[tonynorie]

Hi:

I'm a third-generation Tampan and at present have owned and lived in the same home for 30 years. I've been trailering my boat to Englewood and Lemon Bay for about 20 years, mostly in the fall, to fish.

The development here in Tampa has reached a point where it's almost a chore to drive on the city streets, not to mention the increase in crime, and I'm considering a move to Englewood or Grove City, etc.

I remember stopping by the Englewood Chamber of Commerce about 10 years ago and, among other information, they gave me a sheet that detailed demographics. I also inquired about crime, which they said was almost a non issue.

Sure would be nice to hear from you locals and learn about life as it is at present.

Many thanks!

Tony in Tampa

[bamboosmom]

Englewood is great! It's not far from where we are. We love Blind Pass beach. We even go to the Gulfview Restaurant for sunset dinners.
I love Englewood and bet you would too.

[tonynorie]

Thanks for the reply Bamboosmom. I also hope that some of you residents will chime in with information. In particular I would like to know about city services, crime - if any, taxes, availability of reasonably priced homes, etc.

[MrTudo]

We are in Port Charlotte, about 20 minutes from Englewood and like it there. If real estate corrects about an additional 20%, we may stay in the area and buy another one, with the new one in Englewood. Maybe.

I think it's going to come down further than an additional 20% however .

[Anne1125]

We're looking forward to building our retirement home there (on our lot). Can someone share about the cost of home owner's insurance in non-flood zone areas?

Thanks.

Anne

[mkarst]

Hi,
We've been living in Englewood for 8 years now and love it. The beaches are beautiful plus good fishing and warm weather most of the time. It's growing too fast but is still the best beach town we've been to in FL. The crime & traffic aren't too bad compared to others places. My husband is a realtor here and could answer some questions if you wanted to email him. There are some good deals for sale here now on homes & lots. I love being able to grow bananas, coconuts, oranges, etc. in our yard. Paradise!
Margaret

[Old Man Winter]

I am not sure what type of home you are looking for, but Rotunda has new and newer homes. Prices will range from $285k to over $325k. Just outside of Rotunda on Gulfstream there are new homes for under $160k. These are in Englewood but in Charlotte county. Grove city is a waste land, there is nothing there. I would look south of the Sarasota line for a better deal, lower taxes and the market is not nearly as inflated in Charlotte county. The further south you go into Charlotte you will have higher insurance costs thanks to Charlie.

[MrTudo]

We looked at a house in Englewood yesterday. Liked it so much we're going to try to buy it although the sellers might not be happy with the offer. They're at roughly 280K and we're at 240K.

Haven't made the offer yet although we DID start with a verbal offer of 225K which they passed on. They related to the realtor that they want to see an offer in writing. The house has been listed for quite a while and we would need to spend more than 100K to make it th way we want it. We are interested nevertheless. But our offer will be 10-15% back of asking which we were told was already lowered.

We have looked in Northport which is still in our target, Port Charlotte. We're also interested in possibly Venice. If all else fails we'll look to build but this one we looked at had the sq ftage that interests us as well as the ambience and land.

Doesn't sound like the owners are that willing to deal nor does it sound like the listing realtor is that ambitious although we haven't gotten to the written offer stage yet. Perhaps that will come later in the week. Stay tuned.

[wbowley]

Originally Posted by Anne1125

We're looking forward to building our retirement home there (on our lot). Can someone share about the cost of home owner's insurance in non-flood zone areas?

Thanks.

Anne

Insurance will depend on home price, coverage required, building methods, etc. There are many variables that will come into play when even trying to give estimates of how much insurance will be. It will also vary from company to company (provided they will even write you a policy).

You would probably want to find out which companies are willing/allowed to write your policy as quotes board members give you might not be accurate for your particular circumstances.

Have you chosen a builder yet? If you haven't, send me a message and I can give you the name of two reputable builders in the Englewood/Rotonda area.

[maylush1]

I built a home here in East Englewood approx. 4 1/2 years ago. I liked the location, being close to the water and fairly close to Sarasota and Int. 75. Hurricane Charlie drastically affected the Real Estate here, first in a positive manner and then quite negatively. You can purchase an existing home here for a very good price. Newer, with a pool and 3 plus bedrooms. To build a home here would be foolish as there are so many nice ones to choose from. The taxes are not that high and if your in flood zone the homeowners insurance would be around 2000.00 plus a year depending on deductables and if you can find companies to even insure you. There still are some that will, but anyone can take your money, its the claim service you should really be looking at. As an insurance claims professional myself, I know first hand that many of the companies lack decent service if you do have a claim. You could be waiting for months. The crime here is not that high, but the drug scene is huge here. So if you have children, keep your eye on them and the company they keep. Other than that, the town dies when season is over and the snow birds go back. If your looking to work here, then look elsewhere as jobs are "none" here when the season is over. So if your coming here to retire, my advice would be to have a pocket full of money and then you can live here quite comfortably.