I want to move to Florida...Please chime in!

[dancer67]

I want to get out of my state. I hate it here. I have been wanting to move to FL for a long time. We really have nothing keeping us here. Of course, DH would have to get a job down there.(He is in the electrical trade)

I have a very close friend that lives in Southern Florida. But I hear that it is very expesnive and very, very hot all the time.

But I do not want to be more then 3 hours from the Parkland area.

We live in a climate where winter is about 6 months long. So hot is good for me. But not unbearable.

For any of you who live in Florida, where would be the best place to look for rental homes(We would not be buying), good cost of living, jobs, low crime, nice weather(Palm trees), not in a city, but within 1/2 hour of a drive to a mall. Also, a district that offers a Vocational High School.

We are going to be in Kissimmee in August for a few weeks. So we would like to start looking.

Ideas?

(And we are only interested in FL, thank you!)

[Sasharowan]

Well, except for the jobs, the space coast fits. But the shuttle program is ending and there are lots of people out of work so jobs are getting hard to come by. Maybe someone on the west coast can chime in if things are better near Tampa.

[bigdogs29906]

Check out the communities around Sarasota. I'm from there, and I miss it everyday!

[Lisa in Jax]

I want to get out of my state. I hate it here. I have been wanting to move to FL for a long time. We really have nothing keeping us here. Of course, DH would have to get a job down there.(He is in the electrical trade)

I have a very close friend that lives in Southern Florida. But I hear that it is very expesnive and very, very hot all the time.

But I do not want to be more then 3 hours from the Parkland area.

We live in a climate where winter is about 6 months long. So hot is good for me. But not unbearable.

For any of you who live in Florida, where would be the best place to look for rental homes(We would not be buying), good cost of living, jobs, low crime, nice weather(Palm trees), not in a city, but within 1/2 hour of a drive to a mall. Also, a district that offers a Vocational High School.

We are going to be in Kissimmee in August for a few weeks. So we would like to start looking.

Ideas?

(And we are only interested in FL, thank you!)

 

I like our area (Jacksonville). It's not as expensive as south Florida and it's not as hot, either. We get three seasons (no snow, but some temps into the 30s in January/February at times). There are lots of rentals (because the Navy has two bases here), and you could live "in the country" in Clay county or Flagler county and be within half an hour of a town of 1.3 million, including 3-4 malls, etc.

[dancer67]

I will look into Jacksonville. Thank you!

[Melissa B]

Well, except for the jobs, the space coast fits. But the shuttle program is ending and there are lots of people out of work so jobs are getting hard to come by. Maybe someone on the west coast can chime in if things are better near Tampa.

 

We live west of Tampa and I think our area meets all of the requirements although I don't know specifically about jobs in the electrical trade. (Our air conditioner/heater repair services are often hiring. But commercial building is down, so I don't really know.)

 

However, we are probably 4 hours at least, from Parkland. :(

[EarleneW]

We lived in Tampa for 6 years and I would move back today!

[happyhomemaker25]

I like our area (Jacksonville). It's not as expensive as south Florida and it's not as hot, either. We get three seasons (no snow, but some temps into the 30s in January/February at times). There are lots of rentals (because the Navy has two bases here), and you could live "in the country" in Clay county or Flagler county and be within half an hour of a town of 1.3 million, including 3-4 malls, etc.

:iagree:In Jax you can be rural or city, take your pick. I don't know how far it is from Parkland but it's only about 3 hours from Central FL.

BUT I am desperatly trying to get out of FL so I can't help a whole lot! LOL

[dancer67]

I hate it so much up here. I hate the snow. I hate everything about it. I hate the cold. I hate the politics. Okay, so I hate it:lol:

 

I hear Tampa is really nice.

 

I wouldn't mind the Ocala area either, since you can get more land. But there are NO jobs there:confused:

 

I swear, when I am down there in FL, I am not going to want to come back here.

 

Thanks for all the ideas. I am checking them all out.

 

Any place to stay AWAY from?(other then Miami)

[Lilymax]

Well, I thought I wanted to live in Florida, too. I survived in Pensacola for two years, then Orlando for two years. It's a great place to visit, but Lord willing, I will never have to live there again! LOL

 

If I had to, it would be as far north as I could get. So I second the comments about checking out the Jacksonville area.

 

Why did I not like Florida? First, the heat...I thought I would love the warm winters but the heat gets old after a while unless you REALLY love being hot all the time. I never could get used to running the a/c at Thanksgiving and Christmas.

 

The bugs are horrendous. Even with paying for exterminating we still had critters inside the house. That was in P'cola and Orlando.

 

The tourists can be a nightmare. This might not be as bad in other cities as it was in Orlando, but WOW, my stories of dealing with tourists would be a whole other post.

 

Anyhow, I understand the way you feel about it, as I felt the same exact way years ago. But, obviously plenty of folks never fall out of love with Florida! Maybe you won't, either.

 

Good luck!

[cathmom]

Are you aware that alligators roam free there? :D See the teeth?

[mommyoftwinboys]

I was raised in Florida(I no longer live there). We lived on the West Coast for a long time(St. Petersburg Beach, Redington Beach) and then moved to Orlando. I absolutely hate Orlando. It really is awful. It's extremely hot most of the year. At least at the beaches you get a breeze but in Orlando it's really bad. Kissimmee has alot of crime. I'd pick Miami over Kissimmee (and I don't want to live in Miami but if I had to choose I def choose it over Kissimmee) Kissimmee has a bad reputation from mostly everyone that lives in Orlando. You'll see when you visit just get off of the main drags where the tourists are and explore the other areas.

Honestly, I'm glad I moved from Fl for various reasons but if I had to move back I would be very happy in St. Petersburg(the west side near the beaches) or even up in Pasco County(we owned a home there) and farther north to Crystal River. It's beautiful up there and is more reasonably priced than Pinellas Co. In fact, I think Crystal River is one of the best places I've ever been. You can have fresh water and snorkeling with the manatees but also the beach and the salt water. It really is beautiful and you can still get land out there...a job..well that may be a different story.

Good Luck! (-:

[pooh bear]

I'm in the Ocala area and there are no jobs. DH has been unemployed since last June. He has finally got a job, but it means us having to move 2hrs north of here, which is great, as we want to be in the country again.

 

In my view there are two Floridas. You have the Orlando/Tampa/Miami type of Florida. Built up, full of tourists and snowbirds. Then you have Florida north of Orlando. Quite country, full of old time Crackers, slow pace of life, what Florida used to be like.

 

The bugs are a pain, but hey your in Florida, you are invading on their territory. Winters can get cold. This past winter was the coldest we have known in 10 years. Of cause summers are a pain, why it's getting really hot now.

 

It all depends on where you are and what you want to do with your days.

[AlmiraGulch]

I, too, would love to move back to Florida. I lived in Miami for nearly six years, and while I loved it there at the time I would not want to move back.

 

I do not enjoy Central Florida (Orlando, Lakeland, etc.) AT ALL. Too hot, too flat, too suburban. Too boring. I also don't love the Jacksonville area, although I can't give any specifics as to why. Maybe I just have too much family there and don't want to be that close!

 

I'm eyeing the West Coast now, just like I was when I left Miami years ago and somehow ended up in Atlanta. I love the Tampa/St. Pete area and north of there. I have several friends in the general vicinity and while the housing market has taken a huge hit, it is very good for renters right now. Can't speak to the job market, though.

[scmama]

I was born in Tampa, raised in Pasco County, now I live in SC. Everything is expensive in FL. But Pasco is cheaper than the major cities like Tampa, and Orlando. Jobs are down in FL, every one I know is having a hard time. Most people in FL work construction type jobs, and like the other lady said, commercial building is down, actually WAY down! After the real estate bubble popped, you can get a great deal on a nice home. A lot of people lost their homes to foreclosure in the area I was in. We moved once we started to see the decrease in building, closed our business, and only go back for to visit family.

 

I wish you tons of luck. Florida is pretty, and is nice and hot! Not cold in the winter, but if you don't get those beach breezes in the summer, it's REALLY hot!! ( I miss those breezes up here in inland SC.)

I agree about the poster who said the Ocala area, because of the land, still close enough to the beach, and then you may have to travel for work purposes. If you move to Pasco County, most people live in Pasco but work in Tampa, St. Pete, or Clearwater. But you can get to Tampa, from Pasco in about 30 minutes. Traffic can be horrible at times, depending of the route you use.

 

I don't think we will be moving back there anytime soon. But sometimes I still miss it!

Good luck, and my advice is to just research the areas you like or of interest!

(I also agree with the poster who said about Kissimmee and Miami....not places I would live either!)

 

Oh and about the gator comment...LMAO...but if you do move down to the south end near Punta Gorda, there is tons of Iguanas running crazy, and there are so many its becoming a nuisance...people find them in crazy places!! So just check under your car, and when you walk out on your patio. :)))) (but some still check there for gators as well!!!

[Pretty in Pink]

Florida is HOT! If I were you I would consider living on the coast where you will at least have the breeze. What about the Keys?

[Barb_]

I was born in raised in Broward. I would say that because of the weather, bugs, development, economy, transience, drugs, crime, distance, etc I would stay away from Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties. There may be those who disagree with me, but transplants have a notoriously difficult time settling in to SE FL. I lived there close to 30 years and we got out as soon as we could afford to. I'd move to Jacksonville in a heartbeat, however.

 

Barb

[dancer67]

I would love to live as close to the coastal areas as possible. Of course, affordability is a factor.

I am a warm weather person. I do NOT deal well with the cold winters here at all, and I grew up here.

I think people have a love/hate relationship with Florida. We still have a lot of research to do. But I do know that we want out of here. If it is not meant to be in FL, it will be somewhere else where it is warm!:D

[sassenach]

Love Florida. I lived in the Orlando area for 8 years. Clermont is a wonderful place to live. From what I understand, jobs are still way down in central Florida, so that will be the biggest hurdle. I am not a fan of the Miami area. Love Sarasota, but I'm not sure how it would be to live there. I never thought I'd be ok with the heat, but I acclimated quite nicely. Have I said that I love it there?

[Melissa B]

Florida is HOT! If I were you I would consider living on the coast where you will at least have the breeze. What about the Keys?

 

The Keys are really expensive - otherwise we'd be there! :D It is also difficult to find work as many people want to be there and the population and remoteness won't really support any large industry.

 

We love the west coast. Citrus, Hernando and Pasco counties are quite affordable even right on the coast. Pinellas is beautiful, but cost of living definitely goes up, especially along the coast. And the traffic/tourism increases noticably south of Tarpon Springs.

[MaMa2005]

Born and raised in Daytona Beach. Wonderful memories but it has changed a lot since the '60s.

 

As an adult, I have lived in Miami (never again), Tallahassee (loved it), and Starke (outside Gainesville - too 'everybody knows your business').

 

Most of my adult life has been spent in Atlanta. DH is due to retire in a couple of years. We will probably be heading back to Florida, but will be looking in the panhandle or west coast. The nice thing about the panhandle is that you do get a little bit of change of seasons and the beach is close regardless of where you live.