Charlotte County Housing Seen Picking Up Steam


 

SARASOTA, FLORIDA, October 22nd, 2015 – Charlotte County seems well on its way leveling up from playing second-fiddle to its neighboring Southwest Florida real estate destinations, like Lee and Collier counties to its south and Manatee and Sarasota homes for sale towards north.

Jim Quinn, president of the Punta Gorda-Port Charlotte-North Port Association of Realtors, said in a recent report that the number of homes sold in Charlotte in March‒April 2015 is trending at 10-year highs. Available figures showed that a total of around 650 pre-owned homes were sold in the county in March 2015. A 28.2 percent rise in home building, an advance nearly at par with Charlotte’s southern neighbors, was likewise noted in 2014, as accounted for by 596 residential construction permits in the county for that year.

Trump card in affordability

Charlotte County Housing Seen Picking Up Steam

Some local realtors opined that affordability could help bring in more buyers of Charlotte homes for sale, particularly first-time homeowners. They also noted that the rapid escalation of home prices in neighboring Collier and Lee counties during the last two years may drive retirees and second-home buyers’ attention to Charlotte.

The 2014 median home sale price in Lee County was reckoned at $284,000 and at $669,000 in Collier. In comparison, a median price of $190,000 for 2014 was estimated for resale homes in Charlotte, thus prompting some market players to consider the county as the destination for some of the most affordable residential property deals in the Southwest Florida region.

In addition to its home affordability advantage, Charlotte has plenty of amenities and attractions comparable with its neighbors. Located midway between Sarasota and Naples, the county and its Gulf Islands also has an endearing collection of communities around Charlotte Harbor, the second largest in Florida.

Resort-like lifestyle

Much of the lifestyle in Charlotte revolves around boating and water sports as it has more than 200 miles of natural waterfront in addition to extensive man-made canals. Many of the county’s residential communities are resort-like developments which also offer such activities as golf and tennis. Moreover, fine dining venues, shops and art galleries are conveniently accessible at the county’s historic town of Punta Gorda and Engelwood which have their own charming downtowns.

It is at Punta Gorda where prospective buyers of Charlotte homes for sale could typically get a lot of house for their money. The sales listings here close to Charlotte Harbor are prized finds, as most allow beautiful waterfront views. Sales-listed properties in this locality can include three-bedroom condo units built in 2005 with floor areas of over 2,000 square feet and asking prices just under the $200s.

Choices in Deep Creek

Single family homes within this price range can likewise be found in Punta Gorda’s Deep Creek community. Located on the north side of the Peace River, this deed-restricted neighborhood is ideally located and has two gates which are close to two different exits of Interstate 75. It is convenient not only to the shops and restaurants of Punta Gorda but also to those in Port Charlotte.

Charlotte homes for sale in Deep Creek can range from 30-year old residences to new builds. Most of the houses in this community were built from the 1980s up to the 2000s. A three-bedroom home with a floor area of close to 2,100 square feet was sales-listed in this community just this October 2015 at an asking price in the mid-$200s.