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I am researching areas to move to in Florida. Palm Beach Gardens and Jupiter on the east side of Florida. And I thought Sarasota/Bradenton on the west.
I looked at Realtor.com and it appears that there are many expensive homes.
Is Bradenton rundown and dangerous?
I'm a married athletic person, love new stuff, great shopping (Nordstroms, etc.) and restaurants. I also love the beach.
I'm looking for homes up to 700K or so. I thought that would buy me a lot, but it appears that homes are pretty expensive there.
I was born in Bradenton. There are many very pretty areas of Bradenton (like down by the river) and then some not so nice areas, like most towns. $700k would buy you a pretty nice home in Bradenton or Sarasota. I love the Sarasota area-the beaches, the people, the culture, etc. The whole vibe is pretty cool.
Jupiter and Palm Beach are both very different than the gulf side. The beaches over there are great for surfing but in my opinion they are not nearly as nice as the gulf side.
It sounds like Palmer Ranch in Sarasota might be a good place to start looking. It's close to the beach, shopping, has the Legacy Trail for biking or running/walking.
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.
Here are the communities within Palmer Ranch:
Arielle: 2 and three bedrooms coach homes built in the mid 2000's, Prices are from $239,900-$279,900. There are 5, no foreclosures
Botanica: on Palmer Ranch: 172 luxury condo styled apartments. Prices are from $294,500-$359K, there are 4 condos-no foreclosures.
Bella Villino: Gated, 2/3 bedrooms resort like low rise condos. Prices are from $69K-$230K, there are 19 condos, 0 foreclosures
Country Club of Sarasota: Gated, single family homes. Prices are from $229K-$550K, 8 properties, no foreclosures
Deer Creek on Palmer Ranch: 285 acres, 400 luxury homes, private and guarded gate. This is one of the original communities at Palmer Ranch. Prices $229K-$985K, 21 properties, no foreclosures
Huntington Ponite: Single family homes. Prices are from $295K-$349,900, 4 properties, no foreclosures
Marabella: 139 single family homes and villas, gated community. There are currently no properties in here for sale but a few months back here's how it looked. Prices are from $199-$499K, 5 properties, no foreclosures
Mira Lago: Mediterranean style, 180 single family homes and villas, maintenance free living. Prices from $269,900-$289,900, 3 properties, no foreclosures
The Palisades at Palmer Ranch: 43 maintenance free and single family homes. Prices $325K, 1 property, no foreclosures
Palmer Square: Mediterranean style maintenance free coach homes and town homes. Prices $311-$365K, 2 properties, no foreclosures
Pinestone at Palmer Ranch: Maintenance free condos. Prices $139,900-$241,777, 11 properties, no foreclosures
Plaza De Flores: 200 Mediterranean style condos. Prices $145K-$185K, 5 properties, no foreclosures
Prestancia: This is probably one of the more upscale developments in Palmer Ranch. Two championship golf courses. Prices $245K-1.295 mil, 30 properties, no foreclosures
Serenade on Palm Ranch: Affordable Condo community. 1, 2 and 3 bedrooms. $64,900-$188K, 9 properties, no foreclosures
Silver Oak: There are 181 single family homes here. It is very upscale and probably one of the nicer developments in PR. Prices $498-$997,110, 11 properties, no foreclosures
Stonebridge: Single family homes with preserves and lakes. Prices $315K-$449K, 5 properties, no foreclosures
Stoneybrook Golf & Country Club: Has single family homes, villas and condos. 18-hole golf course. Prices $189K-419K, 900, 47 properties, no foreclosures
The Hamptons at Palmer Ranch-Is comprised of three subdivisions and has from two bedrooms homes up to executive homes. Prices $279K-$599K, there are 7 properties, no foreclosures
The Isles-Is a DiVosta community. Single family homes, villas and townhomes. Prices $189K-$449K, 8 properties, no foreclosures
Turtle Rock-751 single family homes and villas. Executive and estate homes. Pool, recreation building, canoeing, tennis courts, bike paths. Prices $295K-$799K, 14 properties, no foreclosures
VillageWalk on Palmer Ranch-1,177 townhomes, villas, and single family homes. 500 acres. It's like a small town. Prices $224,900-515K, 31 properties, no foreclosures
Vintage Grand-One, two and three bedroom condos. Prices $54,900-$176K, 24 properties, no foreclosures
Wellington Chase-Single family homes. Prices $295K, 1 property, no foreclosures
I was born in Bradenton. There are many very pretty areas of Bradenton (like down by the river) and then some not so nice areas, like most towns. $700k would buy you a pretty nice home in Bradenton or Sarasota. I love the Sarasota area-the beaches, the people, the culture, etc. The whole vibe is pretty cool.
Jupiter and Palm Beach are both very different than the gulf side. The beaches over there are great for surfing but in my opinion they are not nearly as nice as the gulf side.
It sounds like Palmer Ranch in Sarasota might be a good place to start looking. It's close to the beach, shopping, has the Legacy Trail for biking or running/walking.
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.
Here are the communities within Palmer Ranch:
Arielle: 2 and three bedrooms coach homes built in the mid 2000's, Prices are from $239,900-$279,900. There are 5, no foreclosures
Botanica: on Palmer Ranch: 172 luxury condo styled apartments. Prices are from $294,500-$359K, there are 4 condos-no foreclosures.
Bella Villino: Gated, 2/3 bedrooms resort like low rise condos. Prices are from $69K-$230K, there are 19 condos, 0 foreclosures
Country Club of Sarasota: Gated, single family homes. Prices are from $229K-$550K, 8 properties, no foreclosures
Deer Creek on Palmer Ranch: 285 acres, 400 luxury homes, private and guarded gate. This is one of the original communities at Palmer Ranch. Prices $229K-$985K, 21 properties, no foreclosures
Huntington Ponite: Single family homes. Prices are from $295K-$349,900, 4 properties, no foreclosures
Marabella: 139 single family homes and villas, gated community. There are currently no properties in here for sale but a few months back here's how it looked. Prices are from $199-$499K, 5 properties, no foreclosures
Mira Lago: Mediterranean style, 180 single family homes and villas, maintenance free living. Prices from $269,900-$289,900, 3 properties, no foreclosures
The Palisades at Palmer Ranch: 43 maintenance free and single family homes. Prices $325K, 1 property, no foreclosures
Palmer Square: Mediterranean style maintenance free coach homes and town homes. Prices $311-$365K, 2 properties, no foreclosures
Pinestone at Palmer Ranch: Maintenance free condos. Prices $139,900-$241,777, 11 properties, no foreclosures
Plaza De Flores: 200 Mediterranean style condos. Prices $145K-$185K, 5 properties, no foreclosures
Prestancia: This is probably one of the more upscale developments in Palmer Ranch. Two championship golf courses. Prices $245K-1.295 mil, 30 properties, no foreclosures
Serenade on Palm Ranch: Affordable Condo community. 1, 2 and 3 bedrooms. $64,900-$188K, 9 properties, no foreclosures
Silver Oak: There are 181 single family homes here. It is very upscale and probably one of the nicer developments in PR. Prices $498-$997,110, 11 properties, no foreclosures
Stonebridge: Single family homes with preserves and lakes. Prices $315K-$449K, 5 properties, no foreclosures
Stoneybrook Golf & Country Club: Has single family homes, villas and condos. 18-hole golf course. Prices $189K-419K, 900, 47 properties, no foreclosures
The Hamptons at Palmer Ranch-Is comprised of three subdivisions and has from two bedrooms homes up to executive homes. Prices $279K-$599K, there are 7 properties, no foreclosures
The Isles-Is a DiVosta community. Single family homes, villas and townhomes. Prices $189K-$449K, 8 properties, no foreclosures
Turtle Rock-751 single family homes and villas. Executive and estate homes. Pool, recreation building, canoeing, tennis courts, bike paths. Prices $295K-$799K, 14 properties, no foreclosures
VillageWalk on Palmer Ranch-1,177 townhomes, villas, and single family homes. 500 acres. It's like a small town. Prices $224,900-515K, 31 properties, no foreclosures
Vintage Grand-One, two and three bedroom condos. Prices $54,900-$176K, 24 properties, no foreclosures
Wellington Chase-Single family homes. Prices $295K, 1 property, no foreclosures
Great, but I'd be working in West Bradenton. Zip code 34205. On Manatee Ave.
If u r working West Bradenton look at Anna Maria Island or Bradenton Beach great places to live and 700k will go a long way.
I second this advice, go for Anna Maria - it's beautiful, or even Longboat Key a bit to the south.
A bit more info - I personally like Bradenton because it is old and has an "old Florida" feel. From your post it sounds like you like newness - Sarasota is more new, as they have knocked down most of their old historic building and built new plazas and condos. Sarasota has a lot more "glitz and glam" than Bradenton, or even Anna Maria Island. It has a bit of a European vibe to it.
If u r working West Bradenton look at Anna Maria Island or Bradenton Beach great places to live and 700k will go a long way.
Thanks Peter! I will look into those areas. Any idea of zip codes or do you know of a website for real estate that I could go to that concentrates on those areas? Thanks!
I second this advice, go for Anna Maria - it's beautiful, or even Longboat Key a bit to the south.
A bit more info - I personally like Bradenton because it is old and has an "old Florida" feel. From your post it sounds like you like newness - Sarasota is more new, as they have knocked down most of their old historic building and built new plazas and condos. Sarasota has a lot more "glitz and glam" than Bradenton, or even Anna Maria Island. It has a bit of a European vibe to it.
Hope this helps!
Gypsychic,
You are such a sweetheart! Thank you for helping out so much. The city should give you a good citizens award. I've read many of your posts and you are fair and you give off a very positive vibe. I like that.
I DO like newness. I love palm trees, clean everything (new or not) and Nordstrom's! LOL
I also like the European feel, but it has to be in really good condition.
I was thinking Anna Maria as well but it's 25 minutes from downtown Bradenton and she wanted to stay 20 minutes or less from the downtown area.
Another criteria is top high schools. Manatee High School would be the high school for Anna Maria. You can look up school grades here: School Accountability Report... or get opinions here: www.greatschools.com
NW Bradenton along the river might be another choice.
If u r working West Bradenton look at Anna Maria Island or Bradenton Beach great places to live and 700k will go a long way.
I havent' heard great things about either place. Suggestions for a place in Sarasota, gated would be nice, planned community, right by the highway, shopping (as upscale as possible) and within a 30 minute drive to West Bradenton. Zip code 34205. On Manatee Ave. Right near the county courthouse.
And I'd raise the house affordability to around 800K or so then.
I havent' heard great things about either place. Suggestions for a place in Sarasota, gated would be nice, planned community, right by the highway, shopping (as upscale as possible) and within a 30 minute drive to West Bradenton. Zip code 34205. On Manatee Ave. Right near the county courthouse.
And I'd raise the house affordability to around 800K or so then.
Thanks
Sounds like you mike like Lakewood Ranch. Right off I-75, near University Parkway for shopping/dining, and 30 minutes or less to your job.
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