Got the Florida Bug

[JimMIA]

I too plan on moving to FL someday. However, and this is probably ridiculous, how many of you find snakes in your yards? I don't mean garter snakes or harmless snakes, I mean poisonous snakes. I have no interest in having to be worried everytime I wander around my yard. We have plenty of snakes in our yard, however, they are not poisonous, but sill startling!!! Am I being completely absurd?

We occasionally see a snake in our yard, but they're harmless ring-necks or Everglades racers. We usually only get a glimpse, because they're running away. Never seen a venomous snake in a yard here in the time I've lived in Miami (since 1971).

We rarely see venomous snakes out at Everglades National Park, and when we do, they're easily avoided. They're around, but they are quite shy around humans.

Venomous snakes would be about the last thing I would worry about.

 

[Mickeysduck]

We are from New England and have many friends that moved down to Fla. Some to live full time, some as "show birds".

Here, we have winters that go from November to May, cold, dank springs (some call spring "mud season" due to the melting snow and lots of rain), snow to shovel, ice to slip on, etc. We can also get hurricanes, nor'easters, AND blizzards. Sure, we could keep warm by wrapping up in blankets, or wearing long underwear, or just going from your heated house (if you call 68 heated, fuel = $$$), to the heated car (after it's warmed up), to the heated malls.

Our friends tell us that the Summers down there ARE brutal, just like some of the previous posters said. BUT...after all their complaining about the heat of the summer, given the choice, they always end up saying dealing with the heat in Fl. is no where near as bad as dealing with the cold winters and dank spring conditions up in the Northeast.

 

[JimMIA]

Our friends tell us that the Summers down there ARE brutal, just like some of the previous posters said.

I think it depends greatly on where you are and what you are used to. If you are inland -- anywhere in the middle of the state, away from the sea breezes -- the summers are very similar to summers anywhere else inland at low altitude in the Southeast. They're very hot and humid, but they're no worse than Atlanta, Washington, DC, etc. If you are outdoors much of the day in any of those places, you're going to be wrung out at the end of the day.

But if you're on, or near, the coast (especially the East coast, because of the prevailing SE winds), the summers are MUCH more tolerable. Those sea breezes make a huge difference, both in the heat index and humidity. There's not a whole lot of difference between July weather on Florida's East Coast and the Outer Banks of NC or coastal Virginia.

 

[OlderMan]

In the 7+ years I've lived in FL, I can honestly say that I've seen more snakes than I had cumulatively in my life prior to moving here.

However, I am yet to see any of the poisionous variety. Lots of black snakes, garden snakes etc.

 

[3DisneyKids]

We are from New England and have many friends that moved down to Fla. Some to live full time, some as "show birds".

Here, we have winters that go from November to May, cold, dank springs (some call spring "mud season" due to the melting snow and lots of rain), snow to shovel, ice to slip on, etc. We can also get hurricanes, nor'easters, AND blizzards. Sure, we could keep warm by wrapping up in blankets, or wearing long underwear, or just going from your heated house (if you call 68 heated, fuel = $$$), to the heated car (after it's warmed up), to the heated malls.

Our friends tell us that the Summers down there ARE brutal, just like some of the previous posters said. BUT...after all their complaining about the heat of the summer, given the choice, they always end up saying dealing with the heat in Fl. is no where near as bad as dealing with the cold winters and dank spring conditions up in the Northeast.

As a Mainer, I can second this post. We don't even look forward to the warming up that Spring brings because that just means mud season. And don't get me started on the winters...this one in particular!

In the middle of winters like this, DH and I fantasize about moving to Florida. Heck, a fun Friday night for us is to pour some wine and surf on realtor.com "Hey, for what we would get out of our house, we could buy this one outright!" Of course, then we come back to the arguments that others have posted here...we'd just be trading a horrible northeast winter for a horrible southeast summer.

But something that Kevin said on the podcast really made me reconsider Florida as an option. You never have scrape humidity off your windshield. You never have to shovel 100-degree heat. Hmmmmm.....food for thought.

 

[JimMIA]

Just for the record, it's Spring here today. 75 degrees, partly cloudy, winds 15 MPH from the East. And no mud in sight!

 

[Mickeysduck]

In the middle of winters like this, DH and I fantasize about moving to Florida. Heck, a fun Friday night for us is to pour some wine and surf on realtor.com

Thats funny, that is exactly what we do with our weekends!
Can't really plan any activity for weekends, might get snow, roads might get bad, may be just too cold and dank to even take a walk. So its realtor.com and dream.

Does anyone have any inputs on Doctor Phillips? This town seems to be out of the way, yet close to everything (minutes to Disney).

3DisneyKids, We love going up to Maine in the Summer. Coastline is really beautiful, great seafood, lobster, etc. But, we have to do it quickly within the 5 or 6 good weather weeks of summer. I remember one year in August we met another couple in Kennebunkport on vacation from Florida. It had been raining for a week straight with temps. in the 50's. They told us they have never seen anything like it and they would never come back up north again!

 

[snowbunny]

I understand about the winters (been in Maine for 8 years and it's not as cold as the upper midwest) but as a midwesterner at heart, I would never, ever leave MN or WI for a permanent home in Florida. JMHO.

 

[Flyerfan]

Just for the record, it's Spring here today. 75 degrees, partly cloudy, winds 15 MPH from the East. And no mud in sight!

Ohhhh! Love it! This weekend, here in PA, it MAY reach 40. Not going to feel like Easter. I would love to move to Florida but I think it would have to be on the east coast. I'd just have to put up with the threat of hurricanes. Much better than the snow and cold of the Northeast. And I love humidity.

 

[jennz]

Okay after reading this I have to add my 2 cents I grew up in Orlando and worked at WDW until I was 20 then got out...Orlando has changed a LOT in the past 20 years, as has WDW but some things don't change. People who vacation in Orlando during the summer say "Oh we have weather like this at home in the summer too." But AnimalPrincess said it...not for 6 months you don't! Forget about putting on makeup b/c by the time you get in the car and it actually cools off (after you burn yourself getting in) you're sweating. Don't leave dvds in there during the summer or there's a good chance they'll be warped also. It's not bad for a week or two on vacation, but it is worse than you think.

JimMIA - are you a realtor? Just kidding. The coast is much nicer, IMHO, weather wise. And Miami has so many things to do!

Mickeysduck - Dr. Phillips is actually just a suburb of Orlando. (Really everything there is just a suburb...the whole Orlando area is sprawling and spread out). The schools there were supposed to be excellent when they opened, maybe 15 years ago? A friend teaches there. Last I heard the high school received a "c" rating. It might have gone up since then.

 

[PrincessV]

I could pretty much echo JimMIA, but have a couple more thoughts to add...

The heat and humidity that many mention is MUCH more of a problem in the Orlando area than it is on either coast.

Sort of. I live in Pinellas COunty on the Gulf Coast (think St. Petersburg and Clearwater) and our weather is hugely affected by Gulf temps. This means that in Spring/early summer, when the Gulf temp is still a abit lower, we tend to be a lot more comfortable then inland, like Orlando. Late summer/fall is the exact opposite; I swear you could wring moisture out of the air in Sept. Comparitively, I'm much more comfortable in Orlando that ime of year. Though the difference is negligible. I'll also say that I weathered FL summers far better in teh first few years after I moved here from Buffalo, NY. The longer I'm down here, the worse they feel. Beats me.

Speaking of summer, one standard response I ALWAYS give to those considering a move to FL is to think very carefully about your ability to handle hurricanes and act accordingly. Could you stand to board-up and evacuate 4 times in one summer if necessary? Will you spend each summer stressed to the max if you live near water? Will you be devastated mentally and/or finacnially if most of what you own is lost to a hurricane? I lived through Hugo in Charleston, SC and I take hurricane season VERY seriously. In FL, I moved away from the water becuase I just couldn't take the stress after a summer with 5 evacs. I have a Plan, a contingency Plan and several more plans, should we ever come under threat. I encourage all FL residents to do the same.

Taxes/government services - as Jim and several others have mentioned, property taxes are undergoing some major changes right now. I work in local government and can tell you that for a very small decrease in property tax (I'm saving a whopping $65 dollars this year), my community is losing a ton of services... services that make this one of FL's most desireable areas. I have to assume plenty more areas will take similar hits. The state has GOT to come up with a better plan for paying for things, including our crappy schools.

The good news? Property values are plummeting - (okay, this isnt' good news for me, but it is for you OP!) so it's a great time to buy. Though I'll complain about the heat and humidity from June-Sept, you still couldn't pay me to swap that for a Buffalo winter. Beaches, beaches, beahces, beaches. Really, almost endless possibilities for outdoor activities. Fantastic medical care. A booming high-tech industry base - we're moving away from being a strictly toursim-based economy to something a lot more diversified.

I do urge you to research all the different areas and find a community that fits your interests; there are SO many different options in FL!

 

[DVC Mike]

...think very carefully about your ability to handle hurricanes and act accordingly. Will you be devastated mentally and/or financially if most of what you own is lost to a hurricane?

Uhh, Yes.

 

[PrincessV]

Uhh, Yes.

Then steer clear of FL! What I really mean is, think about what you can handle financially and mentally before choosing a place to live here. If you simply could not recover from losing your home and belongings to a hurricane, don't choose to live on the beach. That's why I moved inland; after losing everything once, I can't go through that again. Being away from the beach doesn't guarantee anything, of course, but it sure reduces the odds of watching my sofa being swept out to sea!

 

[Dory's mama]

My DH and I talk about moving to FL from MI all the time. Well, I guess I should say, I talk about moving all the time. He is a plumber/pipefitter for a local union and tells me that they have no unions in FL, and it is a "right to work" state. He thinks that he could make more money here, but considering all the taxes we pay here in MI, and how there isn't very much work in our area right now, I think things would even out. Does anyone know if he is correct about the unions?

 

[JimMIA]

He is a plumber/pipefitter for a local union and tells me that they have no unions in FL, and it is a "right to work" state.

I don't have any personal experience, but I have some family experience in an unrelated trade.

First of all, Florida is a right to work state. There are plenty of unions here, but I'm sure they are not as strong as they are in MI. Much of the work here is non-union, but that can vary a lot depending on the trade.

As far as family experience, I have a cousin who is a union electrician from the Boston area. He lived in Florida for a number of years until moving back to Boston about 3 years ago. He always had plenty of work in Florida, but is unable to find much work in the Boston area. Fortunately, he is able to find work elsewhere through his national union, but he spends long periods away from home traveling whereever the work is.

I have no idea how, or if, his experience would translate to your husband's trade. I would think local unions would be able to give you a much better idea.

 

[JimMIA]

but it sure reduces the odds of watching my sofa being swept out to sea!

One January afternoon, my sailboat got caught up in a rip tide, and we were swept out to sea.

We turned up the Jimmy Buffet music, put on more sunblock, cracked open another round of beers, and made the best of a bad situation! Eventually, the beer ran out, the tide changed, and we sailed back in. No problem, mon!

 

[JimMIA]

Could you stand to board-up and evacuate 4 times in one summer if necessary? Will you spend each summer stressed to the max if you live near water?

Now...to be serious about hurricanes for a second, very few places in Florida use evacuation as a hurricane strategy. In fact, many of us cringe when we see a place like New Orleans or Houston trying to evacuate. Except for coastal areas and barrier islands like St. Pete Beach, Miami Beach, etc, and the Florida Keys, the standard practice is to shutter and ride it out.

Virtually all of our homes here are concrete block construction, and hurricane shutters and roof tiedowns have been required by zoning regulations and building codes since Hurricane Andrew in 1992. Generators are also legally required at gas stations and most supermarkets and homes have generators -- some homes have very elaborate generators which will power the entire house, including air conditioning, for 3-4 days.

Having gone through a number of hurricanes here, it's always struck me that the stress beforehand and the inconvenience afterward are usually worse than the storm itself. Obviously that's not true if your house is destroyed around you, as my Dad's house was in Andrew, but for most of us hurricanes are just a pain in the behind.

The eye of Hurricane Katrina passed right over our house (it was only a Category One storm when it hit Miami, Cat 3 when it hit New Orleans). It woke us up, but I checked the house for a few minutes and went back to sleep.

Hurricane Wilma was a strong Cat 3 when it hit us, and the eye was so big that just about all of South Florida experienced the eye wall. We had winds in excess of 110 MPH, and there were winds of 134 MPH about 30 miles from us. We were buttoned up, and I slept through it.

We were without electricity for four days with Katrina and three days with Wilma...although many, many people were not as fortunate as we with Wilma.

 

[solgent]

Haven't read all the posts, but here is my experience:

DH and I both grew up in Baltimore MD and we lived in Boston and Philadelphia for a total of 9 years. Then I got a job in Miami. We were excited to give it a try, but we don't live there anymore! We were there for 4 years and the weather was certainly nice, but I found it disorienting & isolating. Where I had lived previously, every month was 10 degrees cooler or warmer than the previous month and I could not get used to the relative stability. I felt that time was moving forward elsewhere and we were in a time warp. The light is very different and I also got tired of the endless golden sunshine. The light is much whiter in the north. I can see that what I found uncomfortable might be perceived as advantages to other people, but I can only tell you what I experienced as a transplanted Northerner.

Furthermore, we had friends and family in cities from Washington DC to Boston, so everywhere we had lived before we could easily make visits for a day or weekend. Down in Miami I felt very cut off. So, it did not work for me.

I also have to point out that people say you go from your air-conditioned house to your air-conditioned car to your air-conditioned office or shop. But your car is hot as blazes when it's been sitting on the parking lot.

Had I been happy at my job, that probably would have made up for some of the negatives that I experienced, but my workplace was not a good fit for me. I got a job offer in New England and was really happy to move back north.

Maybe someday I can be a "snowbird" and winter in Florida, enjoy the best of both worlds!

P.S. We went through a couple of relatively mild hurricanes. That was not a factor to me. They are pretty much confined to a season and with modern weather forecasts, you can see the problem coming days ahead and take precautions. It is the same with blizzards in the north. They can be an inconvenience, sure, but not life-threatening. Unlike, say, earthquakes. Those are less frequent but you get no warning and they can be deadly.

 

[MinnieLee]

Whenever the NY dank, cold, dreary winters get to us we always think of someday moving to Fla. We have friends who moved to Spring Hill about 7 years ago and they said that it took about 18 months to get used to Florida but now they would not live anywhere else. Our neighbors also just sold their house three weeks ago and are moving to Jacksonville. The new house is fantastic. In NY prices it would be over $600,000 - even in todays market - and they paid $334,000 for the house and their taxes are half (We pay $10,000 per year in taxes). I do have a fear of the hurricanes and the damage they can do and am not particularly fond of snakes. But, when we vacation and start talking with locals we are also told us that the pay is miserable. We also have been there in the summer and it is very humid. We live on Long Island and have humidity but coupled with the
Fla. temps. it can be unbearable. I hear the education system is getting better though. To pick up roots would be a tough decision!

 

[PrincessV]

Having gone through a number of hurricanes here, it's always struck me that the stress beforehand and the inconvenience afterward are usually worse than the storm itself.

I agree - the pre-storm stress really gets to me. I've taken to ignoring the news as much as possible if there's anything swirling out there in the Gulf or Atlantic.

But I worry a lot about transplants where I live; I think Miamians have a much better perspective on what to do (and what NOT to do) with a hurricane becuase you've gone through it a bunch of times. My perspective comes from living through the aftermath of Hugo - the storm itself wasn't so bad from our evacuation spot, but no water, dwindling food supplies, no electric, flodding every time it rained, looting, no income since my workplace was destroyed, all for weeks on end... I never want to go through that again. And, working in local government, I know exactly how ill-prepared my area is. My plan is GET OUT if the big one heads our way.