What is it like to live in Sarasota, Fla (Tallahassee: rental, HOA) - Sarasota - Bradenton - Venice area - Florida (FL) -Manatee and Sarasota Counties - City-Data Forum

sandyart · 03-11-2007, 09:57 AM

Hi everyone,

My husband and I have been to Sarasota approx. 8 times for vacation and bought a very small condo in Long Boat Key (could not afford anything bigger because so expensive) as we love it here! WE love the gulf, good places to eat, etc. We are planning to "retire" in Sarasota- -maybe at this point also looking at Austin, Texas bacause we hear that is a very intersting and vibrant city. Was really wondering what it is like to live in Sarasota since we are realtively young in our mid 50"s.??
What I mean is are people friendly, envronmentally concerned, can you get a P/T job, etc. general quality of life issues?
We are having second thoughts since the housing market is extremely expensive, where a 2300 sq ft home on Palmer Ranch, Rivendall or MOte Ranch will set you back almost 500K. Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated and also if there are other place with a lot of thinkgs to do that might work for us- - we need warm weather - -yes, I know Fla is unbearable in some of the summer- -A/C is great!
Regards,
Sandy

fl1025 · 03-11-2007, 10:21 AM

My husband and I are about your age and we also love it there. We want to buy right now and move now---but are also worried about the job situation. We found a nice house in North Port---brand new construction--slashed down to $200,000 cause the builders have SO much inventory. Only about 20 minutes from Lido---
We don't know what to do cause we do have 4 more years to work but are worried prices may go up.

Mayu I ask do you rent out your condo?

Floridasunshine · 03-11-2007, 11:02 AM

What is your millage rate in NOrth Port for your taxes. When did you buy?
I love the area I am looking down there.

sandyart · 03-11-2007, 11:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fl1025

My husband and I are about your age and we also love it there. We want to buy right now and move now---but are also worried about the job situation. We found a nice house in North Port---brand new construction--slashed down to $200,000 cause the builders have SO much inventory. Only about 20 minutes from Lido---
We don't know what to do cause we do have 4 more years to work but are worried prices may go up.

Mayu I ask do you rent out your condo?

Hi there,

The answer to your question is YES, we rent our condo or we would never been able to afford the morgtate, taxes, HOA and HO ins. The LBK club is beautiful and have very good rental income. We love going there, but having said that living and working might be a differnt story.
WE thought about Northport and quickly gave up the idea when we heard from quite a few people that they felt isolated to Sarasota. We don't want to be more than 20 mins from downtown. If you are not interested in being close Northport might be for you and it is much cheaper.
Sandy

OREGONRAIN · 03-11-2007, 12:00 PM

I crossed sarasota off my list completely, not because of dislike of the area, but it was obvious to me, it was extremely overpriced and was only going to go up. I talked to many people there, and all of them immediately told me, how expensive it was there, I didn't have to just believe them, I did my own research. Whether younger or retiring in that area, and I just don't mean in the city itself, surrounding communities included, one needs alot of bucks in their pockets to live there.

sandyart · 03-11-2007, 12:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OREGONRAIN

I crossed sarasota off my list completely, not because of dislike of the area, but it was obvious to me, it was extremely overpriced and was only going to go up. I talked to many people there, and all of them immediately told me, how expensive it was there, I didn't have to just believe them, I did my own research. Whether younger or retiring in that area, and I just don't mean in the city itself, surrounding communities included, one needs alot of bucks in their pockets to live there.

Yes, that is what I am experiencing soooo we are looking in other warm areas...was wondering if you were doing the same and have any thoughts? Our next visit will be Austin, Texas. Believe it or not every person I speak with say it is great; but prop taxes are high. We would love to live in Portland or Seattle but cannot handle the cold rain and dampness.

fl1025 · 03-11-2007, 12:09 PM

I am not going to give up on living outside of Sarasota. North port is really growing! I just have to check the taxes out. We were there for a 2-3 days a couple weeks ago and looked at quite a few builders.

It was not that far to Sarasota--right off 75---you could work in Sarasota if you weren't self employed. 20 minutes to Sarasota's gulf--that's for me!

OREGONRAIN · 03-11-2007, 12:21 PM

Hi sandyart, Yes I have been doing that looking in warm areas, I also had thought of Austin, but I doubt I could live so far inland as that. I have to have some proximity to the ocean. I actually am looking at north fla this week, the tallahassee area, I don't know if I would completely like it, but I am giving it a look, I have to think retirement years now, and that area is growing with retirees and is not the high cost, plus I want to live on the east coast, I am originally from Massachusetts, it would be a easy jaunt up to there when I get the need to visit. Yes the pacific northwest is nice, but the climate and high cost of living is not conducive to retire in this area. It is no joke when people say it rains from late sept until early or mid june.

sandyart · 03-11-2007, 02:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OREGONRAIN

Hi sandyart, Yes I have been doing that looking in warm areas, I also had thought of Austin, but I doubt I could live so far inland as that. I have to have some proximity to the ocean. I actually am looking at north fla this week, the tallahassee area, I don't know if I would completely like it, but I am giving it a look, I have to think retirement years now, and that area is growing with retirees and is not the high cost, plus I want to live on the east coast, I am originally from Massachusetts, it would be a easy jaunt up to there when I get the need to visit. Yes the pacific northwest is nice, but the climate and high cost of living is not conducive to retire in this area. It is no joke when people say it rains from late sept until early or mid june.

Hey, I did look in northern Florida- - not bad but it has seasons and can get quite cold. I understand what you mean in Austin; far from any ociean! BTW, so many of my family is in Mass - -BOston is a great place, but tooooo cold. We were also thinking about Palm Coast which is somewhat further south - -hear anything on that area?

roaring-rox · 03-11-2007, 03:25 PM

Hi Oreganrain, I am interested to hear what you think of Tallahassee after your visit there. I have also thought of Austin, TX, but the inland factor, plus being so far away makes me hesitate. I have visited Tallahassee 2 times in the last year. The second trip I liked it better...it did help that I was with a friend who is retiring there, got a better feel of the area, and did eat at 2 great restaurants---if you are a foodie, "Food Glorious Food" and "Cypress Restaurant" are worth a trip. Have read on the web on someone's blog that they are having trouble getting the downtown to come to life. There are a small number of people there trying to breathe some life into it. A neat coffee shop called "Kool Grindz" is there and they have built a mid-highrise condo bldg. downtown and the first floors are supposed to have restaurants/shops hopefully in the future. It is pretty to drive around Tallahassee and there are a nice selection of neighborhoods to choose from. In my mind, I would probably settle on Tallahassee if I felt it could get some of the downtown alive and be a 'mini-Austin'...not as dynamic, but just more in that direction (for some reason, I buy their hype b/c I get their magazine and there are alot of neat places there, and their downtown is cool looking to me). Know Tallahassee won't have that kind of a skyline, but the two restaurants I loved in Tally, I think, were hip and one of them had the 'Austin look' I've seen in their magazine. Well, if you stay long enough to get a 'feel for the place' interested to hear what you think. The way people are flocking everywhere in the country, I do wonder if Tallahassee could be a diamond in the rough to be discovered (please just be discovered by the right mindset).