Anyone living in Florida......on the gulf-side ?

[CaptB]

Anyone living in Florida on the Gulf-side........?


My wife wanted me to ask this question. According to her.....this is our last winter in northern Michigan. We are considering a move to Venice, Florida area. A very beautiful small city of about 20,000 people. Sarasota is about 18 miles to the north......Englewood is about 10 miles south.......Fort Myers......less than an hour south. Just a very nice part of Florida.


Capt B

[BillyB]

Lots of FSU people live in Florida if that is who your wife would like to associate with. Mamba.ru is not only a site for quick hookups, commercial sex, and dating, it's a place to find friends too.

[alex330]

There are some Russians on the Gulf although most are on the East Coast. Wife's gf lives in Tampa.

[Larry1]

I live in Michigan now. I moved here from SW Florida, which is America's paradise. The region skews old but the winters are amazing.

Last I heard you could get a nice house with a pool for quite a reasonable price.  And you're close to the Gulf of Mexico.

[ML]

Our man Gator lives there, so ask him directly.

[Gator]

Capt,

I had commented earlier about SW Florida in your anniversary thread, limiting my comments to fishing.

If you are seeking info about where to live, I personally prefer the smaller communities; however, my wife prefers larger communities (even though most go to the beach more frequently than the theater).  Their preference probably derives from the fact that larger cities tend to have a number of RW residents, and the smaller communities tend to have none.   

You will find a contiguous string of communities stretching between Tampa and Naples.  Naples is the most luxurious area, with Sarasota second.  So I suggest you avoid these areas if you are looking for a bargain.  However, prices drop the farther east of I-75 you go (farther from the beach) and in the smaller cities between these two extremes. 

The largest demand is for high-rises condos.   Many buyers in the past were European.  This trend has slowed. 

If you want a single home, try Bradenton as it experienced much new construction of planned development east of I-75 10-15 years ago.  West of I-75 you can find bargains in older homes built in the 1950s.  My ex-wife did much research and decided Cape Coral (just north of Ft. Myers) was the best bargain for a house with a boat slip on a canal that connected to the Gulf.  Many areas on the bays were constructed in the 50s and 60s that would not be allowed today because of environmental regulations).  Cape Coral is near (30 minutes+) to the delightful beach community of Sanibel.  My ex-wife says the housing market in Cape Coral has not fully recovered from the Great Recession. 

One of my golfing buddies had a nice bayside home in Englewood, and the lot alone was over $one million.  He is an avid fisherman and considered the area prime for fishing.  He locked horns with the neighborhood about community restrictions and left in a comical episode of revenge. 

You need to define your most important activities, and proceed accordingly.  If beach is your thing, not all beaches have convenient parking, so choose an area near the public parks.  If golf is your hobby, a golf club near Naples comparable to my club in Tampa would cost $1,500-2,000 more per month.  If theater.....

I believe you should not ignore St. Petersburg area.  It has theater, a variety of restaurants, a large Russian community, a Russian church,  is not far (15 minutes)  from my favorite beach (Ft. Desoto Park, rated not long ago as "No. 1 Beach in America"),  has abundant medical facilities (important for many in their later years, especially RW), etc. 
 
BREAKING NEWS........A mortgage broker recently told me about a trending area  that you might want to pursue.  St. Petersburg prices have appreciated remarkably.  Behind the curve is nearby Gulfport, which is starting to see older homes being purchased by more affluent buyers who are spending money to remodel them.    I. e., the Gulfport community is hot.  I give you a tangible leading indicator:  the new buyers include gay couples. 

[msmob]

Eduard, tozhe .... ?

[CaptB]

Gator,


Thanks for the info. Actually....when I was in the Coast Guard in the early 70's....I was on a buoy tender for two years....US CGC Blackthorn. The area we worked was from Mobile, Alabama to Ft. Myers, Florida. My wife and I originally started to look for houses in Fort Myers and Cape Coral. Beautiful, newer houses (10 - 20 years old....and some even newer) from $110,000 to $150,000. Very nice canal homes can be had for as low as $180,000 to $240,000 (and of course much higher). Cape coral was our choice until we visited Venice, Fl. 20,000 people.....a downtown that rivals Naples in beauty.....and reasonable housing costs. Sarasota is 20 minutes away.....Englewood 15 minutes away. Siesta key, in Sarasota, is highly touted....but we both prefer several beaches on Manasota key. You can find beautiful houses in the $150,000 range.....and some stunning houses for $15,000 to $30,000 more.


My wife does not care about being located near a RW population. I lived in Maquette, MI, for 30 years....and never met a Russian there. Within 6 months of my wife's arrival here.....she had four new RW girlfriends. They are like a bowl full of magnets. I have to say....we love Sarasota.....but Venice suits our style....more......and Sarasota is just 20 minutes away. We are both ex high school-team swimmers.....have been addicted SUP paddle-boarding for over ten years.....body surfing (with and with-out a boogy board)...sailing......fishing.....snorkling. In other words anything water related (accept frozen water:-).Within the far reaches of Venice.....you can't be more than ten minutes drive to a beach.


Capt B

[CaptB]

My wife told me about a month ago that this is the "last" winter we are spending in Michigan. If we can make it happen.......I agree. Venice has been the place of choice lately. Thank you forum member "Chris" for contacting me. Maybe I could have a phone conversation with "Gator" if he is still in Southwest Florida ? Thanks for the input.




Cape B

[Gator]

Capt B,  we are still in Tampa.  Sent you a PM.  Will be unavailable for a couple of weeks.