Looking for connections in the Venice, FL area

[Andrew Pensch]

Hello everyone,

Quick breakdown of our situation, I have owned and operated a restaurant in Orlando for 5 years, and have just sold the restaurant to relocate and leave the industry. My wife and I just got married, and are looking for a different area to start a family/ rental portfolio.

We are planning to move within the next 6 months, and would love to make connections with locals in the Venice, FL area. We have visited the area many times and have fallen in love with the overall vibe, the close proximity to Sarasota, and the highly rated school zones. 

My only concern was the rental market. There is not a very strong job market in Venice, as it is mostly vacation rentals. I would like to avoid the vacation rental market and just do the traditional year lease if the market supports it without too much vacancy. North Port is pretty close so we may look into buying rentals in that area instead since the job market seems to be a little stronger. 

Anyway, I would love to connect with local investors, contractors, realtors, etc. that would be able to help with our decision and what we should expect. 

Thank you guys! Super thankful for this community. I would also be able to return the favor for anyone interested in the Orlando market. I have done many flips in the area and know the markets well. 

[Phillip A. Baker]

Thanks, @Wesley Davis!

Great site, and best to you and Stephen on this initiative! I'll keep my eye out for your meetups when they start! 

Phil