Our Guide to Living, Working and Playing on FLORIDA’s GulF COAST michaelsaunders.com RELOCATION GUIDE TABLE OF CONTENTS Welcome MSC Core Services Relocate With Ease .......................................................3 MSC Mortgage ............................................................. 14 Florida’s Gulf Coast .......................................................3 MSC Title ...................................................................... 14 Area Map MSC Relocation & Referral Services ...................... 14 Michael Saunders & Company Office Locations .....4 MSC Residential .......................................................... 15 Climate Information ......................................................4 MSC Commercial........................................................ 15 History MSC International ....................................................... 15 Sarasota Area History ...................................................5 MSC Solutions ............................................................. 16 Sarasota the Circus Town ............................................5 MSC New Homes & Condominiums ..................... 16 County Information Moving to Florida’s Gulf Coast Sarasota County .............................................................6 Moving Checklist ......................................................... 17 Manatee County .............................................................6 Moving to Florida’s Gulf Coast ................................ 17 Charlotte County ..........................................................6 During Your Move ....................................................... 18 Area Facts ........................................................................6 Area Essentials World Class Beaches Local Airports .............................................................. 19 Sarasota County Beaches .................................... 7 – 9 Florida Driver’s License ............................................. 19 Manatee County Beaches ............................................9 Auto Registration ....................................................... 19 Charlotte County Beaches ..........................................9 Homestead Exemption .............................................. 19 Recreation and Athletics Florida Taxes ................................................................. 19 A Recreational Paradise ............................................ 10 International Transition .............................................. 19 Golf ................................................................................ 10 Reference Sections Professional Sports ..................................................... 10 Reference Section I .................................................... 20 A Nautical Playground ............................................... 11 Reference Section 2 ................................................... 22 An Angler’s Paradise ................................................... 11 Reference Section 3 ................................................... 23 Cycling Sarasota .......................................................... 11 Reference Section 4 ................................................... 26 Kayaking Adventures .................................................. 11 Reference Section 5 ................................................... 28 Living on Florida’s Gulf Coast Reference Section 6 ................................................... 28 Attractions: See and Do ............................................ 12 Reference Section 7 ................................................... 29 Raising a Family ............................................................ 12 Reference Section 8 ................................................... 31 Senior Living ................................................................. 12 Reference Section 9 ................................................... 31 Parks .............................................................................. 12 Reference Section 10 ................................................. 32 Healthcare Information ............................................. 13 Business on the Gulf Coast ...................................... 13 Educational Opportunities ........................................ 13 Shopping ........................................................................ 13 Annual Events and Festivals ...................................... 13 michaelsaunders.com Welcome! Congratulations on choosing Florida’s Gulf Coast for your next home, where beyond the powder white sands and glowing sunsets exists a world of celebrations through performance and visual arts, music, film, fine dining and fun. By working with the Relocation team of Michael Saunders & Company, you are taking the right steps towards a smooth, stress-free transition to our beautiful coastal destination. RELOCATE WITH EASE FLORIDa’s GuLF COAST Relocating to Florida’s Gulf Coast has never been easier. With our area specialists standing by A CHERISHED DESTINATION to help you on your transition, you have more time to discover your perfect place and enjoy Welcome to our exciting, luxurious the pleasant thoughts of a laidback lifestyle among our area’s many charms. The homes in the tropical oasis of pristine beaches, tri-county area are as varied as the communities in which they are found, from expansive turquoise waters and laidback waterfront estates to charming golf course villas and everything in between. With so many island lifestyles. For new permanent styles and options available in all price ranges, the perfect home for you exists here in the and seasonal residents, fishing and Sarasota-Manatee-Charlotte area. boating on aquamarine water, playing If you are not yet working with a Michael Saunders & Company agent, our Relocation team championship golf courses year-round, can hand-select a sales associate who is the right fit for the location and type of property collecting seashells along white sandy you seek. This agent will be able to provide valuable insight on neighborhoods, comparable beaches, strolling through galleries and properties, current market conditions, and guide you through the intricate negotiation watching sensational sunsets are but process. Our exclusive affiliation with Leading Real Estate Companies of the World brings some of the thrilling adventures ahead. powerful connections to help transitions to Florida’s Gulf Coast from anywhere in the world for both individuals or corporations. michaelsaunders.com 275 n BRADENTON WEST 64 n IMG ACADEMIES n PALMA SOLA BAY LAKEWOOD RANCH Palmetto n WHITE SANDS n LONGBOAT KEY - MID MANATEE AVE. Anna Maria 64 n VERANDA BEACH CLUB Island Bradenton CORTEZ RD. 75 n THE COLONY LONGBOAT PASS 301 41 70 n LONGBOAT KEY - SOUTH SARASOTA BAY n Longboat Key RITZ-CARLTON OFFICE UNIVERSITY PKWY. EXIT 213 n COMMERCIAL DIVISION Sarasota EXIT 210 n MAIN STREET FRUITVILLE RD. n CORPORATE OFFICE Lido Key BEE RIDGE RD. n AGENT SERVICES EXIT 207 n ST. ARMANDS CIRCLE CLARK RD. EXIT 205 Siesta Key 72 n ST. ARMANDS CIRCLE II 41 n SIESTA KEY 75 n PALMER RANCH Osprey 70 n VENICE MICHAEL SAUNDERS & COMPANY EXIT 200 n Nokomis VENICE - ISLAND CONVENIENT TO YOU, ANYWHERE Casey Key n VENICE - PLANTATION IN THE SARASOTA AREA n ENGLEWOOD Venice 75 As the preferred real estate company on Florida’s Gulf Coast, n PUNTA GORDA Michael Saunders & Company offers 23 office locations 41 n BURNT STORE conveniently positioned to from Bradenton to Punta Gorda and beyond. With such convenient access to world-class North Port real estate services and support, you can be sure to find an Englewood Port Charlotte area expert to provide the most in-depth market knowledge 41 Manasota Key applicable to your neighborhood of choice. Punta Gorda Burnt Store Gasparilla Island Boca Grande GORGEOUS CLIMATE Of all the reasons to visit or move to SOUTHWEST Florida Weather AVerages 884 our area, the perfect climate might just Averages Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec be at the top of the list. There are few High 71˚ 72˚ 77˚ 81˚ 86˚ 88˚ 90˚ 90˚ 88˚ 84˚ 78˚ 74˚ other places on earth that have the Low 48˚ 50˚ 55˚ 58˚ 64˚ 70˚ 71˚ 72˚ 71˚ 64˚ 57˚ 51˚ combination of world-class beaches, Precip 2.5” 3.0” 3.3” 1.3” 2.8” 7.8” 8.9” 9.5” 8.0” 2.6” 2.1” 2.3” tropically warm weather and year- round sunshine like Southwest Florida. michaelsaunders.com SARASOTA THE CIRCUS TOWN John Ringling, of Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus, made his mark on the community with much more flair. Not only did he and his wife, Mable, build a magnificentV enetian- style mansion on Sarasota Bay—named Cà d’Zan (house of John)—but they went a few steps further in positioning Sarasota as “Florida’s Cultural Coast.” John and Mable needed a place to house their ever-growing collection of works by Peter Paul Reubens and other masters of 17th-century Italian and Flemish art. We know that collection today as the John & Mable Ringling AN AREA STEEPED IN HISTOry Museum of Art, one of America’s most Florida boasts a fascinating history dating back to the mid-16th century, when intrepid celebrated art museums. pioneers braved a most hostile environment to settle in what has become the Sunshine Ringling’s influence didn’t stop there. State. Sarasota first became a “modern” town in the 1880s after a promotion in Scotland As a developer and dreamer, Ringling by the Florida Mortgage and Investment Company in 1885. For many, it presented a breath used his circus elephants to help build