Chat Thread - A fun & informative discussion about the Punta Gorda & Port Charlotte area. (Tampa: house, job market)
Punta Gorda - Port CharlotteCharlotte County
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BH glad you posted some of the local history of the town. The restaurant I spoke of in my last post called Trabue, was actually named after Colonel Isaac Trabue, who brought the first train on the Florida Southern Railroad to town in 1887. The town was originally named after Mr. Trabue-- The Town of Trabue. In 1887 the town name was changed to Punta Gorda, which in Spanish, means "Fat Point". In the late 1800's Cuba used to ship cattle to Punta Gorda and the town was well known for its fishing history and the founding of The Consolidated Ice Manufacturing, Refrigeration and Fish Company. The Ice House Pub in the downtown area still stands in the original building where the Ice House Fish Company was started in the late 1800's. August Freeman was the first Mayor of Punta Gorda and his old yellow and white house, the AC Freeman house is where the Chamber and Historical Society are located.
Punta Gorda has gone through several disasters. One of the first was the fire of 1905, which burned down much of the downtown area. When it was rebuilt it was built mostly of brick, including many of the roads. In the 1920's the first bridge across Charlotte Harbor was completed and this coincided with the great land boom of the 20's. The 1920's is also when Desoto county split from Charlotte county, they are still today, two separate counties.
Many of you remember Hurricane Charley, that ripped through the town in 2004. My youngest daughter was only 2 weeks old at the time. I have never left the area due to a hurricane and this one turned at the last minute. Had we known it was going to be a direct hit, we would have evacuated. The good thing about hurricanes is that you usually get ample warnings. The bad thing is that, of course, they are unpredictable.
The Punta Gorda Airport was once the US Army airfield and was built to train combat air pilots in World War II.
In the late 50's and early 60's the PGI (Punta Gorda Isles) area was developed by three entrepreneurs. They laid out 55 miles of canals 100 feet wide and 17 feet deep using dredged sand to raise the level of the canal front land. These home sites have access to Charlotte Harbor.
If you drive around Punta Gorda you'll see many murals on the sides of buildings paying tribute to some of the locals who helped to make Punta Gorda what it is today. There are also many interesting historical markers in town that give a summery of several of the places I mentioned.
I created my first video of Ponce De Leon Park.
I plan on adding music and voice over when I become more adapt.
But this video will give you a good look at one of the many parks here, that I plan on highlighting over the coming posts / time.
So get out and have some fun in the sun! Go try out some of my favorite things to do in Charlotte county!! Let me know what you did and how it was! [excerpt, not full quote; boldface added]
I've gone on the sunset harbor cruise that you mentioned. A few years back I was looking for an easy day trip from where I live (further south, in Lee county) for out-of-town visitors.
Charlotte Harbor is so beautiful as seen from a boat tour. (Actually, as seen from anywhere--whenever I drive over either of the bridges that span the Peace River, it brings back memories of that boat tour.) We did see dolphins. It was just amazing. I can still close my eyes and be transported right there, it was so memorable. My guests also loved it--I'd recommend it to anyone.
Thanks for taking the time to post so many things-to-do links, as well as the info, SoFLGal. I would never remember the details you've posted months from now when some of the events will take place, so it's great to now have these sites bookmarked thanks to the links you gave.
I've gone on the sunset harbor cruise that you mentioned. A few years back I was looking for an easy day trip from where I live (further south, in Lee county) for out-of-town visitors.
Charlotte Harbor is so beautiful as seen from a boat tour. (Actually, as seen from anywhere--whenever I drive over either of the bridges that span the Peace River, it brings back memories of that boat tour.) We did see dolphins. It was just amazing. I can still close my eyes and be transported right there, it was so memorable. My guests also loved it--I'd recommend it to anyone.
Thanks for taking the time to post so many things-to-do links, as well as the info, SoFLGal. I would never remember the details you've posted months from now when some of the events will take place, so it's great to now have these sites bookmarked thanks to the links you gave.
Hey City, thanks for the kudos and the rep points!
I've never done the sunset cruise but I heard it's great! Also many people don't realize that if you're walking around Fisherman's Village and they haven't filled their boat, often they will cut you a deal on the price. I see dolphins nearly every morning coming from the island I live on to the mainland via ferry. They are such beautiful creatures.
Since we're on the subject of Florida wildlife I thought I'd post a few pics that I have taken:
Here's a pic of my friend Keith with a scrub jay on his head. For those of you who aren't familiar with scrub jay, they are endangered species. This particular bird lands on Keith nearly every time he goes to Oscar Schearer State Park in nearby Osprey. He knows it's the same bird because it has identifiable tags on its legs. They are extremely friendly and will take food right out of your hand.
Here's a 6' 4" Grouper that I watched someone reel in on Mother's Day on Boca Grande Beach
Here's another picture I took while kayaking the Myakka River. The gator was sunning itself up on the banks. Many people ask if they bother you or will attack you. Well, when I was a kid I used to swim in the Myakka nearly every day in the summer. The gators never bothered us. Now, I don't recommend this at all. Alligator mating season is in the spring. During that time they can become aggressive looking for a mate and protecting their nests. The Myakka and Peace River become overrun with gators then. Just to put things in perspective, you have more chance winning the lottery then you do getting attacked by a gator. Generally, they don't bother you unless someone has fed them and they've lost their fear of humans. They usually stick to the rivers and the water traps on golf courses. It's rare that you'll see them in the harbors or the gulf. If you do it's usually because they're lost. Now if you're looking to get up close and personal with a gator, I highly recommend you give my good friend and 5th generation Floridian, Mr. Jamie Hooks a call. He's a bit crazy when it comes to gators but you'll see them if you take one of his tours. He also gives more tame tours like trough the mangrove tunnels.
Here's a picture of my mom, my brother and me paddling down the Myakka in 79'
Of course you'll see many turtle sunning on logs:
Here's a manatee munching on some sea lettuce:
My daughter caught this little seahorse and decided to bring him home and put him in her saltwater fish tank:
Here's a big darn snook I took a picture of while waiting for our food over at the Stump Pass Grill.
The kids and I went out a few nights ago with the local turtle patrol and we released a bucket of newly hatched turtles. Here's a picture of one of the little buggers:
Here are a few Osprey I took a picture on one of my many kayak trips:
A cormorant
A dolphin hanging around the Gilchrist Park pier in Punta. It had a fungus on it's dorsal fin and we called Mote Marine about it. I believe they trapped the dolphin, treated it and released it.
A blue heron
Mr. pelican hanging out on the piling waiting for some fish:
A cute little raccoon we ran into up at Lido Park
Here's a bobcat that was slinking around my backyard in North Port
One last thing before I call it a night. For all you sports fans, check out the Charlotte Sports Park for some baseball. It's the home of the Tampa Bay Rays Spring training. The Charlotte Stone Crabs are there during regular season. Right across the street from the Sports Park is the Charlotte County Fairgrounds, which has a ton of things happening during the year. The fair runs Jan-Feb. They have gun shows, RV shows, boat shows, car shows, bird shows, MMA fights, rodeos, great country concerts in April.
I could post all night about Charlotte county but I suppose I should get some sleep. See you tomorrow!
Well, of course, I can't sleep....I have to be up before the roosters crow and I'm still awake.
Excuse me while I grab my sweet tea and pull up a chair.....OK, I'm back
I have people say to me, "come on it can't all be good." Tell me something bad about Florida. So here goes, the negative side to living in Florida. Well, negative for some people.
Some people find it to hot for their liking, especially in the summer months June-August. It does get really hot here. I usually plan my day and if I'm gonna go for a jog it's probably not going to be at 12 noon, if you're gonna mow the lawn it's probably best to do it in the early morning or late afternoon. I suggest planning a trip here in the summer to make sure you are comfortable with the heat. You don't want to move here and then find out you're not all that fond of hot weather.
It's a tropical climate and tropical climates bring bugs. You will find a myriad of different species of bugs in Florida. There are many natural remedies to getting rid of the pests as well as having your home sprayed for bugs on a quarterly basis.
Mosquitoes are one of the most talked about bugs in Florida. Mosquitoes are most prevalent in in the rainy season, June-August. They lay their eggs in standing water of ditches, buckets of water and stagnate water. This area has airplanes that fly over in mosquito season and they spray for them. To cut down on the mosquitoes around your home make sure you eliminate any standing water around your house. There are many sprays, candles and bug zappers you can use to get rid of the pesky bugs.
Snakes are an issue that I hear about regularly. There are 45 different types of snakes in Florida with only 6 being venomous. Most won’t bother you and just eat things like small rodents, rabbits, rats, mice, and other types of small animals. The majority of snakes are good to have around the yard and control any over abundant rodent populations.
Many of the venomous snakes like to live in wooded areas under rocks or around swampy, marshy areas. Generally, they don’t want to be bothered when encountered, so if you leave them alone usually they’ll run the other way. Often times when people get bitten is when they try to handle a snake, not realizing that the snake is poisonous. If you kill a snake the snakes reflexes are still “live” for a short period after you have killed it, so don’t immediately handle it or you might get bitten.
The six snakes that are venomous are The Southern Copperhead, which is only found in the panhandle area and not in SW Florida. The Cottonmouth, commonly called a water moccasin, which is primarily found around brackish water and marsh areas. The Eastern Diamond Back, they like palmetto thickets, under brush and Gopher Tortoise holes and are found throughout Florida. Next is the Timber Rattlesnake which is only found in 9 counties in Florida and SW Florida is not included in it's range. Moving on to the Dusky Pygmy Rattlesnake, which is found throughout Florida around ponds and in underbrush. And lastly we have the Eastern Coral Snake, which of my 37 years living here have never seen one. Supposedly they are found throughout Florida. If you absolutely hate snakes you could get this stuff called Snake-Away and I heard this keeps them away from your house or where ever you put it.
The latest news reports state that there is now an invasive species of Burmese Python known to inhabit the Everglades and they are large enough to eat goats. Although they are not poisonous they can be a danger to humans due to their large size. I have never seen this type of snake in SW FL.
Another animal that some people are concerned about is alligators. Alligators tend to stick to the rivers where the water is brackish (a mixture of salt and fresh waters) and they also like the golf course water traps.
Alligators seldom attack humans, and fatalities from such attacks are extremely rare. Alligators are naturally afraid of humans, but they lose that fear when people feed them. There has been several alligator attacks due to people feeding them.
The most likely time to see alligators is at dusk. Often during the day you can catch them sunning themselves on the shoreline. Once the sun goes down they become more active. I wouldn't recommend swimming in a place known to be inhabited by alligators. It's also wise to keep dogs and cats away from the shoreline of waters known to be inhabited by alligators. Most dogs and cats are about the size of the animals alligators prey on-raccoons, birds, fish, turtles, etc Stay away from any small alligators or nests because the female alligators can become extremely dangers when protecting their young. Also don't go trying to get a lost golf ball a golf course water trap. They love to hang out in places like that.
If you live on a freshwater or brackish water canal and have small children or pets I always recommend getting a fence as an extra precaution.
You can greatly reduce your chances of being attacked by an alligator by just using some common sense. Generally speaking, if you don't swim in the rivers or the water traps you should be pretty safe. If an alligator shows aggression toward human you can call Florida Fish & Game and they will remove it.
Then you have the Chinese Drywall. This certainly has been an issue. Most of the CDW was imported from Chine between 2001-2007. Hundreds of millions of sheets of Chinese drywall were imported from 2004 to 2006, but Chinese drywall has recently been found in homes built or remodeled as early as 2001. Chinese Drywall has been found in 30 states and the District of Columbia and is estimated to have been installed in over 100,000 homes in the United States. See Map. Unfortunately, this does not paint an accurate picture as most affected homes have a mixture of safe and tainted drywall.
The majority of Chinese drywall is 1/2", but not always. Here are some clues that the home has CDW. Does your home smell like rotten eggs or ammonia (sometimes a sweetish smell)? I've also been in homes where it smelled like raw sewage. Is it more noticeable when entering your home and then seems to dissipate? The level of odor varies greatly in each home as does each person’s ability to detect the odor. Of course, the strength of the odor also depends on how much drywall was used in the home. The home may not smell and still can be affected by CDW. In short, do not rely on your nose alone, particularly since many develop olfactory fatigue after being exposed to Chinese drywall.
Chinese drywall corrodes electrical wiring. Check the electrical receptacles in your walls to see if the wires are blackened. Pull off the electrical plate and look inside. Obviously, do not touch anything - you could get shocked. There should be a copper wire inside. The wires in this photo have been corroded from Chinese drywall. The breaker panel should also be checked. I've also seen plumbing fixtures that are pitted and if the A/C has been replaced and the home is relatively new-that's also a clue that the home may have Chinese Drywall. Some of the sheets of drywall are stamped Knauf or National Gypsum on the back.
Signs of an electrical problem include, a circuit breaker which frequently needs resetting without an apparent cause (particularly a GFCI or AFCI); lights that flicker without any apparent cause; bright flashes or sparks anywhere in your electrical system (this may indicate arcing conditions in the wiring); buzzing from electrical systems, switch plates, dimmers and outlet covers that are discolored from overheating; and a smell from overheating plastic. CDW was manufactured during the time that hurricane Charlie hit so even if your home is older it could be effected. I always recommend a home inspection
Moving on to the next concern I hear is hurricanes. Really a hurricane can hit anywhere in Florida. I think that the Miami and Key West have the highest possibility of a hurricane strike. You need to be prepared where ever you live. I am a native Floridian and have lived in or close by Sarasota county my whole life and have never evacuated, not to say that I wouldn't but I've never felt the need to.
Anywhere you live in the world you will be faced with some kind of natural disaster-tornadoes, typhoons, tidal waves, earthquakes, blizzards, etc. At least with hurricanes you will have advance notice before they hit. If you choose to leave you have the opportunity to do so. This is not the case with most other weather situations.
Since 1992 Hurricane Andrew, the Florida Building codes have been up graded in 1994, 1998, 2002, 2006 to deal with damage from wind. Even new manufactured homes are safer than site built homes pre-94 The newer the home since 94, the less insurance you will pay. Insurance for pre 94 homes is difficult to get/keep and you will pay a lot of money for coverage.
Some hurricanes are large and can cover the whole state, while some like 2004 Charley was an oversized tornado. Some years we have to watch for a dozen and other years only one or two. The hurricane season runs from June to November with the peak amount in September.
Here's a chart that shows the probability of a hurricane strike in each area: Florida Hurricane Coastal Strike Probability
Hurricane strike probabilities are only statistical
estimates. Be prepared as storms approach.
Another concern I hear is about sharks. I get asked quite a bit if I’ve ever seen a shark at the beach or if it’s dangerous to swim out at the beach. Fact is that since they have been keeping records on shark attacks there has never been a fatal shark attack from Bradenton to Naples. If you're talking shark attacks, the Atlantic side has far more attacks than the gulf side. One reason you get more attacks over there is the amount of surfers. Surfers mimic a wounded animal and in turn look like lunch to a hungry shark. Most of the sharks that are off the coast of New Smyrna are Tigers, Spinners, Bull, Reef and Blacktips. Ponce Inlet is specifically known to be pretty active with sharks. You really don't have that great surfing on the gulf side unless a storms brewing. The gulf side is also much warmer than the Atlantic side. http://www.underwatertimes.com/news....id=10863094725
Speaking of beach. What about the stingrays and riptides or what about red tide? Well, I always recommend doing the "stingray shuffle" when entering the water. To do this you shuffle your feet along the sand instead of lifting your feet up and placing them down. The shuffling motion usually scares the stingrays off so you don't step on their poisonous barb. If you do happen to get stung, soak the area in hot water.
Rip tides are unusually strong currents that run perpendicular to the shore and can be very dangerous. If you're caught in one, don't panic or try to swim back to shore against the tide. Swim parallel to shore until you are out of the current or it has subsided, then return to shore.
Red tide is a naturally occurring algae that blooms and can kill marine life and cause respiratory irritations in humans. People with respiratory problems should avoid the beach when red tide is present.
Florida is the lightning capital of the world. Folks, if it starts lightning and you're golfing or at the beach, it's time to come in. And don't go hide under a tree and wait for the rains to end. That's probably the worst place to be during a lightning storm.
Next concern I hear is about the job market. Yeah it's pretty bad here. It's usually easier to find a job on the medical field then some other markets. The construction market is pretty tough right now. I would not suggest moving here without a job lined up.
There are some areas of town that are better than others which is pretty easy to figure out in the Charlotte area.
On the sex offender issue. I wouldn't say there are any more here than anywhere else. I just think we have a better system of keeping track of them. Which I think is a good thing. You can go here to check to see if any live in the neighborhood you are considering: http://offender.fdle.state.fl.us/off...yyt!-928531442
So, if you can live with the bugs, the heat isn't an issue, aren't afraid of mosquitoes, snakes, sharks or gators, can prepare for hurricanes and stay away from lightning, have a stable job lined up, are willing to have your home inspected for CDW, you can go to the beach and stay clear of the stingrays and not get caught in a riptide and can figure out where you want to live...you should be good to go
First let's start out by using the correct place to search for homes. Here's the public access website to the MLS, www.myfloridahomeMLS.com This website covers 25 counties and 15 Realtor Associations/Boards. It is the most up to date website you can use when searching for homes. Some of the third party websites i.e. Zillow, Trulia, etc can have homes on there that sold months or even years ago. The local Realtors do not control what is pulled to these third party websites. So, I suggest searching for homes on the MyFlorida website and then doing additional research on third party websites.
Now on to the coveted list of contractors. Many people should be able to chime in on this one...we'll when they wake up, since is roughly 4am EST.
I get DM's on a daily basis asking who I recommend for this or that. So, I thought I'd start a list of some of the people I use on a daily or weekly basis. Here's how my list works. If I hear someone give rave reviews on a company or service individual on Facebook, City-Data or where ever, I add them to my list. If I get any complaints and they aren't resolved to my satisfaction, I remove them from my list. It's kind of like Angie's List but I call it Shannon's list. I keep a partial list up on my website as well.
Homeowners Insurance agents:
Kim Wilson
Vice President of Sales
Parquette & Associates, Inc.
1475 Collingswood Blvd., Suite F
Port Charlotte, FL 33948
(941) 235-7776 Fax (941) 235-3330 kim@parquetteinsurance.biz
I've been using her for a while now and she really goes the extra mile for my customers. She stays late to give me quotes and she gets me excellent rates. I have my personal home and my rentals insured through her company.
Pool company: Casa Pools, Jerry
I've been dealing with Jerry for years and never had a complaint.
Septic Company: Gibson Septic Tank Service
They came out to a home inspection I had today. Although the septic inspection failed, which is not unusual with homes built before 1980 in Charlotte County, my clients really liked them and felt they were very honest.
I've also used Martin Septic, Englewood Septic and SOS Septic with no issues.
A/C Company: Tommy's A/C
I've been using Tommy's for years now and he's done a ton of work for me, including put in a new A/C in my personal home. His prices are always fair and his workmen are competent.
Larson's Air
I'm going to throw this name out because I saw a friend posted on Facebook recently and she said that she had 8 different A/C companies come out to take a look at her A/C. All of them said that she needed a new A/C to the tune of $5K, except Larson Air. They said that the compressor needed to be replaced and even discovered that the part they needed was still under warranty. They fixed the compressor a few years ago and the A/C is still going strong. She just reported that she called them again and got the same great service. Hats off to Larson's Air.
Granite Installers:
Capital Granite
Lukas, 941-626-4975
I've been using them for years. They have excellent prices and have quality product.
Dumpsters:
All Star Disposal
941-639-2255
Tile work:
Andre, 941-815-8166
Lowes of North Port, 941-257-2200
I know this is not a Charlotte county business but I had to give them a shout out. Over the years they have gone above and beyond to be helpful, have the things I need in stock and help me out with many customers. Of course they do carpet installation and a myriad of other things as well. This store is top notch.
Mortgage Broker: Capital Mortgage
Jerry Hodges
Toll Free – 800-536-1127800-536-1127 Ext. 735
Direct Line – 502-379-6088502-379-6088
Direct Fax – 800-517-4648 jhodges@hlcgroup.net
Jerry has helped numerous customers of mine. He also got me my loan on my personal home. His rates are usually very competitive, he's a straight shooter and just a good guy to work with.
Water Systems: AquaFlow, Chris the owner
I've been using Chris for a few years now with no issues. He put a new system in my rental home a few years ago and he services the well there. He's also done many complete systems for various customers with no issues.
Plumbing: Titanz Plumbing
Although I haven't personally used them I know Mr&MrsSunshine has and I believe he was satisfied with their services
Pipe Dream Plumbing
I believe he has also mentioned this company and had no issues either.
I've used both companies with reasonable success. Seems like the charges are similar, they both come out quarterly, and the results are similar. If you see any bugs between treatment they come out and retreat.
I'm sure there are other companies/vendors that I didn't think of so, come on everyone and chime in with your recommendations.
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