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Old 02-07-2016, 05:50 AM
 
Location: Port Charlotte
3,930 posts, read 6,440,025 times
Reputation: 3457

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Look at Punta Gorda / Port Charlotte/North Port. 1700-2400 SF, pool, well under $250K, 30 minutes to the beaches. $350K will get you a home on a canal with harbor access.
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Old 02-07-2016, 06:47 AM
 
35,309 posts, read 52,274,165 times
Reputation: 30999
Quote:
Originally Posted by CindyRoos View Post
. My spouse is already retirement age but can't retire due to still having too many bills. If we sold our house and moved to Florida, I'm sure we could live on less. I do know we want to be on the Gulf side and don't want to spend more than 400,000 on a home. We want to stay on the Gulf side anywhere from Beverly Hills FL down to Ft Myers.
Anyway have any good advise to give regarding these questions? Any help would be appreciated
Thank you in advance
If you are retired and dont have enough to pay the bills i'd recommend downsizing that need for a $400K house to a $200K house or maybe a mobile home for under$100K.one of many sites this one covering Beverly Hills area.=
http://www.realtor.com/realestateand...verly-Hills_FL


Pros for Florida?
The Beaches
Warm sunny weather
Its paradise.

Cons?
Cant think of anything..

Last edited by jambo101; 02-07-2016 at 07:15 AM..
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Old 02-07-2016, 07:03 AM
 
9,742 posts, read 4,491,618 times
Reputation: 3981
Look into Engelwood and you will be 10-15 minutes from beach.
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Old 02-07-2016, 07:11 AM
 
12,016 posts, read 12,746,342 times
Reputation: 13420
Quote:
Originally Posted by CindyRoos View Post
My spouse and I would love to move down to Florida from Wisconsin. My spouse is already retirement age but can't retire due to still having too many bills. If we sold our house and moved to Florida, I'm sure we could live on less. However, I do not know the how expensive things are (housing, utilities, groceries, house insurance, property taxes, health insurance, car insurance, cell phone bills, cable, etc) I also don't know which part of Florida would be the best for low crime, affordable single homes with low HOA fees, not to far from the beach but not close so that a Hurricane can wipe you out. I do know we want to be on the Gulf side and don't want to spend more than 400,000 on a home. We want to stay on the Gulf side anywhere from Beverly Hills FL down to Ft Myers.
Anyway have any good advise to give regarding these questions? Any help would be appreciated
Thank you in advance
$400K can get you an amazing home in many parts of Florida. Crime is less away from the big cities and the closer you go to the center of the state. A realtor aquaintance of mine has a home in Beverly Hills Fl, a small 2, 1.5 with a pool and he had it assessed and it's only worth $50K but he got a good deal on it and was going to sell it but decided to keep it as a second home and get a roommate. House insurance is higher, but you can make it lower by buying a newer home or one with a metal roof and also away from the coast insurance rates are lower in the middle of the state. You can also raise deductibles to get lower home insurance costs. Taxes are lower and come January after you buy you can apply for Homestead exemption.

Grocery prices aren't too different, maybe a bit higher, but you can shop around. Car insurance was cheaper but went up about a year after I moved to Broward county, but I just moved to Lee county and it came down about 25%.

Like someone said, Fort Myers can be bad in areas, but Cape Coral just across the rives is nice and much safer. There are also many new home sites advertising new homes in communities along I-75 starting at $200K.
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Old 02-07-2016, 04:38 PM
 
Location: Fort Lauderdale, Florida
11,936 posts, read 13,096,073 times
Reputation: 27078
Hurricanes don't slow down when they reach land in Florida so there is no such thing as a hurricane safe area.

You are no safer 20 miles inland.
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Old 02-07-2016, 06:07 PM
 
18,172 posts, read 16,384,702 times
Reputation: 9328
Quote:
Originally Posted by jambo101 View Post
If you are retired and dont have enough to pay the bills i'd recommend downsizing that need for a $400K house to a $200K house or maybe a mobile home for under$100K.one of many sites this one covering Beverly Hills area.=
Beverly Hills Real Estate - Beverly Hills, FL Homes for Sale - realtor.com®




Cons?
Cant think of anything..
Humidity
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Old 02-08-2016, 12:14 PM
 
Location: Milwaukee Area of WI
1,886 posts, read 1,837,847 times
Reputation: 2025
Quote:
Originally Posted by cheesebugle View Post
Sounds like you have done zero research and are hoping for a pipe dream.
I'm sorry, but I have done research and now I am just looking for opinions from people that actually know about these areas I am looking into. It wasn't necessary for you to say something negative. If you have nothing nice to say, then don't say anything at all.
Thanks!
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Old 02-08-2016, 12:26 PM
 
Location: Milwaukee Area of WI
1,886 posts, read 1,837,847 times
Reputation: 2025
Quote:
Originally Posted by jambo101 View Post
If you are retired and dont have enough to pay the bills i'd recommend downsizing that need for a $400K house to a $200K house or maybe a mobile home for under$100K.one of many sites this one covering Beverly Hills area.=
Beverly Hills Real Estate - Beverly Hills, FL Homes for Sale - realtor.com®


Pros for Florida?
The Beaches
Warm sunny weather
Its paradise.

Cons?
Cant think of anything..
We would have enough for a 400,000 home. The only thing we'd have to worry about is property taxes, insurance (home and health) gas, electric, water, food, cable/internet, misc. I'm sure that between me getting a job and the spouse getting two pensions, we'll be fine
Thanks for your advise, I really appreciate it. It's part of my extensive research LOL
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Old 02-08-2016, 12:29 PM
 
Location: Milwaukee Area of WI
1,886 posts, read 1,837,847 times
Reputation: 2025
Quote:
Originally Posted by LifeIsGood01 View Post
$400K can get you an amazing home in many parts of Florida. Crime is less away from the big cities and the closer you go to the center of the state. A realtor aquaintance of mine has a home in Beverly Hills Fl, a small 2, 1.5 with a pool and he had it assessed and it's only worth $50K but he got a good deal on it and was going to sell it but decided to keep it as a second home and get a roommate. House insurance is higher, but you can make it lower by buying a newer home or one with a metal roof and also away from the coast insurance rates are lower in the middle of the state. You can also raise deductibles to get lower home insurance costs. Taxes are lower and come January after you buy you can apply for Homestead exemption.

Grocery prices aren't too different, maybe a bit higher, but you can shop around. Car insurance was cheaper but went up about a year after I moved to Broward county, but I just moved to Lee county and it came down about 25%.

Like someone said, Fort Myers can be bad in areas, but Cape Coral just across the rives is nice and much safer. There are also many new home sites advertising new homes in communities along I-75 starting at $200K.
Thank You So much "LifeisGood01"
I am so grateful for people like you giving me your ideas, experiences, knowledge, etc on all of my questions. I am going to take all of the advise I get here and all of the research I have done on my own and make the best educated decision possible. I also plan on visiting Florida again in May
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Old 02-08-2016, 12:31 PM
 
Location: Milwaukee Area of WI
1,886 posts, read 1,837,847 times
Reputation: 2025
Quote:
Originally Posted by blueherons View Post
Hurricanes don't slow down when they reach land in Florida so there is no such thing as a hurricane safe area.

You are no safer 20 miles inland.
Yes, I am aware that all of Florida can be hurricane alley. However, my mother in law lives in Florida and where she lives (she's been there for 30 years)--she has hardly had any damage from any storms
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