[ssg II]

Don't forget pest control. I pay about $400 a year including termite bond. And lawn maintenence can be another expense, unless it's DIY.

[ngrome]

Your answers below:

• Electricity (assuming we would run the A/C quite often) - $200-$400 a month
• Pool Maintenance (monthly chemicals/cleaning?) - $80-$100 a month
• Water bill (family of 2 - just my wife and I) - $80-$120 a month
• Gas bill - assuming you have gas for heating, probably lowest $20-$80 a month
• Sewer bill - usually included in water bill
• Garbage/Trash removal bill -usually included in water bill

After a few years, you'll get tired of the heat and hire someone to cut your grass at $60-$100 a month or $25-$30 per week.

And groceries are higher-priced down here, anywhere from 10 to 30 percent higher than up north.

And tolls to go to work, $100 a month if you take toll to work.

Other than getting a cheap house, it's not a inexpensive as it used to be, probably only real major savings is no state tax, but in some cases the above costs will off-set that savings. Good luck.

[ognend]

Originally Posted by ngrome

Your answers below:

• Electricity (assuming we would run the A/C quite often) - $200-$400 a month
• Pool Maintenance (monthly chemicals/cleaning?) - $80-$100 a month
• Water bill (family of 2 - just my wife and I) - $80-$120 a month
• Gas bill - assuming you have gas for heating, probably lowest $20-$80 a month
• Sewer bill - usually included in water bill
• Garbage/Trash removal bill -usually included in water bill

After a few years, you'll get tired of the heat and hire someone to cut your grass at $60-$100 a month or $25-$30 per week.

And groceries are higher-priced down here, anywhere from 10 to 30 percent higher than up north.

And tolls to go to work, $100 a month if you take toll to work.

Other than getting a cheap house, it's not a inexpensive as it used to be, probably only real major savings is no state tax, but in some cases the above costs will off-set that savings. Good luck.

North Florida and inland Florida have generally cheaper prices of land, homes and cost of living than coastal areas.

OD

[beachmouse]

The coastal Panhandle is anything but cheap these days due to the huge amount of government-owned land off limits for development. Average sales prices of single family homes in my area (Ft. Walton Beach) are $80-$100K more than what you'd pay in Ocala, Lakeland, Ft. Myers, or Punta Gorda, and $30-$50K more than what you'd pay in Sarasota, Tampa, or Orlando.

[daFrogMan]

Update on electricity (see second post)
Elect about 75/month w/o A/C or pool heater. This was the first bill we got that the a/c hasn't been running 24/7 as well as we shut down the pool right after xmas.
Suspect with living here in the summer, we're expecting $160/month elect with a/c, elect HW and pool pump.