Thinking to move to Orlando, FL (Miami, Tampa: for sale, real estate, rental)
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hi there. Me and my family (hubby, 2 sons (4 & 9)) are thinking to move to the Orlando area from Chicago. Been looking online for info but best info can only come from present residents...I think. my q's...
1) what are the areas to look at/consider? we want a family oriented subdivision setting, good schools, and not more than 10 yrs old home. price less than 400,000.
-trying to stay out of the "rental" subdivisons. but chime in if you feel different please!
2) been looking at the area south of 50, east of 417, north of 528. map says...Avalon Park S Blvd and 50.
-any opinions on this area. schools are highly rated, but how is the area...really.
3) another area to MAYBE consider is near Lake Mary. that is where my DH's office would be.
4) most importantly, how is the weather...yr round. I know FL is humid, but how much rain? how long? also, how bad is hurricane season?
5) heard car and home ins is on average higher than other cities because of the tropical storms. True?
6) what other areas can you all recommend to me? crime wise too please.
7) any real estate agents you can recommend please.
8) it may or may not deter me....but what is the bug/lizard/geico situation? Mosquitos? are there gators in the Orlando area or is that more near tampa and Miami?
Our plan is to move over the summer after my 9 yr old's school ends for the summer and b4 the schools start there in aug? so, we still have time. but not really up to renting and shifting kids from 1 school to another. so IF we do rent, we would like it to be in the same school area.
Hopefully you can clear up some things for me...
THANK YOU!
If your husband's job is in Lake Mary you don't want to be having him commute to/from Avalon Park which is probably 45-60 minutes at peak rush hour. Lake Mary/Sanford is among a handful of most desirable family options in the metro area, so unsure of why it's a "maybe" from your early research. Check out Silverleaf or Astor Grande at Lake Forest (both in West Sanford, west of I-4) which offer 4-5 bedroom new construction (2016) in the sub-400K price point. In terms of heat/humidity it's a long year, never mind "seasons". It usually heats up in March and often doesn't let up until November, meaning topping out at 85 degrees or more for that span....of which May-Sept is most brutal with humidity. The rainy season usually extends from April through August with mainly pop-up afternoon thunderstorms that rain heavy for a bit and move out, versus hours of overcast/rain like you're more accustomed to. Hurricanes/Tropical Storms haven't been a factor for the past 10+ years now, so it's really not the "issue" many expect it to be annually, at least in actuality. Home Insurance tends higher due to the stereotype of frequent natural disasters/flooding and Car Insurance higher due to a rather large percentage of uninsured drivers. If Lake Mary/Sanford isn't to your liking in terms of housing or community you can always look a bit further south into Oviedo and Winter Springs, which have very good schools as well but tend a bit more rural and less convenient to services/things to do, plus about 15-20 minutes further from work. I can direct mail you the name of a good real estate agent should you want it for Lake Mary/Sanford, as I don't think we're allowed to do so in the public forum. Hope all of this helps!
hi there. Me and my family (hubby, 2 sons (4 & 9)) are thinking to move to the Orlando area from Chicago. Been looking online for info but best info can only come from present residents...I think. my q's...
1) what are the areas to look at/consider? we want a family oriented subdivision setting, good schools, and not more than 10 yrs old home. price less than 400,000.
-trying to stay out of the "rental" subdivisons. but chime in if you feel different please!
2) been looking at the area south of 50, east of 417, north of 528. map says...Avalon Park S Blvd and 50.
-any opinions on this area. schools are highly rated, but how is the area...really. 3) another area to MAYBE consider is near Lake Mary. that is where my DH's office would be. 4) most importantly, how is the weather...yr round. I know FL is humid, but how much rain? how long? also, how bad is hurricane season?
5) heard car and home ins is on average higher than other cities because of the tropical storms. True?
6) what other areas can you all recommend to me? crime wise too please.
7) any real estate agents you can recommend please.
8) it may or may not deter me....but what is the bug/lizard/geico situation? Mosquitos? are there gators in the Orlando area or is that more near tampa and Miami?
Our plan is to move over the summer after my 9 yr old's school ends for the summer and b4 the schools start there in aug? so, we still have time. but not really up to renting and shifting kids from 1 school to another. so IF we do rent, we would like it to be in the same school area.
Hopefully you can clear up some things for me...
THANK YOU!
1,2,3) Lake Mary is one of the better areas of the Orlando Metro. It's a bit far from the city center, but if DH is going to be working there, I see no reason why you wouldn't want to be there. Schools are excellent, it's clean, safe, and has all the amenities you will need.
With your price range, I'd consider even Heathrow, which is a very affluent neighborhood away from "rental" zones. Heathrow Lake Mary Real Estate - 125 Homes For Sale | Zillow
4) You get about 4 months of mild weather, such as right now: lows in mid 40s, high around 70. You get a good 8 months of heat and humidity. Some get used to it, some don't. I did.
5) Yes
6) I'd stay close to Lake Mary, considering office is there. Parts of Longwood and West Sanford are worth a glance too.
8) Well... It's FL... It's sub-tropical. Lots of strange bugs. Most are harmless. Mosquitos seem to be under control for the most part. I live near a huge lake and very seldom see them. Gators? There are some in virtually every body of water. They don't really do anything unless you provoke/scare them, though. I see them all the time during evening jogs or when out on the jet-ski. They appear to be lazy animals that prefer to avoid people.
Hi there! My family and I actually moved over from the Humboldt Park area in Chicago when I was like 12-13 years old, so I know some of the challenges you will be facing.
Lake Mary is close to a lot of really great neighborhoods. Parts of Longwood are very affluent, Lake Mary is really a wonderful area. One of the OP mentioned Heathrow, and they're right...it is a beautiful area...one of Central Florida's premier areas in fact...schools over in that area...Seminole County...are known historically as one of the best school districts in the state.
I'll pm you, so as to not violate TOS with City-data. I kind of like being here!
[quote=kyle19125;42728447]If your husband's job is in Lake Mary you don't want to be having him commute to/from Avalon Park which is probably 45-60 minutes at peak rush hour. Lake Mary/Sanford is among a handful of most desirable family options in the metro area, so unsure of why it's a "maybe" from your early research.
Hey kyle...i was just going according to map. Map showed that it was about a 35 min drive to avalon park. Also lake mary was a maybe because our price point is maxed at $400,000. From what i found on zillow was alot more expensive... but really do appreciate ure input. And yes please pm me an agent's name too. Thanks!
If your husband's job is in Lake Mary you don't want to be having him commute to/from Avalon Park which is probably 45-60 minutes at peak rush hour. Lake Mary/Sanford is among a handful of most desirable family options in the metro area, so unsure of why it's a "maybe" from your early research.
Hey kyle...i was just going according to map. Map showed that it was about a 35 min drive to avalon park. Also lake mary was a maybe because our price point is maxed at $400,000. From what i found on zillow was alot more expensive... but really do appreciate ure input. And yes please pm me an agent's name too. Thanks!
Don't underestimate the traffic here... It gets pretty bad. From Lake Mary to Avalon Park, you can take 417, which is never congested, but the roads to get to 417 (Lake Mary blvd in Lake Mary and Alafaya near Avalon) can be a major pain.
Lake Mary will be more expensive than Avalon, yes, but I personally think it's also a much better area. You can definitely find nice, newer homes for under 400k.
Don't underestimate the traffic here... It gets pretty bad. From Lake Mary to Avalon Park, you can take 417, which is never congested, but the roads to get to 417 (Lake Mary blvd in Lake Mary and Alafaya near Avalon) can be a major pain.
Lake Mary will be more expensive than Avalon, yes, but I personally think it's also a much better area. You can definitely find nice, newer homes for under 400k.
The school zone on Lake Mary Blvd sucks( sorry dont know name of school) consider this is you practice commute during summer or school day off. Traffic lights on surface streets in Central Florida do not seem to have good timeing compared to other areas I have been in.
To OP look around Seminole County. Altamonte Springs, Longwood, Sanford and Lake Mary. You should be able to find something in your price range and in a decent neighborhood. good thing with I-4 going west( Southbound really) the big back ups will start at Lake Mary Blvd
3) another area to MAYBE consider is near Lake Mary. that is where my DH's office would be.
Sepa1: Do you work for D+H? I live in Milwaukee and just notified my team that I'm looking to relocate to the Lake Mary offices from Milwaukee. I plan to move in the next 3-6 months. I find it rather ironic.
So far the coaching I've been getting has been about the same for me as I've seen on this thread. Back in the early 2000's, I lived in south western Florida for 12 years, everything they've been telling you has been really accurate but I don't know much about real estate or schools though. I do know traffic can be a nightmare if you have to go anywhere near downtown in peak hours. And heat + humidity are a LOT higher than you've experienced in Chicago.
If the DH is working in Lake Mary, why not move to the Lake Mary area? Why make him deal with that gruesome commute everyday?
I always recommend renting first, plenty of nice houses to rent in Lake Mary so you can get to know the area.
Mosquitos - I rarely see a mosquito, the worst mosquitos I've ever encountered have been up north. Take a trip to the everglades or hike in a swampy area, you might encounter mosquitos. Now other bugs are a different story.
One thing to consider and research is car insurance. I was shocked how much my car insurance went up when I first moved to Orange county. Moved to Seminole county and my car insurance is back in line with what I was paying up north.
Hello, I've been a member of this forum but haven't been back in a while, thought I'd check in to see how my "friends" are doing down in Orlando when I saw your post. I was a longtime resident of Orlando, about 15 years, my wife and I moved down there when our kids were 8 and 3, very similar situation to yours. But now I'm back in the Chicago area, the suburbs to be exact, and have been very happy to be back for the most part. So I'll try to give you my "unbiased" (but based on my personal experience) responses to your questions below:
Quote:
Originally Posted by sepa1
hi there. Me and my family (hubby, 2 sons (4 & 9)) are thinking to move to the Orlando area from Chicago. Been looking online for info but best info can only come from present residents...I think. my q's...
1) what are the areas to look at/consider? we want a family oriented subdivision setting, good schools, and not more than 10 yrs old home. price less than 400,000.
-trying to stay out of the "rental" subdivisons. but chime in if you feel different please!
The answer to this question is always usually Winter Park, Lake Mary, or some town in Seminole County. Will give explanation to this related to my answer to your question 2 below.
2) been looking at the area south of 50, east of 417, north of 528. map says...Avalon Park S Blvd and 50.
-any opinions on this area. schools are highly rated, but how is the area...really.
I lived near this area and although the houses and subdivisions are very nice, the traffic in and out of them are horrendous, particularly on Alafaya Trail and Lake Underhill. Part of it has to do with the huge university UCF being out there with the increased college housing population along with the surrounding residential areas. And try shopping at Waterford Lakes during the holiday season, lol, you'll just have to find out for yourself. There are many rental subdivisions these days, and the Avalon and Waterford subdivisions are full of them because of people who've left due to the housing crash as well as those who did not want to stay any longer, like me.
3) another area to MAYBE consider is near Lake Mary. that is where my DH's office would be.
Same as above
4) most importantly, how is the weather...yr round. I know FL is humid, but how much rain? how long? also, how bad is hurricane season?
To be honest, I look back and wonder how I survived 15 years in FL. Probably because I was too busy raising my kids to really pay attention to the weather, but they are all grown now. The heat and humidity is just too oppressive to me, and I developed bad allergies because of the lingering pollen down there between years 5 and 10 of residency. I'm back up north and my eyes are clear white again, not red like they were down there. I haven't had to take any allergy meds. I've been back up north for 3 years now, but already been here for 4 winters as we came back late fall of 2012, and the cold doesn't bother me and my wife at all. It's quite refreshing and the change of seasons is welcoming, the deep freeze kills the germs and other bad stuff and the Spring thaw washes everything away. I prefer a couple months of cold than the majority of months of heat, but to each his own. Hurricanes didn't bother me, but that was because it was inland. I believe it was Charley that came close to doing major damage in Central Florida, if my memory serves me right, or was it Hugo? Anyhow, unless you live in a coastal town, you don't really need to worry about hurricanes. I do worry about tornadoes up here, but that's why we have basements, and I'm enjoying my basement up here more than I enjoy the pool I had down there.
5) heard car and home ins is on average higher than other cities because of the tropical storms. True?
Yes, you pay more for auto insurance because there are so many accidents and terrible drivers down there. That is another big complaint I had about living down there. Just curious, what part of Chicago are you moving from? What suburb? What you take for granted living up north with the driving, you are going to miss. People on the highways don't let you in, nor do they let you off, so you better position yourself early. No use of turn signals, sudden stops, blatant tailgating, blowing off stop signs or rolling over them, the list goes on. Don't have the concept of a four-way stop, particularly when traffic lights don't work, you'll see that if a hurricane ever knocks the traffic lights out. The common courtesies just aren't there, you would hope people from up north would move down and instill some of the courteous driving but I found myself having to conform to the way it is down there. I'm hoping it improved since I left, but I doubt it. If you look at the posts I've posted, you'll see all my complaints. I'm trying to be impartial but I'm just telling you what I experienced. Driving up north here isn't perfect either, you will have you a-holes on the road, but for the most part it is a lot more pleasant than it was down there in metro Orlando.
6) what other areas can you all recommend to me? crime wise too please.
Stay away from Parramore area, unless they improved it through some gentrification effort.
7) any real estate agents you can recommend please.
To buy, or sell, after you've had a change of heart after a few years? Haha, just kidding. You're going to have to find out for yourself like I did, if Orlando is for you. To be honest, it's not all that bad, it's a great place to visit, we enjoyed the theme parks, beaches, etc. during the honeymoon period. It's nice being near the cruise port of Port Canaveral. Speaking of schools and kids, it is a very diversified demographic, so kids are "forced" into diversity for lack of better term, which was good for my kids as I do notice coming back up north that there are still cliques in the high school and less diversity in the more prominent communities, just like when I was a high school kid, some things never change. When I moved back up north, I found myself being more like a Floridian initially, somewhat being a skeptic and cynical, I guess I picked up living down there. Up north, not much has changed, there's a certain corniness living with Midwestern folk. When we just moved back here, we weren't used to strangers saying hi to us, holding the door open for us, striking up a friendly conversation while in line at the grocery store. I didn't see much of that down there in Orlando, people are just into their own thing or seem pre-occupied to consider the common courtesies we take for granted in the Midwest. But again, this is all my opinion and what I personally experience. You'll have to find out for yourself as I always say to people who are thinking of moving down to Orlando, particularly those who want to leave the Chicago area to seek a "better" place. I'm not talking about the Chicago downtown area, but the suburbs.
8) it may or may not deter me....but what is the bug/lizard/geico situation? Mosquitos? are there gators in the Orlando area or is that more near tampa and Miami?
You'll rarely see a gator unless you look for one. If you want to see them, drive down alligator alley or go to the marshes, you may see some on an airboat. Or better yet, go to Lake Jessup, you'll find a few (I wouldn't go water skiing in that lake though, as the running joke is told). But I wouldn't be creeping around any marshy area where the water is murky, stay on the trails please unless you want to get pulled down into the murky waters. Bugs are more annoying than anything, the fire ants are what bothered me most when cutting that nice-looking but annoying thick-bladed St. Augustine grass. Yes mosquitos can be a problem.
Our plan is to move over the summer after my 9 yr old's school ends for the summer and b4 the schools start there in aug? so, we still have time. but not really up to renting and shifting kids from 1 school to another. so IF we do rent, we would like it to be in the same school area.
Some final thoughts, I came back to this forum because in a strange way, I do miss FL. We do miss Publix, Merritt Island, Ms. Apples Crab Shack, and heading by the ocean once in a while, and the cruise ports. But I'm also very happy to be back up north. My wife and I had great jobs down there but we didn't love it enough to stay once we became empty nesters. Life to us is simpler up here. I will actually say FL was a good place to raise kids. I know Timber Creek High School was one of the best when the old principal was there, but he's since moved on. They built another high school a few years ago which was Columbia in east Orlando, I would not recommend living in a community that will send your kids over there. Florida had a wonderful Bright Futures program which paid 100% tuition to a state school if your kids get A grades, my son took advantage of it but unfortunately my daughter chose to go elsewhere out of state, otherwise, we may have still been down there. But I don't know the state of the State of FL is in, I'm sure it's still better than what Illinois is in, but they are probably reducing the funding for the Bright Future programs as well, and making it more stringent to obtain and to retain given the constrained funding. Again, not all of FL, particularly Orlando, is bad, but at the same time it's not at all peachy keen as some people in this forum like to make it out to be, that's why you see so many polarizing arguments about this town. If you can deal with the heat/humidity, won't miss the Chicago food (though you can drive an hour and a half to Tampa to get a taste of Portillos once in a while), and deal with the terrible, discourteous drivers, you should be able to last down there a while. But I guarantee, you will miss some aspects of Chicago and come back up here to visit now and then (I see a lot of cars with Florida plates up here, and think, that used to be us), if not for the food and the great city or relatives, you'll be back in some capacity just to get a taste of what you're missing while you're down there. I also missed watching Chicago sports dearly, having to deal with years of watching the Buccaneers, Jaguars, and ugghh, the Magic. I only went to a few games if any of those teams played a Chicago team, otherwise, I just had to stream sports or get the NFL package, but now I got more than my share of the Blackhawks, Bulls, Bears, Cubs/Sox, sometimes every other night being back home in Chicago. And I love going into the city every chance I get, sorry Orlando and Chicago does not compare (Lake Eola vs. Lake Shore Drive along Lake Michigan), and the museums between the two cities, I spent more time in the theme parks for my fun, mainly Universal City Walk, as Disney got old, but that is why they transformed Downtown Disney to Disney Springs, to keep up with City Walk. You'll have the wonderful honeymoon period as you start your life down here, hope it lasts for you, but I guess you can say I had a 15 year vacation down there. I will visit Orlando again and recall the fond memories, but I'm happy to be back home. Actually, I still have my house down there that I'm renting as well, should I change my mind, lol, but most likely I'm going to sell it when the time comes. Good luck, look forward to seeing what your initial observations are once you make it down there.
Oh, and I'm sure there will be the ones who will argue about Chicago shootings, blah, blah, blah. Listen, there are just as bad places to stay away from whether it be in Orlando, Atlanta, LA, NY, etc. Yes, Chicago has gotten a lot of negative pub lately for all the senseless shootings, there is no doubt I'm very sad about that, but it's not just a Chicago problem, it's a societal problem. Does this look like a city in turmoil?
Hopefully you can clear up some things for me...
THANK YOU!
Last edited by ngrome; 02-10-2016 at 10:05 PM..
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