Posted on 07/10/2016 2:46:43 AM PDT by freepertoo
Thank you freepertoo! What a nice relief this thread has been. My hubby and I are in your neighborhood now, Virginia side. Our plan is to get the hell out of Dodge in a few years too. Our plan is to go to Alabama. We have lots of family that live in a small town west of Huntsville. Close enoug for good health care. Are you dead set on Florida? Just thinking you have a few years to consider.
Pick a few towns that you think you want to live in. Then purchase or go online to read the local newspaper for a month or more. The wife and I did it and it prevented us from making a big mistake.
Don’t know your financial status but Naples is good but expensive in the south, Destin is beautiful in the panhandle and has a touch of seasons, and Palm Coast is reasonable and up and coming on the east coast. Just about any area will have a 55+ community or will be one by default. Friends just moved here from NOVA and found their community was 60% retired with 50% of the retirees being seasonal residents.
Your desire for activity will also be important. Golf can be found almost everywhere but water sports will push you to coastal cities. In my opinion, east coast is more liberal and major cities have more nightlife but also the crime that comes with it (same for Tampa and Ft. Myers on the west coast).
We retired 6 years ago from NOVA and enjoy the Florida lifestyle. Our area is a 4-4-4 zone for average temperatures (4 months in 90’s, 4 in 80’s, and 4in 70’s). Think of it as a long summer. I never thought I’d live minutes from a beach or have a pool but now enjoy both. For me, as an arthritis sufferer, the heat has been a plus.
Good luck.
Yeah, there’s a new toll road that makes it a quick jaunt to Disney but why????? You do get to drive around on roads in a golf cart in the villages.
I moved AWAY from FL to get away from all that diversity. That and it’s just not a good spot geographically if the shtf. Just a few roads to get out of the state. That and it is expensive in FL.
Have a look at Branson, MO. Kind of a new affordable retirement hot spot.
I lived and worked in Florida for 26 years.
There are some very nice parts of it and I recommend the Ocala area too.
As for myself, I’ve lost my heat tolerance and the combined heat and humidity was killing me. I now live in Kentucky and am very, very rural. Traffic is near non-existant any time of the day and it literally takes me the same amount of time to drive twenty-three miles to the nearest Walmart as it took me to drive seven miles to one there in Florida.
So as usual when it comes to picking a place to live at be aware that there are upsides and downsides and chose them according to your tolerance level.
Also, have a great retirement!
North Central Florida, although I’m a bit biased. Gainesville area is beautiful, although I wouldn’t recommend Alachua county due to the taxes.
There are lots of small towns that surround the area. The largest concentration of natural Springs in the world. The furthest area south which still has disiduous trees. Bike friendly, Suwannee and Santa Fe rivers for canoeing or kayaking.
UF Shands Hospital, North Florida Regional Hospital and the VA hospital.
About 1.75 hours drive to Disney and 1.5 hours to either coast.
Actually Gainesville was voted one of the top 10 places to live in the country.
I agree with the others about Jupiter, Juno Beach, and throw in Palm Beach Gardens - lived there for 9 years (now just 15 minutes south). Very safe (except for 95 exit ramps...). Tequesta is nice but a little pricey - well, for that matter all 4 towns are pricey. PBG you have lots of golf - home of Jack Nicklaus and PGA National. Beach is 10 minutes East. Wellington has lots going on but not as nice as PBG. And farther from the beach. You should also check out Stuart and Jensen Beach.
Like others have said - you really need to take a week or two and just come down - drive around.
Good advice from all. Is there a way I can bookmark this thread to refer to over time?
Don't move to Orlando - or even Lake Mary (just north of Otown). Traffic is a parking lot on I-4 - it is under construction for widening for the next few years, crime is very high in Orlando and suburbs - due to proximity of Disney, Universal, etc. With tourists comes crime.
I live north of the Villages, near Ocala. It reminds me of how South FLA used to be, slower, laid back, less traffic.
True the Villages was reported to have a higher STD rate, but then if you think of the age group living there (influx of the 60's generation), it's a no brainer. A lot of folks in the Villages are from the NE, Midwest, Mid-Atlantic states. Few from the Deep South in comparison (there is a Heart of Dixie club). The political demographics are moving from solid REP to center to leaning DEM (again 60's generation).
There are a lot of activities, free golf for residents, HOA, yes traffic increases during Snowbird season, golf cart paths everywhere, lots of restaurants, and lots of clubs to join.
Volusia County or Brevard County are great options if you want to be on the coast. I love Brevard - reminds me of how Ft. Lauderdale used to be. Hope it never changes.
Also Lake Ashton
http://www.lakeashtonresales.com
That’s where my hubby and I plan on moving. We are child free, but have lots of nieces and nephews who live in a small town near Huntsville. Close enough to good health care! We’ve got about four more years before we get out of the hellhole of DC. I think freepertoo should broaden his horizons.
To bookmark, go back to the original posting page. There is a feature just where the posts begin to bookmark. It will go to your home page, where you can find it any time. Another possibility is to to do it from your PC or tablet.
Horizons broadened! One of the appeals of Florida for me is no state tax, no taxation of ss or pensions and low housing costs.
I grew up in Mt.Dora/Tavares/Eustis area. Was beautiful but now just sprawl. My parents still live in Tavares in a small retirement community and like it. It is a big help being inland when the hurricanes come.
Lake Mary is practically part of Orlando. Terrible traffic and scary people everywhere. Half don’t understand you and don’t like you.
Cocoa is nasty. Merritt Island is car strangled. Cocoa Beach/Cape Canaveral usually jammed with beach goers.
I moved to upstate SC in the hills and the people and landscape are better.
We visited Ft. Myers last winter. A tornado touched down three miles from where we were staying.
Two more goodies:
9. Very Conservative area.
10. Located inside “the bend.” This area is literally where meteorologists go to retire, because of the geography, hurricanes scoot up the coast instead of hitting this area directly.
We’ve lived in Grant and near New Market.
The health care around Huntsville is some of the world’s best.
For example, I had shoulder surgery about four years ago. The surgeon operated on Kevin VanDam’s shoulder. KD has been bass fishing angler of the year multiple times. His shoulder is worth millions. KD lives in MN but he came to Huntsville to get this done.
I guess the real reason we didn’t move to florida is the fact that Huntsville is one of the best places in the world to live. The Villages and Central Florida are wonderful but there is a risk of regret if you move there. We knew we like Huntsville.
Yeah, the sinkholes are terrifying! Isn’t all of Florida sink hole prone?
Really, good to know. I’ve only ever heard praise for Lake Mary, so this is an interesting and welcome post.
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