relocating to florida

[ducklite]

Thank you for the additional information. I am shocked at the amount of taxes that you pay and I knew the insurance would be high. I will contact a realestate agent for more info. I don't want to build and I would like to rent but with my dogs it would be too difficult. I have 3 chinese cresteds and my one german shepherd. Two of the chinese cresteds are puppies and I could find them homes if I have to but not the other two, since they have been with me a long time. When I was searching for houses on line the taxes where less than 3 thousand, so maybe you own something way out of my price range?

The taxes listed on a listing are the taxes the current owner is paying while "homesteaded." The minute the property is sold, it is reassessed and taxes can go up dramatically. Someone who has owned a home for ten years hasn't ahd their property taxes in crease more than 3% a year while taxes in the area to new homes have gone up. My neighbors who have been there for five years pay 60% of what I do, and their house is worth more, all due to the homesteading.

As for the winter there, I do plan on going to look at houses, but it can never be as cold as washington state. I have also lived in Hawaii where the weather is perfect and was also there through hurricane Iniki. Here in washington it gets very cold and dark in the winter and when it rains it never stops. I have bad allergies to the trees and molds and we like to be outdoors in the sun, which can only happen in the summer.

If you have tree and mold allergies, watch out in FL. We're the mold capital of the world! And tree pollenis insane here in the spring--far worse than where I grew up in the northeast. Please do youself a favor and visit here in March (peak pollen season) before you commit to a move.

Anne

 

[Demosthenes]

St. Lucie County (on the east coast) especially near Vero Beach, Fort Pierce and Stuart has greatly overbuilt in recent months, and there is a huge housing glut. Homes that were lisiting for $350k in March have dropped below $300k. It is a real bargain for buyers right now, and as long as you are buying to live permanently, you should do alright. Taxes are high, and insurance is difficult to find, let alone afford.

 

[lauraf]

I am allergic to pine trees and I don't recall seeing any there. Having allergies is not the major reason why I am moving there. I have wanted to move to florida for many years but I wanted to wait until I have been there. I don't expect perfection there, and if I don't like it or its not in anyway what I expect it to be, or if I am unhappy there I can always leave. Thank you for all the negative information about florida, I do plan on doing complete research before I go, but this is what I want and I am grateful for ALL the advice.

 

[ducklite]

I am allergic to pine trees and I don't recall seeing any there. Having allergies is not the major reason why I am moving there. I have wanted to move to florida for many years but I wanted to wait until I have been there. I don't expect perfection there, and if I don't like it or its not in anyway what I expect it to be, or if I am unhappy there I can always leave. Thank you for all the negative information about florida, I do plan on doing complete research before I go, but this is what I want and I am grateful for ALL the advice.

This state is LOADED with pine trees. I wish it were all palms, I'm not allergic to them, but I am to pines.

If you come in March when the pines are in full pollen mode you'll know it the second you step off the plane.

Like ou, the good outweighed the bad, which is why I'm here, I'm just trying to show you the other side of life here. Even after all my research and visits, there were still a few things that took me by surprise.

Anne

 

[Amity 3]

I've lived in different parts of the country, and there is no perfect place in my experiences. when we decided on Florida, it was after a lot of searching and weighing out what we wanted, the good and the bad.

the Tampa area has also been overbuilt and now has a housing surplus. a neighborhood some friends live in have six houses on a cul-de-sac all up for sale. they're trying to capture the massive appreciation they've seen in the last few years, but no one's buying.

keep doing your research, Florida's not for everyone. but neither is Washington.

 

[LoveBWVVBR]

We live on the east coast of FL (Brevard County), and our property taxes are $3300 for a homesteaded 60's block house. I don't that that's bad, but a lot of people pay a lot more. We wouldn't live anywhere but here, but there are certainly things to consider before moving here (taxes and insurance).

A fixer can be had here for under $300K now because of the property tax and insurance issues. We own our house outright so we're simply opting not to carry windstorm when our renewal comes up in the spring. People with mortgages don't have this option, and they're bailing out in droves. That's why you can get a bargain here all of a sudden IMHO.

We would not be living here if we had to keep ponying up more and more every year for homeowners', though. I have heard nightmare stories of people paying from 6K-20K for homeowners' on their homes now, and those are the lucky people who didn't get dropped If you can buy your house outright and just pay fire, theft and liability, you may be able to overcome the insurance issue.

Also, before you decide on a county, find out how they assess property taxes. Our county does some sort of average value of similar houses, and that worked out GREAT for us. Some counties use the closing price of the house, though, and that can really hurt the homebuyer. The property taxes on the listings mean NOTHING. You will pay more, guaranteed. Those are the homesteaded property taxes of the former owner.

 

[lauraf]

thanks so much for the information on property tax and insurance. Those will be the two things I discuss with the realtor right off the bat. If I can't afford it then it won't happen. I'm hopin for something I can afford. Can anyone recommend a good realtor who can help me with that information?

 

[Poohs Pal]

I'm looking for info as well, as I might be relocating to the Tampa area for work. Pinellas county looks a little too rich for my blood! If this does happen, we are going to rent for at least a year before buying- I don't want to rush into buying a home not knowing what I'm getting into.

DD and I are doing the same thing(renting for a year to be sure we made the right decision) We were going to go down in October to look at apartments but had to change that to January. I have spoke to alot of people and clearwater area seems to look good to us. A doctor of Dson's has a home in clearwater and said Morton Plantation Hospital(hope I got the name correct) is a very good hospital. DD works at a hospital here and would like to work in the clearwater area. We have also looked at all the bad and the only part that i'm having trouble with are the SNAKES. I see a gardner snake and run for the hills Spider's only bother me for an instant and then i'm all over that little sucker . Of course the thought of a cockroach buzzing my head could possibly put me in a coma . But all that said I'm getting sick of Michigan winters and can't wait for the sweltering summer weather. Susan

 

[lauraf]

I too would like to rent, but I think I would have a problem with the german shepherd that I have. I might have to find homes for the two pups that I have and see if its possible to rent. Spiders bother me snakes and roaches don't. I also want to get away from the winter here in washington.

DD and I are doing the same thing(renting for a year to be sure we made the right decision) We were going to go down in October to look at apartments but had to change that to January. I have spoke to alot of people and clearwater area seems to look good to us. A doctor of Dson's has a home in clearwater and said Morton Plantation Hospital(hope I got the name correct) is a very good hospital. DD works at a hospital here and would like to work in the clearwater area. We have also looked at all the bad and the only part that i'm having trouble with are the SNAKES. I see a gardner snake and run for the hills Spider's only bother me for an instant and then i'm all over that little sucker . Of course the thought of a cockroach buzzing my head could possibly put me in a coma . But all that said I'm getting sick of Michigan winters and can't wait for the sweltering summer weather. Susan

 

[Poohs Pal]

I have checked apartments.com and move.com and found a lot of apartments that except cats, small and large dogs for a fee. Susan

 

[flyinglizard]

When you are looking at costs, you will also need to consider a lawn service. You may want to cut the grass yourself, but trust me, you'll need experts to keep the lawn free of chinch bugs and, with four dogs, fleas. I would also suggest a pest control contract to take care of inside critters as well.

You will also need to learn to accept spiders, or at least the ones that aren't bigger than your shoe. Several weeks ago I killed an absolutely beautiful example of a southern black widow. That may strike fear in you, but they aren't as bad as they are made out to be.

My wife and I first purchased in Florida in 1971, before Disney opened. We knew it was where we wanted to live. All my life I've always hated cold weather. Although we have had many surprises as Florida residents, this is still where we want to live.

From what I have seen in this post, yeah, you too are probably one of those people who want to live in Florida, not just because of Disney. I hope these posts will help you to make an informed decision, without any surprises. Good Luck!

 

[Amity 3]

We have also looked at all the bad and the only part that i'm having trouble with are the SNAKES.

it's not like Snakes on a Plane here, we see an occasional black racer in the back yard. I found a green tree frog in the car today when I was going to the store. stupid thing hopped around for a couple of minutes before I got him out. on the way to the store, I saw river otters playing in a pond by the side of the road.

it all balances out with the wildlife.

 

[ilovepcot]

thanks so much for the information on property tax and insurance. Those will be the two things I discuss with the realtor right off the bat. If I can't afford it then it won't happen. I'm hopin for something I can afford. Can anyone recommend a good realtor who can help me with that information?

Before a realtor can be recommended, it would probably be a good idea to know the county, if not the town, where you'd like to live. I was told realtors can sell out of the area they work and reside, but it's doubtful they'd be in a position to know all the neighborhoods and important details of places a county or two away.

Why not get on realtor.com or a similar site and take a look at houses in a price range you feel you'd be confortable with. When you see some houses you like, email the listing agent and request information be mailed to you about the listing as well as a Real Estate Photo Guide for that area? It's a great start. In fact, it's not a bad idea to request info from several agents in different areas. Keep looking till you find the town and agent you like.

 

[Poohs Pal]

it's not like Snakes on a Plane here, we see an occasional black racer in the back yard. I found a green tree frog in the car today when I was going to the store. stupid thing hopped around for a couple of minutes before I got him out. on the way to the store, I saw river otters playing in a pond by the side of the road.

it all balances out with the wildlife.[/QUOTE

That was funny. I have tree frog's suck to the house window. I'm used to wild life of the gentler kind(for the most part). I have 8 acres in the country so my back yard in the last couple of days has been full of geese and blue huron and a herd of deer. We recently watched a mama turkey and her 11 babies walk down the driveway.I also see chipmunks and rabits.The neighbors on the next street lose there cows all the time and for some reason they end up in my back yard. We also had a farm down the street have some hore's get loose and they decided my yard was the place to hang. Now for the ugly stuff. The bee's this year have decided to build condo's in my shutters and around my porch and deck. It's a race for the door to see who gets in first. We had an outdoor wedding here a couple of years ago and a bee went up Dneice's wedding dress during the ceremony and then procedded to sting a couple guest's. The neighbor's have some rooster's i'd like to take for a ride and then theirs those gardner snakes that like to race me to the garden. Don't let anyone tell you these snakes don't get huge. I watched one suck down a baby fish in my pond. You guys have love bugs we have june bugs, try pulling one or more of them out of your hair . On occassion I get these black spiders in my house I swear can jump a half a block in one leap. I just drop a phone book on them and then flush them to make sure they are dead. Susan

 

[ducklite]

September is earwig month. Ugh, I HATE them. Even with a pest service for my lawn and another one for inside the house, I've still got them. Fortunately the Tubes in the Walls does a great job against roaches, in the two years we've lived in the house we've only found three, and they were all dead. And trust me, I go looking at night with a flashlight, I'm paranoid. We get teensy little spiders inside now and then. I want them to live in the walls, they are a very effective deterrent to other bugs, but once they cross the drywall they have a death wish.

The cinch bugs weren't as bad this year. We've got some small black racers in the yard, as long as they stay away from me I'll leave them alone. My neighbor and I discovered a snake that we suspect might have been poisonous, we didn't bother to stick around long enough to find out--it was tan, not a black racer. Another neighbor found me about .5 milliseconds later standing on their porch bench--I don't think my feet hit the ground as I ran across the street LOL!

We've also got a posse of little lizards on the lanai and in the garage--we've got babies that were born (hatched?) on our lanai, they are the size of a quarter! We like them there. They are more afraid of us than we are of them. They eat bugs. As long as they stay out of the passenger compartments of the cars and don't try to get across the threashhold into the house we will happily co-exist.

The frogs don't bother me. We had a big one in the driveway the other night-must have been a good four inches wide. The little ones are very noisy at night, but I enjoy hearing them and the crickets.

Anne

 

[lauraf]

I have checked apartments.com and move.com and found a lot of apartments that except cats, small and large dogs for a fee. Susan

Thank you, I will check in to that, I didn't think it would be possible but you have given me hope.

 

[mickeysgal]

I am allergic to pine trees and I don't recall seeing any there.

OMG...pine trees are everywhere in Florida. The very tall, loblolly pines. WDW is loaded with them. The yellow, pine pollen will literally be dusted over your car overnight during pollen season. It coats everything.

 

[mickeysgal]

I have tree frog's suck to the house window.

Yes, if you have any lights on in a room, you'll get tree frogs of various sizes stuck to the windows at night looking for bugs. Cute, yes, but they do leave frog poop on the outside windowsills.

 

[lesroi]

I agree with most all of the other posters. I am a Realtor here in Central Florida (we live on the Osceola/Polk county line area.) Florida is definitely now a place you have to WANT to live, it's no longer the cheapest place to live. Of course, now it is a buyer's market with everyone fleeing the insurance increases and cancellations. Too many speculators bought up the cheap houses and now are having to cut bait and sell at a loss. It's great for the people that can afford it, as you can get a nice "bargain" again.

We love it here but it sure isn't for everyone. I agree with the "fear of spiders" assessments. I am VERY afraid of spiders but I have a good aim with a phonebook or magazine. I still refuse to smoosh one with a tissue. Ugh, I am getting queasy just thinking about it! I do allow them to live out on the lanai though, I think they are taking care of some of the other little bugs so it's all good.

Have fun planning your move!

Tracy

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

Ahhh, Florida!

We lived in Jacksonville when I was age 10-14, then we moved to Largo and stayed until I was 19. Whoever said Pinellas County is expensive was probably essentially correct. On the other hand, there are some smaller, older homes that shouldn't be that expensive. When I was in high school we were relatively well off, but I had lots of friends in neighborhoods less affluent than mine.

I just got an e-mail earlier this week with a job listing in Lake Worth. I looked at some real estate sites, looked at the nationwide job site for DH's company, kicked around the idea of moving back to FL.

I would love to move back, but then again...
DH has lived his whole life in Dallas, and I have never done a state-to-state move as a grown up. I think that would be tough. I don't know if the areas where I could get a job would be areas where DH could get a transfer. I do NOT miss the giant spiders and flying tree roaches. From what I can tell I think the cost of living is probably about equal.

More than likely we will stay here and "commute" to Disney a few times a year. Good luck to those of you brave enough to take the plunge!