For Florida Beach Bums Only - How do you like where you live and why?

[Koolau]

I live about 200 yds from the ocean in a small town in NE Fl that is about 20 minutes from a major city. There is every convenience and necessity I could ever want within a few minutes from home. I have been in the area since 1966 and at the beach since 1973. I have the same experiences as ShokWaveRider.
The downside is my modest 1955 1500 sq ft home which I bought in 1983 is now worth $1.250 million. No way I would buy it at that price but that (and much higher) is what buyers are looking at. Unless the ocean rises I doubt the prices will go down in the future.
If I was to move it would definitely NOT be inland. I don't see the attraction for us.

Cheers!

That sounds like a great place! Do you have issues with insurance on the property? I'm hearing lots of stories about insurance companies dropping people or charging ridiculous premiums, etc.

 

[cj1717]

Thanks for starting this thread, ShokWave. I'll be watching the various replies. We were out in West Palm Beach a few weeks ago for some orthopedic surgery for our granddaughter, and it got me thinking about a winter place in FL for ourselves and our daughter once we pass. We live in CO, but we lived in Houston for 17 years, so we understand heat and oppressive humidity.

West Palm is pricey (and probably touristy?), so I look forward to learning more about other areas. Your neck of the woods sounds interesting.

FL has changed dramatically in the last few years...more expensive and crowded...We are probably leaving.

 

[ShokWaveRider]

FL has changed dramatically in the last few years...more expensive and crowded...We are probably leaving.

One of the things we like is the fact is it not so cheap anymore. We never liked any LCOL areas we visited when looking and prefer MCOL or HCOL, they just seem to be kept better overall, the quality of the neighborhoods is increasing. Also, the necessities of life and healthcare (the biggest necessity for us) are just better in MCOL areas. OK Insurance is a little high, but that is the cost, and it is what it is. I do not think anyone coming here from NY, California or any other VHCOL state would consider those things a negative. Now there are still lots of cheap areas in Florida if that is your thing, but they are nowhere near the beach. Quite frankly I do not think anyone on this site being able to FIRE would like them either.

 

[FindingForward]

That is where we are.

interesting - thanks for specifying. I actually was guessing that you were in Amelia Island/Fernandina Beach area

 

[Koolau]

One of the things we like is the fact is it not so cheap anymore. We never liked any LCOL areas we visited when looking and prefer MCOL or HCOL, they just seem to be kept better overall, the quality of the neighborhoods is increasing. Also, the necessities of life and healthcare (the biggest necessity for us) are just better in MCOL areas. OK Insurance is a little high, but that is the cost, and it is what it is. I do not think anyone coming here from NY, California or any other VHCOL state would consider those things a negative. Now there are still lots of cheap areas in Florida if that is your thing, but they are nowhere near the beach. Quite frankly I do not think anyone on this site being able to FIRE would like them either.

Yeah, it's not about "exclusivity" at all. (I get embarrassed when anyone suggests that about where we live.) Actually, it's just that HCOL areas "demand" good services AND can afford them. It costs a lot to live in a HCOL area, but, to some, it is worth it - especially when you can afford it.

 

[Badger]

That sounds like a great place! Do you have issues with insurance on the property? I'm hearing lots of stories about insurance companies dropping people or charging ridiculous premiums, etc.

It is a great place for us. 5 years before retiring I searched for a place to move to. I had a lot of criteria to consider but eventually realized I was already living where all of them were available.
Insurance companies have been increasing rates just like most places. I insure with USAA for home owners insurance and also have flood insurance. What has really increased is what used to be called "Hurricane Insurance" but now is often called "Wind and Hail Insurance". Some years ago that coverage was taken over by another company and then again a few years later. Since my old concrete block house has survived everything since 1955 and I have a standing seam metal roof and use metal window covers if needed I stopped using that insurance once it doubled. Not everyone has that option and still be safely covered.

Cheers!

 

[Time2]

FL has changed dramatically in the last few years...more expensive and crowded...We are probably leaving.

I moved to Panama City 28 years ago, Panama City Beach (different city) is 4 miles away with nice PCB beaches 8 miles from my home. I have bay swimming 2 miles home, but not as nice as the park on PCB that I use. When I first arrived, I would go to PCB beach and the McDonalds there was closed for the season. The place was so dead, they closed the McDonalds! Until the tourists came in the summer. Now, there are dozens of 20 story condos, a large commercial district and and a huge amount of apartments and houses built and being built. Many living in PCB are getting very weary of all the traffic and tourists during the summer.
I do enjoy the state park in PCB, and have a had a few season passes, just so I could swim there in what is known as the kiddie pool. Apt name because it is shielded on 3 sides, no waves and has a pretty gradual water level rise as you walk in. But in reality there are more adults and seniors taking advantage of the area.
Here is a pretty nice picture of this area of the park. It shows the kiddie pool, center left, the Pass on the right that ships use to come and go from the Gulf into St. Andrews Bay and at the bottom the Gulf side of the beach. The jetties between the kiddie pool and the pass look a little disheveled, the picture may have been taken between when the hurricane hit and before it was rebuilt. The jetty now provides a 6 to 10 ft barrier between the waters of the pass and the kiddie pool all along that edge. Looks to be off season, not many people there, (good time to go! )
Click Thumbnail.
BTW, I'm what is known as a damn Yankee, I didn't come spend my money and leave, I came and stayed!

 

[teej1985]

Can't resist this dumb question: is it reasonable to rent?

I pay $1900/mo for a one bedroom apartment, with a parking spot (a lot of housing here has just street parking). I don't have inside laundry which is annoying, but I can walk to a laundromat a couple blocks away. I have a walk score in the 90s.

I doubt I'll retire here, but it works for now.

The rent seems like a relative bargain compared to spending $1.5M or $2m for a similar duplex (of which I only occupy one half of, obviously)

 

[Koolau]

I pay $1900/mo for a one bedroom apartment, with a parking spot (a lot of housing here has just street parking). I don't have inside laundry which is annoying, but I can walk to a laundromat a couple blocks away. I have a walk score in the 90s.

I doubt I'll retire here, but it works for now.

The rent seems like a relative bargain compared to spending $1.5M or $2m for a similar duplex (of which I only occupy one half of, obviously)

That's what I have noticed about Hawaii rents as well. They are a real "bargain" compared to purchasing. Our condo might sell for $600K to $700K. Rents in our building I've seen around $2400/mo. The owner pays $800 to $900 for HOA dues.

We have friends who rent a house which is likely 1.2 million or more. They pay $3500/month.

Do the math and rent is probably the way to go except for long term people like us who will probably die, owning the place. As always, YMMV.

 

[marko]

Our family has wintered in Fort Lauderdale since the 1940s. Lots of changes. We're on the Intracoastal but about 2 blocks from the beach which we never go to.

Its a large city with just about everything that goes with it: good hospitals, great retail, great restaurants, crime and homelessness.

A good blend of tourists and working people. However, more and more its becoming a suburb of Miami and not always in a positive way. Seems to be more crime coupled to much higher property values. Lots of new high rises being built, condo units selling for millions.

 

[Montecfo]

I pay $1900/mo for a one bedroom apartment, with a parking spot (a lot of housing here has just street parking). I don't have inside laundry which is annoying, but I can walk to a laundromat a couple blocks away. I have a walk score in the 90s.

I doubt I'll retire here, but it works for now.

The rent seems like a relative bargain compared to spending $1.5M or $2m for a similar duplex (of which I only occupy one half of, obviously)

I agree that does seem like a good deal!

 

[INTJ10]

We live in West Central Florida, Tampa Metropolitan Area. Our house is a few hundred feet from the Gulf so we almost always have a breeze. We are in the "nature coast" area so the coast is mangrove instead of beaches but there are plenty of water sport opportunities and parks. We are far enough from downtown Tampa to avoid the congestion but close enough to take advantage of the things that big cities offer.

Our neighbor rents his house out. Surprisingly, it is always occupied in the summer. It seems most of the renters are from Central Florida who are there to escape the heat. The cost of living is pretty reasonable. We were lucky to have purchased our house before the recent spike in real estate. The taxes are low because of the homestead. We opted out of flood insurance because we live in a stilt home. We installed wind mitigation (i.e. hurricane windows/shutters). So the homeowners policy has a big discount.

 

[teej1985]

I agree that does seem like a good deal!

Don't get me wrong - it's small - like 500 sq ft, I don't think I could convince a woman to live here with me, but as long as I'm single and have a job nearby, I don't see why I'd leave!

...Unless I decide to go back to Arizona and find a deal.

 

[teej1985]

We live in West Central Florida, Tampa Metropolitan Area. Our house is a few hundred feet from the Gulf so we almost always have a breeze. We are in the "nature coast" area so the coast is mangrove instead of beaches but there are plenty of water sport opportunities and parks. We are far enough from downtown Tampa to avoid the congestion but close enough to take advantage of the things that big cities offer.

Our neighbor rents his house out. Surprisingly, it is always occupied in the summer. It seems most of the renters are from Central Florida who are there to escape the heat. The cost of living is pretty reasonable. We were lucky to have purchased our house before the recent spike in real estate. The taxes are low because of the homestead. We opted out of flood insurance because we live in a stilt home. We installed wind mitigation (i.e. hurricane windows/shutters). So the homeowners policy has a big discount.

No gators in your part of FL?

 

[FlaGator]

I think he was asking what part of FL is ..."as close to the beach as I can afford, with more robust healthcare and retail nearby than I have here."



What about St. Augustine? I spent a couple of days there and really liked it. Don't know about beaches but would guess they have health care - if not, then there is Jacksonville not too far away.

Of the many places in FL that meet those 2 criteria, I'll look most seriously at the JAX/St. Augustine area and Sarasota.

I recently became "partner-free", and the last kid leaves for school in August. I've not had so few responsibilities in 40 years, and I have more money than I did back then.

I decided to stay put for at least another 18-24 months to see what life is like here when I'm not raising kids or trying to keep a spouse happy. Plenty of time to see what develops and consider other locations.

 

[ShokWaveRider]

OP here. I like reading the posts from other "Beach Bums", I use the term loosely.

We certainly like where we are as there is a good blend of tourist town and locals. While our traffic has got worse over the years, we really do not notice it as unbearable. When we went looking on the West coast from Naples to Tampa, it was really oppressive, at least for us from what we are used to. We purposely went in the high season to do our evaluations and house hunting.

Having "Beach" in our towns title still makes me feel happy, why I do not know. another thing about our town I like is that we have "Call ahead seating" at local restaurants, not reservations as such although some still do. If one decides to go out to eat, one can call the restaurant and request call ahead seating, they will, let us know the best time to turn up.

If I had a complaint is would be one still needs a car, even though everything is 10 minutes or less away, a car is still needed, public transportation is very limited.

We particularly like our development too. We are not great socializers and reserve that for our regular friends. So going to the club and sitting around with folk over a beer is not our thing, we would rather do that at each other's homes. In addition, lawn care is mandatory and for us is included in our HOA, so when walking around everything typically looks well kept, unless one's grass gets stressed which happens a lot around here.

Our community's club is a private golf club with optional membership. There are various levels of membership from Full Golf, Partial Golf and other amenities and a Social Membership with access to fitness, pool, clubhouse etc. As we are not golfers this suited us fine when we were evaluating the costs as it significantly reduces the HOA costs depending on one's level of membership choice. Membership is not mandatory but does not require an initiation fee if one is a resident, or at least it was the last time we checked.

Sounds like I am convincing myself to stay put. Well, that would be true of we could find a smaller home without a pool, with concrete construction. Unfortunately, everyone that moves here puts in a pool if there is not one already there, so pickings are very slim.

 

[Scuba]

Of the many places in FL that meet those 2 criteria, I'll look most seriously at the JAX/St. Augustine area and Sarasota.



I recently became "partner-free", and the last kid leaves for school in August. I've not had so few responsibilities in 40 years, and I have more money than I did back then.



I decided to stay put for at least another 18-24 months to see what life is like here when I'm not raising kids or trying to keep a spouse happy. Plenty of time to see what develops and consider other locations.

The Sarasota area is very nice. We also like Venice quite a bit. Haven’t explored JAX/St. Augustine as we are not looking that far north.

 

[wearefinishedworking]

We spent over a month just inland off of Anna Maria Island, and those beaches are glorious. It is the getting over the bridges part that will wear you down.

 

[Amethyst]

Foot issues (not dirty beaches - ours is clean) oblige me to wear shoes on the beach, and I sometimes get cracks about it (but not that much - I see people wearing Crocs, and I doubt they are tourists - we are out of the usual tourist way).

It's always frustrated me the way people assume things by what you wear, how your hair is, etc. but I realize it's human nature. I judge people, too.

The sugar sand beaches are incredibly clean and only the tourists walk on them in shoes. Barefoot is the way to go, and you can do it safely. Add your shoes to the pile of them at the top of the dune like everyone else as you head down to the beach

.

Oh, I forgot to mention that when I am a tourist, I tour with pride! I am sure that everyone can tell I am from elsewhere, but nobody ever says anything, lol.

 

[Amethyst]

There is not one single pool-free home in my little beach development. It is the first pool I have ever owned. However, there are sharks in the ocean that feed close to shore - so it's nice to have a place to swim, especially when it's hot out. My pool isn't heated, except by the sun - right now the water is 96 degrees and feels like a hot tub!

O

Sounds like I am convincing myself to stay put. Well, that would be true of we could find a smaller home without a pool, with concrete construction. Unfortunately, everyone that moves here puts in a pool if there is not one already there, so pickings are very slim.

 

[Badger]

Foot issues (not dirty beaches - ours is clean) oblige me to wear shoes on the beach, and I sometimes get cracks about it (but not that much - I see people wearing Crocs, and I doubt they are tourists - we are out of the usual tourist way).

It's always frustrated me the way people assume things by what you wear, how your hair is, etc. but I realize it's human nature. I judge people, too.



Oh, I forgot to mention that when I am a tourist, I tour with pride! I am sure that everyone can tell I am from elsewhere, but nobody ever says anything, lol.

Just try not to wear black socks with sandals although I am pretty sure only some of the tourists do that. You can tell who they are by the lobster red skin.

Cheers!

 

[Amethyst]

I believe the black socks/sandals is just a general thing. The socks came out of the drawer that way, and were not analyzed before being put on. No mirrors were involved, or else their input was cheerfully ignored.

I was about to say something judgy about the sandals, themselves, but I've been training myself to suspect that my judgements aren't always needed or wanted.

The sunburn/cellulite combo can be seen on beaches in other places that are not as heavily toured as Florida. Fortunately my beach is not that crowded and it's mostly snowbirds, who never seem to turn red. (Do snowbirds qualify as tourists?)

Just try not to wear black socks with sandals

Cheers!

 

[FiveDriver]

Following this thread, interested in all responses.

Our Daughter has settled in Coral Springs, to the west of Boca Raton. We're looking to re-locate a bit closer to her, but that part of SE FLA is just way too busy for me. A little farther to the north around St Lucie or Melbourne area was interesting last time we passed thru there. I think as you get too far north in Florida, you lose that 'Florida Feel' and anything north of Jacksonville seems like South Georgia to me.

The questions I have are centered around Insurance, Hurricane and otherwise. How much does it actually cost ?? The network news the other night had a headline about rising Insurance rates nationwide. But Tornado Alley in the mid-west had the biggest increase. Florida was ranked somewhere in the middle at around $2500 per year average.
How much do the CBS/red tile roof homes cost to fully insure ??

The other big question is -- what happens to these 'beachy' towns during Spring Break ?? I've been to Ft Lauderdale Beach a few times in my mis-spent youth....I wouldn't want to see that crowd descend on us as a home-owner.

My other MINOR concerns involve rising tides and temperatures, and the noise coming from the Gov's Mansion in Tallahassee. I can put up with a little extra heat, but 'hot air' is quite another matter.

We don't need to live 'On The Beach' and we're certainly not going to pay a premium to do so. We live a half hour from the beach here in SC, but we only go dip our toes maybe four times a year. A Community Pool, with a well-managed HOA is sufficient at this stage of life.

 

[Aerides]

In SE. Fla about 3 miles inland, but any drive to the beach is about 6 miles, 15 mins., 20 if the bridge is up. That's primarily due to the intracoastal breaking up some of the main roads, and access to local beachfront parks or parking. While there are plenty of beaches, finding good available public parking is key. Beaches aren't private, but if they are lined with condos they might as well be! Fortunately there is either a state/county/city park about every 10 minutes. They are all pretty nice near me with bathrooms and cooking areas. Red Reef and Spanish River are favorites.

I don't go to the beach very often, and I have my own pool. No driving or parking involved, no jellyfish or seaweed or sand to rinse off. I'm more prone to visit the beach in the winter, take a run along A1A, then walk back along the beach.

The "beach vibe" here pretty much ends once you get about a half mile west of the intracoastal.

I don't give a thought to crime. Insurance keeps going up, but we're not in an evacuation zone. I do like being close to PBI and FLL, and MIA is just over an hour. I can fly anywhere very easily with these choices.

 

[ShokWaveRider]

The questions I have are centered around Insurance, Hurricane and otherwise. How much does it actually cost ?? The network news the other night had a headline about rising Insurance rates nationwide. But Tornado Alley in the mid-west had the biggest increase. Florida was ranked somewhere in the middle at around $2500 per year average.
How much do the CBS/red tile roof homes cost to fully insure ??

Perhaps we should have a poll or separate thread for this? How much do the folks here that live in Florida pay for Home & Flood insurance?

Criteria and info., otherwise results would be meaningless .. should be:

Florida full or part time resident.
Home Size.
Construction, Block or Stick.
Roof material concrete tile, shingle or Metal.
General Location
Distance from the beach

And anything else that would make the responses meaningful to those who are already here and those who wish to be.