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Well, consider Palmer Ranch. It's south of Sarasota. 600k might still get you a single family home, but not new.
I see a lot of recommendations for Lakewood Ranch. Didn't like the feel of the place. Just my personal opinion, but it felt like Long Island in Florida.
Brilliant and spot on.
I never thought of it that way, but now that you mentioned it, totally accurate.
I would like to know if Oviedo and Mt Dora have fewer college age people than Winter Park. Thank you!
Mt. Dora is a mish-mosh. You have families - which means you have kids there. Of all ages, since families get older and eventually - so do the kids. There are tons of tourists in the main "downtown" area, because it's a lake town and that means tourists. There are fairs and festivals, cultural and crafts, one of the biggest craft fairs in the estate every year.
There are also plenty of older people, some nursing homes, some senior condos. People who grew up there and like it enough to stay there in their older years. You have younger adults, married and single, who have left the nest, work and don't yet have families.
There are a variety of very small private colleges, mostly christian/bible colleges and trade schools, but it is by no means a college town at all.
The two nicest semi-affordable upscale places in Florida in my humble opinion are Sarasota County and St. Johns County (St. Augustine). Take a trip to both and explore and see what fits.
Never been to Long Island (or Lakewood Ranch for that matter) but that is interesting and surprising multiple people think LWR is like LI.
Ainsley you mentioned how St Pete would likely be too "hip" for me - that is a word I was actually going to use in my original post but you obviously got the gist from my description. You're exactly right, I won't feel at home in a really hip place. You also made a strong point regarding budget - if we had more $$$ we'd have an easier time finding what we want. I think it's going to be challenging but I do feel we've gotten some really good leads here in the FL forum.
Logybogy I really appreciate those recommendations - Sarasota is definitely on our radar and I have been very curious about St Augustine for a long time, we do need to visit there. I always appreciate a historic setting, which is sort of hard to come by in FL, so I'm interested to see what it's like in what's known as America's oldest city.
Everything is relative to your previous experience. I don't recall if you said where you have lived but I think that's important when considering advice here.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Aquatique
Never been to Long Island (or Lakewood Ranch for that matter) but that is interesting and surprising multiple people think LWR is like LI.
Ainsley you mentioned how St Pete would likely be too "hip" for me - that is a word I was actually going to use in my original post but you obviously got the gist from my description. You're exactly right, I won't feel at home in a really hip place. You also made a strong point regarding budget - if we had more $$$ we'd have an easier time finding what we want. I think it's going to be challenging but I do feel we've gotten some really good leads here in the FL forum.
Logybogy I really appreciate those recommendations - Sarasota is definitely on our radar and I have been very curious about St Augustine for a long time, we do need to visit there. I always appreciate a historic setting, which is sort of hard to come by in FL, so I'm interested to see what it's like in what's known as America's oldest city.
I think bang for your buck you are going to like St. Augustine. There's lots of new housing within 15 to 20 minutes of the historic city center and the beaches in your price range. Also homeowner's insurance will be much less than Sarasota as this part of the state has fewer strong hurricanes that are direct hits. Sarasota is getting very expensive and after Ian insurance is going to be a major problem anywhere in the state but concentrated in South Florida.
St. Auguatine is also within 1 hour of Jacksonville for day trips and big city stuff. 2 of the best hospitals in Florida with Mayo Clinic and UF Health and the airport to get out of town.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Aquatique
Logybogy I really appreciate those recommendations - Sarasota is definitely on our radar and I have been very curious about St Augustine for a long time, we do need to visit there. I always appreciate a historic setting, which is sort of hard to come by in FL, so I'm interested to see what it's like in what's known as America's oldest city.
Since that post is reeeeally long, I'll do a bullet point version:
- Within 3 miles of good grocery store like Publix or even better Whole Foods.
- Seafood market
- Plentiful restaurants serving variety of different cuisines
- Not typical FL home style built between 1990s-present
- Established feel with mature landscaping and underground power lines.
- Hint of upscale classiness but not trendy or ritzy.
- Under the radar, hidden away feel.
- Near a downtown-ish area
- Older population, not many people in their 20s
- Not near large college
- Politically purple and polite
- Safe, low crime, uncommon to ever see homeless, sketchy weirdos, druggies wandering.
- Home budget not over $600,000
- Any part of FL
You need to check out Deland. It's a town of around 40,000 about 45 minutes northeast of Orlando in the interior of the state. It has a very nice (and thriving) downtown area and beautiful wooded neighborhoods with non-cookie cutter homes north of downtown (north of New York Avenue), all the way up to the northern edge. The area around Stetson University (a small private university of around 4,000 students) is stunningly pretty and unlike much of FL with its tree cover and overall feel. Despite being around a campus its neither crowded or noisy. This option nails all of your checklist above with the possible exemption of underground power lines.
Here are places we're considering and main concern(s) for each:
Tallahassee - Midtown to northeast - need to research about crime/safety particularly for midtown area. Real estate inventory seems very low for both rentals and purchase. Only places we've been in Tallahassee are Whole Foods and airport.
Avondale Jacksonville - it may be too young and hip for me, real estate inventory low, need to research more about crime/safety. Never been to Jacksonville.
St. Augustine - just starting to look into this location, I actually don't mind tourist presence but maybe tourism level of St. Augustine would be too much? Have never visited.
Haile Plantation Gainesville - This one is in our top 3 for sure. Only concerns are it is somewhat near a large college and we already lived an hour south of Gainesville so it would feel a little anticlimactic to end up in the same part of the state that we left. But even though it's similar to our previous location, I think the big difference would be level of convenience/access to grocery and restaurants. We stayed right outside Haile for a month and walked around Haile almost daily during that time.
Winter Park, Oviedo, Mt Dora - maybe too many college-age people. Have been to Winter Park, never been to Oviedo or Mt. Dora.
Melbourne Beach, Vero Beach, Sebastian - We stayed in Melbourne Beach for a month, there is a specific neighborhood we like there, the overall area is maybe not quite what we're looking for? We stayed in Sebastian for a month, no downtown. Learning more about Vero Beach, looking for the right neighborhood, wondering if I'd like downtown, have been cautioned there are bad parts of town and then others have said Vero Beach is "very much about the 1%" so I don't know what to make of Vero. Have visited but not spent any real time exploring, never saw downtown.
Tarpon Springs, Palm Harbor, Safety Harbor - have visited Tarpon Springs and Palm Harbor, but not Safety Harbor. Maybe not what we're looking for, no one has recommended any of them based on my criteria.
Westchase, Wesley Chapel, Hyde Park Tampa - for the entire Tampa / central west FL area I'm concerned about sink holes. Have been to Wesley Chapel, never been to Westchase or Hyde Park. Hyde Park probably way too young and hip for me.
Downtown Sarasota - Have been to the beach on Siesta Key many times but never downtown. Somewhat unrealistic for our budget, but we could get a condo. Very concerned about homeless in this area based on news reports, warnings from city-data forum members, and youtube videos showing homeless men jumping on cars, peeing everywhere. Also worried about the crowd I'd encounter in downtown Sarasota, I'm looking for understated upscale, the level of wealth and affluence here might be too much for me.
Lakewood Ranch, Palmer Ranch - need to visit and compare them. Never been to either one. Not sure I could find a home style I like. LWR seems way too popular and booming for me.
Venice, Punta Gorda - Have been to both, never actually went to "downtown" Venice Island though. No one has really recommended either of them based on my criteria. Nearby, Englewood and Rotonda West are sleeper choices ... not really what we're looking for but have stayed many times and this area has a place in our hearts.
Jupiter, Delray, Boca Raton - Probably over budget but these have been recommended. Never been to any of them so no idea if they fit what we're looking for.
Las Olas Fort Lauderdale, Hollywood around Young Circle - have to admit I am very curious about these. Have done many vacations to Fort Lauderdale as a kid with my family but also one trip with husband. Hollywood I've only passed through, never spent any real time exploring. These are the types of popular areas I could actually go for because they are long-term popular. I will take this opportunity to mention there is one type of "hip" I can get into - areas where the hip comes from the gay community, not the young straight community. Husband is resistant to southeast FL, thinks it is too overpopulated, too expensive, and not a good fit for us. Also I have never really lived in a large city so maybe I'd be overwhelmed.
Coral Gables - very expensive but some condos in our price range. I can not imagine living in the Miami area. I just think of it as the plastic surgery capital of FL and again the level of wealth would most likely be way too much for me.
Plan is to gather as many viable options as possible, narrow down to a top 3, monitor the rental market in those locations, grab a rental when the right one pops up, take some time to explore, then buy in a year or two, once we're sure we like a place.
I see Mount Dora mentioned a few times. I lived there for years not too long ago, so I will answer based on my experience.
- Within 3 miles of good grocery store like Publix or even better Whole Foods. Yes for Publix. No Whole Foods anywhere nearby. Whole Foods seems to be very selective in terms of neighborhoods it feels would have their targeted demographic. Mount Dora is not one of those.
- Seafood market No
- Plentiful restaurants serving variety of different cuisines Kind of... Some decent spots downtown. LOTS of quality, authentic Mexican spots in surrounding areas.
- Not typical FL home style built between 1990s-present Yes
- Established feel with mature landscaping and underground power lines. A select few areas. You'll still lose power though. There are HUGE oak trees in these areas, and the UG lines eventually go up to a pole. Power outages during major storms are common, and if you're at the mercy of Mount Dora Utilities, good luck.
- Hint of upscale classiness but not trendy or ritzy. No. Has more of a blue-collar, truck-driver/construction workers feel.
- Under the radar, hidden away feel. Yes
- Near a downtown-ish area There is a nice, active downtown area. Great to visit on occasion, but you'll generally be avoiding it, as it's filled with slow-moving tourists, and the roads are pretty much completely shut down multiple times per year during the many festivals. If you live nearby, you'll soon grow to hate these festivals.
- Older population, not many people in their 20s No. It's standard Central Florida, with a mix of all sorts of ages.
- Not near large college Largest nearby college is Lake-Sumter, a former Community College turned State College. It's small, and does not attract typical college behaviors.
- Politically purple and polite Red
- Safe, low crime, uncommon to ever see homeless, sketchy weirdos, druggies wandering. Eh... There is a sizable ghetto pretty much in the heart of town, and the area has quite its share of meth problems, and the criminal activity that comes with that. There have been several unsuccessful attempts at establishing night clubs there, but they constantly get shut down due to shootings, drugs, etc. (Rodeo and Barbara's come to mind)
- Home budget not over $600,000 Yes
- Any part of FL[/quote] Based on your criteria, there are much, MUCH better options, in my opinion. Areas in and around St-Augustine are a good place to start. I'd only consider Mount Dora if you HAVE to be in Central Florida.
Here are places we're considering and main concern(s) for each:
Tallahassee - Midtown to northeast - need to research about crime/safety particularly for midtown area. Real estate inventory seems very low for both rentals and purchase. Only places we've been in Tallahassee are Whole Foods and airport.
Avondale Jacksonville - it may be too young and hip for me, real estate inventory low, need to research more about crime/safety. Never been to Jacksonville.
St. Augustine - just starting to look into this location, I actually don't mind tourist presence but maybe tourism level of St. Augustine would be too much? Have never visited.
Haile Plantation Gainesville - This one is in our top 3 for sure. Only concerns are it is somewhat near a large college and we already lived an hour south of Gainesville so it would feel a little anticlimactic to end up in the same part of the state that we left. But even though it's similar to our previous location, I think the big difference would be level of convenience/access to grocery and restaurants. We stayed right outside Haile for a month and walked around Haile almost daily during that time.
Winter Park, Oviedo, Mt Dora - maybe too many college-age people. Have been to Winter Park, never been to Oviedo or Mt. Dora.
Melbourne Beach, Vero Beach, Sebastian - We stayed in Melbourne Beach for a month, there is a specific neighborhood we like there, the overall area is maybe not quite what we're looking for? We stayed in Sebastian for a month, no downtown. Learning more about Vero Beach, looking for the right neighborhood, wondering if I'd like downtown, have been cautioned there are bad parts of town and then others have said Vero Beach is "very much about the 1%" so I don't know what to make of Vero. Have visited but not spent any real time exploring, never saw downtown.
Tarpon Springs, Palm Harbor, Safety Harbor - have visited Tarpon Springs and Palm Harbor, but not Safety Harbor. Maybe not what we're looking for, no one has recommended any of them based on my criteria.
Westchase, Wesley Chapel, Hyde Park Tampa - for the entire Tampa / central west FL area I'm concerned about sink holes. Have been to Wesley Chapel, never been to Westchase or Hyde Park. Hyde Park probably way too young and hip for me.
Downtown Sarasota - Have been to the beach on Siesta Key many times but never downtown. Somewhat unrealistic for our budget, but we could get a condo. Very concerned about homeless in this area based on news reports, warnings from city-data forum members, and youtube videos showing homeless men jumping on cars, peeing everywhere. Also worried about the crowd I'd encounter in downtown Sarasota, I'm looking for understated upscale, the level of wealth and affluence here might be too much for me.
Lakewood Ranch, Palmer Ranch - need to visit and compare them. Never been to either one. Not sure I could find a home style I like. LWR seems way too popular and booming for me.
Venice, Punta Gorda - Have been to both, never actually went to "downtown" Venice Island though. No one has really recommended either of them based on my criteria. Nearby, Englewood and Rotonda West are sleeper choices ... not really what we're looking for but have stayed many times and this area has a place in our hearts.
Jupiter, Delray, Boca Raton - Probably over budget but these have been recommended. Never been to any of them so no idea if they fit what we're looking for.
Las Olas Fort Lauderdale, Hollywood around Young Circle - have to admit I am very curious about these. Have done many vacations to Fort Lauderdale as a kid with my family but also one trip with husband. Hollywood I've only passed through, never spent any real time exploring. These are the types of popular areas I could actually go for because they are long-term popular. I will take this opportunity to mention there is one type of "hip" I can get into - areas where the hip comes from the gay community, not the young straight community. Husband is resistant to southeast FL, thinks it is too overpopulated, too expensive, and not a good fit for us. Also I have never really lived in a large city so maybe I'd be overwhelmed.
Coral Gables - very expensive but some condos in our price range. I can not imagine living in the Miami area. I just think of it as the plastic surgery capital of FL and again the level of wealth would most likely be way too much for me.
Plan is to gather as many viable options as possible, narrow down to a top 3, monitor the rental market in those locations, grab a rental when the right one pops up, take some time to explore, then buy in a year or two, once we're sure we like a place.
St. Augustine is about the most touristy area I have ever visited. The "old town" part is charming but the traffic is out of sight - very expensive there now, also. It gets much colder there, too, than South or SW Florida, if that is a concern.
You definitely have a lot of places to visit! I still think based on most of your posts (if you are set on Florida) that one of the planned communities like Lakewood Ranch (or Palmer Ranch) would suit your needs. I really don't get the "Long Island" comparisons mentioned previously, and LR has a lot of variety in communities, architecture, etc. And close to so much shopping (its own Main Street) and down the road from the new mall, Whole Foods, etc. Seems to have most of what you want, so be sure to give it a good look.
Just curious, but what style architecture do you prefer? You mentioned not liking "Florida architecture" but not sure what exactly that means since it is pretty eclectic where I live (Lakeland).
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