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My hubby and I are considering retiring to Venice, Fla. Could anyone tell me about the area? All I've read it seems very nice. Is there areas to avoid? How is Venice Gardens or South Venice? Are there things in the area to do? How are the restaurants and shopping? We could buy a home in the $150,000-$160,000 range. How is the housing in that price range? How is medical care there? The hospital there? How hot does it get? How are the hurricanes on the Gulf? (Which is why we want to stay away from the East Coast). Any and all information would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
I am sure all the realtors will chime in but I think South Venice is the cheaper end of Venice but think 150k might be able to get a very small, old house - what you have to watch out for is the cost of insurance - you have to get homeowners AND wind insurance - well - if you have a mortgage you need to and I think most people get insurance anyways. You also need flood insurance if you are in a flood zone. Venice has tons of restaurants and shopping. I have been told to avoid Venice Hospital and go to Sarasota Memorial - not my personal experience but hearing many opinions on this. We moved here 2 years ago and no hurricane yet. All and all Venice is a beautiful sleepy little town on a beautiful beach.
Venice is a great little town! Venice has been on many "best places to live" lists. I would post links here but it's against the terms of service to post competing links. Just Google Venice FL. South Venice has a little ferry that takes you over to the beach. If I remember right it's $100 per year, which is very reasonable. The $150K range will get you a decent home. It might be smaller and older, in which case the insurance would need to be reviewed. It's fairly close to Venice Beach and the cute, quaint downtown area. There's always something going in downtown Venice. IMO, Venice Hospital is fine. I've had several experiences there. As long as I'm in the Sarasota county system with my medical treatment, I'm happy.
I have people say to me, "come on it can't all be good." Tell me something bad about Florida. So here goes, the negative side to living in Florida. Well, negative for some people.
Some people find it to hot for their liking, especially in the summer months June-August. It does get really hot here. I usually plan my day and if I'm gonna go for a jog it's probably not going to be at 12 noon, if you're gonna mow the lawn it's probably best to do it in the early morning or late afternoon. I suggest planning a trip here in the summer to make sure you are comfortable with the heat. You don't want to move here and then find out you're not all that fond of hot weather.
It's a tropical climate and tropical climates bring bugs. You will find a myriad of different species of bugs in Florida. There are many natural remedies to getting rid of the pests as well as having your home sprayed for bugs on a quarterly basis.
Mosquitoes are one of the most talked about bugs in Florida. Mosquitoes are most prevalent in in the rainy season, June-August. They lay their eggs in standing water of ditches, buckets of water and stagnate water. This area has airplanes that fly over in mosquito season and they spray for them. To cut down on the mosquitoes around your home make sure you eliminate any standing water around your house. There are many sprays, candles and bug zappers you can use to get rid of the pesky bugs.
Snakes are an issue that I hear about regularly. There are 45 different types of snakes in Florida with only 6 being venomous. Most won’t bother you and just eat things like small rodents, rabbits, rats, mice, and other types of small animals. The majority of snakes are good to have around the yard and control any over abundant rodent populations.
Many of the venomous snakes like to live in wooded areas under rocks or around swampy, marshy areas. Generally, they don’t want to be bothered when encountered, so if you leave them alone usually they’ll run the other way. Often times when people get bitten is when they try to handle a snake, not realizing that the snake is poisonous. If you kill a snake the snakes reflexes are still “live” for a short period after you have killed it, so don’t immediately handle it or you might get bitten.
The six snakes that are venomous are The Southern Copperhead, which is only found in the panhandle area and not in SW Florida. The Cottonmouth, commonly called a water moccasin, which is primarily found around brackish water and marsh areas. The Eastern Diamond Back, they like palmetto thickets, under brush and Gopher Tortoise holes and are found throughout Florida. Next is the Timber Rattlesnake which is only found in 9 counties in Florida and SW Florida is not included in it's range. Moving on to the Dusky Pygmy Rattlesnake, which is found throughout Florida around ponds and in underbrush. And lastly we have the Eastern Coral Snake, which of my 37 years living here have never seen one. Supposedly they are found throughout Florida. If you absolutely hate snakes you could get this stuff called Snake-Away and I heard this keeps them away from your house or where ever you put it.
The latest news reports state that there is now an invasive species of Burmese Python known to inhabit the Everglades and they are large enough to eat goats. Although they are not poisonous they can be a danger to humans due to their large size. I have never seen this type of snake in SW FL.
Another animal that some people are concerned about is alligators. Alligators tend to stick to the rivers where the water is brackish (a mixture of salt and fresh waters) and they also like the golf course water traps.
Alligators seldom attack humans, and fatalities from such attacks are extremely rare. Alligators are naturally afraid of humans, but they lose that fear when people feed them. There has been several alligator attacks due to people feeding them.
The most likely time to see alligators is at dusk. Often during the day you can catch them sunning themselves on the shoreline. Once the sun goes down they become more active. I wouldn't recommend swimming in a place known to be inhabited by alligators. It's also wise to keep dogs and cats away from the shoreline of waters known to be inhabited by alligators. Most dogs and cats are about the size of the animals alligators prey on-raccoons, birds, fish, turtles, etc Stay away from any small alligators or nests because the female alligators can become extremely dangers when protecting their young. Also don't go trying to get a lost golf ball a golf course water trap. They love to hang out in places like that.
If you live on a freshwater or brackish water canal and have small children or pets I always recommend getting a fence as an extra precaution.
You can greatly reduce your chances of being attacked by an alligator by just using some common sense. Generally speaking, if you don't swim in the rivers or the water traps you should be pretty safe. If an alligator shows aggression toward human you can call Florida Fish & Game and they will remove it.
Then you have the Chinese Drywall. This certainly has been an issue. Most of the CDW was imported from Chine between 2001-2007. Hundreds of millions of sheets of Chinese drywall were imported from 2004 to 2006, but Chinese drywall has recently been found in homes built or remodeled as early as 2001. Chinese Drywall has been found in 30 states and the District of Columbia and is estimated to have been installed in over 100,000 homes in the United States. See Map. Unfortunately, this does not paint an accurate picture as most affected homes have a mixture of safe and tainted drywall.
The majority of Chinese drywall is 1/2", but not always. Here are some clues that the home has CDW. Does your home smell like rotten eggs or ammonia (sometimes a sweetish smell)? I've also been in homes where it smelled like raw sewage. Is it more noticeable when entering your home and then seems to dissipate? The level of odor varies greatly in each home as does each person’s ability to detect the odor. Of course, the strength of the odor also depends on how much drywall was used in the home. The home may not smell and still can be affected by CDW. In short, do not rely on your nose alone, particularly since many develop olfactory fatigue after being exposed to Chinese drywall.
Chinese drywall corrodes electrical wiring. Check the electrical receptacles in your walls to see if the wires are blackened. Pull off the electrical plate and look inside. Obviously, do not touch anything - you could get shocked. There should be a copper wire inside. The wires in this photo have been corroded from Chinese drywall. The breaker panel should also be checked. I've also seen plumbing fixtures that are pitted and if the A/C has been replaced and the home is relatively new-that's also a clue that the home may have Chinese Drywall. Some of the sheets of drywall are stamped Knauf or National Gypsum on the back.
Signs of an electrical problem include, a circuit breaker which frequently needs resetting without an apparent cause (particularly a GFCI or AFCI); lights that flicker without any apparent cause; bright flashes or sparks anywhere in your electrical system (this may indicate arcing conditions in the wiring); buzzing from electrical systems, switch plates, dimmers and outlet covers that are discolored from overheating; and a smell from overheating plastic. CDW was manufactured during the time that hurricane Charlie hit so even if your home is older it could be effected. I always recommend a home inspection
Moving on to the next concern I hear is hurricanes. Really a hurricane can hit anywhere in Florida. I think that the Miami and Key West have the highest possibility of a hurricane strike. You need to be prepared where ever you live. I am a native Floridian and have lived in or close by Sarasota county my whole life and have never evacuated, not to say that I wouldn't but I've never felt the need to.
Anywhere you live in the world you will be faced with some kind of natural disaster-tornadoes, typhoons, tidal waves, earthquakes, blizzards, etc. At least with hurricanes you will have advance notice before they hit. If you choose to leave you have the opportunity to do so. This is not the case with most other weather situations.
Since 1992 Hurricane Andrew, the Florida Building codes have been up graded in 1994, 1998, 2002, 2006 to deal with damage from wind. Even new manufactured homes are safer than site built homes pre-94 The newer the home since 94, the less insurance you will pay. Insurance for pre 94 homes is difficult to get/keep and you will pay a lot of money for coverage.
Some hurricanes are large and can cover the whole state, while some like 2004 Charley was an oversized tornado. Some years we have to watch for a dozen and other years only one or two. The hurricane season runs from June to November with the peak amount in September.
Here's a chart that shows the probability of a hurricane strike in each area: Florida Hurricane Coastal Strike Probability
Hurricane strike probabilities are only statistical
estimates. Be prepared as storms approach.
Another concern I hear is about sharks. I get asked quite a bit if I’ve ever seen a shark at the beach or if it’s dangerous to swim out at the beach. Fact is that since they have been keeping records on shark attacks there has never been a fatal shark attack from Bradenton to Naples. If you're talking shark attacks, the Atlantic side has far more attacks than the gulf side. One reason you get more attacks over there is the amount of surfers. Surfers mimic a wounded animal and in turn look like lunch to a hungry shark. Most of the sharks that are off the coast of New Smyrna are Tigers, Spinners, Bull, Reef and Blacktips. Ponce Inlet is specifically known to be pretty active with sharks. You really don't have that great surfing on the gulf side unless a storms brewing. The gulf side is also much warmer than the Atlantic side. http://www.underwatertimes.com/news....id=10863094725
Speaking of beach. What about the stingrays and riptides or what about red tide? Well, I always recommend doing the "stingray shuffle" when entering the water. To do this you shuffle your feet along the sand instead of lifting your feet up and placing them down. The shuffling motion usually scares the stingrays off so you don't step on their poisonous barb. If you do happen to get stung, soak the area in hot water.
Rip tides are unusually strong currents that run perpendicular to the shore and can be very dangerous. If you're caught in one, don't panic or try to swim back to shore against the tide. Swim parallel to shore until you are out of the current or it has subsided, then return to shore.
Red tide is a naturally occurring algae that blooms and can kill marine life and cause respiratory irritations in humans. People with respiratory problems should avoid the beach when red tide is present.
Florida is the lightning capital of the world. Folks, if it starts lightning and you're golfing or at the beach, it's time to come in. And don't go hide under a tree and wait for the rains to end. That's probably the worst place to be during a lightning storm.
Next concern I hear is about the job market. Yeah it's pretty bad here. The unemployment rate is hovering somewhere around 10% right now. It's usually easier to find a job on the medical field then some other markets. The construction market is pretty tough right now. I would not suggest moving here without a job lined up.
There are some areas of town that are better than others which is pretty easy to figure out in the Sarasota area.
On the sex offender issue. I wouldn't say there are any more here than anywhere else. I just think we have a better system of keeping track of them. Which I think is a good thing. You can go here to check to see if any live in the neighborhood you are considering: http://offender.fdle.state.fl.us/off...yyt!-928531442
So, if you can live with the bugs, the heat isn't an issue, aren't afraid of mosquitoes, snakes, sharks or gators, can prepare for hurricanes and stay away from lightning, have a stable job lined up, are willing to have your home inspected for CDW, you can go to the beach and stay clear of the stingrays and not get caught in a riptide and can figure out where you want to live...you should be good to go
Venice gets very crowded during the winter when the snow birds are here. Traffic gets heavier and long lines at stores and long wait times at restaurants. The average age is in the 60's. There are lots of things to do around the city of Venice - golf, beaches, jettys, parks, walkable downtown on E Venice Ave, farmers market, car shows, fishing, theater, shopping, and restaurants.
In your price range you will find older, smaller single family homes and some condos. Most will be in the older sections of Venice and may need some updating. Insurance rates will be higher for the older homes unless they have updated features that qualify for an insurance discount. You can get a newer aged home in North Port which is about 10-15 minutes south of Venice. They are both in Sarasota County.
The temperatures stay pretty much in the low to mid 90's during the summer months and vary from 50's to low 70's and 80's as a high during the winter months. Summer is our rainy season. We get quick showers almost daily. Hurricane season is June 1 to Nov 30 each year. Very few hit the gulf side of Florida in the Venice area.
Thank you all for your replies. So Fla Gal, I'm aware of most of what you spoke about. Fortunately- or maybe unfortunately- I'm not a beach person. Going up to my knees is about the extent of my swimming. I am a born and raised Yankee, where water was always cold even in the summer. The job market is a non issue for us because we will not be working with pensions and SS. You get sex offenders every where. They're up here too, in upstate NY. As they say, they have to live somewhere. we are not complete novices to Fla, both sets of parents live (or lived) in Fla plus my ex inlaws did. plus my sister and some cousins.now my daughter and her family is there. Been down on vacation many times, but living there is different than vacation. I heard that South Venice is the "bad" part of town. Is that so? I really wanted to stay away from there if possible. We where looking for a small house anyway, so a big fancy house is not what we want. We wanted a place to eat- sometimes- and sleep, and then wanted to enjoy ourselves. Again, thank you for your replies and taking the time to "talk" to a stranger.
There are some areas of town that are better than others which is pretty easy to figure out in the Sarasota area.
How do you figure that out? I find many many neighborhoods to look ramshackle to me. After being here six months, I am just realizing that areas I thought were sort of iffy are really pretty good.
Location: Sarasota/ Bradenton - University Pkwy area
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Originally Posted by countrykaren
My hubby and I are considering retiring to Venice, Fla. Could anyone tell me about the area? All I've read it seems very nice. Is there areas to avoid? How is Venice Gardens or South Venice? Are there things in the area to do? How are the restaurants and shopping? We could buy a home in the $150,000-$160,000 range. How is the housing in that price range? How is medical care there? The hospital there? How hot does it get? How are the hurricanes on the Gulf? (Which is why we want to stay away from the East Coast). Any and all information would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
Are you ok with having well water and septic systems? I am asking because many of the South Venice area homes do not have access to public water and sewer. There have been debates on this forum about well vs county water, septic vs sewer, which is better. Well and septic means you won't have a monthly utility bill but both systems require routine maintenance, especially the well water as much of it here has odors from the minerals (especially sulfur) and requires filtration systems.
Venice Gardens is a mix, with some homes on central water and sewer, others on central water and septic systems.
If you decide to purchase a home with well water, during the inspection period of the contract you may have the water tested by the county for drinking quality. They recommend people with well water have the water tested on an annual basis for contamination, but many owners don't follow the guidelines. Do not be surprised if a seller says the water was last tested when they purchased the home. For septic systems, it would be in your best interests to have a septic system inspection as well, including the drain field. By the way, if the home has had modifications to increase the living size without permits (a red flag is when the county tax records show less bedrooms/ bathrooms and living sq ft than the MLS listing), you may run into problems with the county if the current drain field is not large enough to accomodate the actual living sq ft of the home.
In both of these areas you will find a lot of smaller homes, most built in the 1960's but some in the 70's or 80's as well. Most are concrete block construction, ranch-style homes. Someone else already mentioned about insurance rates being higher for older homes due to lack of current code wind protections. Many Florida insurance companies also raise rates (or won't insure new customers) when the roof is over 15 years of age, regardless of economic life left to the roof. So that's something else to keep in mind when looking at homes.
Whether you'll want to use the hospital in Venice or travel to Sarasota may depend on what your specific needs are for medical care.
Venice offers retail shopping and restaurants, although it does not have a mall. The closest shopping mall would be in south Sarasota, at the intersection of US41 and Beneva Rd. Venice does have cultural activities and weekend events, especiallly in the winter months, but Sarasota offers more of both. Venice has a really cute downtown district with shops and restaurants where a lot of the special events take place.
My suggestion if you are not very familiar with Venice and nearby areas is to visit a few times, possibly even rent before buying, so you have time to learn the area and neighborhoods better. I can't tell you how many times buyers have said they wanted one area or specific neighborhoods and once they became more familiar with the area they changed their minds and went in a totally different direction.
You gave us your price range but I don't know too much more about what's important to you. You might have mentioned some of these things in a prior post but I'm on my phone and can't pull that up right now. Are you retired or seeking employment? How close do you want to be to the beach? What kind of things are important to you when buying a home--must have a pool, 3 beds, 2 car garage, etc? Are you set on Venice or would you explore other areas--Osprey, Nokomis, Englewood, North Port. If you were open to the North Port area then you could get a much newer home with better insurance rates. North Port is about 30 mins to the beaches as opposed to 15 mins or less for Venice, Osprey, Nokomis or Englewood.
I agree with what Sunshine says as far as renting. If you're not too familiar with the area you need to take some time to do some investigating. Cardiff makes some great points as well. What your opinion in the beginning of a neighborhood might change through more investigating. South Venice is very "up and down". What I mean by that is that you may have a brand new home with a well kept lawn and the home next to it looks like a dump with cars up on jacks. I get calls all the time where people ask me how a certain street is. Honestly, I really couldn't say without going to the actual street and investigating. It's a good idea to visit the area at different times of the day. I usually prefer to visit in the evening, when people are generally off work. If you can find a few neighbors outside, strike up a conversation. I've found most people like to talk and share their feeings about their neighborhood. I want my clients to hear what they have to say-good or bad. Firsthand knowledge is the best in my opinion. An educated buyer is a great buyer
Thanks to all that have replied. We will be taking a road trip down this spring. We will be retired and will not work. It's nice to dream about a house on the water but I'm assuming it would be more $$, plus I think there would be more chance of flooding and damage during storms. We like the idea of a small cute town, since we live up in NY. We like the idea of "Main Street", sitting on benches on the sidewalk etc. We live not too far from Saratoga Springs now. Eat lunch outdoors under an awning, etc. We use to live on Long Island and we would like to stay away from the mindless sprawl. My husband says he doesn't want LI with palm trees. We have always had homes with wells and cesspools or septic systems. So that's not a problem. We basically want a small place under 1000SF with a small yard. We would consider renting for a while be we will be coming down with 4 dogs (1 being a newfoundland) and 2 cats. I think landlords would run screaming away.
As a former LIer (born there left in 1989), I know what you mean about sprawl. I think you might prefer Venice or Englewood to Sarasota. I have a friend here in our community that is from Saratoga Springs. We both chose Venice.
Husband and I looked from Bradenton to Naples. Found Bradenton, Sarasota, and Naples to be to congested. My only concern about Venice is the number of new communities going up. In 5-10 years Venice may become as congested as Bradenton and Sarasota.
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