[sg928]

Originally Posted by faithfulFrank

What are you from?Western New York...land of snow and taxes

Where in Florida are you moving?Leesburg, in a community called "The Plantation" Bought the house just shy of one year ago.

What attracts you to Florida?I've already listed almost 100 reasons on another older thread....but mostly the weather, lower cost of living, lifestyle, etc.

What research did you do or have already done to pick your city or location?That's the bizzare part. I research everything, but this was a "buy from the heart"...no regrets! I'll retire in 3 years (1248 days...) and spend my pension in the sunshine. Florida is very kind to retirees

Did you spend time in that town in person?Yes, visited a friend who lived across the street from the house we ended up buying....have been back 5-6 times since we bought the house

Did you communicate with people who live their personally?Oh yes, they have grown to be good friends who we care about....we will be their "full time" neighbors in about 3 years or so.

Frank D.

Hi Frank,
We are also from WNY. We are leaving in 19wks. What is it you like about the town that you are going to move to. How is it different than WNY? Good and bad. We will rent when we get there and have it narrowed down to 4 different areas.
Thanks,
Sarah

[stacylee926]

It started last year when DH had the option to relocate for his job to Florida (FTL area). I found this site and have coming here daily for about 7 months now. We live in Virginia - DH grew up in the Va Beach area and I grew up in Northern VA.

In the end, we decided not to move because we would like to keep our son in the same school until he graduates - 2010. Once a child reaches high school, moving is hard on them - they have made friends etc. So, since the move was an 'option' decided not to do it - YET. We also have elderly parents close by.

However, we did chose to visit Ft Lauderdale for vacation during the summer just to check it out for the future. Of course we have visited Florida - the whole state many times. We wanted to look at the area differently this time. By the time we left, we knew that Florida was definitely for us in the future. I dislike the snow and the cold and we love the tropical feel
(as all our vacations can attest to). We always vacation in August so we know the humidity.

So, in the next 3-4 years, we hope there is another opportunity to relocation with DH's job - and there should be.

[faithfulFrank]

Well, since i've been asked by the OP, etc, I guess it is alright to stray a bit from the original question(s).

Yes, usually I do A LOT of research before I buy anything. I'm always getting asked by friends about what to buy, etc. It drives my wife crazy...she wishes that just one, someday, I would make a spontaneous purchase.

In a nutshell, a year ago last December, we visited three areas in Florida, just visiting friends. We were in Ft Myers, Tampa, and Leesburg. We stayed with friends who had boughten a house in The Plantation. We fell in love with it, and ended up buying the house across the street from them. I did not do much research then, but it just felt so right. Now, looking back, I think we made an excellent choice.......I did the research afterwards, and feel that we lucked out, picking a great place.....IMHO, better then many other communities I could have picked.

I never thought I'd ever retire to Florida.......but i'm so happy we bought there. Currently, I rent out the house...(great tax benefits) and go down there a few times a year to check on the house, etc. I will retire there in 3 years.

I like central florida, because the hurricane threat is lower then on the coast, and homeowners insurance is less. i'm less then 90 minutes from either coast, and less then 40 miles from the Orlando airport.....even closer to Disney.....but not on top of it. I am close to both I-75 and the Florida turnpike.

For me, Leesburg is the right size.....big enough to have most everything I need, but not too big. Lake Harris is just two miles up the road, and there are over 1000 lakes in Lake county. It has a brand new library, and many nice events year long. It has the normal Sears, Target, Lowes, Home Depot, etc,etc, and many nice restaurants that will not cost you an arm and a leg to go out to eat. Leesburg does not have a "Rodeo Drive". If you enjoy buying high priced "bling", Orlando is 30 minutes away. In short, Leesburg has everything I need, (it's bigger then some of the other smaller towns), but not too big or too fancy. There are more pick ups then Rolls Royce's in Leesburg, and that is fine with me. Central Florida has a high amount of retirees....that is fine with me. I'll be one of them, and I'm glad they are catered to. That means that there are good services, good medical, good hospitals, etc.....custom made for me.

Leesburg wraps around Lake Harris, and there are a lot of good retail areas on both Hwy 27 and Hwy 441. It is just 10 miles south of the Villages. The Plantation is just about 3 miles south of Leesburg, so I am close to "the city", but still feel like I live in a nice, clean area. I really like The Plantation.

I have nothing bad to say about any of the other towns in the area...Mt Dora, Clairmont, Eustis, Traveres......

Mt Dora is just a few miles away, and is nice, quaint, but I don't think it has the retail close that one may need from day to day.....it has many cute shops, etc, a great place to visit. It's beautiful around Christmas.

Sarah.....to answer your question on how it is different from WNY, well, first of course, the weather. It is currently 10 degrees here in the sun with a well below zero wind chill factor, but we won't go there.

It is a bit slower paced, people are not as rushed. Traffic is not bad. I have found people very friendly....especially in The Plantation. In The Plantation, and I would guess many of the 55+ gated communities, there is a strong sense of community and neighborhood. People are friendly. We love our neighbors.

All 55+ gated golf communities are not alike. You want to find one that is solid money-wise, is homeowner run and owned, and has low HOA's. When compared to many other communities, I feel The Plantation is at the top of the list.

Unlike WNY, people are there because they WANT to be. They MOVED there from someplace else. They worked hard, invested well, and are now living the good life. They are not snooty, they have nothing to prove. many of our new neighbors there feel like family. Maybe that is because many there have left family miles away....I don't know. We feel very safe there. There is so much to do! It is very active and many people who live there are under 55 years old.....it is NOT a place to go die.

My taxes are less. I pay $6k/year up here.....down there well less then 1/2 of that. I believe the cost of living is much less.....but that has been debated here, and you must know that there is a disproportionate amount of negativity on this forum.

Understand that the posters here are from ALL over Florida, and from all different social and economic levels. I think it is fair to say that the retiree who has a good pension will find Florida a good place.....your pension is not taxed, no state tax.....lower cost of living then WNY, etc,etc. If you believed everything you read here, you come away thinking that everyone in Florida hates it there.......that is simply not true.

Well, sorry for the long post....just trying to answer some questions. I know there are some who would not agree with me, and that is ok....no need to flame. I only know my own experience, and it has been good. now...off to snowblow the driveway....again. Wish I was there!!! (Will be back there in May.)

Frank D.

[sg928]

Frank,
Thanks for the post. I was great and really informative. We are not looking for a 55+ community. We are in our early 30's with 3 kids. You don't have to tell me about the wind chill factor. I haven't left the house all weekend, except to take the dog out. I think that we will have a better chance of making those good investments you referred to, if we leave WNY. It will be an adventure. I can't wait. 19 weeks left.
Sarah

[Floridabound09]

Originally Posted by faithfulFrank

Well, since i've been asked by the OP, etc, I guess it is alright to stray a bit from the original question(s).

Yes, usually I do A LOT of research before I buy anything. I'm always getting asked by friends about what to buy, etc. It drives my wife crazy...she wishes that just one, someday, I would make a spontaneous purchase.

In a nutshell, a year ago last December, we visited three areas in Florida, just visiting friends. We were in Ft Myers, Tampa, and Leesburg. We stayed with friends who had boughten a house in The Plantation. We fell in love with it, and ended up buying the house across the street from them. I did not do much research then, but it just felt so right. Now, looking back, I think we made an excellent choice.......I did the research afterwards, and feel that we lucked out, picking a great place.....IMHO, better then many other communities I could have picked.

I never thought I'd ever retire to Florida.......but i'm so happy we bought there. Currently, I rent out the house...(great tax benefits) and go down there a few times a year to check on the house, etc. I will retire there in 3 years.

I like central florida, because the hurricane threat is lower then on the coast, and homeowners insurance is less. i'm less then 90 minutes from either coast, and less then 40 miles from the Orlando airport.....even closer to Disney.....but not on top of it. I am close to both I-75 and the Florida turnpike.

For me, Leesburg is the right size.....big enough to have most everything I need, but not too big. Lake Harris is just two miles up the road, and there are over 1000 lakes in Lake county. It has a brand new library, and many nice events year long. It has the normal Sears, Target, Lowes, Home Depot, etc,etc, and many nice restaurants that will not cost you an arm and a leg to go out to eat. Leesburg does not have a "Rodeo Drive". If you enjoy buying high priced "bling", Orlando is 30 minutes away. In short, Leesburg has everything I need, (it's bigger then some of the other smaller towns), but not too big or too fancy. There are more pick ups then Rolls Royce's in Leesburg, and that is fine with me. Central Florida has a high amount of retirees....that is fine with me. I'll be one of them, and I'm glad they are catered to. That means that there are good services, good medical, good hospitals, etc.....custom made for me.

Leesburg wraps around Lake Harris, and there are a lot of good retail areas on both Hwy 27 and Hwy 441. It is just 10 miles south of the Villages. The Plantation is just about 3 miles south of Leesburg, so I am close to "the city", but still feel like I live in a nice, clean area. I really like The Plantation.

I have nothing bad to say about any of the other towns in the area...Mt Dora, Clairmont, Eustis, Traveres......

Mt Dora is just a few miles away, and is nice, quaint, but I don't think it has the retail close that one may need from day to day.....it has many cute shops, etc, a great place to visit. It's beautiful around Christmas.

Sarah.....to answer your question on how it is different from WNY, well, first of course, the weather. It is currently 10 degrees here in the sun with a well below zero wind chill factor, but we won't go there.

It is a bit slower paced, people are not as rushed. Traffic is not bad. I have found people very friendly....especially in The Plantation. In The Plantation, and I would guess many of the 55+ gated communities, there is a strong sense of community and neighborhood. People are friendly. We love our neighbors.

All 55+ gated golf communities are not alike. You want to find one that is solid money-wise, is homeowner run and owned, and has low HOA's. When compared to many other communities, I feel The Plantation is at the top of the list.

Unlike WNY, people are there because they WANT to be. They MOVED there from someplace else. They worked hard, invested well, and are now living the good life. They are not snooty, they have nothing to prove. many of our new neighbors there feel like family. Maybe that is because many there have left family miles away....I don't know. We feel very safe there. There is so much to do! It is very active and many people who live there are under 55 years old.....it is NOT a place to go die.

My taxes are less. I pay $6k/year up here.....down there well less then 1/2 of that. I believe the cost of living is much less.....but that has been debated here, and you must know that there is a disproportionate amount of negativity on this forum.

Understand that the posters here are from ALL over Florida, and from all different social and economic levels. I think it is fair to say that the retiree who has a good pension will find Florida a good place.....your pension is not taxed, no state tax.....lower cost of living then WNY, etc,etc. If you believed everything you read here, you come away thinking that everyone in Florida hates it there.......that is simply not true.

Well, sorry for the long post....just trying to answer some questions. I know there are some who would not agree with me, and that is ok....no need to flame. I only know my own experience, and it has been good. now...off to snowblow the driveway....again. Wish I was there!!! (Will be back there in May.)

Frank D.

Frank,
FANTASTIC POST BUDDY. Wow, the point of this thread was to be able to share information with each other so that we could help each other in our endeavors.

Your post is awesome, it covers my oriiginal questions and a whole lot more.

I like the personal info and opinions from the posters in this thread, it helps to see others who have already made a decision.

Thanks for a wonderful post.

[larch22]

Hello
I am from the SF Bayarea Cal.
The area we have researched is along the panhandle from Pensacola to
Ft. Walton.
We have spent Christmas with relatives 3 yrs in a row. We have golfed,
house searching, and shopping the areas.
Nice to spend winter here as opposed to the colder bayarea.
The plan is for semi-retirement and having fun.

[faithfulFrank]

Sarah,

Good luck! I'm happy for you.....it is good to research things first, and secure a good job, etc, before coming down there for good. renting seems to be a good option now, getting to know the area, then snagging a good deal on a house in this buyer's market.

Other differences are...not as many pizza places down there....and you may have a hard time finding REAL Buffalo chicken wings. Also, I'm not sure you will find "Beef on Wicks" or "White Hots", etc.....There are A LOT of Buffalo Bills fans down there, and Sabres fans.

Strangely, I did not find many Ice Cream places.....I think we have more up here then down there, and I have NO idea why. There are Banks EVERYWHERE. Publix foodstores are the most "Wegmans-like". There are some nice dept stores we do not have up here. I still cannot get used to seeing plants for sale year round, and I could not find any windshield washer fluid that would not freeze......(of course, but I needed some and was driving back north to snow....)

Also, people seem to decorate for Christmas much later then we do up here, but then they do not have to fight the snow to do that like we do. Up here, the first warm day in November is for Christmas lights......

Red lights seem longer, but everything seems a bit slower-paced down there. Gas is way cheaper, milk is more expensive, homeowner insurance is way higher, and water is way more expensive. That being said, it still costs less to live there I believe..... In short, it is totally an UPGRADE !!!!!!!!!!!

Frank D.

[melb]

We are living in Pennsylvania, in the suburbs of Philadelphia (translation: high taxes)

We are going to Pensacola, FL

We are attracted by the weather, the white sand beaches, the school we want our kids to go to, and we both lived there before. It also helps that prices are coming down a bit on houses and that our taxes would be less.

I have been researching for the past few months by reading the local paper daily, these city-data forums, and the local paper forums. Also anything else I can find online as to the current status of life in the Pensacola area. The timing is right, as my husband's job will be ending soon due to a buyout by a foreign company. I am researching job prospects for him, as well as a decent place to rent with 3 dogs while we find the perfect home to buy. We are looking at getting out of here in late June/July after school is out here. We must go b/4 the next school year starts, as daughter will be starting kindergarten and son will be in 5th. grade and don't want to start them in a school here and then move them out (he has been homeschooled).

We have not been down for quite a few years, but my husband lived there with his family for several years, and I went to college there. We were supposed to move there when we got married, but the job he had laid off only 2 months b/4 the wedding, so he went to AR to work for his Dad, and long story short, we ended up back in PA where I am from for a job, and I wanted to be near family. We have been here for 8 years, and I obviously did not research moving back home up here b/4 we did it. Our school taxes went up 4.5 percent last year, 4 percent the year before, and here's the whopper: this year it is projected to go up 10 percent! Plus, we have per capita taxes, local taxes, and a $600+ borough tax. They will tax you to death, literally! We just really would like to finally get down there where we belong!

I am sure we could find the people we knew there, but we were pretty young and partied a lot, so I don't really know where they all are. We kind of grew out of that once we had kids. These boards are a good way to see what people think, though.

[CJFlorida]

Originally Posted by melb

We are living in Pennsylvania, in the suburbs of Philadelphia (translation: high taxes)

We are going to Pensacola, FL

We are attracted by the weather, the white sand beaches, the school we want our kids to go to, and we both lived there before. It also helps that prices are coming down a bit on houses and that our taxes would be less.

I have been researching for the past few months by reading the local paper daily, these city-data forums, and the local paper forums. Also anything else I can find online as to the current status of life in the Pensacola area. The timing is right, as my husband's job will be ending soon due to a buyout by a foreign company. I am researching job prospects for him, as well as a decent place to rent with 3 dogs while we find the perfect home to buy. We are looking at getting out of here in late June/July after school is out here. We must go b/4 the next school year starts, as daughter will be starting kindergarten and son will be in 5th. grade and don't want to start them in a school here and then move them out (he has been homeschooled).

We have not been down for quite a few years, but my husband lived there with his family for several years, and I went to college there. We were supposed to move there when we got married, but the job he had laid off only 2 months b/4 the wedding, so he went to AR to work for his Dad, and long story short, we ended up back in PA where I am from for a job, and I wanted to be near family. We have been here for 8 years, and I obviously did not research moving back home up here b/4 we did it. Our school taxes went up 4.5 percent last year, 4 percent the year before, and here's the whopper: this year it is projected to go up 10 percent! Plus, we have per capita taxes, local taxes, and a $600+ borough tax. They will tax you to death, literally! We just really would like to finally get down there where we belong!

I am sure we could find the people we knew there, but we were pretty young and partied a lot, so I don't really know where they all are. We kind of grew out of that once we had kids. These boards are a good way to see what people think, though.

We have many similarities. We are also from a Philly suburb, West Chester. We also lived in Pensacola a few years ago.

I wish you luck. We hated Pensacola, too conservative, too religious, too old poor south on the fringes, too cold in the winter, too humid in the summer.

After several moves, we fell in love with Jupiter, FL. We are currently renting in Boca but will return to Jupiter soon. We found Jupiter to be more to our lifestyle, even more Eagles fans!

Good luck.

[Grammy Linna]

What are you from? I have lived in Alaska, Washington, Oregon, California, Michigan, New York, Maryland and Texas.

Where in Florida are you moving? Vero Beach

What attracts you to Florida? Winter weather, 3 of the 4 kids live on the east coast. We liked the size of Vero Beach.

What research did you do or have already done to pick your city or location? Lots of traveling.

Did you spend time in that town in person? Yes

Did you communicate with people who live their personally? Yes