Hey Don....
If you have the ability to buy a home in FL....now is the time to do it. Between foreclosures, short sales and regular lower prices, you probably wont find better deals than you will now. The house John and I live in is currently valued the same as it was in 1990.
As for where to live....that's harder to quantify. Orlando is a small city (the actual city center is small) but it's made up of many smaller towns.
It's hard to explain but Winter Park has some of the nicest and most expensive homes in central Florida. We found what we considered to be a beautiful home that we were excited about. It looked like it would for John and I plus my folks. We went and saw it several times and finally called a real estate agent.....1.6 million
for what we thought was a $200,000 house.
Dont get me wrong.....there are beautiful and less expensive homes available and since this was several years ago....I'm betting that house is now half of the original price.
There are some terrific places to live around Central Florida. Some of the places that we think are terrific are the Hunter's Creek area of Kissimmee, The Dr Phillips area of Orlando, Windemere, Celebration, Clermont, Winter Garden, Winter Park.....all nice areas, but because they are nicer, with more amenities....prices will be higher.
We live in St Cloud, which up until just a few years ago would best be descibed as a sleepy little place. That has changed. St Cloud has grown treendously in the last couple years....but it still has a small town feel.
Another area that seems to be booming is the Narcoossee area. It's adjacent to St Cloud but closer to the airport. Up until recently, it was rather rural and woodsy and something you traveled through to get to the airport.
This has all changed with the recent announcement that a new hospital complex is being built. I believe it's Nemour hospital, with a research facility and if I am not mistaken a Veteran's hospital.
This is going to be a happening place for a while.
As for the school districts....the one we hear about (at least for high school) is the Dr Phillips school district. The high school is supposedly one of the best in the state if not country. The high school sits right behind Jurrasic Park at Universal. There are other well regarded school districts in the area, but I'm not well versed as I dont have any stake in that area.
Most (not all...but most) people that live in Central Florida, moved here from somewhere else. I think the feeling is that while I live here, my roots are somewhere else. I've never felt that way. I brought my roots with me.
I think John feels the same way although his family lives back in NJ. We've made this home. Florida can also be a bit transient. We often hear about someone moving "back home".
I think Florida has a certain romance about it. People love to vacation here. All of the stresses of home and work and relatives are 1000's of miles away. Life is a Jimmy Buffet song. Grab a beer, put on your flip flops and hang by the beach or pool.....or better yet....go to Disney.
I think people need to have a realistic expectation of what living here is like. It's just like where you live, but hotter and without good pizza or a decent deli. I'm joking but I'm not. Life follows you here. All of the things you have to do where you live now, have to be done here as well.
You still have DR appts, trips to the dry cleaner, housework or repair, taking the dog to the vet, laundry....you get the idea. I'm not trying to discourage anyone from moving to FL...trust me. I'm just pointing out that very few of live Club / Concierge level. No one puts out appetizers and drinks during the day and the maid service is non-existent.
The better side of all of that is that the sun shines most of the time....even when it's cold. That was a huge thing for me. I lived in the Albany area of New York State and it seemed that from October 1st through the end of May....it was dark, cold, dreary and the sky was usually a dull steel gray. Thats diffenet in FL. It;s usually a bright sunny day outside.....so bright and sunny that the rare rainy day is almost a welcome change.
Before I get emails and posts telling me that you have snow to your armpits.....I understand. I lived that for 35 years. That being said.....it does occasionally get very cold here. It was 35 degrees last night. That's cold in FL. Our houses are built for WARM weather. They are built to stay as cool as possible. They are not highly insulated. Our windows are not energy efficient thermal, double paned windows. Our windows are a sheet of glass....period. They are built to be window and storm resistant....but they are not built to keep us WARM...we are almost always too warm.
Florida also has a change of seasons. It is FAR more subtle than other parts of the country and it may take you a year or two to notice the subtle changes, but they are there. The Cyrus tree leaves turn a dark reddish bron and then fall. Magnolia leaves go from a beautiful deep, dark green to a brown leathery feel. The seasons change....you just have to be more mindful of it.
To finish up.....here is a random list of things I love about living here:
- I live near Disney World
- The beach is an hour away in either direction
- The weather...even though it's been a chilly winter
- You can be outside all year long
- Your friends and family always want to visit
- There is no state income tax
- I'm within a day's drive of some great cities Miami, Tampa, Naples
- It does snow nor do I have to deal with sleet or freezing rain
- Houses are less expensive
- Having a convertible makes sense
- We have an awesome airport
- Port Canaveral is an hour away making Disney cruises very easy.
- There are tons of outdoor events (farmer's markets, street fairs, art shows,
etc)
And to be fair and honest....a list of things I'm not crazy about:
- Traffic can be horrible.
- Florida police do not believe in moving even the most minor of traffic
accidents out of the road. A fender bender can tie up traffic for hours.
- Our local news is basically tabloid journalism
- I cant find a decent radio station.
- I miss GOOD ethnic food. It's hard to find good pizza, chinese, deli etc
- The assumption that because you live here, you are on permanent vacation
and can drop everything and go to the parks for a whole day.
- Florida can be a bit behind in "liberal issues". There is a still a "good ole
boy" mentality.
With all of that being said......I'm not moving from Florida. As Jimmy Buffet so elegantly sings...."I have found me a home">
I live near Disney World
The weather...even though it's been a chilly winter
I'm within a day's drive of some great cities Miami, Tampa, Naples 
Florida police do not believe in moving even the most minor of traffic 
I cant find a decent radio station.
The assumption that because you live here, you are on permanent vacation 
