Upstae NYer looking for safe place in FL (Sarasota, Bradenton: apartment complexes, rentals)

[CindyNY]

Looking to move from Upstate NY to a less crime ridden neighborhood. I live on a fixed income, 56 and disabled. Looking for a 1 BR apartment in the Sarasota, Bradenton area but not commited as my final destination. Safety first, clean and quiet. Does anyone have suggestions?

[Ragnar]

Housing budget?

[beninfl]

Originally Posted by CindyNY

I live on a fixed income, 56 and disabled. Looking for a 1 BR apartment in the Sarasota, Bradenton area but not commited as my final destination. Safety first, clean and quiet. Does anyone have suggestions?

My suggestion is another city. Sorry to be blunt. You can find that on Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, but.... Oh wait, you said safe clean and quiet. Damn. Nope, not here.

If you've got $800+ a month for that, but the fixed income part probably means that's not possible. If it is, just come down and visit for a few days and tour some apartment complexes. There's a million posts here with links to most of them. Using the search feature will go a LONG way on this site, almost every question has been asked, then asked again, and then asked again and again and again. Good luck on your search.

[Frida7]

What part of upstate N.Y.are you from, Cindy? I raised my kids in the Herkimer area. We moved here in 2003. Like you, I am disabled.
What's your rent budget? Do you have anyone here, friends or family?

[Frida7]

Originally Posted by beninfl

My suggestion is another city. Sorry to beMost blunt. You can find that on Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, but.... Oh wait, you said safe clean and quiet. Damn. Nope, not here.

If you've got $800+ a month for that, but the fixed income part probably means that's not possible. If it is, just come down and visit for a few days and tour some apartment complexes. There's a million posts here with links to most of them. Using the search feature will go a LONG way on this site, almost every question has been asked, then asked again, and then asked again and again and again. Good luck on your search.

Ben, plenty of people on fixed incomes live here, I'm one of them. Most seniors are living on fixed incomes as well.

[Cardiff by the Sea]

This post is not intended to pimp our property. But I have looked at a number of apartment buildings over the last year in the process of trying to purchase ours. I saw 12-36 unit buildings in safe areas, that were clean and quiet, and had two bedroom units that were between 700 and 800. The lower rents tended to be for tennants that had been there a while. I am not sure you could get a 2 bedroom now for 700, but I definitely believe it is possible to get a 1 bedroom for 700-725.

Just looked at one of those one of those free books available in front of grocery stores that all the big complex advertise in. Wanted to check out our competition. Most complexes don't advertise their rents, but some do. The ones advertised in Bradenton were in locations that would have made me nervous. The ones in Sarasota were expensive.

The ones in Northport, Charlotte, and Punta Gorda looked very nice and were less expensive. You could get a 2 bedroom for 700 and a 1 bedroom for 625. Maybe this is bait and switch adverting, as in there is one unit at that price. I am only telling you what the ad said. I don't know those areas at all so I couldn't evaluate the addresses either. If I had your set of concerns and were coming in cold with no knowledge of the area, I would investigate these southern communities.

One concern for you may be escalating rents when you are on a fixed income. The government has printed a massive amount of extra money since the financial meltdown. When the economy gets strong again, all that extra money is likely to lead to above average inflation and a string of rent increases. On the other hand, if you pick a place that doesn't have a lot of jobs in the area, the rent increases are likely to be less steep. A bedroom community with no industry could be a good choice for you.

Good luck. Even if all the nay sayers are correct, all it takes is one right apartment for this to work for you. You may have to hunt, but it can be done.

[LYOUNG47]

Frida7, we're 45 minutes north of Herkimer, in Boonville (brr snow). also looking to come down this fall to check out Bradenton/nearby area for winter place. both 55 , health ok. checking out now for retiring in couple years. it would be great, like you said, to know someone down there who could take you around to good/bad areas. one guy at work has a friend whose a retired cop, so going to try to get that going. we just would like quiet area, 2 bedrm, room to move around, walk to places prob. doesn't have to be on "the beach".
I used to work as district auditor at Stewart's in Ilion, do you remember Dorthy McGuire- the manager at Herkimer? trying to remember who was around in 2003. Sue Rider, Bobby Barhydt, man time flies. quit 3 years ago after being there 16 years, & work at Davidsons in rome now, title clerk.

[Frida7]

Sue Rider,... that name sounds familiar. I may have gone to school with her. My mom dated someone from Boonville, small world, lol!
If you decide on Bradenton, I'd recommend west Bradenton, that's where I live, it's a good quiet area with lots of restaurants & shops, it's close to the beach, & there are a lot of rentals that are affordable.
If you are looking for someplace very quiet & safe, more reminiscent of what you're used to, to a certain degree, the venice/Englewood area is great, but the population is quite old, even by Florida standards.

I'd be glad to show you all around & have a drink or two when you get down here! I certainly do remember Stewart's, we lived down on east north st. for a while. I miss the Mexican hots, I used to buy the Mexican hot meat over at the Frankfort big M.
I miss those doo-dah parades in Ilion too, when my kids were little they'd scramble for the candy thrown, lol. Great place to raise kids. I knew once they started getting older that I wanted to move to Florida, before they married & settled down & I'd have a hard time leaving. There is so much to do here that their teen years were great.
The job market isn't great, but compared to upstate NY, it's fabulous. None of my kids have had trouble in that regard.
I think you'll love it here. We sure do!

[Frida7]

Sue Rider, do you know if she went to Boces for the lpn program in the late 80s? I did, & I feel like I remember that name.

My first husband now lives in Rome. When the kids were small we practically lived at fort Ricky's & Scotty's water slide park out there.

[Restrain]

How about looking at one of the Over-55 manufactured home parks. Rentals will be high, but we have found homes for very little, with some people unable to sell due to the glut on the market and actually offering to pretty much give them away on Craigslist.