I am looking to retire in the next couple of years and am looking at leaving Kentucky and purchasing a Beach Front Condo. Looking at the South Daytona,Port Orange, New Symrna, Coaco Beach, and Indian Harbour area. Does any one live there or have any insight to which areas has the Best Beach Front Properties.
Ocean Front Condo
- Thread starter etowncatfan
- Start date
I have been on the other side of Fl looking, but beachfront anything is expensive. I just like the sunsets on the gulf side.
We love both sides, and are looking at the NSB, Melbourne, Vero Beach and Port St. Lucie areas on the Atlantic side, and Punta Gorda down to Ft. Myers on the Gulf side to retire to in the next 5 years. Can't afford ocean front, but there are plenty of affordable places that are only a few minutes away.
There are some nice condos in Clearwater that are on the bay instead of ocean front. Just walk across the street to the beach. Watch the dolphins in the bay.
Forget the USA. Move to the Philippines, buy a condo at half the price, food at more than half the price and health care at pennies on the dollar plus they speak English.
Buy something on the 3rd floor as in 15 years it will be sea le
Great until you get a whiff of the nasty shit they eat over there and bugs the size of small dogs.
Great until you get a whiff of the nasty shit they eat over there and bugs the size of small dogs.
I like the gulf side as well but it seems like you get more square feet for the same price on the Atlantic.
I like Punta Gorda. We stayed there two months a couple winters ago. Very safe town and a Ky lawyer founded the the town, but it has a huge population of "older" people. There is no beach in Punta Gorda so you don't get any of the young crowd there and that is enticing to the older crowd.
Don't care much for Ft. Myers. No where near as safe as other areas. Venice is nice and very affordable within proximity of the beach. Very nice doublewide mobile home park there called Bay Indies. You can find some great deals there, but the lot rent is around 7-800 per month.
The Sarasota area is the nicest to me, but traffic in the winter is a bit much and the cost of owning in that area is more. We have been looking while renting a condo in the winter for a few years now and almost pulled the trigger a couple of times on something to buy, but it just didn't feel right. I think we are going to lease an apartment for a year and then have more time to look around and not have to worry about finding a place to go every winter. You can lease a nice apt for a year for about the same price you will pay to rent a condo for four months. Of course, you have furnish it and pay utilities, but we will be able to come and go all year as much as we want.
We spent a couple of days biking around Punta Gorda and really liked it. Very bike friendly, and while pretty small and quiet, there's enough restaurants and watering holes to suit us. It's near the top of our list of places to retire to. As for Ft. Myers, one of my coworkers has a brother who lives there, and he spends a month or so every year there, and plans on moving there. Thought it might be worth checking out as well.
As far as a beachfront condo, there are a lot more selections on the East Coast over the West. Personally for a retirement area I think the West coast is much better. There is less tourism, less crime, and the gulf is warmer and more friendly to recreational boating than the Atlantic.
We have a Condo in Punta Gorda we use 3-4 months a year in the winter and absolutely love it. Punta Gorda Isles is criss crossed with canals so the majority of the homes and condos have access to Charlotte Harbor and the Gulf. If you like boating, fishing or sailing it's the next thing to paradise. Punta Gorda Isles has a fantastic Civic Center that sponsors about 20 different clubs - everything from sailing, fishing, cruising, golf, tennis, bridge, yoga, biking you name it. The clubs have monthly events, and socials. It's mostly retired professional type people. It's an extremely friendly community. Easy to meet people and between PG and Port Charlotte you have everything you need in the way of shopping restaurants, medical facilities etc. Yes we have no beach but Englewood or Venice both have nice beaches and are only an hours drive. You find once you move there you don't go to the beach much anyway. Maybe 2 or 3 times a year. We do have some beautiful barrier Islands you can access by either car or boat including Gasparillia Island, Boca Granda Pass which is the best Tarpin fishing in the country, Caya Costa State Park (access by boat only but it's like going to your own private beach) and Cabbage Key. A little further down you can hit Captiva and Sanibell Islands. It keeps you busy exploring all these places as they are all unique and interesting.
We have a Condo in Punta Gorda we use 3-4 months a year in the winter and absolutely love it. Punta Gorda Isles is criss crossed with canals so the majority of the homes and condos have access to Charlotte Harbor and the Gulf. If you like boating, fishing or sailing it's the next thing to paradise. Punta Gorda Isles has a fantastic Civic Center that sponsors about 20 different clubs - everything from sailing, fishing, cruising, golf, tennis, bridge, yoga, biking you name it. The clubs have monthly events, and socials. It's mostly retired professional type people. It's an extremely friendly community. Easy to meet people and between PG and Port Charlotte you have everything you need in the way of shopping restaurants, medical facilities etc. Yes we have no beach but Englewood or Venice both have nice beaches and are only an hours drive. You find once you move there you don't go to the beach much anyway. Maybe 2 or 3 times a year. We do have some beautiful barrier Islands you can access by either car or boat including Gasparillia Island, Boca Granda Pass which is the best Tarpin fishing in the country, Caya Costa State Park (access by boat only but it's like going to your own private beach) and Cabbage Key. A little further down you can hit Captiva and Sanibell Islands. It keeps you busy exploring all these places as they are all unique and interesting.
