Omg! (sale, house, buyers)

[TamRE]

If you want to read some reviews on the schools go to the Great Schools web site. If you click on the school name and scroll to the bottom of the page, that is where the reviews are. Some reviews are from parents and others are from students themselves. Just pay attention to the dates they were written. You want the most current reviews. And keep in mind this is a very small percent of people's opinions. Again, it is best to review each school individually. If you decide the location of where you would like to live, I would recommend calling the school and speak with someone on the PTO. I taught at North Port High, Punta Gorda Middle and Charlotte Technical Center and I substitute taught in the elementary schools in both North Port and all of Charlotte County.

Charlotte County Schools - http://www.greatschools.org/search/search.page?search_type=0&q=charlotte+county&state =FL&c=school

Sarasota County Schools –
http://www.greatschools.org/search/search.page?search_type=0&q=sarasota+county+school s&state=FL&c=school

[Messing About]

Regarding Gulf boating...
I, like many, moved here with visions of boating regularly "in the Gulf."

The truth is that unless your husband plans on spending hundreds of dollars on fuel each time he takes the boat out, he will likely be happier with the boating/cruising/fishing opportunities offered in Charlotte Harbor. There are over 250 square miles of boating access inside the harbor, not counting heading up the Peace River or up the Myakka River.

Besides buying the wrong house, you should be warned about buying the wrong boat or buying the wrong boat for the type of boating he really ends up doing.

When you rent that house before deciding where to buy, I also suggest you make friends (which you are clearly good at) with boaters and experience the Gulf as well as the Harbor and the Intercoastal Waterway. He will decide within 6 months what type of boating he prefers.

My wife and I had a 34' SeaRay on a desert lake in AZ. We came here with visions of off-shore fishing on a regular basis, cruising the intercoastal and overnighting on the gulf islands and bought a 26' boat with a cabin fit for 2. The truth is she quickly got scared of the waves, both in the harbor and off shore. I spend 3 years with the wrong boat until I sold it to someone who just moved to FL from MN.

We bought a little canal house in Port Charlotte and I now love my little 20' bay boat with the 150 Yahama outboard. I can go off shore on nice days and I have a few times. But I can also run around the harbor, go to the many restaurants/bars and tie up on their docks, sneek into the mangrove trees and pin my boat down in 2' of water and fish all day on less than 100 bucks in gas.

If you folks are looking at million dollar homes and half million dollar boats, then forget everything I just said and enjoy your lucky lives. But if that's not the case, select your boat and waterfront home very carefully. Congrats on your contract. Welcome to paradise. And remember...

There is nothing...nothing my young friend, half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats. (Wind in the Willows)

[Sunshine Rules]

If you are referring to my previous post about Bayview Acres, there IS a listing on the canal for $325,000 - it's a short sale, I know the listing agent. Yes there are million dollar properties in that neighborhood, but there are also canal front properties that have sold in the $300's over the past couple of years too. Non-canal homes have were distress sales have gone for less than $200,000. I am friends with someone that lives on the canal in that neighborhood and I do keep track of the market there for him, he likes to know what things are selling for.

San Remo does have million dollar homes but now and then a listing pops on the market that is priced in the $350k range or sometimes less. There is a listing on a saltwater canal for $350,000. Coral Shores has 3 listings priced $350,000 or under. Just like you can find a few homes on Longboat Key priced in the $300's even though most are substantially higher. There are a sprinkling of listings like this out there if you look.

I've lived in the Sarasota - Bradenton area for almost 30 years now and I've been selling real estate here for over 12 years. My husband, who works with me, has lived here since the 1960's. I do have first hand knowledge of the neighborhoods and the local market.

[Keeper]

You also want to take into consideration the cost of homeowner's insurance. You will be required to get flood ins if you live on or near the water. If you have never lived on a canal there are other things to consider that will also be costly, People don't talk about boats being a something to just pour money into for no reason.

[sware2cod]

The cost of flood insurance varies greatly from house to house. The big difference is the flood zone itself, plus FEMA's required elevation of the living (finished) area of the home....versus....... the actual elevation of the finished area of the home.

You could get 2 homes on the same block and one could have a $200/yr flood insurance premium and the other could have a $3600/yr premium.

The higher above BFE (Base Flood Elevation), the better the premium. The less severe the flood zone, I think the premium gets better(islands can be pricier than a mainland canal if diff flood zone).

FEMA's flood zones vary and required elevations can differ for homes that are next door to eachother, though not always the case. You can get FEMA maps easy-fema.gov and insurance agents all have access and possibly the counties have the maps available also

If the home is below BFE, that gets pricey. Some of the oldish homes(1950s, 1960s or 1970s maybe) you have to be careful about, because they might have been ok when built, but then the FEMA rules changes and now they are low in elevation and causing high insurance bills. And there is talk of the rules changing now also.

However, there is a date either in the 1950s or 1960s in which homes built before that are grandfathered in with low rates. My guess is they were built before all the FEMA rules started. I don't have that date handy but bet a realtor would know it.

Something built within the past 25 years or so generally is going to be high enough in elevation. But there are many variations that can effect insurance, so you want to get an insurance agent to quote for basic flood insurarance before you buy any home, IMO.

The problem is, you need an elevation certificate to ID where the home's elevation is. Not sure if the county records show this anywhere or if a realtor can get the home's BFE(Base Flood Elevation) for you prior to buying.

I am not sure if anyone ever puts a contingency on a home based on BFE and can pull out of the purchase if the home is below BFE or if flood insuranc is above $xxx. A survey company would perform the survey that also gives the elevation certificate. That elevation cert. is then submitted to the insurance co when you buy flood insurance. This is why you see newer homes on the water that are 2 story with the lower level non living and upper level is living. This is to meet FEMA rules and often their flood insurance can be reasonable because their living area is very high since it is on the 2nd story. Or you'll also see some homes that are one story that seem to be on a dirt hill. This is also to get the elevation higher.

[gettinoutofjersey]

in many cases the insurance agent can get the flood insurance grandfathered by doing a little more work and referencing old maps. this can bring down cost significantly

[TamRE]

Here is the link to FloodSmart.gov. http://www.floodsmart.gov/floodsmart/
This will give you information on the National Flood Insurance Program, flooding and flood risks, residential coverage, FAQ’s, flood facts and more.

From the home page, there is a red box where you can type in the address of the property and it will then take you to the property’s flood risk profile. It will tell you whether the home is moderate to low or high risk. It will give an estimated premium amount and it will give you a list of insurance agents serving the area.

If the property you plan to purchase is within a flood zone, you can purchase National Flood Insurance through a property insurance agent. If the property is located in a flood plain, flood insurance is required when you obtain a mortgage. Flood insurance is available on homes, condos, and mobile homes and most enclosed buildings.


Did you know that floods can occur even if you don’t live near a river, lake, or ocean? Areas most prone to flooding are barrier and offshore islands, areas near rivers, creeks, or canals, and low areas including those with elevations of less than 10 feet above mean sea level.

Another place to check for flood plains is the local county GIS Flood Maps. Type in the property address and do a flood map search.

Sarasota County - http://gis.scgov.net/

Charlotte County - http://www.ccgis.com/

Lee County - http://leegis.leegov.com/

[Big House]

Originally Posted by Keeper

You also want to take into consideration the cost of homeowner's insurance. You will be required to get flood ins if you live on or near the water. If you have never lived on a canal there are other things to consider that will also be costly, People don't talk about boats being a something to just pour money into for no reason.

That may be true, but I have a Sea Hunt, with a 115 hp Yamaha, and other than gas and oil changes, I have only had to replace fuses in it since I've owned it (going on 7 years now). So my boat hasn't been a money pit. I bought all the upgrades I initially wanted so I haven't poured money into them either. I do plan on buying a trolling motor sometime soon, but haven't done that yet.

[Big House]

If you plan on buying a house on a canal anywhere, I advise that you do get a copy of the elevation certificate. They are available from the real estate agent if you ask. I would definitely get a quote on the flood insurance before you make an offer as well. I concur with the above poster that flood insurance rates can vary a lot between homes (even if they are right next to each other). That said most of the houses in PGI are grandfathered under the FEMA rules, and the insurance is affordable for living on the water.

[NYNYmommy]

All I can say is that when I finally make my move down there (weeks... months...???) I'd like to be at the next CD meet-up to give everyone a big hug! It is nothing short of overwhelming to try and gather all the information I will need to do this successfully and I feel like I am really on the right track...
A BIG thank you to ALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!