Punta Gorda- Creekside area (Tampa, Fort Myers: short sales, foreclosures, new house)

[DSFlys]

I am debating whether to purchase a new home in the Creekside area of Punta Gorda for my mother. I liked the area and the new houses but virtually know nothing about this neighborhood. I would appreciate any advice.

[TamRE]

My parents live right around the corner and I have listed and sold homes in Creekside. It is a small community with no real amenities other than deed restrictions, a community pavilion, grill and playground. It is convenient to I-75 and US41. KB Homes was the builder when the community started, then Adams Homes came in and now KB Homes is back again. Both builders are still building in there. There are ranch style homes and 2 story homes.

There is a WalMart right down the road and it is close to Home Depot, grocery stores and other shops. And not too far to go into downtown Punta Gorda for all kinds of events, parks, shopping, restaurants, boating, fishing, etc. There were quite a few foreclosures and short sales in there at one time, but things are picking up again. It is a mixed neighborhood of retirees, families, etc.

Are you looking for a new build or an existing home?

[DSFlys]

Thank u. I am looking to build a home there. KB has offered me a good deal and I did look at existing homes in DP but for the same price I'd prefer something new. I just had read up on areas in Punta Gorda and hadn't really heard of Creekside.

[dragon0524]

I've lived in P.G. for 17 years and have always found that stretch of Taylor Rd to be a decent, if not terribly scenic area. As the other poster said, VERY convenient to both highways, Walmart, and fast food. Fort Myers is also a quick 30 mins south to Fort Myers. (If you dare!)

[wpc691]

My sister-in-law and her husband had a home built there by Adams, and they're very happy there so far. There are 4 Lee County Sheriff's deputies who live and park their cars there. I expect that would make it a pretty problem-free neighborhood.

[DSFlys]

Thank you all. That's some great information. I work for an airline so I can commute from Ft Myers or Tampa. Just fell in love with Punta Gorda and wanted an area where my mother would feel safe. Our realtor didn't want to show us Creekside, he kept showing us houses in Deep Creek so I was starting to wonder if something was wrong.

[HarborRat]

I'll play devil's advocate. It's a nice neighborhood but is set back from any water, almost in the middle of nowhere. The houses are almost on top of each other, and they will be building more. Probably perfect for a 55+ (if it were), but not for an investment. That said, it looks much better and safer than Deep Creek or many other areas. Good choice if waterfront is not a priority.

[dragon0524]

Yes, Deep Creek is not a good area to be in. It used to be very nice back when I first moved to Charlotte County, but over the years it has seriously declined. Sadly, it's considered "Punta Gorda" as well even though it's on the other side of the Peace River. Confusing to newcomers, to be sure.

Stick to the "real" P.G. on the south side of the bridge. Much nicer.

[born01930]

I see these comments slamming Deep Creek. I live there and love it, have nice neighbors, it is quiet and convenient to shopping and 75. While I don't go cruising around all the roads and can't speak of the whole community I would recommend my area to anyone. There are undesirable areas south of the bridge as well so don't go slopping your brush all over. It's like these people with no kids in the system dissing the schools here. They "hear stuff" and then pass it off as fact.

Everyone has their own likes and dislikes...I try to pass on info that I know first hand. If it is hearsay then I will put that caveat in the comment.

The best advice for anyone coming down here is to spend some time in the area before settling on a permanent location. There is a lot of good advice on this forum, but since everyone has their own need it is best to form your own opinions rather than relying upon some possibly misinformed position of others.

[dragon0524]

Originally Posted by born01930

I see these comments slamming Deep Creek. I live there and love it, have nice neighbors, it is quiet and convenient to shopping and 75. While I don't go cruising around all the roads and can't speak of the whole community I would recommend my area to anyone. There are undesirable areas south of the bridge as well so don't go slopping your brush all over. It's like these people with no kids in the system dissing the schools here. They "hear stuff" and then pass it off as fact.

Everyone has their own likes and dislikes...I try to pass on info that I know first hand. If it is hearsay then I will put that caveat in the comment.

The best advice for anyone coming down here is to spend some time in the area before settling on a permanent location. There is a lot of good advice on this forum, but since everyone has their own need it is best to form your own opinions rather than relying upon some possibly misinformed position of others.

I'm not "slamming", I am merely stating a well-known fact that less desirable elements have infiltrated the Deep Creek area in the past 10 years or so, probably due to its proximity to Port Charlotte. Not all neighborhoods are affected, and that is all to the good. I only said that Deep Creek as a whole is not what it once was in the late 90's.

Yes, Punta Gorda has a few bad streets just east of downtown, and no place is "perfect", but to compare apples to apples, P.G. is just a generally safer community than D.C.