Howdy Hive...I'm talking with the wife about possibly retiring from Vegas to southwest Florida maybe in a few years.

I'm a fireman and I'm now fully eligible to retire although I won't fully max out my retirement for another 4 years, give or take a few months.  I'm about fed up with Nevada going full-on demotard, and I'm missing being close to the water (born and raised in SoCal by the beach).  Tired of 116 degree summers and sometimes below freezing winters, and the dry-ass air (we always feel so good going anywhere there is humidity).

Here's what I'm thinking:

Buy a lot on the water and build so we can have a diveable/fishable boat with a lift and Sea Doos, with close direct water access to the southern gulf waters/Keys.

I was a scuba instructor for many years and grew up water skiing, surfing, snorkeling and boating.  Getting back to the water is becoming more of a priority.  I'm thinking the southwestern waters in Florida will offer us what we are looking for.

I've been looking on Zillow for real estate to wrap my head around certain areas.  Please tell me pros and cons of the following areas:

St Pete
Cape coral
Fort Meyers
Punta Gorda
Port Charlotte

I have travelled extensively in the Caribbean and have lived in the country of Jordan for 2 years, and have been in Vegas for 22 years.  I know heat and humidity!  


We have 2 sons ages 8 & 11 so schools are obviously a factor.

Fire off some advice and give some feedback on other areas I might be overlooking or haven't heard about yet.

Thanks!

I would not buy waterfront right now on the bubble with these red tides on the gulf coast.

I would look on the other coast around Ponce inlet.

Have you checked the prices of Gulf access water lots ?

I’m definitely holding off on buying until we get much closer to a go-time.

Is the red tide really hitting that far down south?

Any river systems that discharge from bone valley into the gulf will be feeding these tide blooms for decades to come. Big Manatee and the little one, Myakka and the Peace rivers will spew their crap into the gulf with every rain and acid pond failure. Google Earth Polk, Eastern Hillsborough, Manatee and Hardee counties and you will see the huge lifeless turquoise blue acid ponds left by the huge multinationals that filled the campaign coffers on both sides of the aisle in Tallahassee for decades and then folded up their tents and left us with the mess. It's heartbreaking.

Red tide is nothing new. I’m 65 and was born and raised 3 blocks from the Gulf in Collier county. I can remember it even back in the early 60’s .

Some larger lots are obviously priced crazy, but I'm looking at 1/4 acre with 100' of sea wall on a canal.  I've seen some for 250-300,000 that have utilities, sea wall and are cleared.

I'm not planning on building a compound and looking like Tom Brady

It hasn't been that bad where I am at this season.  I am in Palmetto on the water, and it's been several months since we've seen any dead fish at all or smelt it.  We were in Englewood a couple weeks back, and some of the canals were bad, but the it was non existent around the beach areas.  If you like smaller areas, I would look at Palmetto, FL.  I can be in downtown Sarasota or downtown St. Pete within a half hour for better restaurants/concerts etc.

This map gets updated showing the current blooms of it.

Red Tide

Have lived in Port Charlotte for a bit over 4 years. I like the area, at least where I'm at. My buddy has lived on the water, with gulf access, for over 10 years. This lot down the road from him sold for 136K earlier in the year. https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/17131-Galleon-Ter-Pt-Charlotte-FL-33948/2072294402_zpid/?

I don't have kids, so I can't say anything about the schools. Home and auto insurance is high, so be prepared for that.

Some cons: Snowbirds are here for half the year. Lovebugs come out in May for a few weeks. Will eat car paint fairly fast if you don't wash them off quick. Late spring to October/November it rains every day, for the most part. Not really a con, but I know that annoys some.

Pros: Wide variety of places to eat. Plenty of shops in the area. Perfect weather for 4-6 months. Lots to do.

Punta Gorda is awesome, IMHO.  Moved down here a few months ago and couldn't be happier.  

One nice thing about Punta Gorda is they maintain the seawalls.

Another vote for Punta Gorda. Don't listen to those filthy Port Charlotte people over the bridge.

In all seriousness though pay close attention to rather or not there is gulf access and how long it takes to get there. South Gulf Cove is all considered Gulf access but who wants to idle for over an hour just to get out of it. Pirate Harbor was nice but prices have gone through the roof. If you are willing to give up gulf access North Port is quite nice as well and you can get more land in the Estates area, where I actually live at.

Scuba diving on this coast is okay. I typically drive over to the Atlantic if I am not teaching classes myself.

@devildog12210

Thanks for the great info!

Are you familiar with this area?  Quarter acre lots in this area are looking pretty good to me. Looks like pretty easy access to the gulf, Sanibel, Captiva and down to the Keys.
Attached File

Very familiar. Moved here from TN in 2011 and never looked back. If there is a particular lot you want me to check out in the North Port, Port Charlotte, Punta Gorda area just let me know and I can go take some pictures.

That looks like Pirate Harbour area off Burnt Store Road. Nice homes in there but as stated earlier sky high prices.
For me, I'd get a boat on a trailer & put the money in acreage & built a range on it. Even where I'm at its 10 minutes to a boat ramp. I guess it would depend on the size of your boat tho. Punta Gorda is a nice little town.

I have home in Naples as well as on the other coast in Tequesta.  I would recommend both areas for you. Google Jupiter/Tequesta and see what you think. I am in Jupiter more now and for kids yall's age, Jupiter would be great. This is a beach/fishing/party town, all day everyday.

We have the JTAA, Jupiter Tequesta Atlantic Association which is the premier under 18 sports Association in the country. When my kids played soccer, we had Tiger Woods wife and Celine Dion sitting on the bleachers with us every home game..

There's red tide ... (which yes, of course, hits down there) and was and is a normal thing down there ... and than there's the algae blooms that kick up when water is released from okechobee and spreads up and down both coasts for quite a distance, and it is truly horrid stuff and is nasty to breathe.

Here is one with gulf access in punta gorda

Thanks for posting but when I click on it nothing shows up. Can you post the address so I can look it up?  Thanks brother

@urbanredneck

Do you have an address for this property?  When I click on the link nothing shows up. Thanks bud

@diversmith

check your im

Good luck if this is what you do, there are tens of thousands of people trying to do the same thing.
Prices are crazy now, maybe when you are ready to retire it might have improved some.
You have heard of this little thing called a hurricane.