Thinking of moving...resources for planning?

[TeresaWen]

I use these boards for all my Disney related questions so I’ll try here first.

My husband and I are in the early (very early) stages of considering a move south.

Thinking of an over 55 community within an hour from Disney world.

Can someone recommend online resources for us before we take any further steps. Maybe discussion boards or web sites with information on various communities.

Thanks.

 

[Sandeep1]

city-data.com

 

[McDISer]

My Dr. And his wife go to the Villages every winter and he told me the places has boomed the last ten years. It is probably the biggest retirement area in Florida.

Good luck, we go to Florida every year for 3 weeks in February and some of the guys my dh works with, said the Orlando area is one of the last areas that you want to live in. They said pick anywhere other than Orlando.

 

[TeresaWen]

Thanks. If anyone knows about Facebook groups, discussion boards, blogs...focusing on different communities I would appreciate it.

Trying to figure out what counties / towns we should be targeting.

 

[_19disnA]

There is a similar thread going now on the SE that is worth looking at. I would avoid picking someplace just because you see a lot of TV ads. You really need to visit any of the places you are seriously considering to see if they are a good fit for you and your husband. Someplace you like to vacation may not be the best choice to live full-time. Need to see if the amenities/stores/doctor's offices/etc. you frequent are a reasonable distance. Some FL developers bought up land in rural areas since it was reasonably priced HOPING the areas around them would develop. Sometimes they did, other times not. I can recall being on vacation in a really nice development that wasn't near to anything. Do you really want to drive 25 miles to go shopping?

I don't find FB/blogs to be particularly reliable for such things. You have no idea who those people are and perhaps some are paid by developers to SAY glowing things regardless of where they actually live. At best, they can make you aware of certain areas, but wouldn't make any decisions based on such input. Developer websites can also be useful to see the general surroundings and amenities being offered. If you don't play tennis/swim/golf, those things are less important when choosing a place to retire.....or very important if they are things you frequently do. Be sure to consider the costs of such added amenities and if they fit within your budget.

Some of the "over 55" communities do not permit younger overnight visitors, so something to consider if say grandchildren might ever visit.

If you frequently travel, distance to the nearest airport is also a consideration.

During the summer, Florida can be so hot/humid that many just choose to stay indoors and run their AC. Certainly need to visit at that time to experience the climate for yourself, regardless of how some others say it is no big deal.

 

[auntfrannie]

Thanks. If anyone knows about Facebook groups, discussion boards, blogs...focusing on different communities I would appreciate it.

Trying to figure out what counties / towns we should be targeting.

There is a FB group called Moving to the Magic that is part of the DIS group. Eric Gross (an Orlando realtor) was on the DIS' marathon show and since then has started the FB group.

 

[LovesTimone]

First off living here is not like vacationing here....

Before you start to make the move, you and DH need to figure out what you really want... what type of lifestyle are you looking to live... really figure it out, do you really want/need a tennis court in the community... or what about a play ground when the grand kids come to visit... are really going to get involved with all those activities, or are you looking for more community family feel.... so you want to down size, now you live in Fl, people will want to come see you... meaning stay with you... so make sure to get the right amount of bedrooms, and bathrooms... which coast if you want to be within a hour or two drive of the beach...

There are tons of communities, some with fancy clubhouse resort amenities, others smaller with not so many amenities but just as nice...

Pick up a map, and draw a circle around where you want to live, then take the time, to visit, drive around, eat, shop, go to the movies, or play golf whatever you are interested in... make the drive over to the beach, to WDW, then start your search for real...

 

[BrinkofSunshine]

Good luck, we go to Florida every year for 3 weeks in February and some of the guys my dh works with, said the Orlando area is one of the last areas that you want to live in. They said pick anywhere other than Orlando.

Orlando is one of the only places in FL I will live in, so that’s definitely a subjective opinion. I love it here.

 

[TeresaWen]

First off living here is not like vacationing here....

Before you start to make the move, you and DH need to figure out what you really want... what type of lifestyle are you looking to live... really figure it out, do you really want/need a tennis court in the community... or what about a play ground when the grand kids come to visit... are really going to get involved with all those activities, or are you looking for more community family feel.... so you want to down size, now you live in Fl, people will want to come see you... meaning stay with you... so make sure to get the right amount of bedrooms, and bathrooms... which coast if you want to be within a hour or two drive of the beach...

There are tons of communities, some with fancy clubhouse resort amenities, others smaller with not so many amenities but just as nice...

Pick up a map, and draw a circle around where you want to live, then take the time, to visit, drive around, eat, shop, go to the movies, or play golf whatever you are interested in... make the drive over to the beach, to WDW, then start your search for real...

Thank you! We definitely want to spend some time looking around to get the feel of the areas. Getting great ideas on where to start my research here.

We want to downsize the house & get into a community with outside maintenance included. Some place where the community members socialize from time to time. A pool, clubhouse, & fitness center.

We want warm. And FL has no state tax and a good number of transplanted northerns

I really appreciate all the advice.

 

[ScottOKW2K]

There is a similar thread going now on the SE that is worth looking at.

What the heck is SE ? I've been on the DIS for decades and the only thing I can think of is Spaceship Earth .

 

[TeresaWen]

There is a FB group called Moving to the Magic that is part of the DIS group. Eric Gross (an Orlando realtor) was on the DIS' marathon show and since then has started the FB group.

Thank you!

All great advice here. So appreciated. Hoping to spend the next month or so doing online research then take a trip.

 

[tvguy]

Certainly do your research. I know an awful lot of people in their retirement years that move away and are miserable. Friends, family, Doctors, Dentists, stores, churches that they have had for decades are no longer there. And gets even worse when one of them passes away. It may be perfect for you, but don't be hasty in making the move. BE SURE before you move.

 

[TeresaWen]

What the heck is SE ? I've been on the DIS for decades and the only thing I can think of is Spaceship Earth .

I am assuming SE = south east

 

[_19disnA]

Yes, southeast = SE. Recent thread I was referring to.

https://www.disboards.com/threads/whats-it-like-living-in-the-se.3731300/

 

[LovesTimone]

Thank you! We definitely want to spend some time looking around to get the feel of the areas. Getting great ideas on where to start my research here.

We want to downsize the house & get into a community with outside maintenance included. Some place where the community members socialize from time to time. A pool, clubhouse, & fitness center.

We want warm. And FL has no state tax and a good number of transplanted northerns

I really appreciate all the advice.

Your welcome,

I thinking about this post last night, here are a few communities that you might want to start with,

Winter Garden, Clermont, Ocoee, the Villages ($$$), Lady Lake, Mount Dora,

Lakeland, Winter Haven, Champions Gate

Right outside of Daytona sorta in between - Orlando and Daytona are tons of adult communities - we have a friend that just retired over in this area, and he is super happy he went with a mid-size established community with what he needed and wanted... and has meet lots of nice people... One thing he wanted was a community that had a good mix of permanent residents, instead of some that are almost abandon during the summer... So this is another question that you might want to check on when looking for the right community.

 

[TeresaWen]

Your welcome,

I thinking about this post last night, here are a few communities that you might want to start with,

Winter Garden, Clermont, Ocoee, the Villages ($$$), Lady Lake, Mount Dora,

Lakeland, Winter Haven, Champions Gate

Right outside of Daytona sorta in between - Orlando and Daytona are tons of adult communities - we have a friend that just retired over in this area, and he is super happy he went with a mid-size established community with what he needed and wanted... and has meet lots of nice people... One thing he wanted was a community that had a good mix of permanent residents, instead of some that are almost abandon during the summer... So this is another question that you might want to check on when looking for the right community.

Wow! Thank you!!

 

[GreatLakes]

I believe the Podcast team has a Facebook group for people looking to relocate to central FL. I have no idea where it is but check on the Podcast board.

I lived for a few years in Florida (Tampa/St. Pete area) and while there were good aspects to it I couldn't wait to get back to the midwest. Living and vacationing in FL are not the same. Make sure you really dig into the available resources, talk to others that have moved there and also to people who moved there and decided to leave. That goes for anywhere but it seems like FL is always on the top of the "we love to vacation there so we would love to live there as well" chart. That isn't necessarily the case.

 

[TeresaWen]

I believe the Podcast team has a Facebook group for people looking to relocate to central FL. I have no idea where it is but check on the Podcast board.

I lived for a few years in Florida (Tampa/St. Pete area) and while there were good aspects to it I couldn't wait to get back to the midwest. Living and vacationing in FL are not the same. Make sure you really dig into the available resources, talk to others that have moved there and also to people who moved there and decided to leave. That goes for anywhere but it seems like FL is always on the top of the "we love to vacation there so we would love to live there as well" chart. That isn't necessarily the case.

Thanks! What did you miss most about the mid west?

We want to get away from the cold winters. If we could swing it we would consider two houses. Still might. I am fine with crazy heat & humidity. I simply cannot take the cold anymore

 

[VandVsmama]

Thanks! What did you miss most about the mid west?

We want to get away from the cold winters. If we could swing it we would consider two houses. Still might. I am fine with crazy heat & humidity. I simply cannot take the cold anymore

Another option would be to consider the Phoenix area...specifically, Goodyear or Surprise, which is on the west side of the Phoenix metro area. ~ a 5 hr drive to Disneyland. Get an AP and go every couple of months. AZ has pretty low cost of living and a TON of 55+ communities with all of the things you mentioned that you are looking for. And no hurricanes.

Definitely not an hour's drive from a Disney park, though.

It's super hot here in the summer. Dry heat is different than FL summer heat. I've never sweated so much in my life when we were in FL this past June at WDW! Hahaha!

 

[Sandeep1]

Another option would be to consider the Phoenix area...specifically, Goodyear or Surprise, which is on the west side of the Phoenix metro area. ~ a 5 hr drive to Disneyland. Get an AP and go every couple of months. AZ has pretty low cost of living and a TON of 55+ communities with all of the things you mentioned that you are looking for. And no hurricanes.

Definitely not an hour's drive from a Disney park, though.

It's super hot here in the summer. Dry heat is different than FL summer heat. I've never sweated so much in my life compared to this past June when we were at WDW. Hahaha!

I'm actually thinking about Arizona in the future, maybe Scottsdale area. Not sure if I can handle the summer heat but I love all the nature that the state has to offer.