Yankees in Florida (Tampa, Cape Coral, North Port: for sale, low crime, house)

FayFay · 03-10-2008, 04:51 PM

Hi, Grew up in NYC and have lived in Southern CT for 30 years. Tired of scraping snow. Would love to live in Florida and would be comfortable with a lot of Italian/Irish Americans. Problem is we only about $150,000 to spend. Want a low crime, nice neighborhood. Don't really want to be in Northern Fl. Am I looking for Utopia?

ChrisA70 · 03-10-2008, 04:56 PM

There is a newer 3/2/2 house for sale down the road from me in Cape Coral, Fl. for $99,900, 3/4 acre lot. Cape Coral is 47 in the crime rating with 100 being the national average 131 being the Florida average. Pretty good if you ask me.

SoFLGal · 03-10-2008, 04:58 PM

Ha Ha too funny BacktoFligo. I was just thinking the same thing before I scrolled down and read your post.

As I just stated in the post above this one, I really like North Port in SW Florida. It is close to the beaches, the housing is affordable and after doing more research this afternoon on the subject, the crime rate is relatively low compared to other parts of Florida.

You would have no problem finding a newer home in a nice neighborhood for $150,000 in North Port.

Good luck with your search!

Zandrah · 03-10-2008, 06:46 PM

There are plenty of places in Florida for your budget and No scrapping ice desieres ... BUT Big BUT here

It depends on what you want.

If you want Maimis night life and such it costs more emotionally as well as financially but for old fashioned southern family first values and the bennifit of warm no ice wether you have loads of options.

If you're not the type who require ever green lawns and puts your childs education before impressing the neighbors I might sugest a place like Inverness wich only sees frost perhaps 5 times a year but "suffers" bourrowing turtles and the occasional sink hole. it's on the gulf side (West) in north central florida with great public schools though shopping can be a challange to those accustomed to city shopes. It's still a sleepy little town by todays standards so it's not a place for "spoiled" teens to be moved in to as they have a hard time adjusting.

Inverness was founded by Irishmen and still has many of the old Irish traditions married to various other things as the town has grown. But much of centeral and north central Fl offer the same type of enviroment.

ChrisA70 · 03-10-2008, 07:03 PM

The first place I ever saw in Florida(when I moved here in 1995) was Inverness/Homasassa, and I liked it, because it's very "countryside"... I would live there again, but where are the jobs there? Inverness is pretty nice, low crime.

Lindsey_Mcfarren · 03-10-2008, 07:18 PM

I love it when Yanks move down here, they get all nice and sweet like Southerners...most of the time anyway. There are a few angry hold outs of course.

Joe_Ryder · 03-10-2008, 07:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lindsey_Mcfarren

I love it when Yanks move down here, they get all nice and sweet like Southerners...most of the time anyway. There are a few angry hold outs of course.

It seems they got even more annoying 25 years ago when they invaded Texas.

Sorry to hijack a thread but I just had to.

I see the same hostility in CA vs. Oregon. What Californians and Northerners sometimes can't grasp is that no one really cares how it was done back home. If they can just remember to leave home where they left it, they do just fine.

TampaKaren · 03-10-2008, 08:03 PM

I thought this was going to be about baseball! ha! ha! ha! LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Seriously, Florida has a lot of NYC'ers living here...some fulltime, some parttime. I'm sorry to say though that Tampa is probably not the place for you, yet. The retail prices are still coming down, but unless you look about 50 miles away, there are no single family homes under $150K.

Zandrah · 03-10-2008, 08:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BacktoFLigo

The first place I ever saw in Florida(when I moved here in 1995) was Inverness/Homasassa, and I liked it, because it's very "countryside"... I would live there again, but where are the jobs there? Inverness is pretty nice, low crime.

Jobs can be a problem out there if your looking to do more than keep the bills paid and save a verry little.
It's like being a pioneer if you don't know where to look for work or care to do factory work or manual labor. But for hard working folk it's a gold mine. My little brother is pulling down 16.85 an hour minding a dairy farmers milking machines. he watches gages and disinfetcts the equipment takes notes for the vet & waits for the truck and that's about it and that little turd is just 23! (Yes I am old enough to be my brothers mother had I startted young enough)

FayFay · 03-11-2008, 08:52 AM

Thanks guys. The places you mentioned I haven't really looked into. Also, not too worried about jobs because my husband and I retired early due to health reasons. So, commuting is not a problem, but unemployment does impact a community, so I guess I have to consider that anyway. Our children are grown, so we won't be draggin any spoiled teenagers kicking and screaming.

FayFay