Any "little cute home" neighborhoods? (Sarasota, Bradenton: HOA, houses)

[Tallguy66]

We love Sarasota and are excited to move, but are having a hard time finding the right place. Southgate has been our center of focus because we are looking for a smaller, simple home, BUT.... so many look so plain. Please don't take offense to this, since it is most likely that we don't know the area very well and may be looking in the wrong place. If anyone can direct us to a neighborhood that we should look at where the homes have some character, please let us know. Any cottage type homes that you know of ?

[TamRE]

There are some cottages near the beach and scattered here and there within neighborhoods. What is your price range?

One place I can suggest to look is The Cottages of Callista Village located in Sarasota County. Tivoli Homes of Sarasota has a new Beachcomber model. Here is an article about it. http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20110122/ARTICLE/101221004/2112/BUSINESS?Title=Customer-feedback-inspires-second-model

Here is a current Listing. Click the image to view larger. HOA $148 monthly.


Another place is The Cottages at Blu Vista located in Manatee County. Here is a current listing. Click the image to view larger. HOA $525 annually.


Let me know if you would like additional information on either of these communities.

[SoFLGal]

I'm out right now and posting from my phone but you should check out the cottages at Rivendell in Osprey.

[TamRE]

Here are the listings in Rivendell. Click the image to view larger.



Here is a description of the community.

The neighborhood of Rivendell is one of the newest communities in the Osprey, Florida area. Offering moderate to high-end homes, this neighborhood is perfect for prospective buyers who are looking for a place to call home where they can enjoy the amenities of living near Sarasota while at the same time benefitting from a small town environment.

Rivendell is situated slightly north of Oscar Scherer State Park. If you love nature, you will appreciate the easy access this location provides you to the Park, with its 15 miles of biking and hiking trails and numerous outdoor activities, including kayaking, fishing and more.

Housing options in this neighborhood include the Cottages of Rivendell, where there are 84 maintenance-free cottages offered. If you are looking for the opportunity to truly enjoy life without worrying about the hassles of day to day living, this is the perfect choice for you. The Cottages are designed to provide the feel of living in a quaint New England neighborhood. The Woodlands at Rivendell is yet one more option. This choice affords buyers with architectural options that are more Florida traditional and overlooks the preserve, lakes and ponds.

In the immediate area around Rivendell residents will be able to benefit from a number of amenities and recreational opportunities, including the local beaches. There are also many boat ramps not far from this community, making it easy for residents to launch their boats out into the spectacular Gulf of Mexico.

Sarasota is only a short drive from Rivendell, offering plenty of dining and shopping opportunities. There are also many cultural pursuits available in the local Sarasota area, including museums, art galleries, live theater productions, the symphony, orchestra and much more.

Rivendell offers everything you need to live a life of leisure and comfort.

Are these the type of homes you are looking for? Let us know if you need additional information.

[gypsychic]

Tallguy - what type of "look" are you looking for? Southgate is mostly mid-century Florida ranchers, I like this look myself. What did you mean by "plain?" Did you mean you want older bungalows, and are you looking for gated or non-gated? Also what was your price range?

Sorry for the questions, but it will help us answer your better.

[Sunshine Rules]

South Gate area homes are mainly built in the 1960's - 1970's and are, for the most part, your typical FL ranch-style block home. If you're looking for cute cottage, I can see why those homes would not be appealing to you.

Cottages of Blu Vista is the name of a subdivision, the new construction homes do not resemble cottages. The homes are mostly 3 and 4 bedroom contemporary homes, some are 2 story, and all are similar in appearance. It's a nice, affordable subdivision for families wanting new construction but doesn't sound like what you're looking for. (I live in the area and drive by Blu Vista frequently.)

You said you were looking in the South Gate area, did you check out the streets closer to Arlington Park? There's an area between Bahia Vista and Webber that runs between School Ave and Tuttle that has a mix of homes, including small cottages.

Another area that is known for it's cottage style homes is the Indian Beach - Sapphire Shores - museum area. This area runs from about Indian Beach Rd to north of the airport, west of US 41. This includes street names such as Eastchester, Winchester, Turks Cap, Stevens, Leeta, Corwood, Putnam, Indiana, Tennessee and Virginia. On the north end, by the airport, are street names such as Braden, Hernando, Somerset and Bernard. This area has a quirky mix of everything from $100,000 cottages to estate homes of $1 million or more. The Sarasota Jungle Gardens is located in this area, on Myrtle.

The Vamo road area just west of US41 by the Sarasota Square Mall may have some cottages that appeal to you. If you go west on Vamo and follow it down close to the bay there are several streets with tree lined streets and some cottages mixed in with the other homes.

There's one other area of Sarasota I can think of where you can find some cottages that may appeal. It's just south of Vamo, in the Osprey area just south of The Oaks subdivision. There are some little streets just east and west of US41 that offer some cottages. Try streets like Oak, Holland, Pine, Washington, Pennsylvania, Patterson and Glenwood.

These are the best options I can think of based on what info you've given us here on the forum. Good luck with your search.

[jnanner]

Originally Posted by TamRE

Here are the listings in Rivendell. Click the image to view larger.

Attachment 84317

Here is a description of the community.

The neighborhood of Rivendell is one of the newest communities in the Osprey, Florida area. Offering moderate to high-end homes, this neighborhood is perfect for prospective buyers who are looking for a place to call home where they can enjoy the amenities of living near Sarasota while at the same time benefitting from a small town environment.

Rivendell is situated slightly north of Oscar Scherer State Park. If you love nature, you will appreciate the easy access this location provides you to the Park, with its 15 miles of biking and hiking trails and numerous outdoor activities, including kayaking, fishing and more.

Housing options in this neighborhood include the Cottages of Rivendell, where there are 84 maintenance-free cottages offered. If you are looking for the opportunity to truly enjoy life without worrying about the hassles of day to day living, this is the perfect choice for you. The Cottages are designed to provide the feel of living in a quaint New England neighborhood. The Woodlands at Rivendell is yet one more option. This choice affords buyers with architectural options that are more Florida traditional and overlooks the preserve, lakes and ponds.

In the immediate area around Rivendell residents will be able to benefit from a number of amenities and recreational opportunities, including the local beaches. There are also many boat ramps not far from this community, making it easy for residents to launch their boats out into the spectacular Gulf of Mexico.

Sarasota is only a short drive from Rivendell, offering plenty of dining and shopping opportunities. There are also many cultural pursuits available in the local Sarasota area, including museums, art galleries, live theater productions, the symphony, orchestra and much more.

Rivendell offers everything you need to live a life of leisure and comfort.

Are these the type of homes you are looking for? Let us know if you need additional information.

the cottages at rivendell are adorable. it has it;s own clubhouse and pool. there are even a few houses in there that break the cookie cutter mold. the picket fences, tree lined streets and sidewalks really give it New England-y charm. It's really a cute little area.

ETA: but the "short drive to Sarasota" is nonsense. It's 30 minutes to get downtown. I live right there and drive downtown, the marina area, to the airport, Van Wezel area, Lakewood Ranch... take my word for it, 30 minutes. It is only 5 miles to Nokomis Beach and 10 miles to Siesta Beach though.

[Tallguy66]

This is great information! We are tring to find an older home that needs some TLC, so that rules out the newer build stuff. Soundl like there are a few of these mixed in and I'll have to do more exploring.

[gypsychic]

I definitely recommend some of the areas that Sunshine Rules has suggested - in particular Indian Beach/Sapphire Shores area - and to add to that, just north of there check out the Uplands, Tuxedo Park and the bay side of Whitfield Estates (all West of US 41). We live in the bay side of Whitfield and we LOVE it here! It is close to everything, we are equally distant between Sarasota and Bradenton, and the University corridor. It is about 5-7 minutes to either downtown. This whole region has lots of history and charm. A lot of the lower priced fixers have been snapped up already, but there might be some hidden gems, I don't really check on what comes and goes on the market, since I am not a realtor. My neighbor just sold her home (not a fixer) for $150,000, she sold it quickly and had multiple offers.

Good luck and hope this helps!

[PixiStix]

Don't know what your budget is but based on what you mentioned, you should also check out the Orange & Osprey Ave. area. There are many older, historical cottage type homes in great neighborhoods & lots of character. Although they can be a bit more pricey than other areas...