Florida houses?

[ChristyJ]

If you go towards the Naples area, I have an aunt & uncle who are in real estate-PM me if you want info!

Our house in NY (near Saratoga) has more than doubled in value in the past 5 years and we have a ten-year mortgage that will be paid off in less than 8 years. I hope to buy a vacation home (in FL?!) someday...

 

[the kabuki]

I live in Land O Lakes and I love it! There are some homes under $400 in my community. The schools (ele, middle and high) my kids go or will be going to are all A rated. There are kids of all ages here. It is very family friendly. We just had Santa's arrival with hot chocolate and cookies this past Friday evening and Sat Morning was breakfast (Pancakes with all the trimmings) with Santa. It was wonderful not to leave the community and trot to the mall to see Santa.

Here is a link to several houses under the $400K range. I think 4 are listed. Bottom Left are some arrows. Click on these to see the other houses. These are all on the same street. I like that last one!

http://mfr.mlxchange.com/Pub/EmailView.asp?r=1498197031&s=MFR&t=MFR

For those of you familiar with this general area of Tampa, are there any equestrian facilities/stables within reasonable distance? DD has a horse, if we were to move, he would be comin' with us.

 

[the kabuki]

We lived in Weston, FL for six years, in a beautiful 3,000 square foot house with a screened pool. The only thing I didn't like about the screen was that you couldn't get a tan by the pool. It did keep you from getting sunburned, however, which was great for the kids! Of course, Hurricane Rita decided that the house didn't need the screen after all, so the new owners will have to decide whether or not to replace it. They have small kids, so they may just put a shorter fence around the pool. We kept our stuff in the attic, but in the summer, I usually went and replaced whatever I needed, (if not too expensive), rather than go up there to retrieve it!
Also, be careful of the way they calculate the square footage of houses in Florida. They have a strange formula that includes part of the patio or something. Someone else can probably explain it better than I! Anyway, I loved Florida, and would move back in a heartbeat! (I'm from California though, so it figures that I'd love it there!)

Oh, you poor thing, you had to leave sunny florida to come here to Michigan, I don't know what's worse...having lived here in MI all my life, so never knowing what I'm missing not living in FL or actually having had the opportunity to live in FL and then having to come back to the cold, cold, cold snowy days here.

 

[Southern4sure]

For those of you familiar with this general area of Tampa, are there any equestrian facilities/stables within reasonable distance? DD has a horse, if we were to move, he would be comin' with us.

Yep...lots of them. One I pass one all the time is within a 10 minute drive. I looked in the phone book and it seems like about 10 or so close by within 10-15 minute drive. There are others listed but without map questing, I do not know where exactly they are.

 

[the kabuki]

Yep...lots of them. One I pass one all the time is within a 10 minute drive. I looked in the phone book and it seems like about 10 or so close by within 10-15 minute drive. There are others listed but without map questing, I do not know where exactly they are.

Thanks, at least my DD would be happy enough, I just don't know if I'm ready to take the big plunge away from everything I've known all my life and move where we have no family or friends around us.

Both DH and I grew up within 15 miles of where we now live. I'm pretty sure I could deal with the bugs, the heat, the small bedrooms, no basement(although that's a biggie), but not having any family around us, Wow, HUGE adjustment, don't know if I could do it.

 

[the kabuki]

Southern4sure: didn't you just recently move to Florida from a northern state? thought I remembered another thread about this a while back. Big adjustment?

 

[Southern4sure]

Thanks, at least my DD would be happy enough, I just don't know if I'm ready to take the big plunge away from everything I've known all my life and move where we have no family or friends around us.

Both DH and I grew up within 15 miles of where we now live. I'm pretty sure I could deal with the bugs, the heat, the small bedrooms, no basement(although that's a biggie), but not having any family around us, Wow, HUGE adjustment, don't know if I could do it.

Dh and I did just that...up and moved away from everything and everyone we knew. We literally started over. It was the best thing we could have done. Kids have adjusted and are doing well in school. I have met some really nice people (all are transplants from up north, Im the only "southern" girl in the bunch) and we are all family now. We help each other out by babysitting and carpooling and such. We are an active group. Bedroom size will depend on your sq footage of course but I think you'd fine something you liked. I have never had a basement so I cant help you there. The bugs and heat are not really that bad or maybe Im just use to them... But we go swimming alot during the summer.

 

[Southern4sure]

Southern4sure: didn't you just recently move to Florida from a northern state? thought I remembered another thread about this a while back. Big adjustment?

I moved from southern Alabama.

 

[the kabuki]

Dh and I did just that...up and moved away from everything and everyone we knew. We literally started over. It was the best thing we could have done. Kids have adjusted and are doing well in school. I have met some really nice people (all are transplants from up north, Im the only "southern" girl in the bunch) and we are all family now. We help each other out by babysitting and carpooling and such. We are an active group. Bedroom size will depend on your sq footage of course but I think you'd fine something you liked. I have never had a basement so I cant help you there. The bugs and heat are not really that bad or maybe Im just use to them... But we go swimming alot during the summer.

If you don't mind the asking, how old were your kids when you moved? My biggest concern is how the kids would adjustment. My oldest is 12, but as long as she has her horse with her, she'd be ok. Youngest is 4 , so not as worried about her, but my DS is in 3rd grade, and I'd be real concerned about him. His best friend lives next door, and they are together constantly. I don't know if he could handle the change.

I have a feeling that the family would end up following us down there, they all complain about michigan. Just need someone to be the first.

 

[Southern4sure]

If you don't mind the asking, how old were your kids when you moved? My biggest concern is how the kids would adjustment. My oldest is 12, but as long as she has her horse with her, she'd be ok. Youngest is 4 , so not as worried about her, but my DS is in 3rd grade, and I'd be real concerned about him. His best friend lives next door, and they are together constantly. I don't know if he could handle the change.

I have a feeling that the family would end up following us down there, they all complain about michigan. Just need someone to be the first.

We moved when my youngest was in 3rd grade..the middle of the year. 9th grade with my oldest. I was more worried about the oldest..he is shy and had always had a few good friends and sticks close to them. My youngest is very outgoing so it was a breeze with him. There is so much to do down here, no matter what direction we go we find something interested from professional football, hockey, theme parks, Zoo and on. I think getting the kids out and letting them be active helps alot.

 

[zalansky]

Southern4sure- are you in a community? We are looking for something just like you described...we need to be living around other people with small kids and love the fact you call your new friends family! Where are you at?

 

[Southern4sure]

Southern4sure- are you in a community? We are looking for something just like you described...we need to be living around other people with small kids and love the fact you call your new friends family! Where are you at?

I know exactly what you mean. Outside of schools, I wanted somewhere my kids would have lots neighborhood kids to play with. Yes I live in a community that just celebrated it's third anniversary. It is relatively new and is beautiful. Home prices have a large range from mid $200K to over $1 million.

To give you an idea how many kids...it takes two busses to take the elementary kids to school 7 minutes away. Stops in the front, middle and back. This is a large community. The lodge has a weekly reading class where a "grandma" sits in a rocker and reads to the toddlers then gives out juice and cookies. The lodge has things for all age groups.

Here is a link to several houses under the $400K range. I think 4 are listed. Bottom Left are some arrows. Click on these to see the other houses. These are all on the same street. I like that last one!

http://mfr.mlxchange.com/Pub/EmailView.asp?r=1498197031&s=MFR&t=MFR

 

[the kabuki]

This may sound strange, but is every home a single story? I've looked at various FL communities and they all seem to be single story, which is fine, it's what I'm in now, just wondering.

Relating back to the original OP talking about the types of FL houses, another thing that's a bit different than here is the fact that all the homes seem to look alike. I don't just mean the outside material, but the lay-outs/floor plans.
Seems like most subdivisions down there are built by only a couple of builders'. Up here, you can drive through a new construction sub and find dozens in one area, so all the homes have a more unique look about them. As long as it isn't a Pulte sub.

 

[chrissyk]

I know exactly what you mean. Outside of schools, I wanted somewhere my kids would have lots neighborhood kids to play with. Yes I live in a community that just celebrated it's third anniversary. It is relatively new and is beautiful. Home prices have a large range from mid $200K to over $1 million.

To give you an idea how many kids...it takes two busses to take the elementary kids to school 7 minutes away. Stops in the front, middle and back. This is a large community. The lodge has a weekly reading class where a "grandma" sits in a rocker and reads to the toddlers then gives out juice and cookies. The lodge has things for all age groups.

Here is a link to several houses under the $400K range. I think 4 are listed. Bottom Left are some arrows. Click on these to see the other houses. These are all on the same street. I like that last one!

http://mfr.mlxchange.com/Pub/EmailView.asp?r=1498197031&s=MFR&t=MFR

Your neighborhood sounds wonderful! We LOVE where we live physically, but there are not a lot of other young families down here. It's a very established (built-out in the 1960's) area of FL, so a lot of people moved in and just stayed here to grow older. That's fine...they're sweet people. It's just that DH and I are used to living in a "younger" subdivision w/lots of kids around. We want that for our future kids.

 

[ducklite]

This may sound strange, but is every home a single story? I've looked at various FL communities and they all seem to be single story, which is fine, it's what I'm in now, just wondering.

Relating back to the original OP talking about the types of FL houses, another thing that's a bit different than here is the fact that all the homes seem to look alike. I don't just mean the outside material, but the lay-outs/floor plans.
Seems like most subdivisions down there are built by only a couple of builders'. Up here, you can drive through a new construction sub and find dozens in one area, so all the homes have a more unique look about them. As long as it isn't a Pulte sub.

I'd say that 70% of the homes in my neighborhood have at least a bonus room if not two full stories. In my subdivision of our community I think we are one of a small handful that don't have either a bonus room or second story. We built with the intention of this being a "forever home" and wanted to stay in it as long into retirement as possible. So keeping with one story made sense.

Anne

 

[safetymom]

We have a ranch style here in FL. I love it. It is so much better than the 3 floors I had in PA. I don't have to deal with steps which is wonderful. I also didn't think I would like the openness of the rooms and high ceilings. Now I wondered how I lived without them.

When I first started looking down here I remarked that all the houses looked the same. I wanted something with bricks. Now I am so glad I didn't go with a Northern style house here in FL. Also now that I am here I see many many styles of houses that I didn't see when I was looking.

 

[jeancbpugh]

If you don't mind the asking, how old were your kids when you moved? My biggest concern is how the kids would adjustment. My oldest is 12, but as long as she has her horse with her, she'd be ok. Youngest is 4 , so not as worried about her, but my DS is in 3rd grade, and I'd be real concerned about him. His best friend lives next door, and they are together constantly. I don't know if he could handle the change.

I have a feeling that the family would end up following us down there, they all complain about michigan. Just need someone to be the first.

Moving my kids is my biggest worry, too. Mine are 11 and 6.

I worry about pollen year round (they have allergies.)

 

[jeancbpugh]

This may sound strange, but is every home a single story? I've looked at various FL communities and they all seem to be single story, which is fine, it's what I'm in now, just wondering.

Relating back to the original OP talking about the types of FL houses, another thing that's a bit different than here is the fact that all the homes seem to look alike. I don't just mean the outside material, but the lay-outs/floor plans.
Seems like most subdivisions down there are built by only a couple of builders'. Up here, you can drive through a new construction sub and find dozens in one area, so all the homes have a more unique look about them. As long as it isn't a Pulte sub.

LOL, my suburb outside of Chicago is all look alike, too.

The house we went through in West Chase had an upstairs bonus room, but all the main living space was on the ground floor.

A few of the subdivisions we drove through had conventional two story houses.

 

[Disneyrsh]

Please don't start the flames and this really is meant to be tongue in cheek, but.....

You're right - the houses are VERY tiny, horribly built, WAYYYY too many bugs and mosquitoes, never enough room to swim in our pools
Can't imagine why anyone would ever consider moving here!

I can't imagine why people like basements. Here in atlanta, they're either wet, damp and moldy, or caving in! Next house, a slab!

We looked at houses in Tampa a bit back, Palma Ceia. I nearly had a heart attack when I saw the prices, OMG! Even the porta potties out in the front of the remodels were gold-plated...

 

[jeancbpugh]

I can't imagine why people like basements. Here in atlanta, they're either wet, damp and moldy, or caving in! Next house, a slab!

In my current house in the Chicago suburbs, I have a huge basement with a pool table, ping pong table, air hockey table, basket ball hoop and enough room for the kids to ride their scooters; plus two storage closets and a work room. It is dry and clean. Not a bad place to go when the tornado sirens go off

Luckily I am NOT a pack rat and hate clutter, so giving up the basement will be a matter of ditching the dining room furniture (in favor of the pool table) and giving away the air hockey table.