[Reebi]

[[color="red"]FONT="Comic Sans MS"]I've been to south beach two times and fell in love with Miami. I was born and raised in NYC for 32 years and now live in Denver, Colordao six years
I am ready for a real change.
I am looking to move to a warmer place back east. I do not want to do snow any longer.
I wouldl like to know where would be a good place for me and a female teenager to live in florida.
I have a master's in guidance & counseling and currently work in a college. I need to live some place where I can make a good dollar and effort to pay my way.
I do not like to drive far to work and spend my time stuck in traffic. I get along with most people coming from NYC as long as they do not get into my business.
Someone tell me where is good for me to live in Florida. Thanks

[fsi001]

I live in the Spring Hill area. Spring Hill is located 35 miles north of Tampa. I understand your concerns. Moving is a big move for your family, and a big change. If I could do it over again, I would do it differently. First of all I wouldn't have taken my 2 oldest out of high school. I would kept on renting down here. When I moved here, I got an apartment and left my family in New York for 6 months. Then I moved them down as soon as I found a house that I could rent. I took the 6 months to shop around the different areas looking for a house. I have 3 children myself. I moved here in Feb. 1997. I was really concerned about the schools here too. I took my kids out of high school and away from their friends. That was really very upsetting to my children. Their accomplishments up their didn't mean anything down here. Housing here as everywhere has gone very high. Doubled in most cases. Insurance and taxes are not as high as everyone makes it sound. 3-4 bedroom homes can be found from $150,000 to ????. I own 8 homes within a 30 mile radius of here. I rent with options to buy. I've been keeping track of whats going on. This area actually is the safest area that I've seen in Florida. This area has never been hit by an actual hurricane. We've gotten the winds and rain and have had some damage by the winds, but nothing dramatic. The area has newer type homes too. There are more and more schools being built here. There are also a couple colleges near by. Hope this helps you.

[jamesdsimpson]

Go to www.cityofnorthport.com for info on North Port which is between Sarasota and Ft. Myers, about 80 miles south of Tampa.

Jim

[TANC]

Reebi,

Take a look at the Treasure Coast area which is basically Indian River, St.Lucie, and Martin County. Now of course these are my opinions but it is very nice! Beautiful waterways (rivers) and beaches on Hutchinson Island.

St. Lucie County has a couple of colleges Florida Atlantic University and Indian River Community College. Both pretty good.

The main city for St Lucie County is Port St. Lucie. It is a bedroom community with a significant population (over 100,000). Real Estate Taxes are fairly high though, and the quality of schools spotty at best. Some very qood ones but mostly mediocre to worse. Housing is more affordable in general than Martin Cty but over the last few years it went up too far too fast and prices are in a correction right now. Median priced home is about $250,000. Fort Pierce is "old Florida" and has a nice downtown and harbor area but some questionable neighborhoods.

Martin County, where I live, has several nice cities, Stuart, Palm City, Jensen Beach, and others and the real estate taxes are significantly lower. The school system in Martin County is much better and in fact one of the better ones in the state. Palm City has probably the best schools overall. Home prices are a bit higher but since taxes are lower the comparison to St Lucie Cty is much closer than people think. Martin also has had significant price increases over time. Median price is probably above $300,000. Stuart has a nice downtown with a Theater that brings in some national acts from time to time and a lot of local theater. etc. Downtown Jensen Beach is nice for walking around and having dinner. Right on the river as is Stuart.

Martin Cty has a much "slower growth" mentality than St Lucie Cty does. That's probably why St Lucie's taxes are so much higher.

Indian RIver Cty is where Vero Beach is and I don't know nearly as much about it. It's okay but I definitely like Martin or St Lucie better.

Martin Cty is about 45 mins North of West Palm Beach, FL where there is much more to do. About 2 Hrs North of Miami.

Hope that helps!

[bnepler]

The bad thing about a hurricane is, you don't know where it's going. No place in Florida is well protected.

[John H.]

Not to hijack a thread, but, I am interested in moving to Florida. Any thoughts and first hand knowledge of the Daytona Beach/Volusia Co. area.

Traffic, housing rentals, areas of concern or to stay away from. Suggeted specific neighborhoods.

Thanks

[TANC]

Volusia County is nice. I particularly like New Smyrna Beach. Personally, Daytona Beach is not for me. Kind of run down beachey, touristy community in my opinion. Now if you're NASCAR fan you'll be in hog heaven twice a year and if you're a biker they have a big time biker event there as well.

Peresonally, I like the Treasure Coast of FL best which is Martin, St LUcie, and Indian River County.

[BigJimSlade]

I really like Northern Florida. Pensacola has the University of West Florida as well as a very nice community college. It's somewhat hilly, but you still get decent weather (a bit cool in the Winter compared to South Florida though, but it only snowed once the 5 years I was there).

[batman]

i sure would like to move to (south) florida too. however, i am slightly disabled and would need to get a hold of any centers for independent living. my cities of preference are as follows; fort myers, cape coral, fort lauderdale, naples, port charlotte, punta gorda, and south miami-dade. places i would not want to live in, due to severe crime infestation, are; northwest miami-dade, palm beach, and west palm beach, and areas i would not want to live in due to the risk of having 5 feet of water in my house during a hurricane; any place within less than 15-25 city blocks from the ocean.

[NYLATINQT]

Volusia County? No way! That is cruel of you to even suggest that area.