Moving to Orlando (probably) - help me decide

[Can_Dannn]

Hi All - not sure if this is a good spot to post, but here goes.

My husband and I are likely moving to Orlando in next 3-4 months - I will be accepting a new position at Advent Health
We are moving from Michigan, so the weather is going to be a HUGE change for us. We both grew up in very cold/snowy winter climates, so the sun/heat will be an adjustment.
We're both big Disney fans - we have new AP's, are new DVC members, and just returned from a week there beginning of November.

Would like to hear some pro's and con's of living and moving to Orlando from a Northern climate/colder climate
We're excited but we've heard some concerning cons. The two most concerning for us is:
1) Weather - can be unbearable in the summer. We like summers in Michigan - we have a pool now, so will definitely have one in Orlando
2) Developing relationships and making friends - some of our close friends that have lived in Orlando/Florida stated it was hard to make new friends since it's a lot of snow birds, and renters.

Thoughts?
Also - information on good/safe areas to move? We are looking at 3-4 bedroom houses, in subdivisions or gated communities so any suggestions on good neighborhoods or cities/towns to browse

THANKS!!!!

 

[LIPeter]

I just recently moved to Orlando from Long Island and I am happy that I did. I was the same way regarding the pros and cons. I’ve heard the same thing about the heat, but it’s not like there’s no air conditioning. I’m not worried about that. As for making friends, I wouldn’t worry about it. You’ll make new friends. I’ve been here a month, and have a couple already. And of course, you can go to Disney whenever you want. I wouldn’t worry too much.

 

[NH-to-FL]

My husband and I are likely moving to Orlando in next 3-4 months - I will be accepting a new position at Advent Health

First, congratulations in advance for your upcoming new job! And move!

DW and I are snowbirds and I understand the "cons" that you mentioned.

Yes, we find the summers in FL to be oppressive. We have visited a number of times and basically find ourselves confined to the house in the AC. Sort of they way we feel in the winter in NH. So it sort of flips the seasonal confinement period. That said, a lot of people survive in FL full time. Talking to our full time friends in FL you learn to deal with it. Some basically learn to move from one AC space to the next. Some come to learn how to live with just AC for sleeping. And I worked with a multigenerational FL native who scoffed at the heat. He grew up without AC and was cold in northern summers.

I also appreciate about your concern about snowbird neighborhoods. Our home is in a short term rental neighborhood that is slowly turning over to more full time residents. We have met a number of nice folks in our neighborhood including one full time couple who now keep an eye on our home when we are not there. We intentionally chose our neighborhood as we did short term rentals for a number of years before I retired.

Rest assured there are plenty of "full time" neighborhoods that you can pick from. Since you mentioned your love of Disney, northeast of Disney are a number of nice neighborhoods. Two quickly come to mind, Windermere and Doctor Phillips.

If you indicate which region of Orlando you are headed towards I am sure you will get other suggestions.

Good luck with your move!

 

[Upatnoon]

The first summer will be a bear -- it just takes a while to adjust.

My 2 cents is to find a community where people live -- not a tourist area or a place with a transient population -- and live close to where you work.

 

[doombuggy]

I totally agree. I moved here in 2004 and have never gotten used to the heat in the summer.
I have made friends at both my jobs, but since I work 7 days a week, my "full times" are limited, especially now. But you will want to live close/near where you work as to cut your commuting time. My last F/T job was 11 miles from my house, but I used to spend about 1 hr 15 minutes a day in the car going between Oviedo and Maitland...
The housing situation here is tight. It is a sellers market. You might want to consider renting a house or apt first and taking your time to look around for a more permanent place to live.

 

[NH-to-FL]

- and live close to where you work

I will second this comment. The traffic in the Orlando area can get very heavy. As you look at various areas, spend some time on Google Maps with traffic enabled, especially during your projected commute time. Though I don't know how much the traffic in the Orlando area has been depressed by COVID. And try to stay away from I-4.

The housing situation here is tight. It is a sellers market.

I'll second this comment too. I was talking with my neighbor down there just the other day and he was telling me that houses in our neighborhood were now selling quickly. For surprisingly high prices. There was a thread on this forum a few weeks ago from a couple trying to buy a house southwest of Disney and they kept getting outbid.

 

[hrhdhd]

Other areas of Florida have more snowbirds, in particular the farther south you go. I wouldn't worry about that. Although short-term rentals are now allowed in Orange County, there are quite a few rules that make them less likely.

In a gated community, in particular, you'll want to check on the HOA rules and assessment amounts.

If you could be more specific about which Advent Health location you may be headed to (just a general idea, perhaps), we could offer more advice about neighborhoods/parts of town.

Edit: the weather. It is what it is. You'll have to adapt.

 

[osufeth24]

Is there a part of Orlando you are looking at?

 

[Woodview]

There are lots of homes for sale in the area around Hwy 192 to Hwy 27 ( South ) to I-4

Hampton Lakes , Highland Reserve , Westridge , Solana & others .

All have there own pools .

Shops are there & Disney is about 15 miles away .

Hampton Lakes 5 bed 4 bath & pool are going for $ 250 000 +

More & more overseas owners are selling . so there is a lot of inventory out there .

 

[Woodview]

Look up www.TDFlorida.com ( Choose Community location )

AND Bardell Real Estate

 

[BrinkofSunshine]

I’ve lived in Orlando most of my life. I definitely agree that living close to work is a good idea! If you end up at the main Advent Health location downtown, there are some wonderful areas to live around there: Ivanhoe Village, College Park, Lake Eola Heights, Thornton Park, Winter Park, Delaney Park, and Audubon Park.. just to name a few! I live in this area and I really love it. There really aren’t snowbirds in this area, and it’s more established than a lot of the newer suburbs. Lots of community events and things to engage in to meet people here too! If you have any questions let me know!

 

[CarolynFH]

This series of podcasts was linked here on the DIS - seems to be very thorough with specific episodes about the different areas to live in, property taxes, etc. Might be a place to start: https://movingtoorlando.com/

 

[WorldOfPooh]

More & more overseas owners are selling . so there is a lot of inventory out there .

Is that because of COVID?

 

[bearzabout]

We love Winter Park and the area around Harry P Leu Gardens. it is close to downtown, but getting to the parks is a problem because of traffic.

Be careful when picking a house. A lot of them have mold issues. Make sure the ac works well in the entire house, especially the bedrooms since you are used to sleeping in a colder temperature. Fans will help to keep you cool in the bedrooms cool also. If a home smells musty, pass on it since the mold may be in the walls And between the slab and flooring. The infamous Chinese drywall problems are an issue in some areas, as are holes developing in Pex plumbing pipe which then leak in the walls. Find a good home inspector.

The Dr Phillips area is very popular and closer to the parks. Check Zillow for property tax rates. I have seen some rates double in recent years. Many people pay over $25,000 in property taxes. I think some houses are selling because the taxes have gone up so much in some areas, like Windermere. Remember there is no Headly amendment there to keep property taxes in check.

Insurance is a much bigger issue in Florida than in Michigan. Sink holes are a bit of a concern, as is flooding, wind damage and mold. Call an agent now so you know what to look for so you are not surprised by issues. We were surprised to find that the most coverage we could get on a family $750,000 condo was only $150,000, and the building’s coverage is not enough to replace the building.

Most people we met in the past loved it there and had no regrets about their move. I noticed more recently that people are starting to leave. I think it would be fun for a while, and you can always choose to move if the traffic, heat and crime gets to be too much.

 

[Disneyfan754321]

My DH job moves us around, I agree with doombuggy get a rental first. We just moved to South Florida all is going well.
I had to laugh at these peeps the other morning it was 56 and the roads were "dead" it's really nice not having to layer up before going to the mailbox.

 

[hrhdhd]

<snip>Check Zillow for property tax rates. I have seen some rates double in recent years. Many people pay over $25,000 in property taxes. I think some houses are selling because the taxes have gone up so much in some areas, like Windermere. Remember there is no Headly amendment there to keep property taxes in check.

Florida has a Save Our Homes constitutional amendment that limits property tax increases on homesteaded properties by limiting the amount the assessed value of a property can increase. Anyone paying $25,000 in property taxes bought the home recently and/or it's an expensive property.

 

[MICKIMINI]

We've been visiting family in Winter Park on Lake Killarney since 1965. Lakefront is likely out pricewise, but you can be just a few hundred feet away (possibly a view) for a more normal price. The town of Winter Park is charming so take a drive through...old oak trees and Spanish moss. People from NH founded the town. We really like Celebration, but I've read lately that some of the homes are not well built so buyer beware. Also, I think it was 2006 that there was bad drywall installed all over the place and had to be torn out of many homes. I'm guessing there are still homes that have it.

Good luck and congrats!!

 

[bearzabout]

Watch out for homeowners association fees. I just looked at a $360,000 home in Kissimmee and they wanted close to $500/month for the HOA.

For people who live in Florida, how do you find out how much property taxes will be on a newly purchased home if the rate has been lowered due to Save Our Homes? It may explain why property taxes have doubled in one year on some houses. That would be quite a surprise.

 

[White Cat]

There are lots of homes for sale in the area around Hwy 192 to Hwy 27 ( South ) to I-4

Hampton Lakes , Highland Reserve , Westridge , Solana & others .

All have there own pools .

Shops are there & Disney is about 15 miles away .

Hampton Lakes 5 bed 4 bath & pool are going for $ 250 000 +

More & more overseas owners are selling . so there is a lot of inventory out there .

That’s not a very desirable place to live.

 

[White Cat]

Watch out for homeowners association fees. I just looked at a $360,000 home in Kissimmee and they wanted close to $500/month for the HOA.

For people who live in Florida, how do you find out how much property taxes will be on a newly purchased home if the rate has been lowered due to Save Our Homes? It may explain why property taxes have doubled in one year on some houses. That would be quite a surprise.

Ours is $700 per month. Keeps the area nice.