Info needed from Florida residents

[mickmate]

Bear in mind your favourite Cobra builder likes to see Cobra guys in the Orlando, Cocoa, Jax area. We have a timeshare in Cocoa we love. Cocoa is nice but a bunch of old retired farts and only one way in and out (jammin), 528 the Beeline I think it is. Orlando seems like a bit of a rat race in some areas, nice in others.

[CobraDan]

I will give Cape Coral another vote as I have lived here 12 years and in my retirement I have been over every inch of Florida. If you are moving here to get out of the cold you have to live south of Tampa and the Gulf side is better than Ocean side. Now is the time to buy, cheap compared to 3 years ago.

[4RE KLR]

If you do your homework and shop hard you can find homes in Naples that are very nice and well worth the money, especially now.

We lived in Estero for a year. It is about ten miles to the beach, but takes 30 minutes to get there. You have to drive to Bonita Springs OR to Fort Myers to get to the beach.

If you are serious and want to live on the west coast (Gulf side) live NORTH of the Caloosahatchee River. Yea, Naples is OK if you are two hundred years old and only drive 12 MPH. The cost of living in Naples sucks big-time!

The beaches are crushed shell and you cannot walk on the beach without shoes on or you'll need a hospital for stitches. Yes, it is that bad.

When the RED TIDE hits there are more dead fish that GOD himself can count. All below the Caloosahatchee River.

Cape Coral, as mentioned above is an OK little area. yes there are hundreds of miles of canals, but make sure the one you spend the money to live on actually has gulf access. That's right MOST of the canals in the Cape (as it is called) do not have access to the gulf. Yep, you can steal a house there now for a song. brand new if you want one. The town is not so bad either. Small and friendly people. Shopping nearby and once you go across the bridge (toll) you are in a different world. Not a bad area and worth a look.

Fort Myers beach is for kids. Well not all kids. But at spring break they are everywhere. This is a tourist trap little area and as far as I am concerned not worth the cost. It is however a great place to go have dinner on the water. The beaches there are a little nicer than Naples as well. It is also a fishing boat area, so the shrimpers dock there. Don't worry they are inland and don't bother anyone. The fresh seafood from the boats is a MUST!

Estero, is a great little community as well. It is inland and has great shops very close by. I forget the name of the new shopping center there but it is HUGE and has everything you could ever want or need. To get to the beach it is a little further because of the way you have to get there, but very doable. Not as expensive as Naples to buy daily goods either. Look at (Google) Rookery Point for a good little community.

Fort Myers is a lot like Estero only a little bigger, and more traffic.

The schools SUCK in all the communities. Everyone will tell you Naples (Collier County) has great schools. They are filling you full if chit!!!!! Believe me I know. DO NOT PUT YOUR KIDS IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS!!!!!!!

In short, if we were moving back there right now, I would have to say we would look in Cape Coral. It isn't as nice as Estero, but there are better deals there now. I would not get a house without a pool, and don't get a pool without a Lanai. The bugs will drive you batty!

There is also Sanibel Island (bridge) that is very nice and not too bad on cost, for what you get. Really nice area, shopping is a little further away, but worth the drive.

Captiva is VERY nice but accessible only by boat. So......

Bonita Springs is wanting so bad to be called Naples it is pitiful. They want to mock everything Naples does so people will think they are one in the same. Pass on this one!

On a side note, in Fort Myers the is Caloosa Nature Center, on Colonial Blvd. They have a cool indoor planetarium there that is a lot of fun to go to. We had season tickets ($40.00) for the whole family. Christmas is a lot of fun there as well.

No matter where you decide ask about the Red Tide before so you will know what you are getting into.

[yamazee]

Hi, there are many different areas in Florida where you can get a killer deal on Real Estate right now. I would say that depending on what you want out of the area you are going to live in, the answer to your question can change dramatically. I happen to live just north of Tampa in a town called Spring Hill where I own a small Mortgage Firm. Spring Hill has been hit pretty hard by the real estate downturn, the homes that were selling for 200k or better can be purchased for pennies on the dollar. I just had a client that purchased a 1 year old home, that was never lived in, in a gated community for $105k. The house was nearly 3000 square foot of living area and appraised much higher than what he had paid for it. You can call me if you like at 727-946-0904 and I would be happy to discuss areas, and deals with you. I also have access to many of the forclosures in Florida right now, and I know that some of the banks are motivated to move them off the books. If you want check out my site at www.FHAforALL.com there is a ton of good info on there. If you go to the other coast, West Palm etc. you will still get good buys, but the real estate there is generally going to be more expensive than here so you will get less bang for the buck. If job market, industry etc is not as important to you, you may want to look at Cape Coral, its been hit particularly hard by the market down turn, but then again you buy a decent 2/2/2 on the water there for under 75k, I have had some investors go down there and buy up a few of them for as little as 50k and that is a steal for waterfront property that a few years ago was selling at close 200k or in some cases higher. I am also currently looking into the Orlando market for myself as I had a client purchase a Condo there right outside of the Universal Area for 35k and the last sale of that unit in public records in 2007 was 175k. Lots of good deals to be had down here, just depends on what you want to do when you get here for work, and what you prefferences are. If you like call me anytime and I will give you as good of advice as I can, even if you do not need a mortgage, I'm always happy to help a fellow Cobra owner. But then again if you have a Cobra, you should definately consider moving to my town because I would love to have another Cobra on the road here . Good luck with your search.

[767Jockey]

Yamazee, you have a private message. Thanks for the info.

[rokndad]

Like they said, ask about the red tide and the bugs!!! Especially the Love Bugs. No s**t, they join in twos during their mating season and fly around tangled up with each other, and splat all over the front of your car. Sometimes they are so thick, they dim the sun. Virtually impossible to get the bug stains out of the paint, let alone have them easily come off chrome! I have never seen anything like this...only in Florida....

[767Jockey]

Originally Posted by rokndad

Like they said, ask about the red tide and the bugs!!! Especially the Love Bugs. No s**t, they join in twos during their mating season and fly around tangled up with each other, and splat all over the front of your car. Sometimes they are so thick, they dim the sun. Virtually impossible to get the bug stains out of the paint, let alone have them easily come off chrome! I have never seen anything like this...only in Florida....

Oh, jeez ----- wonderful, just wonderful.....

[Don]

767Jockey:

From all the suggestions/comments that have been mentioned, consider renting twice: Once in the the summer ( heat etc ) and again in the Jan to March time period ( snowbirds ) for congestion, waiting in line at restaurants etc and traffic flow.

Regarding the roads, my brother in law anticipated a lot of traveling time, compared to New England , on his Harley. Turned out to be boring, straight roads and no elevation, and uncomfortable during the high temp time periods.

Also comes back to the desired lifestyle, a gated community with amenities such as The Villages and many others , or a regular residential street.

Regarding schools, The Villages built their own school system for their employees who get first choice and vendors on a space as available basis. I have toured the high school, will equal any other of the best high schools in the US, including the sports facility.

[danc30]

Originally Posted by Power Surge

The climate is also very similar to Long Island.

Huhhhhh???

Sal, were you feeling OK when you typed this? JK LOL

Palm Coasts average temp is about 75. and NO SNOW

LI is probably 60 and a lot of snow.

Here are the stats from TWC:

On average Palm Coast, FL is warmer than Long Island City, NY by 19°F.

The highest temperature, 107°F in Long Island City, NY, was recorded in 1966.
Long Island City, NY on average is cooler than Palm Coast, FL by 13°F.

Long Island City, NY recorded the lowest temperature of -3°F in 1994.

On average, Palm Coast, FL is wetter than Long Island City, NY by 5.4in.

Danc30

[yamazee]

Jockey, I just read your PM, now you have a PM as well.
PS
Love bugs were a bigger problem here a few years ago, for some reason the last few seasons for love bugs were not too bad. Also I have never seen the love bugs dim out the sun, but its a cool thought

[danc30]

Originally Posted by rokndad

Like they said, ask about the red tide and the bugs!!! Especially the Love Bugs. No s**t, they join in twos during their mating season and fly around tangled up with each other, and splat all over the front of your car. Sometimes they are so thick, they dim the sun. Virtually impossible to get the bug stains out of the paint, let alone have them easily come off chrome! I have never seen anything like this...only in Florida....

Lived here 9 years, an hour and a half north of Palm Coast, Not sure I've seen the love bugs too bad. If your car is waxed good and you clean it off after a run, your ok. rokndad must not clean his car too often.

I am only aware of a couple short times of red tide. They were brief. Just don't eat the shellfish at that time.

Come on down, the weather is great. No earthquakes, riots, mudslides or blizzards......

Dan

[yamazee]

Dan, I am with you! The weather is great, none of the other annoying things to put up with like there were back in NY. Occasional hurricane threat is no big deal, I sometimes look forward to the high surf we get a few times a year. It just means its time to get the stand up Jetski out of the garage and hit the beach to jump some huge surf!! Woooohoooo!! Come on down, the weather is here, wish you were beutifull!!

[Power Surge]

Originally Posted by danc30

Lived here 9 years, an hour and a half north of Palm Coast, Not sure I've seen the love bugs too bad. If your car is waxed good and you clean it off after a run, your ok. rokndad must not clean his car too often.

I am only aware of a couple short times of red tide. They were brief. Just don't eat the shellfish at that time.

Come on down, the weather is great. No earthquakes, riots, mudslides or blizzards......

Dan

The problem with love bugs is that the guts become highly acidic after 24hrs of being splat. So if you don't wash them off the car, they will eat the paint right down to the fiberglass.

With that said, I've been here through 3 love bug seasons (which are about twice a year) and have had no issues. Really, people just don't drive or ride during those times. It's kind of the opposite of NY - you drive all winter, and skip the middle of the summer because of the heat and love bugs.

As for the red tide, I experienced that when we first moved down. It's nasty. You can't breathe, and it makes you cough bad. But it's only near the beach, so just stay away from the beach and you're fine.

[rokndad]

Originally Posted by danc30

Lived here 9 years, an hour and a half north of Palm Coast, Not sure I've seen the love bugs too bad. If your car is waxed good and you clean it off after a run, your ok. rokndad must not clean his car too often.

I am only aware of a couple short times of red tide. They were brief. Just don't eat the shellfish at that time.

Come on down, the weather is great. No earthquakes, riots, mudslides or blizzards......

Dan

It wasn't my car, it was my daughter's car...a convertible which she had to drive everyday for work (she was a reporter/anchor for WFTS ABC Tampa/St. Petersburg) and we were there about every 3-4 months or so over a 5 and 1/2 yr period of her contract. She didn't wax it very often....do you know busy careeer women that do? Not the point. I was simply pointing out the fact that you get bugs in Florida, that you generally don't see similar types of or quantity anywhere else in the United States....and I mean so thick they can block the sun. I've seen it, and stayed inside to avoid it.

Now, back to earthquakes, traffic and smog.

[Dominik]

Jupiter!

Even if it was only half as pretty as it was in the mid 90s, I would go there.

Dom

[jmimac351]

Originally Posted by Don

767Jockey:

Regarding schools, The Villages built their own school system for their employees who get first choice and vendors on a space as available basis. I have toured the high school, will equal any other of the best high schools in the US, including the sports facility.

They also built a zoo for all of the Cougars.

[767Jockey]

Originally Posted by Don

767Jockey:

From all the suggestions/comments that have been mentioned, consider renting twice: Once in the the summer ( heat etc ) and again in the Jan to March time period ( snowbirds ) for congestion, waiting in line at restaurants etc and traffic flow.

Regarding the roads, my brother in law anticipated a lot of traveling time, compared to New England , on his Harley. Turned out to be boring, straight roads and no elevation, and uncomfortable during the high temp time periods.

Also comes back to the desired lifestyle, a gated community with amenities such as The Villages and many others , or a regular residential street.

Regarding schools, The Villages built their own school system for their employees who get first choice and vendors on a space as available basis. I have toured the high school, will equal any other of the best high schools in the US, including the sports facility.

Where is "The Villages"?

[jmimac351]

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&sour...,0.158615&z=13

The Villages is a mega, planned retirement city just north of where I live. It's like Disney World for retirees. Some people like that, some don't. I am a native Floridian. Grew up and went to High School in Fort Lauderdale. Went to UF in Gainesville. Lived in Tampa and Lakeland for a few years. And now live outside of Orlando. If I could pick one place to live in the state I would by a hunk of land in Ocala by the horse farms. If I HAD to live in South Florida (read: SE Florida), which I would avoid, I would live in Jupiter in the "Jupiter Farms" area. That's still "north" South Florida. In Tampa, I would stick to the north side of town. Gainesville is a very nice town. The St Augustine area is nice as well.

[Seagull81]

If you are not totally sold on Florida, check out Texas. I grew up in Florida around the West Palm Beach and North area and wouldn't move back for anything. Visiting family once or twice a year is enough. They have boring roads for Cobras.

[767Jockey]

Originally Posted by jmimac351

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&sour...,0.158615&z=13

The Villages is a mega, planned retirement city just north of where I live. It's like Disney World for retirees. Some people like that, some don't. I am a native Floridian. Grew up and went to High School in Fort Lauderdale. Went to UF in Gainesville. Lived in Tampa and Lakeland for a few years. And now live outside of Orlando. If I could pick one place to live in the state I would by a hunk of land in Ocala by the horse farms. If I HAD to live in South Florida (read: SE Florida), which I would avoid, I would live in Jupiter in the "Jupiter Farms" area. That's still "north" South Florida. In Tampa, I would stick to the north side of town. Gainesville is a very nice town. The St Augustine area is nice as well.

Well.........I don't think I am quite ready for the retirement village thing yet. Right now I have a list of 6 or so areas that I have been told about that I'm interested in. Remember, I am very limited in that I HAVE to be by a major airport that has relatively frequent service to the NY area so I can get to work 5 times a month. Right now, amongst other areas I am considering Ft. Myers area, Jupiter/Stuart area, Orlando area, Palm Coast area, and St. Augustine / Jax area. When I say area, I mean just that - all towns and villages in the general area of these towns. I just can't deal with the whole Miami / Ft,. Lauderdale craziness. Tampa is just too hard for me to commute out of, there are too many pilots competing for the few empty seats to fly up to NY on standby. My commute would be a nightmare.