Fl. gulf coast suggestions for living

Also looking, more in the Cape Coral area, lots of canal lots. Would be nice to know people in the area.

 

I'd be happy to help with the mortgage loan if needed. I work for a local Lender and we do everything in house. Simple and fast closings. I handle the entire state of Florida. PM if you have any questions or need help.

Perry

 

I have two friends who have waterfront homes in Punta Gorda... The comunity where they live is very nice, with beautiful home, a golf course and lots of waterfront activities. In looking at that area, from a water from perspective, it is so large that time by boat to open water needs to play in your decision of where to buy. Some lots/homes can take almost an hour of no wake to get to open water. As a boater that would frustrate me...

 

We've been on the hunt for a canal front in Tierra Verde on the south end of Pinellas Co. I worked in Clearwater and lived in Indian Rocks Beach for a couple of years and love that part of Florida. Tierra Verde has quick access to the Gulf, nearby anchorages, and pretty easy drive into Tampa and Tampa Airport which I think is valuable. Not to mention, very relaxing life style. I haven't looked at condos / townhome communities but I'm sure there are plenty of choices.

 

Joe, you will love Sarasota. Check it out on your trip.

 

Can’t disagree with that at all, it’s the best place in FL, especially for boating! But there again we’re biased. The truly best advice is to do your "Due Diligence" very well down here! Be very careful as area is very important, especially for hurricanes, home insurance, quality healthcare, proximity to good airports and other amenities.

Some folk down here got caught up buying nice new homes that are in the “backwoods" and can't sell them easily. They often come from vibrant northern cities and miss all the amenities they were used to. Also, anyone who tells you that single story homes on the water have their home insurance "sorted" is correct in the short term only! When the government subsidies were stopped some people with canal homes got hit with tens of thousand of dollars more in annual insurance bills. This makes single story canal homes hard to sell, so be careful. All of FL is considered a flood zone for insurance purposes according to our agent, just varies by area. Before you buy anything check on the home insurance costs, it can get nasty quick. Premiums will go sky high again eventually, each year they’re set to rise quite a bit. Am reliably informed that the government really wants all these single story homes gone as they cost them too much when they get flattened. Notwithstanding, the entire personal trauma that entails. Once you find your ideal place you’ll love it. Good luck in your search and if you visit Sarasota and have time, we’ll buy you a cocktail, send me a PM

 

Tierra Verde is a nice spot.

 

A Very Nice Spot!! We're looking down there as well!

 

[QUOTE=BritLady;777

Am reliably informed that the government really wants all these single story homes gone as they cost them too much when they get flattened.

Why would the gov. be on the hook for your loss?

 

Interesting, what part of florida? I just got a quote on a 2500 sq. ft. ranch, on a canal in cape coral, that's old and needs attention for $3800

 

Joe,
As I mentioned to you when I saw you in Mystic, I've been in Naples for 10 years and would strongly suggest checking out the area. Personally, Tampa is nice but you would be surprised, it can easily be 10 degrees cooler than Southwest Florida in the winter months. Burnt Store Marina I believe is somewhat isolated. You have ask what do you want. If it's strictly having your boat in your backyard, then BSM works. However, IMO, Naples and Bonita Springs offer so much more. Downtown 5th ave. in Naples is a great spot to spend an evening with great dining and shops. Also, you can easily and quickly get to the beach without having to start the boat. My condo was on the water with a club that had a 5 minute boat shuttle to the beach. Now I've been boating my whole life but I will admit it was real nice to just hop on the shuttle and get dropped off at the beach. All I needed was my beach chair. The west coast has amazing sunsets and we are able to ride our bikes or take a quick car ride to the beach every night and catch a sunset. I don't believe you can get to the beach to easily from the Cape Coral area unless you get on the boat. I would also suggest finding a community that has a club. Our club had the boat shuttle, tennis, dining and a tiki bar. During football season the tiki bar is a great way to socialize with your neighbors. And to ease your mind, the club was very affordable. Lastly, Naples is the cleanest and most manicured area I've seen in Florida. Well that's my 2 cents. I too am biased but it's worth a look.

 

Mainly in the Tampa Bay area and the figures were often quoted on our local TV by folk holding their new policies and complaining. Our son's friend has a rambler on a canal in the area and his insurance went up to about $10k from approx. $3+k. Your quote for 4k is very reasonable. Did that include wind and flood damage? Also, did they tell you what the increases will be annually going forward? And the main thing, is it a good private company or Citizens? We have one or two companies here, that if there was another massive hurricane some say they just don't have enough funds to pay out claims........

 

You hit on some key points that most first time lookers into owning a second home in Florida are not aware of.

Homeowners insurance written for homes near the coast specifically exclude both windstorm and flood coverage. That means your homeowners only covers a minort part of your risk. You have to buy Windstorm and flood coverage in separate policies……so you have 3 separate insurance policies here.

Most underwriters will not write homeowners coverage on a second home that is not occupied on a full time basis. Unless you are a Florida resident…..driver's license, voters registration card, etc. you usually have to be happy with just a fire policy. THe basic difference is that you have to buy some protections on a scheduled basis and the comprehensive portion of homeowners is excluded.


One other thing worth mentioning to boaters is the impact on your insurance, storage and maintenance costs when your boat is part of your Florida future. Boating gets complicated when you are a part time resident. You cannot just leave your boat parked behind your house. You must make provisions for routine maintenance as well as handling storm preparations, whether it be tie up at your slip, run the boat inland, or haul out. We have found that a house on the beach here is a very good fit for us. The family can enjoy the beach at the house and if I am here, we can go boating as well. We keep the boat at a marina owned by the local Sea Ray dealer with 24 hour security and competent service including haul out capability 365 days a year. It isn't cheap, but we have no worries about the boat anytime since the marina has a hurricane plan in place.

 

Have no info I can offer on the gulf coast, but excited for you and wish you the best of luck on your search!!

 

I love the Sarasota/Bradenton area and hope to move to that area some day. My sister owns a place in Punta Gorda Isles and I agree with the pros and cons above.

Enjoy your search, and I can't wait to hear your thoughts after your trip!

 

A slip neighbor and good friend of mine bought a house in Punta Gorda Isles (PGI) about two years ago so my wife and I stayed at his house a few times while we searched for a home in Rotonda West. I didn't want to spend the money for a canal home and wanted to be a short car ride to a marina close to the gulf so Rotonda seemed to be a good place. As it turned out Rotonda didn't feel right to us and we fell in love with Everything PGI has to offer so we bought a canal home with 15 minute access to the harbor. We absolutely love it. PM me if you want to talk. Mark