Future Snowbirds..where would you choose in Florida?

[HeatherC]

Future snowbird here! DH and I are in our early 50's and have started talking about where we would like to snowbird when the time comes. We are in MA and while we love New England, we also love the idea of escaping the worst of the winters as we get older and heading to the beach.

My parents live in SC outside Hilton Head which we love, but it just isn't far enough south for really warm weather Jan - Mar so we are thinking Florida. MY MIL has a condo in Delray Beach which she loves and spends her winters at.

We have visited Delray a lot and like the beach and town there. We have also visited the gulf side many times and like the area around Englewood, Fl which is between Sarasota and Ft. MYers. It is a little more laid back and not as busy as the Delray area.

Wondering where we may wind up and curious what areas other are considering and why? Do you have family in a specific area? Vacationed there before?

We are open to anything at this point and love hearing others people's thoughts on their own plans.

So where do you see yourself as a future snowbirder?

 

[mnrose]

We own a place in California where we may retire. But, at this point, we are kind of leaning toward the idea of vacationing 2 months each year (Jan-Feb....the WORST winter months) someplace warm instead. We both have a bit of the travel bug, and we thinking that it might be more fun to see lots of places (choosing from our favorite warm weather vacation spots) rather than having the expense of maintaining a single spot that only use a few months out of the year). For the equity we have in the California house, we could sell that and travel nicely for many decades. LOL. Heck, the property tax ALONE on that place is $12K per year! $12K would buy us a pretty nice, long vacation! We love Hawaii, Mexico, Bali, the Caribbean...and would love to do "down under" too.

Our children show every sign of remaining in Minnesota once they are grown, and we love our lake place in Minnesota. To retire full time to California (the only way the house in CA makes economic sense) may not be in the cards for us. But, traveling for a few months each year? Sure!

 

[RedAngie]

Southwest Florida. Naples, Marco Island, and the vicinity. Yes, there are already extended family members living there and we visit the area every few years.

However, we're not fully committed to becoming snowbirds. It's just a possibility maybe 5+ years into the future.

 

[apirateslifeforme]

My in-laws have been MA-to-FL snowbirds for almost 20 years now. They have a mobile home in Clearwater, which DH and his brother and sister already partially own as well. So someday we'll be living in Clearwater for the winter, but we'll have to figure out how to divide up our time (or get a larger home, which is possible).

However, it's a 55+ community, and our son will only be 14 at that point, so it's going to be quite a while before we can go...

 

[soccerdad72]

This is a major generalization, but what I have seen is that the majority of East Coasters tend to settle on the ocean side, whereas everyone else (Midwesterners, Canadians, etc.) end up on the gulf side. Not sure why, but all throughout Fort Myers, Naples, etc, you'll see primarily plates from Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, etc. while in the Lauderdale area (and up and down that coast), it's New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, etc.

The one exception is Bostonians - who often land in Fort Myers, as it's the Spring Training home for the Red Sox.

Personally, we're hoping to be snowbirds a little farther north - I'm not a huge Florida fan. Maybe because my MIL is one in Fort Myers.

 

[FINFAN]

Olde Naples if I had the $$$ on the Gulf side ( was lucky enough to spend 10 summers there before it became the McMansion Naples)~, Indian River on the Atlantic. I also like Tavares, Windermere/Cleremont area's doe Orlando area~ Punta Gorda, "most" of Sarasota, and had it been able to time warp back into the 60's~ Pompano. We would go there every year and vacation at a motel with Efficiency's, even made it onto their postcard one year in the pool, lol. I prefer the Gulf sand and waters...too much tar at times on the Atlantic. If it were to EVER happen DH would prefer to be further up North for evac puroses, but I prefer South where it's fully tropical.

you could start your research with sites like this
http://www.floridasnowbird.com/
it may help narrow down areas, not to metion being able to test out areas first, if you are able to rent a month at a time often enough.

 

[Action City]

DH and I have talked about snowbirding in about 10 years, but we will more than likely end up somewhere further north...coastal Georgia or South Carolina. But, we aren't ruling out AZ yet, either.

 

[Southernmiss]

Just to throw out that Florida is not the only warm winter area of the country. There are places all along the Gulf of Mexico from Florida to Texas that have moderate temperatures like Florida in the winter.

 

[gmar1210]

Don’t come to Florida. You won’t like it.

 

[karmic]

We own property in Mount Dora- a cute little town in central Florida about 40 minutes north of Orlando- not on the ocean but on a very large lake. We looked at a lot of places in FL and SC but fell in love with this place.

 

[FergieTCat]

My mother and brother live in Southeast Florida (Delray Beach), but I am not completely sold on the area. I think I'd prefer something further north, maybe within an hour of Disney. I think I'd prefer a gated-type community with a clubhouse. Not sure. I'm curious to see what the Baby Boomers ahead of me decide to do (I have another 10 years).

 

[pigletgirl]

Merritt Island/Melbourne area. Other potential places would be Deerfield Beach. But, we also want a house in AZ too. Decisions, decisions.

We're 20 years + from retirement, though its fun to think about!

 

[JaxDad]

Don’t come to Florida. You won’t like it.

 

[HeatherC]

You are right actually. Would not like to be there full time, but Jan - Mar sounds nice. And since we are only in our 50's might be fun to have a place kids could vacation at also. There are so many nice places along the east coast all the way to Texas. The one thing Florida has, though, at least from here in New England is quick and relatively cheap flights.

Like I mentioned my parents own a home near Hilton Head. Love. Love love it, but flying into Savannah which is the closest and even Charleston is very expensive.

 

[HeatherC]

This is a major generalization, but what I have seen is that the majority of East Coasters tend to settle on the ocean side, whereas everyone else (Midwesterners, Canadians, etc.) end up on the gulf side. Not sure why, but all throughout Fort Myers, Naples, etc, you'll see primarily plates from Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, etc. while in the Lauderdale area (and up and down that coast), it's New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, etc.

The one exception is Bostonians - who often land in Fort Myers, as it's the Spring Training home for the Red Sox.

Personally, we're hoping to be snowbirds a little farther north - I'm not a huge Florida fan. Maybe because my MIL is one in Fort Myers.

I think this is kind of true. Where my MIL is in Delray, she has met up with people she went to elementary school with back here in Boston over 60 years ago.

My brother had a place near Englewood...Cape Haze actually ...north of Ft Myers, and everyone we met there was actually from Rhode Island where they live.

I think people find somewhere they like and talk about it to friends who then check it out and like it too.

 

[lovin'fl]

DH and I talk about this all the time. We likely will end up in FL when he retires in about 15 years. Right now we are thinking around Tampa.

 

[gmar1210]

You are right actually. Would not like to be there full time, but Jan - Mar sounds nice. And since we are only in our 50's might be fun to have a place kids could vacation at also. There are so many nice places along the east coast all the way to Texas. The one thing Florida has, though, at least from here in New England is quick and relatively cheap flights.

Like I mentioned my parents own a home near Hilton Head. Love. Love love it, but flying into Savannah which is the closest and even Charleston is very expensive.

We have enough snowbirds/transplants living here. This time of the year is horrible to drive down in South Florida. The Canadian and New York drivers are the worst. So do all us true Floridians a favor, move out west.

 

[HeatherC]

We have enough snowbirds/transplants living here. This time of the year is horrible to drive down in South Florida. The Canadian and New York drivers are the worst. So do all us true Floridians a favor, move out west.

I think all us snowbirds and transplants keep that Florida economy humming. Yeah traffic stinks..but there is always a trade off in life.

 

[gmar1210]

I think this is kind of true. Where my MIL is in Delray, she has met up with people she went to elementary school with back here in Boston over 60 years ago.

My brother had a place near Englewood...Cape Haze actually ...north of Ft Myers, and everyone we met there was actually from Rhode Island where they live.

I think people find somewhere they like and talk about it to friends who then check it out and like it too.

But then they cannot stop talking about where they are from. You hear it from the New Yorkers all the time.....In New York the Pizza is better, the italian is better and how beautiful the leaves in the fall are. I once snapped at a restaurant because these 2 couples next to us would not shut up about how great New York is. I turned around and asked them "Well if you guys love New York so much, why did you move here." They said nothing and continued talking.

 

[Action City]

We have enough snowbirds/transplants living here. This time of the year is horrible to drive down in South Florida. The Canadian and New York drivers are the worst. So do all us true Floridians a favor, move out west.

The "true Floridians" wouldn't have much of an economy if it wasn't for all the transplants and snow birds. Don't bite the hand that feeds you.