new port or sarsota or some other town??? (Sarasota, Fort Myers: sale, home)

[perky1]

I am 45 years old just went thur a divorce looking for a fresh start I like to run I do marathon's an 5k runs I like the outdoors an the beach... I am a airconditioning an heating Tech making 40,000 a year now I would like to go out on my own !!! I own a few house's here in oklahoma that I will sale so I will have money to put down on a home when I move .. where is a good place to live an work in the area I am trained in an plus b able to run outdoors an b close to the beach ... that totally wouldnt break the bank ??? I have heard new port an sarsota any input would help thanks!!!!!

[kroeran]

some suggestions:

- take a long drive from Boca Chica Texas all the way down to Key West in January, then back up the east coast to Charleston. Ponder what you see.

- after that, have a cup of coffee with the ex and think about getting back together.

- Texas coast requires heat in winter AND AC in summer, maybe think about that from a business angle, and better taxwise. Lower cost of living.

- If you are a sportsbar kinda guy rather than a wine-Art-Show kinda guy, think Fort Myers rather than Sarasota, Florida-wise.

- If you are doing ok where you are moneywise, maybe start with long vacations around the gulf, and position yourself for when things recover in a few years to break out. Hard to think clearly about business if you have just come through a divorce.

- what about buying a building lot cheap (5-10k?) in Punta Gorda with dense foliage and build yourself a rustic stilt cabin as a second home as a project during your vacations, or pick up a wreck of a place cheap and rehab it (rent it first and research as much as you can, there are a lot of traps to fall into). Check out which Florida airports have good direct flights into your area so that you can do a few long weekends.

[changeyourthoughts]

Sarasota is awesome!! Its gorgeous, funky, unique, charming, everything other mid and SW FL locations are not. But it also has a hefty older population and is pretty heavy on the culture and arts, which I think is great but you may not. Sarasota is very arsty, but very cool and interesting little place. Good luck!