TheWizard
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Too many old old people in FL!
I totally agree, and many of them drive slow...
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.’Too many old old people in FL!
+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.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.
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.
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.
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.
Lot's of people don't have friends and family they see everyday and you can make new friends elsewhere.
..... we have lived in the same town for over 8 generations. ....
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.
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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.
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 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.