A cold hating Pennsylvania man in Florida

[Scrapr]

Mainly noise prevention. We require a specific underlay for noise insulation, and some homeowners did not know this and moved ahead with a flooring installation that had to be stopped in process. One homeowner resurfaced their outdoor balcony floor without approval and was forced to remove it as it was determined that the alteration could impact potential water intrusion into the building structure.

makes sense. We worked on a condo remodel a couple years ago. It probably took 6-8 months. Down to the studs. And jack hammer out the tile in the showers. The hours were strict and every effort was made to accomodate the neighbors (up/down & sideways) But I'm sure it took a toll

 

[Scuba]

makes sense. We worked on a condo remodel a couple years ago. It probably took 6-8 months. Down to the studs. And jack hammer out the tile in the showers. The hours were strict and every effort was made to accomodate the neighbors (up/down & sideways) But I'm sure it took a toll

Yes, we can relate. We did a remodel also. It was so extensive that we moved out for 10 months. We tried to appease neighbors as best we could and our GC always followed the rules on hours, but I’m sure it was awful.

 

[MichaelB]

Although in the case of winter time Florida, it's often the sign of prosperity someplace else with well-heeled snowbirds (who can afford to purchase a second home or pay elevated prices for winter rentals) from other areas packing the roads, beaches and restaurants.

Prosperity in much of Florida depends on prosperity elsewhere, especially the US NorthEast.

Everyone we know in Florida are fellow geezers, so we get little input regarding what family-orientated amenities, such as top notch elementary and secondary schools, are offered in return for the bargain sounding tax rates. Or perhaps the fact that so many geezers are paying taxes but not utilizing family-orientated services, that the younger generation does get top notch services at bargain basement prices courtesy of Mr. and Ms Northern Snowbird?

Prior to living in Florida we lived in the New Your area. Our school tax there was greater than our entire property tax bill here. The proportion of tax going to public safety and security is higher here. The only time I really think about those things is when reading threads here.

What is expensive here is homeowners insurance.

 

[ShokWaveRider]

What is expensive here is homeowners insurance.

Yes agreed, but not as much as the offset in property taxes from the North East, according to my Connecticut neighbor.

I remember my SoCAL taxes (similar priced property) not being as high as here in Florida either. $3200 vs $7000 in 2009.

Now though, our taxes here in Florida are only $5500, in comparison, a negative inflation rate of 21% cumulative.

Home insurance is now $1324 with Hurricane and a $2k Deductible, in 2009 it was $1349 with a $9k deductible so basically a wash. I do not have records from SoCAL.

Flood is now is $440, vs $309 in 2009, but that is understandable.

A wood (Stick) frame home of similar proportions would be a lot more insurance, remember we are walking distance from a beach on the Atlantic Ocean.

 

[Dtail]

Yes agreed, but not as much as the offset in property taxes from the North East, according to my Connecticut neighbor.

I remember my SoCAL taxes (similar priced property) not being as high as here in Florida either. $3200 vs $7000 in 2009.

Now though, our taxes here in Florida are only $5500, in comparison, a negative inflation rate of 21% cumulative.

Home insurance is now $1324 with Hurricane and a $2k Deductible, in 2009 it was $1349 with a $9k deductible so basically a wash. I do not have records from SoCAL.

Flood is now is $440, vs $309 in 2009, but that is understandable.

A wood (Stick) frame home of similar proportions would be a lot more insurance, remember we are walking distance from a beach on the Atlantic Ocean.

As mentioned previously, it is all relative.
For us we are moving to a 2886 sq ft house in 2 days and the Homeowners Insurance is $861 yearly with a 8.3k hurricane deductible. Still this amount is no more expensive than is charged in the Northeast.
Many folks also complain about the car insurance. Ours was reduced by 40% apples to apples.
Taxes plus CDD fees after the new assessment should be ~6k.
All these 3 expenses are lower than the NE comparables, plus the no state tax here.

The 2 things I have found more expensive down here is the cost of water and the initial car license and registration fees (which is backwards as there is no car inspections here).

 

[audreyh1]

You mean UN-Fortunately....

No, I meant fortunately they are NOT in our immediate neighborhoods.

 

[youbet]

Prior to living in Florida we lived in the New Your area. Our school tax there was greater than our entire property tax bill here.

Do you think that is because of the high percentage of geezers living in Fla? That is, lotsa property tax payin' folks whose kids are long gone.......

 

[Bestwifeever]

Florida is the one place we almost moved in the mid-80s when our kids were small and DH was offered a promotion. The schools were probably fine but the school district borders were constantly being changed and the student turnover was huge so we stayed put. For retirement it does have a lot in the plus column. And Serge Storm is always roaming the state in search of and causing craziness in Tim Dorsey's novels, which are my favorite audiobook—his most recent one (No Sunscreen for the Dead) revolves around retirees.

 

[sengsational]

One feature of gated communities is that the criminals know which neighborhoods have the good stuff to steal.

I get why people want to avoid robbery (victim present), but to go through so much trouble to prevent a burglary seems strange. Isn't that what insurance is for? I certainly don't think anything in my house is worth fighting for... I'd show them right where anything "good" was. Do the crime statistics show gated communities have a lower incidence of various categories of crime? Obviously better than average because there are no gated low wealth areas and we all know low wealth areas get more crime. But wealth adjusted crime, gated vs non, I'd bet it's not much different. If it was statistically significant wealth adjusted violent crime reduction in a gated community, that would be a selling point, but with the overzealous community board, there might be a few MORE assaults, hehe!

 

[Breedlove]

In the 80s there was a migration to southern states for jobs . It seemed if you were midwestern or east coast you went to Florida . If you were from the plains or western Midwest you went to Texas . Now we are getting flooded with people from all over North, South , East and West . As you put more apples in a barrel you will get more bad ones . And Texas has some bad apples .

 

[Karloff]

My wife and I made two trips to Florida this winter: The Keys and Orlando. We stayed a week in/around each location and did the typical touristy stuff, saw some night life, did all the highlights. Keys were in late November, Orlando in late January. Each trip FIRMLY set in stone that we will not be snowbirding, vacationing, retiring, and possibly not visiting Florida again at any point. While there, we just weren't sure what was so captivating about a place that has bugs 12 months a year, where you must run your A/C almost 11 months a year, and the cost of living (like the OP noted) if you want to feel "safe" is extremely high. The safety issues you speak about do not surprise me at all, as there were several times that we felt unsafe while we were there. I suppose if you had a TON of money each location would be entirely different from what we experienced, but for the common middle-American who is retiring...PASS.

As somebody who has been living in SE FL for almost 18 years, I can only say "spot on!" to the above. If it were not for my wife, whose entire family resides in FL, I would have been long gone. Every day I try to convince he to sell everything and get the hell out. I absolutely hate it. North and Central FL are slightly better, but there are countless better options from every possible point of view, to my eyes.

 

[Cut-Throat]

My wife and I made two trips to Florida this winter: The Keys and Orlando. We stayed a week in/around each location and did the typical touristy stuff, saw some night life, did all the highlights. Keys were in late November, Orlando in late January. Each trip FIRMLY set in stone that we will not be snowbirding, vacationing, retiring, and possibly not visiting Florida again at any point. While there, we just weren't sure what was so captivating about a place that has bugs 12 months a year, where you must run your A/C almost 11 months a year, and the cost of living (like the OP noted) if you want to feel "safe" is extremely high. The safety issues you speak about do not surprise me at all, as there were several times that we felt unsafe while we were there. I suppose if you had a TON of money each location would be entirely different from what we experienced, but for the common middle-American who is retiring...PASS.

It's the Nice weather for sure! ..... And for me running your A/C 11 months a year is a plus... Here in Minneapolis we can run our Furnaces almost 11 months a year... My only excuse is that I was born here.


So, while I did live in Florida for 3 years (Stint in the Navy), It is about the only place I would move to from Minneapolis. There is just not a place in the Continental U.S. that has weather warm enough for me to justify a move. And of course all the sunny places in the U.S. are filling up fast and getting expensive too.

I have 'snowbirded' in Florida for 4 years, but even that is getting tough, as all the Baby Boomers are doing that now and traffic is a big problem.
But the big question for you is: If not Florida, where else? (In the continental U.S.)

 

[Ian S]

But the big question for you is: If not Florida, where else? (In the continental U.S.)

IMHO, I think Arizona offers a lot of advantages over Florida. Having visited Florida both in summer and winter, I'd never consider moving there. That said, after living in Phoenix for over thirty years, we're tired of the summer heat but we're just moving north 90 miles to Sedona where we'll enjoy a drop in temperature of 15 deg F or so. And the nights cool off more because there's virtually no heat island effect. Prescott is another option for a reasonably mild climate. For those who like the snow, there always Flagstaff.

Here there are far fewer noxious flying bugs and no alligators. Yes, we have rattlesnakes but they tend to avoid humans. I know there are scorpions but in thirty years I've never encountered one in the house. Lots of geckos but they're cute and harmless.

 

[Cut-Throat]

IMHO, I think Arizona offers a lot of advantages over Florida.

I'm glad you like it as well as others, as it reduces people in Florida.

Not for me though .... Too cold in the winter and too hot in the Summer and most importantly for a Fly Fisherman.... Not enough water! And for my friends that wintered there this year... They sent me pictures like this..... Yuck!

 

[DisneyDreamer]

I've lived in FL twice and hope to move back in a few years to the Orlando area once I retire. I live in rural, high desert Oregon now and am tired of the isolation and the winters, just to name a few things. To each his/her own. I'm looking forward to being close to WDW, no snow, more sun, palm trees, a major airport, good food choices, good shopping choices, Bermuda grass, good food, no income tax, beaches a few hours away, great biking trails, daily thunderstorms, more diversity, and more visits from family and friends, among other things.

 

[Ian S]

I'm glad you like it as well as others, as it reduces people in Florida.

Not for me though .... Too cold in the winter and too hot in the Summer and most importantly for a Fly Fisherman.... Not enough water! And for my friends that wintered there this year... They sent me pictures like this..... Yuck!

I'd take a 100F degree day in Sedona over an 80 degree day pretty much anywhere in Florida. Yes Sedona had a major snow storm this year but the snow doesn't last long. I'll put up with the odd snow storm and you can have your hurricanes. Oak Creek is said to have some good fly fishing but TBH, the Sedona area doesn't need any more people so everybody go to Florida instead!

 

[misshathaway]

I get why people want to avoid robbery (victim present), but to go through so much trouble to prevent a burglary seems strange. Isn't that what insurance is for?

After my current downsizing there will be nothing worth stealing in my future home - not that there is much now. But - what if you are home during the burglary? I'm thinking about Ocala, where, if you believe the natives, high crime statistics are addict-on-addict or domestic violence. If you believe the media, the whole population of Ocala is old people, crazed violent druggies and horses.

There are so many situations where you could end up being collateral damage to a crime - bad car accident, shooting. It seems like a gated community would reduce the chances of residents encountering criminals. But then you have to live in a bubble and dodge golf carts.

Single scaredy-cat woman perspective.

 

[Bestwifeever]

...

A lot of well-off retired people move to Florida simply because there is (currently) no state income tax. ...

Why would retired people care that there is no state income tax? Illinois has a state income tax but it’s immaterial to us as pensions, IRAs, Social Security, and other retirement income are exempt.

 

[Jerry1]

Why would retired people care that there is no state income tax? Illinois has a state income tax but it’s immaterial to us as pensions, IRAs, Social Security, and other retirement income are exempt.

Because a lot of well off people still have significant income that is subject to tax. Executives that left my company have a significant deferred compensation package. Most of them live in Florida now for 6 months and a day.

 

[Cut-Throat]

Why would retired people care that there is no state income tax? Illinois has a state income tax but it’s immaterial to us as pensions, IRAs, Social Security, and other retirement income are exempt.

You're lucky. In Minnesota we pay taxes on IRAs. Social Security, Pensions etc.....

 

[copyright1997reloaded]

Why would retired people care that there is no state income tax? Illinois has a state income tax but it’s immaterial to us as pensions, IRAs, Social Security, and other retirement income are exempt.

Because many states include these sources as income in terms of tax calculations. Illinois is only one of three states that have income taxes on income yet exempt all retirement income sources (pensions, IRA/401K dist, social security, etc.). The other two are Pennsylvania and Mississippi.

Here you go: https://taxna.wolterskluwer.com/whole-ball-of-tax-2018/state-retirement-taxes

 

[braumeister]

Because many states include these sources as income in terms of tax calculations. Illinois is only one of three states that have income taxes on income yet exempt all retirement income sources (pensions, IRA/401K dist, social security, etc.). The other two are Pennsylvania and Mississippi.

For all practical purposes, my state is pretty retiree-friendly. My effective state tax rate here was 0.6% this year.

 

[Breedlove]

A nice thing about Texas is no personal income tax and once you make it to 65 your real estate taxes never increase . Lots of Pro athletes comment on the no state income tax when they come here .


I don't know how true but I heard if you leave New York for a no personal income tax state they really go after you and can gouge you.

 

[aja8888]

A nice thing about Texas is no personal income tax and once you make it to 65 your real estate taxes never increase . Lots of Pro athletes comment on the no state income tax when they come here .


I don't know how true but I heard if you leave New York for a no personal income tax state they really go after you and can gouge you.

I'm thinking only the school tax portion of your property tax is frozen, not the other taxes that are part of the bill.

 

[ShokWaveRider]

When I was in Houston w*rking many, many times, Folks that lived in the Woodlands, Katy and Sugarland did nothing but complain about the high RE taxes, has something changed?