Moving from WI to FL any ideas? (Port St. Lucie, Kissimmee: insurance, vacation)

[watergrl]

Hello everyone,
Just wanted to get some ideas from anyone who knows about this part of Florida. We are thinking of moving from Milwaukee, WI to Avon Park, FL. We are ma and pa home improvement contractors so we will be in need of work.

Is this a nice area?

[Turtle]

Hey! I am sorry I don't know anything about the area you are looking at, and I usually don't post pointless replies, but I just had to say hi to a fellow Milwaukeean! We moved to Port Saint Lucie almost 2 years ago from Franklin Wisconsin (just south of the Milwaukee airport). It's definitely different down here compared to what we're used to...

Welcome, and good luck with your possible move.

[watergrl]

Originally Posted by Turtle

Hey! I am sorry I don't know anything about the area you are looking at, and I usually don't post pointless replies, but I just had to say hi to a fellow Milwaukeean! We moved to Port Saint Lucie almost 2 years ago from Franklin Wisconsin (just south of the Milwaukee airport). It's definitely different down here compared to what we're used to...

Welcome, and good luck with your possible move.

Hey Turtle...

I do like Franklin, WI but Im sure where your at now is much better. Whats your opinion?

[Aloha jon]

The summers are long, hot, and humid in Florida. Since many people are having a hard time getting home owners insurance, the state is insuring them. The problem will be when there is major damage and the state has to pay for all the damage. Taxes will have to go up big time. At this time taxes are low thanks to the tourists who help pay much tax money for us. I lived in Milwaukee for five years almost a half a century ago, and I remember deliving the newspaper around 5am and one winter it got down to 24 below zero, not counting the wind or humidity. Even with hurricanes, many people keep moving to Florida, so welcome.

[Way Cool Junior]

Moved from Milwaukee to Port St. Lucie 3 years ago. We lived on 68th and Lisbon in the Enderis Park Neighborhood. I taught at Custer High School for 6 years and my wife worked at a neighborhood community center on 29th and Center for Children's Hospital.....so we felt we needed a working vacation.

I don't know much about Avon Park except that it is considered considerably cheaper to live than coastal Florida. I don't have a ton of info right now, but one thing I would suggest to you for sure is to NOT have Mayflower Moving do your moving. We had them and they were downright terrible.

Also, if you come down, I would try to rent for a year before I'd look to own, so you can learn about all the different neighborhoods. When you do decide to own, do not build. There are so many homes already built that you are better off trying to avoid those problems.

[Prichard]

Avon Park is a fairly inexpensive place to live - it's about an hour's drive south of Kissimmee. The big industry in Avon Park is the prison - that's about it. You won't find much work doing home renovatins down there in Avon Park. If you have experience in corrections, then you might find some work.

[CTGirlNoMore]

Hi there! I have family in Avon Park. They really like it. I know you said you are contractors, but they are retired so I can't really help with any job information. When I visited 2-1/2 years ago I really loved it. It was very peaceful. The only downfall could be that shopping and stores are at least 10-15 minutes away - at least from where my family lives. Not sure about others areas. Again, I'm not familiar with the town (or how big/small it may really be), only where they took me. Sebring is nearby (maybe 15 min) and I believe that is the place with the shopping. They have a long "main drag" (not sure what to call it - ours here is called the Turnpike) where the stores are, the mall. I'm not sure if this is of any help, but if I were retired or had my own business or just didn't need to work, I would probably live there. I just really enjoyed it.