We're moving to Florida! Help picking location!!!

[L-Harper]

I know this is a very strange thread. I figured I would post it here since everyone on the podcast lives in Florida and also that some of you must live around Disney. I have no idea where else I could post this online or who else to ask. We have to do all of our research online because there will be no way we'll be able to get to Florida before we actually drive down for our move. We're from Michigan.

My family of 5 (me, my husband, our niece-16, and our two sons-3&5) is moving to Florida in a few months and need help picking a place to move! DH and I have online businesses, so we can move anywhere we want. We're choosing Florida because we absolutely love Disney World, tropical weather, and the ocean. We've lived in Michigan all of our lives and are beyond sick of cold and snow.

Here are our three absolute musts:
-Must be close to Disney, hopefully under an hours drive.
-Great schools for our kids.
-Great sense of community with low crime.

Any advice, tips, opinions?

 

[DLB]

Have you thought about Oviedo?

 

[lthiesfeld07]

When I looked into moving ( I still am!) I really liked the Lake Mary area. Schools are in Seminole County, which is a good school district. Winter Springs is nice too! All on the north side or Orlando.

 

[OKW Lover]

Val & I have been planning our move to the Orlando area. In fact, we will be seeing a realtor in two weeks.

Our criteria are a bit different than yours since we are retired. The quality of the school district isn't important to us. We decided we want to live about 30 minutes from Disney (we may want to work there part time) but we don't want to live in an area heavily impacted by the tourist trade.

We've spent some time driving around the different neighborhoods, talking to the locals and checking the on-line real estate listings to get an idea of prices. It looks like we are going to concentrate our search in the Clermont area but are still open to other options.

 

[L-Harper]

Thank you all for your responses! It's such a hard decision to just pick a place. We have a few months though, so I feel in that time we'll make a good decision.

 

[roomthreeseventeen]

What I usually suggest for people moving to New York is to rent/sublet for a few months and explore neighborhoods. I'm not sure that's applicable to Central Florida, but it might be an idea.

 

[IWISHFORDISNEY]

I moved here almost 3 years ago from the northeast and it is wonderful. We live in an area called Viera which is 15 min from Cocoa Beach and about 50 min from Disney. We love being near the beach and a short drive from Disney. Closer to Disney but not in Orlando was Lake Nona and Celebration. We went with Viera. Do some research it is all in what you want but our area has amazing schools and is a real family based small community. Have fun!!

Just wanted to add the zip code is 32940 and go on school digger and check out Manatee Elementary along with Quest or Suntree but Manatee is by far the best IMO. Your neice would be in Viera High

 

[L-Harper]

I moved here almost 3 years ago from the northeast and it is wonderful. We live in an area called Viera which is 15 min from Cocoa Beach and about 50 min from Disney. We love being near the beach and a short drive from Disney. Closer to Disney but not in Orlando was Lake Nona and Celebration. We went with Viera. Do some research it is all in what you want but our area has amazing schools and is a real family based small community. Have fun!!

Just wanted to add the zip code is 32940 and go on school digger and check out Manatee Elementary along with Quest or Suntree but Manatee is by far the best IMO. Your neice would be in Viera High

Thank you! We will definitely be adding that to our list of areas to check out. It really is fun looking at all of these new cities. We absolutely LOVE our current town, it's just too bad that it's in Michigan. Has a very small town feel, but still close to a city, and has great schools.

 

[DisneyDoc5]

I'm so jealous! Wish you the best! We live in Holland MI and love it, but I wish we lived in Florida more! Especially right now - blizzard!!! Only good part is the kids will probably have a snow day tomorrow and I love having them home! Best wishes!

 

[schoen]

Where do you live in Michigan?

 

[tenaseewalker]

We are planning our moving within the next year and we're looking toward the Clemont area.. We are from Michigan too.. After todays snow and freezing temps, I could leave today and never look back. What part of Michigan are you from?

 

[DisneyDoc5]

Where do you live in Michigan?

We are in Holland, fellow Spartan, but I think you were asking the OP.

 

[L-Harper]

Where do you live in Michigan?

I'm so jealous! Wish you the best! We live in Holland MI and love it, but I wish we lived in Florida more! Especially right now - blizzard!!! Only good part is the kids will probably have a snow day tomorrow and I love having them home! Best wishes!

We are planning our moving within the next year and we're looking toward the Clemont area.. We are from Michigan too.. After todays snow and freezing temps, I could leave today and never look back. What part of Michigan are you from?

We are just west of Lansing. Yes, it's FREEZING here today! I'm sad that we are waiting until our kids are done with this school year before we move. My husband is a woodworker, so working out in his non-heated garage is making it hard on him. Hence why we want to move to Florida. He is totally fine working in 100 degree heat, he just hates the cold.

 

[L-Harper]

We are planning our moving within the next year and we're looking toward the Clemont area.. We are from Michigan too.. After todays snow and freezing temps, I could leave today and never look back. What part of Michigan are you from?

Is this Clermont area by chance? Clemont isn't coming up when I Google.

 

[Flyerfan]

I am soooo envious of you. We are in Northeast PA and I absolutely hate, hate, hate the cold. We always talk of moving to Florida but my husband has a good job so we have no choice but to stay. I guess I'll have to be happy with our yearly trips for now.

Good luck with your move. I hope you find the perfect home.

 

[L-Harper]

I am soooo envious of you. We are in Northeast PA and I absolutely hate, hate, hate the cold. We always talk of moving to Florida but my husband has a good job so we have no choice but to stay. I guess I'll have to be happy with our yearly trips for now.

Good luck with your move. I hope you find the perfect home.

This move of ours certainly hasn't come easy. My DH was an electrical engineer for 10 years. In November 2011 we decided for him to quit his job for us to start our own business. It's been a very long rough year, but we're finally just pushing through and moving to Florida since we know that he can get more work done year-around with the warmer weather. Plus, we absolutely LOVE Florida. I'm so proud of him for putting his dreams before the paycheck. We definitely have a much different lifestyle now and are "penny-pinching" until our businesses pick up more. It's worth it though to see how much happier he is.

 

[DisneyDoc5]

follow your dreams, that is awesome!

 

[tenaseewalker]

Oh you live in Lansing. We live 20 minutes south of Lansing, just outside of Leslie. Sorry yes Clermont/Leesburg area.

 

[Silverfox97]

I chose Tampa We LOVE it. 72 miles to WDW (1 hr; we were there today). 45 min-1 hour to the amazing Gulf beaches. 2 hours to Port Canaveral to get on those Disney cruises. Our zip is 33647 - suburb is called New Tampa if you want to look it up. We are NE of downtown. Our daughter's elementary school was ranked in the top 10% in the WHOLE STATE. Average age of inhabitants is 42. We moved from Ohio in 2007. If I had it to do over again, I would and would not change anything!!! Best decision of my entire life!!

ETA: FL schools are rated by grades A-F. Don't settle!

AND, we are closer to the coast & it's no where near as hot as it is central state because of our awesome sea breeze!!!!!!

 

[Silverfox97]

What I usually suggest for people moving to New York is to rent/sublet for a few months and explore neighborhoods. I'm not sure that's applicable to Central Florida, but it might be an idea.

We rented for the first 2 years and then bought (good thing we waited - housing market hit hard & we bought a super deal!). We ended up buying a couple of neighborhoods over from where we rented. We really love the area

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards