Looks like I'm really going to go for it: Pleeze tell me about livin' in Florida

I lived in the Northeast FAR too long!!! Can't Stand The Cold!!!
I really love warm & hot weather, and Florida does seem to have very decent real estate prices too.

i'd like to buy a small but nice house on a little bit of land (1/4 acre), and want to garden the entire land, compost, line dry, meditate, play guitar in the backyard, etc....
I'm thinking somewhere on the east coast near but not right on the beach would be great. I'm a musician and I'll have a little over 300k to make this move. I'd love it if the house didn't cost too much over 100K, so I could have 200k left in the bank. I'm 40 years old, but would like to live a semi-retired life of teaching private music lessons, substitute teaching when I need to, and hopefully gigging a little.
I like being green, vegetarian except seafood (which I love!), love to cycle everywhere, love art & culture etc...

So pleeze tell me what you might think I should know about livin' in Florida... Mahalo!!!

As someone who lived in Florida for 26 years too long I have to say..don't do it :)

Seriously good on you for making a change. If you want someplace warm where you can live an easy lifestyle FL is your place. Doesn't sound like you will be financially struggling...which is good since sadly FL does have a less than stellar economy job wise-I don't think the state has yet to come out of the recession. Housing should be cheap even near the water which is a perk.

I personally think the "culture" side is greatly lacking all over the state but once again it depends what you are into to.

I am from the Gulf side -- Tampa -- so I am not too familiar with the East side. All I know is when the hurricanes come they hit that side first.

FL is not for everyone but you will be able to make it down to the Mai Kai which is the greatest perk of all!
And it sounds like if you are looking for warmer weather you are heading to the right place:)
Good luck!

[ Edited by: SandraDee 2013-06-02 13:14 ]

On 2013-06-02 13:12, SandraDee wrote:
As someone who lived in Florida for 26 years too long I have to say..don't do it :)

Seriously good on you for making a change. If you want someplace warm where you can live an easy lifestyle FL is your place. Doesn't sound like you will be financially struggling...which is good since sadly FL does have a less than stellar economy job wise-I don't think the state has yet to come out of the recession. Housing should be cheap even near the water which is a perk.

I personally think the "culture" side is greatly lacking all over the state but once again it depends what you are into to.

I am from the Gulf side -- Tampa -- so I am not too familiar with the East side. All I know is when the hurricanes come they hit that side first.

FL is not for everyone but you will be able to make it down to the Mai Kai which is the greatest perk of all!
And it sounds like if you are looking for warmer weather you are heading to the right place:)
Good luck!

[ Edited by: SandraDee 2013-06-02 13:14 ]

Thanks for chiming in, SandraDee!!!
Glad you think it's a good place for me to enjoy the weather & "chill" life! You were joking about the "don't do it", right?
Yes, I heard from a few people the same thing, that the "culture" in Fl seems to be lacking. It makes me wonder: is there just not a lot of "culture" type things to do, or are Florida people just not interested in that type of stuff, or both? Either way, I think I'll be okay.
It's a BIG plus to me that real estate close to the water is affordable to me. Not many places like that in the US it seems.
I just really want to live a chill rest of my life. I've been WAY too hard on myself over the last 20 years, and it's time to enjoy the next 20.
Anyone have any recommendations for certain areas? I guess I've been looking the heaviest at the central coastal Fl, but I don't really know. I'm planning on spending the summer bumping around the whole state if I have to, looking for where I'll best fit in.
Thanx again!

[ Edited by: seafoamer 2013-06-02 17:11 ]

seafoamer,

As a Florida resident of over 35 years, I would say do it, but make sure you're not expecting too much. Florida certainly offers low taxes, low cost of living (in some areas) and a laid-back lifestyle, but that comes at a price. Cultural opportunities may not be as widespread as up north and other services may be lacking. But if you have a DIY spirit, there's nothing stopping you from carving out your own niche.

I'm a loyal east coaster and can confirm that the central part of the state, north of Vero Beach, may be your best place to start. Perhaps Cocoa or Daytona Beach. I'm down in South Florida (Fort Liquordale), which is a lot more urban and hectic. But we still have our little pockets of easy-going oases (including The Mai-Kai), plus more culture. Then there's the Keys, a wonderful and unique area but also not very budget-friendly and way off the beaten path.

I'd start looking toward the central east coast. If it's too boring or lacking opportunities, you can always drift south.

FYI, there's an active central Florida Tiki community in Brevard County. Look then up on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/91561746978/

And as one of the rare native-born Floridians (and one of those Brevard tiki folks), I'm torn between defending my state or asking for you to please stay away!

And that whole "lack of culture" stuff is mostly hogwash. Florida areas with equivalent populations and income have just as much culture as areas up north.

Like anything, you have to determine what you want and find a place that satisfies those needs. Florida is a big state with a wide variety of living conditions from the near tropics of the Keys to the urban bustle of Miami, to the swamps of the Everglades and SW Florida, to the beach towns along the east coast, to the quiet fishing villages along the west coast -- you just have to carefully consider what amenities are important to you and find a situation that fulfills those needs.

And yeah, watch out for those hurricanes!

Be prepared for higher homeowners insurance rates because of the hurricane risk. That's why my relatives moved out of Florida. Then again, they lived a block from the water so maybe their rates were higher than the norm.

There are actually quite a few people on Tiki Central who currently live in different parts of Florida so you will hopefully get more insight from them.

I think you can see by the few people who posted that everyone's opinion on the Sunshine State differs. :)

If I never moved away I would most likely still be in Tampa (I moved away when I was 29) but since moving away I could never imagine ever living there again so that describes my feelings on the state.

But I am not you and the sun, beaches, laid back lifestyle, warm weather, etc were just not for me.

I couldn't imagine dealing with crazy snow storms and below freezing temperatures so I think you will love the change of weather.

Like I said before Good Luck! Life is short...make the most of it :)

Thank you all SO much for your thoughtful responses!!!
I truly think my problem will be liking so many areas of Florida that I will have a tough time picking one place to buy. While the ocean beaches and faster pace of the east coast appeal to me, so does the more rural and slower west coast with their beautiful calm and white sandy beaches. The lower SE sounds like I'd never be bored, yet I also like chill & low key atmospheres!
I was born & raised way out on Long Island NY, so I really feel the pull of being back close to the water!
Also, ever since I was very little I've had an obsession with Flamingos & alway dug Florida Kitsch. I wonder why it's taken me this long to make the jump?!?
I love that there's a booming Tiki community, and yes I'm sure I'll frequent the Mai Kai. A few years back I almost got a tattoo of the Mai Kai, but it just never happened.
Anyway, I'm so very excited to start my new life!!!
BTW: Is it relatively easy to find a recently built small "all stone" house, built to withstand a large hurricane, or are they the minority?
THanks Again!!!

Germany or Floriduh,
Nuff said
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=germany%20or%20florida

seafoamer,

Down here on the southeast coast, there are now very tough building codes since we've been hit by hurricanes numerous times. Everything built after Hurricane Andrew (1992) is usually a safer bet than homes from the 1980s. But you'll also find older homes from the '60s and '70s that are very stable and have obviously withstood many storms.

A bigger issue than wind can be water damage, so make sure you're not in an area that's prone to flooding. And also be aware of the mandatory evacuation zones along the coast. Areas close to the beach are sometimes forced to evacuate during major storms.

Not that any of this should scare you. It's just good to be prepared. Some areas of the state have never been hit directly. You'll always be at the mercy of Mother Nature's whim.

Cool, thanks Hayward!!! I'm getting nervously-excited, as I'm currently packing all my stuff. I'm thinking that I'll do a clockwise travel of the perimeter of the state to find where I like best.
Zooming in on google maps street view to Ft Meyers Beach and Sanibel Is made me go WOW, but so did the house prices when I looked them up. Still looking to keep it under 150K.
Anyway, thanks again!!!