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Im relocating (live in Florida now)..I drove through Bayshore Gardens, and liked some parts actually, even Whitfield as well. Homes seem to be in my price range. Can someone tell me the taxes or any other information as opposed to Kensington Park in Sarasota. I think I have narrowed it down to these two areas. Im looking 70-90,000 range. Also..not for nothing, but I have 2 large dogs...so I looking for more of laid back area that I won't get any bad vibes (aka shut that darn dog up.....yada yada) ...I like a cultural neighborhood whereas everyone is cool. Im a middle age working class person..no kids so not looking for an kiddie areas either.. I pretty much keep to myself... high HOA restrictions is not my cup of tea, and I do keep a nice lawn cuz I like to garden... also may be looking for a realtor who is willing to work w/ me in my price range pre-approved w/ conventional already have a job ect.. hey thanks a lot for your time..I found some great info on here, and appreciate the posts... oh and one last thing... I'm not used to looking at older homes...can anyone give me heads up in what to look for , or not to look for? I love the older style but a liitle concerned with what the inspection might not find..... thanks a bunch...
You will not find anything in your price range in Whitfield (my neighborhood) but possibly something in Bayshore Gardens. Manatee County taxes in general are lower than Sarasota, and I like the services (water, garbage) here better. Don't know if Bayshore Gardens is "cultural" or not - mostly retirees there and these days some lower income blue-collar folks so really can't say if it's what you want. I love my neighborhood though (Whitfield, bayside) - very artsy and eclectic and only a voluntary HOA with minimal restrictions. Very dog-friendly as well. If you can up your budget, I would really try to look here.
I just bought a place in Lakewood Ranch in Bradenton. I haven't moved in yet but it does seem to be a very nice, low crime area. I forget what the website is but if you google "crime bradenton florida" there will be a website from the county that will give you the information you're looking for.
Location: Sarasota/ Bradenton - University Pkwy area
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SunshineandBlueSkies
Hi,
Im relocating (live in Florida now)..I drove through Bayshore Gardens, and liked some parts actually, even Whitfield as well. Homes seem to be in my price range. Can someone tell me the taxes or any other information as opposed to Kensington Park in Sarasota. I think I have narrowed it down to these two areas. Im looking 70-90,000 range. Also..not for nothing, but I have 2 large dogs...so I looking for more of laid back area that I won't get any bad vibes (aka shut that darn dog up.....yada yada) ...I like a cultural neighborhood whereas everyone is cool. Im a middle age working class person..no kids so not looking for an kiddie areas either.. I pretty much keep to myself... high HOA restrictions is not my cup of tea, and I do keep a nice lawn cuz I like to garden... also may be looking for a realtor who is willing to work w/ me in my price range pre-approved w/ conventional already have a job ect.. hey thanks a lot for your time..I found some great info on here, and appreciate the posts... oh and one last thing... I'm not used to looking at older homes...can anyone give me heads up in what to look for , or not to look for? I love the older style but a liitle concerned with what the inspection might not find..... thanks a bunch...
I have family that lived in Kensington Park for 35+ years so know quite a lot about the community. It is not the neighborhood it was about 10 years ago, there are a lot more rentals then there used to be. The neighborhood does not have deed restrictions but does have a voluntary HOA. Some parts of the 1200 home subdivision are better than others. If you want the rest of the skinny on Kensington Park, you can send me a direct message.
Bayshore Gardens is a mixed bag, some streets are nice and other streets have a lot of rental homes. You have a mix of retirees, younger families and investors (rentals) who all like the affordable price range. Bayshore Gardens homeowners also have access to a community boat ramp and boat slips (which have a waiting list).
You're not going to find much in the Whitfield area for under $100,000. Of the 3 neighborhoods you mentioned, that would be my first choice.
There are some neighborhoods in south and eastern Sarasota that have homes in your targeted price range that you may like, unless you want to stay further north for work. There are some cute little neighborhoods in west and NW Bradenton too.
One of the higher costs associated with buying an older home in FL is the cost of hazard insurance. Many of the private insurance companies do not want to insure homes built in the 1950's & 1960's, so you would have to get insurance thru Citizens. The 4 things insurance companies are most concerned with are: roof, AC/heat, electrical and plumbing. A new or newer roof on an older home can save you money on your insurance. Be sure to get a couple of tentative insurance quotes before you write an offer on a home so you have an idea as to what you will be paying for insurance on an annual basis.
Another issue you may come across with older homes in our area is lack of permits for remodeling or enclosing of lanais, porches or garages for additional living space. If a home is advertised as having 3 bedrooms 2 baths and 1500 sq ft living space but the county tax info shows 2 bedrooms, 1 bath and 1250 sq ft, odds are somebody did some creative remodeling without proper permits. Nowadays lenders are telling appraisers to go by tax roll sq ft living space, not homeowner supplied sq ft. The work may not be to code, and insurance companies are getting more particular about extensive work that was done without permits if/when required.
Older homes may have electrical issues such as aluminum wiring or fuse boxes instead of circuit breakers. I actually have seen a few homes in both Kensington Park and Bayshore Gardens over the years with fuse boxes. Some older homes have had plumbing issues and possibly have been repiped at some point.
Be sure to check the flood zone information on any home you're interested in. There are a lot of homes (including a portion of Bayshore Gardens) that are in flood zones even though they don't sit on a lake or creek.
Your agent should be able to research flood zones, tax info and permits on homes you're interested in and suggest names of insurance agents for getting quotes. I would also recommend having a home inspection done on the home you purchase, contracts used by agents in our area call for an inspection time period and you can specifiy if the seller is to make repair of found defects (including a dollar amount for repairs) in your offer.
Tax rates in Manatee county are slightly lower than Sarasota, but not significantly. When a home is sold the value for tax purposes will be reassessed as of January 1 of the following year, so the current property taxes on the home will not necessarily be what you will see in following years. If you are going to make the home your permanent residence you can apply for a homestead exemption, which exempts a portion of the home's value from taxes: Manatee County
Manatee county residents get trash pickup 2 days a week vs 1 day a week in Sarasota. County water rates in Manatee county are slightly less than Sarasota, but again, not significantly.
"There are some neighborhoods in south and eastern Sarasota that have homes in your targeted price range that you may like, unless you want to stay further north for work. There are some cute little neighborhoods in west and NW Bradenton too."
Ok, where would these areas be (above) please.
Good thing is I work from home, so I can live anywhere...that's the easy part...but finding the suitable neighborhood for me is the key. But I do not want to travel to the arts, stores ect.
As I think about it, the ammenities in Bayshore would be useless to me. I don't care about a pool and clubhouse and boat ramp.
I appreciate the excellent advice from all of you guys as well; ya know, it would be nice to afford a little better, but the bossman's only pays me what he's gonna pay me. (ha ha) For now, I am grateful for a job and an opportunity to buy a decent home. The only savings I can fathom at this point in my life is the 4% mortgage rate. Might not have lot's of exta cash, but at least my great credit through me this bone....
Location: Sarasota/ Bradenton - University Pkwy area
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Right now the inventory of homes priced under $100,000 is very low. Many of those are short sales. You did not mention your time frame to purchase. Short sales are getting better, but many still need at least 3 months from contract to closing and don't be surprised it it takes 4 to 6 months. It all depends on the circumstances surrounding the short sale. I had one short sale that, because a previous buyer walked after the bank approved the sale, the 2nd buyer closed within 30 days.
As to other Sarasota neighborhoods where you may find something in your price range:
Alta Vista, which is south of Ringling, east of 301 and west of Tuttle. It's by Payne Park, which used to be the home of the baseball stadium but is now a park with sports fields, tennis walking paths and a skateboarding park. There are some pricier homes mixed in with more simple 50's and 60's ranch homes and some duplexes.
Arlington Park area - this is south of Bahia Vista, east of US41, west of Tuttle and north of South Gate. There are a lot of little neighborhood names such as Hyde Park Terrace, Loma Linda Park, La Linda Terrace, Grove Lawn, Battle & Turner, Rustic Lodge and Sunnyside Park. You'll see street names like Arlington, Floyd, Loma Linda, Prospect, Hillview & Waldemere. The homes in your price range will typically be small, 2 bedroom/1 bath homes.
South Gate area - south of Bahia Vista to Bee Ridge, mostly between Shade & Beneva - mainly flower name streets such as Wisteria, Clematis, Bougainvilla, Goldenrod. Popular with both home buyers and renters because of location - close to downtown and north Siesta Key bridge. Once in a while something in your price range will pop up, but they go under contract quickly so you have to move fast if interested in that area.
Brentwood, Sarasota Springs and Ridgewood are in the area of Bee Ridge & McIntosh, north of Bee Ridge and running both east and west of McIntosh and slightly north of Webber. One thing you do need to be careful of with homes in Sarasota Springs is that some of the short sales in this neighborhood have not yet made the mandatory hook up to the sewer system, they are still on septic tanks. The county will require the new homeowner to pay for and hook up to the sewer system within a specific time period after purchase.
You may also find something in Lake Sarasota, off Bee Ridge just east of I75. There are some older, smaller homes that pop on the market now and then in your price range.
There's also South Gate Ridge, SE of Bee Ridge and Beneva - streets such as Glen Ridge, MacEachen, Warren Ridge, Watkins, Sloan, Violet & Garcia. Closer to downtown than those above.
There's a cluster of streets south of Bee Ridge & north of Clark Rd off of Swift such as Trinidad, Jamaica, Caymen, Austin, Parma, Herwald where you can find more reasonably priced homes.
Sun Haven area off of Clark Rd & Lockwood Ridge - streets such as Yorktown, New England, Williamsburg, Concord. Again, more smaller, reasonably priced homes. You will run into some homes still on septic tanks that need to hook up to the sewer system in this area too.
This list should give you a good place to start in expanding your search area.
My husband and I are moving to Sarasota in January. I read all of the opinions regarding safe neighborhoods and appreciate your feedback. We will be renting until we have employment and know the area, $750-1200 range. Where shall we look. Realtors want us to go to Bradenton but we will stay away from the area. Thanks!
My husband and I are moving to Sarasota in January. I read all of the opinions regarding safe neighborhoods and appreciate your feedback. We will be renting until we have employment and know the area, $750-1200 range. Where shall we look. Realtors want us to go to Bradenton but we will stay away from the area. Thanks!
Your budget for Sarasota needs to be at the $1200 range. Most two bedroom two bath condos start at $1250 a month for rent. Anything lower will get you a one bedroom or be in a bad area.
I suggest you not move until at least one of you has a good job lined up. Unless you have a specific, in demand skill set (doctor), the pay rate here is very low.
My husband and I are moving to Sarasota in January. I read all of the opinions regarding safe neighborhoods and appreciate your feedback. We will be renting until we have employment and know the area, $750-1200 range. Where shall we look. Realtors want us to go to Bradenton but we will stay away from the area. Thanks!
January is when "season" starts here, and I am going to be honest, it is going to be VERY difficult for you to find a rental, let alone in your price range. The area tends to "sell out" so to speak. You may have to look further away, like Bradenton or maybe Venice, or go further out east. Not sure what you have against Bradenton? Also having no employment will make it that much more difficult to find a place. I really think you better have a job lined up first.
Not trying to be negative, but just want you to understand the problems you will be facing. Good luck!
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