We want to be Snowbirds! Where to rent in Venice, Fl?
 

We have never been to Florida so any advice would be appreciated. We'd like to spend at least a month in Florida in the winter. We have heard Venice is a nice and there are monthly condo rentals available. Anyone have any recommondations?

I'm not sure about Venice but my husband works in Miami in the winter and found his month-to-month rental via craigslist.com.

We rent a condo from this website every year for a week and they have tons of montly rentals.

http://www.vrbo.com

Deerfield Beach is very nice on the east coast and Naples is very nice on the west coast.

Renting it now would give you a better selection.

The rule of thumb seems to be that east coasters (NY, NJ, etc.) go to the east coast of Florida, and midwesterners (Michigan, Illinois, etc.) go to the west coast of Florida.

This applicable sort of wherever you rent.

In general, the real estate situation in Florida is so horrible that you ought to be able to find a good rental at a fair price.

Find the main north-south highway (41 in Naples and Bonita Springs, for example) and look only at places on the water side.

In Naples, being on the east of 41 is not good and being on the east side of I-75 is even worse. In general, cross roads in Florida are not adequate for the traffic they have to carry, so there are often long delays. Rents will be higher on the water side of the north-south arteries, but your time is worth something too.

Venice is a nice place, easygoing and laid back. It is within a fairly easy distance of both Sarasota and Ft Myers, and it isn't very far if you want to cross Florida on a day trip. I encourage you to look there.

You could start with VRBO right here on the web.

Thanks for the helpful replies. I had not thought about Craigs list. I have looked at vbo.com but I need to do more research as to locations.
We are used to going to the coast of Maine in the summer and fall. We've been to Cape May as well but nowhere south. I don't know if Florida will be appealing just because it is warm.

We'd like a quiet location that is not touristy...just want to get out of the cold in Upstate NY for a month or 2.

I also realize it might be getting pretty late to book for this winter limiting our choices.

I don't think your choices will be that limited for this winter!

Developers overbuilt enormously in many parts of Florida. There is a lot of product on the market.

You should definitely check out Boca Raton and Deerfield Beach. It is not a touristy area. There are a lot of things to do, West Palm Beach and Ft. Lauderdale and even Miami are short day trips. There are nice restaurants and shopping. And the beach is wonderful!

We have rented for the month of March the past two years in Sarasota, and have had much success with the site www. floridavacations.com
It is a site similar to VRBO, where owners rent their property themselves. Being familiar with both sites, I felt the former had many more to offer.
With friends in Venice,it is quite close, and we go there to visit often. I think you will enjoy it, with it's lovely beaches and vibrant downtown.