[nomad1991]

Hello everyone,

I've been lurking around the different city forums and have been trying to identify the places that I should be looking to relocate to in Florida. I have spent an extensive amount of time in Miami during the summer so I am aware of the exorbitant humidity/heat/bugs and all of the potential downsides of FL summers.

My wife(27) and I (31) are looking for a place with new builds that ~20-30 minutes from a nice beach. We are expecting our first child in March '23 and are hoping to make the move to FL by years end to get ourselves prepared. Our budget for a home is around 1MM but obviously would love to spend 700-900 if possible.

So far my search has led me to Tampa (North of St. Pete dunedin, palm harbor etc), Sarasota or Naples(any of the eastern communities Taylor morrison by the islands, island walk, etc). We are not party people at all so we sort of threw out Miami due to that. What we are really looking for is to be within striking distance of a nice beach but also to have the standard suburban amenities (Costco, whole foods whatever etc etc) and a new build. Another item that might make our move a little different is that we plan on moving back to Europe in 6-7 years so the home that we purchase will eventually be transitioned to a winter residence.

Appreciate any insights from you all on this topic. I plan on taking the recommended advice and using it on a 3 week long trip where I will investigate all of the locations in person to see whether they make sense.

Best,
Nomad

[FL_Expert]

I recommend the Nokomis/Laurel area. There’s quite a bit of new construction around 681, they have good schools, you’ll be 10 minutes from the beach, and you won’t be too far from Sarasota.

Northern Pinellas is great too, but it’s just harder to find new construction. There are a few smaller new neighborhoods though so you might be able to find the right home there.

[nomad1991]

Originally Posted by FL_Expert

I recommend the Nokomis/Laurel area. There’s quite a bit of new construction around 681, they have good schools, you’ll be 10 minutes from the beach, and you won’t be too far from Sarasota.

Northern Pinellas is great too, but it’s just harder to find new construction. There are a few smaller new neighborhoods though so you might be able to find the right home there.

I checked around Nokomis the only concern I have is the proximity to RSW or TPA. I forgot to include the original post proximity to one of those two airports. (Northeast area of naples is 25-30 to RSW) Northern Pinellas is +-45 to TPA.

[kyle19125]

Originally Posted by nomad1991

Hello everyone,

I've been lurking around the different city forums and have been trying to identify the places that I should be looking to relocate to in Florida. I have spent an extensive amount of time in Miami during the summer so I am aware of the exorbitant humidity/heat/bugs and all of the potential downsides of FL summers.

My wife(27) and I (31) are looking for a place with new builds that ~20-30 minutes from a nice beach. We are expecting our first child in March '23 and are hoping to make the move to FL by years end to get ourselves prepared. Our budget for a home is around 1MM but obviously would love to spend 700-900 if possible.

So far my search has led me to Tampa (North of St. Pete dunedin, palm harbor etc), Sarasota or Naples(any of the eastern communities Taylor morrison by the islands, island walk, etc). We are not party people at all so we sort of threw out Miami due to that. What we are really looking for is to be within striking distance of a nice beach but also to have the standard suburban amenities (Costco, whole foods whatever etc etc) and a new build. Another item that might make our move a little different is that we plan on moving back to Europe in 6-7 years so the home that we purchase will eventually be transitioned to a winter residence.

Appreciate any insights from you all on this topic. I plan on taking the recommended advice and using it on a 3 week long trip where I will investigate all of the locations in person to see whether they make sense.

Best,
Nomad

I'm kind of unclear as to how you arrived at that summary of a metro area of over 6 million other than somehow interpreting time spent in South Beach with the overall vibe. The Miami area is full of desirable family neighborhoods. Coral Gables, Pinecrest, South Miami, Palmetto Bay, Cutler Bay and Aventura in Dade County and in Broward County there's Weston, Parkland, Pembroke Pines, Miramar, Cooper City and Davie. A bit further north in Palm Beach County look at Boca Raton, Wellington and Jupiter as stand out areas...all with excellent schools. If you're looking for warmer weather year-round and classic ocean waves/beaches it's where you want to be and suggest further research before eliminating over misconception.

[nomad1991]

Originally Posted by kyle19125

I'm kind of unclear as to how you arrived at that summary of a metro area of over 6 million other than somehow interpreting time spent in South Beach with the overall vibe. The Miami area is full of desirable family neighborhoods. Coral Gables, Pinecrest, South Miami, Palmetto Bay, Cutler Bay and Aventura in Dade County and in Broward County there's Weston, Parkland, Pembroke Pines, Miramar, Cooper City and Davie. A bit further north in Palm Beach County look at Boca Raton, Wellington and Jupiter as stand out areas...all with excellent schools. If you're looking for warmer weather year-round and classic ocean waves/beaches it's where you want to be and suggest further research before eliminating over misconception.

Thank you for the response. In my preliminary research the pricing for new builds in some of the neighborhoods mentioned is way over our budget. I am really aiming for 800-900 but willing to stretch to 1MM if it is a great floor plan/home. I would love to be in Gables, Boca, or any of the above mentioned locations (those were the initial places I checked). I just am not seeing new builds that are in budget. I love the Miami metro area I just don't see my money going as far as it would on the west coast. I should have included the price/sq ft being an issue. (A quick filter on zillow/redfin with square footage of 2200+ gave me starter prices without upgrades around 900k)

[kyle19125]

Originally Posted by nomad1991

Thank you for the response. In my preliminary research the pricing for new builds in some of the neighborhoods mentioned is way over our budget. I am really aiming for 800-900 but willing to stretch to 1MM if it is a great floor plan/home. I would love to be in Gables, Boca, or any of the above mentioned locations (those were the initial places I checked). I just am not seeing new builds that are in budget. I love the Miami metro area I just don't see my money going as far as it would on the west coast. I should have included the price/sq ft being an issue. (A quick filter on zillow/redfin with square footage of 2200+ gave me starter prices without upgrades around 900k)

Is there a reason why only "new builds"? It's not uncommon in established, older neighborhoods for owners to gut rehab homes with new kitchens and baths, a new roof/windows, update plumbing/electrical etc to where you're in essence buying a new home without having to gamble on a neighborhood staying desirable... which is NOT a given here in Florida.

[nomad1991]

My wife really wants to be involved in the selection of the finishes and I want to have some latitude with the low voltage electrical. We browsed the older homes but we’re seeing similar prices for older houses where we wanted to change things. (Tile, painting, no cat6 in wall etc). We are open to a house that fits what we want but we just haven’t seen many that check all the boxes in that range.

[kidyankee764]

Might be tough with your budget, but I’d suggest Boca or Jupiter.

[wizrap]

Originally Posted by kidyankee764

Might be tough with your budget, but I’d suggest Boca or Jupiter.

Jupiter especially is a good thought. I just did a quick search in Jupiter and there is a new development called Reserve of Jupiter. Boca is going to be tough. Looks like the new builds under a mill are townhouses.

[sinatras]

You are very smart to focus on new construction since the homeowners insurance situation here in Florida is such that insurance companies do not want to insure older homes (older than built in the 90s) and if they do, you will be paying exorbitant amounts in premiums. The last time I got quotes for my 1960s Tampa home, my agent gave me a list of 10 quotes from 10 different insurance companies. Only 3 on the list would write a policy on a 1960s home in Florida. It costs $7,000 a year to insure my 1960s home, plus another 3k for flood insurance. And I am 1 mile from the bay/any body of water and never had any claims or flooding or damage of any kind despite numerous storms. Make sure you research the home insurance situation in Florida in its entirety before you commit to any relocation in Florida. It is truly a ####show.

As for Costco and Whole Foods, those are not as plentiful here in Florida as they are in California so your options will be limited. And they are even fewer on the West Coast of Fla. Just go to Google Maps, zero in on the beachy areas on east and west coasts with Costco/WFM locations, and focus on those.