Florida revisited...

[street]

I couldn't imagine having to deal with traffic. I can drive about 30 miles from home to ranch and I might see another vehicle.
The way I see it, if you have to adjust your life to avoid traffic it would be like having a boss telling when and where to go. LOL
I would absolutely lose my freedom if I would have to live in those conditions. I would be like a cat in a cage if I could not do when, where and how I wanted my day to be. LOL
My hat goes off to you people that live in high populated areas. WOW.

 

[Amethyst]

It's possible to get reservations in season, but you may not want to if you have sensitive ears. Once the snowbird diners start drinking, which means from 4:30 P.M. on, the restaurants sound like the parrot room at the zoo. Just too much shrill, shrieky laughter for my ears.

IIn season the restaurants are too busy because many snowbirds eat out every single night, so if you have reservations at restaurants, not a problem, or else frequent the local places.

 

[pb4uski]

I couldn't imagine having to deal with traffic. I can drive about 30 miles from home to ranch and I might see another vehicle.
The way I see it, if you have to adjust your life to avoid traffic it would be like having a boss telling when and where to go. LOL...

Sounds like you and Hermit should get together.

Not like having a boss at all.... just a reality of life that if you chose to travel at certain times that the traffic might be heavy so if possible don't travel during those times.... or if you do chose to travel during those times then suck it up buttercup.

Millions of people deal with that or worse without skipping a beat... not our fault that you can't hack it.

 

[ShokWaveRider]

Seems like in our neck of the woods, snow birders are not so much of an issue. The winter is not as mild (Not Cold But) as south of the Coconut Line. We can get chilly days (Nights really) which are somewhat welcome.

The majority of license plates from out of towners are Ontario an Quebec (Canada). Maybe they are more civilized and less obnoxious that those from the Northern US... LOL

One last note, the only time in 13 years of residency here (in our area) have we ever seen alligators other than at the "Alligator Farm" was one in a pond by the intra coastal and one in a pond by a small lake. So 2 all in all. We have water everywhere in our direct neighborhood and have never seen one Alligator in the lakes or their tributaries.

NE Fla is not really prone to an abundance of the creatures, but I wish we had more.

 

[Senator]

Wonder where Florida residents go on vacations?

They go to the mountains of Northeast Georgia, Western North Carolina and East Tennessee. About every third auto license plate in the mountains is from Florida.

I would assume there is a reason they go there.

Do they go there in the Winter?

 

[street]

All the people/traffic is something I never had to deal with in life. It would work the other way more so with people not being able to relate to the very rural life and would be bored to death without all the people/traffic of the hustle bustle of life they are accustomed too.

That isn't a bad thing just a way of life that I can't imagine and don't care to have. LOL

 

[Dtail]

All the people/traffic is something I never had to deal with in life. It would work the other way more so with people not being able to relate to the very rural life and would be bored to death without all the people/traffic of the hustle bustle of life they are accustomed too.

That isn't a bad thing just a way of life that I can't imagine and don't care to have. LOL

Yes in many posts, you made it clear your disdain for FLA. That is fine.

 

[Dtail]

I've lived in Palm Beach County for 22 years and am glad I made the move from Boston. The first year was the adjustment. If you don't want to deal with traffic, drive after rush hour and before noon - pretty reasonable. In season the restaurants are too busy because many snowbirds eat out every single night, so if you have reservations at restaurants, not a problem, or else frequent the local places. Those who live here do not have convertibles - it's just wayyyy too hot at traffic lights, etc. And (YMMV) it's better to live in a place with a heat index than with a wind chill factor !

Rich

On the convertible note, I put the top down pretty much Nov through Mar and then many nights otherwise.
I did think it would be more time than up North but not really so.

 

[rayinpenn]

Are you thinking of year round living or just winter? While the older crowd is in Florida aren’t your kids nearby where you are now? I am not a fan of communities where everything looks the same.

Right now it’s year round...
First floor master
Less congestion
Views
3 bed/2 bath
Kids ah, daughter is 1/2 hour away ...
son (college junior) will come with us

 

[street]

Yes in many posts, you made it clear your disdain for FLA. That is fine.

And yes in many posts, you made it clear your view on FLA, as well. Thanks

 

[ncbill]

The clever thing the developers do in our area is that they clear the land and fence it and put in cattle to get an agricultural exemption for property taxes while they are waiting for permits and getting ready to break ground.

There was a big area down the road from us that is fenced in with cattle... when we get down there in a week or so I'm keen to see if they have started building yet.

Works for individuals here too.

A friend bought a 50+ acre farm...farm revenue of at least $1,000/year entitles one to the farm exemption... so he only pays property tax on the farmhouse & the land it occupies, all other land/buildings used for the farm are exempt from property taxes as long as it meets the above revenue criteria.

 

[ponyboy]

How many Florida threads do we need?

 

[ShokWaveRider]

How many Florida threads do we need?

As many as we need to put people off wanting to move there....

You could ignore the post, there are no forum rules saying you have to read or respond to them. Not as far as I know anyway. Again

 

[Amethyst]

Actually I'm glad to see a few more, now that I live here again, and can comment as a resident instead of a lived-there-once-long-ago.

OTOH, I am supremely bored by any and all references to bacon. Do people stop posting about bacon because of this? They do not!

How many Florida threads do we need?

 

[bolt]

How many Florida threads do we need?

The snowbirds in MA, VT, PA & MI that I know are getting ready to head for FLA, in the keys off the mainland the population easily doubles when the snowbirds arrive ,..... to x10, in Marathon, or so I've heard .
Plus its 100 mile highway was raised 3 feet on many islands a few years back (2009-2011ish?) because of erosion, single family properties becoming both expensive & scarce. That raising the hwy. project caused traffic galore!

 

[ShokWaveRider]

Actually I'm glad to see a few more, now that I live here again, and can comment as a resident instead of a lived-there-once-long-ago.

I enjoy reading all the reasons people can come up as to why they do not want to come to FLA. Good Cheap entertainment. Also shows how some folk will believe anything they read or hear.

 

[Amethyst]

None of them seem to be able to keep people away. We just bought some furniture from an outlet store. When I tried to arrange delivery, the third-party delivery outfit informed me that so many people are moving into the area, they cannot possibly accommodate our request till almost Thanksgiving (of course many of those are people coming to stay in their newly refurbished winter residences).

I enjoy reading all the reasons people can come up as to why they do not want to come to FLA. Good Cheap entertainment. Also shows how some folk will believe anything they read or hear.

 

[kgtest]

I was just down in South Florida for a week. FLL, Miami, West Palm traffic, all terrible. But that's the price you pay. I noticed it seems rush hour went a little longer in the morning than it does here in Midwest...but there are probably just more people there.

I have the SunPass and that seems to help...but for some ODD reason, people down south love to sit in the FAST lane going the speed limit when clearly there are people who want to do 85 to 90mph ALL DAY. There are numerous illuminated digital billboards reminding the slower cars to move right but they just poke right on by that sign so I goose it and fly around them like most of the other people.

If you don't have the sunpass, good luck! I left Miami Monday after dinner and the commute up to West Palm would have been way too long without the SunPass Express Lanes.

90 degrees and 90% humidity at 6:30am everyday we were down there this past week.

 

[kgtest]

To be fair, I am starting to rank traffic from worst to best...I haven't been in ATL traffic, or NYC traffic, but I have been in Chicago, DC, LA and Honolulu traffic...and now add South Florida to the list along with my hometown Minneapolis.

A snow day in Minneapolis is about equivelent to a regular day in South Florida...in ranking order worst to best traffic:

1. DC (I saw multiple cars literally flipped over and burning during holiday commute weekend)
2. Honolulu Basically just stop, not much GO.
3. LA
3. South Florida
4. Chicago
5. Minneapolis

Just my observation.

 

[ShokWaveRider]

None of them seem to be able to keep people away. We just bought some furniture from an outlet store. When I tried to arrange delivery, the third-party delivery outfit informed me that so many people are moving into the area, they cannot possibly accommodate our request till almost Thanksgiving (of course many of those are people coming to stay in their newly refurbished winter residences).

Problem is they are pushing the prices of RE up. A good thing on the one hand and a bad thing on the other. They are Turning normally LCOL areas to MCOL and higher. Wait 10 to 15 years, Florida will be unaffordable for the common man (or Woman) , so get in while you can.

 

[ShokWaveRider]

The negatives do not seem to be stopping folks....

https://www.thenextmiami.com/more-americans-moving-to-florida-than-any-other-state-in-2018/

The link is about folks moving to Florida.

 

[Amethyst]

Florida is traditionally boom-and-bust, and has been for 100 years.

Problem is they are pushing the prices of RE up. A good thing on the one hand and a bad thing on the other. They are Turning normally LCOL areas to MCOL and higher. Wait 10 to 15 years, Florida will be unaffordable for the common man (or Woman) , so get in while you can.

 

[rayinpenn]

I thought i didn’t need to say this but its become evident I do. I don’t dislike Florida I love the heat, bass fishing in the ponds, hiking the many paths designed just for that. The health benefits of nice weather. Friendly people (yes friendly even NYers) when i walk in the morning i get and give a friendly good morning.
Close to 40 years ago I would visit my Dad in Clearwater sit at the dock and catch a few fish. For me thats heaven on earth. Even then my Dad told me the infrastructure was being overwhelmed.

By the by When we looked at a 2000 sq ft condo the sales person said with the most common extras people were getting it was $550K. That is pricey in my book as most people cant afford $550K. Bottom line my sister, brother in law, sister in laws all seem happy there. It works well for them.

We all need to find our own place. I think I’m an adapter i gave up fishing to move my kids to a great school district and I adapted. One thing I’m certain about i wont move simply because its a place we know before we look around. The condo in florida would be the easy choice. There’s all the relatives and the beautiful home that we could be in less than a year. The question is it the right choice?

Right now there are people on LI that will struggle to find an affordable home in a decent school district. Its all they’ve ever known. They’ll sit on the LIE backed up for twenty miles or get stranded in the city when the LIRR closes down because of the snow. I know Ive been there and done it all. Easy and familiar isn’t always best for you. I had a tidy totally redone cape cod in a so so school district and was quite content. I worked in Pa a few times a saw a better life for my kids.. so we got out, no regrets. There something for us out there the challenge is to find it.

 

[jim584672]

Those love bugs need to get a room, gross.

 

[Dtail]

Those love bugs need to get a room, gross.

That's a May and Sept special.