Pinestone at Palmer Ranch...info and comments please! (Plantation, Sarasota: short sales, real estate)

[Peter the Brit]

In the past 2 years. All I can say is ask the seller if their block was involved in litigation i nth epast few years and if so what about and the outcome.

[GPH]

Thanks to all of you so far. SoFlGal may we contact you directly to discuss the possibilities in the Pinestone area (and any others you might feel are worthy of consideration)?

Peter the Brit, I've also followed alot of your insightful posts as well.

I know a guy from here in Valparaiso, Indiana, where I live, that bought a home in Nokomis. He likes that area although he's semi-retired.

I would stick to the Palmer Ranch area, it is not far to the beach, a fantastic YMCA, Legacy Trail, movies, mall and if you like to kayak, there is a public launch in the Vamo area, West of the Trail, very close to Palmer Ranch area.

We were just down visiting this area, Venice and Englewood to find a spot for us as well. Good Luck

[GPH]

Sorry about that, I tried to use the quote feature.

[Beatlebum]

Okay so my wife booked our airfare. We'll be coming down on May 19th and coming home late on the 22nd. She's got a couple of hotel rooms reserved, so we'll have to decide on which one before coming down. Any suggestions as far as places to stay. Nothin' fancy needed as we hope to be looking at properties most of the time anyway.

We have some family friends who recently purchased a home in Venice and they recommended the realtor they used so we have contacted and lined things up with him.

Any suggestions as to how and use our time most effectively when looking at condo's, SoFlGal and Peter the Brit please chime in here. We plan on focusing on Pinestone and Bella Viilino and we may make a trip to Venice as well.

Also, recommendations for places to eat would be appreciated as well.

Thanks in advance to all.

[SoFLGal]

I usually look at Tripadvisor.com when looking for ideas on places to stay. They have reviews, prices, etc.

If you’re looking for a good place to stop for lunch or your new favorite restaurant try a few of my suggestions.

For me Heinrich's German and Solorzano's Italian Restaurant are a must stop every time. The sit down place not the pizza joints. It is a romantic if somewhat over the top Italian experience. Fantastic food and ambiance.

For fresh fish you have to go to Capt. Brian's right next to the Sarasota airport. The atmosphere isn't fantastic but the fish is great. If you wanted to venture a little father south you should try the Casey Key Fish House in Osprey. Fresh fish - plenty of places, we just ate at a fabulous little place on Anna Maria Island called the Waterfront - freshest fish I ever tasted and very "foodie."

For Indian try Tandoor off Clark Rd. A friend of mine owns the restaurant.

The Columbia on St Armand's has pretty good food. And it's nice just to spend an afternoon walking around St. Armand's Circle.

If you're looking for a great home cooked Amish meal and wonderful pies stop into Yoder's on Bahia Vista Blvd.

DaRuMa Japanese Restaurant over on Fruitville Rd has really great tempura.

I always stop into Whole Foods for lunch when I'm up that way. They will do for your organic fix.

Citrus Café over on Pineapple Ave off Main St is a good place to stop in for a sandwich.

The Bijou Café on 1st St is always a really safe bet and an excellent place to eat.

The Old Packing House Café off of Cattleman has a really quirky, unusual atmosphere and good food.

For breakfast, two great places downtown are Station 400 (great quality, local food!) and C'est la Vie - (delicious quality, authentic French) and many great bakeries downtown.
One of our Mexican restaurants called Mi Pueblo on University Parkway now offers a separate organic/vegan menu. Also good Mexican downtown Main St - Cinco de Mayo. Best Thai place is Bangkok, and we have lots of other Asian/sushi etc. places.

If you happen to find yourself out on Siesta Key, stop by Blasé it’s awesome & unique, a must! You won't think much of it as you walk up to the place. But, once your seated, you perspective will change immediately. It is a rare find! For breakfast Sun Garden Café (organic and locally grown ingredients) or Café Continental Patisserie... The Broken Egg is still a personal favorite. Lobster Pot or the more casual SKOB (Siesta Key Oyster Bar) for seafood, Blu Smoke Island Grill, or The Hub for fresh Mexican. JoTo's for Japanese, Ophelia's on the Bay for romantic continental dinner. One of the best Italian dinners we ever enjoyed was at the Café Gabbiano. Check out the Bamboo Bistro on Ocean Blvd. I had breakfast there a few mornings ago and it was great. The fresh squeezed OJ was terrific, so was the veggie omelet.

Pacific Rim in Hillview: martinis and excellent sushi. 'Nuff said.

Crab and Fin on St Armand Circle, pricey but great seafood. Eat dinner outside, then stroll around the circle for an ice-cream and walk down to the beach with it. Awesome!

OK, I'm outta ideas. (note a few comments are from our find CD contributors

Good luck with your searching!

[sailor50]

We recently purchased at Pinestone in Palmer Ranch and I beleive the litigation is over the pool that needed some repair before it should have. We did not feel it was an issue to us purchasing. We are in our 50's and are looking to do the same as you. We looked all over Sarasota and felt this was the best value for money - being very close to the beach and Legacy Trail and also offering many amenities on site. The people we have met seemed super. The financials for the HOA seem very sound. I hope this is helpful with whatever your decision may be.

[Beatlebum]

Thanks Sailer50!

We made our visit last week. We looked at nearly 50 condo's in several developments both in Sarasota and Venice. We too have decided that Pinestone is our first choice for all of the reasons you mentioned. We have made an offer on a condo and are awaiting the owner's response .

[marbleisland]

I rented a condominium in the Pinestone when I first moved to Sarasota in 2000 and actually ended up living there for three years. It was a lovely community, not too big, consisting of a nice mix of young and old. I recall that there were some problems with vandalism in the club house (local teenagers had broken in) but other than that I felt that it was a wonderful place to live. It is very central - close to Siesta Key but without all of the Siesta Key traffic. It is also very convenient to Target and Publix, right around the corner.

The pool was beautiful and the grounds well maintained. The gate in the front which operates using transponder access always seemed to be broken as a result of someone either trying to ram it or piggy backing in with another car.

You might want to try renting there first to see if you like it. The HOA frowns upon renting so I am not sure if any units are even available. I rented through Stringer Management Company in Sarasota. I think one year is the minimum rental period.

Out of all of the condos in the area, I would highly recommend the Pinestone. The units are solidly built (I never heard my neighbors). I lived in a second floor corner unit so it felt like I was the only one in the whole building! All of my neighbors (mostly retired) were absolutely wonderful and lived there year round. I still keep in touch with some of them.

Most of the "condos" in Palmer Ranch used to be apartment complexes about 10 years ago and were later converted. From what friends have told me, most are cheaply built and it is easy to hear the neighbors through the walls.

Best of luck!

[pgrabar]

Was there much clubhouse activity there? Parties? Events? Socializing? Thanks -

[marbleisland]

Originally Posted by pgrabar

Was there much clubhouse activity there? Parties? Events? Socializing? Thanks -

Back then there were weekly movie nights held in the club house theater. There were also special parties around the pool during Memorial Day, etc. It was a great atmosphere and very friendly.

I was so busy working that I didn't have a lot of time to partake in all of them but as I recall, there were a lot of events.