[yrogerg64]

Hi:
We want to relocate to a place in Florida:
1. which is warmer in the winter and does not have long rainy winters.
2. Real estate is more affordable.
3. we prefer a non touristy quiet family type place still close to basic amenities and medical facilities and preferably some Indian/Asian grocery stores.
As workplace and schools are not an issue for us we are flexible regarding the location.
A scenic place with moderate climate (less prone to severe storms) and affordable real estate is what we are looking for, preferably inland and not right on the beach.

We are planning a visit to Tallahassee, Crawfordville, Tampa and St. Petersburg next month with the intention of finding a suitable place to relocate. Currently we are in northern California.

[ChrisA70]

1. Key West......
2. More afforable means not so good areas down here.
3. None of the forementioned places are cheap to live, nowhere in FL is(less prone to storms), scenic places here are the beach, unless scenic means flat boring landscape...

[seeriously]

I agree with #3. If you're not near the ocean then you might as well be in Crawford, TX.

[SoFLGal]

1. If you want warmer then you should probably look south of Tampa-just below Tampa is the frost line. Also areas below Tampa are generally more tropical because you rarely don't get a hard freeze and if you do it's very brief.
2. North Port, FL is very affordable and is about 30 minutes from the beaches. You could pick up a newer home there for around $100K +/- depending on amenities and square footage.
3. North Port has it's own emergency room and then there's Port Charlotte and Venice hospitals very close by. There are Asian grocery stores less than 10 mins away.

Really a hurricane can hit anywhere in Florida. I think that the Miami and Key West have the highest possibility of a hurricane strike. You need to be prepared where ever you live. I am a native Floridian and have lived in or close by Sarasota county my whole life and have never evacuated, not to say that I wouldn't but I've never felt the need to.

Anywhere you live in the world you will be faced with some kind of natural disaster-tornadoes, typhoons, tidal waves, earthquakes, blizzards, etc. At least with hurricanes you will have advance notice before they hit. If you choose to leave you have the opportunity to do so. This is not the case with most other weather situations.

Since 1992 Hurricane Andrew, the Florida Building codes have been up graded in 1994, 1998, 2002, 2006 to deal with damage from wind. Even new manufactured homes are safer than site built homes pre-94 The newer the home since 94, the less insurance you will pay. Insurance for pre 94 homes is difficult to get/keep and you will pay a lot of money for coverage.
Some hurricanes are large and can cover the whole state, while some like 2004 Charley was an over sized tornado. Some years we have to watch for a dozen and other years only one or two. The hurricane season runs from June to November with the peak amount in September.

Here's a chart that shows the probability of a hurricane strike in each area:
Florida Hurricane Coastal Strike Probability



Hurricane strike probabilities are only statistical
estimates. Be prepared as storms approach.

This website is also pretty helpful-- Florida Hurricane Info

[RMD3819]

What is your housing budget?

[faithfulFrank]

I'm no expert on this, but I'll make a few points.

1) If you locate inland, the threat of a hurricane is less then if you are on the coast. Coastal homeowner insurance rates reflect this.

2) Not all of Florida is flat. Just south of me, Clairmont is very hilly and nice. It is close to Orlando but not too close. There are a few very good hopsitals in the Area, Waterman Hospital, etc.

Frank

[beachmouse]

Tallahassee has a lot going for it, but it's got the worst winters in the state. If you're thinking college town, I'd have a look at Gainesville instead, which still has cool winters by Florida standards, but you get somewhat fewer freezes. It also puts you close to the well-regarded Shands for health care issues down the road.

[gypsychic]

Check out Lakeland. It's a nice self-contained city between Tampa and Orlando, it has a small but growing Asian population, lots of good Asian restaurants and a few grocery stores. Very scenic with some small rolling hills withing the city, lots of big old trees, and a lot of beautiful lakes. This is also the home of Florida Southern College, which was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, and is the largest collection of his buildings in the world. Being in the center of the state, Lakeland is on high ground compared to most of Florida. Costs here are lower than the coastal cities, it is not a tourist destination, and it has great medical care.

Hope this helps!

[yrogerg64]

Hello Everyone:
Greetings from N. California. Thanks a lot. Information given by most of the replies is very helpful to us in planning our initial visit and we really appreciate your taking the time for us.

[yrogerg64]

Thank you v. much. This is v. helpful.