jh225

Thinking about making the move from SW TN to Venice, FL (or very close by)

I do not want to be in Tampa. It was overcrowded 25 yrs ago when I was last there.I can imagine how it is now.

So, anyone in Venice, know about Venice, etc? Good, bad, etc. I've looked at crime stats and they are very low compared with national averages.

Basically, I am done with the damn cold (yes, it gets cold in TN) and as long as new house has a pool, my wife is OK with the move.

Job availability not required. So that makes commute, not a problem either.

Ron C!

Venice is a great area, I feel the best of Florida. Will be heading that way in a couple of years when I retire. I plan on looking anywhere from Bradenton south the Port Charlotte. Lots to choose from.

Atomic6

Just came back from a trip to Naples and we took US 41 north to keep it local and off I-75. Venice was a zoo. New construction of the 41 bypass and ultra crowded at the moment. I imagine it will be finished in 6 months or so, but just guessing. Getting to the island can be really tough there during the winter tourist season unless they have replaced those awful drawbridges. Maybe they have. It's been over 15 years now since we moved. We lived in Sarasota County for over 30 years before escaping to the mountains here in NC. No traffic and no intense summer heat to deal with anymore or the constant hurricane nonsense spewed out by the hysterical news channels when a storm has just formed off Africa. It became stupid. It's been nice here other than the months of Jan/Feb each year. I would never go back to FL unless I had big $$ and could live right on the water somewhere while never watching the local news. Like you mentioned, one thing that is good is the crime rate. Always very low there with a decent police department. Auto burglaries are probably the most common felony. Robberies and worse are very uncommon. The winter circus train used to bring crime but the circus just called it quits recently. That ends that problem. Have you ever considered eastern TN in the mountains?? Sure is beautiful if you can put up with 2-3 bad months of winter. Sometimes it's easier to remain in the same state. If your mind is made up, best of luck with the move. Warm winters and not having to work can make up for a lot of shortcomings.

jh225

Thanks for the insight.

As for the above quoted................. We thought about East TN for several years, visited quite a few times, thought we made up our minds and were seriously considering the Sevierville/Wears Valley area until recently walking out my door here in SW TN and feeling the nasty, wet cold and finally saying....fck this. It is way colder on the mountain side of the state and for several months instead of just 2 or so. I am so done with the cold it is not even funny.

I just cant deal with the cold anymore. Absolutely hate it. I love the mountains, but I will give it up to be warm year round. The heat during the Florida summer can be melted away with a nice covered pool.

If we want to go to the mountains, we can always get in the car and take a trip for a week or two.

Atomic6

I understand completely. The area I live in here in Franklin is loaded with summer homes owned by Floridians. Our 'mountain' here has 40 homesites with about 28 homes built since the early 90's. Out of those 28 homes only 12 are full time residents like my wife and I. In an ideal world with $$$ I think we would do the seasonal thing too.
Best of luck with everything. Venice will be a fine choice if you can afford something nice. Otherwise, no. Having a picnic lunch at the South Jetty Park in February can feel like heaven.
** One other note: Research the insurance rates and flood insurance rates for the home you want. It can get crazy expensive. That was another reason we had to move.

MDPD23

Just moved to Lakewood Ranch in the worst time,heat wise, in July. As long as you have A/C and access to a pool or beach it sure as hell beats the damn winter of PA where I am from.
I have a sign by my pool-"I live where you want to vacation " for all my friends that come to visit from up North. If you do decide to come to the area check out our Corvette Club (Skyway Corvette Club). We are always out having great activities. NO snow to keep us off the road!

Ron C!

No shoveling heat either!

jh225

I ain't rich, but I ain't cryin' either.

In doing realtor.com searches, we can easily do a nice mid size house say 2200-2500+ sq ft w/pool (downsizing from just under 4K sq ft) on the water for mid $300's.

Insurance is a big thing I will be looking into. It's actually kind of odd that if I expand a search to include Port Charlotte (don't really want to live in a big town though), I see homes being advertised as no flood insurance needed which seems odd because the houses are on a canal.

I would love to be on a canal, but in a smaller town, so I can just keep my boat on the water.

Sounds good.

All I need to be happy are car folks and a place to shoot, and I see Sarasota County has a range.

Got that right!

MSG C5

Not sure when you're heading to the area to check out real estate, but the local Venice club has an annual Corvette show scheduled for Sunday, March 12th.

jh225

Thanks, but not for a while yet. Too much crap going on right now. Hopefully by the fall.

MSG C5

Shoot me a PM when you're planning to come down and I will let you know if there are any Corvette events happening in the area at that time.