I would like a residents perspective on living in Sarasota (Bradenton: section 8, foreclosures)

[jcaras]

I would like to get a residents viewpoint as to WHAT section of town to live in. I'm 57, retired by the time I get there, I like good food, good beer, good friends, folksy people, art, many things to do, but a lack of noise when I desire it. I also appreciate beautiful gardens and friendly females. LOW CRIME!

Yearly budget around 65K.

THanks

JIm

PS please include any observations about Sarasota in general.

[Sunshine Rules]

Hi,

Having lived here in Sarasota for more years than I care to admit to , I know many of the communities that are popular with retirees.

What would be a best fit for you would depend on a lot of factors, such as what amenities are you looking for, what type of deed restrictions or condo/ association rules are suitable for you (they range from no deed restrictions to communities that will tell you what you can plant in your yard and what colors are acceptable for the exterior of your home), do you want to live in a 55 & over community or prefer all ages, do you want to be near downtown Sarasota or prefer a planned community such as Lakewood Ranch or Palmer Ranch, do you want newer construction or is older ok, townhouse vs single family home, do you want to mow a lawn or want maintenance included, etc..... Also, some communities are more sociable, with get togethers, dinners, parties, etc & others are not.

There's a web site called floridaforboomers.com that gives information on communities with a "baby boomer" perspective that I've found interesting.

My husband and I, being boomers ourself, really enjoy the variety of things to do that Sarasota offers. Of course, our beaches are some of the best (Siesta Key's beaches have been named in the top 10 many times), we have golf and other outdoor activities year round, we have a performing arts center that brings in many big name acts. Downtown Sarasota has lots of art galleries, funky shops & restaurants. The library downtown is fairly new and is a nice place to spend a rainy afternoon. The Ringling Museum has some amazing Italian art, plus the Ringling mansion is definitely worth a visit too. St. Armand's Circle hosts at least one event each month -- art shows, car shows, celebrations. If you're into classic cars, we have a car museum and quite a few car shows, including the big Deveaereaux Kaiser car show next weekend.

Unless you decide to live way out east of I75, most every one of the activities I mentioned above can be reached in about 30 minutes or less from most neighborhoods in Sarasota.

If you're just moving here and don't know the area, I would recommend you consider a seasonal or short term rental while you check out the various neighborhoods and communities. That way, when you decide to purchase, you can base your choice on your personal observations as to what is a best fit for YOU. Rentals may be a little tricky now as we are in our busy winter season, but vacancies are much more available after Easter (and rates drop too).

Good luck with your move.

[propertylocate]

close to siesta key village would suit you it seems, looks like it ticks a lot of boxes. iw ould suggest come down and stay for a couple of weeks thats what we did and we are about to close. It seems you are looking for exactly what my husband wanted, he is 55

good luck

[keelybella]

Originally Posted by Sunshine Rules

If you're just moving here and don't know the area, I would recommend you consider a seasonal or short term rental while you check out the various neighborhoods and communities. That way, when you decide to purchase, you can base your choice on your personal observations as to what is a best fit for YOU. Rentals may be a little tricky now as we are in our busy winter season, but vacancies are much more available after Easter (and rates drop too).

Good luck with your move.

I really agree with this!

We thought we did our due diligence before purchasing a home. We talked to a lot of people, read a LOT of threads here on this forum, got advice, even talked to people in our present neighborhood. But we should have done more research. It is true... one person's vision of "home sweet home" is not necessarily the same as your personal vision. And with the housing market still not solid (it seems to be getting slightly better, though) buying and selling quickly doesn't seem easy. At least from what I've researched for my own situation, I have been known to be wrong before .

The more time you can spend getting to know the areas and exploring all of the neighborhoods (Sarasota is a HUGE county) the happier you will be with your choice. And rentals are SO plentiful in all areas of the county that it shouldn't be an issue to find something on your terms. It's funny because I've lived in a lot of states, but Sarasota county has so many different areas - truly something for everyone - but the neighborhoods can be so different from the next. Or at least that is my perspective.

Good luck with your move. Sarasota is a great place to live!

[Sunshine Rules]

Sorry, I tried posting on another thread and it showed up on this one. Anyway, yes we have a lot of rentals available in Sarasota at all price ranges. I would give one bit of warning - since we are also dealing with foreclosures, I would check that the owner of the property's name checks out with the property appraiser's info (there has been some scams on craigslist), and then check the Clerk of Court records to see if the homeowner is in foreclosure.

Most owners are up front about this, but I personally know 2 people that rented homes and only afterward found out that the property was in foreclosure. One found himself having to notify the court that he was a tenant with a lease to keep the lender from locking him out of the home. If the bank does take back the property, you don't want to find yourself being evicted for failing to pay rent to the bank (instead of the previous owner with whom you signed the lease). It pays to be cautious.

[jnanner]

Originally Posted by Sunshine Rules

Sorry, I tried posting on another thread and it showed up on this one. Anyway, yes we have a lot of rentals available in Sarasota at all price ranges. I would give one bit of warning - since we are also dealing with foreclosures, I would check that the owner of the property's name checks out with the property appraiser's info (there has been some scams on craigslist), and then check the Clerk of Court records to see if the homeowner is in foreclosure.

Most owners are up front about this, but I personally know 2 people that rented homes and only afterward found out that the property was in foreclosure. One found himself having to notify the court that he was a tenant with a lease to keep the lender from locking him out of the home. If the bank does take back the property, you don't want to find yourself being evicted for failing to pay rent to the bank (instead of the previous owner with whom you signed the lease). It pays to be cautious.

definitely check it out! i was SO nervous renting through Craigslist but I used the great advice I got on here and was able to check everything out. I found the rentals went very quick and were not as many available as I thought. It worked out for us but it really pays to do your homework!

[SoFLGal]

Originally Posted by jnanner

definitely check it out! i was SO nervous renting through Craigslist but I used the great advice I got on here and was able to check everything out. I found the rentals went very quick and were not as many available as I thought. It worked out for us but it really pays to do your homework!

Here are the specific websites to do the searching: You might want to start with craigslist.org or stringermanagement.com. Even Coldwell Banker has some decent rentals on occasion. Just make sure the owner is not in foreclosure. To do this go here: Sarasota Cnty Property Appraiser look under "property search" and then "real property". Type in the address of the home. Once you have the owners name(s) look them up on the clerk of the court website and make sure they don't have a lis pendens (pre foreclosure) on the property. SARASOTA : Clerk of Circuit Court & County Comptroller Look under "online services", then "official records" then scroll to the bottom of the page and do the "I agree" paragraph and then type the owners name in. This should help you avoid any unpleasant surprises.

Another helpful tool is Google Maps. You can pull up an address and then click on "street view" and literally "walk" down the street. It's pretty cool, especially when doing an initial check of a neighborhood.

[Frida7]

I am handicapped, & have section 8. I wonder if it would be feasible for someone like me, on social security to move to Sarasota, I'd like to be near my daughter. My social security is not much, but the section 8 takes care of most of the rent. Opinions?

[Iamrita]

Originally Posted by jcaras

I would like to get a residents viewpoint as to WHAT section of town to live in. I'm 57, retired by the time I get there, I like good food, good beer, good friends, folksy people, art, many things to do, but a lack of noise when I desire it. I also appreciate beautiful gardens and friendly females. LOW CRIME!

Yearly budget around 65K.

THanks

JIm

PS please include any observations about Sarasota in general.

Where are you moving from?

[Sunshine Rules]

Frida7,

If you are thinking of relocating to Sarasota and need section 8 housing assistance, you should probably check with availability first as I was told last month by someone who is involved with section 8 housing in our area that there is currently a long waiting list of people wanting to get into the subsidized rentals.

With this in mind, I checked the county's web site at: SARASOTA HOUSING AUTHORITY - Section 8
and it does state that they are not able to accept any new applicants for the WAITING list.

You might try Bradenton, just north of Sarasota. The Manatee county HUD web site is: Manatee County Housing Authority, 941-756-3974, Bradenton Florida

Hope things work out for you.