Street Lights in Englewood ( Or lack thereof ) Plus Other Questions (Sarasota: short sale, real estate)

[MrTudo]

We made an offer on a house in Englewood going on 2 months ago. A short sale. We love the house. Not crazy about the general neighborhood which is about 1 mile noth of Dearborn street, and maybe 1/4 mile north of Artist.

The property taxes are ridiculous and are just under $4,000/yr. I'd like to know if anything can be done about that. Any input would be appreciated.

A larger issue for us is there's very few street lights. None on the block this house is on and it's dark out there at night! So the government rips us off and doesn't even provide street lights? What is the crime situation around that area? Break and enterings, home invasions? Anyone know? Anyone know how to get the government to provide a street light for the block? There's several telephone poles so that should be easy enough but how can we make that happen or is it not possible there?

There's an abundance of oak trees on the property. I intend to cut them down and replace them with Palm Trees. 3 Palms for each Oak. Are there any laws against this in Sarasota cnty?

If you all know the area ,you know that there's a number of houses there that are 100K houses and even some that are less than that. There's also some houses that are a LOT more than that and some houses that are on the water that are off the charts nice and expensive too. What's your opinion about this area in the next 5-10 years. Do you see any movement to renovate and build the area to be nicer? It now reminds me of old Florida to some extent and being within half a mile or so from the Gulf of Mexico HAS to make this a possible target by people who wish to live close to the water at a reasonable price. What's your opinion? ( Professional Realtors Please add your opinion here! )

After driving there late at night ( around 11PM ) the other night we saw all the police cars along 776, then saw how dark the streets are and started wondering if maybe there's considerable crime around there and that concerns us greatly. If you know the area at all, your input would be greatly appreciated.

Oh, we also wish to have a well on the property for irrigation. It would be our intention to get rid of the oaks, re-sod the entire property, plant a couple dozen palms, hedges, fruit trees, landscaping and obviously that stuff is going to need water. No way are we going to make the same mistake we made at our other house and have an irrigation system installed using city water. Ouch did that hurt when we received the first $1200 water bill! Does anyone know how the well water is in that area? I already applied for a permit which was approved and of course the well guy said that water is great in that area. But he also told us that we can use the dirt that comes up from digging the well to spread around the property and we have another opinion that that dirt is nasty and really needs to be hauled away. So.......we are seeking an opinion as to the quality of the water. Will it smell like rotten eggs or be high in iron that would stain the house and driveway? This well would ONLY be used for irrigation of the land, NOT drinking water. But still if it stains the house and driveway it's also nasty enough to be concerned about watering the garden, fruit trees, and landscaping. Help!

Thank you for your input.

[NJDevil]

Tudo, you sound like me. Your attention to detail is admirable. I take it you're moving from some other part of FL? I have visited different parts of Englewood but I have not been to that particular area at night.

- I typed "why are FL property taxes so high" into google and got some results from the city-data forum. You can check those out. IMO, if that doesn't change under the current administration, then it never will.
- There are tons of areas/towns in FL without street lights. I think they use the excuse that it disturbs nature, but the truth is probably that they don't want to spend money on it. I'm sure if the city got enough complaints about a certain street, they'd put a light there. You can contact the city gov't and ask how to make it happen.
- I am 99% sure that in SRQ County you can do whatever you want to trees on your property (we did).
- I think if someone with money sets their sights on Englewood, yes it will get developed classier. I'd say within 10 years, the probability is less than 50%. But again, it depends on things that happen under the current admin.
- Most water (outside, not tap) in FL does smell like rotten eggs. I don't know how you can control this.

my only question is, why is the dirt nasty? isn't it very sandy? what kind of dirt are you looking for - I would gladly exchange with you!!!

[FLBob]

There is a tree removal ordinance in Sarasota County.
http://forestry.scgov.net/ssDocument...nOrdinance.pdf

Property taxes are based on property value plus assessments. I assume that you have looked at the property appraisers site, and looked at last years tax bill. The tax bill will show you the millage rate and any non-ad valorem taxes that are included.
If you can argue that your property is not worth the amount assigned by the property appraiser, then you can contest the ad valorem portion of the tax bill. The 2009 budget and appraisal are not ready at this time, so you have time to build your case.

Deep wells tend to bypass the iron water, but frequently will find sulfur water (rotten eggs). If I had a choice I'd always choose sulfur water.
Remember that even if you decide to irrigate with well water you are still subject to water restrictions.

As far as the street lights go, I prefer minimal street lighting. I live on a private street and we don't have street lights. I have motion sensing lighting around my house so when I'm out after dark I have lights. If someone comes on my property, the light will come on and my dogs will bark.

As far as where the feel of Englewood property will be headed over the next few years, I think that if there is a change it will be slow. Englewood attracts people that are looking for a more quiet "olde Florida" feel.

[SoFLGal]

You can have FPL come out and install a street light on the existing pole. I believe the cost is $12-$14 per month for each light. Here's some more information: FPL | Lighting Information

Here's a copy of the Sarasota county tree ordinance:
http://sarasota.extension.ufl.edu/Ho...nOrdinance.pdf

I do think that the Artists area is an up and coming area. If you just look a little north you can see what I mean. In Sarasota west of the trail around Osprey Ave, Citrus Ave, etc, when I was a kid it was a high crime area where the druggies hung out. Now it's a very desirable area where there are many high priced homes and the property values continue to rise. This area is just west of the trail by the bay.

If you move a little south and look at the village of Osprey, same situation. A few years ago this area was all a high crime area. Again, it's right close to the water, west of US 41. Now, it's has totally been cleaned up and many of the historical homes have been restored and the property values have significantly increased.

I believe you will see this with the Artists area of Englewood. When I was younger I used to live on Leach St, which is in that general area. I remember there were a lot of arrests for drugs and such on Stewart St. It seems as though as they are trying to clean up the area. The downtown area has also come along way in the last few years. My father used to be a reporter at the Englewood Sun, down on Dearborn St and I can remember as a kid looking out the window and watching the bums stroll down the street. It's very different than it used to be. They have some quaint little shops, and there are car shows and other events on many of the weekend evenings. It's becoming a hip place to live.

[NJDevil]

You need a permit to remove a tree!! What BS! Some states have no freedoms left, do they!

[gypsychic]

Trees are what keeps the area cool - sorry, but I think that people who cut down all the oaks on their property (unless they are diseased) are foolish. I am glad there are permits for removal.

As far as the sodded lawn - we are now in "extreme drought" conditions, you will NOT be able to water that lawn. Also, I have heard there are restrictions in the summer where you cannot use nitrogen fertilizer either, due to runoff in the rainy season.

Don't know what the situation is with being able to drill a well right now, but the water tables are very low due to the 3 year drought we have been in, and you will still have to abide by watering restrictions or face very stiff penalties.

MrTudo - it sounds like maybe you should let this property go? You have a lot of genuine concerns about the area, the lack of streetlights, crime, etc. and rightly so. And it would be so much easier and cheaper if you could just find a home with a lot with practically no trees so you could design just the landscape you want. I don't know if you can get out of this contract, but maybe it would be worth it to you to do so if you can.

Just my thoughts.

[MrTudo]

Wow, unless you're a builder who wants to clear cut everything in Fla there are restrictions eh? We would be adding to the property by a wide margin, but I guess we wouldn't really own it after all.

There will be a new property listed in Englewood after today. I've had enough now.

Thank you all for your feedback, and information.

Well maybe not. I just called a tree service and he indicated that if the trees were a certain diameter or less, then they can be removed. He's going to take a look and give us an estimate.

NJ Devil, yes, I agree with you 100%. I don't know what you know about this area but it's not the east coast. To think that we could face JAIL by cutting a tree down and enhancing a property that we pay for is unbelievable.

[angelfish]

I think gypsychick had a lot of good points. Mr.Tudo I think it's great that you would be replacing all the trees and adding to them as well if you were to take out the Oaks. I think those ordinances are in place, because most people would probably not do that. I have read some of your posts on this property, and I feel like there is something out there that would be a better fit for you. It seems like it may take quite some time before you were really happy living in this house and amongst the surrounding areas.

[MrTudo]

A professional and local tree service just stopped over the house and told me no problem at all. AND he's also capable and interested in helping with the purchase, delivery, and planting of the new trees. We would purchase a variety of Palms including ( of course ) Cabbage, Foxtail, and a couple of Coconuts. There's a fairly large ficus tree there and we'll keep that one but have it shaped. My neighbor in Ft Lauderdale had one ( anyone here been to Lauderdale? See how that place is landscaped particularly around Bayview Dr, or even west of Federal in Wilton manors? It's beautiful.

This is one of 2 reasons why we are sticking it out on the west coast. 2 1/2 hours away, this same house would be double. Easy. There's greater access to a wide variety of things in Broward and Palm Beach but double? I lived more than half my life over there and owned a home in Paddock pk wellinton that between the former owner and myself spent way over 50K on landscaping , irrigation etc Way over. Now you have the likes of bruce springsteen and madonna buying in that area. Yikes, time to get out! I was as they say in the investment business, a wee bit premature I thiink a large percentage of people from the east coast will come here, see how unkept the general area is and turn tail and go back to the east coast. I sure as heck was ready to do that and a good friend of mine who spent 25 years in west boca came here, then left and bought their retirement home in Delray beach although they also have a getway up north too. However some will look and see the big difference in real estate prices, will stick a flag in the ground and stay. Another friend of mine did that, sold her place in wilton manors and bought one in Nokomis.

Anyway I'm starting to get off topic here, this whole short sale process is VERY frustrating. Our realtor told us up front that it would be but dayum.

[MrTudo]

Does anyone know if there are restrictions on ficus plants in Sarasota cnty? There are in Charlotte.

The property has a big one. If they are ok to plant then I would possibly be interested in planting a row of ficus hedges.

On the other hand , anyone know of a similar type fast grow, thick hedge that can be planted?