[countrykaren]

Has any one moved to Florida from another state, hate living there and looking to move out, or already move out? Where in Florida did you live? Why did you hate it? Where did you go, or want to go?


Hubbie and I will be retiring and are thinking of Florida, but I keep hearing about the high COL, high housing, High food costs, and even higher car and homeowners insurance.


We can't make a mistake in moving. All help/ info is welcome.

[jwolfer]

If you read through the boards there are plenty of people that HATE Florida and will gladly tell you why. Some of the more common reasons

1. Its hot and humid
2. Its not like "back home"
3. Too crowded
4. Too many Hispanics/Rednecks
5. Not enough progressives (politically that is)

If you do your research, you should be able to find a place that works for your lifestyle/budget. You could live in an urban area, a small country town, a beach town.

However if you absolutley hate heat and humidity you would be smart to go elsewhere. The climate and geography cant be changed.

[lunetunelover]

Originally Posted by countrykaren

Hubbie and I will be retiring and are thinking of Florida, but I keep hearing about the high COL, high housing, High food costs, and even higher car and homeowners insurance.

I don't quite fit your criteria of moving to FL and hating it and leaving. Did that with PA though!


We've only been in FL for 8 months and we both absolutely LOVE it!


In our particular experience, all of the things you mention (COL, housing, food) are cheaper for us. I suppose it depends where you are coming from. I don't know about homeowners insurance because we are renting right now. When we buy, that will be worked into our mortgage payment.


Yes, the car insurance is a little higher, but it's not enough to break or ruin our budget. And with the lower cost of nearly everything else, we are still coming out ahead.


What other locations are you considering? Why do you think you want to come to Florida?

[AhHah]

Karen, where are you moving from? Without this info., we can't say if things here will be more expensive or not. Certainly as jwolfer says, if you don't like heat and humidity you will not like Florida from central and southwards. The northern part may be a little more tolerable.
In any case, if you can afford to, you should visit where you think you want to move to before you commit.

[Robino1]

It really does depend on where you are moving from. I moved 3 years ago from Philly, right in the city in the historical area. Cost of living is much cheaper here and our car insurance even went DOWN! Hubby still works for the company in Philly, telecommute, and the move here was like getting a raise, even though he didn't get one. We had to pay state tax and city tax. Heating bills were killers.

We are much better off, financially and weather wise, than we were in Philly.

As others have asked, where are you moving from? That will make all the difference in the world.

[countrykaren]

We are coming from northern NY- Hubbie works in Albany- but NW of it. He travels 120 miles RT 5 days a week. He would continue to work if we stay in NY- but in a cheaper/ smaller house (we live on a 103 ac farm- too much work now), or he would retire and we would go to Florida.


We currently pay $1400 in HOI but that covers 4 barns, house, farm equipment like tractors, etc. Our electric is usually between $80 - 100/ month. Car insurance for 2 cars <$1000/yr.


No water bill- we have a well. No garbage pickup- we pay $75/month for a dumpster. No high speed internet- we pay $140/ month for a hotspot.


We want to downsize (even if we stay in NY) and want to buy a house for cash. Our current biggest expense is property tax which is approx. $7K (we are VERY rural), but in some areas here you can pay $5-$7K on a 1/4 ac, or $3K in the same general area.


Heat and humidity is the least of my problems- hot and humid here also in summer- and buggy. We are originally from LI so we are use to traffic.


We feel that Fla is more progressive than the rest of the south- maybe we are wrong.


Heard food is more $$ than up here. ??


We will be going down on a road trip during the summer, but still would like more info. You can only "see" if you like the heat or areas when visiting- not the nitty gritty.


Thanks everyone.

[Icemodeled]

We're moving down end of this month. We bought a home last month for $125k. 3 bed 2 bath 1300sqft built in 1995. Good area, paid cash. Property taxes are about $150 a month and our homeowners with wind(not flood) is $644 a year. Utilities so far have been no more then in Ohio.

Grocery seems to be just slightly higher. We did a comparison when we were considering the move and it was a little more but we mostly buy based what's on sale and sale prices were about the same.

Heat and humidity is about the same as in Ohio but just lasts longer in FL. We love the heat, spent an entire summer in Fl when we were considering the move and was fine. Unless your job will be working outside or you will have no AC, the heat isn't much of an issue IMO. We cannot handle the cold well at all, but everyone is different with that.

The only real cost increase for us was car insurance. Went up a lot but otherwise most bills are cheaper or the same.

Obviously we haven't been here long yet, but so far love it and the area we choose.

[bmw335xi]

I moved from San Francisco to Orlando and I really love it here

[Zambon]

Originally Posted by countrykaren

Has any one moved to Florida from another state, hate living there and looking to move out, or already move out? Where in Florida did you live? Why did you hate it? Where did you go, or want to go?


Hubbie and I will be retiring and are thinking of Florida, but I keep hearing about the high COL, high housing, High food costs, and even higher car and homeowners insurance.


We can't make a mistake in moving. All help/ info is welcome.

The people who don't want to be here generally cite things like the humidity, the stupidity of Florida voters, and low wages.

The people who want to be here generally cite things like the great weather, beautiful beaches, and low cost of living.

It comes down to preference. My parents moved down here before me, and I was sure that I wouldn't like Florida until I came to visit. A few years later, I moved here too. It is a really nice place, and I'm pretty happy with my choice to move here.

[countrykaren]

Originally Posted by soursop

The people who don't want to be here generally cite things like the humidity, the stupidity of Florida voters, and low wages.

The people who want to be here generally cite things like the great weather, beautiful beaches, and low cost of living.

It comes down to preference. My parents moved down here before me, and I was sure that I wouldn't like Florida until I came to visit. A few years later, I moved here too. It is a really nice place, and I'm pretty happy with my choice to move here.

I agree in that you don't move to Fla and then complain it's too hot. Doesn't make sense.


Where ever you move, you take the good and bad- you just need more pros than cons.


However, we will be on a fixed income, and we can't jump from the frying pan into the fire.


I've been to Fla many times thru out my life and liked it. However, a vacation is not the same as day to day living and bill paying. Just want to send out feelers.