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Well congrats to the person who started this thread for a successful move to Florida It is refreshing to say the least to finally read something positive here about my home state. I have been viewing this forum casually for a couple of years now and people who have moved to Florida in the last couple of years usually have three complaints: 1. Low Wages 2. Cost of living 3. Hot humid summers.
I divide time now between 3 months a year in Ohio to be close to the grandkids and 9 months back home in Sarasota. A lot of people in Ohio who see Florida tags on my car ask me where I live and how I like it "down there". I am brutally honest and say that it is a great place to live if you are 18-21 or 55 and over but if you are 22-54 Florida might not be the right fit for most people unless you are already wealthy. The Florida of the 1950's thru 80's in my opinion was the state's best days. But I still enjoy the state very much and truly believe that the state will again recapture it's golden days.
We just had their version of a heat wave here in northern Ohio. Temps in the upper 80's to low 90's with (in my opinion) mild humidity. And the local folks here complained up a storm. You'd think the end of the world was at hand. So I am not surprised when a northerner jumps into a move to Florida and then a year later high tails it back north because of the heat
I do have friends here but the town I lived in, EVERYONE knew me and my family. I literally couldn't go to Walmart or the pharmacy without running into someone. HERE, of course I know a few people but I can go about my business without having people looking over my shoulder, without having people make up their minds about who I am because I am related to that certain family.
Then when you put on top of it that I love the sun, I love the warm, I love the beach, I love being in Florida.
Good luck to you there. I am glad you found a place that works for you.
Well congrats to the person who started this thread for a successful move to Florida It is refreshing to say the least to finally read something positive here about my home state. I have been viewing this forum casually for a couple of years now and people who have moved to Florida in the last couple of years usually have three complaints: 1. Low Wages 2. Cost of living 3. Hot humid summers.
I divide time now between 3 months a year in Ohio to be close to the grandkids and 9 months back home in Sarasota. A lot of people in Ohio who see Florida tags on my car ask me where I live and how I like it "down there". I am brutally honest and say that it is a great place to live if you are 18-21 or 55 and over but if you are 22-54 Florida might not be the right fit for most people unless you are already wealthy. The Florida of the 1950's thru 80's in my opinion was the state's best days. But I still enjoy the state very much and truly believe that the state will again recapture it's golden days.
We just had their version of a heat wave here in northern Ohio. Temps in the upper 80's to low 90's with (in my opinion) mild humidity. And the local folks here complained up a storm. You'd think the end of the world was at hand. So I am not surprised when a northerner jumps into a move to Florida and then a year later high tails it back north because of the heat
Best of luck to all.
I will take that 80-90 year around and wont be back to Ohio. If I dont like Florida it will take me many moves around the state until I find the perfect place. I wont be cold ever again. I personally do not know of one single person who has moved from here to Florida and moved back.
In fact eating at a subway today I meet a couple from Sebring Florida and she told me that she was hear visiting her grankids, they move to Florida years ago and missed their family and moved back to be close to them, well it lasted one winter and back they went to Florida. She said he hubby left here mainly because his allergies were bad and he never had any problems with them in Florida.
For me, I love this heat wave. My kids and I played in the pool most of the day and loved it!
I will take that 80-90 year around and wont be back to Ohio. If I dont like Florida it will take me many moves around the state until I find the perfect place. I wont be cold ever again. I personally do not know of one single person who has moved from here to Florida and moved back.
In fact eating at a subway today I meet a couple from Sebring Florida and she told me that she was hear visiting her grankids, they move to Florida years ago and missed their family and moved back to be close to them, well it lasted one winter and back they went to Florida. She said he hubby left here mainly because his allergies were bad and he never had any problems with them in Florida.
For me, I love this heat wave. My kids and I played in the pool most of the day and loved it!
I wish more people had your positive attitude, Sunshine Chick! Where will you be calling home in the sunshine state? And when do you plan on moving?
oh and I have to add that as you most likely already know, Florida has no state income tax. My daughter moved here to Ohio a few years ago and complains about having to mess with state income tax, school tax, and city tax forms. She plans on moving back to Florida in two years.
I wish more people had your positive attitude, Sunshine Chick! Where will you be calling home in the sunshine state? And when do you plan on moving?
We really do not know yet, we like the Gulf side ocean best and want to be fairly close.
There are tons of towns we have visited we like but the schools, crime and traffic will dictate what towns we take a real good look at.
We have concentrated on central gulf side but really do not know yet other then we want to live in a smaller town within 30 minutes of the ocean.
The lady I spoke with at the Subway told us we need to look into Bartow or Fort Meade so next trip we will visit those two towns. We really like Mt Dora but it is too far away from the beach for us and like the Panhandle but to far from what we like about central Florida.
So, its all about research for us and we are in no hurry.
Whatever town we choose we are going to rent in the town for 3-4 months during the summer months that school is out here so we can see if the town is what we like.
We are open to move around if need be to find the perfect town.
Many of my parents friends have made Florida a full time home lately, selling their homes here. I get to talk to them allot and they are a wealth of info too.
One of them lives in Dunedin and loves it there so we will take a look at it next trip also.
* One of the most important post I have ever read on this board was from someone who posted that they moved to the Orlando area and hated it, didnt want to give up on Florida and then decided to move over to St Pete and loves it. Cannot find the post but remember her posting it has changed her families life to the positive. She mentioned walks they take along the bay and see dolphins all the time. Now that is awesome!
OP- thanks for the delightful post. It makes me want to leave now.
the only time I ever get to the Orlando area is around the holidays for the annual trip to Disney World. I honestly wouldn't think I'd like to live there either. The St. Petersburg area is nice. I live in Sarasota pretty much about 30 miles south of St. Pete. The panhandle is nice but it looks as though you have already decided that central FL. is where you want to be. I'm not a huge fan of Bartow. Dunedin is a nice area though.
We really do not know yet, we like the Gulf side ocean best and want to be fairly close.
There are tons of towns we have visited we like but the schools, crime and traffic will dictate what towns we take a real good look at.
We have concentrated on central gulf side but really do not know yet other then we want to live in a smaller town within 30 minutes of the ocean.
The lady I spoke with at the Subway told us we need to look into Bartow or Fort Meade so next trip we will visit those two towns. We really like Mt Dora but it is too far away from the beach for us and like the Panhandle but to far from what we like about central Florida.
So, its all about research for us and we are in no hurry.
Whatever town we choose we are going to rent in the town for 3-4 months during the summer months that school is out here so we can see if the town is what we like.
We are open to move around if need be to find the perfect town.
Many of my parents friends have made Florida a full time home lately, selling their homes here. I get to talk to them allot and they are a wealth of info too.
One of them lives in Dunedin and loves it there so we will take a look at it next trip also.
* One of the most important post I have ever read on this board was from someone who posted that they moved to the Orlando area and hated it, didnt want to give up on Florida and then decided to move over to St Pete and loves it. Cannot find the post but remember her posting it has changed her families life to the positive. She mentioned walks they take along the bay and see dolphins all the time. Now that is awesome!
OP- thanks for the delightful post. It makes me want to leave now.
SunshineChick - As you know I live in Lakeland (Polk County) and I do NOT think you would like Bartow. Kind of backward over there, IMO, nothing downtown, half empty stores, seems to have a lot of bad crime from what I can see. Now I know nothing about Ft. Meade. You do know we love Lakeland. Parts of St. Pete are nice, there again it's more of a bigger city and has good areas and bad areas, so you will need to be careful. I've heard lots of good things about Dunedin, and also Tarpon Springs, nice but small towns. So I think it will depend on what your job situation, I can't recall if your covered on the job or income front. If you need to work or find jobs you will want to be in a larger town, or at least within commuting distance.
One thing I can guarantee you, since you are already enthused about Florida, you WILL find a town here that will make you feel you have found paradise - there is a great variety in this state - large, small, north, south, coast, inland- all with their own unique charms (and yes, negatives) I think the biggest problem you would face is having so many great places from which to choose!
Good luck, and have fun with your search!
~gypsychic~
Have to agree with the OP who said her mother advised her you have to try things out otherwise you will never really know. Thats been my experience as well.
When I sold my house up in Chicago suburbs a few years ago, the man that bought it was retired. Widowed and anxious to get back up to Chitown from of all places Tucson AZ.
He had done all kinds of research, interviewed people on the phone, made many exploratory trips and dug into every nook and cranny of Tucson.
It was PERFECT for him, he decided. Right climate, right economy, hospitals, ratio of drs, traffic, taxes sunshine and on and on. (He was an engineer by training and VERY analytical.)
So what happened?
He moved lock stock and barrel down there and moved back up to Chicago 18 months later. Took a big loss on place he bought in Green Valley area in AZ and said he hated it!
As he was now buying my place, I asked him why he left Tucson so quickly. I mentioned it looked great in the tourist sites online. His answer was revealing:
"HE SAID....." I just never accounted for how I would FEEL once I got there"
It was not something I could QUANTIFY."
This is why I've come to believe most planning, research, opinion seeking is a big waste of time. Said another way, "You Won't Know... Until You Know".
....AND while its fun to read other's opinions of a place, its largely irrelevant too. "One Man's Meat Is Another Man's Poison" seems to applies here.
Example:Just after I've read a long 'lover letter' here to Florida, I'll scroll down a comment or two and read just as impassioned a claim that Florida is 'Satan With Beaches'. Worst Place on Earth, can't wait to get the H*ll out etc etc.
So, Opinions? Forget about it. ...Research? Waste of time.
You won't know, until you know. :-)
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It is refreshing to say the least to finally read something positive here about my home state. I have been viewing this forum casually for a couple of years now and people who have moved to Florida in the last couple of years usually have three complaints: 1. Low Wages 2. Cost of living 3. Hot humid summers. 
