100% concur with this statement. Moved to FL just before COVID bullshit hit after 14 years in IL. Currently in the Boca/Deerfield Beach area, already planning to move elsewhere within the state by the time my lease is up come August.Originally Posted by RJ
Otherwise I enjoy the state.
I’ve lived in Boca and Gainesville. If I could live anywhere in Florida it’d prob be st aug or crescent beach tho. Will read the whole thread tnite and help out more if I can.
FWIW, as a native...
There are two Florida's. There's a line that goes from approximately Daytona, to Orlando, to Tampa. Everything below that line to those above it is "Miami" and everything above that line to those below it is "rednecks".
That said, there are pockets of both within either, and reasons to live in one or the other, and ways to make the most of it.
While I live in Palm Beach County, I'm just south of the county line, and I have 1.25 acres an could have chickens and other barnyard critters legally if I wanted to. and I'm still "only" 30 min from work and some pretty ding dang good eating.
Sometimes you gotta make the most of a situation. I effectively *can't* leave now due to work and other commitments. So we found the best compromise we could for the situation we're in and making the best of it. Which is to say, it's pretty damn not bad.
FWIW, and I think I said this up thread, were I still single, or even just without kids, I would *love* to still be living east of I95 in Fort Lauderdale. Or Delray Beach for that matter.
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We live in Gulf Breeze. It's in the Panhandle. We live in a small subdivision. The HOA is low. Housing is crazy, in 4 years our house has gone from 270's to the 450's, now we did add a pool and an enclosed lanai. It does get cold for part of the winter here. As far as the heat goes you get acclimated to it to some degree, then you stay inside or in the pool if possible. We left Maine as I got tired of pushing cars out of snowdrifts and dealing with winter.
We also have a Condo in Panama City Beach, which is as the name implies a beach town. I would have to say that the Panhandle has the nicest beaches with the sugar sand and emerald water. It's not called the Emerald Coast for nothing. Hope this helps.
I lived in the Tampa St. Pete area when I was a teenager. RJ's observations are pretty much spot on. Oh and if you think too hard in Miami, you'll start sweating....
Be Aware-Stay Safe. Gunfighting Is A Thinking Man's Game. So We Might Want To Bring Thinking Back Into It.
Haha, there should be a thread for “if we were single / unattached, etc”.. now that’s where the fun advice would be!
Bumping for follow up: we are midway in the Florida visit. I found a random realtor on RedFin. However, I don't like approach/advice and personality.
I would appreciate for recommendations for realtors that work both coasts - we haven't narrowed it down, but the West Coast/Tampa area seems a better candidate due to lower prices.
Also, has anyone bought just land? What are some caveats to watch out for?
That would be...unusual. Realtors are generally tied to their brokers. A broker owns the franchise, so to speak. I doubt seriously if there’s a brokerage that spans the coast, and there’s not many realtors that’d drive 3+ hours from Tampa to Melbourne to show you houses on either coast.
Lots of folks buy land and build. Problem is going to find a reliable honest builder; it is Florida, after all. The market is going nuts right now, and supplies of essentials are very tight. New houses going up in my development are awaiting window delivery, delaying construction, for example.
I don't mind dealing with multiple realtors/agents as long as they don't try to push "their" properties. We did just finish that drive. Wasn't too bad.
Home shopping a few months back I came across a builder from FL/AL who sounded great online. In Bay County they had a small deaden street under construction. Attachment 68683
The model home was complete and looked beautiful, after leaving the model home and walking into the under construction homes it appears el jefe has an opportunity for growth in the construction trade.
Echoing what RJ said, that's two very broad markets. Hell, I would be shocked to find one agent that knows St Pete AND Tampa, and they are just a bridge ride apart.
Land buying in Florida, and presumably home-building, can be an adventure. Particularly for anything south of Orlando The building codes are (understandably) strict and depending on where you're coming from and what your expectations are you can be in for a shock. I understand that some other states and municipalities don't even require permits for Owner/Builder. Not so down here. and each municipality here may have their own version of the code depending on who's running the show as well as whether or not they like you or your builder.
In short, while my main reason for not "building" is that my wife and I would probably kill each other, I wouldn't want to deal with the permitting and headaches either. and I'm in commercial construction!
That said, I wouldn't be opposed to a "spec" house or a new development. We've looked at a few. Best not to expect too much in terms of quality etc. but barring buying a house built in the 1950s you're probably not going to find much better. And, thanks to those pesky codes, it's not likely to fall down or blow away at least.
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