Why move to Florida?

[TheWizard]

Too many old old people in FL!

I totally agree, and many of them drive slow...

 

[Midpack]

Too many old old people in FL!

We lived in central FL 1990-1993 - you couldn’t pay us to live there again. But truly to each his/her own. We’re happy ‘halfbacks.’

 

[ShokWaveRider]

As usual we hear from folks who do not like it here in good Ol' Fla. I like to hear that, I wish there were more. It would be nice to see an exodus to bring us back to the population levels of the early 2000's. Perhaps traffic would ease up then. Unfortunately, I do not think it is going to happen. Texas is in the same boat.

We have lived near the mountains and LOVED it, BUT we hate the cold so will not go back. For us the weather and healthcare access trumps everything. for that one need a prosperous rich state and county. Yes, it cost more, but it is definitely worth it. Some things are just worth paying for.

https://www.clickorlando.com/news/l...ate-people-are-moving-to-we-want-to-know-why/

https://www.forbes.com/home-improve...rollto_10_states_people_are_moving_to_section

 

[Fermion]

I love Florida, especially watching rocket launches, going to the beach, Disney.

I hate the heat though. My ideal temperature range is mid 50s to mid 60s and sunshine.

Washington state has this for a lot of year except the sunshine part lol.

 

[Midpack]

I love Florida, especially watching rocket launches, going to the beach, Disney.

I hate the heat though. My ideal temperature range is mid 50s to mid 60s and sunshine.

Washington state has this for a lot of year except the sunshine part lol.

+1. Hated FL summer heat and humidity. At least most other places we lived cooled off at night. I remember some months taking the dog for a walk in FL at 10pm - and sweating… But I will admit Winter in central FL was wonderful.

 

[Andre1969]

As usual we hear from folks who do not like it here in good Ol' Fla. I like to hear that, I wish there were more. It would be nice to see an exodus to bring us back to the population levels of the early 2000's. Perhaps traffic would ease up then. Unfortunately, I do not think it is going to happen. Texas is in the same boat.

I think there's a lot of places that are experiencing population explosions. I notice even here in somewhat boring Maryland, at least the area I'm in, has really grown in recent years.

Maybe 20 minutes from me, there's this one area near the Patuxent River that was always isolated and back-woodsy looking. Lots of wetlands and such. I figured there's no way anyone would ever build back there, and thought that it would be a cool place to live one day. Well, damn if they didn't find a way to develop a bunch of land back there, anyway. And the little rural road with the quaint little houses is now over-run with traffic. I don't think I'd live back there if you paid me to!

Now I did find a place, where everybody's on well and septic, so that keeps new development somewhat restricted. And I'm on 6.5 acres, which keeps the neighbors at bay...although sometimes not at bay enough! I've been here at the "new" house for about 5 years now, and even in that amount of time, I've noticed a bit of an uptick in traffic, both in the immediate neighborhood, but also the area in general. The house itself feels like it's in the middle of nowhere, but go more than a few miles in any direction, and you really see the congestion.

 

[Montecfo]

It is interesting to hear how many folks moved to Florida and were shocked to learn it is hot there. I think if you are going to move somewhere you have to embrace it. No place is perfect.

My mother used to kind of brag to the kids that the rest of the country envied those of us who lived in Texas because of the fabulous weather. And this was of course when our schools and cars had no a/c and the house had a single window unit. We did not bellyache about it being "hot". We embraced it.

Now when every place has A/C I seem to hear a lot of relatives and longtime Texans bellyache about it being "so hot". Of course, we were the only ones who left to seek our fortunes as they say. But I am sure we would still like living in Texas as we have here in Northern Va and in Scottsdale.

We view Northern Va a bit as Gumby views Connecticut. We do like the moderate weather without severe heat, severe cold, hurricanes or tornadoes. Day trip to the mountains, day trip to the beach, day trip to the Smithsonian.

We also love Florida and visit there often. But no plans to move there for some of the same reasons others have noted. But not because it is "too hot". Maybe too old to trafficy or too flat.

We seem to enjoy variety.

 

[marko]

OP here.

A number of folks we've known in our area moved to Florida right after retirement. It seemed to me almost a knee-jerk decision for many, to do this.

I feel fortunate to live where we are, in southern NH. No sales tax, no income tax, 7 miles to the ocean, 1 hour drive North to the lakes region or ~2hrs to the White Mtns for great hiking. Boston is just over an hour drive South as well, with great medical resources.
Living near the seacoast also moderates our local weather. We tend not to get the heavy snowfalls and extreme cold weather.
All our kids live in New England, as well as a lot of friends. I didn't grow up here. I grew up in the Mid-Hudson valley, New York state. That was a wonderful place to live as well.

As we get older our plan is to stay put and travel more, to see other states and other places.
Anyway, sorry to digress.

+1. While we have a winter home in Florida, we are about 45 minutes from the NH line (Boston's North Shore).

Between the ever increasing tax schemes here and new policies of questionable merit, we're seriously thinking of moving our family operations north.

That's a big statement for us as we have lived in the same town for over 8 generations. There's a reason that Massachusetts is now ranked 4th in out-migration

 

[Rianne]

I would never live in FL although my brother lives in Ft. Lauderdale and loves it.
My reasons:
Too much traffic, overdeveloped, heat, beaches overcrowded, homeowners insurance is way too expensive if you can get it, too many destructive storms, the Gulf of Mexico becoming more polluted, housing too expensive, I'd prefer living out west.

 

[sparky08]

We lived in the upper midwest our whole working lives.

While we're still physically active we wanted to live in a place where there's plenty to do outdoors. So, we moved to the Colorado mountains.

Maybe later in life, we'll go somewhere else. But I can't imagine it being a hot & humid place.

 

[LateToFIRE]

I have two relatives who moved to Florida, and both hate it.

The first one, however, moved down there with her husband. He's dead now, and she's in her early 80's, probably feels alone now. The other one moved down about four years ago, and hates the heat and humidity. I think she has a son that lives about 2 hours away, but otherwise, I don't think she has much of a support network down there. I believe she's around 78-79 now. However, this second one is the type who would gripe about any place she lived.

Now, one reason they may both hate it, is in their younger years they both lived high on the hog. They had husbands with high paying jobs, so they could stay at home and play housewife, and only work occasionally. Alas, while the husbands brought in a lot of money, they also blew a lot of money. And now, they're both relatively destitute. Once upon a time they lived in nice houses, were accustomed to a new car every so often and such, and now they're relegated to living something that has to be leveled and skirted, and tied down so the hurricanes don't blow it away.

The lady I bought my house from moved down to Florida, and she loves it. And I have some good friends who moved to just outside of Ft Lauderdale last year, and loving it so far. Everything's more expensive than they imagined, but they still love it.

Have had similar observations with friends and family. My in-laws had a FL condo and absolutely loved it, could not wait to escape the Northern cold each winter. But, it was in a community with a beautiful waterfront, walking paths, gated security, nearby restaurants/shopping, etc., quite a lifestyle. plus, they had friends and family in same community - a good support system.

I also have very well-heeled retired friends in FL, and of course, what's not to love about it when money is no object and they can maintain multiple homes and move around whenever it suits them.

But, I can clearly see, that some of the less attractive areas and housing options could feel like prisons, especially in the oppressive heat of any season that is not winter.

 

[Music Lover]

Lot's of people don't have friends and family they see everyday and you can make new friends elsewhere.

Sure, you can usually make new friends. But I have some 30 and 40 year long friendships that are irreplaceable.

 

[qwerty3656]

I'm considering Florida mostly because of the over 55 communities and the amenities they offer. I wish they had a community like that near me (Michigan). All the clubs and the events - seems like you would never be bored.

 

[Andre1969]

I know I've told this story before, but back around 2003 my Mom and stepdad bought a second home in Florida. It's in Grand Island, which is in the center of the state, a bit NW of Orlando. I've never been to it.

Well, their original goal was to rent it out, and then move to it when they retired. They tried playing landlord for a year, but that got aggravating, so when the lease was up and the tenants moved out, they didn't try renting again. Instead, they just used it as a vacation getaway.

Well, they both retired in 2011. Yet, stayed here in Maryland. Part of it was because my Mom had horses. Here in Maryland, she kept them on her property, but down in Florida she'd have to pay to have them stabled. But, then there was other things. His Mom got old, sick, and ultimately died. My Grandmom (her Mom) did the same thing. My uncle had health problems and needed a kidney transplant. There was always some excuse, to keep them up here.

Well, the horses ultimately died (old age), his mother and my Grandmom were no longer a concern. And my uncle's health was improved. Yet still, they did not move. Turns out my Mom didn't like it as much as she thought she would. It's one thing to go down there and visit, even stay for a few weeks or even longer. But she just didn't like the idea of living down there. My stepdad, on the other hand, hates Maryland, and would LOVE to move down there full time.

I think it a lot of it here is that Mom has known Maryland all her life. So it's truly "home" to her and it can be hard to replace that. Meanwhile, my stepdad is from Pennsylvania up near Wilkes-Barre. I don't know when he moved to Maryland, but he met my Mom in early 1982. So while he's lived in Maryland for the majority of his life at this point, it's still not where his roots are.

And, roots can be important to some people. With me for example, I recently sold our old family homestead, which had been in the family since before the Civil War. Even though I'm only about 15 miles away from that house, sometimes I still feel a bit off-kilter, or adrift, for lack of a better word. On one hand, I'm glad that house is gone and is somebody else's problem now, but sometimes I do still miss it. And, every time I went back to it, all the memories and nostalgia would come flooding back. It was almost getting to be like one of those "you can't go home again" type episodes from "The Twilight Zone"!

 

[mystang52]

We started vacationing in Florida when our kids were young. For a long time, I swore I would want to move there. At some point, I realized that while I love vacationing there (we still do, once or twice a year), I have no desire to live there. It's a cliche, but I genuinely enjoy the 4 seasons here in New Jersey.
Both of my kids - and more importantly my grandkids - are nearby, so that is another reason I would not want to relocate.

 

[Gumby]

..... we have lived in the same town for over 8 generations. ....

My 9th and 10th great grandparents came over from England in the 1630s and constituted about 20% of the people who, in 1639, founded the town in which I live and the church I attend, although I never knew that until 30 years after I moved here from Ohio.

 

[ShokWaveRider]

When one thinks about it this thread could be titled, "Why move anywhere (In Retirement)". Nothing special about Florida really, other that it has been a popular choice in the past. Hopefully that trend will not continue.

 

[pjigar]

We have travelled quite a bit around the country. We have lived in Florida and North-East. We are blessed to have found Texas very early in life and we love it here. Friends, Family, No state income tax, land, warm weather, everything we care about is here. Now if my daughter moves and settles somewhere when we grow old then it can change things but we will cross that bridge when we get there.

 

[EarlyandLate]

OP, if you like where you live and have strong family and friend connections, then I'd say it would be hard to move away. I do not have that. I left the small town that I grew up in at age 17 and NEVER intended to go back. I have lived in six states (multiple cities) and two European countries and do not feel like I have roots anywhere. I just look for a suitable lifestyle and amenities. Atlanta is likely not my forever home, but it ticks a lot of boxes for now. Most of my friends from days of old, whom I would enjoy living near are in places I like, but do not want to move to (i.e. Boston). I've been researching Florida for some time now, as well as Arizona. I have had my fill of winter weather! I think one advantage of living in Florida is that far flung relatives and friends might visit me there. When I lived in TX, no one ever came to visit. When I lived in CA, lots of people visited.

 

[Luvtoride]

When one thinks about it this thread could be titled, "Why move anywhere (In Retirement)". Nothing special about Florida really, other that it has been a popular choice in the past. Hopefully that trend will not continue.

Good point Shok. I remember a thread here awhile ago where people were asking where to move to in retirement that their kids and families would most likely come to visit them. I didn't really understand that either?!

When my family and friends ask me if I am "buying a place in Florida" to move or to snowbird at, I tell them..."Hell no, I just want alot of friends to get places in Florida that I can go visit and stay with" LOL.

And many of our friends from up here in the north have done just that. We get invites to "come visit" all the time. That works for me!

 

[mystang52]

...

When my family and friends ask me if I am "buying a place in Florida" to move or to snowbird at, I tell them..."Hell no, I just want alot of friends to get places in Florida that I can go visit and stay with" LOL.

And many of our friends from up here in the north have done just that. We get invites to "come visit" all the time. That works for me!

Flip side of this is my MIL, DW's paternal grandmother, and D DIL's grandmother, who all moved to Florida expecting visits from their children and grandchildren, and resenting them when it didn't happen. During w*rking years, when vacation time is precious, one looks for vacation spots for fun and relaxation, and that often means not visiting relatives. In my family, and as my DIL has related to me, this has often caused friction. In other words, if one wants to move to a warm weather area, don't presume many family visits.

 

[Andre1969]

Flip side of this is my MIL, DW's paternal grandmother, and D DIL's grandmother, who all moved to Florida expecting visits from their children and grandchildren, and resenting them when it didn't happen. During w*rking years, when vacation time is precious, one looks for vacation spots for fun and relaxation, and that often means not visiting relatives. In my family, and as my DIL has related to me, this has often caused friction. In other words, if one wants to move to a warm weather area, don't presume many family visits.

My Mom and stepdad tried this with me, when they bought their second home in Florida. Kept wanting me to go down with them for a vacation sometime. I never did. I can put up with my Mom for the most part, by herself. And can even put up with my stepdad, by himself, to a lesser degree. But put them together and they reach a level of toxicity that Mother Nature never intended. I'd be on up on a murder rap before we even got out of Maryland, but would probably get off on a temporary insanity plea!

 

[check6]

There are a lot of choices for where to live. I honestly don't know very many people who have moved to Florida. The ones that I do know have moved back to Wisconsin--to be closer to friends and family.

I would probably only give up Wisconsin's forests and lakes if mountains were involved. That takes Florida off the list of candidates. Also, it sounds like it's getting pretty crowded down there.

I drove across beautiful WI (Crivitz to Minneapolis) yesterday and it reminds me of America long ago in a good way. This morning retraced my route in my airplane and it looks even better at a thousand feet.

 

[FreeBear]

I didn't move to Florida. I moved to Thailand. Definitely warmer. There are plenty of reasons to move in retirement. Cost of living is an obvious one when thinking about SE Asia, Central America, or parts of Europe. Lot's of people don't have friends and family they see everyday and you can make new friends elsewhere. i was really bored of CA where I spent my whole adult life so seeking a change, adventure, and something different in our later years plays a part. I thought I wanted to build a life of safety and security but in the end I saw that as just settling and waiting for things to end. Retirement can also be about new beginnings.

Beautifully expressed! Captured our sentiments well too. We left the midwest, where we spent most of our lives and all of our careers, and left most of our friends for the desert of SE Arizona. DW explain to someone that life was getting to easy and we were growing complacent. Like you, I felt that I was both "settling" as well as "settling in" and just awaiting the final end. We've started all over and we are glad we did. It may be our only chance to start over, well at least doing something we want to do. We're never going back.

 

[albireo13]

Fla is a great place to visit.