considering relocation to Florida

[luvsTink]

Hello!
My family would like to relocate to Florida. We are considering primarily the Tampa/Bradenton areas. Those of you that live in the area....can you fill me in on the good the bad and the ugly? What advice do you have for someone that has never relocated an entire family....

thanks!
Anne

 

[GeorgeG]

Bradenton was on our short list when we were looking at Florida. It's really nice, but like a lot of coastal areas, there is traffic gridlock during tourist/snowbird season. Unless your heart is set on a coastal area or that's where your job prospects are, you might consider an inland county with less tourist traffic and where property insurance is a lot less due to a lower risk from huricanes. You can still day trip to either coast quite easily. Look around and do some comparisons. Florida is a big state with a lot of nice areas, so take your time and choose an area that you really like.

 

[sneadae]

Hey! A post I can actually chime in on...

We recently relocated our family from Cincinnati Ohio to Bradenton. We've been here about 6 months and absolutely LOVE it. Initially we were not considering Bradenton at all, but wound up here by chance. Looking back, it was a blessing in disguise. Yes, there can be traffic in town through Bradenton and Sarasota, but all areas have their share of traffic and it's truly not any worse than where we lived before. The Bradenton/Sarasota area is a nice central location. We are about 15 minutes from some of Florida's most beautiful beaches, and we are exactly 1.5 hours from WDW.

My biggest piece of advice I can give you is to RENT first before buying a home here. The housing market here is the pits (like everywhere else, but in some ways worse). Get to know the area, find the places you enjoy spending your time, and take it all in. We were unable to sell our home in Ohio. At the time, it was devastating...knowing that we would have to rent our home out in Ohio and not be able to buy here. But now, we are so thankful it happened the way it did. We are living in a beautiful rental home (and there are plenty of those to go around here) in a gated community and just checking everything out. We've learned the areas to go to, the areas to stay away from, schools for the kids, etc.

We used the City-data forums for the Sarasota/Bradenton area to get a lot of our initial questions answered. We spent a week last year during spring break down here as sort of a "scoping out" trip to get the lay of the land, and thanks to many of the people on city-data, we were able to narrow our searches for homes and get lots of helpful information. One word of caution; however: take everything you hear/read with a grain of salt. Check things out for yourself, make your own judgements, and make decision that are best for your family. It's not an easy task moving an entire family across the country, but it can be done, and it can be successful! Feel free to send me a PM if you have any specific questions about the area. Good luck!

 

[FINFAN]

Our DD attends college in Sarasota, she loves the area. Her college is small so not your typical university situation. Her advice, had down, rent and you will learn the "pocket" areas that are not so desireable. I have family in Cape Coral and Naples, same for those towns. I agree with the renting idea, and check out the schools in person, not just from on-line infne last thing, if you are not used to a well/septic system, make sure you tell your realtor that you want city water/service. Get used to losing basement space ( I'm good with that) and enjoy!

 

[Liberty Belle]

I can't really help you, but just wanted to say my niece (23) used to live in Bradenton a couple of years ago and loved it.

 

[luvsTink]

Hmm,yes, the loss of basement....where do people in florida store things like Christmas decorations, keepsakes, etc???

 

[Keira1387]

Hmm,yes, the loss of basement....where do people in florida store things like Christmas decorations, keepsakes, etc???

We put them in the attic.

 

[kadaten]

Hmm,yes, the loss of basement....where do people in florida store things like Christmas decorations, keepsakes, etc???

3-car garage with no cars in it!

 

[perdidochas]

Hmm,yes, the loss of basement....where do people in florida store things like Christmas decorations, keepsakes, etc???

The garage, or if it's something that isn't heat sensitive, the attic (that's where we keep Christmas stuff). that, and we have a lot of self-storage places.

 

[FINFAN]

and to me, live a less cluttered life....I would get a real Christmas tree if in Fl, have a lawn service/exterminator, have the minimum of winter clothing for vsitis to colder climates...just a whole different lifestyle than what I lead here in IL, I would embrace being able to head outdoors. I know the things that would bug me are the mosquitos/no-see ums..so I would also have a screened lanai as part of my home and the summer heat/humidity can be brutal. You are looking at coastal areas tho which is helpful. I would have to adjust to electric cooking and electric heat (when needed) not having city water to drink. I would have to make applying sunscreen a daily ritual and get used to having a hat along wherever I go. Those things are all minor to me...I have 3-4 warm months each year, just not enough for me to feel like I am living life. Some love the winter months but not matter how I try to rewire myself to deal with it, the grey, cold wind send me back in. I like festivals and art fairs, biking and walking....I would like to not feel so pressured into cramming it all into 10 short weekends every summer.
I have a rule of thimb that one should allow 2 years to adjust to a major move, just allowing yourself time to take it all in, be objective removes a lot of the stress that can sabotage a major change like that. I woudl also allow enough in your budget for trips back to where you used to live, perhaps, to visit at holidays or whatever you family may expect...and I would also be fully prepared for them to come and visit for a week or more with you.
Fl experiences the snow bird rush during the winter months so things like doctor visits/stores/traffic etc increase in time, but again, the more you know, the better you adjust.
Sure wish I was you, I know my DD plans to stay there after she graduates in 2012...I mean, if she lands a job (and she has a decent chance of it) she will stay.
I have been lucky enough to be traveling from IL to FL since I was 2 years old, first every summer to Pompano and then in the mid seventies to Naples. Thought my whole life I would move there, but my DH line of work is not readily available in FL and it has been heartwrenching to not able to reach the goal I always had. I have not given up hope however, I am 48 1/2 so there is still time!

 

[Maddle]

I am so envious. I would move to Florida this afternoon if I had the chance, and I love the Sarasota area. My mother and two of my siblings moved there about seven years ago within a year of each other, and never looked back. One brother lives in Bradenton, one in Clearwater area, and my mom is near Venice. Just like Finfan, my DH's work is keeping me away.

I think the advice to rent is excellent. It will give you a chance to check out the neighborhoods and possibilities.

Good luck, and save some space for me!

Maddle

 

[FireDancer]

I moved from NE Ohio to Tampa for a job for two years (I've since moved back to Ohio). Of all the main cities in Florida I would choose Tampa again in a minute. I lived in Clearwater very close to the causeway (60) and liked the area. The first thing to make sure of is that you mean Bradenton and not Brandon. Brandon is close to Tampa while Bradenton is a bit of a hike. People do get it mixed up.

As a PP mentioned rent first to make sure not only that you like the area but that you like Florida. Living in Florida and vacationing there are very different experiences. It is not all the uncommon for people to move down there and realize that it isn't the paradise they thought. I don't mean to say FL isn't nice and doesn't have its advantages (especially this time of year) but just like anywhere there are also cons to match the pros. For example, insurance is very expensive, I found Florida summers to be just as bad as Cleveland winters (just IMO), the traffic in the winter becomes ridiculous (at least in Pinellas county), and it just feels different. When you vacation in FL you are switched off and relaxed but when you live there you will have all of the stresses of life with you. I think a lot of people underestimate that. I would always get questions about my lack of tan when I would come visit home. Well, I worked inside a building like most people do and going to the beech on the weekends gets old. When it gets dark before you leave work, just as it does in the north, you don't get much more sun time than you do anywhere else.

I don't mean to dissuade you but want you to realize a cross country move anywhere has both pros and cons and I think too many people ignore the latter. I hope it works out for you.

I hope it works out for you.

 

[FINFAN]

also, is your family being ransferred? One thing to keep in mind when having a choice of moving anywhere, is to do your homework on the breadwinners industry. Companies are rithless, they will offer jobs that they know are going to dry up in 1-3 years so you need to know that there are other opportunities out there. We are a perfect example. 6 years ago DH was offered a job, a decent one, but not in the location of Fl we were hoping for, but we came VERY close to accepting. The deal breaker was that if that job disappeared, where would he find another? DH is a Project Manager /Mech Engineer background most all experience in heavy vehicle/train or trucking. The mid-west location is the strongest for his field, Fl not so much. SO , given the location ( Ft Lauderdale ) which housing was very expensive, crime was questionable and limited in future opportunities we broken-heartedly passed on the offer. Good thing actually as the position DID dissolve and it was at the peak of the housing bubble, we would have been in a heap of hurt. I know we are more of an isolated example, but you get my point. It figures of ALL the careers out there DH's is not very practicle in the one state I have always wanted to be at. You also have to get used to the "there's always tomorrow" outlook...getting things done, handy-work, repairs etc., move at a slower pace. We once had an electrician not show up because the "Snook were running" and he went fishing. Some people find the medical services are not what they are used too, I have never run into that but an observation I have heard. There are hidden costs...but there are in any new place one moves to. A lot of people just don't get that you cannot expect a new location tocome with a lifetime of experiences like where you just left. One thing that I think is a plus is since it is warm there all year, when you vacation you may go to a variety of places...we alwasy go to FL t get my fix and the warmth. My kids have not seen the west and I do regret that and hope to one day take them on a trip.