Yet Another Florida Relocation

[Sheryl2059]

(YAFR) Yup as the title says I am one of the many many many people that is likely 50/50 going to relocate to Florida. Despite all the natives there that tell us to go somewhere else.

Like so many others the mystique of Celebration comes up but the more I read & see...thus far virtually... the more it looks to be one of those tiny little bubbles sounded by big highways, a huge interchange (being WDW), and multi-story condos. Unless you are very rich and can afford one those homes to the south of it. I suppose if the bubble was further away from all of that it would be an attractive option. Big pros/cons but for quality of life it sounds like you either love it or hate it. And parking looks to be a total pain. I suppose if you live in that bubble Uber is somewhat common.

So, for that area also researching other options primarily town homes (as a single person). Lots of big developments especially to the west and north. Winter Garden, Reunion, Windermere etc. They seem to be all packed in like sardines as expected of such areas, and you need a car to do absolutely anything, but any opinions on what such big town home developments in general are like there? Quiet? Vacationers? Party goers? Commuters? Rentals? A lot of data online as always but such things tend to be all over the map, like Amazon reviews, so cant believe any of it.

Yes, the idea in mind is for me to rent a place for say three months while my condo here is on the market. Get to know the area for myself first hand.

 

[fla4fun]

(YAFR) Yup as the title says I am one of the many many many people that is likely 50/50 going to relocate to Florida. Despite all the natives there that tell us to go somewhere else.

Like so many others the mystique of Celebration comes up but the more I read & see...thus far virtually... the more it looks to be one of those tiny little bubbles sounded by big highways, a huge interchange (being WDW), and multi-story condos. Unless you are very rich and can afford one those homes to the south of it. I suppose if the bubble was further away from all of that it would be an attractive option. Big pros/cons but for quality of life it sounds like you either love it or hate it. And parking looks to be a total pain. I suppose if you live in that bubble Uber is somewhat common.

So, for that area also researching other options primarily town homes (as a single person). Lots of big developments especially to the west and north. Winter Garden, Reunion, Windermere etc. They seem to be all packed in like sardines as expected of such areas, and you need a car to do absolutely anything, but any opinions on what such big town home developments in general are like there? Quiet? Vacationers? Party goers? Commuters? Rentals? A lot of data online as always but such things tend to be all over the map, like Amazon reviews, so cant believe any of it.

Yes, the idea in mind is for me to rent a place for say three months while my condo here is on the market. Get to know the area for myself first hand.

You won’t find many neighborhoods where you can walk to things like banking, medical, restaurants, and shopping. You definitely need a car here.

As far as whether a neighborhood allows short term rentals (and the associated vacationers) that is going to vary depending on the jurisdiction of each neighborhood. You will have to research that independently for each one you are interested in. Some neighborhoods may appear to be within city limits but actually be under county jurisdiction, so you can’t go by looks.

The places you mentioned by name would primarily contain commuters. The higher paying jobs generally tend to be downtown or to the north and east, although you can find a few in other areas. There will be fewer high paying jobs in the southwest where the theme parks and tourist areas are located. It can be challenging to commute because between the lakes, and the method by which the area has grown, there can be few through streets from one side of the city to the other. My commutes have always been a zig zag instead of a straight line. Due to the 24-hour nature of the tourist industry we have longer morning and afternoon rush hours than a more conventional city also.

As to quiet or party, that depends entirely on your neighbors. You can find quiet areas and loud areas virtually anywhere in the greater Orlando area. I am fortunate that I live in a quiet neighborhood, but I do live farther out than you are looking.

Florida overall can be a good place to live. Nowhere is perfect though, including the Orlando area. Do your research and ask a lot of questions during the time that you are renting. If you are up for the heat, the hurricanes, the bugs, and the crowds, I think you will be fine. Good luck with the move!

 

[NotUrsula]

Not much of the greater Orlando area is walkable. Pretty much the only exceptions are the older centers of the "towns" that used to either serve as winter getaways for snowbirds (Winter Park, Winter Garden, etc.) or the ones near railroads that served the citrus fruit shipping businesses (like downtown Kissimmee or Mt. Dora), or the planned "New Urbanist" communities such as Celebration (of course) and Baldwin Park (the former Orlando Naval Air Station, near downtown Orlando).

Baldwin Park, in particular, has a nice selection of smaller rental units; some of them are granny flats that have been built behind the larger homes.

If you would prefer to be on the south side of Orlando and want a walkable atmosphere, you might also want to consider the older part of Lakeland, just north of Lake Morton. Old Lakeland is a very nice historic town, very walkable and also very affordable, with the convenience of having a lot of the usual big-box type stores just a little ways out of town near I-4. It's not ideal for a commute to Orlando, though, so this would probably only be a good option if you can work at home or are retired.

You really cannot live comfortably without a car in most of the Orlando metro, but depending on what kind of amenities you want in your home, it is possible to find a place where you can get out and walk for fun and to do small errands like going to the post office or to restaurants, without having to constantly get in the car no matter what.

One last point: if you really want a car-free lifestyle, I would suggest looking at St. Petersburg instead. It's very possible to live in St. Pete without a car, and it's a city that is very friendly to singles of all ages, but if you want the Orlando theme parks to be a frequent destination, you'll still need a car to get there.

 

[Sheryl2059]

Thanks for the info. Never actually heard the term New Urbanist before to describe the idea and makes for interesting more in-depth reading. I do tend to hear the word 'spawl' when it comes to Orlando and I did see some of that on my trips there. A few have suggested areas around Jacksonville as an option for Florida but I have not researched it yet. But I imagine it has a similar layout. I do like the theme parks but whats the point of them if you are not happy the rest of the time.

 

[_19disnA]

Are you relocating for your job or looking for someplace to retire? I would make sure to look at the cost of home insurance if considering any place in Florida, since virtually everywhere can be impacted by hurricanes which have become more frequent and with greater intensity. There are many other states that have mild/warm weather if that is your reason to consider Florida.

Areas that allow short-term rentals can turn into party central and if you are looking for a quiet place to retire, should be something to consider.

 

[Sheryl2059]

Yea the insurance rates are always something I look at to see where they might be 10 years down the road. Also reading a lot about all the laws regarding building codes and such for older buildings. Which of course relates to insurance. Not retirement age... yet... but there is the old joke that there are fewer years ahead of me than there are behind me. An interesting option, which looked pretty good on the surface, does seem geared towards short term rentals or vacationers and so I agree my guess is party central.

 

[hertamaniac]

I've lived in central Florida for 20 years. I've moved around here twice and recently sold an investment property near the Gulf.

For many residences, there will be an HOA/POA fee. This fee can vary greatly depending on the amenities offered within the community.

I would check that along with the homeowner's insurance. There is a reason that Florida ranks the highest in the nation. I just got my renewal and it's staggering the % increase especially over the past 5 years or so. There are more folks that are attempting to self-insure, but that requires a significant amount of money set aside for an event. I personally don't think that methodology is cost effective.

The other option that is increasing in popularity is no insurance. The rates are so high that it has forced some property owners to abandon and fully risk their investment(s). I have seen this personally happen with neighbors and is a scary proposition.

Car insurance rates have skyrocketed too due to the population explosion over the last 10 years or so. I know in my case, my zip code is used as a partial input to my rates. Since my zip code has had a significant influx of newer relocations, all our rates have gone up significantly.

As for where to move, it's all subjective on personal likes/dislikes. I'm close enough to O-town, without being in O-town. What was once considered a relatively quieter area has now been breached with car washes, fast food eateries, grocery stores and banks. There is a price to pay for convenience and it is traffic. Our roads are so full now, that it regularly takes about 1 hour to get from the west side of our town to the east side (about 12 miles).

Good luck on your moving decision(s).

 

[Stratman50th]

Completely agree with @hertamaniac. We were stunned at how much the homeowners and car insurance both went up this year. My daughter lives in the Alafaya area, east of Orlando. School is 15 minutes away. Things will have to change in 6 months when she either has to relocate for or commute to a job. We live just outside of the north/east corner of Lakeland. Everything is a 20 minute drive. I4 sucks! Just sayn'.

 

[shh]

Completely agree with @hertamaniac. We were stunned at how much the homeowners and car insurance both went up this year. My daughter lives in the Alafaya area, east of Orlando. School is 15 minutes away. Things will have to change in 6 months when she either has to relocate for or commute to a job. We live just outside of the north/east corner of Lakeland. Everything is a 20 minute drive. I4 sucks! Just sayn'.

Traveling extensively throughout FL, I have to say I-4 ranks among the WORST - I don't know how you guys deal with it. Beyond the horrendous traffic is the never-ending construction. Every time I visit, exits change, routes change. Even siri gets lost!

 

[Sheryl2059]

Heard it said that eventually Tampa and Orlando will become one huge megacity. Like where I am in the SF Bay Area. Sounds like the area around there is quickly turning into that.

 

[TiggerTrigger]

Thanks for the info. Never actually heard the term New Urbanist before to describe the idea and makes for interesting more in-depth reading. I do tend to hear the word 'spawl' when it comes to Orlando and I did see some of that on my trips there. A few have suggested areas around Jacksonville as an option for Florida but I have not researched it yet. But I imagine it has a similar layout. I do like the theme parks but whats the point of them if you are not happy the rest of the time.

I would strongly recommend really scouting things out in person if you're thinking of this area. Some people love it, but FL is one of those states where each region has a different vibe and north FL can feel very different from other parts of the state. My family moved to Gainesville in the early 90s and I absolutely loathed that part of the state. When I graduated from college, I didn't even bother looking at Jacksonville (or the panhandle) because I just didn't want to be there. I left the state altogether in 1997, but my parents and brother moved south... first to the St. Pete Beach area and then Ft. Lauderdale and Miami areas.

Heard it said that eventually Tampa and Orlando will become one huge megacity. Like where I am in the SF Bay Area. Sounds like the area around there is quickly turning into that.

I made the drive between Tampa and Orlando two weeks ago and I was shocked how one already seems to just sort of blend into the other. It used to not been this way. I remember having that distinct feeling of leaving the Tampa area and arriving in the Orlando area, but no more. I haven't made this particular drive since 1998, but I was surprised how much had been built up along the way. Of course, that can be said for a lot of FL. When I used to drive between Gainesville and Orlando, it used to be really quiet between the two. So much has been built up along the way.

 

[nancipants]

Completely agree with @hertamaniac. We were stunned at how much the homeowners and car insurance both went up this year. My daughter lives in the Alafaya area, east of Orlando. School is 15 minutes away. Things will have to change in 6 months when she either has to relocate for or commute to a job. We live just outside of the north/east corner of Lakeland. Everything is a 20 minute drive. I4 sucks! Just sayn'.

"I-4 sucks" is something that EVERY Floridian can agree on.

 

[MICKIMINI]

Stone Creek in Ocala is gorgeous, like a 5 star resort. We were tempted in 2022, but ended up building again here in NH. Low taxes, insurance and no HOA plus we ended up with more than twice the house.

We'd been all over FL from coast to coast. Other places we liked (not specific neighborhoods) were Vero Beach area and Sanibel Island. Both have been ravaged by weather and honestly, Sanibel is above WAY above our budget. Celebration was affordable in the late 1990's when we toured a few models but we decided not to move then. It is unaffordable now and some of the construction turned out to be shabby when we briefly thought about a condo there. Many neighborhoods around Orlando were just not our vibe. Good luck to you!

 

[Sheryl2059]

Sanibel looks like an interesting choice. Hate to say it but living in the bay area area those prices are actually quite reasonable. But the location, I would fear it would all be washed away in a hurricane. Then again, my particular area its major wild fires such as the ones not too far north of me the last few years. Evacuation signs posted right around the corner and those times the air was considered too unsafe to breathe. My last property insurance company left the state because of it and my own premiums with a different company went up. Ugh. I guess wherever you do Mother Nature will try very hard to do you in.

 

[Stratman50th]

We live in a motorhome community. We have a motorhome and wanted to keep it in a garage. This is where the development is, Polk City. Therefore where we ended up. We didn't want to be on any of the coasts just because of storms. Someone earlier said the storms are more frequent and intense. That isn't true. Florida has always had bad hurricanes. The thing is they can land anywhere on the coasts. East coast won the luck of the draws this season. They didn't get any direct hits, just passovers. The Sahara dust kept the Africa storms from doing much. This was also an El Nino year. Next year is supposed to be a LaNinia. I suspect the east coast will get hit next season. Anyway, my point is you can live on a coast and not get a bullseye for years but when it's your turn, it can be devastating. Mother nature doesn't play favorites.