sconie

Thank you, that's very interesting, I'll look into the attorney bit further, as I don't need or want any hard sell, when we find the community in which we would like to vacation and snowbird retire down the line, I would quite simply like to find the property we like and submit the offer, as I find estate agents the world over, have the desire to drive you around properties they want to sell you, usually over your budget and not in the desired location.

Our plan may sound strange to some, but we don't want a tiny bolt hole in the Costa Brava, we like America, we have spent a lot of time (and money) visiting over many years, as we don't need a mortgage and our finances and pension are all in good order in the UK, we are simply looking to buy a little piece of American pie for our family, and I look forward to our first Thanksgiving day in our own home.

Therefor following the advice so far, I need/intent to :

(1) Find a Real Estate Attorney
(2) Settle on a location and find a property
(3) Transfer Funds to a US bank account (need to open new account)
(4) Submit offer and settle
(5) Ensure good management of the property and prompt payment of taxes

Does that sound about right ?

lisa67

you mightwant to take a look at this site

www.forsalebyowner.com

SarasotaChad

Hi Sconie,

Not sure if you have decided on a place in Florida yet or not, but I thought I would put my 2 cents in! Prior to moving to Florida I drove up and down both coasts of the state to find the perfect area. I spent hours going over all kinds of data and finally came to the conclusion that Sarasota was the perfect fit for me and my family. Since moving here we have only grown to love the area more and more.

With the current values in real estate it makes it much more appealing as well for those in the UK. In our office alone last month there were 4 purchases from UK citizens. I am sure the pound vs. us dollar exchange rate is a big factor!

Anyway, other areas that were also on my list before making my final decision were Port St. Lucie (Atlantic side ) & Naples. I didnt focus too much on the inland as the wife wanted to be near the water.

Here are some links for the Sarasota area (in case you have not been here).

Hope I was of some help!

http://www.seesarasotalive.com (This one has a live webcam on the Sarasota Bay)

LINKS FOR SARASOTA
http://www.mortonsmarket.com Mortons Market- Southside Village
http://www.sarasotadowntown.com/farmers_market.html - Sarasota Downtown Farmers Market
http://www.sarasotadowntown.com/farmers_market.html Downtown Sarasota
http://suncat.co.sarasota.fl.us/Libraries/Selby.aspx Selby Library
http://www.selby.org Marie Selby Botanical Gardens
http://www.marinajacks.com Marina Jacks
http://www.downtownsarasota.org Downtown Sarasota Shops, Restaurants
http://www.discovermainstreet.com Merchants Association of Downtown Sarasota
http://www.towlescourt.com/index.htm Towles Court Artist Colony
http://www.burnssquare.com Historic Burns Square
http://www.srqreviews.com Sarasota Restaurant Reviews
http://www.starmandscircleassoc.com St. Armands Circle

Jerseygirl

Sconie...we went to Florida a few months ago looking for a condo to use in retirement. We found that condo fees are very high...especially if you're not using the condo for several months of the year...property taxes were also high but that could have been the area we were looking.

We found that many condo buildings had several empty units...with the economy the way it is at the moment many owners have walked away from their properties. The condo fees for these apartments still have to be paid to the management company...they are therefore often shared out amongst the remaining owners. ie you are paying a portion of someone else's condo fees.

Hiro11

Unless you have grandkids that will be visiting frequently and like Disney, I don't think I'd recommend Orlando. If I were retiring in Florida, I'd want to be near the beach. I like the Gulf Coast better than the Atlantic (although there are exceptions). Also, don't ignore the panhandle (Destin and other towns can be really nice). If you're willing to go a little further afield, the Gulf Shore Alabama area has spectacular beaches and really good prices.

juliecalifornia

Hi there - I've just moved from Northern California to Pennsylvania with my job, but we want to end up in Florida in the near future. Over the years we've been to Daytona a lot and Tampa/St Petersburg, but from what a lot of people have said, I really want to check out Sarasota. We're intending to find where we want to eventually move to, then find a property to buy and use it in the meantime as a vacation home.

So having said that, we're intending to pop down for some long weekends at some stage to check out the area.......are there any areas in particular that you would recommend we visit to help us get a good feel of the area as a resident? We're interested in a area with lots of expats (!) as well as locals, as we both miss evenings down the local pub LOL!

Any advice you can offer would be much appreciated

Julie

anotherlimey

Sanibel Island perhaps? Or maybe Ft. Myers. Last time I was in Ft. Myers it seemed every other house was for sale.

SarasotaChad

Hi Julie,

I would reccomend a couple of different areas. First off, if you are looking for a house and not a condo I would suggest the "Southside Village" area. It is 5 minutes from downtown, the beach, the mall and includes its own area of shops and restaurants. Look above for the Mortons Market web link...thats the area.

If you are preferring a condo I would say Siesta Key or Longboat Key. Both areas have been traditionally priced high, but as of late there are great deals to be had. I suggest these areas because of their proximity to the beaches and the laid back lifestyle you can enjoy on the keys. Many of those condos are owned by people waiting to retire here but they rent them out as vacation rentals during high season for revenue. Just a personal choice I suppose.

As far as places Brits hang out for a pint..there are many pubs about town. I notice some in the Gulf Gate area (about 7-10 minute drive from the Southside Village neighborhoood).

Some local British Style Pubs or close to it....would be:
SARASOTA Old Salty Dog Pub British manager Simon Clarke [941] 349-0158

SARASOTA Shakespeare's Pub [941] 364-5938

SARASOTA Champions Pub [formerly called Tudor Rose] British owner Tony Middlemiss [941] 927-7686

SARASOTA [Lakewood Ranches] A Scottish restaurant [not a pub] called Macallisters. Has a bar, Scottish dishes including haggis and British owners Malcom and Karen Ronney. Tel. [941] 359-2424

SARASOTA Coach and Horses #1 English owners Alan Stileman and Eric Hall [941] 358-1353

SARASOTA The British Open English owner Simon Oliver Tel. [941] 927-1022

SARASOTA Churchills Pub [941] 951-0990 [Closed Aug. 2007--premises is now an American bar called Legends].

SARASOTA Cock and Bull Pub [941] 341-9785

Let me know if you need info on anything else!

-Chad

juliecalifornia

No shortage on pubs then LOL! Thanks so much for your response about Sarasota, this is really helpful Hopefully we can make it down soon when we can bag some cheap flights.

thanks again!

md95065

Probably because it was so obvious to her that it didn't occur to her to mention it.

In the US it is a pretty safe rule that everything is always negotiable.