Canal-front living in Sorrento Shores. Staff photo / Harold Bubil; 1-29-2013.
Sorrento Shores was established in the early 1960s as a part of a cluster of communities in Nokomis all named after the small, scenic town in southern Italy on the Bay of Naples. The name suggests sunshine, exotic charm and easy living by the water.
Located between U.S. 41 and the Intracoastal Waterway, south of South Creek and across from Casey Key, Sorrento Shores has spectacular views and sunsets and wonderful opportunities for fishing and boating. Many of the 241 homes are on the shore or back up to one of the many canals, offering deep-water docks and direct access to the bay. No fixed bridges cross any of the canals. FOR A PHOTO GALLERY, CLICK ON THIS LINK.
A community dock with 11 slips and one guest slip serve the homeowners who don’t have direct water access in their backyards. The slips cost $550 per year and can accommodate boats up to 26 feet long.
Sorrento Shores was developed in stages. The areas built first were the prime waterfront properties and larger lots. During the 1970s and ’80s, the remainder were filled in. Only five empty lots are left. Over the years, many homes have been extensively renovated or torn down to make way for more new structures.
This updated bayfront house at 525 South Shore Drive in Sorrento Shores is listed for sale at $ 799,000 through Susan Noah of Michael Saunders & Company. Built in 1972, it has 3 bedrooms and 3 baths in 2,316 square feet. Staff photo / Harold Bubil; 1-29-2013.
As a result, the housing styles vary widely, reflected in the range of roofing materials — asphalt shingles, barrel tiles, concrete tiles and metal. There are custom-built, luxury waterfront homes in Key West and Mediterranean styles, Florida ranch houses, cottages and bungalows, and a smattering of villas. You might recognize certain homes throughout the neighborhood as belonging to a particular period, but no two houses next to each other look the same.
Susan Noah, a sales associate with Michael Saunders & Co., has lived in Sorrento Shores since 2000 and has sold a number of houses there. Her own home was built in 1964.
“The area is very similar to almost any neighborhood west of the Trail, south of Oyster Bay and Harbor Acres,” she said. “You’ve got very modest homes close to U.S. 41, and the closer you get to water and open water, the more they increase in value. The least expensive home for sale right now is $174,900, and the most expensive, $2.3 million.
“That range is very similar to other neighborhoods west of the Trail.”
Noah loves Sorrento Shores for its friendliness and mix of residents: families with young children, working professionals, empty-nesters and retirees, including a number of the original homeowners from the 1960s.
Most members of the community live there all year.
“Those that are older have their grandchildren visit quite often, so in the summer and during holidays, we’ve got quite a few children in the neighborhood,” she said.
The monthly Tuesday Mingle at the marina, which starts at 5:30 p.m., is a popular event.
“It is ‘come bring a cup of coffee and a glass of wine’ and meet your neighbors,” Noah said.
Other opportunities to get together happen when residents walk their dogs.
“Nearly all of our homeowners have pets,” Noah said. “I have a great Dane, one of our neighbors has three Yorkies, another has a couple of huskies, and another has beagles. We all know their names and help each other when one of them escapes. A number of people have purchased here because you’re allowed to have fencing, and that is great for dog owners.”
Terry Herschberger, of Premier Sotheby’s International Realty, is another longtime resident who has sold numerous properties in the neighborhood for 28 years and has several current listings there.
He likes the convenient location.
“It’s close to Venice and Sarasota, and (S.R.) 681 with access to Interstate 75,” he said. “There’s shopping close by, and you’re minutes from Oscar Scherer State Park and Nokomis Beach.”
On Jan. 12, 2013, Kelly Quigley of Michael Saunders & Co. listed this house at 367 El Greco Drive in Sorrento Shores at $ 475,000. Ten days later, the listing went to sale-pending status. Built in 1967, the updated house, on a canal, has three bedrooms and three baths in 1,844 square feet. Staff photo / Harold Bubil; 1-29-2013.
Nokomis Elementary, Laurel Middle and Venice High are the districted schools, and Pine View School for the Gifted is just up the road. School buses pick up and drop off right at the entrance to the neighborhood.
It all adds up to a stable community, where residents tend to stay. As a result, Sorrento Shores weathered the housing boom and bust with only a handful of foreclosures and short sales.
According to Noah, last year the market was on the rise.
“We had many homes in the $250,000 to $400,000 range that moved quickly because they were well-priced,” she said.
Currently, only 17 houses are on the market in Sorrento Shores.
“It’s a sleeper subdivision,” Herschberger said. “A lot of people drive by and don’t know what’s there.”
