"Where's my (east coast beach) paradise?" (inheritance, insurance, town)
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We have been advised to do this as well. It's a big decision. If you know you definitely want to move and since it's a seller's market why not sell, rent for 6-12 months in the new location and make a decision then?
A major complication with selling. I am currently married, but it is like we are separated in the same house. We are nice to each other, but haven't really been a couple for years. I am wiling to reconcile, but she isn't and is pretty firm about that decision. At retirement, if not sooner, we will separate to different places and probably divorce. Youngest graduates high school in a few months, which is why it might be sooner. Being parents of our kids is about the only thing we do together.
This also drives my desire to get somewhere with activities that will help keep from becoming a hermit. Much of my social life was being part of a couple with other couples that are nearly all really her friends. I have a few fishing buddies but no really close friends nearby and I have been turning into something of a loner.
In my East Coast search, I have pretty much ruled out having full cool/cold seasons, which pretty much means FL. If it is near/at the beach, it's probably going to be near I-95 between Jax and Melbourne. But note that I started that with "If". I still feel pretty sure I want to be close to the beach. But there are a few inland spots that have some appeal, a little more protection from the worst of the storm, lots of communities and potentially much lower housing costs. Winter Haven and Ocala, for example. They have some high end expensive properties, but there are also older communities with lower cost homes and fees. I might even consider manufactured housing inland. They are still the dark horse in my search; I kinda want the real sea. But there are gorgeous tropical parks and some lakefront areas (particularly in Winter Haven) that are like little beach towns. And the beach is not far away; some of the communities organize trips down fairly often. I haven't ruled out sound/inlet locations either. I really need to start making some trips. Next winter, for sure.
One thing that may be different in my search is I do want a community with things going on. I don't want to become a hermit. I want to find some regular fishing buddies, not always dine alone and maybe plays cards and shoot the breeze at night. I probably wouldn't do this if I don't find a place where that kind of activity is common.
Don`t know if this has already be mentioned but......be aware of sinkhole alley, central Florida. Just had a friend buy a home in The Villages. He had no idea about sinkholes. He now has to buy sinkhole ins. with a 25k deductible
Don`t know if this has already be mentioned but......be aware of sinkhole alley, central Florida. Just had a friend buy a home in The Villages. He had no idea about sinkholes. He now has to buy sinkhole ins. with a 25k deductible
Timely reminder, and thanks. Frankly, I never saw the point of "central Florida." Why be there at all if you're not near a beach? There are better places!
Timely reminder, and thanks. Frankly, I never saw the point of "central Florida." Why be there at all if you're not near a beach? There are better places!
It's a dark horse for me. "near a beach" is relative; from many inland locations you are only an hour or so away and spend plenty of days there. There are a few areas that have nice lakefronts like Winter Haven. You still get the tropical weather and you get some protection from the worst of the storms.
There are also slightly inland locations where you are maybe a half hour's drive from the beach; some of those are on the water, but it will be a bay/inlet. I go back and forth about whether being right at the beach is important. The Space Coast has bus service from slightly inland to the beach.
By "near a beach," as I think I've said a few times (I don't blame you for not reading the entire thread, though), I mean walkable or bikable to it. Don't want to have to drive there. And I do mean the ocean (east coast); not a lake.
By "near a beach," as I think I've said a few times (I don't blame you for not reading the entire thread, though), I mean walkable or bikable to it. Don't want to have to drive there. And I do mean the ocean (east coast); not a lake.
I know. I was justifying why I think I might do that. My wants are similar to yours, but I am not as definite about being right on the beach. I guess I was hijacking a little bit; sorry about that...
For those who have been searching for beachfront bargains, how do you feel about the HGTV shows about beach towns? Have they given you good ideas of towns to consider? Are their beachfront bargains realistic?
Some of those HGTV beachfront properties do look like great deals (of course, you never know what problem a property might have that they're leaving out, or the likelihood an neighborhood might have for storm surge or hurricanes).
For those who have been searching for beachfront bargains, how do you feel about the HGTV shows about beach towns? Have they given you good ideas of towns to consider? Are their beachfront bargains realistic?
Some of those HGTV beachfront properties do look like great deals (of course, you never know what problem a property might have that they're leaving out, or the likelihood an neighborhood might have for storm surge or hurricanes).
Beachfront bargain is an oxymoron. If your live close enough to bike or walk, flood insurance with a mortgage or being self-insured if the house is paid off is needed. If renting, it will be reflected in the rent. Next is wind/hurricane insurance, not to be confused with flood insurance. Both of those can get interesting as they each try to blame the other for whether the water damage is from flood or rain.
Traffic in and around any beach area will be more congested because more people want to be there. Our county has free parking and no fees at all the many beaches for visitors and residents. The next county down, all the beaches have paid parking for everyone, although reduced passes are available for residents. One of our county beaches has become so popular they are finally considering paid parking to reduce the out of control traffic during season. That’s just beach traffic, those same tourists need to eat and go to stores, so in season everything takes more time and patience for residents. That or have a heart attack with anger issues.
If buying a property, be aware of the 50% rule for rebuilding after a storm. FEMA requires any municipality to comply and enforce this in some areas in order to receive federal aid funds:
”These guidelines, referred to as the 50% Rule or Substantial Damage Rule, states that a building must be elevated and brought into compliance if damaged by any cause for which the repair costs are 50% or more of the value of the building”. Quoted from the link below: https://www.completecontracting.com/...your-property/
That beach bargain may not be able to be rebuilt without exorbitant costs involved. And note it’s 50% of the house value only, NOT the property value. Low-laying, below BFE (base flood elevation) are ones to watch out for. People wonder why homeowners are allowed to rebuild in constantly flooded areas, they can’t do it as easily with this in place anymore. You don’t want to find out after the fact that you can’t reasonably rebuild.
Anyone renting near a beach have nothing to worry about other than increasing rents. If someone is buying a place, they need to do a lot of research if they aren’t familiar with flood and hurricane prone areas. Even being away from a beach, in driving distance, may still require flood insurance if it’s near a body of water; pond, lake or river. Check out any address on the FEMA site below: https://msc.fema.gov/portal/search
You need to be prepared to pay for flood insurance or have the money to rebuild on your own, people are choosing to do one or the other.
I live 1.5 miles from the Gulf and can buy flood insurance, but it’s not required because of the elevation. A few streets over, closer to the Gulf and it’s a different zone and flood insurance is required with a mortgage, the elevation is 10 feet or less. A few streets away, further from the Gulf the elevation is better, but it’s near a pond/lake, it’s a flood zone again requiring flood insurance.
I love where we live, but we knew what we were getting into, from visiting our son who has lived here for years. We knew the good, bad and ugly first-hand.
Last edited by jean_ji; 03-26-2018 at 11:08 AM..
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