[jenjmurray]

Looking for some advice. My husband and I are moving to Florida and thought we had it all planned out, we were going to buy in the upper Keys. I had been researching this for years. We LOVE the Keys, the weather, the vibe, the bike and walking accessibility to almost anything. However, we recently went down to look at actual real estate and realized that our nest egg wasn't going to get us much. We will still have our 2 teenage boys and 900 sq ft for 500K just isn't going to cut it. So we have put it off for 10 more years until its just the 2 of us. But we can't take one more Illinois winter, so I am looking for suggestions of places to go. Schools don't matter, our boys will be in college, we are looking for small quaint towns, where walking and biking are the norm to shopping, dining and possibly the beach. My husband works from home, so location is open. We are looking for real estate for approx. 1800 sq ft or more for 400k or less, preferably Gulf side, but possibly open to the Atlantic side. Thanks!!

[markjames68]

How much time have you spent in a Florida in a single stretch, and what time(s) of year?

Not many great areas will get you 1800 sq ft for under $400K if you want to be near the beach, at least in the southern parts of Florida.

[jenjmurray]

MARKJAMES68:


We have been to FLA for weeks at a time all different times of the year. We wanted to move to southern FLA, but we are not dead set on it. Someone suggested we might like St Augustine, so we are open to all parts of FLA. We don't need to be near the beach either, I just don't want to be 2 hours away.

[NorthofHere]

The further you go from the beach the less costly and more house you get. For example, just under $400k would give you a very tiny house a block away from the beach in New Smyrna Beach. Go west to just past 95 to a communities like Venetian Bay which has a small town center and plenty of biking and you can find homes with pools for under $400K but you are a 10 or 15 min drive to the beach. You could also rent for a year and spend that time going around Florida and determining where you might enjoy living, what you can give up, to get the desired home and climate you are looking for.

[Corrie22]

jen, have you checked Zillow for the upper Keys?
I just used it to check from Islamorada to Key Largo and found a pretty good bit of houses.....3/2.....1700 to around 2000 sq ft...and under $500K....a lot of them looked like really good houses too
Remember that's asking price too.....check what's sold and what it actually sold for

...you might get your dream after all

[jenjmurray]

Corrie22:


Yes, we just spent a week looking at real estate from Key Largo to Key West. The homes at that price range still need a lot of work. I am positive we will get our dream, but it will be when its just the 2 of us. Being in the homes that were in our price range was an eye opener. I know you spend most of your time outside in FL but I would rather get more bang for my buck while the boys are still with us. We do not want a mortgage and the work some of those houses need (which you don't see until you get in them) would push us out of our comfort zone. Islamorada is where we want to land, and 3 years ago it was attainable, however, the market has gone crazy down there and it just isn't feasible right now. So looking for other options and excited about new possibilities. Thanks for the info

[popcorn247]

There might be some hurricane damaged homes for sale at a cheaper price.

[jenjmurray]

MARKJAMES68:


Thanks for the suggestions, I will check them out!!

[convextech]

Originally Posted by popcorn247

There might be some hurricane damaged homes for sale at a cheaper price.

The OP doesn't want a fixer-upper.

[Fredesch]

Look at zip 32176 Ormond-by-the-sea. It is beachside Volusia county between the city of Ormond Beach and North Peninsula State Park. You can easily find a home within your budget less than a block from the beach.

The only querky thing about Ormond-by-the-sea is a few houses cant get fast internet.