What's it like living in Sarasota? (Bradenton, North Port: bank owned, short sales, rentals)

[whitetigersoul]

Hello everyone. I'm 24yrs old and currently live on the outskirts of Atlanta. My fiance and I have always wanted to live in FL and recently took a 7 day vacation with 1400 mi of searching along the east and west coast for the ideal place, in which case we stumbled across Sarasota, Fl. We knew upon arrival this was where we wanted to have a home. Ive did tons of research of the area and there seems to be tons of mixed opinions. First off our situation is unlike most, we are not tied down by friends and family, our home is paid for and we're not looking for the over-rated city life like most our age. We are interested in a few homes along side the bay about a mile or so out. Is this a nice area? Many questions I need answered like flood insurance cost for a 100k home or do I even need it? (elevation) Flood maps are few and far between. Should I be worried about hurricanes and what are the precautionary measures do most take? What is the job market like at the moment......how often do you see "now hiring" signs now days? Some people say they dislike it there but any place than here is perfectly fine. My town is over ran with no good, unmotivated, cop infested, disrespectful people so I understand no place is perfect but I'd like to hear all angles from individuals fimiliar with the area. By the way is there places to ride atvs dirtbikes sandrails etc... I work on offroad vehicles for extra cash and a hobby ....Is there places to ride? race tracks, beaches, drag stips? Thanks Justin....

[blueherons]

Originally Posted by whitetigersoul

Hello everyone. I'm 24yrs old and currently live on the outskirts of Atlanta. My fiance and I have always wanted to live in FL and recently took a 7 day vacation with 1400 mi of searching along the east and west coast for the ideal place, in which case we stumbled across Sarasota, Fl. We knew upon arrival this was where we wanted to have a home. Ive did tons of research of the area and there seems to be tons of mixed opinions. First off our situation is unlike most, we are not tied down by friends and family, our home is paid for and we're not looking for the over-rated city life like most our age. We are interested in a few homes along side the bay about a mile or so out. Is this a nice area? Many questions I need answered like flood insurance cost for a 100k home or do I even need it? (elevation) Flood maps are few and far between. Should I be worried about hurricanes and what are the precautionary measures do most take? What is the job market like at the moment......how often do you see "now hiring" signs now days? Some people say they dislike it there but any place than here is perfectly fine. My town is over ran with no good, unmotivated, cop infested, disrespectful people so I understand no place is perfect but I'd like to hear all angles from individuals fimiliar with the area. By the way is there places to ride atvs dirtbikes sandrails etc... I work on offroad vehicles for extra cash and a hobby ....Is there places to ride? race tracks, beaches, drag stips? Thanks Justin....

Firstly, find jobs and then think about making the move.

You might find a condo in the 100k range but you will not find a house.

Flood insurance is important based on where you live.

You'll get at least three days warning for a hurricane but most of us keep one eye on the weather channel at all times during Hurricane Season so a couple of weeks is more like it.

[TamRE]

Procuring a job would be #1: Here are some job search sites: www.heraldtribune.com, www.jobfocus.com, www.employflorida.com, www.indeed.com, www.yoursun.net, www.craigslist.com

Homes under $100k of any type are hard to find in Sarasota. North Port would have many more options for you, which is in southern Sarasota County. You may find some rentals in Sarasota that would suit your needs and price range, but not in the greatest areas.

You can find out the flood zone of any property by typing in the address at www.floodsmart.gov.

Some sports events that may be of interest - most in Charlotte County, but not too far from North Port.
Sarasota BMX - http://www.sarasotabmx.net/
Punta Gorda Speedway - Punta Gorda Speedway
Charlotte County Motor Sports Park - Charlotte County Motorsports Park
Red Neck Yacht Club Mud Park - Redneck Yacht Club Mud Park
North Port Skate Park - North Port Skate Park | North Port | FL - Skatepark.com
Charlotte Sports Park (baseball) - Charlotte Sports Park

[Sunshine Rules]

Hi Justin,

What type of jobs would you and your fiance be looking for? You didn't mention any specifics. The overall job market here has been improving, but the type of job openings here is going to be different than what you would find in Atlanta.

The largest employers in our area include the local governments, the school system and hospitals. Construction is also booming and I have heard there is a shortage of experienced workers at this time due to the number of builders putting up homes. Other than that, there are some manufacturing companies in the Bradenton (Manatee county) area such as Sun Hydrolics, Tropicana, Chris Craft, Pierce Manufacturing, Eaton, etc. www.indeed.com currently lists about 230 openings in the area, but that site also includes some that are in St. Pete.

Because Sarasota is popular with both retirees and vacationers, service related jobs are in demand. The downside of those types of jobs is often lower wages compared to similar jobs "up north."

The local newspapers, the Sarasota Herald Tribune and Bradenton Herald both offer on line versions of their papers, including classified ads. The papers can also give you a better idea of what is going on at a local level, the positives and the negatives, that you can't really get a feel for in a one week visit.

You can still find homes in Sarasota in the $100k or less range in neighborhoods such as Sarasota Springs, Ridgewood, Kensington Park, Desoto Lakes, Sun Haven to name a few neighborhoods. They are still out there, but they tend to sell quickly. Often they are short sales or bank owned properties and may need a little TLC. And they will most likely be 2 bedrooms, 1200 sq ft or less in that price range. Bradenton, especially west Bradenton, also has some neighborhoods with similar home prices.


My suggestion is always to rent first if you don't know the area yet. Once you've been here for a few months it will be easier to figure out what neighborhoods/areas appeal to you and also commute times to work. Although Sarasota is a lot smaller than Atlanta, we do have traffic issues at times, especially during the winter months when the snowbirds are in town.

[beninfl]

Add opsladder.com and monster.com to the job searching list. Two of the most important ones.

[whitetigersoul]

My fiance is getting her degree in hospitality management so she'll have no problem getting a job in various positions but as far I go, Ive been in tower communications but have recently went into doing car maintainence like oil changes brakes and such. You are right sunshine, there are homes and actually plenty of them in the sarasota area under 100k that are turn key ready but like you said there are a few that need rehab which is no biggie. Many people are assuming that there is nothing affordable but with a little patience and determination ill find what I'm looking for. As for the wages, I don't mind $9-10 hr because between the two of us working we should be fine. Btw how many months out of the year are people able to swim comfortably and does the ocean stay as clear as it does in May?

[blueherons]

Originally Posted by whitetigersoul

My fiance is getting her degree in hospitality management so she'll have no problem getting a job in various positions but as far I go,?

I just want to say that I have a four year degree and twenty years in hotel management and was unable to get a job in the hotel industry here in Sarasota that wasn't an entry level position.

I ended up in another field.

[beninfl]

People have to consider what the market is where they are moving and the jobs that exist there.

1 - Is it full of old people? YES!
2 - Is it full of vacationers? YES!
3 - Is it full of snowbirds/seasonal residents? YES!
4 - Is it full of families? YES!

What industries CATER to those people? Nursing! Housing! Restaurants! Rentals! Entertainment!

So consider who moves here, and then consider that a lot of the jobs will be related to those things. Maintenance companies (lawn, pool, etc..) do well. Restaurants do well. Shopping does well. Grocery stores need clerks. Arbys needs roast beef slicers. There's general jobs available everywhere and then those specific to an area.

And remember, if you dont like the job market in the area -- DONT MOVE HERE!! :-) I laugh my ass off every time I see someone say that they moved here with so many years experience in something and they didnt factor that there arent many jobs here in Sarasota for it and had to change fields. Not all local markets support all professions!

Also, dont expect ANY profession to last forever. We dont need blacksmiths. We dont need milkmen. We dont need telegraphers. Nor elevator men, nor copy boys, nor book peddlers. What happened when their professions werent needed or they couldnt find a job? They adapted and survived!

TIMES CHANGE CHANGE WITH THEM! Think you can do better than the other guy? START A BUSINESS AND SHOW THEM WHO IS BOSS! But whining about it will just get you /facepalms on webforums.

(Take it as motivational!)

[blueherons]

Originally Posted by beninfl

So consider who moves here, and then consider that a lot of the jobs will be related to those things. Maintenance companies (lawn, pool, etc..) do well. Restaurants do well. Shopping does well. Grocery stores need clerks. Arbys needs roast beef slicers. There's general jobs available everywhere and then those specific to an area.

And remember, if you dont like the job market in the area -- DONT MOVE HERE!! :-) I laugh my ass off every time I see someone say that they moved here with so many years experience in something and they didnt factor that there arent many jobs here in Sarasota for it and had to change fields. Not all local markets support all professions!

)

Since this is directed at me, I will answer while you are laughing your ass off at me.

This is a town based on tourism. My experience is hotel management. My experience is luxury hotel management. There just aren't that many positions in this town for someone with my experience. The OPs wife is in a similar position, I was pointing out that she will not start at the top even with a degree.

I moved here because my husband was transferred with the company he is with. Fortunately, I did not have to work.

[Cardiff by the Sea]

OP You mention your fiancee is getting a degree in hospitality. I think one of the local schools has a hospitality program. On one of our visits to Sarasota, one of the front desk clerks was in that program. There may be competition in her field. Sometimes competition doesn't matter if they happen to be looking for someone just like you, i.e., from ___ or with same hobby as the person hiring. The only way to know to to apply. Good luck to you both.