living cheap in florida (West Palm Beach, Sarasota: for sale, real estate, 2009)

[MigDenizard]

Looking for the cheapest county in florida to live...

[Nomadicus]

Perry, FL which I think is in Taylor county used to be an economical place to live. Not that may jobs though. Look to the panhandle from there.

[David Aguilar]

Here's a list of counties in Florida:

List of counties in Florida - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Here's a home price finder:

Real Estate Listings & Homes For Sale

Type a county into the search box (example: Hillsborough County, FL), and make a list of them by "median listing price".

It's a start.

[TampaKaren]

If you're planning to purchase a home, Okaloosa County has the cheapest real estate taxes followed by Franklin then Sarasota. In our immediate area, Pinellas County has the lowest millage rate followed by Pasco then Hillsborough.

Following are links to the property tax page on the Florida Association of Counties and the 2009 County by County Property Tax Data.

Millage rates change yearly and the information provided is for the current and previous year only.

[beachmouse]

However, Okaloosa County has some of the most expensive single family housing costs in the state right now. (Seriously. It's slightly more expensive to buy there than Ft. Lauderdale right now, and only really behind Naples and West Palm Beach in terms of prices) Median home prices here are about twice what they are in Ft. Myers or Punta Gorda. And while you can find some cheaper homes north of I-10 pretty far from the beach and larger cities, at that point, you might as well buy in Alabama because housing costs and property taxes are lower on that side of the state line.

In general, the small metro areas in the Panhandle are currently relatively expensive compared to the central and SW peninsula because the spec builders and flippers never went totally hog wild like they did in a Ft. Myers or Vero Beach, and consequently the market didn't have to fall as much in order to find actual end users of the homes.

[mquintana]

Suwannee County is cheap-but keep in mind, there is a reason for being cheap-lack of jobs as well. It's usually the smaller towns. Usually when it's cheaper, you get paid less. If you look at it, it all equals out.
Example:
My best friend was telling me how back in NJ people get paid more. I said yes, but how much is cost of living-she states ofcourse higher...you yeah, you get paid more, but cost of living is higher...you get paid less, cost of living is lower.

Cheap places in Fl. I would stay in North Florida. The further south you go, the more expensive you usually get.

[seain dublin]

When you go cheap, you get cheap. Keep that in mind.

In Florida you really have to be careful in regards to healthcare and schools.

[gypsychic]

Originally Posted by seain dublin

When you go cheap, you get cheap. Keep that in mind.

In Florida you really have to be careful in regards to healthcare and schools.

Exactly, plus a place can be cheap for some things and not for others. You have to evaluate what you need in a place, not just "cheap."

[rhoover9597]

My family and I just moved to Ruskin, Fl. in November. We had rented a house in Mira Lago and then found out that the person who rented it to us is not the owner. The house is also up for foreclosure. We gave a huge chunk of money to the "landlord" that we may not get back. (first months rent, last months rent, security deposit and pet deposit) We will be speaking with an attorney this week about our rights and options.

Obviously, we will need to find a new place to move. We want to stay in Ruskin because our kids just started school and we don't want to up root them again. They both have Aspergers Syndrome (Autism) and don't deal well with change. Does anyone know of homes for rent where the owner may work with us on the security deposit?

Any information would be greatly appreciated!