North Port, FL (Miami, Tampa, Orlando: bank owned, middle-class, apartment)

[jdber94]

I spent most of yesterday looking around North Port. The amount of commercial construction taking place presently is impressive to say the least. I also noted that a bunch of neighborhood streets have recently been paved and they are improving drainage in many locations. Spec homes are selling quite well with some builders moving more then 10 homes per month. Deals are still around with new smaller homes being priced from $150k and larger new 2,100 SF under air homes for around $200k. I see nothing but favorible things going on in North Port presently.

[Bella52]

I have family that lives in North Port and they all love it. They are in a development called Lakeside Plantation (off Toledo Blade). I know it is a maintenance free community with a nice clubhouse, fitness center, pools, and a lot of other amenities. I think the community is about 2 years old and the homes seem to be well built (they haven't had any problems).
Good Luck in your search.

[jmnpfl]

I've lived in Florida for 25 yrs from Cleveland OH. Sarasota is a very nice place to live, albeit a bit stuffy. The working class among us have found the North Port niche. Relatively affordable housing, all new schools within the high rated Sarasota County school system. All new shopping centers and strip malls. I've lived in the area for almost 2 yrs now. We built a 3200 sf 4bed/3bath/3car with 1/2 acre of land and city water for under $300k. There are dozens of brand new, never lived in, nice homes (from the investor craze of 2005) on the market. It is a buyer's dream world in North Port. You can get 1800 sf, 1/4 acre lot for around $200K-$210k or maybe less! There is approx 15 mos. of inventory for sale in North Port so making a great deal with one of the local builders who are sitting with inventory houses for sale should be an easy thing, with pretty quick closing! Windemere is OK. Premier of South Florida (our builder) builds a beautiful, quality home with many things standard that are upgrades for other builders. RJM builds a very nice home as well. There are a few builders to shy away from as they have closed their doors-Jade, CCI, Avalon. Try to find a home built by any builder but them as you could have warranty problems. On the lower end of the builders are Adams, Gulfstream, Maronda. They have good prices but less than average quality and perks in their homes. Be cautious of those $140k-$150k houses. They aren't modular or prefabs or mobile homes, but are pretty low on the quality line!

We ran the gamot of builders and communities from Pasco County down to North Port and back before we decided on North Port. We found we got the most bang for our buck and still had the close proximity of beaches (30 min), shopping (5 min), interstate (10 min). North Port is halfway between Sarasota and Fort Myers. Skilled work(HVAC) should be relatively easy to find if willing to travel up to 45 min to 1 hour north or south. There may be some work in North Port in commercial construction but residential has pretty much halted until the inventory is sold off.

You can figure about 1.1% of purchase price annually for property taxes, i.e $225k house = approx $2500 taxes. Once you homestead the property you are limited to a 3% annual increase in property taxes and are entitled to a $25,000 exemption on taxable value) by the "Save our Homes" amendment. In a brand new home (many come with hurricane shutters as a standard item) your insurance on the same $225k home should run around $1000 annually.

Fort Myers is bigger, more commercial than Sarasota or North Port (or even Venice). Venice is older and older people. North Port's average age is something like 45 as opposed to the upper 50's and low 60's for Sarasota and Venice. Fort Myers probably has a younger feel to the area than Sarasota but I think you give up alot of the beauty, and the arts and culture found in Sarasota County.

I lived in St. Petersburg for several years and loved it! But, with kids in school I wanted the high rated Sarasota schools. St. Petersburg/Clearwater is a wonderful area for adults with lots to do, but for those with safety and school concerns, Sarasota (and North Port) provide a little more small town feeling. St. Petersurg/Clearwater is definately more of a "bigger city" atmosphere than the Sarasota area.

Well, good luck to you.

[jmnpfl]

Warm Mineral Springs is NOT a place to live. It's a place where people looking for the Fountain of Youth go! Actually, Juan Ponce de Leon probably discovered Warm Mineral Springs and thought he had found the "Fountain of Youth". It is reported that he came ashore in Charlotte Harbor and traveled by foot into Warm Mineral Springs where he was killed in a battle with "real" Americans-The native Caloosa Indians. People swear the warm spring waters restore their health and ease their aches and pains. But the area is old and homes there will be difficult and expensive to insure.

Stay off the "main drags"-Price, Cranberry, Chamberlain, Toledo Blade, Sumnter. Anything east of Toledo and Blade and south of I75 is going to be brand new and easier and cheaper to insurance. Any home that was permitted after 2004 (probably completed sometime in 2005) has been built to stronger hurricane resistant codes for Florida. Again, shy away from anything built before 2004 for that reason alone! The brand new homes faired quite well during hurricane Charley!

Heron Creek Middle School just won a national award for Outstanding Community of Caring education and implementation. A brand new elementary school just opened this past school year. There is a brand new middle school (currenty called "EE") under construction and slated to open in 2008. There is also a new high school planned, but not under construction yet. The schools have burst at the seams in the last few years. North Port population double in size over the last few years! Hence the construction of new schools to alleviate the overcrowding. Heron Creek Middle was built for 1000 students-currently has over 2000! The new school is soooooooo needed and will be a great relief. North Port High School houses a performing arts theatre that is used frequently by the schools to host regional singing and musical competitions. All the schools are all new-all built within the last 4 years.

The population growth has spurred all kinds of new commerical construction. With an average household income of approx $48k and mostly younger families there is alot of interest in keeping those shopping dollars close to home! We live within 10 minutes of 3 Wal-Marts, an indoor mall, Sams Club, restaurants, grocery, etc. Yet, our street is quiet and peaceful without the "gated" community and deed restrictions.

OK, I've gone on at such a rate, you'd think I work for the Chamber of Commerce. I don't, but we did do ALOT of research before settling into North Port.

Happy Home Shopping!!

[MotleyCrew]

We looked around Venice a few years ago, just before the huricane came through. We liked North Port too. How much is homeowners insurance for a $200K house running there so close to the coast? Property taxes don't sound much worse than CA. Thanks

[FLANATIVE1]

The Ft. Myers area does have bad spots, but every area has that. What kind of job are you looking for?

[121804]

Yeah, but the traffic in Fort Myers can be more than a headache. North Port has awhile to go to catch up on that mess There are just amazing house deals in North Port right now. My only concern is that most of it is septic/well systems in North Port. Guess it is a matter of preference.

[astroups]

My husband and I are really interested in buying a house that we have seen on-line in North Port. It's located across from the Bobcat Trail Golf course and is in the 34288 area. We're coming down for a week next month but would really appreciate some info on this area. Thanks.

[MrTudo]

We were in Venice today for my Wife to see an allergist. It's a nice town. I understand that house for house it costs roughly 25% more than here in Port Charlotte.

I'll be back tomorrow to Douglas Jeep for our new jeeps first oil change

[beachykeen]

We live in the zip of 34288. We have 4 children and have found that this area has been nice to raise the kids so far. I don't know if you have any kids or not. They are building a new middle school that our zip will be attending next school year (thanks goodness because Heron Creek has too many kids and has not been then best experience for one of my children).
You are close enough to Port Charlotte that you can skip on over to the mall, movies, etc within 10mins.
The beach we love the most is Englewood beach and that takes us about 30mins.
Best of luck with your house hunting!