Another Request for Retirement Neighborhood Help

[dpbarr2000]

If you want any kind of neighborhoody feel you are probably looking at some kind of gated community with a HOA/condo association. Among those, there's Village Walk and The Isles of Sarasota, and Sandhill Preserve all built by Divosta. You could also consider their sister community of Island Walk in Venice, or Grand Palm or Gran Paradiso in Venice. Homes with no or optional HOA are plentiful if you don't mind getting to know just your immediate neighbors, minus some of the larger activities groups you find in a community with HOA fees.

[Sunshine Rules]

Originally Posted by dpbarr2000

If you want any kind of neighborhoody feel you are probably looking at some kind of gated community with a HOA/condo association. Among those, there's Village Walk and The Isles of Sarasota, and Sandhill Preserve all built by Divosta. You could also consider their sister community of Island Walk in Venice, or Grand Palm or Gran Paradiso in Venice. Homes with no or optional HOA are plentiful if you don't mind getting to know just your immediate neighbors, minus some of the larger activities groups you find in a community with HOA fees.

The OP wants homes that are not cookie cutter, do not all look the same. Village Walk and The Isles are very cookie cutter, right down to the paint colors, which is why I didn't suggest those communities. Sandhill Preserve offers a different style of homes from the other 2 Divosta built commuities but they are all very similar to each other in design and colors as well. Cohesive looking communities but probably not for anyone wanting individuality.

[craigiri]

It's important to put ALL the items on your wish list in a priority perspective. Just as an example - ours....

1. We don't like gated communities nor powerful HOA's (a basic HOA would be OK).
2. We hate traffic - so living anywhere way inland means lots of it to get to downtown, beaches, etc.
3. We like downtowns....main streets....real neighborhoods.
4. We like to be able to not get in the car (bike/walk) to some places.
5. Further to #1, spending hundreds of thousands and having people tell us what to do....just rubs us the wrong way.
6. We like to be near culture (playhouses, etc.) - although we may never actually go!

On the other hand, not having an HOA or living near downtown or the beaches also has it's "cons" - your neighbors may have barking dogs, scream at each other or play heavy metal music. More likely they'll park some (many) cars on the lawn.

After looking around for a couple years we decided that our compromise was to buy a fully remodeled (or new - tear down and build on the lot) home in the area west of tuttle - Paver Park, Arlington Park, Hyde Park, etc. - parts of this area were "foreclosure central" in the last 8 years, but now many of the houses are selling within a week of going on the market. Some builders are putting new modern style homes on lots - from 330K.

A lifestyle such as this is like a different world from one centered on the new mall, endless shopping centers and brand new "main streets". Not to say one is better or worse, just making the point that you have to decide what fits. We have never lived in a subdivision (38 years of home ownership) and aren't about to start now.

Here is a fully remodeled example - with nice gardens to start:
http://www.realtor.com/realestateand...58-34470?row=1

This is one of the builders doing tear-downs and new construction on individual lots in the same area:
http://www.realtor.com/realestateand...43-19553?row=1

[johnac]

Originally Posted by SoFLGal

Since you mentioned gardening I thought I'd mention a lesser known community but it's one of my all time favorites. It's called Sylvan Lea and actually looks like a rain forest (one of the streets is called Rain Forest). The HOA is only $300 a year. It's located off Porter, just west the Sarasota Golf Club and east of I75. My daughters Ex boyfriend lives in there and I always liked the community.

Thanks, I will check this out!

[Cardiff by the Sea]

This community was featured in the Herald Tribune this week. When I saw the pictures and read the description, I thought of you because they are definitely not cookie cutter and there would be room to garden. I thought the houses pictured were charming. The houses are older than you want, 1970s-1980s, so that might be a deal breaker for you, but worth checking out.

It is the two Foxfire additions. They are east of I-75 where Proctor road shifts from running east-west and turns south to connect with Clark. (Don't miss the photo gallery imbedded in the link).

Market snapshot: Foxfire and Foxfire West - Real Estate

[johnac]

Originally Posted by Cardiff by the Sea

This community was featured in the Herald Tribune this week. When I saw the pictures and read the description, I thought of you because they are definitely not cookie cutter and there would be room to garden. I thought the houses pictured were charming. The houses are older than you want, 1970s-1980s, so that might be a deal breaker for you, but worth checking out.

It is the two Foxfire additions. They are east of I-75 where Proctor road shifts from running east-west and turns south to connect with Clark. (Don't miss the photo gallery imbedded in the link).

Market snapshot: Foxfire and Foxfire West - Real Estate

Thank you!

[JimFMA]

After following the link above I Googled this and found this:

Foxfire Golf Club shuts down | HeraldTribune.com

I interpret this article to say that the FoxFire housing development is built over land that was formerly considered an environmentally damaged area. Is that interpretation correct? If so, that would be important for a prospective buyer to know.

[d4g4m]

Two different things. The Foxfire community is 2 acre lots that is old forest. The shut down golf course which was to become another housing project is and has been on hold for a long time.

[Ladywithafan]

So they close the golf course because it's built on top of a landfill, yet they want to put homes there instead?!