Florida Suncoast Move Update (Tampa, Sarasota: HOA fees, homeowners insurance, how much)

[LIH&H]

I moved to LWR approximately 2 1/2 years ago and I am happy to say it was the best decision I ever made. I retired early and implemented a nearly 20-year plan to move to the Florida Suncoast. I’m delighted to say that I’ve experienced very few negatives and almost no surprises since taking the plunge and moving here.
Here’s my personal take after living here for a few years.
Pros:
• I love my LWR home and gated community.
• Brilliantly planned infrastructure
• Everything is close by (food, shopping, doctor, dentist)
• The weather is fantastic. Especially the summer, I love the heat.
• Home nearly doubled in value. I doubt I would ever sell though.
• Year-round motorcycling
• Year- round running & hiking.
• Abundant wildlife
• Good restaurants (if you know where to look)
• Beach visits at least twice per month
• Drive to Disney for vacation once per year.
• A variety of state and community parks are located close by.
• Kids and family followed and moved down too (Tampa area)
• Slightly cheaper auto insurance
• Cheaper property taxes by far HOA fees included.
• Cheaper electric
• No snow
• No commute
Cons:
• People here tend to have poor driving skills. Always drive and ride with caution
• Occasional traffic snarls, but nothing like I experienced day to day previously.
• Homeowners insurance can be costly avoid purchasing in flood zones.
• Hurricane potential
• Kooks abound.

It is essential to do your due diligence, plan properly and fully understand how moving here will impact your life. If you are ready, I say go for it and move to the Florida Suncoast! It worked for me and can for you too. Best of luck!

[beach43ofus]

Thx for posting the update. I wish more would do the same. Many will benefit from your post.

I moved back to FLA ~5 years ago, & agree with your assessment. I'm near Wellen Park, South of you by 35 minutes. Lakewood Ranch was too far from the beach for me.

The master planned communities give the area a nice upscale appearance, but of course, it comes with rules & cost.

If you can find a neighborhood that is very close to them, w/o actually being in them, you can have the best of both worlds.

Moving close to master planned communities gets you newer retail, restaurants, & healthcare too.

I'd like to be closer to downtown Sarasota, but otherwise we're happy too. Our home also nearly doubled in value, but we're staying put for now.

Did you consider any other locations in Florida? We looked at Santa Rosa Beach near Destin, & Vero Beach's barrier island.

[joshan]

Great post and agree with most points. I am also in a gated LWR community and am living the dream! I have zero regrets leaving the Midwest. We have owned for almost 2.5 years now.

I have also found medical to be MUCH better and easier here. Even getting Doctors appointments up north takes months and much effort.

[rfomd129]

We moved to southwest Florida almost three years ago and have no regrets. We love it here for many of the reasons the OP listed so I won't repeat them. I'll just add that living at the beach comes with great pleasure and we enjoy it year round. After experiencing evacuating for the first time during Ian we still wouldn't change our location but I could understand that not everyone would be willing to live with that possibility.

We left when the storm was approaching and then we left a second time shortly after we returned because our power was out. Now that we've done it twice (with our two dogs) I feel very confident that if it happens again in our lifetime, my husband and I will be better prepared. The two hotels we evacuated to had many others like us and we wound up having a good time with our newfound buddies.

For us, the ability to walk to the beach everyday far outweighs the risk of having to evacuate if the need arises but I think anyone considering living in an evacuation area should do an honest assessment of their ability to contend with it. We're thrilled to be here and wouldn't change a thing.

[bbronston]

I’ve lived in Braden Woods and LWR since 1987. Ian was, by far, the worst and most serious brush with a hurricane that we’ve experienced in all that time. That doesn’t mean that it can’t get worse (it obviously can) but I don’t feel the risk is so great that people should be greatly concerned. I agree with most of the OP’s observations although I don’t really experience many kooks.

I’m not a fan of hot, humid summer weather but I can’t see myself ever returning to the northeast or midwest.

[1rainman]

How much will you guys pay me to leave?

[beach43ofus]

Originally Posted by bbronston

I’ve lived in Braden Woods and LWR since 1987. Ian was, by far, the worst and most serious brush with a hurricane that we’ve experienced in all that time. That doesn’t mean that it can’t get worse (it obviously can) but I don’t feel the risk is so great that people should be greatly concerned. I agree with most of the OP’s observations although I don’t really experience many kooks.

I’m not a fan of hot, humid summer weather but I can’t see myself ever returning to the northeast or midwest.

I lived in Braden Woods back then, so we were neighbors...small world. Loved that neighborhood's unique 1 acre wooded lots...so much privacy. Back then, we had no gas station or grocery store at that exit off of I-75...so much has changed. I noticed Linger Lodge restaurant re-opened...love it...so old world Florida. It was way smaller back then before they expanded the deck overlooking the Braden River.

This is my 3rd time moving to FLA, so I love sharing my experiences, & stories. Leaving each time was hard, but I was chasing $'s. I don't think I could have done as well financially had I stayed. This is a hard place to grow a career at, unless you are self-employed, & back then, I wasn't.

Its important for prospective newcommers to see how happy so many of us are. I'm not a realtor, so don't benefit by them moving here, just want more people to be as happy as we are. IMHO, people overplay Hurricanes, & insurance costs, but not the Summer heat, or rising housing costs.

[bbronston]

Beach…did you by chance drive thru Braden Woods after Ian? LWR had trees down but BW had many more. The difference was shocking to me, and I was very surprised that the downed trees were mostly oaks. The whole time I lived there, I expected that it would be the pines that would come down first. An employee of mine lived in South Carolina when a hurricane (Floyd?) hit, and he described pines downed like so many spilled toothpicks.

[beach43ofus]

Originally Posted by bbronston

Beach…did you by chance drive thru Braden Woods after Ian? LWR had trees down but BW had many more. The difference was shocking to me, and I was very surprised that the downed trees were mostly oaks. The whole time I lived there, I expected that it would be the pines that would come down first. An employee of mine lived in South Carolina when a hurricane (Floyd?) hit, and he described pines downed like so many spilled toothpicks.

No, I have not driven through Braden Woods in a year, or so...love seeing the all brikck home I built I the 1980's still looking great.

I would have thought the same...all those Pines downed. I had all Pines, no Oaks at all....maybe a small scrub Oak or Two, but nothing over 15 feet high.

I've been wanting to go to Linger Lodge since it re-opended, so I'll drive through BW to have a look see.

I used to be able to get to Linger Lodge through the back of BW...is that road still open to get back to the restaurant? I seem to recall they closed that off at some point.

[1rainman]

If you trim your oak trees they won't go down but the larger ones can get top heavy. You just need someone to lop off some large braches here and there get the weight more centered and they won't go down. Pine trees will snap in half though not much you can do.