Helping parents relocating from Boston : Appreciate any advice (Cape Coral, Sarasota: rentals, insurance)

[jonmac56]

I want to thank everyone in advance. I will be joining my parents for a week in FLA in early August for a mini beach vacation/ look at homes tour. This past winter finally pushed them over the edge into leaving Boston.

I will try to provide as many details up front as possible. Areas I have looked into include Sarasota, Bradenton, Venice, Port Charlotte, Punta Gorda, Cape Coral, Ft. Myers, and Bonita Springs. I realize that is a lot of choices but we are just getting started. Looking for a single family home (hopefully updated) , 2 to 3 Bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms, preferably 5 years or less old. Price range would be 225-325k . Would be cash deal.

My mom is big into sewing and quilt making so an arts and crafts vibe is cool. A downtown with farmers markets and low crime a definate plus. My dad does not golf but parks or clean open areas he can go for walks would be a nice touch. They don't need to be on or right near the beach but to be with in say 30 minutes of a beach would be helpful. They do like to go out to eat from time to time and my mom is a movie buff. We would also need a realtor for our visit if there is anyone the site can recommend? I worked in Naples my first year out of school and they fell in love with the gulf side of Florida!

[Sea Ray Mark]

Originally Posted by jonmac56

I want to thank everyone in advance. I will be joining my parents for a week in FLA in early August for a mini beach vacation/ look at homes tour. This past winter finally pushed them over the edge into leaving Boston.

I will try to provide as many details up front as possible. Areas I have looked into include Sarasota, Bradenton, Venice, Port Charlotte, Punta Gorda, Cape Coral, Ft. Myers, and Bonita Springs. I realize that is a lot of choices but we are just getting started. Looking for a single family home (hopefully updated) , 2 to 3 Bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms, preferably 5 years or less old. Price range would be 225-325k . Would be cash deal.

My mom is big into sewing and quilt making so an arts and crafts vibe is cool. A downtown with farmers markets and low crime a definate plus. My dad does not golf but parks or clean open areas he can go for walks would be a nice touch. They don't need to be on or right near the beach but to be with in say 30 minutes of a beach would be helpful. They do like to go out to eat from time to time and my mom is a movie buff. We would also need a realtor for our visit if there is anyone the site can recommend? I worked in Naples my first year out of school and they fell in love with the gulf side of Florida!

Sounds like you just pretty closely described the Punta Gorda area. Mark

[SeaRay35]

Originally Posted by Sea Ray Mark

Sounds like you just pretty closely described the Punta Gorda area. Mark

Couldn't agree more!
Look up SoFlGal for realtor needs! Everyone here has great things to say about her!

[mr&mrssunshine]

ditto and ditto

beach...30 mins ...bit tight

[Harbor Hopper]

Sounds like Punta Gorda or Englewood would be a good fit. They're smaller towns with far less congestion than the larger metro areas you mentioned. Both have nice downtown streets with numerous festivals and arts & craft shows. Englewood is more of an artsy town. Let us know what questions you have!

[Big House]

Sounds like you'll be down here somewhere before you know it!!!
I think they will really love SWFL. I would definitely check out Punta Gorda, all of the things you mentioned will be easily found in any of the places you mentioned, and you've done some good research. Two other things to consider - 1) Safety, if they move to Punta Gorda - the town is very safe, and is very walkable. Along with lots of festivals and arts (there is an art center right across from Fisherman's Village where your mom can meet people, work on art project, and sell them too, if she likes), there are two farmers markets (on right in town) on Taylor & Olympia on Saturday, and one on Shreve Street at the Historic Park on Sunday. Both are different and very good, with a variety of nice things to check out.

AND 2) It is very friendly, there are lots of people their age, who certainly have their interests. If they join the Civic Association - which is really created to help them immerse into all the things that interest THEM. There are clubs and groups that do a variety of different things, including art, golf, fishing, walking, dining, scuba, kayaking, tennis, and other things they enjoy. And they will meet, and make friends with other people from NE (many of which are annoying Patriot Fans! - LOL).

One thing you should be prepared for, the time will slip by so fast you won't know what hit you! Buying a house takes a focused effort (in each area you mentioned) - it is time consuming, and if you don't put the time in and focus, you may just be setting short of what could be fantastic for them and you. So my advice would be to range in on the area that they love, and then focus on the home - it is the biggest investment, so spend time on that. There are many things to keep in mind when buying a retirement home - resale value (virtually all will be resold in 20 years or so), so along with that location / location / location, schools, hospitals, proximity to things of interest, shopping (day to day needs), safe neighborhood. All these things we mention all the time. And of course - pick a good realtor - they will guide you to the right place. I think those noted here are excellent!! DM me if you want additional advice or have anything else you want to chat about. ;-)

[MartyGras]

Originally Posted by Sea Ray Mark

Sounds like you just pretty closely described the Punta Gorda area. Mark

Mark is correct I think Punta Gorda would be a great fit.

Gary

[SoFLGal]

Originally Posted by jonmac56

I want to thank everyone in advance. I will be joining my parents for a week in FLA in early August for a mini beach vacation/ look at homes tour. This past winter finally pushed them over the edge into leaving Boston.

I will try to provide as many details up front as possible. Areas I have looked into include Sarasota, Bradenton, Venice, Port Charlotte, Punta Gorda, Cape Coral, Ft. Myers, and Bonita Springs. I realize that is a lot of choices but we are just getting started. Looking for a single family home (hopefully updated) , 2 to 3 Bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms, preferably 5 years or less old. Price range would be 225-325k . Would be cash deal.

My mom is big into sewing and quilt making so an arts and crafts vibe is cool. A downtown with farmers markets and low crime a definate plus. My dad does not golf but parks or clean open areas he can go for walks would be a nice touch. They don't need to be on or right near the beach but to be with in say 30 minutes of a beach would be helpful. They do like to go out to eat from time to time and my mom is a movie buff. We would also need a realtor for our visit if there is anyone the site can recommend? I worked in Naples my first year out of school and they fell in love with the gulf side of Florida!

I appreciate the recommendations!

We have a very knowledgeable bunch of people on this board. I agree 100% with the Punta Gorda recommendation. It "ticks" most of the boxes on your list.

Punta Gorda is a great little town and has many things that you're looking for. It seems every weekend they have something going on down there. The Seafood Festival, Peace River Art Show, Air Shows, Block Parties, Fishing Tournaments, etc. On Thursday nights they have a jam sessions in Gilchrist Park. Punta Gorda is a pretty cool town.

There are many places to go hang out and places to eat: Harpoon Harry's, Hurricane Charley's, Dean's and Celtic Ray all have live music on the weekends and they serve food.

Charlotte Regional Medical Center is in downtown PG on Marion St. Then right over the bridge is Fawcett Hospital and Peace River Medical Center.

Punta Gorda has a farmers market every week. You also have Fisherman's Village, which is a quint area by downtown. It has shops, restaurants, boat rentals, and entertainment on certain nights.

Now, for areas that you should check out: Punta Gorda Isles is probably one of the best places if you want to be within biking/walking distance to downtown and have good access to the harbor. All of the seawalls in Punta Gorda Isles are maintained by the city of Punta Gorda, which isn't the case in nearby neighboring Port Charlotte. Punta Gorda Isles is a terrific neighborhood where most homes are on saltwater canals, and most locations provide relatively speedy access to the open water of Charlotte Harbor and the Peace River. Sailors like PGI because the waters are consistently deep and will provide 4+ ft of draft even on the winter low tides.

Then there's the Burnt Store area: Burnt Store Marina, Burnt Store Lakes, Burnt Store Meadows, Burnt Store Colony, Burnt Store Village, Burnt Store Isles. Burnt Store Marina is the only gated community out of them all. It also has the largest deep water marina in the SW gulf coast with 525 wet slips. Sailboat Magazine ranked this area one of the top ten places to sail. It also has a 27 hole golf course and restaurant. Burnt Store Isles also is mostly waterfront canal homes, but because of shoaling on Alligator creek isn't as attractive for deep draft boats. Both PGI and BSI have golf courses

Punta Gorda also has a really quaint historical section the runs along Gilchrist Park and the harbor. My sister-in-law lives in there and says she will never leave. Gilchrist Park has great sidewalks that run right along the river.

Pirate Harbor is also worth checking out but not as close to the downtown area.

Your price range is doable but you might have to look at homes older than 2010. Keep in mind that there was not much building going on around here from like 2007-2012.

The beaches are, however, around 40 minutes away. You didn't mention if you wanted a pool or not. Other than that, you've been very descriptive as to what you're looking for.

I can understand why you'd want to migrate down south. I heard you had a brutal winter.

[TamRE]

Most people are saying that Punta Gorda is a good fit. Just keep in mind that in your price range under $325k most of the homes in Punta Gorda Isles are going to be older and will require higher homeowner insurance. Newer homes are above that price range. There are some newer homes in Punta Gorda in the communities of Wateford Estates, Creekside or Oak Harbour in that price range or you can build new in all three of these communities. Also, there are a few newer homes in Burnt Store Meadows, Burnt Store Village and Burnt Store Lakes. Seminole Lakes is a gated, golf community with homes in your price range too.

Some links about Punta Gorda:
Punta Gorda Airport - Charlotte County Airport Authority | Punta Gorda Airport
City of Punta Gorda - City of Punta Gorda Florida
Punta Gorda Chamber of Commerce - Punta Gorda Chamber of Commerce: Home Page
Punta Gorda Isles Canals - City of Punta Gorda Florida
Visual Arts Center - Visual Arts Center Punta Gorda - Home
Farmers Market - Punta Gorda Chamber of Commerce: Farmers Market

[snowtired14]

From what I've seen down there, I agree with TamRE, in PGI you'll have to compromise on the age of the house because of your price range. For that price range why not look at Rotonda or Englewood, maybe South Gulf Cove, nice community, same laid back vibe, farm markets, close to the beach, however, other than Dearborn, not a cozy downtown like PG. For your price range you would be looking at houses built within the past ten years and even the possibility of building new. Just something else to look at and think about while you're down there.