Tell me about Florida?

[Moab]

I'm having a complete re-evaluation about where I want to live the rest of my life. Not sure I've changed my mind. But certainly reconsidering what is out there.

MT has been at the top of my list for some time. But I'm seriously considering living in a better climate. I'm almost 60.

Assuming I'm not going to buy a homestead in FL. Or get all the prepping advantages that brings. What can those that have lived or do live in Florida tell me about the state?

I'm considering the outer Tampa area. Maybe even as far south as Cape Coral. I don't want to live in Tampa. Ither than maybe Bradenton. More looking at coastal areas.

A few areas of concern:

Taxes.
Health, car etc insurance.
Real estate seems reasonable.
Cost of power.
Other costs?
Demographics. What areas around Tampa should I avoid? Meaning crime.
Are there better areas in Florida? I would prefer the gulf coast. I like saltwater fishing alot.

What am I not asking that I should be?

[Uomo Senza Nome]

I have lived there in the past.

Taxes:

No income or pension taxes. Lowish 6% sales tax.

Health, car etc insurance.

Car insurance is crazy expensive. Not sure how it compares to Cali, but could be double from, say an area that doesn't get hammered with hurricane winds and floods a few times a year. Not sure about health insurance but health care is everywhere. If you are along the coast, it is doubtful you will ever be more than 15 minutes from a large hospital.

Real estate seems reasonable.

Location is everything.

Other costs?

Home and flood Insurance is high, especially near coast areas. You might even pay more in insurance than your mortgage if you live on the water. Location and height above flood mean a lot. Get flood insurance locked before you sign.

Demographics. What areas around Tampa should I avoid? Meaning crime.

All of it, Tampa is meh. The way it works around coastal areas is that the areas on adjacent to the beaches (say three blocks m the beach) are fairly nice/ok. Then there are a number of slums and trailer parks with some gated subs and various nice and not so nice areas. Then when you get to the inner part of the state it becomes rural with farmers, cowboys and what not (or swamps). Trailer parks tend to either be mostly retired folks (will have an age minimum 50-60) or terrible places to live.

Pensacola is pretty much a shit hole, especially around the bases. I visited my son down there while he was in school and saw hookers and crack dealers two blocks from the gate. This was common in many parts of the city away from the coast.

Panama City is a tourist mecca and hosts dozens of special weeks (bike week, college week, frat week etc) throughout the year. Everyone thinks it is New Orleans during Mardi Gras and behaves atrociously.

Are there better areas in Florida? I would prefer the gulf coast. I like saltwater fishing alot.

Yeah, but they call it Alabama. Lower cost of living, less headaches but less to do. If you want to go really low cost go to Mississippi. You can get a swamp water front house with gulf coast access for well under $200K. You will never find that in Florida.

If your heart is set on the Sunshine state; Gulf Coast and you want to keep it safe then keep going South rather than North. Most tourists don't make it past Tampa. Naples and Marco Island are both fairly nice and quite safe. There isn't anything but gators and some great sailing past Marco Island. But bring your big boy wallet, the island ain't cheap.

[Uomo Senza Nome]

IE Marco Island: 

Here is the cheapest non-condo on the Island on Zillow ATM

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/107-Clyburn-St-D-2-Marco-Island-FL-34145/43793998_zpid/

Housing Cost $3200/mo. $590/mo HOA.

Here is the cheapest Condo. 

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/190-N-Collier-Blvd-APT-L3-Marco-Island-FL-34145/43794467_zpid/

406 sqft of heaven for $1353/mo. You may notice that it has zero bedrooms. That is without HOA fees which are probably $250-500/mo on top of that. However most of the time when you get a condo or HOA, flood insurance is included. Make absolutely sure that is the case. HOA/Condo flood insurance is often "walls out". Which means if the inside of your town house is destroyed by the Cat V that crossed your path then you are on the hook for that unless you have even more insurance on top of that to cover the inside and your belongings. Each place is different so you have to research it. Should be first question in every conversation with a listing realtor as it busts a lot of deals.

[Moab]

I'll check out Marco Island. One of the things that made me fall in love with the Tampa area is Anna Maria Island. But obviously not to live. Got to be insanely expensive!

I was looking the other night on Zillow in the general Tampa area towards the beach. Not on the beach. And 2-3 bedroom rental homes were in the $1800 range on the low end. And similar houses for sale in the 300-350k range. Not on the beach of course.

Good to know about homeowners insurance. 

I don't think I could deal with an hoa. But I guess with a condo you have to. Would hate to have to live in a condo. But we'll see. Smaller house would be better.

I also looked at Daytona Beach just out of curiosity. Man small rental homes sub $1000! But I think that place might be a zoo. And I'd prefer to be on the gulf coast.

My car insurance is $120 in CA. For 3 people and two older cars. Pretty cheap. And we can still get Obamacare here. Which is dirt cheap. Two adults $75 per month for hmo. 

[MacWa77ace]

How did I not see this before?

Taxes.
Property taxes are low but home values are high in the most desirable areas, so if you move here and buy a house your tax basis may make your tax bill seem high. I couldn't afford to buy a house in my neighborhood now because the taxes and insurance.

Homeowners insurance is getting Gestapo like in my AO. It's hard to get alternate quotes, there's limited competition, and the insurance companies are super greedy. Also the new thing they are doing to folks is if your roof is at its 'lifetime' estimate, they will make you replace it, on your dime, or drop you. Know the age of your roof before you buy. Also if you buy a house built in 1978 or earlier find out what the sewer lines are made of. The iron ones are failing and have to be replaced at great expense. Lots of areas use Septic tanks.

HOA vary by location, some places they are really high, really stuck up and controlling, but there are super benefits offered such as tennis, pools, playgrounds, clubhouse, golf club, etc. Others are reasonable. And some neighborhoods don't have an HOA. You can tell those by all the work trucks, RV's and Boats parked on the front lawns.

Health, car etc insurance.
I didn't know health insurance was regional with pricing, it's expensive, but isn't everywhere? I have two older cars insured for $220/mth. One is super high drive milage per year and the other is a BMW and we all know where I'm going with that. I have my explorer covered on a 'storage' policy, which when I want to drive that I just call them and it costs about $5 per day for coverage. So it might be more expensive in SE FL, lots of older drivers. Auto insurance prices are effected by vehicle, county, and driving record, so definitely YMMV.

Real estate seems reasonable.
I think its over priced. I'm living in a house that should be valued at $270K but Zillow has it at $560K+. It a perfect house but I wouldn't pay that much for it, even if I could afford that.

Cost of power.
My bills went up this year over last year for the same KWHs. We're on FPL, which uses all kinds of innovative energy sources. NG, Solar, Wind, Nuclear, etc. So comparatively low.

Other costs?
Flood insurance isn't that much and you only need to get it if you are in certain locations. $400/year depending.
You're going to be using your A/C a lot, so even if your KWH prices are higher where you are if your power consumption is low, when you get here it'll go up. But you can get away with not your heat most years unless you live in north florida. I try to cut my electric heater on at least once every year just to burn the dust off the coils. But sometimes it doesn't even get cold enough for me to do that. I have a self cleaning oven that I keep saying I'm going to run the self clean cycle some winter when it gets really cold but I never do it. 

Demographics. What areas around Tampa should I avoid? Meaning crime.
The blue areas.
https://mcimaps.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/2020-Presidential-by-FL-Precinct-2048x1153.png

Are there better areas in Florida? I would prefer the gulf coast. I like saltwater fishing alot.
Do you have a boat or want to charter? Anywhere house within 60 miles of the coast and you just drive to put a boat in or hire a charter in the ocean or gulf depending. In the more populated coastal areas there will be more infrastructure for salt water fishing. There are even fishing peers you can go out on. Florida is a fresh and salt water fishing heaven. Any watersports for that matter. 

Look at the Melborne / Titusville area. Atlantic side. You may find some real estate deals there, be careful of the neighborhood though. But that's a great place for saltwater Atlantic Ocean fishing, Intracoastal fishing in the rivers. And there are a ton of lakes just to the west for freshwater fishing.

But if you want to homestead you'd probably have to move into the center of the state north of Orlando, that's probably only an hour drive to the coast for fishing, but if you get into freshwater fishing you could probably walk to the nearest fishing hole. Gets down to the 40's in the winter up there, too chilly for me.

[Raptor]

I recently considered moving to FL instead of my new location. There are several good things about FL, but in the end it is all dependent upon where in FL you decide to go. That and there are lots of personal preferences.

Uomo Senza Nome and MacWa77ace both more detailed knowledge of the areas than I do. 

I focused my efforts on the pan handle area. I was looking for a lot less population and fewer people. I looked north of I-10 from Cantonment, Crestview to De Funiak Springs. This is both less dense and poses less risk from storms. This last fact makes insurance easier to obtain. This also allows easy access to beaches and the ocean.

The key pros to FL for me were:
1. No state income tax.
2. A healthy market for real estate in case I did not like my choice I could sell it and move elsewhere.
3. Reasonable amenities and proximity to an airport with commercial service and close by airport for general aviation access.

The key con:
1. The homeowners insurance market is really difficult in FL. Like CA they are cancelling HO policies wholesale.
2.  The very high price (per sq ft) of a lot of the properties and some higher than normal property taxes in some areas.
3. Cost of living is higher in some of these areas.
 
I opted for the MS Gulf Coast instead. YMMV

[Raptor]

BTW I have spent a lot of time on both FL coasts. The GOM side of FL is IMO far more laid back and nicer than the Atlantic side. By nicer I do not mean luxurious but rather comfortable. If you want elegance go look in Palm Beach, Wellington or Key West. 

In Wellington you will find homes with "barns" nicer than any home in which I have lived.

On the other hand Apalachicola is IMO a really nice community. 


   

[dementeddigital]

I'm having a complete re-evaluation about where I want to live the rest of my life. Not sure I've changed my mind. But certainly reconsidering what is out there.

MT has been at the top of my list for some time. But I'm seriously considering living in a better climate. I'm almost 60.

Assuming I'm not going to buy a homestead in FL. Or get all the prepping advantages that brings. What can those that have lived or do live in Florida tell me about the state?

I'm considering the outer Tampa area. Maybe even as far south as Cape Coral. I don't want to live in Tampa. Ither than maybe Bradenton. More looking at coastal areas.

A few areas of concern:

Taxes.
Health, car etc insurance.
Real estate seems reasonable.
Cost of power.
Other costs?
Demographics. What areas around Tampa should I avoid? Meaning crime.
Are there better areas in Florida? I would prefer the gulf coast. I like saltwater fishing alot.

What am I not asking that I should be?

I know that this is an old post.  I live near Bradenton, and I'd be happy to help you with any questions you have about living here.  I've been here since the early 2000's.

Real Estate prices have more than doubled in the last 8 years.  The housing market is slowing down due to the mortgage rates, but houses are always in demand in FL.  Lots of people move here.

Homeowner's insurance has doubled for me in the past two years.  Lots of people are saying the same thing.

Bradenton can be hit or miss.  The areas away from the water are more peaceful.  Some areas of West Bradenton are nice.  Of course anything on the water (Longboat Key) is nice too.

Overall, FL is a pretty agreeable place to live.  The population near me has grown a lot, and we're thinking of moving somewhere a bit more quiet.  I'm not sure where that will be yet, but with all of the new houses, apartments, and condos going in, the roads are going to be unbearable (for me).  If you're coming from somewhere urban, it will still be a slower pace.

[Moab]

I'm having a complete re-evaluation about where I want to live the rest of my life. Not sure I've changed my mind. But certainly reconsidering what is out there.

MT has been at the top of my list for some time. But I'm seriously considering living in a better climate. I'm almost 60.

Assuming I'm not going to buy a homestead in FL. Or get all the prepping advantages that brings. What can those that have lived or do live in Florida tell me about the state?

I'm considering the outer Tampa area. Maybe even as far south as Cape Coral. I don't want to live in Tampa. Ither than maybe Bradenton. More looking at coastal areas.

A few areas of concern:

Taxes.
Health, car etc insurance.
Real estate seems reasonable.
Cost of power.
Other costs?
Demographics. What areas around Tampa should I avoid? Meaning crime.
Are there better areas in Florida? I would prefer the gulf coast. I like saltwater fishing alot.

What am I not asking that I should be?

I know that this is an old post.  I live near Bradenton, and I'd be happy to help you with any questions you have about living here.  I've been here since the early 2000's.

Real Estate prices have more than doubled in the last 8 years.  The housing market is slowing down due to the mortgage rates, but houses are always in demand in FL.  Lots of people move here.

Homeowner's insurance has doubled for me in the past two years.  Lots of people are saying the same thing.

Bradenton can be hit or miss.  The areas away from the water are more peaceful.  Some areas of West Bradenton are nice.  Of course anything on the water (Longboat Key) is nice too.

Overall, FL is a pretty agreeable place to live.  The population near me has grown a lot, and we're thinking of moving somewhere a bit more quiet.  I'm not sure where that will be yet, but with all of the new houses, apartments, and condos going in, the roads are going to be unbearable (for me).  If you're coming from somewhere urban, it will still be a slower pace.

Thank you for responding. I sincerely appreciate it. 

What are the smaller towns north and south of Tampa like? I would like to stay fairly close to the beach. Or a half hour or so away.

I noticed the further south it was a bit cheaper. But also worried about moving into a neighborhood that is to cheap. I also don't know what other limitations ir issues those areas have. I have also not really looked north along the coast. 

[dementeddigital]

I haven't been much north of Tampa, so I can't really comment on those.

The towns south of Tampa are great.  It depends on what you're looking for.

St. Petersburg is walkable and has some things to do.  
If you're looking for land, then you'll want to be south of the Skyway bridge or north of Tampa.
Venice or Nokomis would be good for being near the beach.
Most of Sarasota is nice.

What are you looking for in a home and in your community?

[Moab]

I haven't been much north of Tampa, so I can't really comment on those.

The towns south of Tampa are great.  It depends on what you're looking for.

St. Petersburg is walkable and has some things to do. 
If you're looking for land, then you'll want to be south of the Skyway bridge or north of Tampa.
Venice or Nokomis would be good for being near the beach.
Most of Sarasota is nice.

What are you looking for in a home and in your community?

Probably something coastal like down towards Venice or even as far as ft meyers. But I know nothing of that area. 

I'm looking for low cost (lets say not expensive) real estate, safe area, friendly people, privacy would be nice. But I fear I'd have to be much further away from the coast for privacy. I would love a small piece of land with a house fairly near the beach. But I ssume I would have to go into the panhandle or even another state for that. 

I can look up real estate for sale. But am concerned about the human element. Years ago I was searching Bradenton. But I don't want to live that far into a city. And I read some areas if Bradenton weren't that good. 

Further south or north near the coast. Seems like I might be able to find something more suitable. I would still like to be able to drive into Tampa/St Petersburg. Ft meyers seems a little to far south.

What are the communities like near the coast? Super ruch? Super hick? Any areas to avoid? Where can I research areas with more info about the people living there? 

[Raptor]

One thing to remember about beachfront or near beach communities is the risk from hurricanes. Insurance companies are really afraid of these risks and are charging premiums commensurate with the fear.

Always get an understanding of what home owners insurance will cost.

Look at flood elevations in listings and look for properties with an "X" zone rating. The insurers tend to give the properties better rates. BTW an AE rating is sometimes called Always Expecting a flood.

[dementeddigital]

What Raptor said is on point.

"Not expensive", "near the water", and "having a bit of land" are all somewhat relative unless you want to give specifics.  Also, they all tend to pull against each other.

Parts of Bradenton are great.  You can live east of I75, have a safe, peaceful area, have a bit of land, and it will be somewhat inexpensive (in today's market).  It isn't near the water, though, so you'd need to drive for 30 minutes (or more) to get to the beach.

Venice is probably a better choice for price and beach access, but finding land there may be a challenge.  As you move south from Venice, you'll have more options for land at a reasonable price, but beach access may get challenging again.

But, your idea of "not expensive" may be very different from mine, so I'm just speculating.  If you have any specifics or you want me to give you an opinion on anything, drop me a message and I'll do my best to get you some details.