Posted on 07/10/2016 2:46:43 AM PDT by freepertoo
Mods, this is such a vanity! Please move or remove as you see fit, if necessary. Could use some moving to Florida advice. Retiring in a few years from the DC, Maryland area. Have looked at Ocala because of the cool 55+ communities there, but the crime rate is scary. Also looking at Lake Mary and surrounding area. Costs are a lot less than in Maryland, and I admit to being a pathetic Disney junky. Advice, Floridians?
I recommend Wakulla county which is directly below Leon county where Tallahassee is located. I’ve bought six pieces of rental property there and plan to move there when I can. It is rural and will remain so because of the percentage of land owned by the government as forests; 67% if memory serves. It is a short 30/40 minute drive to a first rate hospital or a small airport. There is probably a retirement community if you look. It is a short drive to excellent beaches and boating. Best of all...trees everywhere you look. Darned little concrete. Very nice folks and friendly atmosphere.
Hilarious!!!!
I’m thinking about SC, too!
Went through the same drill about five years ago. Finally decided just to move next to a country club here in North Alabama. Haven’t regretted that but sometimes still wonder.
Couple of suggestions.
-Before you move there, take some time, not just a week or two, but a couple of months and lease a house there so you can really experience the situation. I hear leases are usually available.
-Consider this, many people move there and then move back because they miss their old homes and families.
-Don’t lock in on Central Florida. I know the 55+ communities are nice but there are other options. For example, visit the DelWebb website. You’ll find they have properties all over the South East. In fact, they will be opening a new one just south of Nashville in 2017.
Delray Beach we did - not moving entirely though love NH too much.
All these folks looking in northern Florida - you shouldn’t do it without exploring between Jupiter and Lauderdale. You can get gated or un-gated, cheap or expensive, golf or not, country or suburban, etc. etc. etc.
Not sure if you are male or female and have a spouse.
If you are a single female and not a ‘club joiner’ be careful about isolation in these ‘villages’. Otherwise, SunCity Hilton Head is a great gated community and its more upscale subdivision; Riverbend. Close to Charleston and Savannah with water access and plenty of golf courses. But there are a few alligators.
It all sounds great. You read so much that is negative about Florida, so it’s good to get the positive reviews, too. The cost of living amazes me. I was pretty well resigned to retiring at 70 here in Maryland, but with the cost of housing I am seeing in Florida, I really can retire at 66. Hope it doesn’t change too much in five years.
I’d disagree but understand why we have chocolate and vanilla.
“Read an article a while back stating that The Villages is the STD capitol of the USA.”
That was a hit piece by a hack. The Villages have their ‘haters’ on the outside who claim that “white privilege” reigns supreme there. That place was virtually untouched by the housing bubble’s big bust and it’s still growing. Houses are still being built there before they’re even sold. New golf courses continue to spring up on a regular basis. People who used to drive electric golf carts are switching to gas because they don’t want to have their batteries run down halfway home from a round of golf across town. You might think there’d be a golf cart theft problem at The Villages but there isn’t one. The myth of there being some kind of STD epidemic is only a myth being perpetuated by socialists with an axe to grind. However, they’ve got nothing real to work with.
What wonderful advice, thank you! How did you ultimately settle on Alabama?
Single female, no family left to speak of, very active and love life, but not a joiner.
We do have those giant gliding cockroaches in both Carolinas.
Haha
Do you live at The Villages?
Stay out of ponds and other bodies of freshwater.
Indeed, yes, I will!
The big bugs will definetely scare me in the Southern states, for SURE!
I’ve lived in Ft. Launderdale, Sarasota and currently in Brandon outside of Tampa....
Where you want to retire really depends on what you like to do or plan to do and what activities you enjoy....
All the advice I can give you is stay away from the Broward county going south...for about 100 different reasons...
If you fish get ready to convert some of your tackle to Salt Water....
If you ski put them up for sale...
Every major city has traffic problems...
If you are a veteran and plan to use the PX services on base...Tampa area is great because of MacDill air base...
Last but not lest, Florida ihas a topical climate, hire a good pest control company... You will need one...
Greetings from Tarpon Springs...
Just notched my fifth year July 1st.
Sarasota is absolutely beautiful. Expensive and traffic can be a little heavy in winter.
Villages area nice but not a whole lot to do.
I moved to lithia. Equal distance to tampa, sarasota, orlando (1 hour). Love it here. Bought 4 acres. Lots of farming and ranching.
I know people who do and I’ve been there 7 times since 1998 as a guest. A guest ID is issued and has an expiration date. I’ve seen the growth there and the rate of growth too. The first ZIP code for The Villages is 32159. The second, 32162 was added in 2007 or ‘08 and I believe there will be or there is already a third ZIP code about to be assigned. The Villages re an American success story and I don’t think it will ever become the kind of place that nobody goes to anymore because it’s too crowded.
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