As a fellow Northern Virginian, you understand what you are asking...right? House prices in Reston versus Manassas. Alexandria verses Haymarket. Even when more localized- Ashburn verses Sterling Park. It's all about location. Narrow down your location and then you can talk home prices as well as amenities. Otherwise, you'll get quotes for Old Town Manassas or Great Falls.
Another Florida Question - Retirement location
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As a fellow Northern Virginian, you understand what you are asking...right? House prices in Reston versus Manassas. Alexandria verses Haymarket. Even when more localized- Ashburn verses Sterling Park. It's all about location. Narrow down your location and then you can talk home prices as well as amenities. Otherwise, you'll get quotes for Old Town Manassas or Great Falls.
A friend has a place at Blue Mountain Beach nearby. Visited once and was impressed. A very nice place for a getaway, and I'm definitely not a Florida kind of person.
jgman
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I may have to raise my budget or otherwise stay in NoVa. Another potential issue is it looks like vaccines mandates for domestic flights may be coming. That means wherever I end up, traveling to see family and friends out of that area could be an issue.
ShokWaveRider
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Average home prices here in a nice area where we are range from $650k - $1.6m a little cheaper in others.
Here are a some examples of the general area for perusal:
https://www.zillow.com/homes/32080_rb/
https://www.zillow.com/saint-august...ue":true}},"isListVisible":true,"mapZoom":14}
https://www.zillow.com/homes/32092_rb/
carty1
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Florida Dude
I have lived in Florida all my life. Resided in Fort Walton Beach, Crestview, Pensacola, Cape Canaveral, Melbourne, Orlando, Jacksonville and Saint Augustine. Check out the Del Webb Communities in Nocatee.
Good Luck!
I have lived in Florida all my life. Resided in Fort Walton Beach, Crestview, Pensacola, Cape Canaveral, Melbourne, Orlando, Jacksonville and Saint Augustine. Check out the Del Webb Communities in Nocatee.
Good Luck!
Badger
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It can be difficult when you move away from family and friends as you get older. Some people it wouldn't bother yet others might want the support and safety of family and friends nearby. Others find it easier and less expensive to stay where they are with family near by and plan visits to other parts of the country during their retirement. Tough call.
Cheers!
jgman
Recycles dryer sheets
Based on the Florida housing market cost, staying where I'm at or closer to home may be the better option. Need to re-evaluate. Thanks
We have lived in Florida for 31 years, after living in Pittsburgh Pa & Buffalo, Ny.
We like it here, have gotten used to the heat, love the sun, want to be active most of the year & do not miss the cold & snow. Even in peak summer, mornings & evenings are still pleasant. A/C takes care of the hot & humid afternoons, when most people are indoors.
In Florida we have lived in Miami Beach, Clermont & now in Lake Mary which is a northern suburb of Orlando. New Smyrna/Daytona Beach is a 1/2 hour drive.
Is it getting crowded ? Yes. They say 1000 people move into the state to settle down every day. The major cities in North & Midwest are losing people and the population including the seniors is moving south. Wonder why Disney came here to build ? Now the whole world come's here to vacation.
We have had several Hurricanes pass but no damage to the houses we have lived in except for Andrew in 1992. I guess we were lucky but none of our friends have had any major damage either.
We are not going back north of 50*F, nothing wrong with good ole Florida.
We like it here, have gotten used to the heat, love the sun, want to be active most of the year & do not miss the cold & snow. Even in peak summer, mornings & evenings are still pleasant. A/C takes care of the hot & humid afternoons, when most people are indoors.
In Florida we have lived in Miami Beach, Clermont & now in Lake Mary which is a northern suburb of Orlando. New Smyrna/Daytona Beach is a 1/2 hour drive.
Is it getting crowded ? Yes. They say 1000 people move into the state to settle down every day. The major cities in North & Midwest are losing people and the population including the seniors is moving south. Wonder why Disney came here to build ? Now the whole world come's here to vacation.
We have had several Hurricanes pass but no damage to the houses we have lived in except for Andrew in 1992. I guess we were lucky but none of our friends have had any major damage either.
We are not going back north of 50*F, nothing wrong with good ole Florida.
Lisa99
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Be cautious about the bigger 55+ communities. It’s like high school all over again with the cliques, back biting, and general nastiness.
I lasted 4 years in The Villages before I couldn’t take it anymore. I was an outlier in that I’m not Republican, don’t like drinking every day and needed more in my life than which band to listen to that night.
But as always to each their own.
I lasted 4 years in The Villages before I couldn’t take it anymore. I was an outlier in that I’m not Republican, don’t like drinking every day and needed more in my life than which band to listen to that night.
But as always to each their own.
Bamaman
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Most of your needs would be fulfilled--around Auburn/Opelika, Alabama.
With a major university, it offers a great deal of culture and things to do. The Gulf Coast is an easy drive. Property taxes are ridiculously low, and most retirees don't pay any state income taxes until RMD's. The fabulous Lake Martin is just north of town, and there is great golf on the Robert Trent Jones 54 hole courses there. It's just 2 hrs. to Hotlanta too.
With a major university, it offers a great deal of culture and things to do. The Gulf Coast is an easy drive. Property taxes are ridiculously low, and most retirees don't pay any state income taxes until RMD's. The fabulous Lake Martin is just north of town, and there is great golf on the Robert Trent Jones 54 hole courses there. It's just 2 hrs. to Hotlanta too.
Tafkah
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One of your requirements was for "an area that is at least somewhat progressive." Here's a handy interactive map that shows the voting results from the 2020 election. It gives you a pretty good idea of the liberal/conservative breakdown for each area.
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/upshot/2020-election-map.html
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/upshot/2020-election-map.html
I have a very promising lead on a place - priced very fairly and very close to the water - on a spit of land where the Manatee river meets the Gulf (across from Anna Maria) in Palmetto.
I am heading down in a couple weeks to look around. Meanwhile using the Google Earth cam (or whatever it's called) I can see the surrounding neighborhoods and streets - all clean, nicely landscaped etc. but - I am not familiar with Palmetto. Any comments or anyone with knowledge of that area - please let me know?
I am heading down in a couple weeks to look around. Meanwhile using the Google Earth cam (or whatever it's called) I can see the surrounding neighborhoods and streets - all clean, nicely landscaped etc. but - I am not familiar with Palmetto. Any comments or anyone with knowledge of that area - please let me know?
Tafkah
Recycles dryer sheets
Sunny, you said one of your requirements was a location less prone to hurricanes. Have you looked at the NOAA storm surge maps? By selecting Cat 1, Cat 2, etc, it shows you how many feet of storm surge you should expect.
https://noaa.maps.arcgis.com/apps/MapSeries/index.html?appid=d9ed7904dbec441a9c4dd7b277935fad
https://noaa.maps.arcgis.com/apps/MapSeries/index.html?appid=d9ed7904dbec441a9c4dd7b277935fad
ShokWaveRider
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Also, depends on if you want all round year living vs just winter. North is better for all round and the south if you want just winter. The heat can get on top of one after a while. If you are like us, it is nice to get a bit of a cool down in winter.
Good luck.
Good luck.
FWIW, I live in Broward County. Pompano Beach, to be exact.
Moved from NY to FL 25 years ago and would never leave. I'm 76 and retired.
Had a house in Coral Springs for 10 years.Got tired of the upkeep, remarried and bought a condo on the Intracoastal 5 years ago. Still like it.
Is it perfect? Hell no. Summers are hot and humid, but I'm used to it now. And I'm never cold. I like that. I find plenty to do, wife still works part time. I play guitar in a bar band and there are plenty of joints to gig in, assuming I want to. (Gets harder every year LOL) Well, until Covid, that's another story. Don't know if this helps, but we like south FL a lot. Plenty to do if you want. Or nothing too do, if you don't want. YMMV.
Moved from NY to FL 25 years ago and would never leave. I'm 76 and retired.
Had a house in Coral Springs for 10 years.Got tired of the upkeep, remarried and bought a condo on the Intracoastal 5 years ago. Still like it.
Is it perfect? Hell no. Summers are hot and humid, but I'm used to it now. And I'm never cold. I like that. I find plenty to do, wife still works part time. I play guitar in a bar band and there are plenty of joints to gig in, assuming I want to. (Gets harder every year LOL) Well, until Covid, that's another story. Don't know if this helps, but we like south FL a lot. Plenty to do if you want. Or nothing too do, if you don't want. YMMV.
Be sure to confirm you can get homeowners insurance for the dwelling and that it's not going to break the bank. The homeowners insurance market down here is a mess and getting worse. You might be forced into the state pool (Citizens) and it can be expensive. Be prepared for the fact your hurricane deductible is likely a percentage of your home value (2%, 4%, 10%). It looks like you might also want (or need, if you will have a mortgage) flood insurance. If possible, talk to the neighbors and ask what their homeowners policy experience has been lately.
Question of curiosity - for snowbirds with a residence in Florida - who leave Florida for part of the year, but store/garage a vehicle in Florida - are they able to lower their auto insurance rates during the part of the year they are not driving that car? I guess the answer could apply to any state, but in my case, I am interested in how it might work in Florida. Anyone try it? Liability? Collision? what else?
Maybe I missed it, but you never hear too much about the Crystal River/Inverness area just west of the Villages. Maybe it’s too rural to meet the OPs requirements, but from what I’ve read, it seems like a nice area that isn’t too congested yet.
Is anyone close to or familiar with this area enough to comment ?
Is anyone close to or familiar with this area enough to comment ?
pb4uski
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
While we don't keep a car in FL, I have a friend who does. She drops her coverage to the minimum required coverages that are required to keep the car registered when she is north for the summer.
For the vehicle that we leave up north, we drop everything except comprehensive while we are down south.
L
I vacationed there one winter. It is a beautiful area. I observed lots of nature. Rivers and creeks flowing towards the golf. Wetlands and possibly mangrove areas. I suspect many great fishing and kayaking areas.
What I didn't see were sandy beaches. The weather is also colder north of the Tampa area.
Way fewer people than SWFL.
Good luck.
Yohead,
I vacationed there one winter. It is a beautiful area. I observed lots of nature. Rivers and creeks flowing towards the golf. Wetlands and possibly mangrove areas. I suspect many great fishing and kayaking areas.
What I didn't see were sandy beaches. The weather is also colder north of the Tampa area.
Way fewer people than SWFL.
Good luck.
Yeah, pretty rural, and it floods a lot. Very low areas. We love to visit that area for the kayak fishing. We were tempted to buy a place there, but it was just too remote. Our cousin bought a place there, lasted a year, then moved to Cape Coral. Still has the good fishing, a little warmer, and a little closer to civilization.
Don't know about cars, but I have a little story about leaving things in Fl.
An acquaintance owned a motel on the beach, he had the same regular group of renters ever year over the winter. They always wanted the same unit. He recently sold the property for a larger development. While clearing the building, he found many of the winter tenants, had moved the drop ceiling and stored their winter appliances and other utensils. He called all the people that stored their items in the ceiling and gave them a chance to get it stored somewhere else.
The ceiling storage beats the usual buy in Dec, and return for refund in March, that happens way to often with snowbirds and the big box stores. i.e. Walmart.
I guess it's time for a follow up. I've been living in FLA for 16 months - I think that's a good trial run. Two summers has been enough for me. I realize many can deal, I find I cannot. I suppose I could if I lived close enough to the water where there would be a consistent breeze to keep the air moving and not so stifling.
I'm pretty sure that for most of us, there is no nirvana that would fit our budgets (leaving out the billionaire crowd)... so not sure where I am headed next. Stuff is in storage, headed to some colonial cities in Central MX for awhile before returning to the US after election season and before the holidays. Peace all! Later Gators LOL.
I'm pretty sure that for most of us, there is no nirvana that would fit our budgets (leaving out the billionaire crowd)... so not sure where I am headed next. Stuff is in storage, headed to some colonial cities in Central MX for awhile before returning to the US after election season and before the holidays. Peace all! Later Gators LOL.
