Want great weather, 20min to beaches, safe area (Miami, Tampa: relocating, for sale)

[blazeko]

My husband and I are going to be relocating to Florida mid September/ early October. He will be working from home for his job, so we can move anywhere in Florida.

We are looking for warm winter weather, we want to be 20min or less to beaches, and of course in a safe neighborhood.

We have vacationed in New Smyrna and liked Port Orange, and the light traffic. However we are concerned about the weather in the winter.

My sister in law has told us about Bonita Springs, we have never been there, but I have been reading mixed posts about it.

The most difficult obstacle is we would like to keep our rent under 1000 month.

We were trying to decide between Port Orange, Clearwater area, Sarasota area, and Bonita Springs.

Any thoughts?

[backtofla]

how about the st augustine area?

[kort677]

Originally Posted by backtofla

how about the st augustine area?

Jax, best deal going!

[BlueWillowPlate]

We were literally across the street from the beach in Port St Joe, renting nice homes for $900 to $1000 a month. (It was me, husband, and younger kid.)
At the time, we thought we were going to stay there, so we tried several different spots, the Gulf side as well as the bay side.
It is very safe and very pretty there, but it's not exactly Bright Lights, Big City.

[SRQ_Sioux]

I'm 15 min to one of the top ten beaches in Fla. (Siesta Beach) and 5 minutes to I-75 in Sarasota.
But keeping the rent under 1000.00 may be difficult to find. Depends on the amenities your are looking for. A friend rents at $1000.00/month. Lucky for you lots of homes are for sale and owners have NOT been able to sell so there are many rentals and probably negotiable since owners are desperate. Good luck.

[Floridabound09]

If you do not want any cold at all you have to stay close to or below the imaginary freeze/cold line, from Cocoa to Clearwater straight across.

Most towns in the northern areas you mention will get cold a bit in the winter time. Anything below 50 is cold to me and many of those hit that allot.

I personally prefer the gulf side, you mention Clearwater and Sarasota areas, they have the best beaches you can find.

The way I see it if you want to move to Fla for the weather and beaches, you might as well find a spot that has it all, my opinion would be around the North or South of the outskirts of the Tampa area but inland a bit so you can be at your 1k per month.

[pslOldTimer]

Port St. Lucie. Currently the second safest city in Florida for it's size (over 100,000). Below the line of the tropical weather, generally as warm in Winter as Miami. Within 30 minutes to some of the nicest beaches on the East coast. On the East coast, which is generally considered to be cooler in the Summer and warmer in the Winter due to prevailing breezes off the Gulf Stream. On average, relatively hurricane free -- three in the last 60 years.

Considered by some to be boring, others see that as a positive. However, there is plenty to do if you look for it -- from outdoor sports to two different opera companies doing productions.

Prices are among the most reasonable in South Florida, because supply exceeds demand. My son just rented his 2 bedroom, 2 bath, 2 car garage house with pool for $1,000 per month. It's small, but clean, remodeled and reasonably attractive. He wanted $1,100 including pool service but came down when the tenants agreed to maintain the pool themselves.

I just passed my 35th anniversary in the city on July 4.

[MrTudo]

Port Charlotte

[pslOldTimer]

Originally Posted by MrTudo

Port Charlotte

Correct; for many of the same reasons as Port St. Lucie, they were developed by the same developer and have many of the same characteristics. I do have a preference for the East coast, but if I wanted to live on the West (Gulf) coast, I would look first to Port Charlotte, simply because I have been so happy in Port St. Lucie.

Interestingly, Mr. Tudo is looking to retire about 40 miles away from where I am retiring, he in Highlands County and me in Okeechobee County, right in the center of the state.

Something about great minds and tracks...

[julz]

I second Port St. Lucie.Having moved here from S.Fla, I find it a peaceful,slower-paced area.Not as commercialized and much more affordable.The beaches are beautiful and although there are no big malls or shopping complexes, everything you need is just a short distance away.