Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
My husband is in the process of being relocated... once again. We originally lived in the Seattle area (most of our lives)... and then he was transferred to St. Louis 5+ years ago. I was not very excited for that move. But, decided that we should look at it as an adventure. We are empty nesters, so it was difficult to meet new people and make friends unless you made it your mission to do so!! We didn't want to try that hard and luckily we get along very well so I would say we have been just fine. We bought a house on a beautiful 3 acre treed lot with lots of wildlife. We have a pool and love it!! We use it nearly every day in the summer. But, we are really tired of the cold... and hubby needs to move on. As a young boy he grew up on Wake Island and has been longing for that tropical weather ever since. Certainly didn't find it in Washington or Missouri.
So, he is very excited about the possibility of Florida. We had also talked about the Dallas/Ft Worth area but this came up first.
Wondering if someone is a fairly recent transplant to the Melbourne, Palm Bay area and can share their feelings and experience with the area.
I keep reading about people that are moving away because they are tired of the hurricanes... or possibility of such and the fact that it is too hot for way too long. Are these things really true? We had finally gotten used to the chance of tornadoes here. But there is usually good warning and you just run to the basement until it's all clear. Sometimes just a few hours.
Also, I must admit the St Louis area has very exceptional medical care. As a breast cancer survivor... I want to make sure we will be able to find good medical care. Any thoughts about that?
And, lastly would love some recommendations for where to look for housing. DO NOT want tight, cookie cutter neighborhoods... but also do not want acreage again. Maybe somewhere that has lots about .25 acre, single story, 3+ car garage and pool are a must. Price range is $400k to $550k but would like to stay in the mid $400s. Would like to be in an area with decent stores and restaurants.
My husband is in the process of being relocated... once again. We originally lived in the Seattle area (most of our lives)... and then he was transferred to St. Louis 5+ years ago. I was not very excited for that move. But, decided that we should look at it as an adventure. We are empty nesters, so it was difficult to meet new people and make friends unless you made it your mission to do so!! We didn't want to try that hard and luckily we get along very well so I would say we have been just fine. We bought a house on a beautiful 3 acre treed lot with lots of wildlife. We have a pool and love it!! We use it nearly every day in the summer. But, we are really tired of the cold... and hubby needs to move on. As a young boy he grew up on Wake Island and has been longing for that tropical weather ever since. Certainly didn't find it in Washington or Missouri.
So, he is very excited about the possibility of Florida. We had also talked about the Dallas/Ft Worth area but this came up first.
Wondering if someone is a fairly recent transplant to the Melbourne, Palm Bay area and can share their feelings and experience with the area.
I keep reading about people that are moving away because they are tired of the hurricanes... or possibility of such and the fact that it is too hot for way too long. Are these things really true? We had finally gotten used to the chance of tornadoes here. But there is usually good warning and you just run to the basement until it's all clear. Sometimes just a few hours.
Also, I must admit the St Louis area has very exceptional medical care. As a breast cancer survivor... I want to make sure we will be able to find good medical care. Any thoughts about that?
And, lastly would love some recommendations for where to look for housing. DO NOT want tight, cookie cutter neighborhoods... but also do not want acreage again. Maybe somewhere that has lots about .25 acre, single story, 3+ car garage and pool are a must. Price range is $400k to $550k but would like to stay in the mid $400s. Would like to be in an area with decent stores and restaurants.
Thanks for any information you can offer.
Anxious and Apprehensive...
Hurricanes aren't in the big picture that much of a concern outside of the overblown media coverage that starts about two weeks prior to a potential event that in the vast majority of instances goes somewhere else. However the PTSD many suffer from the round the clock coverage, preparation and worry about your home/belongings can make some rethink living here. Most often however it's the relentless heat and humidity for around 8 months of the year that wears people down. Some can handle it better and manage to get out and do things during that period of time while others can't bear it and wind up inside primarily which also creates a desire to leave after awhile. It would be good to know what type you are before arriving to save a lot of money and unpleasantness. The Suntree/North Melbourne or Lake Washington area is probably your best along with Titusville (a little further north) which offers better value for the dollar. Titusville is right at an hour away from the University of Florida Breast Cancer Center at Orlando Health, and is a highly rated facility with great doctors/staff. https://ufhealth.org/uf-health-breast-center/overview
My husband is in the process of being relocated... once again. We originally lived in the Seattle area (most of our lives)... and then he was transferred to St. Louis 5+ years ago. I was not very excited for that move. But, decided that we should look at it as an adventure. We are empty nesters, so it was difficult to meet new people and make friends unless you made it your mission to do so!! We didn't want to try that hard and luckily we get along very well so I would say we have been just fine. We bought a house on a beautiful 3 acre treed lot with lots of wildlife. We have a pool and love it!! We use it nearly every day in the summer. But, we are really tired of the cold... and hubby needs to move on. As a young boy he grew up on Wake Island and has been longing for that tropical weather ever since. Certainly didn't find it in Washington or Missouri.
So, he is very excited about the possibility of Florida. We had also talked about the Dallas/Ft Worth area but this came up first.
Wondering if someone is a fairly recent transplant to the Melbourne, Palm Bay area and can share their feelings and experience with the area.
I keep reading about people that are moving away because they are tired of the hurricanes... or possibility of such and the fact that it is too hot for way too long. Are these things really true? We had finally gotten used to the chance of tornadoes here. But there is usually good warning and you just run to the basement until it's all clear. Sometimes just a few hours.
Also, I must admit the St Louis area has very exceptional medical care. As a breast cancer survivor... I want to make sure we will be able to find good medical care. Any thoughts about that?
And, lastly would love some recommendations for where to look for housing. DO NOT want tight, cookie cutter neighborhoods... but also do not want acreage again. Maybe somewhere that has lots about .25 acre, single story, 3+ car garage and pool are a must. Price range is $400k to $550k but would like to stay in the mid $400s. Would like to be in an area with decent stores and restaurants.
Thanks for any information you can offer.
Anxious and Apprehensive...
1. hurricanes.....Kyle always makes it sound so easy when it comes to hurricanes, but he actually does not live on the coast. The good thing is you know they may come so you prepare at the beginning of the season and have time to secure the house before one actually comes. The hype is needed to get people prepared and time to evacuate if needed. Been in the Melbourne area 40+years so have been through some hurricanes that hit the state. I put it that way because a hurricane does not just effect the line they draw on TV. If a hurricane comes in down by Jupiter it usually comes up and we get some pretty good winds, beach erosion, flooding, and maybe some damage. In other parts of the state a hurricane causes tornadoes so usually the whole state or good portion of it is effected. If you evacuate the bumper to bumper traffic jam on I-95 may make the 3 hr drive to Jacksonville take 12 hours. It usually also means you live in 90 degree weather without lights and air conditioning for a few days to in some storms a month. If you have well water it means no water for that time also. More people are getting the whole house generators which helps immensely. If you don't have storm damage or flooding the no electricity is the hardest and pretty expensive when you need to use about 20 gallons a day of gas to run a portable generator to keep a refrigerator, the water pump, and some small fans or room air-conditioner running. We had some damage to our property-either fences, trees, roofs, or rain/water damage over the years. in Hurricanes David (78), Hurricane Erin (95), Francis and Jeanne in (2004), Mathew (2017) and lost our storage shed in Irma (2018) . So insurance is expensive. Ours went up to $3100 last year. Hopefully can find something less expensive this year
2 heat and humidity...... if you are on meds as you age, many have warnings on being out in the sun/heat and humidity. We are already getting 85+ temps and it is only Feb. but most years we consider March-January our summer months of heat. We decorate for the fall and winter holidays but enjoy them in our pools, at the beach, and wearing short and tees . We do get some cool mornings in the 40s where we crank up the furnace but usually resort to air conditioning by 2PM. Opening windows just lets the mugginess in unless there is a good breeze coming in. My family has always tried to spend as much time as we can at the beach.
3. Medical care....we have had good doctors for 40 years. We also have not had a lot of complaints when it comes to hospital stays. But for cancer a lot people go to Moffet in Tampa or to Gainesville. You would also be close to hospitals and doctors in Orlando and Jacksonville .
4. Housing areas.....at your price point , you could find a home on the beach but it may be older and probably won't have 3 car garages. Personally I would look in Indialantic and South Melbourne Beach down to Sebastian Inlet. But if a storm comes there is mandatory evacuations. Viera might be a choice but seems to be cookie cutter type homes. It has a good shopping center. Of course you could hire a contractor and build your own house to your own style. You might want to look at homes in Bayside in Palm Bay. Windover Farms area of Melbourne has some beautiful homes. Suntree area of Melbourne is also a nice area. I have always thought Whisper Woods in Melbourne was a good location with some cool houses.
[quote=Rabflmom;57368522]1. hurricanes.....Kyle always makes it sound so easy when it comes to hurricanes, but he actually does not live on the coast. The good thing is you know they may come so you prepare at the beginning of the season and have time to secure the house before one actually comes. The hype is needed to get people prepared and time to evacuate if needed. Been in the Melbourne area 40+years so have been through some hurricanes that hit the state. I put it that way because a hurricane does not just effect the line they draw on TV. If a hurricane comes in down by Jupiter it usually comes up and we get some pretty good winds, beach erosion, flooding, and maybe some damage. In other parts of the state a hurricane causes tornadoes so usually the whole state or good portion of it is effected. If you evacuate the bumper to bumper traffic jam on I-95 may make the 3 hr drive to Jacksonville take 12 hours. It usually also means you live in 90 degree weather without lights and air conditioning for a few days to in some storms a month. If you have well water it means no water for that time also. More people are getting the whole house generators which helps immensely. If you don't have storm damage or flooding the no electricity is the hardest and pretty expensive when you need to use about 20 gallons a day of gas to run a portable generator to keep a refrigerator, the water pump, and some small fans or room air-conditioner running. We had some damage to our property-either fences, trees, roofs, or rain/water damage over the years. in Hurricanes David (78), Hurricane Erin (95), Francis and Jeanne in (2004), Mathew (2017) and lost our storage shed in Irma (2018) . So insurance is expensive. Ours went up to $3100 last year. Hopefully can find something less expensive this year/QUOTE]
Living on the coast and living inland aren't much different when discussing a 60 mile difference so please don't act as if being on the coast is anymore different. Inland damage can be as bad or worse especially with more heavy coverage of hardwood trees which not only bring down power lines and block roads, but collapse into homes as well. Furthermore hurricanes are not an annual concern although the season happens every year. We went 13 years minus a storm recently (before that 9 years) and since having one each year after (2017-2018) had none the following. Preparedness is a great idea but making it a full-time hobby is probably a bit much given the risk factor. My point being there's a balance to enjoying life here and obsessing over hurricanes and the trauma involved. If it's too much, maybe Florida isn't the place for you.
Living on the coast and living inland aren't much different when discussing a 60 mile difference so please don't act as if being on the coast is anymore different. Inland damage can be as bad or worse
Great post
OP - hurricanes spin off tornadoes, so keep that in mind, inland vs coastal.
Also, since the state is like Swiss Cheese, water can rise during a hurricane inland as well.
Hey, thanks everyone for your great information. I have now been looking for homes in some of the suggested areas and am really liking what we see. I even found a couple of 55+ that looked interesting until I read the reviews of the builders. Yikes!! Might still look into that... with a cautious eye. Saw a couple of nice shopping areas with restaurants. I don't even have to look at the beaches... I know I will love anything I see... touristy or not.
Still talking about the move... weighing pros and cons. Who really LIKES moving??
Will know in about a week or so.
Thanks again for all your help!!
1. hurricanes.....Kyle always makes it sound so easy when it comes to hurricanes, but he actually does not live on the coast. The good thing is you know they may come so you prepare at the beginning of the season and have time to secure the house before one actually comes. The hype is needed to get people prepared and time to evacuate if needed. Been in the Melbourne area 40+years so have been through some hurricanes that hit the state. I put it that way because a hurricane does not just effect the line they draw on TV. If a hurricane comes in down by Jupiter it usually comes up and we get some pretty good winds, beach erosion, flooding, and maybe some damage. In other parts of the state a hurricane causes tornadoes so usually the whole state or good portion of it is effected. If you evacuate the bumper to bumper traffic jam on I-95 may make the 3 hr drive to Jacksonville take 12 hours. It usually also means you live in 90 degree weather without lights and air conditioning for a few days to in some storms a month. If you have well water it means no water for that time also. More people are getting the whole house generators which helps immensely. If you don't have storm damage or flooding the no electricity is the hardest and pretty expensive when you need to use about 20 gallons a day of gas to run a portable generator to keep a refrigerator, the water pump, and some small fans or room air-conditioner running. We had some damage to our property-either fences, trees, roofs, or rain/water damage over the years. in Hurricanes David (78), Hurricane Erin (95), Francis and Jeanne in (2004), Mathew (2017) and lost our storage shed in Irma (2018) . So insurance is expensive. Ours went up to $3100 last year. Hopefully can find something less expensive this year/QUOTE]
Living on the coast and living inland aren't much different when discussing a 60 mile difference so please don't act as if being on the coast is anymore different. Inland damage can be as bad or worse especially with more heavy coverage of hardwood trees which not only bring down power lines and block roads, but collapse into homes as well. Furthermore hurricanes are not an annual concern although the season happens every year. We went 13 years minus a storm recently (before that 9 years) and since having one each year after (2017-2018) had none the following. Preparedness is a great idea but making it a full-time hobby is probably a bit much given the risk factor. My point being there's a balance to enjoying life here and obsessing over hurricanes and the trauma involved. If it's too much, maybe Florida isn't the place for you.
Oh, Florida is the place for me,I think 44 years as an East Coast resident within 10 miles of the Atlantic and at 1 point right on the river which also gets huge waves and floods during hurricanes and tropical storms proves I can stand it. You haven't lived till you see the rattle snakes and gators swimming right outside your windows. It is a different situation when living on the coast. I realize in the center of the state you deal with tornadoes and of course a cat 3 is still a hurricane 100 miles inland so that is why I said it effects the state and is not just the line you see on tv.
Of course we don't have hurricanes every month or every year, but you do have to make sure that when one does come that you are ready. And yes, even a threat of one coming to your coast is stressful because it takes money, planning, and doing the stuff needed for just "in case". One big difference is... people from the coast head your way when the cat 3+ storms threaten because they feel a little safer sometimes than staying on the coast.
Actually, though we have only left the state for Francis and that was more stressful than staying in our home. We boarded up and went to a family reunion that was already in the plans and were the only car on US1 at midnight after selling the last of the hurricane supplies where we worked. I-95 was bumper to bumper to Georgia so we actually beat people that got on the road at noon out of the state. 2 days later though watching Jim Cantore out front of our house talking about the damage on our street was a wee bit disheartening and had us coming home thinking we might not have a place to live. Until someone experiences one and its aftermath it may be hard to rationalize what it feels like. You do play it down sometimes; but I think people moving here need to know it is not fun.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
