New Member & Wife considering Ocala (Mount Dora: rent, crime, house)

[Nymoto]

Myself and my wife are considering moving to Ocala. We are both 55 Retired New Yorkers and tired of the increasing expense of living in NY. We would like to purchase a home and settle down in the fine state of Florida. What would we expect in living in Ocala?

Thanks.

[dontaskwhy]

You need to be more specific about what you are wanting to know about Ocala.

[rjm1cc]

Why don't you say what you are looking for?
Do you mean the city of Ocala or the Unincorporated area which is probably the size of Vermont.
Do you want a lot of land or a retirement community? Etc Etc.
I would try and rent for a year and look around FL if you have settled on the state.

The one thing you will find is a lower cost of living.

[Nymoto]

Originally Posted by dontaskwhy

You need to be more specific about what you are wanting to know about Ocala.

Im sorry I should have been more specific.

Originally Posted by rjm1cc

Why don't you say what you are looking for?
Do you mean the city of Ocala or the Unincorporated area which is probably the size of Vermont.
Do you want a lot of land or a retirement community? Etc Etc.
I would try and rent for a year and look around FL if you have settled on the state.

The one thing you will find is a lower cost of living.

Thank You

Yes the cost of living is a concern. The cost of living in the past five years in NY has gone up about 33%.
Not including the red light & speed cameras.

We are looking to buy a home in a non retirement community.

Would the people of Ocala welcome North Easterners.

What problems is the city of Ocala experiencing, crime, unemployment etc?

How would you describe living in Ocala?

Thanks

[rjm1cc]

There are a lot of retirement communities and the area is the center for horse racing so I would think no acceptance problem accepting a northner.

Can not tell you what it is like to live in the city but when you pick a location check the utilities. Vendors and costs can very a lot from location to location. I think the utilities in the city are high. Check the rate schedules.

I think you will find less crime than NY. If you lived here you might say the traffic is heavy but since you are from NY it might seem rather light.

I would try and rent here for a few months and I think you will find better acceptance more activities if you look at the larger retirement communities.

I think a local problem is finding enough employees so unemployment is not a problem. If you might be looking for a job you might mention what type of employment. The area is growing.
Assume no school age children.

[Nymoto]

Thank You rjm1cc.

We just found out that a former neighbor has moved to Ocala and says both him and his wife are happy.
I will be in Ocala the third week of Jan to view some property.

[ByeByeLW]

If you need fast, reliable internet make sure you check that out. I have a friend in a rural area up there who has to go elsewhere to do her uploading.

[Ghaati]

Originally Posted by Nymoto

Myself and my wife are considering moving to Ocala. We are both 55 Retired New Yorkers and tired of the increasing expense of living in NY. We would like to purchase a home and settle down in the fine state of Florida. What would we expect in living in Ocala?

Thanks.

Depends on your budget, but in general you'll get a lot more house in Florida for the same money you spend in New York State.

Taxes are MUCH lower.

There are fewer services, which usually means the poverty-stricken folks are more prevalent. To that end, you might want to avoid living in the Ocala forest entirely. There are pockets of nice neighborhoods but there's a HUGE homeless and near-homeless population there, including entire families living in sheds belonging to friends and relatives, with no running water and in some cases no electricity. Clusters of drug-addicted, and drug-related crime, thicken in the forest as well.

If you're looking in Central Florida but not married to Ocala specifically, you might also consider Mount Dora. That's southeast of the Villages (where Ocala is northwest). It'll cost more but if you're from New York it'll probably still be a bargain for you.

[carnivalday]

Originally Posted by ByeByeLW

If you need fast, reliable internet make sure you check that out. I have a friend in a rural area up there who has to go elsewhere to do her uploading.

Im very rural, and have no problem at all with Windstream internet.

[Compression]

Originally Posted by carnivalday

Im very rural, and have no problem at all with Windstream internet.

Obviously you dont need to be sold, but I can add, that I've had no issues with Windstream. Can upload, download, stream video without issues in the extreme north end of Marion county.

CN