[lulu]

I'd love to as I know I'd really, really be happy there. I can buy 2-3 acres & fence myself in, so when the developments 'start a marchin' in " I'd be enclosed in my private area from the world till I die. The thing is that everytime I ask a realtor over the internet something & I've tried - like things about the safety in the N.W., N.E. or S.E. etc. they say they can't tell me, I guess due to discrimination laws etc. I didn't like the S.W. cause it's really exploding, might as well stay here...and the real estate there is expensive w/cookie cutter homes, all clumped together. And most people in the S.W. are retired that come from elsewhere and they live in gated communities w/ golf & stuff and they have to belong to those darn associations, which are a pain in the neck. I could care less about that. I need freedom, space, fishing, Florida nature, stuff like that. And yesss...I'd like to see my childhood gators or crocs once again, swimming by - of course, from a distance. And racoons, yes! I haven't seen one in over 15 yrs. here in Miami. The poor things have been displaced by this plague. I know how to live in a natural Florida environment. I'm nostalgic for it.
I wish some Ocalan's would write here so we'd get a taste of the areas in Marion County. I live 6 hrs away by car...and it's hard to just pack & move a family with junk built up for over 4 decades without any idea of where to lay our eggs. I need a short term rental like a mobile home or something...but there aren't any on the internet. Homes one would have to rent long term. The hotel I stayed at was Best Western by I75, but it was almost $100 a night...not bad for a few days, but for a month to get a feel of the town? It'll come out to a pretty penny. Don't know how to do it.

[lulu]

I just came back from visiting friends in Kissimmee and Ocala. This was like a "Friend Trip". Well, from the people I just visited in Ocala - they pay like $600 a yr. but they are in a 3/2/2-1800 sq ft home at "Oak run" and they paid like $110,000. for it 4 yrs ago. The homeowners ins. will depend on what your home is worth in todays market, I guess you can check with neighbors or your insurance to give you an idea. Though, it'll be much cheaper than other parts for sure - say, S.FL, Keys or any coastal part. Whatever you end up paying, I don't think you'd get any better deal.
The weather...well, the central part I hear fares better. From what these people told me in their words, " well, let's say a hurricane comes directly like an arrow straight from the West or East and goes straight to Marion county. The people on the coast & closest to the coast will get the major damage as it comes in strongest, but remember that hurricanes lose strength once they start coming inland". I guess what they were trying to tell me is that there will always be the possibility of a hurricane hitting any part of Florida, cause it is Florida afterall, buttt...one is safer inland cause much of the damaging winds would have subsided by the time it reaches the middle.
The weather there can be more humid/hotter in the summer than in S. Florida since its in the central part and heat gets trapped in. Buttt....the nights are cooler. Winters I hear are colder than in S. FL. & can go down to the 30's.

[lulu]

Btw...I'd like to suggest an article that came up in Sundays Miami Herald on 6/4/2006 - it's free to download for 1 week, so there's 3 days left. It's for anyone wondering what's going on with Insurance & hurricanes...it's about an elder couple & what they are going thru. Puts things into perspective, or at least gives an idea of the ins. realities going on.
Go to your search engine & type in Miami Herald & in the Heralds search engine type the title which is named: Uneasy haven for retirees in Hurricane area. Then when it comes up just click & read.

[bunny8176]

My family lives on the east coast (Port St. Lucie). My dad's insurance increased 100% this year. From $3500 to $7000 - that's a huge difference. Our city was also hit directly by hurricanes Frances, Jeanne, and Wilma!

[beachcomberT]

Originally Posted by Buddy263

I would like to move to Florida but I keep hearing that the rates have doubled.
Is this true for all areas?
PS How are the bugs up North around Tampa, Ocala, Port Richey areas?

I work as a business reporter at the Daytona paper. All the major insurers are seeking big increases this year -- State Farm just told the state the 79 percent increase it asked for in May isn't enough and it will be back for more. Personally, my house insurance, for a middle-class 3-br house worth about 250K, is running about $900 a year, but I expect it will be well over $1,000 when renewal comes up this fall. Rates are much higher in S. Florida and for anyone within a mile of the coast. Re bugs, cockroaches are a fact of life anywhere in Fl., but if you have good housekeeping and spray regularly the cucarachas stay outdoors. Mosquitoes in my area are almost non-existent because of heavy duty spraying by Mosquito Control District. -- regards, beachcomberT aka Tom in Daytona (strongly considering move to E.Tenn)

[JRR]

For anyone considering considering inland areas like Ocala, you might keep this in mind. I live in Altamonte Springs on the north side of Orlando. In 2004, hurricane Charley came onshore in the Port Charlotte/Punta Gorda area, which is about 175 miles away from here. It still packed winds of close to 90 mph when it came right over us and it was not a walk in the park. Roofs torn off, trees down all over and power out for days in some areas. Then 3 weeks later Frances came from the other direction with winds in the 60-70 mph range and finally Jeanne with about 60 mph. Both caused more tree and roof damage and power outages.

Being inland is certainly better than being on the coast when it comes to hurricanes, but there is no place on the peninsula that is safe from the possibility of damaging winds.

It is just a fact of life here. You prepare for it and deal with it when it happens.

[argentum]

Has anyone heard of The Villages? I see a lot more homes are for sale there than there were last year. I'd ask their sales people the big question about homeowners insurance but I wouldn't expect a really forthright answer. I wonder what insurance on a fairly new 250k villa would cost.

[Jammie]

http://www.floridatoday.com/graphics/insurance/New_web_map_3/index.html (broken link)

Argentum, check out this link. I just posted it on a thread this morning. This was in today's (Wed.) Tallahassee newspaper. You can click on any county in Fla. and it will tell you the cost from insurance companies to insure a 150,000 home. Guess you'd just have to nearly double it to get the true insurance rate. It may not be exact, but it should give you an idea.

[sunrico90]

Incredible, Florida Dept of Financial Services is in the re-sell business....

Pursuant to Chapter 631, Florida Statutes, the Florida Department of Financial Services acts as the court appointed Receiver for any Florida domestic insurance companies ordered into receivership. The Division of Rehabilitation & Liquidation, as part of the Department, carries out the Department's statutory obligations as Receiver. Under appropriate circumstances, the Receiver may seek to sell an insurance company that has been placed into receivership.

Listed below are those insurance companies in Rehabilitation which may be available for acquisition. Any agreement with the Receiver for the acquisition of a company must be approved by the Court. In addition, under the requirements of Section 628.461, Florida Statutes, any party seeking to acquire an insurance company domiciled in Florida is required to file an application with the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation for approval of the transaction.

* New America Insurance Company
* Superior Guaranty Insurance Company
* Superior Insurance Company
* Underwriters Guarantee Insurance Company - SOLD

[covebound]

The rates have doubled in many many areas. The new governor wants to bring down those higher rates. Now lets see what he will do for Floridians.