New Member intro and seeking advice (St. Petersburg, Sarasota: apartments, rental, insurance)

[BAMxi]

Hello! This is my first post on this site, so I wanted to first of all introduce myself, as I am considering moving to the Sarasota/Bradenton/North Port/Venice area within a year or two. I will warn you in advance, sometimes I get off on tangents when writing, so if you're not prepared to read lots of words, you might as well move along to another post.

So, here we go: I'm 27 years old, and my wife is 30...no kids yet, and my wife is constantly reminding me of it. We're going to have to start popping them out, soon. We currently live in a suburb of Kansas City called Gardner, KS. We own a 3 bd/3 bath home here, and have been talking about moving somewhere tropical for quite a while now. Upon shoveling the foot+ of snow we received yesterday, I decided it was time to be proactive. I was turned onto this region of FL because of an article I read in Money magazine a while back where North Port was ranked the #2 most affordable place to live in the US. I had no idea one could purchase a home for the same amount or less in FL for what we paid for our basic house in nowhere, KS. And on top of that, have so many options for outdoor activities and be so near the beach! I started looking around, and it seems that prices are fairly reasonable even up into Sarasota, Bradenton, and St. Petersburg, so I'm just intrigued by the area. Upon doing some research, it seems that actual cost of living expenses like groceries might cost a little more than here in Kansas City, however even if I could spend about the same amount and not live in the barren wasteland that is Gardner, KS, I'm in.

So, I'd appreciate any advice you'd like to give on eventually moving to the area. We like our privacy, and don't mind driving a little extra to not live right on top of our neighbors. That being said, when we do move, we'll likely rent for a year or two to ensure we are happy with the area, before buying a home....so the privacy thing might not be immediately relevant. Do you think it's possible to get a reasonable rate on a rental home or apartment that isn't in a bad part of town or with paper-thin walls? I'd also like some recent insight into the employment market there. I'm a self employed network marketer, which will afford us a residual income that supports our basic expenses (rent, car payment, utilities, food, etc) by the time we move down there, however I can see us potentially looking for other opportunities for making income (possibly part time) once we get down there. We both have experience in the healthcare industry as well. My wife has her Master's degree in Social Work, and currently works at a hospital for people with mental disorders. I have a degree in business admin (management/entrepreneurship), and before making the transition to self employment, I worked for a company to assist healthcare providers maximize Medicare reimbursements. It seems that that type of employment is fairly strong in the area still, however I'd like some feedback on that. Also, if anyone feels that a certain area is more open-minded with regards to entrepreneurship, I'd love to hear about that. I really thrive from surrounding myself with other entrepreneurs, and can't really see myself going back to work for someone in the "traditional" cubicle-type job setting. I'd love to network with like-minded younger people such as myself. My wife has an uncle who lives in the area, but we'd be moving there without any real "friends" nearby (just like we did when we moved to KS).

Anyway, respond to any part of this that you like, or none at all and just say 'hi.' It seems like there are a lot of really friendly posters on this board, and I look forward to getting to know you. Cheers!

[RetiredBuckeye]

Hi BAMxi and welcome to the forum, there are lots of people on this forum that can help you out. I moved to Bradenton from Ohio last fall for the same reasons you you talked about and there were many people on the forum that helped me out.

[StepHome941]

Before Sunshine Rules bashes on North Port for you, I just responded in the last thread and so will repost my reply here:

Moderator cut: competitor website

We have lived in Sarasota (5 years), Manatee County (6 years), and North Port (2 years). We were hesitant to move to North Port because of the "bad rap" that the City has received however we are happier here than when we lived in either Sarasota, or Manatee County. It's kind of like living in the country, but with every modern amenity a few minutes away. Homes are less expensive and newer. Schools are good, we are part of the Sarasota County school system. Of the approximately 60,000 residents, about 10,000 are school children. It is a family friendly community and also an inexpensive place to retire. We are not near the beach. Maybe a 25 minute ride. We also lack the culture and history of Sarasota. North Port is a much newer city, it was only founded in 1959. It remained a sleepy bedroom community until the early 2000's when the housing boom started and people, especially families, found that they could buy a much newer and much larger home for much less money than Sarasota. I'm not saying that North Port is right for everyone, but it's worth checking out. As for financial issues, the City is 103 square miles and 60,000 residents so that is a lot of roads and infrastructure for a relatively small tax base. The City was hit hard by the housing bust as we lacked the mature and older neighborhoods of Sarasota and Venice. New business is coming, 2 companies announced this week that they are relocating from Sarasota to North Port because of the cost of land and facilities. The old commission mismanaged the City but the voters changed the dynamics of the commission this past November by ousting 2 of the old commissioners and replacing them with 2 ladies who campaigned on a platform of fiscal responsibility. Change is coming in that regard, but Rome wasn't built in a day.

[FLSnowbirds]

Sunshine posted some comments and a link to an article about North Port I am reposting. Not sure why Steph/Stephanie ?? is so upset.

"Reuters put out a very in depth, informative article back in April of 2012 analyzing North Port's financial outlook. The article stated that Fitch had downgraded North Port's credit rating because the city has had 6 straight years of deficit operations, using reserves to make up the budget deficits. The city is facing major infrastructure needs (including a referendum for $46 million for road repairs), pension funding issues and service needs. The article also mentions that the wealth levels of North Port are below the state average and unemployment levels are above the state average."



http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/04/17/idUS223673+17-Apr-2012+BW20120417

[Dollydo]

Many young people enjoy the Lakewood Ranch area, nice family oriented area, with apartments, homes for rent and of coarse ownership.

I have owned several homes in Manatee County, I like it here!

There is a mental health/drug rehab facility in Bradenton, it is called Manatee Glens, might be a place for your wife to find employment.

Good Luck!

[nphomeowner]

Sunshine or who ever wants can bash away at North Port, they don't sell here so want to promote their area of course. To be honest that's fine with me, we have enough traffic. In defense of North Port, drive around look at all the activity. Look down the side streets and see all the kids out playing, look at the folks out walking and biking and running. Speaks volumes to me. People here are happy and feel safe. Be your own judge, don't let anyone tell you what is right for YOU. Keep in mind that some posters want you to buy in their area where they can get your commission.

I feel good finally posting this! So tired of the bashing from some who have no clue!

[calico777]

Originally Posted by nphomeowner

Sunshine or who ever wants can bash away at North Port, they don't sell here so want to promote their area of course. To be honest that's fine with me, we have enough traffic. In defense of North Port, drive around look at all the activity. Look down the side streets and see all the kids out playing, look at the folks out walking and biking and running. Speaks volumes to me. People here are happy and feel safe. Be your own judge, don't let anyone tell you what is right for YOU. Keep in mind that some posters want you to buy in their area where they can get your commission.

I feel good finally posting this! So tired of the bashing from some who have no clue!

Why so hostile?
A Florida Realtor can only sell in 'their' area? News to me, but thank you for the insight

I find the postings highly informative and want to thank all the Realtors on this board for educating me and others constantly and without hesitation on all the issues. Until I'm ready to buy, I love to hear/read posts from everybody (and yes, they might not please everybody at all times)!

Ohhh....and one could easily think that you, nphomeowner, would love for people to buy in NP...because every buyer helps to increase the property prices as the market is ruled by supply and demand

[ArmyChief]

nphomeowner,

Well said. I spent 8 months looking from Tarpoon Spring to Wesley Chapel down to North Port. We decided on North Port.
It is a nice area and I foresee it blossoming in the very near future. Other people like us will deal with the Sarasota prices, older homes (insurance very high) and HOA's.

[nphomeowner]

Thanks army chief! And to calico, I am Not hostile at all, I just feel that some people on this board think that Sarasota is the only place in Florida to live. Sarasota is not the right fit for everyone! I personally like having a new home, little to low maintenance and lower taxes.

True, realtors aren't confined to one area but most, including those here in my family like to handle their deals in their own neck of the woods so to speak. They have their gas and their time invested and traveling just adds to their expenses.

I'm not real concerned with my property values rising as I have no intent of moving. Property values going up is a good thing but not something I'm highly concerned about. I won't comment any more on the subject. I had my say finally.

[blueherons]

Originally Posted by StepHome941

Before Sunshine Rules bashes on North Port for you, I just responded in the last thread and so will repost my reply here:

.

What a crappy thing to say. Sunshine Rules has only ever been helpful on this forum.

I was the one who bashed North Port.

To the OP, the skilled job market is very small in North Port so if your wife needs to find employment for more than $8 an hour, she'll have to drive at least 25 minutes.