Floridians & Snowbirds, What you like about YOUR chosen area, and not so much.

[ShokWaveRider]

For the purpose of this thread Floridians are those live here MOST of the time and are full time residents. Snowbirds are exactly that, those that live her temporarily then move back home after the Winter.

As mentioned in a previous thread, for those who are considering relocating permanently or selecting a temporary winter residence, I thought it may be a good idea to discuss what one likes or dislikes about their chosen area of residence or temporary residence.

Please give a general area for reference. Here are what I consider required information for folks to review, feel free to get more specific.

OK. I will go first, the pros and cons are NOT in order of preference but as they come to mind.

Nearest Big City: Jacksonville
General Areas: Pointe Vedre Beach, St. Augustine Beach, Palm coast, Ormond Beach, Daytona Beach, New Smyna Beach.

What we Like (Pros):

1) Excellent Beaches in close proximity
2) No State Taxes
3) Low(ish) Sales Tax 6.5%
4) Reasonable RE Taxes 1.8% of Assessed Value
5) Proximity to daily nessessities; Grocery, shopping, restaurants etc. (5 Mile Radius Max)
6) Outstanding local Healthcare, Top Rated Hopsital, Top Specialists etc. Excellent Availability. I like to say we trip over excellent health providers for all specialties with very low wait times.
7) Excellent ACA choices and providers. (Everone takes Every sensible Plan)
8) Excellent Medicare Providers. (Everone takes Medicare)
9) "X" Flood Zone
10) Great Access to Recreational Activities, Boating, Walking, Fishing, Sight Seeing, etc.
11) Close to major transport arteries
12) Traffic Still good for the most part
13) Lots of natural wildlife to see and enjoy

Not So Much (Cons):

1) Homes are a little Pricey in nice desirable areas
2) No'See'ums (Unfortunately being surrounded by Water it is a hazard)
3) Starting to get a little crowded, but still not as bad as the West Coast
4) Can get a little chilly at night in the winter
5) Gas is more expensive than other southern states
6) State did not expand Medicaid... Yet. (Although it does not affect us, but I feel sorry for those it does)

Hope this helps some folk.

 

[Dtail]

For the purpose of this thread Floridians are those live here MOST of the time and are full time residents. Snowbirds are exactly that, those that live her temporarily then move back home after the Winter.

As mentioned in a previous thread, for those who are considering relocating permanently or selecting a temporary winter residence, I thought it may be a good idea to discuss what one likes or dislikes about their chosen area of residence or temporary residence.

Please give a general area for reference. Here are what I consider required information for folks to review, feel free to get more specific.

OK. I will go first, the pros and cons are NOT in order of preference but as they come to mind.

Nearest Big City: Jacksonville
General Areas: Pointe Vedre Beach, St. Augustine Beach, Palm coast, Ormond Beach, Daytona Beach, New Smyna Beach.

What we Like (Pros):

1) Excellent Beaches in close proximity
2) No State Taxes
3) Low(ish) Sales Tax 6.5%
4) Reasonable RE Taxes 1.8% of Assessed Value
5) Proximity to daily nessessities; Grocery, shopping, restaurants etc. (5 Mile Radius Max)
6) Outstanding local Healthcare, Top Rated Hopsital, Top Specialists etc. Excellent Availability. I like to say we trip over excellent health providers for all specialties with very low wait times.
7) Excellent ACA choices and providers. (Everone takes Every sensible Plan)
8) Excellent Medicare Providers. (Everone takes Medicare)
9) "X" Flood Zone
10) Great Access to Recreational Activities, Boating, Walking, Fishing, Sight Seeing, etc.
11) Close to major transport arteries
12) Traffic Still good for the most part
13) Lots of natural wildlife to see and enjoy

Not So Much (Cons):

1) Homes are a little Pricey in nice desirable areas
2) No'See'ums (Unfortunately being surrounded by Water it is a hazard)
3) Starting to get a little crowded, but still not as bad as the West Coast
4) Can get a little chilly at night in the winter
5) Gas is more expensive than other southern states

Hope this helps some folk.

Location: New Tampa
Nearest Big City: Tampa
General Area: Wesley Chapel

SWR choices Bolded by me for similar likes and dislikes.

In addition:
We love the hot weather. One really needs to understand the weather patterns. Temps expressed as highs of the day.
7 months summer (Apr-Oct) >85 degrees with high humidity in Jun-Sep with 3 months rainy season (Jul-Sep)
3 months late spring (Nov, Feb, Mar) temps 75-85 degrees low humidity with minimal clouds
2 months spring (Dec, Jan) temps typically 70-75 degrees.
Perhaps around 10 days with high temps below 70 degrees.

There is some bad traffic, but usually find work arounds with the rush hour.
In general the folks are nicer than the NE area where I came from, including the folks from the NE area who migrated down.

Overall we love being in Florida.

 

[Senator]

I am a Florida Snowbird and recent FL resident (from MN).

No State income taxes
Warm in the Winter
Lots of land, no one lives near me.
I can ride horses right from my house
I can burn my trash
No state income taxes

 

[wyecrabber1]

DW and I will become full time residents in April, 2020. We purchased a home in World Golf Villages between Ponte Vedra and St. Augustine. PV was a little too pricey for us. The traffic was a concern in the Nocatee area. We actually have a large circle of family/friends around St. Augustine.

What we Like (Pros):

1) Able to enjoy outdoor activities year round, moving from Maryland where December thru March can be iffy for golf, fishing, kayaking and hiking.
2) Pension is not taxed.
3) Publix, need I say more.
4) Beaches and greater water access
5) Quality healthcare, although Baltimore has top rated hospitals/physicians
6) Jacksonville is an easy town to fly in/out of.
7) Home prices are lower compared to Baltimore county
8) No snow shoveling.
9) Flip Flops year round.
10) WGV more retiree friendly /oriented.


Not So Much (Cons):

1) Bugs (bigger and more of them), not worried about gators or snakes.
2) Was told homeowners insurance would be more costly -- but found the price comparable to Maryland. Auto insurance was slightly less in Florida.
3) Potential for extreme weather events and damage; hurricanes.

 

[marko]

Family has snowbirded in Fort Lauderdale since the early fifties; November to April.

Like:
Weather
Everything is "clean and green" vs Boston in February
Good restaurants with nice views
Happy hour (not allowed in Mass)
Friendly people
Upscale crowd (at least where we are)
Younger people as it's a large city

Cons:
Traffic
More 'here for the week' tourists than those who stay for the season

 

[ShokWaveRider]

DW and I will become full time residents in April, 2020. We purchased a home in World Golf Villages between Ponte Vedra and St. Augustine. PV was a little too pricey for us. The traffic was a concern in the Nocatee area. We actually have a large circle of family/friends around St. Augustine.

Great Choice, welcome to a great area.

 

[Cassius King]

Another great thread. Wife and I are deciding between buying a condo and spending time in FLA, compared to buying a house and relocating. Either way, New Smyrna Beach is the area we'll do either in.
Question for those who have moved from the north. Do you miss the seasons? Especially this time of year, fall?
And I agree, No-see-ums are a #!*#!

 

[Moemg]

I miss Fall . I used to visit up North in the fall regularly but have slacked off doing so .I love not having to wear coats and boots but I hate wearing the same things year round .

 

[Amethyst]

Pros:
1. No state or local income tax.
Can walk to a beach.
Can swim outdoors all year round.
Can walk around in shorts at night, admiring people's Christmas lights.
Growing fruit outdoors all year round.
State is laid out on a grid pattern, so it's easier to find your way somewhere.

Cons:
1. Hurricanes.
Fear of hurricanes.
Men at the gym look like they are only there because of doctor's orders.
Fire ants in the garden. They don't give a darn if you're wearing Deet, either.
Crowds during snowbird season. (But, their money helps the state fund Pro No. 1, above).
I miss May and October.
Did I mention hurricanes?

 

[Jerry1]

Do you miss the seasons? Especially this time of year, fall?

A little off topic, but I was in Arizona and struck up a conversation with someone who had come from Michigan, my home state. I asked him how he liked it. He said something like, “I never thought I’d say this, but I’m about sick of the effing sun. Every effing day, sunshine and 100 degrees”. I could tell by his mannerisms that he wasn’t kidding. He was tired of the heat.

So I presume there are situations where one could miss the seasons.

I would miss spring and fall. Also, my brother lives in north west Florida, near Destin. It gets hot there. Not sure how much hotter it gets the further south you go, but I would certainly advise northerners to hang out in the hot part of the year before they commit to full time. Personally, if I had the funds, I would have a place in northern Michigan and a place in southern Florida and pretty much split the year. Probably 6 months and a day so that I would be a Florida resident for tax purposes.

 

[Dtail]

Another great thread. Wife and I are deciding between buying a condo and spending time in FLA, compared to buying a house and relocating. Either way, New Smyrna Beach is the area we'll do either in.
Question for those who have moved from the north. Do you miss the seasons? Especially this time of year, fall?
And I agree, No-see-ums are a #!*#!

I do miss the crispness of the fall sometimes, but don't miss the winter one bit.
The no see ums are much more of a problem by the water. We don't have this issue inland.

 

[ShokWaveRider]

Pros:
1. No state or local income tax.
Can walk to a beach.
Can swim outdoors all year round.
Can walk around in shorts at night, admiring people's Christmas lights.
Growing fruit outdoors all year round.
State is laid out on a grid pattern, so it's easier to find your way somewhere.

Cons:
1. Hurricanes.
Fear of hurricanes.
Men at the gym look like they are only there because of doctor's orders.
Fire ants in the garden. They don't give a darn if you're wearing Deet, either.
Crowds during snowbird season. (But, their money helps the state fund Pro No. 1, above).
I miss May and October.
Did I mention hurricanes?

What areas of the country are you in, and the closest big city/town? This is helpful for those doing research.

 

[Dtail]

A little off topic, but I was in Arizona and struck up a conversation with someone who had come from Michigan, my home state. I asked him how he liked it. He said something like, “I never thought I’d say this, but I’m about sick of the effing sun. Every effing day, sunshine and 100 degrees”. I could tell by his mannerisms that he wasn’t kidding. He was tired of the heat.

So I presume there are situations where one could miss the seasons.

I would miss spring and fall. Also, my brother lives in north west Florida, near Destin. It gets hot there. Not sure how much hotter it gets the further south you go, but I would certainly advise northerners to hang out in the hot part of the year before they commit to full time. Personally, if I had the funds, I would have a place in northern Michigan and a place in southern Florida and pretty much split the year. Probably 6 months and a day so that I would be a Florida resident for tax purposes.

Northern FLA places like Destin definitely are cooler overall.
However the summers are just as hot as Southern FLA, but you have 4-5 months of heat vs. 7 months of heat.
4 months of the year, the highs are between 60-70 degrees.

 

[Amethyst]

We are on Florida's east coast, not near a big city. Closest larger urban area most people would recognize is probably West Palm Beach.

What areas of the country are you in, and the closest big city/town? This is helpful for those doing research.

 

[calmloki]

We alternate 1/2 years between the Willamette valley in Oregon and the La Quinta cove in SoCal.

Pros:
Seeing the sun in the winter/spring months.
Exploring apocalyptic desiccated areas.
Looking at the big rocks and the structure of the land, free of most vegetation.
No fleas, few spiders.

Cons:
Hot. Damn hot. We sleep with doors open by preference, but 88 at 11PM? That's crazy.
Ghetto birds - California PDs love their air superiority, so as the weekend draws nigh the copters start circling overhead in our little cove in the rocks.
Palmetto bugs. A fancy name for cockroaches that mice could ride.

 

[ShokWaveRider]

We alternate 1/2 years between the Willamette valley in Oregon and the La Quinta cove in SoCal.

Pros:
Seeing the sun in the winter/spring months.
Exploring apocalyptic desiccated areas.
Looking at the big rocks and the structure of the land, free of most vegetation.
No fleas, few spiders.

Cons:
Hot. Damn hot. We sleep with doors open by preference, but 88 at 11PM? That's crazy.
Ghetto birds - California PDs love their air superiority, so as the weekend draws nigh the copters start circling overhead in our little cove in the rocks.
Palmetto bugs. A fancy name for cockroaches that mice could ride.

I thought this was a Florida Thread

 

[RAE]

We are snowbirds............northern Michigan for about 7 months (April thru Oct), then west-central Florida for 5 months (Nov thru March). I know I could not live year-round in Florida.......way too hot and humid for me for the months we are back up north. We do not have any big cities near us in either place, which is a big reason we chose both locations (I hate crowds, traffic, and congestion). Things I like about our Florida home and location are:


-super-friendly people.......we were welcomed instantly by lots of folks
-great fishing and kayaking (I love to fish)
-traffic is not bad (yet.......it is changing, though, with rapid development
-wonderful weather during the 5 months we are there......I can be way more active outside in Fla. than I could be back in Michigan during those months - good for my health (both physical and mental health)
- no shortage of fun things to keep me occupied outdoors


Things I like about our northern Michigan location:
-family is here (including grandkids)
-lots of longtime friends here
-we own a cabin on a small lake, great for fishing and deer hunting
-summer weather is good, comfortable temps most of the time
-we get the changing seasons in Spring (April/May) and Fall (Sept/Oct)
-my big vegetable garden and fruit trees are here (I would be very unhappy without my garden and fruit trees)
-thousands of acres of public land right next to us, great for hiking, mushroom hunting, deer hunting, many (uncrowded) lakes to fish


As much as I know I would dislike the hot Florida summers, though........I have come to dislike the long Michigan winters with a passion, especially as I got older. So, snowbirding is the ideal solution for us. YMMV.

 

[calmloki]

We looked at Florida for winter digs, but a flat state that smells like the kitchen sink drain has been leaking under the house just didn't appeal. Liked collecting shark teeth and eating marlin, but there you go. SoCal with it's jittery soil had more appeal - La Quinta is in an offshore wind trough, so it gets the Salton Sea dead Tillapia/Arizona coal burning/Rez garbage fire scent blend. More nuanced, and unlike the common LA smog smell.

 

[marko]

Question for those who have moved from the north. Do you miss the seasons? Especially this time of year, fall?

We don't miss the fall as we're still in New England.

Once in a while though I do miss a good, howling snowstorm; the kind that locks you in for two days. Streetlight revealing swirling snow, watching out the window as it builds up, snowplows at 3AM grinding down the street; waking up and seeing the back door all snowed in, wondering where our own plow guy is.
Having a good reason to have nothing to do for two or three days.

Ok....I'll get over it.

 

[bigcmagor]

Florida resident, for 6.5 months annually.

Cape Coral
Fort Myers is just across the river.

Pro's
Weather. Almost 9pm and still 84 degrees.
Haven't had shoes on since we got here a month ago. It's a flip flop life.
Restaurant options are unbelievable.
Taking the boat to lunch is tough in the Midwest, unless you trailer it to the restaurant.
Daily options of things to do are well publicized in the newspaper.
A good daily newspaper. Don't take the northern newspaper when there because it's bad.
Fishing off the dock for five minutes whenever I feel like it.
No income taxes.
Not needing to wait 9 months to see a dermatologist. They're everywhere. Tomorrow at 9am work for you?
Not having to bundle up to face another cloudy day.
Not having to shovel anything.
Washing the car and having it still be clean two weeks later.
Sea breezes.
I really could go on and on. Is there a space limit?

Con's
More idiotic drivers than anywhere. Finally sold the Harley before someone killed me.
The burrowing owl that likes to hang out in my garage and scare the hell out of us.
Landscaping that grows like weeds continuously. I have to prune something every day.
The climate degrades a house and property much faster than up north. Five months away means a month of work to get it back in shape.
Everything except pet boarding is more expensive. DW says its twice as expensive for hair care. Gives her an excuse to fly home to see grand daughter though.

 

[Teacher Terry]

We visited Florida a few times to check it out. It’s not for us. I need a change of seasons. Reno has so many sunny days that sometimes I long for gloomy.

 

[Scuba]

We don’t live in FL, but have visited many times and my sister lives in the Tampa area.

What I like:
- Tampa has big city amenities but the crowds and traffic are nowhere near Southern CA
- Everything is near the water
- Restaurants are very good and prices are reasonable
- People are friendly and helpful
- Lots of live music in restaurants
- Free parking everywhere
- Gas prices are sooooo much lower than Southern CA
- Casual ambience
- Beaches are much better for swimming than So CA frigid water.

Why I wouldn’t move there:
- Hurricanes - I’ve lived through Camille, Frederick, and Allen and helped deal with the aftermath of Katrina, Irma and Maria. The scale of the destruction is huge.
- Humidity - while I like warm and humid evenings better than chilly So CA evenings, I don’t care for hot and very humid days, and the frequent rain.
- Bugs - no-see-ums, cockroaches/Palmetto bugs, fire ants, mosquitoes, etc.

If we ever move to FL, the extreme southeast part of the state is probably the best bet for us. Never say never, but for now we’re pretty committed to So CA.

 

[Amethyst]

I don't get it. I've heard others claim Florida "smells bad," yet except for occasional smoke from brush fires, I haven't smelled any bad smell. The air smelled nice and fresh when I got up this morning.

Could this be about rotting vegetation inland, where there are grassy areas that get flooded? Yet we've cruised on the Everglades and smelled no bad smells, either.

We looked at Florida for winter digs, but a flat state that smells like the kitchen sink drain has been leaking under the house just didn't appeal. .

 

[rayinpenn]

Floridians & Snowbirds, What you like about YOUR chosen area, and not so much.

We’ve spent a few winter weeks in Fla for close to 30 years. (I may have missed a year when I had my knees done). Although It isnt unique to Florida I like added safety of the gated communities.

In Pa we have camera’s but also added a ring to the front door. With the ring you get community notifications like people walking up and “caseing the joint”, checking the doors of cars in the middle of the night. Strangers walking up and ringing the door at 1:30AM. Its 5:55AM right now and after all Ive seen (footprints in the snow etc,) I prefer not walking the pooch until 6AM as the opioid walking dead are gone by then.

Location: Sarasota
Pros summer fun, fishing, No excuse outdoor exercise, friendly people at same stage of life
Cons: Pricey, congestion, insane growth.

 

[Lewis Clark]

Lots of folks have strong feelings about Florida, either for or against. And that's okay. There are pros and cons to any location and we could create a thread like this about any city, state or region. Luckily most of us have lots of choices on where to live and visit.