I am seriously thinking of selling my home and moving to Florida. I don't like humidity but from what I understand if you live near the ocean, it's not too bad. Guess the sea breeze helps? But I also know living near the beach is very expensive. I figure I can spend up to $450,000 for a home as that is what mine is worth and mine is paid for. Don't need a house payment when retired so I paid it off. Any suggestions from those of you who know the areas? I've been to Orlando and as nice as the area is, it's too hot and humid. I'm thinking mid to southern area along the Atlantic side.
No humidity, cool summers? Being a block from the ocean in "The Cape" a woman that I know said, that the summers were horrible, you have to run the air all summer and when the "Red Tide" is in the beach doesn't even help.
Check with the weather channel. With realtor.com The closer you are to the water the higher the insurance.
For that kinda money I'd buy two houses, for the rental money and for equity.
Ken, Hopefully Sebring Bill a member here will see this thread. If not maybe PM him here on the forum. He lives down in Sarasota on the West Coast with his wife. Sebring as I call him will let you in on whats going on in Florida. I went down and paid him a visit back in 2004. First time for me being on the West Coast and I liked it enough to move there at some point hopefully down the road. My sister has a condo down in Fort Myers and they love it there but come back up to New Hampshire where they have lived for many years from April to the beginning of October.
Met Sebring on the Corvette Forum in 2002 and brought him a piece of automotive equipment in 2004 that he was looking for and made it into a Sarasoda White Beach vacation while there with my wife.
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1967 Marlboro Maroon 4spd Coupe 1973 Dark Blue 4spd Coupe w/air, original 25,000 miles 1999 Black C-5 Hatchback Coupe 6spd LS1 1934 Ford 3 Window Coupe eng. code "ZZZ" 350-345hp Chevy Powered! 1970 Black on Black Monte Carlo(FOR SALE)Asking $18k
Ken, Hopefully Sebring Bill a member here will see this thread. If not maybe PM him here on the forum. He lives down in Sarasota on the West Coast with his wife. Sebring as I call him will let you in on whats going on in Florida. I went down and paid him a visit back in 2004. First time for me being on the West Coast and I liked it enough to move there at some point hopefully down the road. My sister has a condo down in Fort Myers and they love it there but come back up to New Hampshire where they have lived for many years from April to the beginning of October.
Met Sebring on the Corvette Forum in 2002 and brought him a piece of automotive equipment in 2004 that he was looking for and made it into a Sarasoda White Beach vacation while there with my wife.
Uh, thats not the West Coast, California is the West Coast......... I think that Florida is 1 foot above sea level, its an alluvial fan.
Looking to narrow down the best areas for retirement with the mildest weather. We live near Sacramento where the summer averages between 90-100 dry degrees. Personally, I like 70-80 but my wife likes 80-90. In the winter it's too cold for both of us, daytime 40-50, nights 30-40. I'd like winter to be more like 60-70 and summer 80-90 with as little humidity as possible but I know that's unrealistic. But I have heard the east coast is not as bad as long as you are near the ocean. Not sure the gulf side is as cool with less humidity? We would plan on a vacation during the summer to check it out but would like to narrow down areas that would be good for us. We would love to be close to the beach if we can afford it. If not, a place with a nice view of the ocean. And away from the swamps. Don't like snakes or any reptiles for that matter.
Ken, You will probably not like all the traffic in some parts of Florida. There are a lot of people living there. I don't really like the East Coast of Florida. I do like the West Coast of Florida much better but to each his own. To me the East Coast is just an extension of New Jersey all the way down being you are dealing with the Atlantic but I guess now maybe the Gulf on the West Coast may never be the same after the spill. Who knows? Never spent anytime down in Florida during the Summer. Everyone says it is too hot and muggy that you can't stand to be outside. You may not care for that no matter where you go in Florida. Not to far from the water would probably be your best bet. There are surely plenty of deals down there now.
We drove down in 2004 but went down in October. Still plenty warm enough for us to go on the beach at that time and in the water. Many Floridians are walking around in sweaters by then down there. Coming back in 2004 we stopped in Orlando to visit a relative of mine. This was during the middle of the day and the traffic was horrendous. Wouldn't want to live there and this was 20 minutes away from Disney. During our road trip we first drove down to Miami being the company my wife works for has a company headquarters down there. She needed to take a class for 2 days so we worked everything in at around the same time during our 10 day trip. I just hung around at the hotel bringing my wife back and forth and went out to see what kind of food I could find. Tell you one thing the Cuban people down there make some really good food. I went to one place one day in the area and the food was so good I had to go back the next day once again before we left on the 3rd day to head up to the West Coast on to Sarasota. The only thing I didn't like about Miami again was the traffic especially on RT.95 going down as it is 6 lanes across and if you didn't know where you are going it could easily be a problem for turning off the highway. At least today we have GPS back then in 2004 it was probably something brand new to us and not many people had it if it was even available then I don't remember. Great road trip I have to say though. I enjoyed it back then driving my then new 2003 Ford E-350 Van there. That in itself having all the room in the world behind you to pack anything you wanted was great. Took on the heavy pallatized Coats Tire Machine Sebring Bill was waiting for like it wasn't even in the back of the Van along the long trip.
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1967 Marlboro Maroon 4spd Coupe 1973 Dark Blue 4spd Coupe w/air, original 25,000 miles 1999 Black C-5 Hatchback Coupe 6spd LS1 1934 Ford 3 Window Coupe eng. code "ZZZ" 350-345hp Chevy Powered! 1970 Black on Black Monte Carlo(FOR SALE)Asking $18k
Long story but my family lived and farmed in Florida since 1930 ,they also farmed at the same time in Northern Maine .I went to school there my early grammer school years and I've traveled all over.My favorite area is the Keys without a doubt ,I just love the life style of being layed back.It's also a little better in the summer and warmer in the winter.
I also like Sebring which is inland .It's a smaller city that has everything .Naples on the west coast is where my wife almost bought a condo ten years ago .her tastes are much more refinened than mine .
West coast Is a little more humid in the summer but I prefer it to the east.
Lots of days over the past two years Maine has been warmer than Florida .Thats why if I we're looking I'd look at the upper Keys -Key Largo and 30 miles south of Key Largo.
I'm just getting really tired of California. Lived here all my life. Where I live in the Sacramento Valley gets too cold for me in the winter. I can take a couple of weeks of the 100*+ temps we get as it is very dry heat. But the cold bothers me and the wife. Florida looks like no worries about winter at least in the lower half of the state. I've been to Orlando in the summer when it's in the low 90's and high humidity. It was bad but not unbearable and I think the coast near the ocean would be a few degrees cooler. I worry about the Gulf side only because of hurricanes and less sea breezes. I want to live as close as possible to the beach. At least a couple of blocks away with a view. Not sure if the Atlantic side is better than the gulf side. I do worry about snakes, bugs, etc as my wife is a city girl and hates reptiles and bugs. I see almost every house with a pool has it screened in. Not sure I would like that. Maybe I need to look into Texas gulf area?
Ken, not Texas.......a friend spent last winter on St Padres Island Texas........WINDY. He hated it, boring......he usually winters in So Cal...... Houston is hot and muggy the air condtioners run all year.......... Texas property taxes have no cap, they go up twice a year........
I left California twice..........always came back. Every other state is like a foreign country. Even the language is different.....you can't kid around with people in Texas they take it personal.
Just my personal opinion but Sac suxs....so does Redding..........SF......Marin.......
I've lived in San Diego, perfect weather........the border wars in Mexico are spilling into SD now though. I grew up in Los Angeles.........combat zone....good weather though. Lived for many years in Nor Cal........Santa Cruz Ca, beach town mostly good weather. Its becoming a gangland with a lot of crime.. Lived in San Jose Ca........hot summers mild winters........the freeways are parking lots.
Lived in El Paso Tx........dust storms, horrible.........its hot in March.......mild winters. Lived in Santa Teresa New Mexico.......its was 73 there yesterday........they have no winter, hot summers, low humidty.......no traffic......the border wars are a big impact in West Texas and Western New Mexico.
Lived in Portland Oregon for years, -17 winters, freezing rain is always fun, cold winters, it rains all summer......just like New Jersey... I lived in Maryland hot summers, huge lightning stroms........freezing winters, muggy in summer.
A friend of mine went to Florida on his Harley, at a rest stop three gentlemen came after his bike he lifted his shirt to show them his gun and they had a change of heart.
Hurricane Andrew and Katrina et all, blew the zoo apart and all of snakes jumped ship. Florida has Green Tree Snakes very deadly.........South American snakes, part of the old zoo.
Phytons in the city is very common........Phytons the size of 10'+........then theres Alligators and Crocs.....Florida is a real zoo...monkeys, snakes, you name it all of those homes built around those ponds.....you can't go in those ponds.....gators
A guy that I worked for said, "You can be 1 block from the beach and you can see it unless to stand on top of your car".
With you, being married and all, you can't move any where your wife doesn't approve of. Sac isn't California anymore than Los Angeles is....... Me I staying here, never been to Florida, or Montana, never wanted to go....
Urban renewal in Florida is called a Hurricane........Take a look at the Carolinas. One thing the "good" parts of Florida are not cheap....
Snow and mountains are really beautiful to look at but neither my wife or myself like cold weather. Wife wants Hawaii. I would too but it's way too expensive to live there and I don't want to buy a shack. I had considered Baja many years ago but with all the crime now, no way. Arizona may be a choice but not sure the wife would like it. I would love to move to Santa Barbara area but I don't have a million bucks for a house. Think we need to take a road trip to the southern states.
Snow and mountains are really beautiful to look at but neither my wife or myself like cold weather. Wife wants Hawaii. I would too but it's way too expensive to live there and I don't want to buy a shack. I had considered Baja many years ago but with all the crime now, no way. Arizona may be a choice but not sure the wife would like it. I would love to move to Santa Barbara area but I don't have a million bucks for a house. Think we need to take a road trip to the southern states.
Hawaii is not that expensive, my nephew was looking at homes in Hawaii in 08 and he found serveral for under $200,000. Hookup with a realtor in Hawaii and see what happens.....Arizona you have to run the air for 7 months a year, its really hot........and theres a serious water shortage.
Snow and mountains are really beautiful to look at but neither my wife or myself like cold weather. Wife wants Hawaii. I would too but it's way too expensive to live there and I don't want to buy a shack. I had considered Baja many years ago but with all the crime now, no way. Arizona may be a choice but not sure the wife would like it. I would love to move to Santa Barbara area but I don't have a million bucks for a house. Think we need to take a road trip to the southern states.
Hawaii is not that expensive, my nephew was looking at homes in Hawaii in 08 and he found serveral for under $200,000. Hookup with a realtor in Hawaii and see what happens.....Arizona you have to run the air for 7 months a year, its really hot........and theres a serious water shortage.
Hawaii would be my 1st choice........
1 bedroom condo in hawaii for $200,000 plus. Homes for 5 times that.
Ken, its not going to be easy is it...at the juncture in my life, I'm Dunmovin. Theres draw backs to just about everywhere, Hawaii is one of the most liberal states in the US and they're seriously broke.......
Money Magazine has a top ten cities to live in, New Jersey is one of them, but they don't mention the $700.00 a month property taxes.
Ken, its not going to be easy is it...at the juncture in my life, I'm Dunmovin. Theres draw backs to just about everywhere, Hawaii is one of the most liberal states in the US and they're seriously broke.......
Money Magazine has a top ten cities to live in, New Jersey is one of them, but they don't mention the $700.00 a month property taxes.
Southern Orygun is nice.
I wish my property taxes were $700 or lower a month right now. I pay about $850 a month in property taxes here in N.J.. Highway robbery if you ask me. The kicker is my home is only a little over 2000 sq. ft maybe 2100 if I remember correctly, its been awhile. Heck there are people paying way more then me out there living in larger homes.
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1967 Marlboro Maroon 4spd Coupe 1973 Dark Blue 4spd Coupe w/air, original 25,000 miles 1999 Black C-5 Hatchback Coupe 6spd LS1 1934 Ford 3 Window Coupe eng. code "ZZZ" 350-345hp Chevy Powered! 1970 Black on Black Monte Carlo(FOR SALE)Asking $18k
My property taxes are $73.50 a month. California is cheap and the weather is good.........you can't retire in New Jersey. But I know everyone hates California.....I just don't get it. I sat outside in the sun today, 52 degress and I got hot.... Don't get me wrong I hate democrats, but I was here first.......
OK - i finally got around to this post. I've lived in Sarasota (west coast about 50 mi south of Tampa-St Pete) since 1978 (the snow convinced me) and would not go back to Long Island. Yeah, the humidity gets high from Apr to Oct but the all-time high temp here is 99F. It got hotter on LI. A by-product is that nearly everything here is air-conditioned. Since I've been here it snowed once in 1989 but we do get frost/freezes here; seems like a few more lately. When I first moved here I could almost set my watch to the summer afternoon thunderstorms at about 4:30pm; they're not as predictable anymore. They would cool everything down about 15 degrees but you could sometimes watch the steam rise from the asphalt along with the humidity afterward! I live about 5 mi inland from the beaches - Siesta Beach (the white sands help it show up on most 10 best beach lists) is gorgeous. The traffic here gets worse with the "alien invasion" usually from Thanksgiving/Christmas/New Years, peaking just before Easter, then 80% of 'em head back north somewhere (only to find out that it gets hotter there than FL - OK not every day). The real estate taxes on our house went up to $2100/yr after the large renovation & addition - they were about $1000/yr before it. Right now real estate here is in the toilet so it's a buyer's mkt. The best advice I have is to take a trip to where you are thinking of moving and do your homework. When you find a potential place ask about the development's deed restrictions to make sure you won't be getting into pissing matches with neighbors about such stupid things as car noise, landscaping or the color of your mailbox. (Yup, it gets that inane - every owners' assoc has at least one schmuck that has nothing better to do than to get up early and find deed restriction violations!)
