Moving to South West Florida

[F-One]

We moved to Clearwater area, no boat - we are still trying to decide about it (will have to use a marina). I know snow birds are here but really don't notice that much difference with traffic (there is always traffic - you just learn back roads and it's not so bad).
Punta Gorda Isles are nice. It just seemed too isolated in summer, getting around is strictly by car. The bird section (all roads are named after birds) tends to have newer houses, are you motor boat or sail? Sail reduces houses available? Port Charlotte is less expensive, not as nice as Punta Gorda, but you have to go to Port Charlotte for major box stores.

[ShokWaveRider]

We rented for 3 years before buying. Property in 2006 was simply to overpriced, ended up buying a home we looked at in 2006 in 2009 for almost 50% of what is was originally on the market for.

Renting gave us a lot of time to cherry pick the best areas and check them out.

[WhoDaresWins]

I love south west FL. Up until 2012, I owned a second home on Ft. Myers Beach. I had considered keeping it for quite some time after my husband died but finally sold it due to an improved real estate market and also for personal reasons (I became guardian for a handicapped cousin after my aunt died in 2011, so must spend most of my year in PA as a result).

I might snowbird with various VRBO rentals in retirement...Jan, Feb...probably Sarasota area, Panama City, and St. Augustine. I have old friends in all three places, also a sister-in-law in Jacksonville. I might also like to spend some time in CA during the winter. My sister is in Manhattan Beach, and I lived for 5 years on the Monterey Peninsula so I might like to reacquaint myself with that area. I have another sister-in-law in Santa Cruz. I would not want to live with any of them for more than a few days so I would look into B & B's or VRBO condos. These plans have precluded me from getting another dog (and I miss having one for company).

[Khan]

I will be moving there in a year or so. Rent for a year before you buy, some people can't handle the summers.
As for a boat: many people in the area have boats and never use them, they just sit there rotting/rusting.

[dm]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Khan I will be moving there in a year or so. Rent for a year before you buy, some people can't handle the summers. As for a boat: many people in the area have boats and never use them, they just sit there rotting/rusting.

I don't think it will take us a year to decide. We are going to rent this summer, we are going down this May. I live a few blocks from the harbor here so I also see the boats just sitting in the slips, same with some planes sitting in hangars. But I'm to cheap to buy something and not use it.

I'm not sure about the boat at this time, I'll figure that out later. If I do buy one I will not be spending a lot on the first one.

[NC 57]

A number of marinas rent boats in SW Florida. There are also boat timesharing clubs. It might be worth your while to rent a boat a few times to determine if you'd use it enough to make purchasing one worthwhile.

[cj1717]

I live in SW FL and there is a great boat club down here. I used to own boats (Bust Out Another Thousand)...but sold them and joined the club.

LOVE IT.

Freedom Boat Club

The have marinas all over SW FL.

GL

Chris

[dm]

Quote:

Originally Posted by cj1717 I live in SW FL and there is a great boat club down here. I used to own boats (Bust Out Another Thousand)...but sold them and joined the club. LOVE IT. Freedom Boat Club The have marinas all over SW FL. GL Chris

What does something like this cost?

[sanfanciscotreat]

Less than buying a twenty thousand dollar boat, maintaining it for five years, using it five times a year and selling it for half of what you paid for it

[dm]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sanfanciscotreat Less than buying a twenty thousand dollar boat, maintaining it for five years, using it five times a year and selling it for half of what you paid for it

But what if I buy that guys boat that is now $10,000 and use it once or twice a week because its docked in the backyard?

I checked the website but they didn't list cost. I'm sure if you only use the boat 5 times a year it doesn't make sense to own, but I don't think these clubs are losing money either, so there has to be a point where owning is better, and a point were its better to rent.

I imagine its similar to plane ownership. I own my plane, but I fly quite a bit, and I like knowing I can use it whenever I want and no one else has been in it. Its worth it to me, but not cheaper.

[Fermion]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dm But what if I buy that guys boat that is now $10,000 and use it once or twice a week because its docked in the backyard?

+1

We bought a trailerable sailboat for about half price ($11,000) and use it at least 15 times a year. When we ER we will use it even more. Maintenance is almost non-existent since we keep it in our garage.

[dm]

Just an update, we are closing on our house on May 12th. I have a condo rented at Burnt Store Marina starting on the 14th. Weather permitting, I'm going to fly my plane down on the 13th or 14th, and put it in a hangar at Punta Gorda Airport. My wife is planning to drive down on the 13th and arrive on the 14th.

We are moving out of the house on the 9th and putting the last of our stuff into storage, we will stay with relatives a few hours away till the closing.

We managed to get rid of everything that we wanted to. We have filled up a 10' x 15' storage building and are putting the rest into another. I don't think that we will have any trouble putting everything into a 26' truck. But if it wont fit it isn't going, I'm not making two trips.

We have been looking at homes for sale and it doesn't look like I will be downsizing as much as I was planning. If we buy a house on a canal it will also be much more expensive than what we got for ours. If we buy off the canal the prices would be about the same or lower. I may have to look into getting a mortgage to cover the gap until I can start tapping my IRA. Id rather not fool with the 72t option.

The wife said a motorhome or fifth wheel is not going to work, and no way in hell would she live on a boat. So those options are out.

I guess we will be spending the kids inheritance. Hopefully firecalc is accurate also. But we still will be able to make adjustments if needed.

[ShokWaveRider]

DM:

Where did you end up buying?
Did you get your backyard Dock?

Congrats on the move and I hope it goes well.

[dm]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ShokWaveRider DM: Where did you end up buying? Did you get your backyard Dock? Congrats on the move and I hope it goes well.

We havn't bought anything yet, we havn't left MO. We are going to start looking at the Punta Gorda area. But we may end up somewhere else. We plan to look around for at least a few months before we chose a place.

[dm]

We now have a contract on a house in Punta Gorda. It's in Burnt Store Isles, on the golf coarse. We decided that it was just not worth it to us to buy on the canal.

Here is a pic from the courtyard. We did not downsize and we spent more than we initially planned. But the wife is happy.

We are scheduled to close at the end of the month, hopefully everything will continue to go smoothly.

[ShokWaveRider]

Looks like my mine but I have a lake behind, congrats.

[MRG]

Congratulations on your purchase. Seems like a nice area.
MRG