DVCers, would you rather live in Orlando?

[invalid_char]

I'm thinking about the time I'd like to spend in WDW every year and the number of points that would take. This translates into a lot of money. And while DVC may save me money, it's not really a long term investment... as in something that will continue to appreciate and that can stay in the family for generations.

So, for those of you who like to go frequently, did anyone ever think of buying a condo or small house in the Orlando area as opposed to doing time share? Obviously, most of you on this board bought the time share; I'm just wondering if a permanent place was ever considered (why or why not).

I have a friend who goes down 3x per year and goes through a lot of effort (and pain) to make her points stretch. I also hear stories of people who stay in a DVC resort for months at a time using thousands of points (and incurring huge maintenance fees).

At some point is it worthwhile to buy a permanent place and, if so, at what point and what are viable options?

Thx

 

[tarzanman]

Of course at some point it would be worth it to buy something more permanent but for most of us I think that we like the flexibility. I enjoy going to the beach, Hilton Head and all. I am not stuck on Orldando. I also enjoy the other features like, I don't have to take care of anything like a yard, maintenance or anything. Just my point of view.

 

[BobBrazeal]

I would agree with tarzanman. I like the flexibility that DVC offers. There are other things that I plan on using points to do.

In addition, unless you are there 100% there are the issues of yard work, home upkeep and repairs, security, etc. and not just there but wherever you left an empty house while you are in Orlando.

If you plan on renting it out while you are not there, that is just another set of headaches that I don't need.

Plus, I like staying on property. I like to be immersed in the magic when I'm there.

 

[princess angel]

funny I should stumble upon this thread today!
Dh and I just returned from 2 weeks at wdw! We have 300 points at OKW, and we are going to wdw 4 times this year! some of the trips we pay $$$ for w/AP discounts, we love wdw soooo very much, and are planning an add-on in the near future!
We were seriously discussing moving down to Orlando within the next 5 years (no, not too retire, we're only 27 and 33 yrs old) I have been wanting to move to a warm climate, cause I HATE the winter, and we live in New England!!! Dh is just turning around now, and he agrees w/me! We are the type to get up and go, so I'm pretty sure we will do it! DH says everytime we go to Florida, he likes it more and more! (good thing we have lots of trips planned!!! LOL!)
If we move down there, we would probably keep dvc, cause there is nothing like staying on property! I would still need to be completely emmersed in the "disney magic"!!!



Laura

 

[DanG]

I love Disney and the themeparks, in large part because I enjoy the escapism while on vacation. But sometime you have to get back to real life and job and away from the artifice.

I could never see living in O-town, unless you want to work in the tourism/restaurant/hospitality industries. I don't.

And how magic would everything be if you went 50 days a year.

I'll enjoy when I visit, but I couldn't live there.

Just one man's opinion.

DanG

 

[Lesley]

We've tossed the idea around but at this point I don't think I want to live in FL year round. We are however looking to move to NC because its closer...the 8 hour drive would seem like nothing compared to the 16-20 we do now (depends on the kids how long it takes!)

My dh and I do talk about retiring to WDW eventually..... working for the mouse to continue the magic (part time, of course!). I'm sure our future grandkids will appreciate it!

 

[Wes]

If you become a Florida resident, you have to pay the "Intangible Property Tax" (here is a link to the FL Dept. of Revenue's web page on the tax).

Here is their first FAQ question and answer:
<ul><li><b>What is Intangible Personal Property Tax?</b>

"Florida's intangible personal property tax is an annual tax based on the current market value, as of January 1, of intangible personal property owned, managed, or controlled by Florida residents or persons doing business in Florida."
</ul>
This means that if you have retirement savings in an IRA, stocks, mutual funds, bonds, money market accounts or any other intangible asset, you are taxed at $1 per $1,000 of value (with the first $20K of value being exempt from the tax).

 

[mikesmom]

I don't think Orlando's a very nice place to live. Hope nobody shoots me over this, but I've had a couple of friends move down there and they constantly gripe about traffic, tourists, lack of jobs (unless you're in the hospitality industry, which pays very poorly).

We've been down there several times and love WDW. But you know, that's vacation. We're casually dressed, relaxed, other people are seeing to our wants, needs and whims - that's not real life.

I've also been down there on business for a meeting and would hate trying to actually put on business dress every day and deal with the heat, humidity and traffic to try and work. The one time I was there for a meeting, I hung my suit in the closet after a full day and the next morning it was still damp! UGGHH!

Nope, my DVC time is fabulous, but I'd rather live at home.

 

[invalid_char]

Interesting feedback. Thanks everyone!!

I can sum up in one word why I wouldn't want to live in Florida year-round: SUMMER!

 

[Lisa F]

Friends of ours live down there and neither of them work in the tourism industry directly (though one of them does work for Disney, she does survey and mapping, not "on stage CM" type stuff. Both of them love Disney as much as we do (perhaps more) and have always wanted to live near the mouse. It makes them very happy and sometimes we get jealous that they can be there all the time (and participate in lots of great FL. resident events like charity events over the holidays and CM events).

We've thought about just moving there but I'm afraid that if you don't work for the mouse, it's hard to get a job anywhere else (even though I know from them that that's not necessarily true). Still, like someone else said, if I couldn't vacation at WDW I'm not sure where I'd go! I'd rather it be something "special" than something every day (even though we went 4 times this past year!) Luckily we intend to stay on the east coast where airfare tends to be the most reasonable (NY and DC areas).

Lisa

 

[PamOKW]

Of course anyone seriously considering moving to Orlando (especially pre-retirement) should research the area first. As everyone knows, tourism and hospitality are two big employers but they also have quite a bit of high-tech industry and there are lots of oppportunities in the health care field as well. Teaching positions are also fairly plentiful. There are also positions in construction, landscaping and a variety of service trades.

 

[DVCDAVE]

Funny thing that you posted this thread. My wife and I have visited FLA every year since we married. over the last 5 years we tossed around the idea of buying a condo down there. However, over that same time frame prices have skyrocketed, and I no longer view the Orlando area as cheap, compared to CT (where I live). Even if we found a cheap condo, it wasn't anything we wanted to own, either becuase of its condition, or area. When we did find something we were interested in, it was priced around $100M, and when I ran the numbers, the annual overhead didn't compare to DVC.

What we really wanted was a cheap way to vacation in FLA for 2 weeks a year, and DVC had the cost of ownership, both up front and annually beat. At least for us.

 

[SharonS]

I thought about it very seriously about 3 years ago. I actually had 2 job offers and turned both of them down. Many say that the cost of living is less down there, however, after researching, I did not find it to be the case. My auto insurance would have doubled from what I'm paying here in PA and homeowner's insurance would have tripled. Homes were not cheap either, unless you wanted to live out in the orange groves.

Bottom line, I would have been losing money in the long run to move there. I was also afraid that Disney would lose it's magic if I lived that close. We live near Hersheypark, and to us it's no big deal. I also enjoy staying on property when I go to WDW, and I don't think it would be the same being a day visitor.

After all of that analysis, that's when I decided to purchase DVC instead.

 

[Denine]

We did some house hunting this past trip and just about every trip. We desperately want to get out of the cold. You have to look around the area, it dosen't have to be Orlando, it can be anywhere in Central Florida. The place we found does happen to be in Orange county about 20-25 minutes from Disney.
There are plenty of computer jobs and nursing jobs. This is great since I am a nurse and Jerry is a systems analyst. The DVC rep at the WLV wanted to give me a million dollars bonus if I'd come work down there, we asked for it in writing but no luck.
We have thought about moving to NC, but it still gets cold there. I want some and warm all the time. I don't like temps below 60, the warmer the better. It is supposed to be 90 in Orlando today. I wish I was there and I just got back last Thursday.

 

[Denine]

By the way, we would keep our DVC if we did move to Florida.

 

[Wes]

One are of concern in a relatively transient state with an econcomy built heavily on tourism is crime rates. Here is Sperling's Best Places web page to compare crime rates of two cities, so that you can see how an FL location compares to where you are now.

 

[caveat lector]

I'm with the majority and probably wouldn't live in Orlando. Several years ago, we lived in NJ. It was a short trip to Boston, Manhattan, D.C., or Amish country. While we could never possibly experience all the "stuff" these places had to offer, visiting got to be more of a pain than a thrill. Would I still like to go visit D.C.,....you bet. However, by living next door, it lost something.

Maybe WDW wouldn't lose that "something," I'm not willing to take that chance.