Venice Amongst Best Places to Retire

Here is a great article from the Sarasota Herald (for a change...)

So what makes Venice a great place for retirees?
Locals agree with magazine that the city is a great place to retire
By PATRICK WHITTLE

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VENICE -- Lucille Steen was not surprised when she saw an article in a national magazine declaring Venice a great place to retire.After all, the city did not attain a median age of 68.8 by accident."No, not surprised at all," said Steen, who moved here from Connecticut. "When we decided eight years ago to retire, we looked up and down the west coast. We chose here."Still, U.S. News & World Report used its first-ever "Best Places to Retire" issue to tell the world something Venetians have known for years.The magazine thought highly enough of Venice to include the city on a top 10 list that also includes San Francisco, Calif., and Prescott, Ariz., but no other Florida cities.Managing editor Tim Smart said the magazine based its list of cities, which were not ranked, on a range of quality-of-life issues including "weather, crime, proximity to health care and relative cost of living." Award-winning beaches and golf did not hurt, said the magazine's Web site.That is all well and good, but locals such as Steen point to a number of slightly more folksy amenities that make them glad they chose Venice.Secret beachesTourist brochures scream about the shark teeth at Venice Beach, but locals point to the more obscure South Venice Beach, which is only accessible by ferry, as a favorite. Secluded Caspersen Beach, the longest strip of sand in the county, is another favorite."That's one of the reasons we bought in this area," said Steen of South Venice Beach.Cockpit CafeFrom the outside, the little restaurant by the Venice Airport runways does not look like much. But inside, Chef Jarda Hornacek serves up homemade soups and sandwiches.The Cockpit is a favorite place for retirees, and everyone else, to watch planes take off and land. Locals also swear by the Cuban sandwich, which Herald-Tribune readers voted the best in the county.Dolphins at the jetties at sunsetWhen the water scooters and Boston Whalers finally putter out for the night, the Gulf of Mexico's marine mammals take the stage at the North and South Jetty. Crowds of more than 50 people have been known to gather to catch the sunset and scan the surf for bottlenose dolphins."The accessibility of the beaches and the accessibility of the nature ... are reasons we moved here," said Steen.The joy of navigating endless road constructionWhile not exactly a labor of love, driving around the seemingly unending road construction north of the island is a favorite gripe of Venice retirees, and it is an instant conversation starter. Tamiami Trail was also the site of a long construction project in 2003 and 2004."They kill me with the road. How can anybody get in and out?" said Steve Fotos, former owner of Ntino's Restaurant in Venice, in 2004.U.S. News & World Report released the retirement issue on Sept. 24 and launched a Web site at www.usnews.com/usnews/biztech/best-places-to-retire.U.S. News sent reporters all over the country after narrowing down a list of 2,000 candidates, said Smart, the magazine editor.Venice stood out, he said."The small-town feel of Venice -- the writer came back with that," Smart said. "The overwhelming atmosphere is that of a traditional Old Florida feel."Steen could have told him that years ago."We really looked on the west coast, up and down. We decided on Venice," she said.

Great Article- 10 Reasons to Buy

I found this article online and thought it was a good one. It is by Paul Pastore.

10 Great Reasons to Buy:

Selection, selection, selection. There are about 57,000 resale homes on the market in Maricopa county(Phoenix). Regardless of the price range a buyer desires, there are plenty of houses from which to choose. Just a few years ago the resale inventory dropped below 5,000 units. A buyer was forced to make compromises if they were going to locate the home of their dreams. There is a great selection of attached homes, condos, and townhouses. You can find large lots, small lots, and a lot that will accommodate your boat or RV. There are lots of options in this market.

No Bidding Wars. In 2005 we had one client that made an offer on ten homes. They lost the first nine to the 'feeding frenzy' that existed. Other buyers bid the properties up substantially from the original listing price. There were escalation clauses where buyers authorized their agents to outbid other offers by thousands of dollars. There is no competitive bidding in this buyer's market.

You can make an offer. A few years ago when you made an offer, the only question was how high above the list price could the buyer reach in hopes of being the best offer on the table. Today the sell price list vs. price ration is about 96%. A seller will not be insulted if you 'make them an offer they can't refuse'.

Patience is tolerated. In the hot seller's market that existed everything was rushed. Find a house before other buyers did. Hurry up and make the offer. Today a buyer can take their time. Look at several homes and think about your decision for a few hours.

Due diligence is welcomed. In this market a buyer is encouraged to obtain a home inspection, termite inspection, and appraisal. In 2005 many buyers waived these contingencies in order gain an advantage with multiple offers.

There are plenty of specs. In the not too distant past buyer had to 'play games' if they wanted a new home. There were lotteries and waiting lists in order to obtain new construction. Some buyers slept in their cars in order to get to the head of the lines. R.L. Brown estimates that builders have thousands of specs ready for immediate occupancy.

Repair requests are welcomed. After a buyer completes a home inspection, they are allowed to submit a repair request to the seller. In the past a seller might insist the home was sold 'as is'. Many times, there were back-up buyers waiting for a primary buyer to upset the seller whose home was increasing in value almost daily.

Few, if any investors. It is estimated that one third of all sales in 2005 were to investors. These non-owner occupied buyer caused the market to inflate and affordability to decline. Mortgage fraud became commonplace. It's a great time to buy without having to compete with hundreds of prospective landlords.

Location, location, location. Today's buyers can find homes closer to work. In the past buyers flocked to Maricopa and Queen Creek in order to find affordable homes. In this market, reasonably priced homes are within biking or walking distance to schools, rapid transit lines, and relatives.

Real Financing is available. The 'wink, wink' zero down, no doc, adjustable, sub-prime loans are gone. Fixed rates are back. FHA financing, first time homeowner bond programs, special loans for teachers, and police officers are back in business. It's a great time to buy real estate!