I cannot believe it has almost 17 years here in Nashville, and I am looking down the pike at possibly one more move. Having escaped Orange County Ca previously for 32 years, I like a beach vibe, weather, breeze.Nashville has been AWESOME, but landlocked and allergy filled.

And as of this moment, right here on Sigforum, I publicly state “ I am contemplating retirement “…. Holy crap that felt awful to type that, that means by way in which I was raised, I AM OLD….

BULLSHIT!

65 in September,and after I have this stupid shoulder surgery next week, will start research on possibly a move. Hence this thread. Is there anywhere in Florida that is relatively reasonable near enough to the water that doesn’t flatter the friggin humidity. That my last name doesn’t have to be Gotrocks..

I have been told the gulf side is better. Don’t know. Have been told of Sarasota area. Is $600k cash too little? I think a Townhome or small Single Family. It’s my wife, myself and our to Aussies.

I know there are some of you that will say Florida, why? It’s hot, humid, lots of rural thinking in certain areas, bugs, hurricanes. It’s just like “welcome to Nashville” just replace the hurricanes with tornadoes. There is so much wonderful information on this forum, can anybody shed light on this for me. I would love to hear from you!

Having grown up in So Fla (Ft. Liquordale / Broward Cty) I prefer the Atlantic coast. I think the humidity would be lower as well. I have a friend that lives on Siesta Key and the whenever I visit, unless its between Oct and March, humidity is horrible, like when I lived in Houston on the other side of the Gulf.

I have been thinking about moving back after retirement and have been thinking about the middle stretch of the East Coast, but avoiding very populated areas (getting tougher and tougher). Vero Beach is nice. The stretch between New Smyrna and St Augustine (avoiding Daytona) es Ormond Beach is nice. Ive been through Palm Bay a couple times...seems nice. Stuart and Port St Lucie are nice but prob $$$. Cocoa beach area is really nice but seems really crowded.

Stay away from Ft Pierce...it was a shithole back then so unless its made some remarkable comeback...

I think there are some nice communities on the panhandle but I only really know about the Destin area which is crowded and $$$. Ft Walton prob more affordable.


Boating is better on the West Coast though, the myriad of islands make it really interesting. Fishing in the Gulf is amazing...was in Clearwater Beach last November and we hauled a lot of fish out!! Fishing was good on the Atlantic side from childhood memory, cant attest to what its like now. Easier access to the Bahamas if thats a draw for you.

The key to affordability in Florida is commute and or retirement community. Anything with a reasonable commute to decent jobs will be expensive. Anything is a vacation/retirement area will command a premium as well. Sarasota area is beautiful. It's also pretty damned expensive.

I haven't shopped "beach areas" as I live in ranch country in the center of the state. Be careful, as not everywhere Florida touches water is a "beach". A good chunk of the gulf coast between Palm Harbor north to the Big Bend is saltmarsh and mangroves. Fishing is great, not so much "beach".

I love the NE corner of FL but it is more similar to SE GA the the rest of east coast FL.

East vs West coast is a personal decision based on what you want. On both sides the farther south you go the more crowded and the more expensive it becomes. If you find yourself looking more towards the north end of FL then you should also look at AL and MS or GA and SC and see if they suit your needs better.

Any water activities will be equally available on both sides but can be very different.

Heat and humidity are just a fact of life here. Sometimes its better, sometimes its worse. You just deal with it.

We have a place in Hardee county. If you're trying to limit allergies Florida is NOT a good option. We spend November to May there and it's miserable humid especially on the shoulder months.
I frankly don't care much for the climate but being fair we had become accustomed to the Las Vegas dry heat.
We only spend time there to be with elderly parents.

The culture of South Florida is entirely different from the rest of the state. The panhandle and NE Florida are more to my liking. Less traffic in the panhandle except for Destin and spring break and much more affordable. Spend some time in several places and you will find what suits you best.

WTF!

"I know there are some of you that will say Florida, why? It’s hot, humid, lots of rural thinking in certain areas, bugs, hurricanes"

As a Native Floridian, who still spends quite a lot of time on the Forgotten Coast, Im a little confused by your aversion to "lots of rural thinking". Im hoping you find some place more to your liking, somewhere south of Ocala. Maybe the Magic Kingdom, would be to your taste.

Crystal River.

All's I can say is I once lived in Naples Park, FL and I loved it. Not on the beachfront but close enough to it, and sharing borders with some pretty exquisite resorts and mansions. I bet you could sneak into one of the cheapest homes for $600k. Port St. Lucie nearby is also nice, but the entire city feels a bit like a nursing home.

^^^Are you from Alaska or maybe Texas? Port St. Lucie is on the opposite side of the state and 160 miles from Naples Park. Most people wouldn’t consider that nearby.

Maybe he is geographically challenged. I thought Naples was in Italy.

The weather in Florida is pretty much the same all over the state where there are beaches. It's hot and humid, the only thing that changes is how much rain you are getting.

The real geographical difference is cultural. Let me explain that apparent nonsensical statement. The Atlantic coast is like being in the North East part of the US or Canada, since so many people from those areas have moved there. The Caribbean coast is mostly people who have moved from the Midwest. Miami proper is like being in a mix of Central America, South America and the Caribbean islands. Once you get north of Orlando, it is like the deep South. Go far enough inland, where it isn't swamp is horse country.

If you have allergies in Nashville, you will have them in Florida. They might be different times of the year, they might be different plants, but you will continue to have allergies.

If I were you I'd look on the west coast or panhandle area, they aren't quite as batshit crazy prices as the east coast.

I've been in Santa Rosa County (close to Pensacola) for a month now and Im loving it! The humidity is a little more than I've grown use to living in Socal but i.m getting use to it. People are friendly and not much traffic. Oh yeah, the Sheriff is awesome.

quote:

Originally posted by navyshooter:
I've been in Santa Rosa County (close to Pensacola) for a month now and Im loving it! The humidity is a little more than I've grown use to living in Socal but i.m getting use to it. People are friendly and not much traffic. Oh yeah, the Sheriff is awesome.

I secpnd this. We lived in the Tampa area for 20 years and have now been in Santa Rosa for 22 years. The most beautiful beaches in the world and best school system in the state, a half million-acre state forest, lots of fishing and hunting, good tax rate, low crime, great sheriff, military friendly, and lots of Let's Go Brandon bumper stickers. Plus, you have Navy Shooter and me.

quote:

Originally posted by Nuclear: The Caribbean Gulf coast is mostly people who have moved from the Midwest.

Fixed.

Florida has 1,350 miles of coastline. There’s probably more than a few places you can get near the beach for $600,000.

Central FL born and raised now living in Nashville. Unless you are fluent in spanish, you'd be better sticking with the SW coast. Central Atlantic coast is all retirees from New York and so on. Upper Atlantic is more retirees until you hit Jacksonville which you don't want to do. Ask me anything you want to know!

Son and his family live in Bay County, (Panama City) on the bay. Seems like a nice area, I've been there like 3 times. They only had major house damage one time, during hurricane Michael. Sometimes they get a lot of rain, some years they have a drought. Good fishing, nice beaches.

BTW the closer to the beach the higher the insurance. It is astronomical in many cases. No state income tax but property taxes are considerable.

My wife is from the Gulf Coast and we lived there quite awhile, now we live on the Atlantic Coast near Daytona. I much prefer this side to that side. Hurricane season alone is enough reason to avoid living close to the water on the Gulf side, certainly the panhandle portion at least. In Pensacola every season you would at least have a near miss or two.

Both my wife and I think the area we are in (Volusia County) is both cooler and less humid than when we lived in Pensacola which can be hot as hell and humid to boot.


Anywhere from Melbourne and north on the Atlantic side is nice. The Gulf side near Tampa, Ft Myers is all very nice and pricey. The panhandle is nice if hotter and more hurricane prone.

Overall I am quite glad to be back in this state for many reasons. Convinced one sister and my mom to move out here. The sister loves it.