northport questions (Tampa, Lakeland, Tamiami: foreclosures, rent, amusement park)

[Wayne and Randie Morrison]

need more information on North Port area - we are buying through the internet with realtors we have found - will never get the chance to come and see areas before we buy - any suggestions on (quiet areas are for us. )areas to avoid and should we live on a green belt or near channels? Insurance on property's - anything to give us a heads up

[SoFLGal]

The area east of Toledo Blade has fewer homes if you are looking for a quieter area. Most of the canals or channels in North Port don't go anywhere-they are just there to give you some extra space, to look at or to go down with a canoe or small boat. Unless they have some flow to them they could be a breeding ground for mosquitoes. A greenbelt would give you a little extra room between you and your neighbor so if that's what you're looking for it might be wise to look into properties with a greenbelt.

I live in North Port and have a home built in 2003, 4/2/2, 2127 sq ft under air. My home owners insurance is $767 per year. We just had a wind inspection done through the state of Florida and that should make our insurance even lower than the above amount. You can go here to find out about that.

There are many things that insurance companies look at like how close you are to a fire hydrant or natural body of water. Many companies won't even write the insurance if you are not less than 1000 ft. They look at the age of the home, style of roof, garage door strength, etc.

Good luck with your move!

[loves2read]

OP--why in the world would you risk buying a home sight unseen in a neighborhood sight unseen through an agent sight unseen when you are 20 hrs drive time away

if you can't spend 3-4 days to visit how can you afford to buy--the odds of being happy with what you get seem worse than winning a lottery...
I guess that sounds really harsh but if you buy a house in FL now you won't have any chance of selling it to recoup your investment in the next 5+ years IMO...

[d4g4m]

When Northport/Port Charlotte was platted by General Development in the 1960's there was no such thing as having a green belt. Just about every square foot of space is a 80x125 residential lot. [except planned developments which use to be 80x125 lot areas] If there is a street, there is a lot. If you buy a lot or house that has what appears to be a 'green belt' at the rear with no trees, it's a dry flood control canal which eventually conects to a canal with water, all of which are man-made.
Some areas may be psuedo green belt by default because FPL will not run electric lines to certain areas without conforming to their policies. There are some areas like sections 45, 46, 47, 48 that will not have electric, phone, cable for many, many years.

[FleeingFloridaASAP]

Oh my goodness Wayne and Randie, you must come down at least for a couple days and see what you are getting into. LovesToRead is right, there are a lot of cons down here, you have to be careful. Do some research on different areas, come and see them for yourself, or rent a house first for a while. We rented for a year before deciding where to buy. In this market, you won't be able to sell if you are not happy, you'll be stuck.

[basa9159]

Please!! don't buy down here until you visit. The economy in the North Port/ Pt Charlotte area is horrible!!!!!! Foreclosures have doubled and people are leaving in droves. I, myself am leaving and suggest you do more research.

Sorry for the grim response

[hdzup3]

if not northport then where? people are scattering all over the place from state to state to better their lives but the economy is horrible everywhere.people think it will be better somewhere else. im one of them, ready to scatter. but ive always wanted to move to florida due to the cold up north but now my expenses are huge and winter will not be pretty this year with oil almost 5.00 a gallon. there are forclosures everywhere. do you think its because people bought out of their means in the hype of it all? there are all different circumstances for forclosure i guess but i hope to beable to buy and bring my cost of living way down so i dont go into forclosure myself. i am lucky, im a hairdresser, hopefully wont have issues finding work. but other than the economy, what do i need to know about northport, and why is it so horrible vs any other place in sarasota county? i want to come visit but would like some facts before i buy... i have horrible roads here, no shopping, old houses. the only thing here is its beautiful summer/fall. it is very expensive in ct and i read people complaining about the taxes you pay and get nothing.. thats how i feel here.

[basa9159]

Originally Posted by hdzup3

if not northport then where? people are scattering all over the place from state to state to better their lives but the economy is horrible everywhere.people think it will be better somewhere else. im one of them, ready to scatter. but ive always wanted to move to florida due to the cold up north but now my expenses are huge and winter will not be pretty this year with oil almost 5.00 a gallon. there are forclosures everywhere. do you think its because people bought out of their means in the hype of it all? there are all different circumstances for forclosure i guess but i hope to beable to buy and bring my cost of living way down so i dont go into forclosure myself. i am lucky, im a hairdresser, hopefully wont have issues finding work. but other than the economy, what do i need to know about northport, and why is it so horrible vs any other place in sarasota county? i want to come visit but would like some facts before i buy... i have horrible roads here, no shopping, old houses. the only thing here is its beautiful summer/fall. it is very expensive in ct and i read people complaining about the taxes you pay and get nothing.. thats how i feel here.

I lived in Sarasota for 10 yrs., and would check it out 1st. There's lots to do there, beaches are close, and it has a more upscale clientelle. A hairdresser would fair better there than in the NP area IMO. The only downside is that the traffic is worse, but there are side streets. I tend bar and my tips were double in Sarasota.(sorry, but true) Englewood is also a nice area.

There's not a lot to do in NP, the beaches are about 30-40 minutes away.
If you like to golf, then you might be o.k.

I wish you luck in your venture. If you have more questions I'll be happy to help.

[SoFLGal]

Not a lot to do in North Port...there are plenty of things to do...

North Port, Florida - Plenty For the Kids To Do!

Here's a question I hear a lot: "We've been thinking of moving to Southwest Florida, but it seems like the population is mostly tourists and retirees! What is there for my kids to do?"
If you're stuck thinking that Southwest Florida is just for seniors and vacations, you're in for a surprise!

Cities like North Port, which have a lower median age than all the other cities in Sarasota county is booming with fun activities! The best part is that more activities are coming on board all the time! Here's a rundown of just SOME of the fun activities your children can participate in:
North Port Tae Kwon Do - Located in the Cornerstone Plaza in North Port, Florida, North Port Tae Kwon Do won first place for "Best of North Port" in the North Port Sun's Reader's Choice Awards in 2007. They can be found at 14906 Tamiami Trail, Suite E in North Port Florida. North Port Tae Kwon Do takes people from age 3 to adult, and has a variety of schedules and class times.

Bisque It - Bisque It is a "paint your own pottery" studio, which is open and available for birthday parties, scouts, girls nights out, fundraisers, homeschoolers, church functions, or just an average walk in! At Bisque It, children and adults alike will learn the benefits of patience; once you paint your piece of potter it has to go through a 3-day process so that it can be returned to you in a ready-to-use state. As you can see from the "calendar" section of their website, Bisque It holds plenty of camps, classes and "parent's nights out" to keep your children busy! Bisque It is located in the North Port Commons at 14812 Tamiami Trail in North Port, Florida

North Port Music & Arts - At North Port Music & Arts, all ages and skill levels are welcome. North Port Music & Arts is a studio that houses music lessons, art classes, summer camps, drama coaching and Kindermusik. North Port Music & Arts is located in the Springs Plaza at 12763 Tamiami Trail in North Port, Florida.

A Better Place Dance & Fitness - A Better Place Dance & Fitness Studio serves the North Port and Charlotte County areas by teaching Jazz, Ballet, Tap, Lyrical, Hip Hop, Break Dancing, Ballroom, Latin and Acrobatics to people ages 3 and up. They have their own competition team and have annual recitals! They also offer summer camp as well as fall classes for children of all ages. A Better Place Dance & Fitness Studio is located at 2530 Bobcat Village Center Road in North Port, Florida.

Horseback Riding at TKM Stable - TKM Stable, which is located on Sumter Blvd., North of I-75 in North Port, Florida, doesn't just do horseback riding! They have a full range of fun activities to partake in like horse painting, pony parties, riding lessons and even day camps! TKM Stable is the perfect place to spend some time with nature on one of their trails, short or long!

Cagetime by Sports Fanatic - A brand new addition to North Port is Cagetime by Sports Fanatic, which is a batting cage that offers training, too! Located in the North Port Commerce Park at 1090 Innovation Avenue, Suite A-110 in North Port, Florida, Cagetime houses three cages, two for baseball and one softball cage. They also have a cage that designed specifically for pitching. Cagetime offers group rates and packages, and focuses on honing the skills of ball players from any league or town!

North Port Skate Park - If 15,000 square feet of concrete and metal sound like a good time to you, then you must be a sk8r! The North Port Skate Park features vert sections, a bowl with some hips and flyouts, a nice-sized street course and even a section for the younger kids. Skaters come from all over - Lakeland, Tampa, Naples - to grind in this park. The North Port Skate Park was designed by Team Pain, a world renowned skate park architect whose structures you can find in some of the greatest parks across the states from So Cal to NYC. You'll find the concrete jungle on North Port Blvd at the end of Greenwood.

Kidz Play Place - Located in the North Port commons at 14880 Tamiami Trail #107 in North Port, Florida, Kidz Play Place is is a great place to play for kids of all ages! Kidz Play Place was designed to fulfill the specific need in North Port for a safe and fun environment for young children and parents to play. The environments used at Kidz Play Place encourages the kids to learn, exercise and socialize! They do birthday parts, hold classes and even a daycare! Kidz Play Place encourages parent participation, so you're always welcome to come in and play with your children instead of just watching them play. Playing with mom & dad helps their social skills and strengthens their bond to you as parents.

Areas surrounding NorthPort have plenty to do too! Here are some of my personal favorites of activities within a 45 minute driving radius:
Kidstar Amusement Park - Kidstar Park has no lack of things to do! At Kidstar, there are 2 arcades with updated equipment, a go-kart track for racing past your pals, rides such as a HUGE slide and ferris wheel, and even a eatery with delicious gelato for dessert. Kidstar's affordable prices mean that you can come and play for a while without spending a fortune! You can shoot some laser tag with a group of your friends or see a show in on the big screen they have, which is similar to IMAX. Kidstar Amusement Park is located at the northeastern corner of Tamiami Trail and Murdock Circle, at 18505 Paulson Drive in Port Charlotte, Florida.

Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium - The aquarium at Mote Marine is a peaceful and beautiful place to learn about the world under the water. Housing special events and also available to be booked for group activities, the inside portion of the aquarium houses a variety of fish from the Disney-like clown fish to the rarely seen seahorses. My favorite part of the aquarium's interior is the jellyfish tanks - one which let you see jellyfish with tiny lights going around them like Christmas strobes, and another which looks like hundreds of the creatures in a clear washing machine! The exterior of the aquarium is where you'll find the larger creatures; Florida sea turtles, the laboratory's resident dolphins, manatees, sharks and another favorite of mine - the preserved giant squid! You can find the aquarium at 1600 Ken Thompson Parkway in Sarasota, Florida, just one mile north of St. Armands Circle.

GWiz Hands-on Science Museum - GWiz, the Hands-on Science Museum makes learning fun and entertaining. It's possible that GWiz is one of the only places in the world where you can create a bolt of lightening, build a bridge out of magnets, make a beach ball float in mid-air, build your own robot, and build a paper airplane and actually be able to analyze it's flight pattern. These are just some of the fun and educational things that you can do at GWiz; for a complete list of exhibits, be sure to visit their website. They have something for everyone! GWiz can be found at 1001 Boulevard of the Arts in Sarasota, Florida.

At this point, you should be convinced that there's plenty of things to be seen and done in this area. If not, here's a brief list of all the natural things that can occupy your time!

Kayaking & Canoeing - Rent one for a low cost at State Parks like Myakka River, Myakkahatchee, or Oscar Scheer.
Fishing - You can always charter a boat, use your own, or just go stand on a bank somewhere!
Shell Collecting - One of the best places to do this is at Stump Pass State Park, where shells and shark teeth are in abundance.
Sand Castle Building - Enjoy this activity wherever sand a little bit of water are found!
Hike Nature Trails - North Port has a few of its own, but they are in abundance at local state parks such as Myakka River and Oscar Schear.

The list goes on......

[Big House]

hdzup3,

I have read a few of you posts in various threads. I gathered that you live in a small rural area in CT, and have to travel a lot just to acquire the staples you need, winters are cold, heating costs in the winter are sickening. I was from a small rural community in WNY, and had many of the same types of experiences.

I think you will love North Port. If you don't have a problem acquiring a job, ((I don't think you will any more difficult time than you do now because it is tough where you're from too)), you will be really pleased there. It is a pretty well populated area; there are a lot of conveniences. The main route is the Tamiami Trail. There are a lot of stores and businesses all along the route. The travel to a number of other towns is not far. It is a tropical area. People are pretty nice especially if you are a LITTLE extraverted, and show an openness to speak pleasantly to people. I'd go visit, rent if you want for a while, the deals are not going to disappear overnight, and decide for yourself. I think you will be more than happy. I know that you have had plenty of time to consider this decision - that is for sure! I have made up my mind to live down the road in PGI, so we and FaithfulFrank (he is a little further away) can meet at Starbucks and have coffee one morning a year from now, and hopefully talk about what a successful perseverance this all has been.

Keep the Faith! You will succeed, of that I'm sure.