I need Floridians!!!

[Tense]

Please help us! After years of vaselating about moving to Florida... we're gonna do it.
Here's the rub... WHERE do we want to live. Husband is 52.. I'm 40.. and we have 2 children 13 and 8 to consider. I'll need good schools, and not nessessarily retirement per se. We have looked in the Orlando area, and looked in the Tampa area. Friends of ours moved to Fort Meyers area. I have never been there though. Could anyone tell me names of towns or gated (or not) communities that are good to raise a family in. Kinda upscale (not crazy though) homes around 200,000.ish Any help would be greatly appreciated.TIA

 

[BibbidiBobbidiBOO]

IMHO, the schools in Northern Florida are better. South FL is like another state in lots of respects! They can't seem to get the voting machines right down there either . What is up with south Florida?
I know I did not answer your question, just thought you might want to research the north half too.

 

[shannonandtom]

What about Celebration?

Tom...

 

[RitaZ.]

What area do you want information about? I live in NW Broward county (S. FL). If there anything you would like to know, just let me know.

 

[doxdogy]

I live in Northeast Florida. Some of the public schools here are good and some aren't as good as others. I guess it depends on what side of town you live in. We have some nice gated subdivisions and nice subdivisions that aren't gated. For a city in Florida, Jacksonville is okay. The cost of living doesn't seem as high here as other parts of Florida. We have a large military population in our city.

 

[Tense]

Thanks Guys.....I guess I'm looking for names of towns with good reputations for schools and resale,and low crime. Living up here all my life i know the areas that most people want to live in for one reason or another. So I was hoping the 'locals' give me the heads up! I think I'm leaning towards the Orlando area... maybe not... but I need some place that DH and I can find a job. I'm in the hospitality business, and DH is too... but can do other things as well.

 

[JeniC]

I have lived here my whole life. There is no place better then being on the gulf in southwest florida. IMO
The schools here are good, the teachers do wonderful things with the little funding they receive.
We are also the Spring Training home for the Minnesota Twins and the Boston Red Sox. We have several great minor league teams in Baseball, Hockey, Arena Football, and Basketball.
If you have any questions about the area please e-mail me.

Good Luck on the quest!

 

[ez]

Definitely research my town. It is one of Fl. best kept secrets, one hour from Orlando, on the Ocean and river, next to Daytona, there are a lot of beautiful upscale gated comunities where you could get a nice home in your price range, and of course much higher! Very good schools, Spruce creek high is nearby, your childrencan it attend if doing IB, was in the top one hundred of high schools nationwide. Ron Rice of Hawaiin Tropic fame makes his home here, John Travolta lived in a fly in community nearby for quite a while. The races, bike week etc. give people in the hospitality industry a chance to make big bucks. Good luck in your decision