Why should I move to Sarasota? (Tampa, Bradenton: real estate, apartment, rentals)

[Wingnut76]

Hi all,

My girlfriend and I currently live in Seattle and considering a move to the Sarasota area. After reading previous posts I see that you all give such great feedback. So I was hoping for some input about how things were going down there ( jobs, housing market, etc ). We have been to the area and love it, but that was just a visit. So please be honest, we want the positives and negatives. Also, where would you all suggest we exactly live? We're thinking about renting downtown for awhile, but I'm not seeing a lot of rentals available. Really would love to be able to walk to everything (especially the Gator Club ). Thank you all for time and I look forward to all those great responses I know you'll provide. Thanks

[blueherons]

Originally Posted by Wingnut76

Hi all,

My girlfriend and I currently live in Seattle and considering a move to the Sarasota area. After reading previous posts I see that you all give such great feedback. So I was hoping for some input about how things were going down there ( jobs, housing market, etc ). We have been to the area and love it, but that was just a visit. So please be honest, we want the positives and negatives. Also, where would you all suggest we exactly live? We're thinking about renting downtown for awhile, but I'm not seeing a lot of rentals available. Really would love to be able to walk to everything (especially the Gator Club ). Thank you all for time and I look forward to all those great responses I know you'll provide. Thanks

I can help you a little bit on the rental thing as I just went through it. We also wanted downtown (Laurel Park) or one of the beaches (Siesta, Lido), or one of the neighborhoods West of the Trail.

I don't know if it was the time of year or what but I finally got so frustrated I rented the closest apartment I could find to Siesta Key. While I'm happy with the location and in particular the price, what I really wanted was more than I was willing to pay to rent.

I'm not sure how Seattle compares but downtown is expensive. I was finding condos in the $2500+ range all day long. Out on the beaches a 3/2 with a pool was $3000+ and west of the trail was a little less money.

To add insult to injury, to rent that $3000 house you had to have first and last months rent plus one month security so $9000 before you moved in.

Which brings me back to the point that I could have just bought something and have been done with it right? No, same situation. I didn't know where I wanted to live and how much I wanted to spend.

Part of our problem is that we had to move on the fly. The company my husband works for gave us 30 days to get down here and moved. We could have stayed at the hotel indefinitely (the company gave us that option) but three cats, my Betta Fish, along with me and my husband got old quick and I was ready to get settled.

Anyway, good luck! Craigslist was a huge help to me as were members of this board.

[gypsychic]

Trying to get a good rental anytime during the season will be almost impossible. If you wait until summer or fall, there will be a lot more available at hopefully better prices. Demand for downtown is very high, so there will never be a lot of lower priced rentals there, depending what you want. We used to live in Laurel Park years ago before it was a nice neighborhood, and before downtown got so vibrant. These days I would not be able to buy my old house back - LOL!

Sarasota is a popular place, in high demand, and it has always been a place that a lot of wealthy people move to. But depending on what you are willing to settle for, there are also very affordable places here, too, they just might not be in the neighborhood of your choice.

Jobs wise, it has never been known as a mecca for jobs - again, high demand, little available. It all depends on your skill set and experience. My husband commutes to Tampa for his job, as he has done for over 15 years now, takes about an hour, but he feels it is worth it to live here because we absolutely love it.

Anyway, good luck to you and I hope this helps!

[siestachica]

Like gypsychic says looking out of season is a good idea, as most property agents are so seasonal orientated. I remodelled my home last year and rented for nearly six months and in some areas the rental prices never came down as the demand for those rentals were so high.

We ended up renting in the GUlf gate area which was great, not too far from downtown, even closer to Siesta Key were our home was, but a great community and a lots of great restaurants and live music in the various bars, you mentioned the gator Club.

If you are looking on Siesta Key I know of a great house that is coming on the market after the season, a 3/2 with pool not on water but a great community around here and not far from the village walking distance, so know worry about having a drink whilst watching live music, send me a dm if you want anymore details.

good luck with your move, this place really is paradise,

[blueherons]

Originally Posted by siestachica

Like gypsychic says looking out of season is a good idea, as most property agents are so seasonal orientated. I remodelled my home last year and rented for nearly six months and in some areas the rental prices never came down as the demand for those rentals were so high.

We ended up renting in the GUlf gate area which was great, not too far from downtown, even closer to Siesta Key were our home was, but a great community and a lots of great restaurants and live music in the various bars, you mentioned the gator Club.

If you are looking on Siesta Key I know of a great house that is coming on the market after the season, a 3/2 with pool not on water but a great community around here and not far from the village walking distance, so know worry about having a drink whilst watching live music, send me a dm if you want anymore details.

good luck with your move, this place really is paradise,

These two really know their stuff and were a big help to me!

Siesta, I'm really digging the neighborhood and starting to watch real estate. I love how close it is to everything and the "Old Florida" feel of the houses, the tree lined streets, sidewalks, and proximity to the beaches.

[siestachica]

Hi Blue Herons

Hope yourselves and the animals have settled in well. Your comments about Gulf Gate are exactly what I thought. I think if we had discovered Gulf Gate before we bought, we may have bought there. Don't get me wrong living on Siesta is great and my local community is soooo nice but I do miss some of the places ob Gulf gate that I used to walk too. miss Oh la la and the naughty cakes!!!!!

[Wingnut76]

Thank you all. Great advice. We're looking to relocate the end of May or early June. So maybe there will be more available then. Sounds like a complicated market. We've got two cats so I want to make it as smooth as possible. Another question? Have any of you moved from more seasonal climates? Do you get used to not having designated seasons? I'm worried it might mess with mind after awhile.

[siestachica]

We moved over from Spain with 2 cats and a 2 year old. Seasonally the only think I've noticed is how our cats come in now when it rains, we love the weather and found the summer so comfortable compared to Spain, we were used to 120 degrees and humidity for about 3 months, so Florida is a breeze to us, we hardly use the ac in the summer, our neighbours think we are crazy!!!!!maybe we are!!!!!
A couple of properties will be available in my neighbour hood after the season and they take animals, dm for more details.

[keithhtt]

Renting in Gulf Gate or Palmer Ranch will likely keep you within 10 min of the Key. Both are great places ,Gulf Gate is closer to the action but you can't drive anywhere through Palmer Ranch without being overwhelmed with the 'tree lined street' view you mentioned. If you plan to rent a condo you may have a little trouble finding a place that takes cats but it is definitely doable. Enjoy your research,it's half the fun!

[rands1967]

Originally Posted by Wingnut76

. . . Another question? Have any of you moved from more seasonal climates? Do you get used to not having designated seasons? I'm worried it might mess with mind after awhile.

From Seattle, I'd guess you're used to more humidity than I am (from New England), but I think you may really notice the heat and drought conditions in SW Florida. Less of a problem in Sarasota, but a difference of only a few miles away from the Gulf may be noticeable in terms of heat and dryness at some times of year.

Have you thought about Bradenton? I think there may be big differences in prices. Of course the cultural life in Sarasota is better.