Excited about Cocoa Beach & Florida (Orlando, Melbourne: real estate, house, condos)

[FertilityDoc]

I have followed the posts here for some time. This past fall my wife and I took advantage of the real estate downturn. We purchased an ocean front Condo in South Cocoa Beach. Although timing cannot be perfect in real estate, we bought at a price 40% + off the height of the mania. I still look at it as a once in a lifetime opportunity.

I am headed to the condo for the first time on Monday. Setting it up from a distance has not been easy. The furniture is ordered and most of it will be delivered while we are there minus the sectional and chairs. It will be more like a hotel room this time. There will be some major shopping trips for all the necessary kitchenware, small appliances, accessories etc. It will be a lot of work. I am glad we settled on a condo and not a house. It has been much easier.

Coming from Chicago we will definitely appreciate being in some warm weather. The winter has been brutal here this year. One thing I know, coffee is on the balcony to watch the sunrise. In the afternoon, it will be drinks on the other side to watch the sunset over the Banana River. Yes, there are sunsets on the east coast. Every morning it will be a walk along the beach. The Beach Boys will be at the Cocoa Beach Pier. We hope to catch a glimpse of Endeavor landing at the Cape.

Count me as one person who is excited about spending more time in Florida....

[Retiredcoach]

Originally Posted by FertilityDoc

I have followed the posts here for some time. This past fall my wife and I took advantage of the real estate downturn. We purchased an ocean front Condo in South Cocoa Beach. Although timing cannot be perfect in real estate, we bought at a price 40% + off the height of the mania. I still look at it as a once in a lifetime opportunity.

I am headed to the condo for the first time on Monday. Setting it up from a distance has not been easy. The furniture is ordered and most of it will be delivered while we are there minus the sectional and chairs. It will be more like a hotel room this time. There will be some major shopping trips for all the necessary kitchenware, small appliances, accessories etc. It will be a lot of work. I am glad we settled on a condo and not a house. It has been much easier.

Coming from Chicago we will definitely appreciate being in some warm weather. The winter has been brutal here this year. One thing I know, coffee is on the balcony to watch the sunrise. In the afternoon, it will be drinks on the other side to watch the sunset over the Banana River. Yes, there are sunsets on the east coast. Every morning it will be a walk along the beach. The Beach Boys will be at the Cocoa Beach Pier. We hope to catch a glimpse of Endeavor landing at the Cape.

Count me as one person who is excited about spending more time in Florida....

Doc,

Congratulations on your purchase! Was it difficult and/or outrageously expensive to buy homeowners insurance for your oceanfront?

[FertilityDoc]

One of the advantages of the condo is that insurance on the building is included as part of the home owner's association dues. That typically runs about $350-$500 per month. To insure the condo's contents for about $30,000 is $800 per year. Not cheap but it is easier to insure than a beachside home. Hope that helps.

Kevin

[Denise in Fla]

Welcome to Florida, enjoy!

[lovethebeach]

I hope you enjoy your time in CB. The weather is great and your plan for coffee and walks on the beach with your wife sounds like you will be making the most of the time you spend here. Be sure to take a kayak tour of the lagoon...you will be amazed at the wildlife and the things you will learn about the river. There are several that leave from Ramp Road...not far from South CB. Also, be sure to check out the library. They have many activities and a great selection of new releases...perfect to read on your balcony!

[jenrein]

So did you have the opportunity of watching Endeavor landing?

[FertilityDoc]

We just got back from Cocoa Beach. One warning for those thinking of managing a remote vacation condo, it was a lot of work. We had furniture delivered from Pottery Barn, Costco, Everything Furniture, Racksandstands.com & Home Decorators. We ordered AV equipment from Axiom, HSU Research & Ecost. All of it came in boxes.

Furniture except from Pottery Barn required assembly with multiple screws and poorly drawn diagrams. Pottery Barn gives white glove service on the large items but chairs, occasional tables, lamps etc are dropped off in boxes. The condo's dumpster could not have accomodated all the refuse. Kindly the Pottery Barn Moving people removed all the discarded boxes. We made sure we tipped them well for that. I will say we were quite pleased with the quality of the furniture from Pottery Barn. The woods were solid & well built with dove-tailed joints. We saved a lot of money doing it ourselves over a local furniture store. It is a good thing my wife watches the decorating shows! She did a great job.

It was not a vacation this time. Of the 5 days we spent there, 3 were for unpacking, cleaining, shopping for household items and assembling furniture. The last 2 days we did have some time to relax and spend on the beach.

We sadly did not see Endeavor land. It landed at night a day earlier. We did not even notice the sonic boom. Must have been too busy. Due to a snafu with a minor renovation our cable tv wire was probably cut. It is on my list of things to straighten out. We were on a news blackout. It actually felt good for a change.

Thanks to lovethebeach for the suggestion on the Kayak trip. I would love to take such a trip around the Thousand Islands. The nature is beautiful in Cocoa Beach with all the birds, sealife, manatees etc. We already had fun seeing the sandpipers (including a one legged mutant flock), pelicans, washed up portuguese man of war & a large great blue heron in the surf (trying to steal the fisherman's catches).

We had the time to sample some of the local restaurants. We loved the Pompano Grill and liked Yen Yen's. Taco city was okay. I would recommend avoiding the tourist trap, Coconuts on the Beach. You can read my restaurant reviews at Trip Advisor.

I really do like Cocoa Beach. The beachside properties are cheaper than almost all of Florida. I happen to prefer Atlantic Beaches. There was clearly less traffic than the West Coast in spite of spring break. The culture is laid back. It is easy to get flights into either Orlando or Melbourne. We will enjoy the proximity to Disney World as well as Cape Canaveral.

[lovethebeach]

It is difficult to get settled, especially when you have a limited amount of time. You did hit some good restaurants. Here are a few to try next time:
Juice and Java for breakfast or lunch --the sandwichs are great. You can also pick up some great local artwork for your condo there, as they always feature art from local artists on their walls.
Robertos, a Cuban restaurant, is an institution in CB. Their Cuban food and breakfasts are very good.
I have also heard from friends the Fat Snook in South CB is nice, but I have not had a chance to eat there yet.
Thai Thai III in Cape Canaveral is also good for sushi and Thai, but it can be very busy.
Siam Orchid in CB also serves good sushi and Thai food.

[kwick release]

Originally Posted by FertilityDoc

We just got back from Cocoa Beach. One warning for those thinking of managing a remote vacation condo, it was a lot of work. We had furniture delivered from Pottery Barn, Costco, Everything Furniture, Racksandstands.com & Home Decorators. We ordered AV equipment from Axiom, HSU Research & Ecost. All of it came in boxes.

Furniture except from Pottery Barn required assembly with multiple screws and poorly drawn diagrams. Pottery Barn gives white glove service on the large items but chairs, occasional tables, lamps etc are dropped off in boxes. The condo's dumpster could not have accomodated all the refuse. Kindly the Pottery Barn Moving people removed all the discarded boxes. We made sure we tipped them well for that. I will say we were quite pleased with the quality of the furniture from Pottery Barn. The woods were solid & well built with dove-tailed joints. We saved a lot of money doing it ourselves over a local furniture store. It is a good thing my wife watches the decorating shows! She did a great job.

It was not a vacation this time. Of the 5 days we spent there, 3 were for unpacking, cleaining, shopping for household items and assembling furniture. The last 2 days we did have some time to relax and spend on the beach.

We sadly did not see Endeavor land. It landed at night a day earlier. We did not even notice the sonic boom. Must have been too busy. Due to a snafu with a minor renovation our cable tv wire was probably cut. It is on my list of things to straighten out. We were on a news blackout. It actually felt good for a change.

Thanks to lovethebeach for the suggestion on the Kayak trip. I would love to take such a trip around the Thousand Islands. The nature is beautiful in Cocoa Beach with all the birds, sealife, manatees etc. We already had fun seeing the sandpipers (including a one legged mutant flock), pelicans, washed up portuguese man of war & a large great blue heron in the surf (trying to steal the fisherman's catches).

We had the time to sample some of the local restaurants. We loved the Pompano Grill and liked Yen Yen's. Taco city was okay. I would recommend avoiding the tourist trap, Coconuts on the Beach. You can read my restaurant reviews at Trip Advisor.

I really do like Cocoa Beach. The beachside properties are cheaper than almost all of Florida. I happen to prefer Atlantic Beaches. There was clearly less traffic than the West Coast in spite of spring break. The culture is laid back. It is easy to get flights into either Orlando or Melbourne. We will enjoy the proximity to Disney World as well as Cape Canaveral.

We just bought a home in Satellite Beach on the grand canal side and my wife's parents are trying to decide on a condo somewhere between Vero and S. Cocoa Bch. Which building did you go with and any other suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks.

[FertilityDoc]

Originally Posted by kwick release

We just bought a home in Satellite Beach on the grand canal side and my wife's parents are trying to decide on a condo somewhere between Vero and S. Cocoa Bch. Which building did you go with and any other suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks.

On the advice of our realtor we bought in South Cocoa Beach. It is away from the maddening crowds. There is little public parking and the beach had few people even during spring break. Satellite Beach, Indian Harbor Beach, Melbourne Beach and Vero Beach would be very similar. We chose Cocoa Beach due to it's proximity to Orlando International Airport and the plethora of available flights. We bought in The Constellation Condominium (There are currently 2 units for sale there listed on the MLS, one of which is way over-priced). We liked the building due to the presence of large 3 BR condos and the views of both the ocean and the Banana River with balconies east and west. There are many great buildings in S. Cocoa Beach. For a realistic report on the state of the Cocoa Beach real estate market, I would recommend that you read Larry's Take on the Cocoa Beach Florida Real Estate Market It is written by a realtor who gives a very realistic view of the state of the market. We found that many of the great bargains never make it to the MLS. You need to find a good buyer's broker who will be patient, point you in the direction of units priced significantly below recent comps, and bargain on your behalf. I'd be glad to answer any specific questions.