Comments on: Find a Retro House in Sarasota http://www.floridasnapshot.com/2009/11/10/find-a-retro-house-in-sarasota/ Offbeat Florida travel and vacation guide for lovers of the old, hip, retro Sunshine State. Sat, 28 Jan 2012 18:04:30 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Idoia http://www.floridasnapshot.com/2009/11/10/find-a-retro-house-in-sarasota/#comment-720 Idoia Wed, 11 Nov 2009 04:35:51 +0000 http://www.floridasnapshot.com/?p=509#comment-720 We've got a 1959 house in the Ringling Park area, north of Kensington Park (which is SUPER ghetto). Ours is another "retro ranch" house about 5 minutes from downtown. Great floor plan. GREAT area. I love it. We can easily walk or drive to downtown. Neighbors are very quiet and friendly. We're also close to the fairgrounds, beaches, shopping, parks, etc. But man, unless these houses are seriously restored -- plumbing, roofs, ceilings, central air, improved pools, engineered rain run-off -- they aren't worth the ground they're built on . . . even with the terrazzo, which has caused us nothing but trouble. Also, we're very close to pretty uncomfortable neighborhoods where I don't like to go after dark. South Gate is great, but generally out of price reach, even now. It's mostly a deed restricted so that adds value/cost. Also a highly-trafficked area because of its proximity to the mall and hospital. Gulf Gate has great amenities, but a terrible location if you're looking for proximity to downtown, the main beaches or the freeway. Or most of your friends, who likely live in Bradenton or other areas of Sarasota. So. Anyone looking for a good deal on an almost-foreclosed house in the super-sweet, almost-downtown area? We’ve got a 1959 house in the Ringling Park area, north of Kensington Park (which is SUPER ghetto). Ours is another “retro ranch” house about 5 minutes from downtown. Great floor plan. GREAT area. I love it. We can easily walk or drive to downtown. Neighbors are very quiet and friendly. We’re also close to the fairgrounds, beaches, shopping, parks, etc.

But man, unless these houses are seriously restored — plumbing, roofs, ceilings, central air, improved pools, engineered rain run-off — they aren’t worth the ground they’re built on . . . even with the terrazzo, which has caused us nothing but trouble.

Also, we’re very close to pretty uncomfortable neighborhoods where I don’t like to go after dark.

South Gate is great, but generally out of price reach, even now. It’s mostly a deed restricted so that adds value/cost. Also a highly-trafficked area because of its proximity to the mall and hospital.

Gulf Gate has great amenities, but a terrible location if you’re looking for proximity to downtown, the main beaches or the freeway. Or most of your friends, who likely live in Bradenton or other areas of Sarasota.

So. Anyone looking for a good deal on an almost-foreclosed house in the super-sweet, almost-downtown area?

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