One of five exquisite communities along the southwestern Gulf coast of Florida, Venice has particular renown--interestingly enough--as being the shark's tooth capital of the world. Sharks have lived and died in the Gulf of Mexico for millions of years. For some reason, shell collectors walking the 15 miles of pristine white sandy beaches along that stretch of the coast have found more prehistoric shark's teeth amidst the shells than anywhere else in the world.

Venice: A Shell Collector's Dream

Among the beaches in the area, Caspersen is the longest, the longest in fact in Sarasota County. Undisturbed in its natural state, it is uncultivated, windswept, and secluded. Nokomis is family oriented, and well suited for boat launching, fishing, walking, and bird watching.

At an elevation of only 15 feet above sea level, Venice is one of the few cities on the Gulf not protected by a barrier island. Especially popular as a retirement community, it has a population of about 18,000 in the city proper and approximately 70,000 in the surrounding area. The median age is 68. Well educated and primarily white, the majority of adults are married. Approximately seven percent are foreign born.

Property values in Venice are strong. At the last census, the median came to $140,500. At the time there were not quite 10,000 homes. That price, however, was before the real estate boom that has sounded nationwide for the last several years, and is a statistic to boot. Actual selling prices are always higher than a median value. A more realistic range would be between perhaps $100,000 and $600,000. Working with a local realtor is an excellent way to successfully navigate the communities in this beautiful stretch of the Gulf coast and find a house to call home.