Retiree thinking of relocating to SouthWestern Florida (Sarasota, North Port: home, safe area)

[pervinder]

i'm a single , 60 yrs old , recent retiree ,thinking of relocating to the south-west region of Florida , esp. for " warm " winters [ i'm currently living in Batavia , (where i worked ) , Western New York , near Buffalo , and am fedup of the winters--the many months of cold , and the snow !!... i'm originally from Malaysia/Brunei--tropical climate !.., in USA since 1978 .] .The concern i have is regarding the level of humidity[? tolerable ] , which i believe , is the lowest , in southern Florida [ tropical climate ] extending south of Fort Meyers , along the coast , and northward along the east coast up to about West Palm Beach .. ?any input re : this info ? .....
i'm tending to shy away from the east coast because of the higher incidence , and intensity of the dreaded hurricanes [ which really , can't be avoided anywhere , except perhaps , in north-central Florida , which i understand , however , to be hot and humid ]
....i would appreciate any form of feedback ... i'm open to suggestions of cities that you think would be suitable for me to relocate to ... i'm an outdoors type of person , and have a 4 yrs old yellow lab dog , Charlie

[121804]

Originally Posted by bhau

i'm a single , 60 yrs old , recent retiree ,thinking of relocating to the south-west region of Florida , esp. for " warm " winters [ i'm currently living in Batavia , (where i worked ) , Western New York , near Buffalo , and am fedup of the winters--the many months of cold , and the snow !!... i'm originally from Malaysia/Brunei--tropical climate !.., in USA since 1978 .] .The concern i have is regarding the level of humidity[? tolerable ] , which i believe , is the lowest , in southern Florida [ tropical climate ] extending south of Fort Meyers , along the coast , and northward along the east coast up to about West Palm Beach .. ?any input re : this info ? .....
i'm tending to shy away from the east coast because of the higher incidence , and intensity of the dreaded hurricanes [ which really , can't be avoided anywhere , except perhaps , in north-central Florida , which i understand , however , to be hot and humid ]
....i would appreciate any form of feedback ... i'm open to suggestions of cities that you think would be suitable for me to relocate to ... i'm an outdoors type of person , and have a 4 yrs old yellow lab dog , Charlie

Do some research on Punta Gorda.

In 97 was named top city to retiree to & Charlotte County has the largest 65 & older population in the country.

The city is located near the gulf on Charlotte Harbor; very small & very geared towards the retiree population with a civic assoc that is quite active.

There is also a dog park there.

Heat & humidity in this part of the state is awful from June - Oct. The heat index was at or over 100 almost everyday from July-September in 07. The humidity is tough.

It's basically a trade off with weather.

[SoFLGal]

You might like North Port or Venice. North Port is the least expensive area in Sarasota county-SW Florida. The beaches are 25 minutes away and there are lots of trees/parks around. The Myakkahatchee State Park and Myakka State Forest are two of the bigger parks in the area. The Myakka State Forest is slightly over 8,000 acres. It's a pretty primitive place to go hiking around.

In Venice you have the dog beach and dog park. My dogs just love it there!

I guess it really depends on what your budget is as well. You could pick up a newer, 3/2/2 home in good shape in North Port for around $120,000. The cost would be higher in the Venice area.

Sorry, can't help you with the humidity question. I was born in SW Florida so, I guess I don't even notice it. And I don't really have much to compare it to

[SoFLGal]

Originally Posted by 121804

Do some research on Punta Gorda.

In 97 was named top city to retiree to & Charlotte County has the largest 65 & older population in the country.

The city is located near the gulf on Charlotte Harbor; very small & very geared towards the retiree population with a civic assoc that is quite active.

There is also a dog park there.

Heat & humidity in this part of the state is awful from June - Oct. The heat index was at or over 100 almost everyday from July-September in 07. The humidity is tough.

It's basically a trade off with weather.

I agree Punta Gorda is a pretty good suggestion. A lot of it depends on their budget.

[pervinder]

Originally Posted by 121804

Do some research on Punta Gorda.

In 97 was named top city to retiree to & Charlotte County has the largest 65 & older population in the country.

The city is located near the gulf on Charlotte Harbor; very small & very geared towards the retiree population with a civic assoc that is quite active.

There is also a dog park there.

Heat & humidity in this part of the state is awful from June - Oct. The heat index was at or over 100 almost everyday from July-September in 07. The humidity is tough.

It's basically a trade off with weather.

thank you for your input... have a good one...bhau

[hiknapster]

I think you might have it backwards.

Are you saying that it is less humid in southwest Florida than it is in north Florida? If so, this is not correct.

It is cooler in north Florida and becomes very hot and humid as you travel south.

In 2004, southwest Florida was hit with Category 4 hurricane Charley.

In 2005, it was hit with Category 3 hurricane Wilma.

The safest part of Florida would be in the northeast part of the state.

[pervinder]

thank you for your input , hiknapster..... i guess i had it backwards...i was thinking of a place that is warm [ around 60 ° F ] in winter and yet has the least amount of humidity in summer , and lastly , the safest from hurricanes [ a tall order , isn't it ? ] ... ? any suggestions , please... thanks

[pervinder]

thank you for your input , soflgal ... ahve a good one.. bhau

[nomoresnow]

We moved to N. Ft. Myers from Plattsburgh, NY late last summer. I think that was the perfect time for us, because we moved from hot and humid to hot and humid, so it was easy to adjust. Since summer is the only time it's hot & humid in NY, we lucked out.

We live ina 55+ gated community and really enjoy it - lots of things to do, no lawn mowing, etc. But if you move to a gated community, there are rules to live by, so if you don't like rules, stay away from those types of places.

We find it's actually less expensive for us to live down here, since we don't have to pay for heat. That's a biggy for us. Plus, we downsized a bit and went from two cars to one, that sort of thing.

This past winter was one of the warmer ones around here. I would say we had fewer than 10 days altogether that were below 80 degrees. It was quite pleasant most of the winter - low 80's, low humidity. This past week, we've had summer-like weather - upper 80's, rain every afternoon, but I understand that April is not usually like that.

I wish you the best in your search. Let us know if you have any other questions.

[GrannyII]

We are considering moving from the Northwest.
Retired, but still fairly young. Husband would like the sailboat access properties.
So much water - no wonder high humidity.
Looking for safe area.....