condo advice please (Tampa, Plantation, Sarasota: cul-de-sac, for rent, HOA fees)

[tomgou]

Looking to spend the winters in Florida. Any recommendations on a good condo complex that you would want to own and live in. Your advice and knowledge is appreciated!!!

[TamRE]

It depends on what type of amenities you are looking for and what price you want to pay and how high of HOA fees you want to pay. Here are a couple that I would personally live in, but I currently own a home in Port Charlotte, FL.

Colony at Sabal Trace - North Port, FL
A gated neighborhood of two story condos. It has a full-service club house with a fitness facility, a large kitchen, a library, a heated pool, and free wireless service. It is within walking distance of shopping, restaurants, and services. It is located in a golf course community. It is 20 minutes from the beaches in Venice and Englewood.

Heritage Oak Park - Port Charlotte, FL
A gated community in the heart of Port Charlotte. Rated the number one active adult community in Port Charlotte. They have a billiard room, library, tennis courts, bocce ball court, shuffleboard, a clubhouse, fitness center and a huge heated pool. They also have activities such as quilting, piano lessons, bridge, metaphysics or you can learn sign language. It is within walking distance to Port Charlotte Town Center mall, movies, shops, restaurants, YMCA, and entertainment. It is set in a park like community with oak trees.

[TamRE]

Some condo developments in the North Port, Port Charlotte, Punta Gorda area under $100k.

Colony at Sabal Trace - North Port
Colony at Sabal Trace is a neighborhood of two-story condominium units. A full-service clubhouse serves the neighborhood, with a fitness facility, a large kitchen and library, a heated swimming pool and free wireless service.

Cocoplum - North Port
These condos are located on the Cocoplum Waterway. It has a monthly HOA fee, water, sewer, trash removal, ground maintenace, roof, building exterior, covered parking and guest parking and a community pool.

Towns at Lakeside - North Port
If you are looking for a family friendly neighborhood with lots of room for the children to run, play and ride their bikes, you will find it at Lakeside Plantation in North Port, FL. Commuters love this great community since enjoys the convenience of being in North Port, yet it is close to I-75, with quick access to Port Charlotte, Punta Gorda, Fort Myers, Tampa and Sarasota and where you will find additional services, entertainment and activities. Lovely Plantation Boulevard bisects the community, enveloped by natural space and lush greenery. Children play on wide neighborhood streets with names like Pecan Drive, Scarlett Avenue and Cottonwood Lane.
Nearby, your family will find many opportunities for exercise and activity – swimming, boating, bicycling, golfing and much more, or you can choose to stay home and play! Lakeside Plantation has its own large, heated community pool, open dawn to dusk daily. The residents of the community also enjoy a club house, a cabana, impressive Har-Tru tennis courts, a library, a meeting room and card room, a playground, a community park, a billiard room, and a fitness facility open 24/7. You can even buy a Lakeside Plantation license plate for your car!
Though Lakeside Plantation is not a golfing community, it is a deed restricted neighborhood with underground utilities, city water and sewer, and wide sidewalks and streetlights for walkers. Lakeside Plantation homeowners association ensures that your lawn is always maintained and neatly trimmed, and the community is beautifully landscaped with indigenous plants and bright flowers. Lakeside Plantation has 649 home sites, many with a lake view. Choose from one-story or two-story homes in a variety of styles. Lakeside Plantation offers 100 carriage homes, 92 villas, 223 town homes and 234 single-family homes.
At Lakeside Plantation, you will find a friendly, kid approved neighborhood, with all the amenities and conveniences of a great Florida resort.

Fairway Villas - North Port
A deed restricted community with HOA fees. Includes escrow reserve, ground maintenance, building exterior, building insurance, manager on site, club house with library and lots of trees and walkways.

Westchester Woods - Port Charlotte
Condo development. Oversized caged community pool with sitting area. Basic cable, water, sewer, trash removal, building exterior maintenace, roof, escrow reserve, flood and building insurance, ground maintenance are all included in monthly condo fees. 2 small pets allowed. Assigned parking for owner and guest. Well maintained complex with manager in a great location close to harbor, shopping, hospitals, and I-75. Association approval required.

Lakes Edge Loveland - Port Charlotte
Condo, deed restricted, HOA fees, community pool, building exterior, ground maintenance, roof, trash removal, water, sewerk no pets, assigned parking, lake, dock, gathering room at pool house.

Oaks III - Port Charlotte

Thank you for visiting the Oaks III Condominium Association website. Oaks III Condominium is located in beautiful Southwest Florida. The Port Charlotte area is a small town centrally located in the heart of CharlotteCounty. Surrounded by the Peace River, the Gulf of Mexico and the MyakkaRiver, Port Charlotte boasts some of the best fishing in the world.
Oaks III Condominiums is a beautiful park setting featuring serene wildlife and numerous recreational facilities. Our lovely development includes a pool, a gazebo, a clubhouse, a library, shuffleboard and bocce courts, Oaks III Condominiums offers vacation living – every day. We're located just miles from the local county offices, fine dining, shopping and Library. We have a terrific hands on, Board of Directors as well as a full time maintenance crew, a grounds keeper and management office that make sure Oaks III Condominiums always looks its very best for everyone to enjoy!

Oaks IV - Port Charlotte
The Oaks IV Condominium Association is situated on a prime piece of property in the heart of Port Charlotte, Florida. Located approximately 45 minutes North of Fort Myers and 90 minutes South of Tampa, it is easily accessible to several major airports, hospitals, golf courses and is in walking distance to many stores, restaurants, and medical facilities. We are situated four miles from CharlotteHarbor and close to Punta Gorda's historic waterfront and many of Florida's beautiful beaches.

Although we are located in the heart of Port Charlotte, Oaks IV is nestled in its own little paradise. Once you enter Oaks IV, you are in awe of its Floridian oak trees and well-constructed, two-story, stucco buildings that are well positioned throughout the complex. The serenity that comes over you gives you the feeling that this is a place where you belong.

Our residents come from all over the country, but once they arrive at Oaks IV, they become part of a bigger family. We feature pot lucks, card playing, swimming, shuffleboard and bocce. You only have to drive a few miles to our CulturalCenter where they offer theater, hobbies and arts and crafts. You can be as active as you would like or just sit back and take in the beauty of your surroundings.

Oak Forrest - Port Charlotte
Oak Forrest Condominium is located on 23 acres among magnificent Oak trees. There are seventeen (17) buildings. Each building has sixteen (16) units, totaling 272 units. Construction was completed in late 1983.

The Complex has easy access to major highways. One can walk to banks, restaurants, shopping centers and the county library.

There are furnished and unfurnished two bedrooms, two baths and one bedroom, one bath available for rent or sale.

Loveland Courtyards - Port Charlotte
Courtyard villas, deed restricted, hoa fees include sewer and water, pest control, building insurance, ground maintenance, pool, picnig gazebo, club house, maintenance free, small pets allowed, HOA manager on site.

Orangewood - Port Charlotte

Heritage Oak Park - Port Charlotte
Heritage Oak Parkis a gated community, located in the heart of the Murdock shopping area in Port Charlotte. Heritage Oak Park was rated the number one active adult community in Port Charlotte and with good reason! Residents enjoy a billiard room, library, tennis courts, bocce ball court, shuffleboard, a clubhouse, fitness center and a huge heated pool. Here you can learn to quilt and stitch, take piano lessons, play bridge, study metaphysics or learn sign language.
Within walking distance to the Port Charlotte mall, movies, shops, restaurants, YMCA and entertainment, Heritage Oak Park is set in a park-like community where comfort is reflected in every detail. Take a restful walk through the grounds, where Spanish moss covers the old oak trees, and time seems to stand still.
Only 90 minutes from the Tampa airport, and 45 minutes from the Sarasota and Fort Myers airports, Heritage Oak Park is conveniently located for travel and visitors.
Area activities include golf, sailing, water skiing, swimming, tennis, boating, fishing, windsurfing and wildlife viewing, and the Gulf Coast beaches are the best in the world. Heritage Oak Park offers access to all this, and more!
Two bed room, two bath villas are available in this gated community, each with a two-car garage and a den – and all of this is maintenance free! The Heritage Oak Park community has 416 villa units, 39 carriage home units, 30 duplex condominiums, and 208 condominiums – in short, there is a home for every taste and lifestyle in Heritage Oak Park. Why not pamper yourself with the best life can offer? The shaded streets encourage walking and meeting your neighbors. There is so much to do and see in Heritage Oak Park and the Port Charlotte area.

Lakes Edge at Deep Creek - Punta Gorda
Deep Creek Gardens - Punta Gorda
Pines at Deep Creek - Punta Gorda
Sandhill Pines - Punta Gorda
Deep Creek Townhomes - Punta Gorda
Porches at Deep Creek - Punta Gorda

The Deep Creek community is a beautiful, deed restricted neighborhood between the Peace River and Kings Highway in Port Charlotte, FL. Although it is on the north side of the river, Deep Creek retains its prestigious Punta Gorda address. Walk along the winding streets and explore the cul-de-sacs, green space and freshwater lake[SIZE=3][/SIZE]s. The Deep Creek Preserve borders the northeastern edge of the Deep Creek community. The Preserve is a 2000-acre park with miles of walking trails through the longleaf pine forest. In the future, this preserve may also include campsites and horse trails.
Deep Creek offers the best of nature and Florida. With plenty of open space, and access to CharlotteHarbor and the GulfIslands, Deep Creek is a tranquil, yet active community with lovely greenbelts and freshwater lakes. Deed restrictions moderate the property values and the neighborhoods are all clean and well kept.
Improve your golf game by playing on a challenging course designed by the well-renowned Mark McCumber. Fish, swim, sail, and ski in the azure blue waters of Southwest Florida, where the weather is wonderfully warm, and swimming and boating are always in season. Shop and dine in nearby Fort Myers and Sarasota. The Deep Creek community is convenient to parks, schools, airports, grocery stores and hospitals. Since Deep Creek is just off I-75, it is also close to airports in Tampa, Fort Myers and Sarasota and an easy and convenient journey for your family and friends. So, don’t be surprised if you have a lot of visitors! The Deep Creek area is a favorite of tourists and residents alike.
Deep Creek sits on[SIZE=3][/SIZE]both sides of Sandhill Boulevard, and you will find a variety of home styles and settings, including villas, townhouses, single family homes and condominiums. The community is not gated, but it has the privacy and serenity you seek. Each of the two Deep Creek communities is deed restricted and has its own property owners association and board of directors.


Links Edge - Punta Gorda

Tala Lakes - Punta Gorda

Kings Island - Punta Gorda

[tomgou]

thanks for the info