Florida coast living selection?

[Cadence]

At your budget, as someone mentioned, I would look at Cape Coral. Homes and condos with dockage are relatively cheap. That depends on whether you like yard work. I have a friend with a condo that has a slip. I don't know if she still has it. I would be glade to hook up her if she still has it PM me if and you have any interest in that area.

[Kita]

Hey,I have a lakehouse in Odessa for sale at 240k,20 min from tarpon springs sponge dock....looking to buy a Gemini 105 MC. ...

[LeeV]

Originally Posted by Kita

Hey,I have a lakehouse in Odessa for sale at 240k,20 min from tarpon springs sponge dock....looking to buy a Gemini 105 MC. ...

thanks, but no. We have time and will keep looking. P. Gorda is the next place we'll visit, I think.

Thanks!

[Foxyladycrew]

Thinking of moving to FL Look around Ft Myers- Cape Coral, Home costs are reasonable, water is good, (400 + miles of canals) homes on the water from not to bad ... to Very Expensive - Many small cruising trips, go as far north as Tarpon Springs or south to the keys. Or Just around Sanibel island. Lots of Places to anchor if you want to try it out before purchasing.
Just scroll up the caloosahatchee river on google earth untell you see a lot
of boats.

Foxyladycrew

[wayne.b]

Originally Posted by LeeV

No, I haven't, but have been told to look at Naples, Cape Coral, Fort Meyers and Venice.

Waterfront property in Naples is very pricey but Punta Gorda, Ft Myers and Cape Coral have some excellent values in your price range. Send me a private message if you'd like more information.

[jholder51]

Based on the info that we have, if you want to make sure that you are far enough south to not worry about snow, stay south of Frostproof, FL. Cape Coral has more canals than any other location in the world. You would need to be aware of bridges to make sure that you find a canal that will allow your sailboat. This part of the west coast usually is missed by hurricanes as well. We retired to Cape Coral the first of October and we are looking for our catamaran to use as a live aboard in the Caribbean for the next couple of years. (Anticipating retirement, we purchased our condo 6 years ago and used it as a rental until we retired.)

[Virginia Lee]

We are looking to retire in about 2 years and have the same interests. We are currently in Hollywood FL but the cost of living and pace of life make us want to move. Having been in Florida for so long, hurricanes are a big issue for me. I don't really know that the west coast is less prone to hurricanes. If a big one does hit, they will have much more of an impact from storm surge. (Think Katrina and New Orleans; substitute Tampa and St Pete...) The shallow gulf allows a build up of a wall of water; the Atlantic side (especially south Florida) has the deep water near shore and has less surge capacity.

You might want to consider flood maps in making your decision. While a home on the water and dock would be nice, we are planning to buy within easy driving distance of the east coast, selecting an area outside of the cat 1/2/3 hurricane evacuation zone. Our thinking is that we can afford to lose the boat, but not both the house and boat. Yes, there is insurance, but where I live now I pay about $6000/year in combined flood/hurricane/homeowners insurance. If you are on a budget, be sure to include insurance prices in your house decision. I had no idea what I was getting into when I bought a modest little home east of US1, no idea how much less insurance is just a few miles inland.

Preparing both a house and a boat for a hurricane is time consuming. The less you have to do to the house (e.g. "hurricane windows" instead of storm shutters) the more time you have to take off sails, bimini, etc. I like being on a good mooring rather than at dock for hurricane season.

Best wishes, and enjoy the income tax free Florida life!

[Ken Z]

cape coral has water front, canal homes some deals that need tlc. most canals are ok for a cat, depth not a concern. look around the ccyatch club for older homes. crime can be a problem in some areas, avoid areas close to duplexes and triplexes. punta gorda is good to.

[Ceilidh 36]

Originally Posted by LeeV

I know this is all relative, but forum sailors' opinions are more valuable than those of my non-boating friends. Please hit "delete" if not interested!

We're looking ahead to retiring in Florida and trying to determine the best "small town" atmosphere areas to look. We saw Stuart last week and found it interesting; we also realized that in the range of 350-500k there's a wide variety of quality, depending on where we look! Like everybody we'd like to avoid the riff-raff, but can't afford a palace!

We'll most likely have a 38' catamaran and will need to keep it somewhere, so that's another consideration. We won't spend more than a couple of weeks aboard at a time, visiting the Keys or possibly the Bahamas in good weather.

If anybody has a suggestion of where to look I'd be grateful. I'd like to visit several places during the same trip rather than use all my leave going back and forth seeing a town each time.

Thanks so much!

Chechnya out my home port of Dunedin on the west coast near Tampa Bay. If you draft no more than 5' you navigate the west coast comfortably.

[tkeithlu]

If you'll consider the Northwest part of Florida, come look at Carrabelle and Apalachicola. Carrabelle really is a small town, with a great harbor, house/docks on the river, not a canal, and with a full service yard where you can do your own work. The bay is four miles across and then you are in the Gulf.

[Capt Gary]

Originally Posted by Cheechako

During 2010 (think recession!) there were properties on canals with their own docks on the Space Coast for $200k and up. At $200k they were not in primo condition but 3 BR and decent neighborhoods. Ditto further north in Florida. Often these spots don't have very deep water, but for a cat that would work. Anyway, I don't know what they are going for now but probably still in your range. I have friends that moved ashore in New Smyrna Beach, small town feel up there.

Space coast canal lots (at least in the Cocoa Beach Merrit Island area) are anywhere from $350,000 to $850,000 with many available in the $450,000 - $550,000 range)

[JoJoLady]

We have a 50 ft cruiser in Bradenton Florida, Rivera Dunes. Beautiful area, safe from hurricanes, beautiful facilities. Some live aboards. Restaurant on premises. Monthly gatherings on open deck area with grills. Pump out weekly or as needed. Less than $700 per month. Easy cruising to Tampa, St Petersburg, and surrounding area.

[Boatguy30]

You could check a community called "county club estates" in Venice. Has private harbor on ICW or I would also recommend St James City on Pine Island.

[Boatguy30]

Also, here in St Augustine if you live in the county. You can rent a non liveaboard mooring for $100 a month. I may actually sell my canal property in near future and go this route as expenses of maintaining bulkhead, dredging, etc are a pain.

[tkeithlu]

The lot next to ours in Carrabelle, with 95 ft on the river deep water straight-away, no cut bank, 1 1/2 miles to the bay and 1/2 mile to the grocery and hardware stores, high enough that you don't have to build on stilts, is currently assessed at $92,000. You're not going to buy it for that, because the owner's father bought it for $350K during the boom, but there are others, even on our street, and lots more if you don't mind being farther from the center of town. One traffic light in the whole county....