Calling all Floridians...

[MovingtotheCove]

Although we are yet a few years away from "the move" we are fairly certain it will be FL. The issues for us that still need more effort are how close to the coast vs. inland and on a golf course vs. no golf and in a home vs. a condo. Right now Kissimmee/Poinciana are high on our list and specifically the community at Solivita as it is near Cypess Cove Resort. On the other hand we have a large amount of time already spent in and really like the South Ft. Myers area and Lee County in general. The proximity to the beach/coast is nice but the hurricane risk a bit more. Research and more research and hope for the best with taxes and healthcare options...that is the phase we are in now. Access to multiple airports out of Kissimmee area is nice (MCO, SFB, TPA, PIE) vs. only 1 in Ft. Myers (RSW).

Good luck on your quest and remember...it won't be the last decision you make most likely so you can always change if you need to find a new environment.

 

[heyduke]

I really do appreciate all the input that this thread has generated.. as it appears now we will not be buying in FL for now... we are now leaning more towards buying an RV and traveling the country for a while until we are sure where (and IF) we want to settle... I am sure many others will appreciate this thread as well.

 

[Kroeran]

very clever decision. We travelled the southeast coast (Galveston all the way around to Charleston) for years before figuring out where we belonged.

I was pondering at one point picking up a cheap century home in Galveston a few years back (like, $40k for a run down place walkable to the beach), but I thought the hurricane risk was just too great, and that turned out to be a good decision).

I felt a stong pull to New Orleans, which meshes with my quirky point of view on things and interests, but crime appears to be just a tad too out of control, especially for Canadians lacking the skillsets to cope with this (which direction do I point this gun?)

The Panhandle would have some potential, I like the new urbanist developments and the pristine beaches, but its just too darn cold in January, and that is the issue for us clear down to Sarasota.

We are not country or even suburban types, so we like some urban action, but not crazy-like the southeast coast of Florida, so that leaves South West Florida.

The keys are too expensive or too rural or too isolated, and Naples is too demoralizing if you are not a billionaire and Marco Island is too isolated. Sarasota to Cape Coral are either too suburban or 70s style architechture, and regular Fort Myers is downright scary.

That leaves South Fort Myers down to North Naples, (Bonita, Estero in the mix), the sweet spot in the universe, and real estate being affordable as there is limited industry, as opposed to Orlando/Tampa where you are competing with young families with real jobs for housing.

In that strip, Daniels and Trail is one locus, then there is Coconut Point mall. Further south, I would say Waterside Mall is another locus point.

Part of the issue is figuring out what you like or want to do apart from watching Oprah, and maybe locating where that activity is accessible.

 

[W2R]

I felt a stong pull to New Orleans, which meshes with my quirky point of view on things and interests, but crime appears to be just a tad too out of control, especially for Canadians lacking the skillsets to cope with this (which direction do I point this gun?)

As someone who has a strong aversion to firearms and who has never allowed a gun in her home, and who lives in New Orleans, I think you probably made the right decision. The widespread violent crime here has become even worse in recent years. Even if one is never a victim of a violent crime, many feel imprisoned in their homes after dark even in the best of neighborhoods. I look forward to living in a region with a lower rate of violent crimes after our move north, hopefully late in 2010.

Don't get me wrong - - I love New Orleans and until September, 2005 planned to live here until I drew my very last breath. This has been a heart-breaking decision to make and was not solely based on crime rates. There are many positive aspects to our planned ER location in Missouri that are drawing us there. We can always return to New Orleans on vacations, and plan to do so now and then.

 

[Kroeran]

As someone who has a strong aversion to firearms and who has never allowed a gun in her home, and who lives in New Orleans, I think you probably made the right decision. The widespread violent crime here has become even worse in recent years. Even if one is never a victim of a violent crime, many feel imprisoned in their homes after dark even in the best of neighborhoods. I look forward to living in a region with a lower rate of violent crimes after our move north, hopefully late in 2010.

Don't get me wrong - - I love New Orleans and until September, 2005 planned to live here until I drew my very last breath. This has been a heart-breaking decision to make and was not solely based on crime rates. There are many positive aspects to our planned ER location in Missouri that are drawing us there. We can always return to New Orleans on vacations, and plan to do so now and then.

have you already shared with us how you made out during the hurricane, flood, and "recovery"?

 

[W2R]

have you already shared with us how you made out during the hurricane, flood, and "recovery"?

Yes - - thanks for caring. I was one of the lucky ones. I had a lot of wind damage, outer doors torn off, trees knocked down, and more of the same, not to mention the trashed refrigerator, but no water in the house from either flooding or roof damage. Very few in my neighborhood or even my region were as fortunate. It is unsettling as there was no logical reason for my good fortune. Damage on my property was actually less than damage last year from Hurricane Gustav, although Katrina was much, much worse because of the unbelievable extent of the damage everywhere for miles and miles and the consequent lack of essential services for a long time.

The storm was on 8/29, we were permitted to return for a "look and leave" on 9/5 (and with no water or sewage or electricity etc, and few people in town other than military and press I was not tempted to stay). But I was one of the earliest to really return on 9/17 and was happy to be home, for good I thought. Re-evacuated on 9/21 for Hurricane Rita which was projected to centerpunch us as well, though it didn't. Returned permanently on 9/25.

I was doubly lucky because I was also one of the few who still had a job, and was able to return to work on 10/28 though my highrise work building did not have a working elevator until the next year and five floors were unusable due to water damage from the damaged roof. The K-Mart next door to it was still being used as a staging area.

 

[TooFrugal]

We have been watching the house hunting shows on the Home and Garden channel and have been amazed at the low prices for the really nice looking homes you can get in Florida, with enclosed pools even. Moving there is a very intriguing idea.

 

[Kroeran]

Florida is a great opportunity, especially for limited income, however, if you don't educate yourself on the risks, you may get mushed.

Easy button is to drive around A LOT on vacation, to get a sense of which area you like, as each area is very very different, then rent for a year, and then listen to all the complaining.

become a savy insider, rather than being a sucker yankee stuck with a collapsed association or bundled golf course, bankrupt county, high crime area, high flood risk zone, chinese drywall, out-of-state-owner/non homesteaded tax ripoff, and so on.

the only new construction worth looking at in SWF is Stock Development products, otherwise buy existing, all facilities in place, check health of association, crime, flood zone, liens, talk to neighbours - capital outlay or mortage is the bait, watch out for the monthy support costs - taxes, insurance, hoa, cable, electric, which can be minimized if you go non-hoa, and if you are in the 50-100k range, 50k is pulled out if you are homesteading. Lots to read and learn...check out city data forum fort myers

I thinkt the smart money is with renting now, unless you have some money you want to hide from madoff and your investment "advisors"

that being said, if you get your location right and are smart about it, Florida is indeed paradise