Florida and real estate agent

[Halftime Hope]

1 hour ago, importswim said:

I live in the FL Panhandle and getting a homeowners policy up here is just as bad. Our insurance policy cost has doubled since we moved here in 2014. 

I am pretty sure that hurricane insurance is non-negotiable. Flood insurance in our area is through FEMA and if he's planning to live anywhere near the coast it's a good idea. We're not "technically" in a flood zone but we're essentially between two bodies of water so for us it's something that is a must have.

This is a great idea! He could do a snowbird condo in different areas if he wanted to see where he wanted to settle down before moving permanently. I would try to get him to do this (but understand that it's hard when someone has their mind set on a certain way of doing things!)

There's really something wonderful to be said for trying out different areas to see where you really fit. 🙂

[crazyforlatin]

3 hours ago, prairiewindmomma said:

FL feels more like PR than the Bay. Nostalgia hits harder when you are older. Add politics to that and I understand why it’s such an uphill battle for him to change his dreams. We had family make an ill-advised move to FL a few years ago. At 80 you kind of know it is all downhill in the near future, iykwim. I would be trying to use what leverage I could to push for a rental. But, realistically, I would keep in my mind that this could just be part of the spend down process for a Medicaid qualified nursing home. Sometimes dreams are highly impractical.
 

Hugs! 

He's 80 in body but 35 in mind and spirit. He's going to buy a van and drive across the country after he buys his home. He'll take his 9 cats and a dog with him. It sounds crazy but he's not crazy at all. He used to be a driving  instructor so driving is not the problem - it's the amount of driving with the animals. Politics has a lot to do with the move. I don't think anyone would rent to him with all these cats plus he really wants to own land.

Did your family member move back after living in FL? 

[prairiewindmomma]

Nope, two major medical crises since the move but they are still there. Unless they stop watching a certain news channel, I don’t expect much in the way of behavior change. I am not dealing with rational behaviors, I am dealing with emotion driven decision making (fear, anger, hate).

Sometimes we just have to let the consequences naturally hit. Worst case scenario it, all the way through the decision trees. It might help you sleep better at night.

[popmom]

38 minutes ago, crazyforlatin said:

He's 80 in body but 35 in mind and spirit. He's going to buy a van and drive across the country after he buys his home. He'll take his 9 cats and a dog with him. It sounds crazy but he's not crazy at all. He used to be a driving  instructor so driving is not the problem - it's the amount of driving with the animals. Politics has a lot to do with the move. I don't think anyone would rent to him with all these cats plus he really wants to own land.

Did your family member move back after living in FL? 

Somebody should make a documentary of this. 

[Halftime Hope]

2 hours ago, crazyforlatin said:

He's 80 in body but 35 in mind and spirit. He's going to buy a van and drive across the country after he buys his home. He'll take his 9 cats and a dog with him. It sounds crazy but he's not crazy at all. He used to be a driving  instructor so driving is not the problem - it's the amount of driving with the animals. Politics has a lot to do with the move. I don't think anyone would rent to him with all these cats plus he really wants to own land.

Did your family member move back after living in FL? 

Shoot. If that is the case and he were "mine", I'd set him up with What'sApp or Facetime, or something else you can record, and let it become the family adventure...so he has someone to share it with. I'd also set him up with bonafide campground stops --this is his way point each night --- along the way, so he doesn't become an easy target for someone wanting to take advantage of an old guy. 

I'll DM you tomorrow.

[KungFuPanda]

How’s he going to take care of land? It’s a lot. I only have a fifth of an acre plus a 20x25 community garden plot and I’m already making plans for easier landscaping because these gardens are a whole job and I’m not getting it done and I’m 50.
 

Can your husband really fly out to help him? That seems unrealistic. 

[crazyforlatin]

13 hours ago, Halftime Hope said:

Shoot. If that is the case and he were "mine", I'd set him up with What'sApp or Facetime, or something else you can record, and let it become the family adventure...so he has someone to share it with. I'd also set him up with bonafide campground stops --this is his way point each night --- along the way, so he doesn't become an easy target for someone wanting to take advantage of an old guy. 

I'll DM you tomorrow.

That's a great idea - stopping at campgrounds every evening. 

[cintinative]

On 5/11/2023 at 5:20 PM, Happy2BaMom said:

Well, it's good that you are not having issues, but, overall..there is an *enormous* home owner's insurance crisis in Florida (source 1, source 2, source 3, source 4, many more are available through google).

 

Just chiming in to agree with this. My brother's family lives 50 minutes from a beach and their insurance is well over $7K per year. 

[crazyforlatin]

19 minutes ago, KungFuPanda said:

How’s he going to take care of land? It’s a lot. I only have a fifth of an acre plus a 20x25 community garden plot and I’m already making plans for easier landscaping because these gardens are a whole job and I’m not getting it done and I’m 50.
 

Can your husband really fly out to help him? That seems unrealistic. 

Only for emergencies. Dd will be in college soon so there's not going to be a lot of spare money. He does have family (no kids, just nieces and nephews) but none of them can be relied upon. My friend will probably make friends at church and hire someone to help him with yard work.

[cintinative]

I'll just throw this out as a factor that I would not have thought about previously but has impacted my brother's family who live near Fort Lauderdale:

When there is a hurricane, and you need to evacuate, south Florida is a very rough spot to be.  Your options are--go to the opposite coast and hope the hurricane isn't wide, or go north and spend many, many, many hours in the parking lot that formerly was an interstate. Since FL is a peninsula, it is very difficult to go north in a mass evacuation. What might normally be four to five hours to the GA line becomes 10 or 12 hours. 

My brother's family is fortunate. They have family across the alley on the west coast they can go to, or family up the east or west coast that they can also drive to. However, the storms they had in recent years (some of them) were predicted to be so large, there was nowhere in the state to evacuate to and be confident you wouldn't get something.

Personally, no matter the health of my loved one at age 80, I would want to see them closer to the state line than that in the event of an evacuation being needed. 

Another thing--unless the home has built in hurricane shutters, the work of putting up wood shutters or plywood covering is no joke.  The wood can be heavy. It generally takes two people to put up my brother's shutters.  They want to buy the prefab ones that stay on permanently but they are $$$$

Edited May 13, 2023 by cintinative

[crazyforlatin]

6 minutes ago, cintinative said:

Just chiming in to agree with this. My brother's family lives 50 minutes from a beach and their insurance is well over $7K per year. 

I mentioned to my friend about insurance. He doesn't use the internet. He really thinks hurricane insurance is optional. I'll let the agent know to tell him about expenses of owning a home in FL. My friend is the type to just not get insurance. For a cheap home, that might be fine. But he's already thinking that he can't get anything great at $100k so he'll sell his current home and buy a better house.

Is hurricane a problem for the entire state? So without insurance are there areas that are safer from hurricanes? 

[cintinative]

2 minutes ago, crazyforlatin said:

I mentioned to my friend about insurance. He doesn't use the internet. He really thinks hurricane insurance is optional. I'll let the agent know to tell him about expenses of owning a home in FL. My friend is the type to just not get insurance. For a cheap home, that might be fine. But he's already thinking that he can't get anything great at $100k so he'll sell his current home and buy a better house.

Is hurricane a problem for the entire state? So without insurance are there areas that are safer from hurricanes? 

If a hurricane hits, and you don't have insurance, then my understanding is that you will not have coverage for anything--water damage, repairs, nothing

@ktgrok can you confirm?  I don't know where in FL you can live that doesn't require insurance. Do you? And anything about "safer" areas?

I can say my brother's in laws have had to redo most of their house in southwest FL (near Naples) twice in the past five years. I would have given up and moved after the second time I think. 

[crazyforlatin]

8 minutes ago, cintinative said:

I'll just throw this out as a factor that I would not have thought about previously but has impacted my brother's family who live near Fort Lauderdale:

When there is a hurricane, and you need to evacuate, south Florida is a very rough spot to be.  Your options are--go to the opposite coast and hope the hurricane isn't wide, or go north and spend many, many, many hours in the parking lot that formerly was an interstate. Since FL is a peninsula, it is very difficult to go north in a mass evacuation. What might normally be four to five hours to the GA line becomes 10 or 12 hours. 

My brother's family is fortunate. They have family across the alley on the west coast they can go to, or family up the east or west coast that they can also drive to. However, the storms they had in recent years (some of them) were predicted to be so large, there was nowhere in the state to evacuate to and be confident you wouldn't get something.

Personally, no matter the health of my loved one at age 80, I would want to see them closer to the state line than that in the event of an evacuation being needed. 

Another thing--unless the home has built in hurricane shutters, the work of putting up wood shutters or plywood covering is no joke.  The wood can be heavy. It generally takes two people to put up my brother's shutters.  They want to buy the prefab ones that stay on permanently but they are $$$$

I asked about hurricanes before seeing your post. I was looking at homes asking the state lines and even thought that buying a home in GA might be better. It looks like a better deal over there. But he now needs to be in central Florida  - someone must have told him that that's where their politics align more with his. I have an uncle (not close to him at all) who lives in Brower County in a condo but he's lucky to go back and forth from here to there. 

[KungFuPanda]

14 minutes ago, crazyforlatin said:

Only for emergencies. Dd will be in college soon so there's not going to be a lot of spare money. He does have family (no kids, just nieces and nephews) but none of them can be relied upon. My friend will probably make friends at church and hire someone to help him with yard work.

I think you and your Dh are absolutely the sweetest people to look out for your friend. I really do and it warms my heart. If you set him up with a YouTube channel I will absolutely watch this adventure. 
 

“Just hiring someone” has gotten really tricky in my area. I work for a landscaper in the mid-atlantic and the competition for labor is insane right now. The days of paying some kid $20 to mow are gone. You can’t even get an adult to do it for $60. Hopefully the robots will get better and that’ll be great for seniors.  
 

I wonder if you could steer him towards a senior living community? The type with freestanding houses and groundskeepers might appeal. Do they have those with systems in place to increase your care once you need more help?

Or maybe he’ll find land with a home and a rental property and he can rent to people who will do the yard work? I like his sense of adventure and understand his now or never urgency. I also feel 35 and refuse to fully grasp reality. 

[Halftime Hope]

38 minutes ago, KungFuPanda said:

Or maybe he’ll find land with a home and a rental property and he can rent to people who will do the yard work? I like his sense of adventure and understand his now or never urgency. I also feel 35 and refuse to fully grasp reality. 

If he keeps a relationship with the realtor and finds a property like this one, with both a living unit, perhaps an ADU for him, and a rental unit for a family, the realtor could do meticulous screening for him, to get him good renters.  😄

[ktgrok]

1 hour ago, cintinative said:

If a hurricane hits, and you don't have insurance, then my understanding is that you will not have coverage for anything--water damage, repairs, nothing

@ktgrok can you confirm?  I don't know where in FL you can live that doesn't require insurance. Do you? And anything about "safer" areas?

I can say my brother's in laws have had to redo most of their house in southwest FL (near Naples) twice in the past five years. I would have given up and moved after the second time I think. 

I mean, you can pay cash for a house and not have insurance. My aunt does that. She has properties in St. Augustine that she paid cash for, that flood and she can't get insurance for them. She rebuilt one on stilts, that she lives in, the others she learned to waterproof/sandbag fairly well and as needed they tear out drywall and replace. Cash. But she's fairly wealthy. Most people can't do that. 

You cannot get a mortgage for a home in Florida without insurance, and that includes hurricane insurance. The hurricane policy is separate, and usually the deductible is 2% of the value of the home. and still expensive. Flood insurance is separate. 

[ktgrok]

Politics wise I'd have him try Lake County or Polk County. They are  not super far from Orlando for major medical needs, but definitely conservative. Broward is much more liberal, as is most of South Florida. I'm from Palm Beach County and moving to Central Florida was a huge culture shock for me in a lot of ways. Living in say, Lakeland or Plant City is much cheaper than the coasts. Also, supposedly North Lakeland has a growing Puerto Rican community so likely to have restaurants with his childhood foods, etc. 

I will say, I do wonder how wanting an area with conservative Pro Desantis type values will work with him being from Puerto Rico. A lot of the conservative areas of Florida are also fairly racist against Hispanic/Latin American people. Not all, and obviously many people from south of the border are conservative themselves, so it is complicated...but when I think conservative Florida I think Good Ol'Boy area....I mean, heck when i was reading reviews about the area I live in a lot of people were complaining about "those people" moving in and driving value down. "Those people" was code for "people that speak Spanish". Now, Puerto Rico is part of the USA, so you would think that attitude wouldn't apply...but in my experience a lot of racist folks don't bother to distinguish - skin tone and able to speak Spanish is all they consider.

That said, there ARE large numbers of people from Puerto Rico living in Central Florida, but 

 

[Terabith]

Honestly, this seems like a really terrible plan and I don’t think I would assist in any way.  

[Halftime Hope]

I don't think I'd encourage him to go for a mid or south Florida area at all. It's just too far south and impossible if there's a hurricane. (BTDT)

Here are a couple of easily findable resources if the politics of an area are important to him. They will tell you exactly where the right and left leaning areas are:

https://bestneighborhood.org/conservative-vs-liberal-map-florida/

https://www.dos.myflorida.com/elections/data-statistics/voter-registration-statistics/voter-registration-reports/voter-registration-by-county-and-party/

https://www.cnn.com/interactive/2022/politics/us-redistricting/florida-redistricting-map/

Another idea to protect him would be to sell the current place, invest in a smaller place near you all and rent it out for 1) an income stream (without the horrific insurance issues in FL), and 2) available to him for a roof over his head in case FL doesn't work well. (Not sure I'd mention that to him.)

 

 

[crazyforlatin]

40 minutes ago, ktgrok said:

Politics wise I'd have him try Lake County or Polk County. They are  not super far from Orlando for major medical needs, but definitely conservative. Broward is much more liberal, as is most of South Florida. I'm from Palm Beach County and moving to Central Florida was a huge culture shock for me in a lot of ways. Living in say, Lakeland or Plant City is much cheaper than the coasts. Also, supposedly North Lakeland has a growing Puerto Rican community so likely to have restaurants with his childhood foods, etc. 

I will say, I do wonder how wanting an area with conservative Pro Desantis type values will work with him being from Puerto Rico. A lot of the conservative areas of Florida are also fairly racist against Hispanic/Latin American people. Not all, and obviously many people from south of the border are conservative themselves, so it is complicated...but when I think conservative Florida I think Good Ol'Boy area....I mean, heck when i was reading reviews about the area I live in a lot of people were complaining about "those people" moving in and driving value down. "Those people" was code for "people that speak Spanish". Now, Puerto Rico is part of the USA, so you would think that attitude wouldn't apply...but in my experience a lot of racist folks don't bother to distinguish - skin tone and able to speak Spanish is all they consider.

That said, there ARE large numbers of people from Puerto Rico living in Central Florida, but 

 

That's the thing about him which makes this really sad. Racism doesn't bother him. He explains it as a them problem. The kinds of people he wants to be closer to may be the people who may not be very kind to him. This is going to make him sound odd: he started seriously considering moving to Florida because he wanted to be closer to an ex-President. I don't think that's the case any longer but the overall politics of CA is extremely frustrating for him. 

Thanks for suggesting specific places. I'll look them up for him. 

[crazyforlatin]

2 minutes ago, Halftime Hope said:

I don't think I'd encourage him to go for a mid or south Florida area at all. It's just too far south and impossible if there's a hurricane. (BTDT)

Here are a couple of easily findable resources if the politics of an area are important to him. They will tell you exactly where the right and left leaning areas are:

https://bestneighborhood.org/conservative-vs-liberal-map-florida/

 

https://www.dos.myflorida.com/elections/data-statistics/voter-registration-statistics/voter-registration-reports/voter-registration-by-county-and-party/

 

https://www.cnn.com/interactive/2022/politics/us-redistricting/florida-redistricting-map/

 

Another idea to protect him would be to sell the current place, invest in a smaller place near you all and rent it out for 1) an income stream (without the horrific insurance issues in FL), and 2) available to him for a roof over his head in case FL doesn't work well. (Not sure I'd mention that to him.)

 

 

Thank you so much for the links! Dh and I discussed it last night - we're going to see if he can buy a small place and another one in the Bay Area so he can come back to visit people. 
 

What do people do in Miami or Broward County during hurricanes? What about those living in senior communities? 

[prairiewindmomma]

I’d point him toward The Villages. https://www.thevillages.com/
 

He could have a strong retirement community around him. There are plenty of like minded people there. It’s in central FL, so less likelihood of tidal flooding and hurricane evacuation (IOW, if he chooses not to leave he can find people to shack up with during the storm).

ETA: it is full of 85 year olds who think they are 35

Edited May 13, 2023 by prairiewindmomma

[crazyforlatin]

31 minutes ago, Terabith said:

Honestly, this seems like a really terrible plan and I don’t think I would assist in any way.  

I've stalled for a long time. And now he's upset with me because an agent said he should have bought a couple of years ago as there are so many people moving into FL so home prices have gone up. And if I don't help him now he'll die soon and never get to live out his dreams. 

[prairiewindmomma]

3 minutes ago, crazyforlatin said:

I've stalled for a long time. And now he's upset with me because an agent said he should have bought a couple of years ago as there are so many people moving into FL so home prices have gone up. And if I don't help him now he'll die soon and never get to live out his dreams. 

He’s upset because some reality is closing in. He’s directing that at you because it feels safer. But, he could have just done it (bought and moved) himself several years ago if he was capable of it. It doesn’t seem he is.

His choices, good or bad, aren’t yours to own. Hugs!!

Edited May 13, 2023 by prairiewindmomma

[Halftime Hope]

15 minutes ago, prairiewindmomma said:

I’d point him toward The Villages. https://www.thevillages.com/
 

He could have a strong retirement community around him. There are plenty of like minded people there. It’s in central FL, so less likelihood of tidal flooding and hurricane evacuation (IOW, if he chooses not to leave he can find people to shack up with during the storm).

ETA: it is full of 85 year olds who think they are 35

The Villages are fine, but if his dream was a farm and he has 9 cats, I'm not sure the Villages are his kind of peeps. Not to mention the expense. ??? 

[Halftime Hope]

48 minutes ago, crazyforlatin said:

I've stalled for a long time. And now he's upset with me because an agent said he should have bought a couple of years ago as there are so many people moving into FL so home prices have gone up. And if I don't help him now he'll die soon and never get to live out his dreams. 

That was a stupid thing for an agent to say to him. My parents could have sold 5 years before they did, and they'd have gotten 2.5x what they did, but it was no use saying that to them.

You asked what people do. The best scenario is that they have a home that is up to code, and they evacuate early. Doing so with 9 cats will be a challenge. Evacuating early is rough because unless he invests in motorized shutters, he won't be able to handle battening down by himselfF and finding someone to help at the last minute is a challenge. For my parents, it was tough because they'd get everything battened down, and then they'd sit in the dark (or outside) for a day, and wait.

Evacuating once it becomes clear there is good reason to do so is too late, because then you'll be on the highway inching along, hoping for hotel room wherever you end up. Again, the cats are problematic.

If you shelter in place it is best to have alternate sources of food, water, and energy, but it's truly a misery. And it can be so for days until power is restored. It's not the kind of thing for older people. If you go to a shelter...that's not a picnic either. And that's without cats.

That's why I'd do my best to advocate for a panhandle area, if he's on his own, or being in an assisted living or senior community, if he insists on mid-Florida. There someone is obligated to help meet your needs. I still don't know about what to do with the cats...an assisted living or a senior community will not allow that many pets.

ETA: The reason for the panhandle area, and not on the coast, is that there are many more routes to evacuate, and it's not that far to go, compared to the length of FL. Also, I don't know that there's as much frequency, but I could be wrong. It just seems like many more hurricanes come in from the east and ride up the coast, or go up the through the western gulf, but I could be wrong. (IOW, I think the western gulf coast by Louisiana gets hit more often than the FL panhandle. Again, that could be incorrect.)

 

 

 

Edited May 13, 2023 by Halftime Hope

[prairiewindmomma]

1 hour ago, Halftime Hope said:

The Villages are fine, but if his dream was a farm and he has 9 cats, I'm not sure the Villages are his kind of peeps. Not to mention the expense. ??? 

I see what you are saying, but 9 cats to me points to anxiety and a potential for loneliness. It will be easier for him to break in socially to an area with a lot of activities. It is expensive, but he is 80, limited time, and could cash out of CA. Statistically, if balance is going, the rest isn’t far behind. IOW, <10 years expected, no heirs to consider or estate to try to preserve, why not YOLO? 
 

The golf clubbing/tennis playing/swinging community seems to be one set of people there, but the Villages also has some conservative Christian niches of the MAGA variety. Republicans outnumber the others 2:1 and because so many of them vote, there are plenty of candidates swinging through for stump speeches. There is even a MAGA social club.

[Spryte]

What am about to say is probably a gigantic no-no, but any chance he would be willing to rehome some animals? I think the Villages would be an excellent option for someone who leans the way he seems to, with social and support systems built right in.

[popmom]

I thought of The Villages, too.

@ktgrok what is Deltona like these days? We had friends there ages ago, and it seemed like a nice and very reasonably priced place to live.

I have an acquaintance in Oviedo, but it strikes me as being pricey. 

eta: I couldn't find anything in Deltona in his price range. 😞 

Edited May 13, 2023 by popmom

[Storygirl]

DH's parents had a second home in Fruitland Park, near The Villages (15-20 minutes). They liked to go to Florida from January to April each year and would rent a mobile home in Fruitland Park. So they got to know the area first and knew that they liked it. One day, they heard that an owner's son was selling a fully furnished mobile home down the street for very little money. The owner had died, and he just wanted to get rid of it. FIL and MIL bought it for cash on the spot, for very little money.

Now, they were lucky to find a deal. But the point is that living near the Villages but not within it can be an inexpensive option. And because it is a popular area for snowbirds, it seems easy to find rentals there.

I would also recommend that he rent a place for while before moving.

[BusyMom5]

We have some family members who are Snowbirds.  They go to Florida for the winter and have a little permanent RV in a retirement community.   Think like a little trailer house- just the right size for a couple.  They love it because the community has lots of planned activities, walking, biking, etc.  Lots to do and plenty of friends to meet.  They have done this for several years, but the husband has Parkinson and has been getting a little worse.  This year, right as they were ready to head back north,  they got Covid.  His condition plummeted.

He was hospitalized, then in rehab for a month (medical was very good).  They tried going home with 24 hour help, but it was too much and he was hospitalized again.  They finally got him flown home on a medical plane (too heavy for a helicopter to go that far).  The wife had to drive the 2-3 days home.  He's still in the hospital and its just a very hard situation.   He went from being mostly good to bad dementia (she was hoping hospital-related and temporary,  which is why she pushed for him to be released).  He can't get up.  Now he's got a feeding tube.  This has all happened since April.  I cannot imagine if he did not have his wife or someone there to advocate for him.  

While I wish him the best, and understand his desire to go before its too late.... I think its already too late.  

[popmom]

2 hours ago, BusyMom5 said:

We have some family members who are Snowbirds.  They go to Florida for the winter and have a little permanent RV in a retirement community.   Think like a little trailer house- just the right size for a couple.  They love it because the community has lots of planned activities, walking, biking, etc.  Lots to do and plenty of friends to meet.  They have done this for several years, but the husband has Parkinson and has been getting a little worse.  This year, right as they were ready to head back north,  they got Covid.  His condition plummeted.

He was hospitalized, then in rehab for a month (medical was very good).  They tried going home with 24 hour help, but it was too much and he was hospitalized again.  They finally got him flown home on a medical plane (too heavy for a helicopter to go that far).  The wife had to drive the 2-3 days home.  He's still in the hospital and its just a very hard situation.   He went from being mostly good to bad dementia (she was hoping hospital-related and temporary,  which is why she pushed for him to be released).  He can't get up.  Now he's got a feeding tube.  This has all happened since April.  I cannot imagine if he did not have his wife or someone there to advocate for him.  

While I wish him the best, and understand his desire to go before its too late.... I think its already too late.  

Probably very much depends on the health of the individual. My grandparents on my dad's side at 80--they would have been fine to do this--even if they had been single. My grandmother is 94 and still works in her yard everyday. She has always been very social--where ever she lived. And she has lived all over the country. Many, many years in FL actually. I think the key would be finding a community. If he's a loner, then this could go very badly. If he is religious and can find a church to get involved in and stays active...he may have many years of good health ahead of him. Community is crucial. Doesn't have to be faith based--just some way of making good connections. He would absolutely need someone to be physically near to check in or advocate in case of an emergency. 

My uncle is 72--the one in Melbourne, FL. He never married. No kids. Last year he had a major heart attack. He still will not move back "home" to be near family because he has really, really good friends who are like family to him there. They are so faithful to check on him. Sometimes friends are better than family in that respect. He is not religious either. These are pre retirement colleagues and/or golfing friends. 

This man is an adult and will do what he wants to do ultimately. As long as he is willing to live with the consequences, I say more power to him. People in truly bad health with much less means do much "stupider" stuff all the time. He could do worse things.😉 

 

Edited May 14, 2023 by popmom

[Brittany1116]

He doesn't seem to me, from your replies, like someone who would like the Villages or Broward Co. He might like Plant City, Ocala, or Cedar Key (although it has been ages since I've been there). 

I think it was Irma in 2017 that had nearly the entire state evacuate. It was wide enough to ride right up the center and wipe out everything. South Florida evacuated a week prior to North Florida. My husband's 7 minute commute turned into 30 as our town was flooded with evacuees. Then GA hotels filled up and later travelers had to go to the Carolinas, TN, KY or further to ride out the storm and wait. I did leave with the kids for that one, to my sister's in another state, but we rarely leave. 

[Halftime Hope]

2 hours ago, prairiewindmomma said:

I see what you are saying, but 9 cats to me points to anxiety and a potential for loneliness. It will be easier for him to break in socially to an area with a lot of activities. It is expensive, but he is 80, limited time, and could cash out of CA. Statistically, if balance is going, the rest isn’t far behind. IOW, <10 years expected, no heirs to consider or estate to try to preserve, why not YOLO?

These are all good considerations. He'd have to have a vision to try something new, and be willing to give up his dream. ??

[ktgrok]

19 hours ago, crazyforlatin said:

Thank you so much for the links! Dh and I discussed it last night - we're going to see if he can buy a small place and another one in the Bay Area so he can come back to visit people. 
 

What do people do in Miami or Broward County during hurricanes? What about those living in senior communities? 

I grew up in Palm Beach County, and then lived for a bit in St. Lucie County. Now live in Orange County (Orlando). I've never evacuated any distance at all, and generally it is NOT advised to evacuate far. You just go inland a bit, if you are on the coast. Now, during the year of a 1,000 storms (Floridians know what I mean) I did evacuate 40 minutes away to my sister's house, because she had storm shutters and I didn't. It was the right call, as some of the neighbors shingles broke a window in our house so we came home to a mess. Most of the time, if you are inland at all, you don't evacuate unless you are in a mobile home or have medical needs that require electricity to maintain (oxygen, meds that need refrigeration, etc). 

Normally, an elderly person could just fly out say, 5 days before the storm to a nice vacation spot and wait and see what happens so they don't have to deal with loss of electricity (common even inland). But with 9 cats....I don't see what he could do. 

Again, loss of life in most inland areas won't be an issue, it is loss of power that makes life miserable. If he would stay and hunker down with this cats, which it sounds like he would do, he needs to have a generator for power, a portable AC unit, and good shutters. He'd need to budget for that as part of his moving/housing costs. If you have a generator and a window AC unit you can manage until the power comes back on. (But if he is in a mobile home likely will have to evacuate- with his cats)

17 hours ago, prairiewindmomma said:

The golf clubbing/tennis playing/swinging community seems to be one set of people there, but the Villages also has some conservative Christian niches of the MAGA variety. Republicans outnumber the others 2:1 and because so many of them vote, there are plenty of candidates swinging through for stump speeches. There is even a MAGA social club.

This. I didn't bring up the Villages before, when he was trying to do Florida on the cheap. But if he's willing to pay for it, Villages are an option. I mean, the rest of Florida makes fun of the villages due to the STD issues they had, but there is a lot to like. There are other similar, but smaller places, as well. 

[Lady Florida.]

1 hour ago, ktgrok said:

Now, during the year of a 1,000 storms (Floridians know what I mean) I did evacuate 40 minutes away to my sister's house, because she had storm shutters and I didn't.

I know the year. We didn't evacuate for any of those hurricanes. FWIW OP, dh and I both grew up in East Central Florida and have never evacuated. We've never lived in an evacuation area. Though we're on the east "coast" we're far enough inland and high enough above sea level. Neither of us lived in a house or area that was considered unsafe and worthy of even voluntary evacuation. The one time we did leave (our choice and not a true evacuation) was in 1999 for Hurricane Floyd but we only went 20 miles south to my in-laws. Ds had just turned 2 and we lived in a stucco over wood house. Theirs was block and we felt safer there. As it turned out the storm missed us, though it hung off the coast and caused a lot of erosion. Inland isn't 100% safe but unless he's in a mobile home he'll be fine not evacuating.

 

If he's willing to pay the cost to live in The Villages it sounds like he'd be happy there. It's MAGA Land. 

Edited May 14, 2023 by Lady Florida.

[crazyforlatin]

17 hours ago, Brittany1116 said:

He doesn't seem to me, from your replies, like someone who would like the Villages or Broward Co. He might like Plant City, Ocala, or Cedar Key (although it has been ages since I've been there). 

I think it was Irma in 2017 that had nearly the entire state evacuate. It was wide enough to ride right up the center and wipe out everything. South Florida evacuated a week prior to North Florida. My husband's 7 minute commute turned into 30 as our town was flooded with evacuees. Then GA hotels filled up and later travelers had to go to the Carolinas, TN, KY or further to ride out the storm and wait. I did leave with the kids for that one, to my sister's in another state, but we rarely leave. 

Thank you for listing some towns! It helps to have specific towns to ask the agent.

[Halftime Hope]

26 minutes ago, crazyforlatin said:

Thank you for listing some towns! It helps to have specific towns to ask the agent.

I just looked, in a cursory fashion, for land in the panhandle. Goodness, it's dirt cheap. A mobile home on an acre would last for his entire lifetime.

One question to ask yourselves: have you seen him do anything outdoors? If he never goes outside, even in his own neighborhood, I'm not sure the call to 'farming' is very strong with with him. If he had a fenced backyard and a couple of Greenstalks, that might be enough for his 'dream' of being able to grow a few things. You might also find out if he has any interest in chickens; they're wonderful companions and highly entertaining, but you can't have them in some neighborhoods. (I.e., once purchased, the decision is made for you, can't be undone.)

Edited May 14, 2023 by Halftime Hope

[ktgrok]

2 hours ago, Lady Florida. said:

I know the year. We didn't evacuate for any of those hurricanes. FWIW OP, dh and I both grew up in East Central Florida and have never evacuated. We've never lived in an evacuation area. Though we're on the east "coast" we're far enough inland and high enough above sea level. Neither of us lived in a house or area that was considered unsafe and worthy of even voluntary evacuation. The one time we did leave (our choice and not a true evacuation) was in 1999 for Hurricane Floyd but we only went 20 miles south to my in-laws. Ds had just turned 2 and we lived in a stucco over wood house. Theirs was block and we felt safer there. As it turned out the storm missed us, though it hung off the coast and caused a lot of erosion. Inland isn't 100% safe but unless he's in a mobile home he'll be fine not evacuating.

 

If he's willing to pay the cost to live in The Villages it sounds like he'd be happy there. It's MAGA Land. 

Exactly. the only time we evacuated was when we didn't have shutters or even plywood, and had a 1 year old, and we just went to my sister's house that was a newer build and had shutters or impact resistant glass or something. I don't really remember, and just went for the night. Now, we did lose power for over a week, so it was hot and miserable. THAT is the big PIA. Plus if you are on a well, and sometimes even if not, there can be boil water alerts for a while, so having water stocked is good. But it's not a matter of life and death if you are even a bit inland. I grew up 10 minutes from the beach, and we were not in an evacuation zone. I remember my Dad parking his work van in front of the one set of windows in the living room, that we didn't have shutters for, to try to block any flying debris. 

At our current housse we actually don't have shutters yet, sigh. Last house we had plywood DH cut to fit. 

[ktgrok]

FYI, growing things in florida is very different than growing in most of the country. Most home gardeners grow in raised beds or containers. You can grow a LOT in Florida in a normal suburban yard with raised beds or containers. Growing in ground is NOT advised for most things due to our soils being full of root knot nematodes. There are wonderful youtube channels with people's backyard gardens, if that's what he wants. Plus Florida is great for growing orchids! 

But it's not the place to just dig some rows in the ground and expect a normal crop of veggies or whatever. 

[cintinative]

22 hours ago, crazyforlatin said:

 

What do people do in Miami or Broward County during hurricanes? What about those living in senior communities? 

My brother lives in Broward County.  They haven't had a hurricane with major damage in many years but there have been a number of serious potential threats. They have evacuated out of state once in the last few years, and several times to their in-laws on the west coast.  When they evacuated out of state it took them more than 10 hours to get out of FL.  Part of it is my SIL is a teacher and they didn't let them off until the last minute so they couldn't leave earlier. 

I have no idea about senior communities though.

[crazyforlatin]

17 minutes ago, Halftime Hope said:

I just looked, in a cursory fashion, for land in the panhandle. Goodness, it's dirt cheap. A mobile home on an acre would last for his entire lifetime.

One question to ask yourselves: have you seen him do anything outdoors? If he never goes outside, even in his own neighborhood, I'm not sure the call to 'farming' is very strong with with him. If he had a fenced backyard and a couple of Greenstalks, that might be enough for his 'dream' of being able to grow a few things. You might also find out if he has any interest in chickens; they're wonderful companions and highly entertaining, but you can't have them in some neighborhoods. (I.e., once purchased, the decision is made for you, can't be undone.)

I was actually looking at that strip of land and didn't know that it's called a panhandle. If he goes over the border the homes are cheaper, but then it's not Florida. I think he's fine with a mobile home. Would those be easier to maintain?

[ktgrok]

The biggest issue I see with a mobile home is that he is way more likely to need to evacuate - many counties consider all mobile homes to be evacuation zone A,  and then what does he do with the cats? 

[Halftime Hope]

Just now, crazyforlatin said:

I was actually looking at that strip of land and didn't know that it's called a panhandle. If he goes over the border the homes are cheaper, but then it's not Florida. I think he's fine with a mobile home. Would those be easier to maintain?

First of all, he will have to be able to go up steps to get into the mobile home, as by regulation, they have to be a certain number of feet above the flood plain. (3-4) That could be a showstopper right there...I wasn't thinking about that. Since he lives alone, he would have to get a motorized wheelchair when he no longer was capable of climbing steps.

Over time, mobile homes will break down much faster than homes. In the FL humidity, the lifespan of a mobile home may be 20-25 years. Even in my state, a mobile home will show its age by the floor rotting from humidity under the home. (It can be replaced, but it's a pain.) But if he is only wanting to get through his lifetime, it might be the way to go.

I think I'd prefer to see him in a small house in a neighborhood with friends and age-appropriate amenities, unless he is already a dyed-in-the-wool farmer at heart, as evidenced by what he is doing on an everyday basis. Even that farming dream could be nurtured in a neighborhood with greenstalks, raised beds, and a few chickens for eggs. (He could do rabbits, but most people don't want to bother with harvesting.) He's too old for handling larger livestock safely.

 

[Halftime Hope]

3 minutes ago, ktgrok said:

The biggest issue I see with a mobile home is that he is way more likely to need to evacuate - many counties consider all mobile homes to be evacuation zone A,  and then what does he do with the cats? 

Agreed, but cats can be left indoors with food, water, and litter boxes, can't they? (I don't have cats.)  Cats left in a mobile home would be better off than cats left in a home, due to the elevation of the mobile home.

??

So much to consider...

 

[ktgrok]

I will say, safety of the newer manufactured homes, as in post 1994 and post 1999, are much better. BUT evacuation orders won't distinguish what year it was built, and it is normal for mandatory evacuation orders to be given for anyone in a mobile home or manufactured home. They don't say "only if your home was built in such and such year" because half the poeple don't know when theirs was built. So it is mandatory for everyone in those style homes. Now, wether he obeys the law is another issue. 

[ktgrok]

1 minute ago, Halftime Hope said:

Agreed, but cats can be left indoors with food, water, and litter boxes, can't they? (I don't have cats.)  Cats left in a mobile home would be better off than cats left in a home, due to the elevation of the mobile home.

??

So much to consider...

 

But would he be willing to leave them? 

In a regular house that is inland it is unlikely he'd ever have a mandatory evacuation. I've never lived where I was under mandatory evacuation. BUT in the same areas where people in a traditional house are told to shelter in place, they will issue mandatory evacuation orders for people in mobile homes/manufactured homes. 

[Brittany1116]

Mobile home prices have also been pretty high. Can he get a new one for under 100k? Absolutely. Is it going to be particularly nice, spacious, well-insulated, or wind-resistant? No. We toyed with the idea selling our house and putting a manufactured home on family land last year to be mortgage-free. A new MH at a similar sf (1700ish) with decent but not great insulation ratings was nearly 200k. It would have been several steps down in quality versus our home. The ones that we actually loved were 320-370k, and not worth the trade off.

[Lady Florida.]

1 hour ago, cintinative said:

 When they evacuated out of state it took them more than 10 hours to get out of FL.  

 

There is one way out of peninsular Florida in an evacuation - UP. AKA north. There are only two major north-south highways out of the state - I-95 on the east coast and I-75 on the west. There are of course numerous smaller state and federal highways but unless you know them you're likely to take the interstate. Plus those back roads run through cities and towns and get just as clogged as the highways. This is one reason why they tell people who aren't in an evacuation zone to shelter in place, so the roads will be less clogged for those who truly need to evacuate. Still people leave. Some are new to Florida and scared, some are lifelong Floridians also scared, some don't trust the forecast and evacuation orders (rightfully so as has been proven often). People go all the way to Georgia when all they needed was to go a few miles north, south, or inland. This too, clogs the roads.

Edited May 14, 2023 by Lady Florida.

[stephanier.1765]

2 hours ago, ktgrok said:

The biggest issue I see with a mobile home is that he is way more likely to need to evacuate - many counties consider all mobile homes to be evacuation zone A,  and then what does he do with the cats? 

I agree. If he can afford a house, he should get a house. I've lived in Florida my entire life and have never evacuated. My parents did once when they were caring for my grandmother but that was only because they needed to keep access to electricity. It turned out they didn't even need to because the hurricane changed direction.

One year though, they lost electricity for 2 weeks. It was crazy. It's not like they live on some property in an low populated area but, instead, live in a large suburban neighborhood. When they choose who to fix first, they always choose the areas with more people. Those that live on land out by themselves would be a low priority. That year my dad lost his shed and a corner of his garage because a tree fell but that's the worst damage any of the family have ever had. So if he has a house and doesn't live right on the coast, he has way more opportunity for staying put vs evacuating.