Moving to South West Florida

[dm]

At least that is the plan today. We initially were planning on buying a condo in the Ft. Myers, Punta Gorda, or Port Charlotte area. We were going to downsize our home here also. Well I stuck a for sale by owner sign in the yard and a few days later I had a buyer. The appraiser was here yesterday and things seem to be moving along well.

But since this winter doesn't want to end we are planning now to just buy a house down there and move. We can then figure out if we want something here also. I'm thinking not.

We have given most of our furniture to our kids, friends, and family. We are putting the rest and one car into storage. My wife is going to drive her car down and I'll fly the plane. When we nail down a closing date I'm going to hit VRBO and set something up for a few months. It doesn't look like I'll have any problem with availability in May thru September.

That will give us time to really look around and hopefully find what we want, whatever that is. But while this is going on, it could take several months, we may even change our mind living down there during hurricane season. What do people do about license plates, and other things that may expire. I guess I can get a PO Box, but is that ok for everything?

And should I buy a boat before or after we find a house?

 

[dm]

Also does anyone have any opinions on the area. Anything to look out for? We are also going back and forth about buying a home on a canal. It would be nice, but I'm not sure Its worth the premium.

 

[MRG]

You mentioned flying, does an airpark sound interesting. There's Buckingham air park, thought all the homes were required to have garages that were large enough to be used as hangers.

A canal, yes you pay up, probably get it back at somepoint. Boats there's lots for sale. I'd look at that, including sales tax.

Things to look out for, tourists.
MRG

 

[walkinwood]

You have family in your area. Why not forward mail to them temporarily and ask them to bundle & ship it out to you once a week or month.

 

[W2R]

Congratulations! What an exciting turn of events, and hopefully great adventure is in store for you as well in Florida.

What do people do about license plates, and other things that may expire. I guess I can get a PO Box, but is that ok for everything?

And should I buy a boat before or after we find a house?

I'd start right now by making a comprehensive list of every address change you will need to make, and how to do it (online as much as possible, I would think).

You can probably renew your license plates online, but that could confuse the state of residence issue. You don't want to end up paying income taxes to two states so your transition from one to the other should be pretty definite, I'd think, at least on paper. Amplifying on this, I think that for tax reasons you will need to officially be a resident of one state or the other, and to have a bricks and mortar address (even if it is your relatives' address up north) at all times. But I could be wrong about all of this; the RV'ers here would know. I'll bypass this whole confusing issue.

I am thinking that once you are in Florida for good, you may need to change your address at least a couple of times, first to your rental home and then finally to your own home once you find it.

I'd suggest buying your boat after you buy your house. It will be so much simpler. Besides, you may or may not have dock facilities at the house or development, and that might affect your decision. You may want to think about what, if anything, you plan to do with your boat in the event that a hurricane approaches. It's nice to have a boat small enough that you could just trailer it out of harms way.

 

[imoldernu]

We lived 6 and 6 in Floria and Il... never changed the Il license. Not critical.

Decision on where... we would spend plenty of time... not looking around but trying out the community or place where we would be moving.

Our feeling is that we could find a house that suited us almost anywhere. The people and the lifestyle are the most important. Best to find a way to spend time in the chosen community. Not all are created equal, though the websites and the personal tours may be wonderful... until we spend a few days or better still a week or so renting. What looks great on the tour, may be very different, when we find the pool is never used, the clubs and activities involve only a few people, and that exercise facility has been empty since it was built.

A best friend has a condo on Tampa Bay... beautiful 5th floor very large, with access to all facilities... I think he was too young to isolate himself as the social life was seasonal at best, and nonexistant at worst. Thus, the community, not the physical building. But, that's a personal preference.

In Florida, look for the prospectus and or the rules and regulations. If a Home owners Association or fee based services, look to see how much is in the Reserve. Rental or guest limitations..
Obviously check the taxes... but also the date of the last adjustment. If water access... rules are squirrely... dock, boat lift, sq ft of deck, and important... the actual access to water... depth, hightide depth, ocean access...
Check traffic. Off season, not bad at all... in season, could be a white knuckle ride to anywhere.
Residence... Permanent is where you choose... we kept our in IL...as taxes was not a problem. Voting and auto licence are enough to make a change.
As far as full time... depending on age, and activity level... If young and active, outside summers can be hot. Older folk... doesn't matter as much, as A/C means comfort. We tried July/August early on, and decided to keep our northern home, (downsized). Now, in our dotage, sitting home by the fireplace in winter isn't so bad, and we love Spring and Fall.

We went through the same kind of decisions when we retired in 1989... We had a different situation, retiring on pretty tight budget so some of our choices would be different, but the adjustment and search/moving situations were probably similar, as were the details of changing addresses, banks, and the thousand details that go along with a move.

FWIW... :
http://www.early-retirement.org/forums/f27/sharing-23-years-of-frugal-retirement-62251.html

Wish you well on this new adventure...

 

[stephaniee36]

check out Bonita Springs. It is an awesome town very close to Ft. Myers.

 

[MichaelB]

Also does anyone have any opinions on the area. Anything to look out for? We are also going back and forth about buying a home on a canal. It would be nice, but I'm not sure Its worth the premium.

This is definitely an area where you should rent first. Foreclosure and distressed sales are still very high in SW Florida. Some communities and HOAs are also insolvent or distressed and you need to be careful to avoid these while you look for permanent housing.

 

[ShokWaveRider]

Definitely RENT First. Make sure any home you look at is made from Concrete block (Never, Never, Never buy a "stick" home in Fla.) and is insurable. Check cost of Homeowners insurance and Flood.

Remember most homes are under 5ft above seal level there and sure to be in flood zones. we are 10 ft above sea level and are in one.

 

[dm]

Definitely RENT First. Make sure any home you look at is made from Concrete block (Never, Never, Never buy a "stick" home in Fla.) and is insurable. Check cost of Homeowners insurance and Flood.

Remember most homes are under 5ft above seal level there and sure to be in flood zones. we are 10 ft above sea level and are in one.

I am concerned about the flood insurance issue. I have been reading the horror stories lately about the big increases some are seeing. Not sure what the effect might be. I have seen a few homes mention the 10 ft. level. That must be somewhat of a good thing.

 

[ShokWaveRider]

I am concerned about the flood insurance issue. I have been reading the horror stories lately about the big increases some are seeing. Not sure what the effect might be. I have seen a few homes mention the 10 ft. level. That must be somewhat of a good thing.

We live in NE Florida, floods are not a prolific but our flood insurance is currently $400pa. We do not expect it to go up because of a recent legislature vote. Our home owners is $1500pa. We are concrete, a friend of ours has a wood frame home about 2/3 the size of ours and his insurance is over $3k.

We do like the Port Charlotte area because of the water property prices. But we will most likely rent if we move there for any length of time.

 

[Fermion]

+1 on the boat with trailer. This is what we plan to use in the Florida keys (although we will not be permanent in Florida but will make it our home state for taxes and insurance I think).

 

[AnIntentionalRoad]

Buy a big enough boat where you don't need a house!

 

[MRG]

FIL/MIL spent 30+ great years in that area. Marco Island, Naples, Ft. Myers, a couple of years in the Keys, Andrew sent them packing back from the Keys.

Really check out what you want the boat for. I still remember FIL saying he had two boats. One big, one smaller. The big boat was too small for what he wanted, only had a single 350. He and BIL spend a terrifying stormy night 80 miles out in the gulf, when the engine died. He wanted a twin after that.

His smaller boat drew too much water for the fishing he wanted to do.
MRG

 

[NC 57]

Check the reserve situation with homeowners associations. Unfortunately the state allows associations to vote for no reserves. As buildings age maintenance fees rise and major infrastructure (roofs, elevators, paving, pools) must be replaced or undergo expensive renovation. I sold a beautiful high rise waterfront condo in south Fort Myers because the residents refused to establish and maintain adequate reserves. Plus the association was deferring needed maintenance. I heard this year the residents are facing $12,000 assessments above normal fees of over $1000 per month because the roof must be replaced.

When the condos were new I found many retired residents refused to vote higher fees in the present, to establish reserves, because they would' the alive when the reserves were needed. They didn't want to pay for something they wouldn't use. Many of the original owners did die or sell before large annual special assessments became the norm.

There is no way I would buy into a community without adequate reserves. State law does require associations to perform a reserve study every few years so some data does exist as to how much the association may be under reserved. The problem with these reserve studies is the underlying data. In the example above, for the reserve study they were still using the original developer projection of $120,000 to replace a roof. Low bid 10 years later was $480,000 and high bid was $950,000.

If it is a golfing community check the ownership and financial situation of the golf club whether or not you intend to join. If the club goes belly up the course can quickly return to nature depressing property values. In some instances owners of homes on golf courses in beautiful communities have found themselves joining together and pooling resources to buy the club in order to keep the land from being developed into more housing or cheap apartments.

From 2000 to 2008 southwest Florida went through a construction boom. There was a lot of poor construction during the period and those 10 to 15 year old properties may need significant work today.

SW Florida is a wonderful place to live. Great climate, low crime, friendly people, wonderful outdoor recreation, a growing number of cultural options, and many different housing options. Housing purchases do require extra careful due diligence.

 

[Lucantes]

We are located on the East Coast of Florida (Cocoa Beach), waterfront house directly on the Banana River and our house is not indicated as being in a flood plain but I got flood insurance anyways and it is very reasonable at only $414/yr.

 

[F-One]

Be sure to be in an area you are interested in when season is over. We investigated Punta Gorda Isles, houses on canals, along with Fort Myers / Port Charlotte 2 -3 years ago. Area dies when season ends - during season, activities abound - after season the area really changes. Not all of that is bad, reduce traffic but the number of empty properties / businesses in any given area bothered us. We ended up future north where area seems more stable (more like a community), there still is influx of snow birds, but not as significant as Punta Gorda area. Areas have year long activities planned for the residents not just tourists

 

[dm]

Be sure to be in an area you are interested in when season is over. We investigated Punta Gorda Isles, houses on canals, along with Fort Myers / Port Charlotte 2 -3 years ago. Area dies when season ends - during season, activities abound - after season the area really changes. Not all of that is bad, reduce traffic but the number of empty properties / businesses in any given area bothered us. We ended up future north where area seems more stable (more like a community), there still is influx of snow birds, but not as significant as Punta Gorda area. Areas have year long activities planned for the residents not just tourists

Where did you end up? We do plan to rent for a few months this summer to see what it's like. It is easy to like the area in January when it's freezing at home.

We are leaning heavily to buying a house on a canal. But I am worried about flood insurance and the extra cost. I'll be 57 soon so I still have to make the nest egg stretch for a while.

 

[48Fire]

At least that is the plan today. We initially were planning on buying a condo in the Ft. Myers, Punta Gorda, or Port Charlotte area. We were going to downsize our home here also. Well I stuck a for sale by owner sign in the yard and a few days later I had a buyer. The appraiser was here yesterday and things seem to be moving along well.

But since this winter doesn't want to end we are planning now to just buy a house down there and move. We can then figure out if we want something here also. I'm thinking not.

We have given most of our furniture to our kids, friends, and family. We are putting the rest and one car into storage. My wife is going to drive her car down and I'll fly the plane. When we nail down a closing date I'm going to hit VRBO and set something up for a few months. It doesn't look like I'll have any problem with availability in May thru September.

That will give us time to really look around and hopefully find what we want, whatever that is. But while this is going on, it could take several months, we may even change our mind living down there during hurricane season. What do people do about license plates, and other things that may expire. I guess I can get a PO Box, but is that ok for everything?


And should I buy a boat before or after we find a house?

The first thing we did was get a Florida Driver's license. That was a little challenging to prove we lived there, and requires several forms of documentation. We still have out-of-state plates, but plan on changing over this year when the timing is more convenient. This also requires Florida auto insurance for us, so it is more complicated.

I would suggest waiting for the boat for a variety of reasons. We are still boat shopping as well. That centers around where we can catch edible fish, and so far, we have done the best off a dock in everglades near Marco Island. Also, a friend of ours has a boat in Port Charlotte. He rents a spot in the canal from someone who got rid of their boat. Apparently, that is fairly common. He is looking for a new spot now, however, since he gets caught on low tides, and cannot bring his boat into the canal during this period, so be cautious of depths to boat size ratios.

Good luck and welcome to Florida!!

 

[Moemg]

When we first moved down & rented we had a PO box which worked out well until we established our permanent address . You should also look at Venice ,Fl. .There is a lot of building going on in that area . Venice has nice beaches, a cute downtown & lots of activities.I lived in Venice for several years and loved it .

 

[F-One]

We moved to Clearwater area, no boat - we are still trying to decide about it (will have to use a marina). I know snow birds are here but really don't notice that much difference with traffic (there is always traffic - you just learn back roads and it's not so bad).
Punta Gorda Isles are nice. It just seemed too isolated in summer, getting around is strictly by car. The bird section (all roads are named after birds) tends to have newer houses, are you motor boat or sail? Sail reduces houses available? Port Charlotte is less expensive, not as nice as Punta Gorda, but you have to go to Port Charlotte for major box stores.

 

[ShokWaveRider]

We rented for 3 years before buying. Property in 2006 was simply to overpriced, ended up buying a home we looked at in 2006 in 2009 for almost 50% of what is was originally on the market for.

Renting gave us a lot of time to cherry pick the best areas and check them out.

 

[WhoDaresWins]

I love south west FL. Up until 2012, I owned a second home on Ft. Myers Beach. I had considered keeping it for quite some time after my husband died but finally sold it due to an improved real estate market and also for personal reasons (I became guardian for a handicapped cousin after my aunt died in 2011, so must spend most of my year in PA as a result).

I might snowbird with various VRBO rentals in retirement...Jan, Feb...probably Sarasota area, Panama City, and St. Augustine. I have old friends in all three places, also a sister-in-law in Jacksonville. I might also like to spend some time in CA during the winter. My sister is in Manhattan Beach, and I lived for 5 years on the Monterey Peninsula so I might like to reacquaint myself with that area. I have another sister-in-law in Santa Cruz. I would not want to live with any of them for more than a few days so I would look into B & B's or VRBO condos. These plans have precluded me from getting another dog (and I miss having one for company).

 

[Khan]

I will be moving there in a year or so. Rent for a year before you buy, some people can't handle the summers.
As for a boat: many people in the area have boats and never use them, they just sit there rotting/rusting.

 

[dm]

I will be moving there in a year or so. Rent for a year before you buy, some people can't handle the summers.
As for a boat: many people in the area have boats and never use them, they just sit there rotting/rusting.

I don't think it will take us a year to decide. We are going to rent this summer, we are going down this May. I live a few blocks from the harbor here so I also see the boats just sitting in the slips, same with some planes sitting in hangars. But I'm to cheap to buy something and not use it.

I'm not sure about the boat at this time, I'll figure that out later. If I do buy one I will not be spending a lot on the first one.