We did that for about five years. We bought a small house in Cape Coral at the bottom of the market when real estate crashed. We finally decided to make our move from Massachusetts permanent - we were paying $10 grand in taxes (plus heat) for a house we were living in for only a bit more then seven months per year. We loved the house, but every time I get all nostalgic about it, I hop into our big pool in Naples and swim a few laps. That takes my melancholy away fast.
Lived in Florida most of my life. Growing up there you just get used to the heat and humidity. I will move back when I retire.
When we visited Florida I couldn’t stand the humidity. We will probably winter somewhere less popular than FL or AZ. Maybe NM, TX or something. A road less traveled.
Well, there are these things,,,,caught this guy watching me while I used the vac at the car wash this morning.
From Buffalo, NY moved to Florida in 1987 on a work contract... If you like insects, spiders and being soaked to your knees in sweat 24/7/365 then Florida is the place for you! Since I turned 55 back in 2008 I have not liked living in Florida as the heat takes too much out of me now. Unless you build a temp controlled garage some insect will be cheweing on you and sweat will be running in your eyes working on the cars we love except for the 3-4 weeks of moderate weather a year north of Orlando. South Florida has the best weather as it is tropical and mored moderate than central and north Florida. Central and north Florida are hotter with less air flow. North of Orlando can get cold freezing temps but rarely below 30. Great prices on rust free used daily drivers, never a need to buy new. Very good home buying opportunities (bought 6 acres and a home that needed to be remodeled for $80K 6 years ago). Prices have not gone up too much since. You can find a home in a decent area in any price range. You can live very cheaply here. No state income tax, cheap property tax if you do your homework and stay out of the ultra libera counties. Don't let the media scare you off with the hurricane frenzy news reporting. Stay off the coast and you will be fine. If you must live in a beach town build/prep accordingly but the ocean is at most 60-70 minutes away from anywhere. Mikey
Ill pass on the huricanes, floods, mosquitoes, and possible diseases and pandemics you could get from foreigners coming in by containers. Oh yeah alligators too. Yxushbhshdbixlxmkzksmdkdndndjdkdndjd Sorry for the typo a mountain line attacked me then someone pull a gun on me for looking to long... Yeah I'm from California,
It's my understanding that home owners insurance in Florida is very very expensive. Plus they have snakes, Gators, Crocs, big big spiders, big cockroaches humidity and wind.. Nope!!
Molly Goodheads is minutes away from me. Homeowners is higher, but you need to shop around like anything else. UticaGeoff
Homeowmer's insurance is very pricey in SW Florida. Most of the bill is hurricane coverage. If you elect not to carry hurricane insurance, it is cheap. Not many Spiders or mosquitoes here, but god do I hate the fire ants. We do have Mosquitoes in the wet season (June through September), but the county sprays and except at the ends of the day, they are just as bad in New England. I have never seen the thermometer over 93 (shade) here; I have seen it quite a bit hotter then that in Massachusetts. The humidity in the summer can be tough though.
We don't worry about the big roaches they are easy to kill. You need to worry about the little roaches that fit in holes in electrical outlets. When you see those you generally have bigger problems than you realize... Jenn and I will be down in Florida from 3/8- 3/19 looking forward to it. Car show in Jacksonville then Merritt Island, then up to Gainesville for the complete Gator Nationals with John Lipori, Jesse, and the funnycar. Hoping to see a few of our Floridian friends while there.
Homeowners insurance in Florida is roughly 10% or replacement value of the building you are insuring. Not purchase/retail value, rebuilding it value. Spiders are bigger in any warm climate because spiders never stop growing so with no winter to hibernate or die they continue to get bigger. Those little wolf spiders you have up north can get as big as silver dollars but they have very mild venom so no worries. The issue is the damn recluse spiders even the insamely tiny baby ones pack a very nasty venom that feels like you are on fire for months (been bit by a few when I moved a cabinet up agains my chest, disturbed a nest and had a few bite me on the stomach). Black, brown, red widow spiders are everywhere there is a water source outside so pay attention where you put your hand. The golden orb spiders as big as your whole hand in huge insanely strong webs 10' around that you walk into in the dark with the spider right in the middle, nasty bite but very slow to bite so you get them off in time, very little, very mild venom. The pigmy rattlesnake is the only one you really have to look out for. They are very small 7"-9" and you don't see them in the grass till you step on them barefoot. Not fatal just painfull and swollen. But relatively few venomous snake bites here considering. The salt water catfish in the brackish water is probably the most dangerous thing you'll step on and their spines will go through your shoe, you foot will swell up 2x normal and you'll be in pain for a coupls of weeks. Jelly fish season is a pain. Feels like you stuck your finger in the 220 dryer socket. Fire ants are everywhere and they truly are the bane of Florida. You will get bit and develop a blister that itches worse than mosquito bites after the fire subsides. I have high, very dry property so I have no mosquitoes but the biting knats and biting yellow flies make up for it. Like I said 24/7/325 something is chewing on you and your drenched in sweat; 40 days of nice weather/year. Fishing is great, vehicles are great, boating is great. Stay off the coast and the hurricanes are really not that big an issue just make sure you have a big enough generator as I power my house 5-20 days a year from power failures even when the sun is shining. You will go through tires on any high horsepower car because I have 365 days a year to burn rubber. Mikey
My wife and I are are discussing this very move. Article On Realtor.com listed fastest growing retirement towns and SW Florida had a couple of communities listed. Not completely sure where we will end up or if smowbirding is in our future but we will be out of Illinois. Taxes in total are obviously a major consideration along with car ownership friendliness, available healthcare and stuff to do. Texas along with the Carolina's, Tenn maybe GA are in play too. I was ready to buy a summer house in North central Wis a couple years ago but the Mrs aid there wasn't enough to do around there. Oldest may settle in Western Michigan but I am quickly losing any desire to winter in the Midwest if I can avoid it. Not sure there is a perfect place to retire to, seems all have pro's and cons.
