Where to live in Florida?

[LiveBelowMeans]

Just went thru the exercise of visiting most of Florida looking for ideal retirement area and bought a house in the Sarasota area. I would recommend buying now especially if you want water front for boating. The boomers are coming and they are not making additional waterfront. Great long term investment IMHO. Sarasota area has the nice beaches etc but also has excellent cultural assets, if that appeals to you. Good luck.

 

[REWahoo]

... they are not making additional waterfront.

Patience, Grasshopper.

 

[LRDave]

Patience, Grasshopper.

 

[MRG]

I'm reminded of my late FIL. They moved to Marco Island(82) without any idea of what they wanted. So FIL goes out and buys two boats, one 32' for fishing the Gulf and a smaller inboard for tooling around. A year or so later, "boats are all wrong for here". Why I foolishly asked. "Well the big boats too small for going out as far as I want, the little boat draws too much for fishing the flats". Geeze maybe sell them. "It's Florida everyone is selling a boat".

Somewhere in there there's a lesson.

 

[RetireAge50]

If you like boating, move to Seattle. Florida is humid and too flat! We got very excited when our vehicle climbed a overpass, which I think was the highest point for 200 miles in all directions.

Nothing like waking up in the summer in Seattle with a cup of coffee, brisk 70 degree day and seeing the snow capped mountains in the distance. Oh yeah, and you are having your coffee in the cockpit of your sailboat moored in Friday Harbor.

Are you getting homesick already?

 

[MichaelB]

Don't listen to any of these people. SWFL is a miserable place, full of gators and snakes and fire ants and slow left lane people with their turn signals on for miles and miles. The east coast is much better, but I suspect you'd be even happier in TX.

There are a few big difference between SW and SE Florida. The SE has lots more old folks, many more continuing care facilities, way more expensive restaurants, and the greatest number of strip malls to be found anywhere on planet earth. Oh, the real estate is also 3-5 times more expensive, and property taxes are higher for new buyers than for long time residents.

 

[harley]

Plus there's Florida Man to watch out for (I read a lot of Carl Hiaasen, Tim Dorsey, Randy Wayne White, etc.): Twitter’s “Florida Man” - The New Yorker

When I'm at home in Bonita Springs, we occasionally watch the news. The news up in MD is so predictable, with politics and traffic and the outrage du jour. But in FL, it's always highly entertaining, if utterly bizarre. And you're right, most stories start with "Florida man". Although there are some good ones from "Florida woman" too.

Best Florida Man Headlines 2015 - The Year in Florida Man

 

[Tekward]

Any SW Florida areas close to military facilities for VA, exchange, etc?

 

[LRDave]

Oh, the real estate is also 3-5 times more expensive,........

Wow. 3-5 time more expensive than Naples seems like a LOT.

 

[GTFan]

From Sarasota south to Ft. Myers/Naples would be the preferable area. Any farther north, and it actually gets a little cold from time to time.

Get up in the Panhandle, and winters are blustery and downright cold.

On the flip side, SW Florida is brutally hot and humid in the summer. As in you can work up a good sweat at 7am taking the garbage to the curb. Best answer is to have two houses which is why there are so many snowbirds.

My pops lives in Crestview (panhandle) about 40 mins. north of Ft. Walton/Destin area. He actually does have four seasons there.

We've been all over FL, including down to the Keys - I like the beautiful white sand on the panhandle beaches with the clear emerald green water (except when they get seaweed which happens on a regular basis in the summer), but I like the waves on the Atlantic a whole lot better. Beach sand and murky gray water are nowhere near as nice looking though.

 

[JPatrick]

Don't listen to any of these people. SWFL is a miserable place, full of gators and snakes and fire ants and slow left lane people with their turn signals on for miles and miles. The east coast is much better, but I suspect you'd be even happier in TX.

REWahoo will be along in a moment to provide his "Welcome to Texas" message.

 

[ponyboy]

The boomers are coming and they are not making additional waterfront.

lol...just wait a few years.

 

[ShokWaveRider]

I have lived in Florida for over 10 years. The best All Year living is in the North East. The Best Snowbird Living is a little further South, probably anywhere South of the Cape. It does get a little chilly here in the winter, it was 72 today but does get cooler at night. But not for long. It is hot in the summer too but nothing like South FLA.

I agree with all the not so good comments on SWFLA, and anywhere North of Sarasota is too congested and overcrowded.

We like our little town, has everything we want and need and nothing we do not. A little south there is reasonably priced water property on Salt Water Canals with access to the Intracoastal.

Those who live and like West & SWFLA please stay there, and encourage others to join you, it is way too hot for us and just too crowded to do anything leisurely without trying too hard. Plus every business thinks you at a tourist an nickels and dimes you to death. As mentioned, great to visit.... once a year, DW likes to go shelling... Swimming in the Atlantic is much nicer than the Gulf too. Central Florida is just unbearable in every way.

 

[omni550]

Life expectancy in Naples, FL is highest in the country per article in today's Naples News:

24/7 Wall Street: Life expectancy in Naples is highest in the country

omni

 

[Huston55]

I have lived in Florida for over 10 years. The best All Year living is in the North East. The Best Snowbird Living is a little further South, probably anywhere South of the Cape. It does get a little chilly here in the winter, it was 72 today but does get cooler at night. But not for long. It is hot in the summer too but nothing like South FLA.

I agree with all the not so good comments on SWFLA, and anywhere North of Sarasota is too congested and overcrowded.

We like our little town, has everything we want and need and nothing we do not. A little south there is reasonably priced water property on Salt Water Canals with access to the Intracoastal.

Those who live and like West & SWFLA please stay there, and encourage others to join you, it is way too hot for us and just too crowded to do anything leisurely without trying too hard. Plus every business thinks you at a tourist an nickels and dimes you to death. As mentioned, great to visit.... once a year, DW likes to go shelling... Swimming in the Atlantic is much nicer than the Gulf too. Central Florida is just unbearable in every way.

+1

I lived in FL three times; twice in/near Cocoa Beach (east coast, directly west from Orlando) and once in Clearwater Beach (west coast near Tampa). I like FL east coast from there to Jacksonville the best for weather & beaches. But, I do have to say that I also like Sarasota for living in an urban environment.

I know Harley & others are kidding about all the 'cons' of FL living but, there's some truth to many of those aspects. I'd suggest you read a few books on that subject; one example below.

The Florida Move Guide: The Unofficial Moving to Florida Warning, Decision and Help Guide by Ron Stack, Paperback | Barnes & Noble®

 

[Huston55]

The terrain, communities, cost of housing, cultural opportunities, types of outdoor activities, people, places most affected by tourists, and even weather are very diverse in the state. It's both a long (Jax to Keys about 500 miles) and wide (Jax to Pensacola about 375 miles) state. To make a informed decision it would be best to experience a few different areas at different times of the year before you consider buying.

Cheers!

It's all relative.

Florida would fit into Texas four times...with a bit of room left over.

 

[Teacher Terry]

I have visited Miami, Tampa and Orlando and it is always way too hot/humid. I was there in Dec. and soaked with sweat. It is pretty though.

 

[Moemg]

I live on the border of Sarasota and Bradenton and the area is getting so overbuilt . The traffic is horrendous and the house prices are crazy . I used to live in Venice .I loved the area but even that is being over developed.

 

[Silver]

I live on the border of Sarasota and Bradenton and the area is getting so overbuilt . The traffic is horrendous and the house prices are crazy . I used to live in Venice .I loved the area but even that is being over developed.

Agree 100%. I live in Orlando. We are considering moving to Georgia or South Carolina because it is getting really crazy populated and expensive here. Plus....the summers are brutal. Seriously.

 

[Bamaman]

My stepdaughter lived 10 mi. west of St. Augustine. Her boyfriend paid $353K for the place and it sold for $202K 10 years later (9/2014.) The property taxes and HOA fees were $5,500 per year. I have no idea what the homeowners' insurance was, but you can bet it's super expensive.

The price of housing is not just the issue in Florida--but property taxes, HOA fees and homeowners insurance is out of sight. They alone far make up for the lack of state income taxes.

But I'll say one thing for Florida: I've never seen nicer landscaping in the nicer neighborhoods. And I spent 5 weeks per year on business there when I worked.

Unfortunately, we have family issues that prohibit us from moving anywhere. We'll have to be satisfied with a lake house with 6 mile water and sunset views to the west--with 2 boats in a boathouse. We're not exactly suffering.

 

[socca]

The price of housing is not just the issue in Florida--but property taxes, HOA fees and homeowners insurance is out of sight. They alone far make up for the lack of state income taxes.

My data:
• property taxes - 1.2% of assessed value; assessed value is about 80% of market value
• HOA fees - $75 per year
• homeowner's insurance - $1,100 per year; full replacement value, includes hurricane coverage

I have no complaints about the local cost-of-living, and there is still plenty of reasonably-priced real estate around (not as cheap as in 2011, though). However, we don't need any more people moving here.

 

[MRG]

Both of our parents retired to FL. One east coast(Stuart) and west(Naples, Marco Island, Ft. Myres). We looked North, South, East and West. We looked on the beaches, rivers, mountains(yes mountains) and for us there's too many people doing the same thing we want to. YMMV.

I recall going to Orlando in July for w*rk. Hot and humid! I finally got dressed(suited) and cooled off in the car as I drove around for a while. When I finally arrived at the customers site and opened the car door the humidity hit my cold eyeglasses, fogged up solid! By the time I got to the front door I was drenched and still unable to see. Not the best start. This place was odd, and insurance company who also produced the "Weekly Reader" that some might remember from grade school. There were pallets of them scattered around a warehouse. Odd place with unbelievable humidity.

 

[harley]

Life expectancy in Naples, FL is highest in the country per article in today's Naples News:

24/7 Wall Street: Life expectancy in Naples is highest in the country

omni

That's because nobody moves there until they're in their early 70s, giving an average life expectancy of about 85.

 

[Amethyst]

In Florida, I would only want to live within easy walking distance of the beach, a nice town center, and attractive neighborhoods with newer houses. Which puts any place I'd actually want to live, way beyond our means (if it even exists....close to the beach means 1960's housing, unless you can afford to tear-down and rebuild). Edited to add: I spent my adolescence in south Florida, attended college there, and my first husband was a native Floridian (talk about a culture clash). I have traveled to all portions of the state. We like to vacation on the Treasure Coast.

According to an old saying, Florida is for the "newly wed and the nearly dead."

 

[stlguy57]

We found a place in Dunedin, just west of Tampa in Pinellas County. Bought it as a short sale in 2012 for what some people spend on a new car. Gets a little chilly in the AM in winter but still very nice. The community is close knit and progressive with a small town feel. Very pleased with location. This will be our first year snowbirding from St. Louis. Leaving after New Year's.