Whenever you're buying a home, you need to do your own due diligence, but you may not know about these quirky features of Sarasota, especially if you're moving from a different eco-system:
1) For any house you're interested in, make sure to check its position on the Sarasota Flood Map. There are inland waterways that wind through neighborhoods in Sarasota, sometimes diagonally. One part of the street has houses that are required to carry flood insurance, and on the other part of the street they don't have to get flood insurance. All homeowners are required to carry 2 policies: Wind and Property. Flood insurance is only required if you're in a flood zone.
2) Anywhere there's fresh water--inland waterways, ponds, and lakes--there can be alligators. Especially if you have pets, you won't want them running off-leash near fresh water, and you'll need high fencing around your property to protect them. Buying a house in an upscale, gated community doesn't protect you from wildlife such as alligators, so do your homework on this one.
3) If you want to check the crime statistics for a particular neighborhood, you can search for incidents at this CrimeMapping site.
4) Drive by properties you're interested in right after a rain storm, to see if and where water collects in the yard and driveway. You won't want to wear waders to get into or out of your car every time we get a summer storm.
5) Some residential streets have a sidewalk on one side of the street only. If you want more privacy, choose a house on the side without a sidewalk, so you don't have to deal with pedestrians--and pets--walking in front of your house.
5) Some residential streets have a sidewalk on one side of the street only. If you want more privacy, choose a house on the side without a sidewalk, so you don't have to deal with pedestrians--and pets--walking in front of your house.
6) Drive-by in the evening and on weekends, so you can get a sense of the neighbors and neighborhood.
7) This handy Sarasota Neighborhood Map shows you the names and locations of designated neighborhoods and parks in the City of Sarasota. It's a good way to narrow down the neighborhoods that are close to the shopping and daily activities you plan to do.
8) Make sure to require a home inspection before you buy a house. Make sure to check for termites, along with typical structural and mechanical issues.
9) If you're planning to make Sarasota your "primary residence", you're eligible for a Homestead Exemption, which can greatly reduce the taxable value of your house and limits how much your taxes can increase per year. More info at the Property Appraiser Web site.
10) Start looking for reliable local service providers that you will need for maintaining your Sarasota home.
For example: One year shortly after I bought my house here, I was away for the summer, and a surprise storm blew over a tall palm tree that took down part of my fence, pulled out an electric line, and yanked off the fascia on my roof. My house-checker had to scramble to find a tree trimmer to cut and haul away the felled tree, the power company to restore electricity so my house wouldn't get mold from lack of A/C, a handyman to fix the roof fascia so bugs, critters and water wouldn't get in, and to fix the fence. That taught me to have a list in place, so I can administrate repairs whether I'm here or out of town.
For your convenience, I've included photo-links on the right side of this blog to local Sarasota service businesses that I've found reasonable and professional to work with. (I list them as a courtesy. Not paid ads.)
Minimally, you'll need a lawn service, a house-checker, and a pest control company if you plan to be away for extended periods of time, especially during storm season (May 31 - Nov 30).
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