DC to Florida - Where to look?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Please spend significant time there before you make this move. You should go for a month at least, ideally more. It is a very big cultural shift. Socializing, dining, culture, are all very different in Florida. It is hard to make friends who can actually hold a convo. People talk about church and football nonstop. Trump supporters are everywhere.

Not where we live. Lots of smart, interesting people who never talk about church or football. Sounds like you picked the wrong spot.

Yea, don't know where PP lives but this isn't the case in any major city

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:By all means, move to Florida. But don’t expect tax or any other savings. At your anticipated house price, you’ll pay $35,000 in real estate taxes in the South Florida metro area. Almost equal amount in insurance. Two cars minimum, insurance, gas. High healthcare costs (if you need it). So while you might enjoy the climate change, you won’t save money.

You’ll thank me for this revelation.

NP
I’m puzzled by your “high healthcare costs” and other claims. We’ve not noticed any discernible difference on healthcare costs between DC and FL. Some people even use concierge medicine with fixed pricing that eliminates surprise billing, telemedicine, no wait times, next day appts. We also have EVs and our State Farm car insurance rates have dropped from DC. We’re in Indian River County and the taxes are nowhere near $35K. My MIL lives in Boca and her taxes are nowhere near that figure, either. She just bought, too.

You sound like you have some strange investment/motivation or more likely, you’re just jealous.

The people on the DCUM real estate forum have this strange fear of Florida, despite having spent no time here and having no first hand knowledge of what it's like to live here. They hear about people moving down here, and it stresses them out that people may be having a better life than them, so they dig in their heels to make up nonsensical reasons to hate Florida, most of which aren't based in fact. These threads often devolve into them saying stuff like "I could never live there because of the alligators". Which is when you know they're arguing in bad faith.

+1 DP here and this is so true. They're livid that someone eschews liberal areas in favor of living in a red state. It's so important to their political identity to believe that red states can't be good places to live. So alligators and daily access to late-term abortions become "concerns" along with making up lies about the COL.

I’m thrilled for people to move to Florida, I’ve just never liked it there. It’s okay for warmth in the winter. I don’t like the vibe. But why would I care if other people go? All I want is for them to not make it so nutso that I can’t move there when I’m old if it is suddenly appealing. Old people have cold bones.

Florida is a huge state. Which particular vibe do you dislike? There are hundreds.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Atlantic Beach, FL. There’s a Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, lots of healthcare support, retirement living, and some change of seasons. There is also the newer area of Nocatee. It is more tucked away, about an hour to the airport and 20 minutes to the beach.

This is a good recommendation. Ponte Vedra is great, too. I think Jax is relatively underrated, which means it should get expensive soon with all the FL growth.

For people familiar with the JAX / Amelia Island area...any thoughts on Southern, GA beach areas that literally border Amelia Island?

Wondering if homeowners' insurance rates are any different, property tax rate comparison, etc.? Are the areas comparable in terms of quaint towns (e.g., is there a Fernandina Beach equivalent?)?

St. Mary's, but GA is hella expensive tax-wise.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’d study the climate change and flood maps very, very closely and stay away from condominiums.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:By all means, move to Florida. But don’t expect tax or any other savings. At your anticipated house price, you’ll pay $35,000 in real estate taxes in the South Florida metro area. Almost equal amount in insurance. Two cars minimum, insurance, gas. High healthcare costs (if you need it). So while you might enjoy the climate change, you won’t save money.

You’ll thank me for this revelation.

NP
I’m puzzled by your “high healthcare costs” and other claims. We’ve not noticed any discernible difference on healthcare costs between DC and FL. Some people even use concierge medicine with fixed pricing that eliminates surprise billing, telemedicine, no wait times, next day appts. We also have EVs and our State Farm car insurance rates have dropped from DC. We’re in Indian River County and the taxes are nowhere near $35K. My MIL lives in Boca and her taxes are nowhere near that figure, either. She just bought, too.

You sound like you have some strange investment/motivation or more likely, you’re just jealous.

The people on the DCUM real estate forum have this strange fear of Florida, despite having spent no time here and having no first hand knowledge of what it's like to live here. They hear about people moving down here, and it stresses them out that people may be having a better life than them, so they dig in their heels to make up nonsensical reasons to hate Florida, most of which aren't based in fact. These threads often devolve into them saying stuff like "I could never live there because of the alligators". Which is when you know they're arguing in bad faith.

+1 DP here and this is so true. They're livid that someone eschews liberal areas in favor of living in a red state. It's so important to their political identity to believe that red states can't be good places to live. So alligators and daily access to late-term abortions become "concerns" along with making up lies about the COL.

I’m thrilled for people to move to Florida, I’ve just never liked it there. It’s okay for warmth in the winter. I don’t like the vibe. But why would I care if other people go? All I want is for them to not make it so nutso that I can’t move there when I’m old if it is suddenly appealing. Old people have cold bones.

Florida is a huge state. Which particular vibe do you dislike? There are hundreds.

PP may dislike any human gathering where national politics is not at the start and end of every single conversation.

[Anonymous]

All of Florida is RW crap

It is not a safe place crime is insane.

Prices for housing omg absurd.

My sisters house in 2020 $340,000 now the dumps are selling for a $1 + mold galore

DeSantis isn’t leaving office he will change the Florida constitution term limits. He will not be president. And his Nazi policies will grow his kingdoms will become more of a hellscape

I am not wrong. You aren’t paying attention they wrote it down.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:All of Florida is RW crap

It is not a safe place crime is insane.

Prices for housing omg absurd.

My sisters house in 2020 $340,000 now the dumps are selling for a $1 + mold galore

DeSantis isn’t leaving office he will change the Florida constitution term limits. He will not be president. And his Nazi policies will grow his kingdoms will become more of a hellscape

I am not wrong. You aren’t paying attention they wrote it down.

Great post but you forgot the /s to wrap it up.

Some DC loonies may believe that nonsense

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:All of Florida is RW crap

It is not a safe place crime is insane.

Prices for housing omg absurd.

My sisters house in 2020 $340,000 now the dumps are selling for a $1 + mold galore

DeSantis isn’t leaving office he will change the Florida constitution term limits. He will not be president. And his Nazi policies will grow his kingdoms will become more of a hellscape

I am not wrong. You aren’t paying attention they wrote it down.

You must have stayed up really late drinking.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thank God I’m not so desperate that I’d move to a hell hole like Florida just for tax reasons.

Is it an exchange opportunity… you give over certain rights and you get a tax break?

[Anonymous]

Hateful morons who open a FL post just to make ignorant, false statements really ought to be banned or maybe try to get a lobotomy.

[Anonymous]

We moved to NE FL and love it. We live a healthy outdoor lifestyle that includes on sight gym, classes, indoor and outdoor pools, biking on trails and beach. Tennis, golf, Pickleball, fishing and so much more.
People are happy and actually smile. If you’re not happy living this lifestyle the problem is not the lifestyle. Wherever you go you take yourself with you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We moved to NE FL and love it. We live a healthy outdoor lifestyle that includes on sight gym, classes, indoor and outdoor pools, biking on trails and beach. Tennis, golf, Pickleball, fishing and so much more.
People are happy and actually smile. If you’re not happy living this lifestyle the problem is not the lifestyle. Wherever you go you take yourself with you.

Our same experience, in a different part of FL, much more diverse and open-minded than anything we experienced back in DC.

Love the bolded 😀🫡

[Anonymous]

+1000 to two PPs, moved to FL for the outdoor lifestyle and could not be happier with our decision. We were pleasantly surprised at how diverse our city/county ended up being compared to DMV. Don’t miss the concentration of type A narcissists either (ahem, NW DC).

[Anonymous]

Florida is a very, very, diverse state.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:+1000 to two PPs, moved to FL for the outdoor lifestyle and could not be happier with our decision. We were pleasantly surprised at how diverse our city/county ended up being compared to DMV. Don’t miss the concentration of type A narcissists either (ahem, NW DC).

Granted, DC narcissists are the best, nothing like that in FL, not even the NY transplants in WPB. 🙏