NE FL is the best in I’m my opinion.

Less heat and stupidity. I travel the state frequently and have service techs across it.

St. Augustine is the place to be.

4th generation Floridian here. Highly suggest touring the state before you move. Feel of south Florida is much different than north Florida, like others have said. It has been said that in this state the further you go north, the further you go south (as in culture). I’m afraid if humidity isn’t your thing, Florida might not be your ticket. Also, go SFH. Feel free to PM. Good luck.

quote:

Originally posted by ZSMICHAEL:

No state income tax but property taxes are considerable.

Property tax on my house is right around $1,600 / year. That's in a city adjacent to Orlando (the city line is about 50, maybe 100 yards south of my house).

I’m in Santa Rosa county as well. I could deal with escambia county if the schools were better. But the panhandle counties are pretty conservative and I like sheriff Bob and sheriff Chip in escambia is legit as well

I have a membership to escambia river gun club if you guys want to meet up and target shoot.

quote:

Originally posted by HayesGreener:

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.

I grew up in Tampa, my older bro still lives there, and my little bro lives in Bradenton. I was stationed in Yankeetown (Crystal River) when I was in the CG. And spent summers in Mayo near Live Oak. If I had to move to Fla, I’d move near Crystal River or in Citrus County..or Levy county

There’s always gonna be bugs and humidity.

But based on age and doctor requirements, I’d recommend you find a good medical center nearby. If you have any issues. My grand dad had to go to Gainesville from Mayo to get good medicla treatment.

Check out Perdido Key or Orange Beach across the line in Alabama. Beautiful gulf coast but far enough west to be a little away from the crazy tourist crowds of Destin, PCB, Seaside, etc.

You can be on Perdido Key minutes from the beach in a 1500sf townhouse for under 600k. Or in a single family house on the bayou in Orange Beach/Lillian for similar.

quote:

Property tax on my house is right around $1,600 / year. That's in a city adjacent to Orlando (the city line is about 50, maybe 100 yards south of my house).

^^^^^^^^^^^^
Not bad. Mine is 600 dollars per year. My insurance however is North of three thousand and I am ten miles from the Gulf. Many homes directly on the beach cannot get insurance.

Have a son and grandkids in Jacksonville. Had a close cousin in Palm Beach County. Entire Atlantic coast appears to be continuous urban sprawl, gut-wrenching traffic everywhere. I found nothing that appealed to me. I don't speak Noo Yawk, or Joisey, or Dominican dialects; I get along just fine with Cubans as long as they are patient with my slow southwest US Spanish (actually we call it Spanglish around here).

Spoiled by a lifetime on the edge of the Great Southwestern Desert, next to zero humidity, 330-plus days of sunshine every year, living in Colorado where over half of the state is public land.

I hope you find your little slice of heaven in Florida.

I moved a couple years ago from Colorado to Ormond Beach after I was retired. Partially due to my parents living in St.Augustine. With this covid influence there has been a huge influx of north easterners to move here. Then again Colorado was being overwhelmed also. St. Augustine has gotten crowed thou still has nice beaches. Ormand and Flagler are decent also. Whats nice is there are “seasons” so its a change from hot and humid, always a breeze compared to inland which is noticeably muggier. I live about 4 miles from water, plenty of ramps to launch boats. They say it takes about 3 years to get used to living here and thats about right.

quote:

Originally posted by V-Tail:

quote:

Originally posted by ZSMICHAEL:

No state income tax but property taxes are considerable.

Property tax on my house is right around $1,600 / year. That's in a city adjacent to Orlando (the city line is about 50, maybe 100 yards south of my house).

You’ve been homesteaded for a long time and benefited from the 3% annual cap on increases in taxable value. Someone, from out of state like the OP, buying your home today would pay significantly more than you do.

For the OP: millage rates vary between about $15/$1,000 and $26/$1,000 in Florida. Insurance varies as well. Homes built to current code are cheaper to insure. Homes like mine, built 50 years ago and 4 feet below the current flood elevation not so much. When flood and wind got to be $10,000 a year, I paid off my mortgage and dropped flood and wind. That was 17 years ago and the amount I’ve save is more than enough to cover building a new house.

I really want to thank each and every one that has taken the time to reply. I forgot to ad, my Wife is a Clinical Phycologist with Vanderbilt and will be looking for work. We are no stranger here to humidity here in Nashville, but miss the ocean. Anyone here from Alabama Coast?

I have been watching the real estate tansactions for Vero Beach. Low inventory has maintained a steady sellar's market but the rising interest rates have caused a correction. I have seen buyers coming in under asking now.
I would look in the Melbourne area. Warm but mid Florida, less huricane risk than southern Florida.
A new exit was created off of Rt 95 just north of Melbourne which opens up land that was previously overlooked.

The entire real estate market is changing/correcting with the interest rates. Hopefully we will not have a mortgage. THAT being figured in, opinions. We have no children just a couple Aussies, so schools/kids, not so much,but perhaps another College for my Wife’s profession.

Mobile has several colleges. South Alabama and Spring Hill come to mind. There is also Mobile College. South Alabama is the largest and has a medical school as well. Eastern shore is the nicer area.

quote:

Originally posted by sybo:
I really want to thank each and every one that has taken the time to reply. I forgot to ad, my Wife is a Clinical Phycologist with Vanderbilt and will be looking for work. We are no stranger here to humidity here in Nashville, but miss the ocean. Anyone here from Alabama Coast?

My MIL is a clinical psychologist. She is semi-retired now but had a lucrative practice in Gulf Breeze, in Santa Rosa County near the beach

I would expand your search to other states. Lots of them. Never been to FL. But from all the threads I read on here. There is nothing I would care to move there for and lots that would lead me elsewhere.
But every one is different.

As a lifetime resident…well since 1957. I agree with Rugged Cross, look elsewhere. We have humidity, bugs, alligators , heat and way too much yankee carpetbaggers.While I know your not. We are not the Fla of yesterday. Traffic control cannot keep up with the growth.and according to one poster I have lived in a “Shit Hole” for the last 64 yrs. A town my youngest Grandson is named after. So there is that. As far as I am concerned “everyone” look elsewhere. I’m sure no other state is as screwed up as us, right?

quote:

Originally posted by SIGfourme:

I would look in the Melbourne area. Warm but mid Florida, less huricane risk than southern Florida.
A new exit was created off of Rt 95 just north of Melbourne which opens up land that was previously overlooked.

My Mom has lived in Melbourne for close to 20 years, and I enjoy visiting when I get a chance. Pretty easy to get to the ocean beaches.

The area you reference is part of Viera (I think) - that town has grown like crazy over the past few years, and continues to add more people, stores, and infrastructure.

There’s beachfront in other states without hurricanes, alligators, sharks, or salt. For example:

OK One of the Great Lakes. Huron I presume???

They do have winter. How is the ice fishing?