My wife and I are booking a trip to Sarasota around September 14 for about 9 days. We would like to look at some real-estate while vacationing as well. I am behind enemy line and thought Florida would be a good place to live simply because there is more to do then most other states in the way of professional sport teams restaurants etc.  We would like a house with a pool close to the beach within driving distance I cant afford a beach house  but I think we could settle on a town house.  

Any advise is appreciated

Come buy my Condo in Tampa.

This lady has a knack for finding the home that fits the people.
She is down to earth ... completely unpretentious (rare in Sarasota) and has found 2 homes for my family:
Debra Robinson with RE/Max
http://www.debrarobinson.remaxagent.com/

You'll like the Bradenton/Sarasota area.  Nice beaches, plenty to do with more coming every day, close to Tampa/St Pete, and it's NOT NY.  

A few rules:

• You must vote conservative (not NE conservative but constitutional conservative)

• Do not try to make FL like NY because "they did it better where I came from"

• Enjoy having large capacity mags, NFA weapons, and Freedom!

Here is the guy we used when we moved back to the Bradenton  area.

Joe Foster
Foster

If you want Sarasota you gotta be willing to pay.  Cheaper alternatives close are Venice (30-45 min south of Sarasota) and Bradenton (a few min north of Sarasota).  My family lives near Lakewood Ranch.  Its not particularly close to the beach, but there is a lot of land out there as well as many nice condos/town houses.  If you can afford upper six figures have a look at longboat key and siesta key.  Siesta is the second best beach in the country as far as I'm concerned (second to Destin IMHO).  These are all great areas, just stay away from the city of Bradenton if you can...there are some fairly ghetto areas like Oneco and some areas of Palmetto (lovingly known as Palmagetto).  Another area to look would be Ellenton.  A few exits north but its building up.

This.  Sums it up nicely.

Hell yeah we fit this criteria. I promise to uphold our constitution of our United States .....................New York is a killer we plan on leaving it behind totally.  

You'll love Florida, lots of awesome things to do and the weather's amazing.



Do you have kids? There are only a few areas that have good public schools. Definitely look at the school scores and counties if that's important.



Good luck to you, enjoy your trip!

+1 on Venice

Sarasota is full of 'indian chiefs' where Venice and Bradenton is more for 'indians'.

I am comfortable in Sarasota; been here 23 years ... but truth is ... I am an indian at heart.
I settled in Sarasota for business and business connections and it has served me well.
If I could do it all over again, I would settle in Venice, on the island.
It has a quant downtown area and is more down to earth. It also attracts a lot of Italian Americans (it is Venice, after all); they have a terrific and very popular Italian Heritage Fair every year.  Yum. (Manga)

If you like fine restaurants ... and the performing arts: theater, orchestra, art fairs, etc .... you will prefer Sarasota.
If you spend some time with a good realtor ... chatting on the phone if not in person ... you will find what fits you in either Sarasota, or Venice.

Bradenton has crime issues and bad traffic.  Did I mention the crime?

Good luck to us all.
Buster

Note: We are due in this area for a storm with flood damage.  It has been about 90 years.  Check a flood map before you buy.  (That could be an issue in Venice)

The further south the more at home you'll feel.

Thank you all