Why Did You Choose Florida?
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RetireeRobert
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I live in Oregon with no plans to move soon.
However, one of the attractions of Florida is no state income tax and no state estate or inheritance taxes. For some in "cold" climates, say Wyoming, or Chicago, or North Dakota, etc., the warmer sunnier climate can also be an attraction.
However, one of the attractions of Florida is no state income tax and no state estate or inheritance taxes. For some in "cold" climates, say Wyoming, or Chicago, or North Dakota, etc., the warmer sunnier climate can also be an attraction.
NW-Bound
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Because one will encounter many interesting Florida men and Florida women?
harley
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
I'm a FL resident, but not a full timer. I don't think I'd live there full time. But it's great when the weather is bad elsewhere. We're staying up north this winter, and I'm not having much fun. Normally I'd be hiking and kayaking with the gators, instead I'm staring out the window at a bleak (if beautiful) landscape. But FL has great seafood, great nature (if you can get past the damage that man is doing down there), and great winter weather with too many people and horrible traffic. Balance that against FL Man, fire ants, and crappy summer weather with fewer people and OK traffic. Then make your choice.
Came to Florida for a job transfer in 1998. Decided to stay in 2000 when I was offered an opportunity to move back to CA. Faced another decision in 2015 after leaving that company to raise my kids, decided to stay. Reasons?
1. Reasonable COL, especially compared to SoCal where I moved from.
2. No state income tax. This was a big factor in the 2000 decision, somewhat less so in 2015.
3. Well-run, efficient state government. Same for most counties and municipalities, though some still operate on a "who do you know" basis.
4. Weather. Did my time north of the 40th and 45th parallels. The Panhandle is about as far north as I want to live, and often wish I was further south.
It's been a good environment to raise kids, and I expect I will stay after they are launched.
What are you looking for in Florida, and what do you want to leave behind in NJ?
1. Reasonable COL, especially compared to SoCal where I moved from.
2. No state income tax. This was a big factor in the 2000 decision, somewhat less so in 2015.
3. Well-run, efficient state government. Same for most counties and municipalities, though some still operate on a "who do you know" basis.
4. Weather. Did my time north of the 40th and 45th parallels. The Panhandle is about as far north as I want to live, and often wish I was further south.
It's been a good environment to raise kids, and I expect I will stay after they are launched.
What are you looking for in Florida, and what do you want to leave behind in NJ?
I would advise you rent somewhere during peak hurricane season late Aug to late Sept and see if you like the heat, humidity, pre hurricane prep, ride out a hurricane , and post hurricane clean up.
It was an opportunity. Things I like:
Climate (sure it get hot but not at hot as the mid atlantic and when "cold" can still do stuff unlike up north)
Taxes/Nitpicky rules are less than many places. Not that it's much cheaper (Insurance and other costs offset most of the "tax savings" but complying with annoying nanny stuff irritates me (car inspections, personal property tax, income tax).
I like the open feeling (getting a bit more crowded but still lots of open spaces out side the metro areas). Even living in the most densely packed county, I don't feel it like I do elsewhere... hard to quantify but with the open spaces and lots of water/beaches etc it feels different than other "crowded" places to me.
Tons do to from hiking to theater and a great arts and food/drink scene.
People are usually pretty nice.
Tampa International Airport
Things I do not like:
No mountains.
4 hrs just to get out of the state when taking road trips (Tampa Bay area)
I-4 (Just avoid it)
Tourists (love/hate as they help fund our state but I wish they'd take a minute to plan their routes before they put their car in drive)
Snowbird traffic (love/hate but I wish they'd stay off the roads during rush hour and not shop on weekends-at least till I'm FIREd. Miss them now as our economy and especially small business need them!)
Generally, I really love my chosen home state of 20 years. No mountains is probably the thing I miss the most and if my portfolio grows big enough that I'm looking to "blow that dough", I'll be looking in eastern TN for a second home to visit frequently.
Climate (sure it get hot but not at hot as the mid atlantic and when "cold" can still do stuff unlike up north)
Taxes/Nitpicky rules are less than many places. Not that it's much cheaper (Insurance and other costs offset most of the "tax savings" but complying with annoying nanny stuff irritates me (car inspections, personal property tax, income tax).
I like the open feeling (getting a bit more crowded but still lots of open spaces out side the metro areas). Even living in the most densely packed county, I don't feel it like I do elsewhere... hard to quantify but with the open spaces and lots of water/beaches etc it feels different than other "crowded" places to me.
Tons do to from hiking to theater and a great arts and food/drink scene.
People are usually pretty nice.
Tampa International Airport
Things I do not like:
No mountains.
4 hrs just to get out of the state when taking road trips (Tampa Bay area)
I-4 (Just avoid it)
Tourists (love/hate as they help fund our state but I wish they'd take a minute to plan their routes before they put their car in drive)
Snowbird traffic (love/hate but I wish they'd stay off the roads during rush hour and not shop on weekends-at least till I'm FIREd. Miss them now as our economy and especially small business need them!)
Generally, I really love my chosen home state of 20 years. No mountains is probably the thing I miss the most and if my portfolio grows big enough that I'm looking to "blow that dough", I'll be looking in eastern TN for a second home to visit frequently.
Lewis Clark
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Every place has its own pros and cons. You need to prioritize them based on what is important to you. Someone else's choices may be perfect for them but completely wrong for you.
For us, in no particular order, we chose Florida because:
1) I found my first post-Navy job here.
2) Climate. We prefer hot and humid summers to cold winters, and the warmer weather in general. Surrounded by water, the coastal areas of the Florida peninsula often are cooler than much of the East Coast in the summer. The summers we lived near Charleston, SC were more oppressive than in any of the cities I’ve lived in Florida (Jacksonville, Pensacola, Cape Canaveral, Key West, Tampa, Orlando).
3) No state income tax.
4) Natural disasters. Every state gets them in some form. At least we can usually see hurricanes coming well in advance. Not true for major tornadoes or earthquakes. We stock up on hurricane supplies every spring and use them down every winter to rotate the stock, so we don’t fight the crowds of people who don’t prepare in advance when a storm threatens.
5) Reasonable cost of living in most areas.
6) Plenty of open spaces even in most of the densely populated areas. Lots of bicycle trails and nice parks in my area.
7) Plenty of cultural things to do in the major cities. This is probably true in much of the country.
8) Traffic can be bad in lots of places around the country, and many places in Florida. As a retiree, it’s usually easy to plan trips around the times of heavy traffic. I live in the most densely populated county in FL and find it easy to avoid the worst traffic most of the time.
9) It’s nice to live in a place that many people travel to on their vacations. We’re already here.
10) If you like cruising (pre- and post- COVID of course) there are several cruise ports within driving distance for most of the state. These include Port Canaveral, Fort Lauderdale, Miami and Tampa.
11) I like to ride my bicycle and prefer the relatively flat topography in most of the state.
For us, in no particular order, we chose Florida because:
1) I found my first post-Navy job here.
2) Climate. We prefer hot and humid summers to cold winters, and the warmer weather in general. Surrounded by water, the coastal areas of the Florida peninsula often are cooler than much of the East Coast in the summer. The summers we lived near Charleston, SC were more oppressive than in any of the cities I’ve lived in Florida (Jacksonville, Pensacola, Cape Canaveral, Key West, Tampa, Orlando).
3) No state income tax.
4) Natural disasters. Every state gets them in some form. At least we can usually see hurricanes coming well in advance. Not true for major tornadoes or earthquakes. We stock up on hurricane supplies every spring and use them down every winter to rotate the stock, so we don’t fight the crowds of people who don’t prepare in advance when a storm threatens.
5) Reasonable cost of living in most areas.
6) Plenty of open spaces even in most of the densely populated areas. Lots of bicycle trails and nice parks in my area.
7) Plenty of cultural things to do in the major cities. This is probably true in much of the country.
8) Traffic can be bad in lots of places around the country, and many places in Florida. As a retiree, it’s usually easy to plan trips around the times of heavy traffic. I live in the most densely populated county in FL and find it easy to avoid the worst traffic most of the time.
9) It’s nice to live in a place that many people travel to on their vacations. We’re already here.
10) If you like cruising (pre- and post- COVID of course) there are several cruise ports within driving distance for most of the state. These include Port Canaveral, Fort Lauderdale, Miami and Tampa.
11) I like to ride my bicycle and prefer the relatively flat topography in most of the state.
Dtail
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
We live in Tampa.
We love the weather and on the whole will take the 90 degree humid weather over the snowy cold winter. No matter how hot it is, we go outside and do our things. As mentioned previously, you should experience FLA in the roughly 7 months of summer, including 4 months of high humidity to see if it bothers you.
Love the no state income tax.
Our area has only a few snowbirds, so not an issue for us.
Travelling around 10 miles outside our area and there are windy country roads/farms/orchards, etc.
Entertainment in the Tampa area is good enough in retirement.
Insurance rates are climbing, so that can be an issue.
Overall, we are very happy in FLA and wouldn't consider moving out of state.
We love the weather and on the whole will take the 90 degree humid weather over the snowy cold winter. No matter how hot it is, we go outside and do our things. As mentioned previously, you should experience FLA in the roughly 7 months of summer, including 4 months of high humidity to see if it bothers you.
Love the no state income tax.
Our area has only a few snowbirds, so not an issue for us.
Travelling around 10 miles outside our area and there are windy country roads/farms/orchards, etc.
Entertainment in the Tampa area is good enough in retirement.
Insurance rates are climbing, so that can be an issue.
Overall, we are very happy in FLA and wouldn't consider moving out of state.
truenorth418
Full time employment: Posting here.
Beautiful weather. Reasonable cost of living. Friendly people. No state income tax. Andrew Cuomo is not governor.
flyingaway
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Pros: No state income tax, warm weather, beaches.
Cons: High property tax, high home insurance, hot weather in summer.
I am currently interested in Florida (Tampa area) and Las Vegas.
Cons: High property tax, high home insurance, hot weather in summer.
I am currently interested in Florida (Tampa area) and Las Vegas.
ospreyjp
Dryer sheet aficionado
For those that get to Florida and decide 9 months of summer isn't for them, they can become "half-backs". That is they return halfway back to the Northeast or Midwest and settle in the Carolinas, Tenn, and other mid-Atlantic states.
Same decision
2 main reasons as I see it:
No more winter weather--most appealing after 20 inches of snow yesterday and single digit temps expected next week
No state income tax
On the down side DW is concerned about the long, hot humid summers and our children will likely remain up North
A compromise would be to snow bird. If we relocate my preference would be southern Florida, to have the really mild winters. Looks like you are looking at further North in Florida, what is your preference based on?
2 main reasons as I see it:
No more winter weather--most appealing after 20 inches of snow yesterday and single digit temps expected next week
No state income tax
On the down side DW is concerned about the long, hot humid summers and our children will likely remain up North
A compromise would be to snow bird. If we relocate my preference would be southern Florida, to have the really mild winters. Looks like you are looking at further North in Florida, what is your preference based on?
Dtail
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Many differences between Northern FLA and Southern FLA in addition to a decent weather difference in the winter temps, but let's see what the OP says.
bearkeley
Recycles dryer sheets
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We are in the process of making one of our rental properties on the beach as a primary residence so it made sense from a tax perspective. We also need a lot of sun and spend most of our time on or in the water, so it made sense for us.
However, as others mentioned, various regions in Florida varies significantly so it’s important to try it out first by renting long term. We have travelled on our very slow boat (7mph) up and down the east coast of Florida three times and now exploring the west coast and enjoying our adventure very much.
Some unexpected things we learned...
* weather varies by 10 - 20 degrees depending on where you are, further south can be significantly warmer in the winter, barrier islands, significantly cooler.
* red tide...west coast is beautiful but when red tide is around, you can’t be outdoors
* hurricane risk...surprised to learn our risk on a barrier island in Florida was the same as our home in Virginia’s Chesapeake Bay region
* noseeums...mangroves are full of them so understand wind impact
* seafood...oddly expensive
Florida has a lot to offer....good luck!
However, as others mentioned, various regions in Florida varies significantly so it’s important to try it out first by renting long term. We have travelled on our very slow boat (7mph) up and down the east coast of Florida three times and now exploring the west coast and enjoying our adventure very much.
Some unexpected things we learned...
* weather varies by 10 - 20 degrees depending on where you are, further south can be significantly warmer in the winter, barrier islands, significantly cooler.
* red tide...west coast is beautiful but when red tide is around, you can’t be outdoors
* hurricane risk...surprised to learn our risk on a barrier island in Florida was the same as our home in Virginia’s Chesapeake Bay region
* noseeums...mangroves are full of them so understand wind impact
* seafood...oddly expensive
Florida has a lot to offer....good luck!
Why Florida
Rathgar,
A silly story:
About 25 years ago I was with my wife, and we went downtown to look at some furniture she was interested in. We parked a little ways away, and were walking towards that store. There was a couple having drinks at an outside sidewalk cafe, and I noticed it was a woman I knew from work and her husband.
We said, hi, and asked what they were doing down there. She said, they live there. They owned a small condo in the city, and they also owned a little hobby farm 50 miles out of town. They stayed in the city during the work week, and stayed out in the country on the weekends.
I always thought this was a genius move, the best of both worlds.
I'm now snowbirding from Minnesota and SWFL. My first year. I'm starting to think it is a great strategy, at least for us. The best of both worlds?
Certainly for weather, but also for adventure, and just getting out and doing things. Kind of like having two different lives. If I was in Minnesota right now, I would be reading and making dinners when I wasn't shoveling the driveway.
Note: We do not have children, so no draw to stay home to see grandchildren. Even if we did, renting for three months in Jan-Mar would be a good option.
Take care, JP
Rathgar,
A silly story:
About 25 years ago I was with my wife, and we went downtown to look at some furniture she was interested in. We parked a little ways away, and were walking towards that store. There was a couple having drinks at an outside sidewalk cafe, and I noticed it was a woman I knew from work and her husband.
We said, hi, and asked what they were doing down there. She said, they live there. They owned a small condo in the city, and they also owned a little hobby farm 50 miles out of town. They stayed in the city during the work week, and stayed out in the country on the weekends.
I always thought this was a genius move, the best of both worlds.
I'm now snowbirding from Minnesota and SWFL. My first year. I'm starting to think it is a great strategy, at least for us. The best of both worlds?
Certainly for weather, but also for adventure, and just getting out and doing things. Kind of like having two different lives. If I was in Minnesota right now, I would be reading and making dinners when I wasn't shoveling the driveway.
Note: We do not have children, so no draw to stay home to see grandchildren. Even if we did, renting for three months in Jan-Mar would be a good option.
Take care, JP
Freedom56
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
A 74% drop in real estate prices in 2011 from the peak in 2007 drew us to Florida. It took some patience to wait for the high rise condos to be completed but prices today are close to 90% of the peak in 2007. We always believed we could sell our condo to a snowbird and one day will.
Tetto
Recycles dryer sheets
What about sink holes? Anyone worried about the deteriorating limestone underneath almost all of Florida? That makes me nervous! I've been in Florida in the summer, and OMG i've never felt heat like that before, except in San Ysidro DR, felt like i was on fire when outside. Other than that, I love the state, especially in the winter.
Lewis Clark
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Sinkholes are most likely in west central Florida, due to the limestone. But they are not an issue in all of west central Florida, nor in most of the state.
Dtail
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Correct, plus there are sites which show exactly where the sinkholes have happened, although don't have the sites at my fingertips.
Around us in Northern Tampa, there only have been a couple and not in our complex.
Richard4444
Full time employment: Posting here.
I moved to South FL from Boston solely for the weather - my Mom and one friend were already in the neighborhood so I had some familiarity. Yes, the summers and hurricane season aren't fun, but I prefer being able to walk outside in a T shirt and shorts almost daily.
Rich
Rich
RAE
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
We spend about half the year in Florida, half in N. Michigan. I love it here in FL during the winter, as I can be much more active than I could back in MI at this time of year. We kayak, fish, hike, bike, and do all sorts of other things outside here during the winter. Heck, I don't even mind doing house and yard projects here in FL during the winter, when the weather is not good enough to go kayaking. Back home in MI, I would be looking out the window, doing a lot of reading, and shoveling snow, as some others have said. After quite a few winters of doing this, I would be very unhappy now if I had to spend a winter up north again. There are some things I don't especially like about FL.........traffic and too many people, for one thing. But I am willing to put up with that to enjoy the other positive aspects of being here. I have no plans to live here year-round, though..........I think the summer heat and humidity would be very hard to take.
Bamaman
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
I always wondered where Floridians went on vacation. When traveling the North Georgia Mountains, NW SC, Western NC and East Tennessee, every third car we see has a Florida license plate.
It seems that it's universal that people that live in Florida yearn for mountains and a change of scenery and terrain.
Many homes in the area are owned by people from Florida or they rent homes short term there.
But after Christmas, they're back to the great Florida weather until April at least.
LXEX55
Recycles dryer sheets
My wife and I moved to St. Pete in April 2019 and never regretted it for one moment. Yes, very long, humid summers, but if you can't take the heat stay out of the kitchen. Obviously if you are one of those people who sweats a lot or just hates the feel of being sweaty, best not to come. Just as i would be nuts to move to Alaska. Florida is not for everyone, no place of extremes is. Property is cheap, no state tax, low property tax if you get homesteader status, which is not hard to get. Traffic has gotten much heavier and that is pretty much my main gripe about living here. But, I may never see snow again, and that is how I planned it, and how I like it.
