Suncoasteam Area Information
Charlotte County, Florida
- County Population: 141,627
- County Houses: 79,758
- Land area: 693.6 sq. mi.
- Water area: 165.5 sq. mi.
Industries providing employment: Educational, health and social services (21.6%), Retail trade (17.6%), Arts, entertainment, recreation, accommodation and food services (10.6%), Construction (10.6%).
Type of workers:
- Private wage or salary: 78%
- Government: 13%
- Self-employed, not incorporated: 9%
- Unpaid family work: 0%
Races in Charlotte County:
- White Non-Hispanic (90.4%)
- Black (4.4%)
- Hispanic (3.3%)
- Two or more races (1.1%)
- Other race (0.8%)
- American Indian (0.5%)
(Total can be greater than 100% because Hispanics could be counted in other races)
- Median age: 54.3 years
- Males: 47.8%, Females: 52.2%
- Average household size in Charlotte County: 2.18
- Median household income: $36,379 (year 2000)
- Median house value: $97,000 (year 2000)
- Median montly rent in 2000: $626
- Institutionalized population: 2446
- Median monthly costs for houses with a mortgage in Charlotte County in 2000: $866
- Current college students: 3279
- People 25 years of age or older with a high school degree or higher: 82.1%
- People 25 years of age or older with a bachelor's degree or higher: 17.6%
Number of foreign born residents: 11292 (60% naturalized citizens)
Mean travel time to work: 23.6 minutes
Housing units in structures:
- One, detached: 53,539
- One, attached: 1,583
- Two: 1,383
- 3 or 4: 1,995
- 5 to 9: 2,967
- 10 to 19: 2,161
- 20 or more: 3,990
- Mobile homes: 11,611
- Boats, RVs, vans, etc.: 529
More info:
http://www.city-data.com/county/Charlotte_County-FL.html
Deep Creek, Florida
Deep Creek is a sister development to Punta Gorda Isles. It is on the northeast side of the Peace River in Charlotte County, Florida but is not a waterfront community. Deed-restrictions in Deep Creek keep the community as one of the finest locations in Florida at a very reasonable price. Deep Creek Real Estate is in the moderate price range*.
Deep Creek has homes and condominiums as well as a great golf course. It is a perfect location for a golf enthusiast because it has excellent access to I-75 and literally dozens of courses within a short drive.
Deep Creek Golf Club:
http://www.deepcreekgc.com/
Punta Gorda, Florida
 Punta Gorda, Florida has been high on national magazines lists of the list of best places to live in this country. Punta Gorda Real Estate is in the moderate to high price range*. Punta Gorda is situated on historic Charlotte Harbor and has some of the best sailing, boating and fishing in Florida. Many popular fishing tournaments are at home in Punta Gorda including last years Red Fish Tournament. Each March, Punta Gorda Sailing Club hosts the Conquistador Cup, a very popular sailing regatta that draws sailors from all over the country.
Fisherman’s Village is a popular shopping and entertainment destination
In historic downtown Punta Gorda you will find many art galleries and fine restaurants. Punta Gorda also has a great Irish Pub, The Celtic Ray, owned by a native Dubliner and featuring many beers from Ireland on tap.
Punta Gorda Isles, a section of the City of Punta Gorda, is one of the best known waterfront communities in Florida. It is a deed-restricted community, intended to maintain property value and community standards. It has miles of canals that lead to Charlotte Harbor with access to the Gulf of Mexico.
 Punta Gorda Isles and Charlotte Harbor
More Punta Gorda Info:
http://www.city-data.com/city/Punta-Gorda-Florida.html
Find a history of Punta Gorda at: http://www.floridahistory.org/westcoastfla/pentagor.htm
Port Charlotte, Florida
Port Charlotte is located in Charlotte County, Florida on the north side of the Peace River and Charlotte Harbor. Port Charlotte is a comfortable community with great shopping, restaurants and entertainment. It is a very popular retirement community. Port Charlotte Real Estate is low-moderate to moderate high in price*. Quite affordable homes and condos can be found in Port Charlotte, Florida but waterfront property prices are higher.
A buyer can still find the best prices for waterfront homes in south Florida in Port Charlotte. While prices continue to rise in all areas, Port Charlotte waterfront home prices lag other areas. The result was that this area became one of the fastest growing areas in the country.
Most development in Port Charlotte began when General Development purchased a large tract of land and began to subdivide. There are still many vacant lots available in Port Charlotte as a result of this subdivision
The Port Charlotte Cultural Center is a great place to enjoy arts and crafts, have a nice meal or attend one of the many performances at the beautiful theater. As well as the theater, the center offers a learning center and activities center.
More Port Charlotte info:
http://www.city-data.com/city/Port-Charlotte-Florida.html
Charlotte County Cultural Center:
http://www.charlotte-florida.com/Community/education/Culturalcenter.htm
Englewood, Florida
Englewood, Florida is a beautiful community in west Charlotte County and Sarasota County. The town straddles the county line with downtown Englewood in Sarasota County and the majority of homes in Charlotte County.
Englewood Beach is one of the finest in the state and is well known for great shelling. The warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico make swimming great all times of the year.
Lemon Bay separates the Englewood mainland from Manasota Key and Englewood Beach. Lemon Bay has beautiful islands and anchorages with fast access to the Gulf of Mexico. Access to the gulf on the south end of Manasota Key is through Stump Pass, a well maintained waterway that separates Manasota Key from Gasparilla Island and Boca Grande.
Cape Haze, Florida
Cape Haze is just to the south of Englewood, Florida and is undergoing a great deal of development. Cape Haze is bordered by the confluence of the Peace River and Myakka River where it forms Charlotte Harbor and to the west, the Gulf of Mexico and Lemon Bay.
Access to Gasparilla Island and the sleepy town of Boca Grande is via bridge from Cape Haze. Placida, Rotonda West (Rotunda West) and South Gulf Cove are all villages on Cape Haze.
This area is undergoing tremendous development with many luxury waterfront condominiums and homes under construction. There is great fishing and boating in the Cape Haze area. Kayakers will enjoy exploring Lemon Bay and the Boca Grande area. There are hundreds of small islands and coves to enjoy while fishing, paddling or just anchoring your boat and enjoying a swim in Florida sunshine.
Cape Haze residents can enjoy proximity to Rotonda West (Rotunda) and its many great golf courses. This is a Golfing paradise with dozens of courses within a short drive.
Rotonda West, Florida (Rotunda, Florida)
Rotonda West, Florida (Rotunda, Florida) is one of the most popular developments in Southwest Florida. This deed-restricted community has homes on fresh water canals as well as golf course homes. There are dozens of golf courses within a short drive of Rotonda (Rotunda) and at least a half dozen within a ten-minute drive of any home.
Rotonda West, Florida (Rotunda) is in a near perfect location in every respect. It has glorious weather year round. It is a short drive, or for the adventurous, bike ride, from Englewood Beach and Manasota Key. Rotonda West is also and easy ride or bike to Gasparilla Island and the quaint town of Boca Grande.
Vacant lots in Rotonda West or nearby Rotonda Lakes have appreciated recently but still represent some of the finest investments in Southwest Florida. While many people wish to buy existing homes, there is still a benefit to building your dream home on your own land in Rotonda West.
Homes in Rotonda West and Rotonda Lakes are in the moderate to moderate high price range. Rotonda West and Rotonda Lakes homes are generally newer homes but there are some homes built in the late 60s and 1970s in the Oakland Hills section of Rotonda West.
Rotonda West has seven pie-shaped sections. These sections were developed, in general, in a clockwise manner, starting with Oakland Hills at about eight o’clock. Oakland Hills has most of the older homes in Rotonda West. The Hills 18 hole golf course in the Oakland Hills section was the first to open in Rotonda West.
The next section to develop was Pebble Beach. The Pebble Beach section has some older homes but most were built in the 1980s or later. Pebble Beach is built around The Palms 18 hole golf course.
Next comes the Pinehurst and Broadmoor sections at 12 o’clock on the map of Rotonda West. The Pinemore East and West golf courses are a combined 27 holes in these sections. Pinemoor West, in the Pinehurst section has 18 holes and the Pinemoor East in the Broadmoor section has a 9 hole executive course.
The Longmeadow and White Marsh sections are built around the 18 hole, 7,200 yard Longmarsh golf course. Most homes in these sections are newer, with the majority built after 1998.
The last section in Rotonda West is Pine Valley. It is the newest section with many vacant lots yet to have comes constructed. The vast majority of homes in this section have been built since 2003. The planned 18 hole Pine Valley golf course is scheduled to open in 2006.
More Rotonda West (Rotunda) information:
http://www.city-data.com/city/Rotonda-Florida.html
http://www.rotondawest.org/
South Gulf Cove,Florida
South Gulf Cove is a unique Deed Restricted/Waterfront community built on approximately 6,2000 acres, with 15,053 deeded lots of which 4,734 are waterfront. South Gulf Cove has over a hundred miles of roads within its borders.
South Gulf Cove has 126 canals totaling approximately 55 miles with both fresh and salt-water fish. The canal system in South Gulf Cove makes up a little more than 1/3 (one third) of all the canals in Charlotte County. The man-made canals have made South Gulf Cove an island connected by four bridges. The Interceptor Lagoon leads to a lock providing access to the Charlotte Harbor, the Gulf of Mexico and the world!
South Gulf Cove home sites may be waterfront and some are not (dry-lots). The waterfront home sites may have sea walls or a natural canal frontage. Some home sites are sailboat accessible with no bridges, other home sites have one bridge with a 10-foot clearance.
South Gulf Cove increases the number of homes each year. Presently there are approximately 600 existing homes with new homes being built each year. Some home sites cannot be built upon at this time, as water and sewer are not available and septic is not permitted. Water and sewer is currently being installed to all lots of South Gulf Cove.
South Gulf Cove is centrally located between Englewood and Port Charlotte. Only ten minutes from a fine shopping center only 15 minutes to Town Center Mall in Port Charlotte and great boutiques, art galleries and nature preserves in Englewood and Punta Gorda.
South Gulf Cove is also in excellent location to enjoy exceptional golf courses in the adjacent Rotonda community and surrounding areas. There is also great boating and pristine beaches for sunbathing, shelling or watching beautiful sunsets, and the world-renowned Tarpon Fishing in nearby Boca Grande Pass.
South Gulf Cove was not intended for sailboats. During the dry season the waterways may only have a depth of 3-4'. However, because some lots are located on waterways that are not restricted by bridges, they have been "defined" as sailboat accessible by someone other than the original developer.
Homes in South Gulf Cove are mostly newer. It is expected that new homes built in South Gulf Cove will be priced upwards of $400,000 and many luxury waterfront homes of over $1,000,000.
Gulf Cove, Florida
Many people confuse Gulf Cove with South Gulf Cove. Gulf Cove is an older development, north of Hwy 776 with many homes on canals leading to the Myakka River. The waterfront homes of Gulf Cove can be quite pricy but homes off the water are very reasonable in price.
Gulf Cove has a voluntary home owners association, membership to which grants access to the community boat ramp. When purchasing vacant land in Gulf Cove, it is imperative that you investigate whether the lot is a designated Scrub Jay habitat. For more information on purchasing land in a Scrub Jay habitat, please contact your Suncoasteam.
The western boundary of Gulf Cove is the Myakka State Forest, an 8,593 acre primitive park. Myakka State Forest is made up primarily of mesic flatwoods with a mixture of longleaf pine and slash pine overstory with a palmetto understory. Numerous depression marshes are scattered throughout the flatwoods, providing many opportunities for viewing wading birds and other wildlife. The forest includes approximately 2.5 miles of frontage on the Myakka River which is designated as an Outstanding Florida Water and a Wild and Scenic River. The Myakkahatchee Creek flows throughout the forest for 1.5 miles and provides an additional water resource.
Recreational opportunities on Myakka State Forest include hiking, off-road bicycling, and horseback riding. The streams on the forest provide a source for fishing, boating, canoeing and kayaking. Myakka State Forest contains 2 hiking trails (North Loop and South Loop) that are included in the Florida Division of Forestry's Trailwalker Program.
For more info: http://www.fl-dof.com/state_forests/myakka.html
Manasota Key, Florida
Manasota Key is a barrier island that separates Englewood and Lemon Bay from the Gulf of Mexico. Manasota Key straddles both Charlotte County and Sarasota County. In Charlotte County, Manasota Key has two great public beaches and many restaurants and entertainment. There are homes and condos within walking distance of these beaches and shops.
North Manasota Key is located in Sarasota County, Florida. In the north section of Manasota Key there are no condominiums and the majority of homes are waterfront estates. The road in north Manasota Key is dubbed Canopy Road due to the beautiful covering of tropical and live oak trees. Homes on all sections of Manasota Key are expensive to most expensive.
Sarasota County, Florida
- County Population: 325,957
- County Houses: 182,467
- Land area: 571.6 sq. mi.
- Water area: 153.6 sq. mi.
Industries providing employment: Educational, health and social services (18.9%), Retail trade (15.9%), Professional, scientific, management, administrative, and waste management services (11.7%), Arts, entertainment, recreation, accommodation and food services (11.2%).
Type of workers:
- Private wage or salary: 80%
- Government: 10%
- Self-employed, not incorporated: 9%
- Unpaid family work: 0%
- Median age: 50.5 years
- Males: 47.4%, Females: 52.6%
- Average household size in Sarasota County: 2.13
- Median household income: $41,957 (year 2000)
- Median house value: $122,000 (year 2000)
- Median monthly rent in 2000: $711
- Institutionalized population: 4883
- Median monthly costs for houses with a mortgage in Sarasota County in 2000: $984
- Current college students: 10210
- People 25 years of age or older with a high school degree or higher: 87.1%
- People 25 years of age or older with a bachelor's degree or higher: 27.4%
Sarasota, Florida
Sarasota is a beautiful city of 52,000 people on the middle west coast of Florida. Sarasota, Florida has seem much growth in recent years but it still maintains its quaint feel in the down town area. Art galleries and fine dining add to the ambiance of this attractive city. The Ringling Museum of Art is one of the many attractions this wonderful city offers.
Property values in Sarasota are quite high but well worth the price. The beaches are among the best in the world, with Siesta Key being especially renown for its wide, sugary sand, beautiful homes and great restaurants.
More information:
http://www.sarasotachamber.com/
http://www.selby.org/
http://www.mote.org/
http://www.city-data.com/city/Sarasota-Florida.html
Venice, Florida
Venice is a gem on the gulf coast. This small city has beautiful beaches and many fine neighborhoods. Venice Island is the most popular spot for vacationers with its quaint downtown area of shops and restaurants.
South on the island, Venice offers some great beaches. Caspersen Beach, the longest beach in Sarasota County, is located south of Venice Airport on Harbor Drive. It has been left in its natural state, uncultivated, windswept, and secluded. This is an exceptionally good area to find pre-historic sharks teeth. It is also site of the annual Sharks Tooth and Seafood Festival. Sharkey’s Restaurant is right beside the pier near Caspersen Beach and is well known as a great night-spot and dance club.
Venice Municipal beach is also on Venice Island, only a short stroll from downtown. The walk will take on by many old Florida style homes, now restored to their original grandness.
Nokomis Beach is just north of Venice and is a great place to bring your boat and relax. There are nice pubs and restaurants nearby on the intra-coastal waterway.
- Population (year 2000): 17,764, Est. population in July 2004: 19,990 (+12.5% change)
- Males: 7,717 (43.4%), Females: 10,047 (56.6%)
- Elevation: 15 feet
- County: Sarasota
- Land area: 9.1 square miles
- Zip codes: 34285, 34292, 34293.
- Median resident age: 68.8 years
- Median household income: $37,536 (year 2000)
- Median house value: $140,500 (year 2000)
- Ancestries: German (20.9%), English (19.2%), Irish (17.5%), Italian (7.9%), United States (6.6%), Polish (5.0%).
For population 25 years and over in Venice
- High school or higher: 89.8%
- Bachelor's degree or higher: 28.1%
- Graduate or professional degree: 10.3%
- Unemployed: 2.2%
- Mean travel time to work: 21.1 minutes
For population 15 years and over in Venice city
- Never married: 8.7%
- Now married: 61.9%
- Separated: 0.6%
- Widowed: 19.3%
- Divorced: 9.5
- Population change in the 1990s: +146 (+0.8%).
More information:
http://www.city-data.com/city/Venice-Florida.html
Northport, Florida
Northport was originally named North Port Charlotte, but dropped Charlotte from the name as the town grew into a city. It is now one of the fastest growing cities in the state with many new homes being built, many on brand new golf courses. Heron’s Glenn is one such development in Northport with beautiful, reasonably priced homes.
Nearby Warm Mineral Springs is a world famous natural spa with year round temperatures in the healing waters of 82 degrees. This spa is especially popular with German visitors to the area.
Northport is very close to Port Charlotte and benefits from its proximity to Port Charlotte’s Murdock area, the location of Town Center Mall, the largest shopping mall between Fort Myers and Sarasota. Northport is also close to Venice with its great beaches, shopping and entertainment.
*WHEN PRICE RANGE IS MENTIONED HERE IT IS A GENERAL STATEMENT. ALL TOWNS AND CITIES HAVE A WIDE RANGE OF PRICES.
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