Can anyone help with inside info on Orlando (insurance, home)

[LHBR702]

Hello! My husband and I are looking to relocate from the Northeast and one of the States we are considering is Florida. I've been researching several cities and finding that there is a long list of wonderful places to choose from in Florida, however, the cost of living in most of them is increasing steadily. Not to mention I'm hearing horror stories about the cost of homeowner's insurance, etc. One of the reasons we want to leave the North is because housing costs here have become so inflated. I would really like to live near the beach, We aren't in the position to purchase beach front property, but being within a short drive would be just fine. I've found that for the most part the "beaches" are far more expensive so most recently I've been looking into Orlando. Can anyone tell me their opinion of the pros/cons to living in Orlando. We are a young couple (late 20s/early 30s), we don't have children yet but we definitely plan to. We've begun to outgrow the "party town" scene, but we'd still like to have lots of things to do and a good nightlife scene (sidewalk cafes, good shopping & restaurants, live music, dancing, etc.) and we need a good job market. Is there any place where you can still purchase a home for under $200K? Also, if anyone has any suggestions of other Florida cities that I should research based on what we're looking for, that would be great, too! Thanks!!

[crikey]

I would not place Orlando as 1st preference for relocation, if cost of housing is the priority. It is no longer inexpensive to own a home here, especially for first-time buyers. Homeowner's insurance has skyrocketed at least 33% this year alone, at least according to my latest insurance bill. I can't say whether this holds true for the entire Florida, but Orlando is no longer the bargain it used to be.

[bamboosmom]

What is expensive? Depending on what you can afford, it can be very affordable. If lets say you are coming from Boston, and sold your home for a pretty penny, you could afford Florida. Florida is just catching up with the rest of the country price wise. If you took a home here in Florida and put it in California the price would triple. Even in Jersey you couldn't get the size home you can down here for the price sellers are offering here.