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Old 04-26-2010, 03:52 PM
 
184 posts, read 245,321 times
Reputation: 80

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I have been reading a number of the postings here and impressed with how helpful folks try to be. I am in my mid sixties and will be retiring from my second career within the next few years. I love Virginia Beach (my home since retiring from the Navy) but also like the tax structure in Florida, Texas and a few other state. I have investigated the jacksonville area and Sawgrass/Ponte Vedra area as well as Palm Coast. Much has been written recently about the Sarasota area and before I start making trips to the area to "explore" a potential home I would like to ask for some advice as to which areas I might want to spend some time in. Items important to me:
__Reasonable distance between Sarasota and Tampa (where I would take advantage of my military benefits);
__Good medical availability and public transportation;
__Reasonable distance to an airport (by reasonable I mean no mortgage payment for schuttles/cabs or leaving the car);
__I would look for a pool house in the 300-600k range and would pay cash. Large enough for up to 4 children and grandchildren to visit..ie 3/4br-3baths;
__Not interested in CDD fees but would accept a reasonable HOA;
__Enjoy theater (professional and community), restaurants, sports (pro and minotr league) and within 30 minutes to the beach.
I realize the perfect house is yet to be built, but given the above criteria, I would be most appreciative of your recommendations.
Thanks in advance.
__
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Old 04-26-2010, 04:17 PM
 
56 posts, read 236,586 times
Reputation: 43
May I suggest Island Walk at West Villages. The issue you may not like is the CDD fee, but I think it has the other features you are looking for. We are having a home built there now. While I wish the place disn't have the CDD, I look upon it as a higher property tax. My frame of reference is Philadelphia, so even with the CDD it is reasonable.

Respectfully Submitted,
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Old 04-26-2010, 05:24 PM
 
184 posts, read 245,321 times
Reputation: 80
CATSUPBOTTLE
Thank you for the suggestion!!
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Old 04-26-2010, 08:21 PM
 
Location: Palm Island and North Port
7,511 posts, read 22,932,345 times
Reputation: 2879
Quote:
Originally Posted by fmac View Post
I have been reading a number of the postings here and impressed with how helpful folks try to be. I am in my mid sixties and will be retiring from my second career within the next few years. I love Virginia Beach (my home since retiring from the Navy) but also like the tax structure in Florida, Texas and a few other state. I have investigated the jacksonville area and Sawgrass/Ponte Vedra area as well as Palm Coast. Much has been written recently about the Sarasota area and before I start making trips to the area to "explore" a potential home I would like to ask for some advice as to which areas I might want to spend some time in. Items important to me:
__Reasonable distance between Sarasota and Tampa (where I would take advantage of my military benefits);
__Good medical availability and public transportation;
__Reasonable distance to an airport (by reasonable I mean no mortgage payment for schuttles/cabs or leaving the car);
__I would look for a pool house in the 300-600k range and would pay cash. Large enough for up to 4 children and grandchildren to visit..ie 3/4br-3baths;
__Not interested in CDD fees but would accept a reasonable HOA;
__Enjoy theater (professional and community), restaurants, sports (pro and minotr league) and within 30 minutes to the beach.
I realize the perfect house is yet to be built, but given the above criteria, I would be most appreciative of your recommendations.
Thanks in advance.
__
I would suggest Prestancia or possibly Silver Oaks in Palmer Ranch. Palmer Ranch one of Sarasota's most popular and largest master planned communities with over 10,000 acres. Palmer Ranch actually consists of many neighborhoods, all individually operated under their own HOA. The common areas of Palmer Ranch are maintained by a master association. The overall look and feel of PR is "green" - the roads are grass and treelined, the sidewalks wind throughout the entire community, and they have recently been able to add the Legacy Trail to the many great aspects. The Legacy Trail is a paved walking/biking trail that runs through the woods along the path of the old railroad track.

Palmer Ranch is districted for great schools, is only 10-15 minutes to the beach, and is next door to the mall, new 12-screen movie theater and a fantastic YMCA complex, including a huge waterpark. Palmer Ranch is very popular with families.

Silver Oak and Prestancia are going to be your more upscale neighborhoods. Silver Oak has a championship golf course, tennis, canoeing, nature and bike trails, clubhouse, pool/spa, exercise facility. All home sites back up to a lake or preserve. It is one of the newer neighborhoods in PR.

Prestancia has two championship golf courses, country club, etc. The boundaries for Prestancia are-Palmer Ranch Way, McIntosh and Beneva. It pretty much runs inside of those streets-it encompasses 565 acres.

Reymore St is the southern boundary for Palmer Ranch. The eastern boundary runs out to I-75, the western boundary goes to Beneva and the northern boundary runs nearly to Clark Rd. This tells a little more about Palmer Ranch: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palmer_Ranch Within Palmer Ranch is CJ Lofino YMCA Complex. It has a full aquatic center, gym/fitness, basketball, swimming, tennis, and water park for the kids.

Another option might be the Lakewood Ranch due to the closer proximity to Tampa but it's further away from the beach and it has CDD fees.

Good luck with your search
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Old 04-26-2010, 08:30 PM
 
184 posts, read 245,321 times
Reputation: 80
SoFlGal
Thank you very much. I have seen other recomendations you have made for these areas. I will investigate some more.
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Old 04-27-2010, 06:51 AM
 
Location: Nokomis Fl
1,008 posts, read 2,636,577 times
Reputation: 475
Having homes in both Sarasota and St Augustine as I cannot sell one of them I woul recommend you look at St Augustine which is much more compact easier to escape from over the Gerogia border, cheaper taxes, better schools and hospitals. It is a college town, not full of snowbirds, and most visitors are there for a day or a weekend so ther is not a three month flood of vistors to the beach and restaurants. Possible downside are colder winters and the Atlantic Ocean compared to the Gulf but against that there is always an ocean breeze and waves.
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Old 04-27-2010, 07:03 AM
 
17,538 posts, read 39,160,131 times
Reputation: 24295
There are many great places in Sarasota/Manatee where you could find all that you are looking for - this is a fabulous place to live. Sarasota has a very nice smaller international airport, and it is only about an hour up to the airport in Tampa - very convenenient. Sarasota is a completely self-sustained cosmopolitan small city, with all the amenities of larger cities many times its size. The easy proximity to Tampa/St. Pete makes the location even more desirable.

Sarasota is nicknamed the culture coast, we have all kinds of cultural activities here, film festivals, museums, opera, symphony, community players and theaters, and I could go on and on. Sarasota is also home to three award-winning smaller colleges. We have plenty of great medical care. And last but not least, Sarasota has some of, if not the most, beautiful beaches in the country.

Anyhow, that's my recommendation!
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Old 04-27-2010, 08:47 PM
 
184 posts, read 245,321 times
Reputation: 80
Peter and Gypsy
Thanks for your observations!!
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Old 04-28-2010, 07:26 AM
 
Location: Where the sun always shines..
1,938 posts, read 6,264,665 times
Reputation: 829
look into Mote Ranch also.. Bradenton, but right on the border of Sarasota, about a 20 minute drive to beautiful Lido beach, tons of amenities nearby and very close to the Cultural area of Sarasota and the airport. It offers easy access to I75 off University Parkway also. There are many subdivisions within Mote ranch that would meet your needs:University Place (gated) is beautiful, Copper Ridge..check it out..best of all SUPER low HOA fees and NO cdd fees
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