Englewood, Florida, the two county town on the sparkling waters of Lemon Bay. Approximately 32,000 people live here, an unincorporated community northwest of Charlotte County and southwest of Sarasota County. It is a quiet community, especially during the summer months, when the snowbirds are gone. You can often read that Englewood is one of Southwest Florida’s best kept secrets – old Florida charm, laid back, beautiful sandy white beaches, and reasonable real estate prices.
Englewood is still one of the least developed areas with plenty of waterfront and beachfront access lots available. However, there are also many existing homes for sale with breathtaking Water or Golf Course or Nature Preserve view. A home buyer can always avoid going through the hassle of new construction if he wants to.
One of Englewood’s finest gated communities, Oyster Creek Golf and Country Club, consists of 560 single family homes and villas built on and around a challenging 18 hole executive golf course. The golf course, designed by Ted McAnlis, is perfectly maintained. Every fairway is either lined with mature trees or bordered by unique hazards. The 18-hole "Oyster Creek" course features almost 4,000 yards of golf from the longest tees for a par of 60. The course rating is 59.3 and it has a slope rating of 100. Several ponds and small lakes sparkle in the midst of all the green. The community is also surrounded by environmentally-protected wetlands, attracting all kinds of wildlife.
The ground breaking for Oyster Creek Golf and Country Club took place in the late 1980’s. In Phase I smaller 2 and 3 bedroom homes, the majority without a pool, were sold in the very low $100,000 range and sold out quickly. None of the homes is facing the golf course though. Phase II was started in the mid 1990’s. Phase II homes are facing either the greenbelt or the golf course. The homes are bigger (1,800+sqft) and many of them are Pool Homes. Only 10 years later Phase III, the last section, was sold out again. Beautiful homes with golf course or green belt view are nestled into manicured gardens. There was also a section with paired villas added.
Surprisingly the homes in Oyster Creek have pretty much kept their value. One reason is that they were reasonably priced when being built; the other reason is that Oyster Creek is a very stable community. There are barely any short sales or foreclosures, and most of the homeowners tend to stay in their homes for a long time. Only very few homes are investment properties which have a tendency to go belly up more often than private residences. Smaller homes are in the low $200’s, bigger Pool Homes in prime Golf View locations usually sell for $100k more. Furthermore, the community has a lot to offer: 24h manned security gate, community center with a huge heated pool and a club house with exercise room, meeting/party room, kitchen, and library/media room. Lighted tennis courts are next to the club house. All this + grounds maintenance is included in a monthly fee below $170 (HOA-fee).
Brief summary: if you like the small town feeling check out Englewood, Florida - beautiful Gulf Coast living at a fraction of the price of neighboring towns like Sarasota, Fort Myers or Naples. Oyster Creek G. & C.C. has all the amenities you may be looking for, and you are close to beaches, shopping, airports, and entertainment. Don't rob a bank – check out Englewood first.
More area information: www.BuyPropertyinParadise.com
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