2008 Florida Housing market Thread Jan - Mar (Tampa, Port Charlotte: mortgage, real estate)

[spealum]

I'm looking for a vacation home/future retirement home. I'm pretty wide open as to where in Florida, depending on where my dollar goes the farthest. I'd like a place with a community pool, maybe a place where you can ride a golf cart around the neighborhood.

So where should I be looking? Florida is a big place! I'm not in a rush as I figure things probably get cheaper on average through 2008.

[sunrico90]

Originally Posted by spealum

I'm looking for a vacation home/future retirement home. I'm pretty wide open as to where in Florida, depending on where my dollar goes the farthest. I'd like a place with a community pool, maybe a place where you can ride a golf cart around the neighborhood.

So where should I be looking? Florida is a big place! I'm not in a rush as I figure things probably get cheaper on average through 2008.

Excellent question, let see the replies....

[hiknapster]

On this forum, I've found consistently positive responses about a community called "The Villages." I could be wrong, but I don't ever remember anyone reporting anything negative about it.

I've never been there and I'm not retirement age, but it might be a good place to start!

I'm not sure I can put the link up, but it will be removed, if I can't!

Welcome to The Villages - The Retirement Lifestyle You've Been Dreaming About

[ucfjtm]

Originally Posted by sunrico90

Excellent question, let see the replies....

Lake Mary? Seaside? (Town in panhandle between Destin and Panama City where Jim Carrey's Truman Show was filmed) Golf carting is possible there.. I'm sure there are more locations..

[CJFlorida]

Originally Posted by spealum

I'm looking for a vacation home/future retirement home. I'm pretty wide open as to where in Florida, depending on where my dollar goes the farthest. I'd like a place with a community pool, maybe a place where you can ride a golf cart around the neighborhood.

So where should I be looking? Florida is a big place! I'm not in a rush as I figure things probably get cheaper on average through 2008.

Tell us more about your situation so people can steer you. Are you a golfer, fisherman, beach lover, country lover, horsey person? Do you like planned activities or do things on your own? Do you need to be near top medical facilities? What is your price range? Do you want to be in a total retirement place or have a mix of older and younger?

[crystalblue]

Originally Posted by spealum

I'm looking for a vacation home/future retirement home. I'm pretty wide open as to where in Florida, depending on where my dollar goes the farthest. I'd like a place with a community pool, maybe a place where you can ride a golf cart around the neighborhood.

So where should I be looking? Florida is a big place! I'm not in a rush as I figure things probably get cheaper on average through 2008.

Theres a place in South Hillsborough, one of the biggest in the country

Sun City, or something like that...

[crystalblue]

Opinion: Numbers don't lie: Tax system broken

i know pretty much everyone on here is anti-tax, but you have to look at it from more angles.

This story brings up one good point. Our colleges are woefully underfunded. And if y'all get the tax break you want so much, they will lose even more.

Perhaps it will be your child that will be turned away when there simply isnt any more room at the schools...

[SANDYHAIR]

Ocala has a few really nice one .DEL WEB COMES TO MINE Check out the web site. The homes and fees our pretty good there stone creek I think it 's called

[spealum]

Well, we presently have very young children which will still be school age when we permanently relocate. We are in our 30's now.....so it would be an early retirement. I hear a lot of bluster about bad schools. How much truth is in that? We are coming from an area of Wisconsin with particularly good public schools. I can't believe all the public schools in florida are terrible.

We like something suburban, prefer to avoid the massive congestion of the miami-ft lauderdale metroplex, but at the same time being within 60 to 90 minutes of a major airport would be helpful for the next several years. I suppose most places in Florida are that close to a pretty big airport. I guess I'd be most interested in

1A)Tampa area down to Naples
1B)Daytona area down to Palm Beach
2A)Orlando & inland central florida
2B)Panhandle

Panhandle does get a little cool during Jan/Feb but the Quality of Life there is appealing to us. The airports there also don't have quite as many flights.

We enjoy golfing, beach activity, gardening. It is nice having a number of decent restaurants and shopping reasonably close. I'd like to be at least a couple miles inland to blunt the destructive power of the hurricanes (if only a little). School quality will be a factor as well.

Price Range 200k-350k. More for a special bargain. Not sure how helpful I've been. I've only narrowed it down to about 2/3 of the state! I'm mostly intersting in hearing where the best deals are happening. Of course I'm indirectly asking who's hurting the most which is why I'm not sure I'll get a very good response.

[Crazy G]

Originally Posted by hiknapster

On this forum, I've found consistently positive responses about a community called "The Villages." I could be wrong, but I don't ever remember anyone reporting anything negative about it.

I've never been there and I'm not retirement age, but it might be a good place to start!

Well!!! I been there several times, because we have a friend who lives there....
Most properties are VERY expensive...They paid $475K for a 2000 Sq Ft house.....Kind'a nice house on a 60 ft lot....You can talk to your neighbor, from your screened in patios....
""IF"" your into the Disney World style of living...."all make-believe"....then it could be the place for you.....
That's all I can tell you, is """"THEY LOVE IT THERE""...again!!!
That's all I can tell you, is """I WOULDN'T SEND MY DOG TO LIVE THERE""""
I'd be afraid he'd get run over by a golf cart....they're buzzzzzzing around everywhere.....
IT AIN'T CHEAP LIVING THERE....
They have some housing on 25' lots....YES!!! """TWENTY-FIVE FOOT WIDE LOTS"""
THE PLACE IS HUGE.....JUST HUGE!!!!!

All these people """JAMMED""" together smelling each others bottoms!!!!

>>>>THANKS ANYWAY<<<<