 30 years and don't really know much about practical matters in the States, so sorry if my questions are dumb.
We are looking at foreclosures, short sales, etc. but I've noticed such "opportunities" invariably seem to be for properties which have tax rates that seem way too high for the value of the property itself.
We were in Naples last month and astounded by the house prices there - expensive even by very expensive European standards! Some people have suggested Sarasota (which we didn't visit) as a nicer place, but I don't actually know anything about it.
We're looking for a home max. $700,000 - preferably with a water view, my husband's a golfer so that would be a plus. We also have a lot of pets, so a place we could have a garden, they could spend much of the day outside (heat permitting) without being attacked by gators, poisonous snakes, sadistic criminals, etc.
Anybody have any suggestions of good neighborhoods, safe, interesting?
Naples is consistently rated the most over priced town in Florida Anyway, I think Sarasota sounds great for you. Golf and being on the water usually don't go together. The golf communities are usually east of I-75 but there are a ton of golf courses in the Sarasota area so if you lived on the water a golf course would only be a short drive.
If you live on brackish water, such as the Myakka River, you're going to have gators but if you're on the bay or gulf it would be highly unlikely you'd seem 'em. Snakes are in Florida, it's a tropical environment. There are six types of poisonous snakes in Florida and only four of those types live in SW Florida. Most of the time, if you see any snakes, it would be the non-poisonous black snakes or the orange ringnecks. Both eat unwanted vermin. But if you absolutely hate snakes there is some repellent that you can buy that you sprinkle around and it keeps them away.
Communities that might interest you in the downtown Sarasota area Harbor Acres, Bayview and Paradise Shores. All three of those areas have homes with interesting architecture. You should keep an eye out for the foreclosures that come up in that area.
Another idea would be on the island of Venice, which is just south of Sarasota. They have a very quaint downtown area and there's always lot of stuff going on there.
Also Manasota Key would be another option. I'm going to be listing a foreclosure on the bay on Manasota Key for around $850K. It has 150' of waterfront.
When you were saying the tax rates seem high on the foreclosures, it's possible that the homes do not have homestead on them, which would make the taxable value a bit higher.
I really think you're gonna find you're best deals scoping out the foreclosure market.
Things have changed in the last 30 years to say the least
Buying a foreclosure would be a very hard thing do do from a distance, heck it's pretty hard for anyone.
The first person you need is a GOOD realtor. There are some who post on this board.
I lived in Naples for 10 years and if you want to be surrounded by more Europeans you'd be happy there (and I'm not being sarcastic since I never had a problem with that). Naples real estate is almost exclusively homeowner and condo association property and they don't like pets. Some don't allow them at all and others limit the quantity, size, weight, etc. Even the ones that allow them you'll get neighbors who hate them and give you trouble.
Sarasota is a much friendlier place and I wholeheartedly suggest you look there as well as Osprey, a little town just south. (LOVE Osprey)
$700k on the water? That will be tough unless "water" means retaining pond but then you'll be in a homeowners association. It can be done but again you need a REALLY good realtor to find it.
One BIG suggestion is don't buy into a golf club community just because your husband golfs. Your HOA fees will be MUCH higher yearly than if he was an outside member. Plus he can try all the different clubs by playing them instead of being limited to just one.
If being on the water is your biggest goal then try Punta Gorda, lots of homes on canals with gulf/harbor access under 700k.
We found our home on a canal in Englewood and love it here (shhhh). No homeowner association, nice quiet neighbors on a dead end street and the beaches (several to choose from) are 7 minutes away.
Most of the Europeans here are Brits whereas Naples is more multi-national with Germans dominating.
Best advice: rent for a year and take your time getting the right home in the right city. Prices aren't gong up anytime soon.
My family is considering a move to the Florida Gulf Coast at the end of next year when my husband retires.
Though I'm American, I haven't lived in the US in 30 years and don't really know much about practical matters in the States, so sorry if my questions are dumb.
We are looking at foreclosures, short sales, etc. but I've noticed such "opportunities" invariably seem to be for properties which have tax rates that seem way too high for the value of the property itself.
We were in Naples last month and astounded by the house prices there - expensive even by very expensive European standards! Some people have suggested Sarasota (which we didn't visit) as a nicer place, but I don't actually know anything about it.
We're looking for a home max. $700,000 - preferably with a water view, my husband's a golfer so that would be a plus. We also have a lot of pets, so a place we could have a garden, they could spend much of the day outside (heat permitting) without being attacked by gators, poisonous snakes, sadistic criminals, etc.
Anybody have any suggestions of good neighborhoods, safe, interesting?
Thanks very much!
Hi Pye!
Welcome to the board! I see that was your first post! You have found a spot that really has a bunch of posters that are really helpful, and if your talking real estate, SoFLGal is the best agent around. You should DM her and get her to give you her web site address! It has tons of great information as well.
To DM someone click on their name in the upper left hand corner, and a drop down menu will ask if you want to send the poster a Direct Message. It works like email, and keeps you annonomous until you trade emails or phone numbers. It is a great way to talk off line. She will help you range in on some great properties very quickly, if you answer all the questions. I don't recommend people lightly.
I would pick Sarasota too! You will love it! While there there are many great things to check out, and Siesta Key is one of the best beaches in the world. It has the softest whitest sand you will ever find. It is like powdered sugar or baby powder, it feels good on your feet.
As someone not from the area, you will need to know a lot and you will have a milliion questions. I live in MD and started looking for a home a couple years ago, and I kinda kept a jounal of my experience, questions, problems, and learning. It is called "Punta Gorda Anyone" - you can find it on the main Florida board. I'll post a link to it so you can read through it. It will help you understand a lot of things, and raise some questions you may not have even thought of since you are on the beginning of an exciting journey. A lot of great posters here helped me find just the perfect place for me. Your interests are a bit different, but from what you described Sarasota seems like a really good fit. I bought in Punta Gorda Isles. It is a beautiful old South West Flrodia Town, with beautiful homes all on canals with easy boat access to Port Charlotte Harbor. There is a yatch club there (you don't need a yatch to join or enjoy it) that has reciprical agreements with other clubs, and golf clubs. As imagardner stated you don't need to join a golf community to enjoy golf in Florida, it is pretty in expensive to play compared to other areas of the country! And there are lots of wonderful public courses.
Since you are an American, you won't have all the visa issues that come with trying to buy here. You're lucky, but a lot of the other long distance issues apply. Being from Maryland ,or Europe, or Canada, or California, you need an agent that is familiar with your needs and can help you with them; be it lenders, inspection companies, insurance companies, surveyors, pool service companies, lawn care providers, contractors, cleaning companies, or just first hand knowledge of the entire area you'll find SoFLGal is the best. Of course, she is really busy so you need to coordinate with her. But, you have a long time to go, and a lot to do.
Good Luck!
I'll enjoy watching you go through this very interesting process! Save your self a lot of time, money, and frustration. read the thread I posted. I just like to help people, so feel free to ask me anything or dm me if you wish.
Oh, I'm not affiliated with anyone here, or have any interest in any real estate business, I'm retired, but not ready to be - although I don't mind hangin out and talking about work.
Wow! Thanks for all the information. I've posted on some other sites and I kept hoping someone would find my message in a bottle..
SoFLGal - any good real estate websites, neighborhood news websites, etc. we can find are great.
Does Homestead mean it's your primary residence? We would be relocating permanently to the States and selling our home here (Switzerland). We are considering cashing in one of our pension funds (approx. $250,000) for a down payment and then paying off the balance of the house when we sell our house here (just prior to moving).
We've noticed "short sales", etc., but it's all Greek to us! As we aren't in a hurry to buy, are short sales (which seem to take a long time to go through) an option?
My husband is a Brit, by the way, and we originally considered retiring to my former home town - Austin, TX but have spent two holidays in Florida this year and he wants a beach (and the beaches in TX are terrible...). And Austin is very expensive too.
Switzerland has a pretty non-existent crime rate so we've grown used to the nonchalance of living permanently in safety and I am a little worried when I read (on Sperling's best places) the crime rate in Sarasota (according to them) is very high - violent crime, too. Our adult daughter has a learning disability though she is very capable and quite independent, but obviously safety issues are a concern for her, too.
We could probably go up to $800,000 for an exceptional opportunity. In Europe, a quoted sale price for a house is a desired price and, according to how long the property stays on the market, haggling starts and the real price can be much, much lower. Also, paying cash for a property generally decreases the price.
In addition to the sale price, what extra costs are involved in buying a house? Here, we have to add on notary public fees (15% of the sale price). I've always wished I had become a notary!
Wow! Thanks for all the information. I've posted on some other sites and I kept hoping someone would find my message in a bottle..
SoFLGal - any good real estate websites, neighborhood news websites, etc. we can find are great.
Does Homestead mean it's your primary residence? We would be relocating permanently to the States and selling our home here (Switzerland). We are considering cashing in one of our pension funds (approx. $250,000) for a down payment and then paying off the balance of the house when we sell our house here (just prior to moving).
We've noticed "short sales", etc., but it's all Greek to us! As we aren't in a hurry to buy, are short sales (which seem to take a long time to go through) an option?
My husband is a Brit, by the way, and we originally considered retiring to my former home town - Austin, TX but have spent two holidays in Florida this year and he wants a beach (and the beaches in TX are terrible...). And Austin is very expensive too.
Switzerland has a pretty non-existent crime rate so we've grown used to the nonchalance of living permanently in safety and I am a little worried when I read (on Sperling's best places) the crime rate in Sarasota (according to them) is very high - violent crime, too. Our adult daughter has a learning disability though she is very capable and quite independent, but obviously safety issues are a concern for her, too.
We could probably go up to $800,000 for an exceptional opportunity. In Europe, a quoted sale price for a house is a desired price and, according to how long the property stays on the market, haggling starts and the real price can be much, much lower. Also, paying cash for a property generally decreases the price.
In addition to the sale price, what extra costs are involved in buying a house? Here, we have to add on notary public fees (15% of the sale price). I've always wished I had become a notary!
Thanks for any and all advice.
OK, for great websites with lots of info about the area, you could always check out my website listed under my name at the top of this post. Other than that you would want to use: Florida Homes for Sale direct from MLS to do all of your searches. It will have the most up-to-date info on there. Many people use Realtor.com, etc and there is a pretty big lag time between when we actually list properties, place them in pending and when they actually show up that way on Realtor.com
Yes, homestead would mean if your are a permanent Florida resident.
Ahhh...the short sale question. Well unless you have a lot of time and patience, I wouldn't recommend them. If you go on my website and look under foreclosures you'll find a pretty long explanation as to how they both work. Basically, the home owner is asking the bank to take less than what is owed on the home, hence the term "short sale" or short payoff. One problem is that the banks don't always agree to take what the list price is on the home. That price was not set by but the bank but was set by the Realtor. I've often seen them go for more than list price, also it's usually a very long wait. Several months in some cases. Those are just a few of the issues.
That's interesting that you mention Austin, TX because it seems many people consider Sarasota and Austin when looking to move. They're not that similar, to my knowledge. Wonder why that is?
I was born and raised in the Sarasota area so I really don't have much to compare it to as far as other areas. I can tell you that I have never had any issues as far as crime goes i.e. burglary, etc. Nor has my mother, father, brother, in-laws, kids-They all live in the area. Not so say that something couldn't happen but I have not experienced it. I wonder sometimes how accurate the surveys/lists are. If one community was more diligent on reporting crime than another it might make a community seem like it has more crime.
Paying cash for a property would be very attractive to a homeowner or a bank so that would be to your advantage.
Usually in the higher range there is more play as far as how low your offer can be and still be accepted. Of course, this depends on many things like how long it's been on the market, how desirable the location, condition of the home, etc. I usually pull comparable properties to see where the pricing should be and where to begin negations.
Most of your costs would be born from the lender. So if you have no lender your costs would be minimal. You would have proration of taxes. To figure this out you take the taxes for the year and divide by 365 and then you have your per day tax amount. You take that amount and multiple it by the number of days in the year that you will own the house.
Another cost would be title insurance (which is negotiable between the buyer and seller) on $800K it would be $4075 and then a another $200 for the search and exam fee. A small settlement fee by the title company or attorney that closes it this is usually around $250-$500. On the higher end if it's an attorney.
You would have homeowners insurance and this varies greatly depending on location of the home, age, hip roof or not, hurricane shutters, etc.
If you want a home inspection that would run you around $300-$350, I would recommend it. If you were financing you would need a survey $300-$350. We have surveyors that will do the flood certificate for just a little more than the survey, like an extra $75.
I would also recommend a wind mitigation survey. This can be done for about $150 and it will in most cases save you a bundle of money on your home owners insurance. They just come out and rate your home for wind resistance. This website will tell you more about it: My Safe Florida Home
Just noticed an interesting home. It just sold but I thought it might give you an idea of what to expect. It was on the market for 12 days. The list price was $749,900 and it just closed for $726K and it was an all cash deal. It's five bedrooms, 4 baths, 3120 under A/C, built in 1959, has a pool, a double lot, on a canal and within walking distance to Siesta Key Beach. It was a ten day closing as well.
Here's the description: BANK OWNED WATERFRONT ESTATE. Large five bedroom home on a wonderful oversized lot. Tropical paradise that features a large inground gunite pool overlooking a beautiful bayou setting. Plenty of room for a large family or great for entertaining. Granite counter tops are featured in all four bathrooms and the kitchen. The view from the lanai is to serene with large towering oaks that provide cooling shade. Located within walking distance of Siesta Beach and Siesta Village. The finest waterfront home on Siesta Key for well under one million dollars.
I've noticed houses for sale on Terra Ceia - Key West-style houses that seem (almost too) fairly reasonably priced. Is there some problem there - it floods or something? Are Key West-style houses usually much cheaper than stucco houses? As a European, my husband finds the Key West style irresistible!
I've noticed houses for sale on Terra Ceia - Key West-style houses that seem (almost too) fairly reasonably priced. Is there some problem there - it floods or something? Are Key West-style houses usually much cheaper than stucco houses? As a European, my husband finds the Key West style irresistible!
No, Terra Ceia is very nice. One thing you need to watch out for in some of the newer developments or with homes that have had recent renovations, is Chinese drywall. There are a bunch of threads on here that talk about it. Most of the homes out on Terra Ceia were built pre-2002 so you should be OK with that unless they have done some renovations but I would always recommend an inspection to make sure.
Speaking of Terra Ceia, I think Ladywithafan used to live there. I believe Brent Whitehead builds out there a bit. He built several different homes for my parents and has an excellent reputation in the community.
I like the Key West look as well. Blue Heron on Terra Ceia has some pretty Key West style homes. The only issue with that type of home would be if it was wood frame. Then the home owners insurance would be higher. But if it was raised up off the ground, like many of them are, you could also save some money on flood insurance. Six of one half a dozen of another.
That is funny people consider Austin and Sarasota. They are both pulling at me strongly and we have to make a decision SOON. I need to be out of Wisconsin this winter. I am hoping my husband gets a transfer soon.
For me, Texas and Florida are far enough south to help me with my seasonal affective disorder, needing sunshine. They recommend 30 degrees lattitude and south. I felt my best in Miami but I am not willing to live there.
Sarasota is so beautiful, but a lot more expensive than outskirts of Austin. I wonder if Venice is close enough for my husband to drive daily to the Sarasota Airport. Google map says 39 to 42 min, is that accurate, traffic or not?
I will indeed contact SoFlGal again if we come down there. This summer has been SOOOOO chilly. I wore my winter snuggies a couple of days this week. We even had the fireplace on in July.
Like I mentioned before, I like having a large lot because I really like quiet. I have young neighbors with outdoor speakers, so I am concerned about small lots in Florida, but maybe an over 55 community is the way to go. We are in our mid 50's and will be working for about 10 more years.
Help, where should we move. I love the ocean and the lush green. I love the friendly Texas people. I have not spent enough time in Sarasota to get to know people there. The forum people are GREAT!!!!!!
Good luck to you, Pye. You have a bigger decision than us.
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Anyway, I think Sarasota sounds great for you. Golf and being on the water usually don't go together. The golf communities are usually east of I-75 but there are a ton of golf courses in the Sarasota area so if you lived on the water a golf course would only be a short drive. 
welcome back
