Retirement in Florida...recommendations

Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:In a word: don't. Retiring in Florida is so cliche. And Florida sucks.


But sun, sand and most importantly no state taxes.


Keep in mind you get what you pay for. No state income taxes means not much in the way of municipal services either. Or responsiveness. Not exactly an educated Mecca.

Rent, first, then buy. Three quarters of the year the weather is indeed pretty nice. I'd skip the summers due to heat/humidity and storms. That would be after May 15 and ends in late October.

Homeowners insurance near the beaches is really high. Ditto car insurance, all over the state. Look carefully at flood risk before buying, even if well inland.

Do you like critters? Snakes, love bugs (twice a year), gnats, huge mosquitos, big spiders. And those gators. Also tree frogs (who like to rest in canopies, including beach umbrellas). Iguanas fall from the trees if you're in south Florida during a cold snap. They are not tiny.

What sorts of athletic activities do you enjoy? Excellent on golf and pickle ball, the others to various degrees.

Even in the winter the parking lots at the beach fill up fast.



This is so weird and not true at all. I’ve lived here for 12 years - in Miami and the gulf coast. None of this describes my experience, esp not compared with DC (where I lived for 15 years off and on and as recently as three years ago).

No state income taxes is because they make a boatload of taxes from tourists. Of the 200k people a day who visit Disney, there’s something like $30 in taxes per ticket. Every hotel room has a big state tax slug. So you don’t need income taxes bc you get the revenue elsewhere. Social services are great compared with DC. Literally no lines at the DMV, lots of places with great public schools (though plenty of dicey ones too, but no worse than the shitty schools around the dmv). Great state university system. Seniors services out the wazoo. If you call the sheriff for dumb small stuff, they come in ten minutes. And everyone you interact with is sooooo nice. Want me to detail the converse experiences in DC?

Summers in Florida are generally a couple degrees cooler than Dc. So there’s that.

Insurance in Miami is expensive if your house is old. Elsewhere in the state it’s not so bad. We’re a couple blocks inland from the gulf coast, and our homeowners is $5k including hurricane for a 70 year old house that cost $1m with no wind mitigation (the most expensive to insure).

Our car insurance is about ten percent cheaper than what we paid in dc for the same car.

We pay $500 for flood insurance a year - it’s optional where we are.

Yes, there are bugs and critters. Is this seriously why you hate a state? I feel like you constantly harp on Florida threads about the mosquitos and alligators but it’s like you’ve never been here because the rest of your data is just living in bizarro land.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:In a word: don't. Retiring in Florida is so cliche. And Florida sucks.


But sun, sand and most importantly no state taxes.


Keep in mind you get what you pay for. No state income taxes means not much in the way of municipal services either. Or responsiveness. Not exactly an educated Mecca.

Rent, first, then buy. Three quarters of the year the weather is indeed pretty nice. I'd skip the summers due to heat/humidity and storms. That would be after May 15 and ends in late October.

Homeowners insurance near the beaches is really high. Ditto car insurance, all over the state. Look carefully at flood risk before buying, even if well inland.

Do you like critters? Snakes, love bugs (twice a year), gnats, huge mosquitos, big spiders. And those gators. Also tree frogs (who like to rest in canopies, including beach umbrellas). Iguanas fall from the trees if you're in south Florida during a cold snap. They are not tiny.

What sorts of athletic activities do you enjoy? Excellent on golf and pickle ball, the others to various degrees.

Even in the winter the parking lots at the beach fill up fast.



This is so weird and not true at all. I’ve lived here for 12 years - in Miami and the gulf coast. None of this describes my experience, esp not compared with DC (where I lived for 15 years off and on and as recently as three years ago).

No state income taxes is because they make a boatload of taxes from tourists. Of the 200k people a day who visit Disney, there’s something like $30 in taxes per ticket. Every hotel room has a big state tax slug. So you don’t need income taxes bc you get the revenue elsewhere. Social services are great compared with DC. Literally no lines at the DMV, lots of places with great public schools (though plenty of dicey ones too, but no worse than the shitty schools around the dmv). Great state university system. Seniors services out the wazoo. If you call the sheriff for dumb small stuff, they come in ten minutes. And everyone you interact with is sooooo nice. Want me to detail the converse experiences in DC?

Summers in Florida are generally a couple degrees cooler than Dc. So there’s that.

Insurance in Miami is expensive if your house is old. Elsewhere in the state it’s not so bad. We’re a couple blocks inland from the gulf coast, and our homeowners is $5k including hurricane for a 70 year old house that cost $1m with no wind mitigation (the most expensive to insure).

Our car insurance is about ten percent cheaper than what we paid in dc for the same car.

We pay $500 for flood insurance a year - it’s optional where we are.

Yes, there are bugs and critters. Is this seriously why you hate a state? I feel like you constantly harp on Florida threads about the mosquitos and alligators but it’s like you’ve never been here because the rest of your data is just living in bizarro land.


C'mon now. Yours is not the typical lifestyle of the average Floridian. You are living in a $1M house. A couple of blocks from the water so you don't have to deal with beach parking. The fact the sheriff comes in 10 minutes for minor annoyances shows you are in a privileged area.

What kind of senior services are you referring to - recreational? Sure, maybe there are lots of social activities but good luck if you are a lower income senior who needs help with housing and utilities. In my county there are NO SECTION 8 vouchers for seniors. None. Families with children are first on the list and there are so many who need them they have none for seniors. Why do you think so many elderly wind up living in shabby trailer parks?

As a 12-year Floridian, you need to get out from behind your $1M and become educated on what real life is like for the rest of the people in your community.

Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:In a word: don't. Retiring in Florida is so cliche. And Florida sucks.


But sun, sand and most importantly no state taxes.


Keep in mind you get what you pay for. No state income taxes means not much in the way of municipal services either. Or responsiveness. Not exactly an educated Mecca.

Rent, first, then buy. Three quarters of the year the weather is indeed pretty nice. I'd skip the summers due to heat/humidity and storms. That would be after May 15 and ends in late October.

Homeowners insurance near the beaches is really high. Ditto car insurance, all over the state. Look carefully at flood risk before buying, even if well inland.

Do you like critters? Snakes, love bugs (twice a year), gnats, huge mosquitos, big spiders. And those gators. Also tree frogs (who like to rest in canopies, including beach umbrellas). Iguanas fall from the trees if you're in south Florida during a cold snap. They are not tiny.

What sorts of athletic activities do you enjoy? Excellent on golf and pickle ball, the others to various degrees.

Even in the winter the parking lots at the beach fill up fast.



This is so weird and not true at all. I’ve lived here for 12 years - in Miami and the gulf coast. None of this describes my experience, esp not compared with DC (where I lived for 15 years off and on and as recently as three years ago).

No state income taxes is because they make a boatload of taxes from tourists. Of the 200k people a day who visit Disney, there’s something like $30 in taxes per ticket. Every hotel room has a big state tax slug. So you don’t need income taxes bc you get the revenue elsewhere. Social services are great compared with DC. Literally no lines at the DMV, lots of places with great public schools (though plenty of dicey ones too, but no worse than the shitty schools around the dmv). Great state university system. Seniors services out the wazoo. If you call the sheriff for dumb small stuff, they come in ten minutes. And everyone you interact with is sooooo nice. Want me to detail the converse experiences in DC?

Summers in Florida are generally a couple degrees cooler than Dc. So there’s that.

Insurance in Miami is expensive if your house is old. Elsewhere in the state it’s not so bad. We’re a couple blocks inland from the gulf coast, and our homeowners is $5k including hurricane for a 70 year old house that cost $1m with no wind mitigation (the most expensive to insure).

Our car insurance is about ten percent cheaper than what we paid in dc for the same car.

We pay $500 for flood insurance a year - it’s optional where we are.

Yes, there are bugs and critters. Is this seriously why you hate a state? I feel like you constantly harp on Florida threads about the mosquitos and alligators but it’s like you’ve never been here because the rest of your data is just living in bizarro land.

Thank you! We love Florida and the fact that it’s open for living your normal life, if you choose to.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:In a word: don't. Retiring in Florida is so cliche. And Florida sucks.


But sun, sand and most importantly no state taxes.


Keep in mind you get what you pay for. No state income taxes means not much in the way of municipal services either. Or responsiveness. Not exactly an educated Mecca.

Rent, first, then buy. Three quarters of the year the weather is indeed pretty nice. I'd skip the summers due to heat/humidity and storms. That would be after May 15 and ends in late October.

Homeowners insurance near the beaches is really high. Ditto car insurance, all over the state. Look carefully at flood risk before buying, even if well inland.

Do you like critters? Snakes, love bugs (twice a year), gnats, huge mosquitos, big spiders. And those gators. Also tree frogs (who like to rest in canopies, including beach umbrellas). Iguanas fall from the trees if you're in south Florida during a cold snap. They are not tiny.

What sorts of athletic activities do you enjoy? Excellent on golf and pickle ball, the others to various degrees.

Even in the winter the parking lots at the beach fill up fast.



This is so weird and not true at all. I’ve lived here for 12 years - in Miami and the gulf coast. None of this describes my experience, esp not compared with DC (where I lived for 15 years off and on and as recently as three years ago).

No state income taxes is because they make a boatload of taxes from tourists. Of the 200k people a day who visit Disney, there’s something like $30 in taxes per ticket. Every hotel room has a big state tax slug. So you don’t need income taxes bc you get the revenue elsewhere. Social services are great compared with DC. Literally no lines at the DMV, lots of places with great public schools (though plenty of dicey ones too, but no worse than the shitty schools around the dmv). Great state university system. Seniors services out the wazoo. If you call the sheriff for dumb small stuff, they come in ten minutes. And everyone you interact with is sooooo nice. Want me to detail the converse experiences in DC?

Summers in Florida are generally a couple degrees cooler than Dc. So there’s that.

Insurance in Miami is expensive if your house is old. Elsewhere in the state it’s not so bad. We’re a couple blocks inland from the gulf coast, and our homeowners is $5k including hurricane for a 70 year old house that cost $1m with no wind mitigation (the most expensive to insure).

Our car insurance is about ten percent cheaper than what we paid in dc for the same car.

We pay $500 for flood insurance a year - it’s optional where we are.

Yes, there are bugs and critters. Is this seriously why you hate a state? I feel like you constantly harp on Florida threads about the mosquitos and alligators but it’s like you’ve never been here because the rest of your data is just living in bizarro land.


C'mon now. Yours is not the typical lifestyle of the average Floridian. You are living in a $1M house. A couple of blocks from the water so you don't have to deal with beach parking. The fact the sheriff comes in 10 minutes for minor annoyances shows you are in a privileged area.

What kind of senior services are you referring to - recreational? Sure, maybe there are lots of social activities but good luck if you are a lower income senior who needs help with housing and utilities. In my county there are NO SECTION 8 vouchers for seniors. None. Families with children are first on the list and there are so many who need them they have none for seniors. Why do you think so many elderly wind up living in shabby trailer parks?

As a 12-year Floridian, you need to get out from behind your $1M and become educated on what real life is like for the rest of the people in your community.



I’m the Pp you’re responding to, and you’re correct that if you are living below the poverty line, Florida does not provide the same robust social services that are provided in DC to the poor.

However, the OP was asking about buying a second home and made no mention of being impoverished. So when people cited an appalling lack of social services as a reason for op to not buy in Florida, silly me - I assumed you were talking about social services that were relevant to the OP. Like police responsiveness, schools, dmv, etc. The services that people living above the poverty line use. Those, as I mentioned, are great and robust. For anyone blue collar and above, including retireees now on blue collar fixed pensions (people who would generally be considered lower middle class), Florida offers great social services.

But yes, if the OP is on section 8 housing, they may want to look someone beside Florida for their retirement plan/second home. You are absolutely correct, PP.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:In a word: don't. Retiring in Florida is so cliche. And Florida sucks.


But sun, sand and most importantly no state taxes.


Keep in mind you get what you pay for. No state income taxes means not much in the way of municipal services either. Or responsiveness. Not exactly an educated Mecca.

Rent, first, then buy. Three quarters of the year the weather is indeed pretty nice. I'd skip the summers due to heat/humidity and storms. That would be after May 15 and ends in late October.

Homeowners insurance near the beaches is really high. Ditto car insurance, all over the state. Look carefully at flood risk before buying, even if well inland.

Do you like critters? Snakes, love bugs (twice a year), gnats, huge mosquitos, big spiders. And those gators. Also tree frogs (who like to rest in canopies, including beach umbrellas). Iguanas fall from the trees if you're in south Florida during a cold snap. They are not tiny.

What sorts of athletic activities do you enjoy? Excellent on golf and pickle ball, the others to various degrees.

Even in the winter the parking lots at the beach fill up fast.



I lived in Florida most of my life and look forward to retiring there. You are painting a skewed picture of Florida. Florida has a reputation for poor services, but I didn't really find that. They don't need the taxes as badly because tourists bring in so much money. There are a ton of senior servies, especially.


I found Florida to be an easy place to live. Because people are from everywhere, they are very open to new people -- that's been an issue to other states I've moved to, where people have their friend circles and they are locked in tight. There's a lot of light and a lot of good weather. We had a pool when I was growing up, and all of us kids were in it 24/7 and in the best shape of our our lives. I didn't even get dressed most days during the summer ... Just threw on my bathing suit. I plan to be that way when I back there in my 60s.

Lots and lots and lots of great food and restaurants in Florida. So much ethnic food -- you can find anything. And so much seafood!!

When my father became elderly he lived in a retirement village there and it was like college! They had several pools, a community center with shows and buses to doctors and shopping. It was also exremely affordable.

While I lived mostly in Tampa, Gainesville and Fort Lauderdale, we'll likely look more in the Lakeland area. I have friends who retired in Jacksonville, St. Augustine and Daytona, and they love that corner of the state.












I attended university in Florida, and found that ones career opportunities were limited. When I lived there, albeit 20 years ago, the best career opportunities were in tourism and geriatrics. Unless things have changed, the young will definitely choose to live elsewhere. I am hoping to retire somewhere relatively close to my DC, and I do not see FL providing career inspiring jobs to keep my DC there.
Anonymous
My parents lived for a decade in Sarasota, after my father partly retired at 60. (My mom, 58 when they moved, continued to work full- time while they were there.) My father loved the weather and the ability to golf year round, they both loved the accessibility to the beach (they were driving distance, not walking) and their lovely little house with its lovely pool. They really liked Sarasota's restaurants and shops and museums and thr theater. My mother hated the heat. People who say it's no hotter than summer in DC? That was not her (or my) experience. She also never got used to the overt religiosity. They both disliked the politics. My father would have stayed forever but after 10 years, my mother had had enough and they moved back north.

We spent a week there every Christmas and every April for 10 years, and a long weekend or two every summer and fall as well. It was a great place to visit with kids.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:In a word: don't. Retiring in Florida is so cliche. And Florida sucks.


But sun, sand and most importantly no state taxes.


Keep in mind you get what you pay for. No state income taxes means not much in the way of municipal services either. Or responsiveness. Not exactly an educated Mecca.

Rent, first, then buy. Three quarters of the year the weather is indeed pretty nice. I'd skip the summers due to heat/humidity and storms. That would be after May 15 and ends in late October.

Homeowners insurance near the beaches is really high. Ditto car insurance, all over the state. Look carefully at flood risk before buying, even if well inland.

Do you like critters? Snakes, love bugs (twice a year), gnats, huge mosquitos, big spiders. And those gators. Also tree frogs (who like to rest in canopies, including beach umbrellas). Iguanas fall from the trees if you're in south Florida during a cold snap. They are not tiny.

What sorts of athletic activities do you enjoy? Excellent on golf and pickle ball, the others to various degrees.

Even in the winter the parking lots at the beach fill up fast.



This is so weird and not true at all. I’ve lived here for 12 years - in Miami and the gulf coast. None of this describes my experience, esp not compared with DC (where I lived for 15 years off and on and as recently as three years ago).

No state income taxes is because they make a boatload of taxes from tourists. Of the 200k people a day who visit Disney, there’s something like $30 in taxes per ticket. Every hotel room has a big state tax slug. So you don’t need income taxes bc you get the revenue elsewhere. Social services are great compared with DC. Literally no lines at the DMV, lots of places with great public schools (though plenty of dicey ones too, but no worse than the shitty schools around the dmv). Great state university system. Seniors services out the wazoo. If you call the sheriff for dumb small stuff, they come in ten minutes. And everyone you interact with is sooooo nice. Want me to detail the converse experiences in DC?

Summers in Florida are generally a couple degrees cooler than Dc. So there’s that.

Insurance in Miami is expensive if your house is old. Elsewhere in the state it’s not so bad. We’re a couple blocks inland from the gulf coast, and our homeowners is $5k including hurricane for a 70 year old house that cost $1m with no wind mitigation (the most expensive to insure).

Our car insurance is about ten percent cheaper than what we paid in dc for the same car.

We pay $500 for flood insurance a year - it’s optional where we are.

Yes, there are bugs and critters. Is this seriously why you hate a state? I feel like you constantly harp on Florida threads about the mosquitos and alligators but it’s like you’ve never been here because the rest of your data is just living in bizarro land.


C'mon now. Yours is not the typical lifestyle of the average Floridian. You are living in a $1M house. A couple of blocks from the water so you don't have to deal with beach parking. The fact the sheriff comes in 10 minutes for minor annoyances shows you are in a privileged area.

What kind of senior services are you referring to - recreational? Sure, maybe there are lots of social activities but good luck if you are a lower income senior who needs help with housing and utilities. In my county there are NO SECTION 8 vouchers for seniors. None. Families with children are first on the list and there are so many who need them they have none for seniors. Why do you think so many elderly wind up living in shabby trailer parks?

As a 12-year Floridian, you need to get out from behind your $1M and become educated on what real life is like for the rest of the people in your community.



My dad ran into serious financial trouble, declared bankrumptcy and we had to bail him out. We bought him a $20,000 2 bedroom 2 bathroom condo in Florida 20 years ago. He lived there then on just his Social Security, which was under $900 a month. He even paid the maintenance fee.

We sold the condo later for much more than we paid for it. There are very expensive areas in Florida, but not everyplace is that expensive.


Seniors flock there for a reason. Your weird Section 8 fantasy for the OP just shows your prejudice.




55 communities are very affordable.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:In a word: don't. Retiring in Florida is so cliche. And Florida sucks.


But sun, sand and most importantly no state taxes.


Keep in mind you get what you pay for. No state income taxes means not much in the way of municipal services either. Or responsiveness. Not exactly an educated Mecca.

Rent, first, then buy. Three quarters of the year the weather is indeed pretty nice. I'd skip the summers due to heat/humidity and storms. That would be after May 15 and ends in late October.

Homeowners insurance near the beaches is really high. Ditto car insurance, all over the state. Look carefully at flood risk before buying, even if well inland.

Do you like critters? Snakes, love bugs (twice a year), gnats, huge mosquitos, big spiders. And those gators. Also tree frogs (who like to rest in canopies, including beach umbrellas). Iguanas fall from the trees if you're in south Florida during a cold snap. They are not tiny.

What sorts of athletic activities do you enjoy? Excellent on golf and pickle ball, the others to various degrees.

Even in the winter the parking lots at the beach fill up fast.



This is so weird and not true at all. I’ve lived here for 12 years - in Miami and the gulf coast. None of this describes my experience, esp not compared with DC (where I lived for 15 years off and on and as recently as three years ago).

No state income taxes is because they make a boatload of taxes from tourists. Of the 200k people a day who visit Disney, there’s something like $30 in taxes per ticket. Every hotel room has a big state tax slug. So you don’t need income taxes bc you get the revenue elsewhere. Social services are great compared with DC. Literally no lines at the DMV, lots of places with great public schools (though plenty of dicey ones too, but no worse than the shitty schools around the dmv). Great state university system. Seniors services out the wazoo. If you call the sheriff for dumb small stuff, they come in ten minutes. And everyone you interact with is sooooo nice. Want me to detail the converse experiences in DC?

Summers in Florida are generally a couple degrees cooler than Dc. So there’s that.

Insurance in Miami is expensive if your house is old. Elsewhere in the state it’s not so bad. We’re a couple blocks inland from the gulf coast, and our homeowners is $5k including hurricane for a 70 year old house that cost $1m with no wind mitigation (the most expensive to insure).

Our car insurance is about ten percent cheaper than what we paid in dc for the same car.

We pay $500 for flood insurance a year - it’s optional where we are.

Yes, there are bugs and critters. Is this seriously why you hate a state? I feel like you constantly harp on Florida threads about the mosquitos and alligators but it’s like you’ve never been here because the rest of your data is just living in bizarro land.


C'mon now. Yours is not the typical lifestyle of the average Floridian. You are living in a $1M house. A couple of blocks from the water so you don't have to deal with beach parking. The fact the sheriff comes in 10 minutes for minor annoyances shows you are in a privileged area.

What kind of senior services are you referring to - recreational? Sure, maybe there are lots of social activities but good luck if you are a lower income senior who needs help with housing and utilities. In my county there are NO SECTION 8 vouchers for seniors. None. Families with children are first on the list and there are so many who need them they have none for seniors. Why do you think so many elderly wind up living in shabby trailer parks?

As a 12-year Floridian, you need to get out from behind your $1M and become educated on what real life is like for the rest of the people in your community.



My dad ran into serious financial trouble, declared bankrumptcy and we had to bail him out. We bought him a $20,000 2 bedroom 2 bathroom condo in Florida 20 years ago. He lived there then on just his Social Security, which was under $900 a month. He even paid the maintenance fee.

We sold the condo later for much more than we paid for it. There are very expensive areas in Florida, but not everyplace is that expensive.


Seniors flock there for a reason. Your weird Section 8 fantasy for the OP just shows your prejudice.




55 communities are very affordable.


There is nothing wrong with shining a light on the lack of diversity, vibrancy and social justice. NOTHING
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:In a word: don't. Retiring in Florida is so cliche. And Florida sucks.


But sun, sand and most importantly no state taxes.


Keep in mind you get what you pay for. No state income taxes means not much in the way of municipal services either. Or responsiveness. Not exactly an educated Mecca.

Rent, first, then buy. Three quarters of the year the weather is indeed pretty nice. I'd skip the summers due to heat/humidity and storms. That would be after May 15 and ends in late October.

Homeowners insurance near the beaches is really high. Ditto car insurance, all over the state. Look carefully at flood risk before buying, even if well inland.

Do you like critters? Snakes, love bugs (twice a year), gnats, huge mosquitos, big spiders. And those gators. Also tree frogs (who like to rest in canopies, including beach umbrellas). Iguanas fall from the trees if you're in south Florida during a cold snap. They are not tiny.

What sorts of athletic activities do you enjoy? Excellent on golf and pickle ball, the others to various degrees.

Even in the winter the parking lots at the beach fill up fast.



This is so weird and not true at all. I’ve lived here for 12 years - in Miami and the gulf coast. None of this describes my experience, esp not compared with DC (where I lived for 15 years off and on and as recently as three years ago).

No state income taxes is because they make a boatload of taxes from tourists. Of the 200k people a day who visit Disney, there’s something like $30 in taxes per ticket. Every hotel room has a big state tax slug. So you don’t need income taxes bc you get the revenue elsewhere. Social services are great compared with DC. Literally no lines at the DMV, lots of places with great public schools (though plenty of dicey ones too, but no worse than the shitty schools around the dmv). Great state university system. Seniors services out the wazoo. If you call the sheriff for dumb small stuff, they come in ten minutes. And everyone you interact with is sooooo nice. Want me to detail the converse experiences in DC?

Summers in Florida are generally a couple degrees cooler than Dc. So there’s that.

Insurance in Miami is expensive if your house is old. Elsewhere in the state it’s not so bad. We’re a couple blocks inland from the gulf coast, and our homeowners is $5k including hurricane for a 70 year old house that cost $1m with no wind mitigation (the most expensive to insure).

Our car insurance is about ten percent cheaper than what we paid in dc for the same car.

We pay $500 for flood insurance a year - it’s optional where we are.

Yes, there are bugs and critters. Is this seriously why you hate a state? I feel like you constantly harp on Florida threads about the mosquitos and alligators but it’s like you’ve never been here because the rest of your data is just living in bizarro land.


C'mon now. Yours is not the typical lifestyle of the average Floridian. You are living in a $1M house. A couple of blocks from the water so you don't have to deal with beach parking. The fact the sheriff comes in 10 minutes for minor annoyances shows you are in a privileged area.

What kind of senior services are you referring to - recreational? Sure, maybe there are lots of social activities but good luck if you are a lower income senior who needs help with housing and utilities. In my county there are NO SECTION 8 vouchers for seniors. None. Families with children are first on the list and there are so many who need them they have none for seniors. Why do you think so many elderly wind up living in shabby trailer parks?

As a 12-year Floridian, you need to get out from behind your $1M and become educated on what real life is like for the rest of the people in your community.



My dad ran into serious financial trouble, declared bankrumptcy and we had to bail him out. We bought him a $20,000 2 bedroom 2 bathroom condo in Florida 20 years ago. He lived there then on just his Social Security, which was under $900 a month. He even paid the maintenance fee.

We sold the condo later for much more than we paid for it. There are very expensive areas in Florida, but not everyplace is that expensive.


Seniors flock there for a reason. Your weird Section 8 fantasy for the OP just shows your prejudice.




55 communities are very affordable.


There is nothing wrong with shining a light on the lack of diversity, vibrancy and social justice. NOTHING


What a non sequiter. Florida is about the most diverse place you'll find in the U.S.

Anonymous
What's Coconut Grove like?
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:In a word: don't. Retiring in Florida is so cliche. And Florida sucks.


But sun, sand and most importantly no state taxes.


Keep in mind you get what you pay for. No state income taxes means not much in the way of municipal services either. Or responsiveness. Not exactly an educated Mecca.

Rent, first, then buy. Three quarters of the year the weather is indeed pretty nice. I'd skip the summers due to heat/humidity and storms. That would be after May 15 and ends in late October.

Homeowners insurance near the beaches is really high. Ditto car insurance, all over the state. Look carefully at flood risk before buying, even if well inland.

Do you like critters? Snakes, love bugs (twice a year), gnats, huge mosquitos, big spiders. And those gators. Also tree frogs (who like to rest in canopies, including beach umbrellas). Iguanas fall from the trees if you're in south Florida during a cold snap. They are not tiny.

What sorts of athletic activities do you enjoy? Excellent on golf and pickle ball, the others to various degrees.

Even in the winter the parking lots at the beach fill up fast.



This is so weird and not true at all. I’ve lived here for 12 years - in Miami and the gulf coast. None of this describes my experience, esp not compared with DC (where I lived for 15 years off and on and as recently as three years ago).

No state income taxes is because they make a boatload of taxes from tourists. Of the 200k people a day who visit Disney, there’s something like $30 in taxes per ticket. Every hotel room has a big state tax slug. So you don’t need income taxes bc you get the revenue elsewhere. Social services are great compared with DC. Literally no lines at the DMV, lots of places with great public schools (though plenty of dicey ones too, but no worse than the shitty schools around the dmv). Great state university system. Seniors services out the wazoo. If you call the sheriff for dumb small stuff, they come in ten minutes. And everyone you interact with is sooooo nice. Want me to detail the converse experiences in DC?

Summers in Florida are generally a couple degrees cooler than Dc. So there’s that.

Insurance in Miami is expensive if your house is old. Elsewhere in the state it’s not so bad. We’re a couple blocks inland from the gulf coast, and our homeowners is $5k including hurricane for a 70 year old house that cost $1m with no wind mitigation (the most expensive to insure).

Our car insurance is about ten percent cheaper than what we paid in dc for the same car.

We pay $500 for flood insurance a year - it’s optional where we are.

Yes, there are bugs and critters. Is this seriously why you hate a state? I feel like you constantly harp on Florida threads about the mosquitos and alligators but it’s like you’ve never been here because the rest of your data is just living in bizarro land.


C'mon now. Yours is not the typical lifestyle of the average Floridian. You are living in a $1M house. A couple of blocks from the water so you don't have to deal with beach parking. The fact the sheriff comes in 10 minutes for minor annoyances shows you are in a privileged area.

What kind of senior services are you referring to - recreational? Sure, maybe there are lots of social activities but good luck if you are a lower income senior who needs help with housing and utilities. In my county there are NO SECTION 8 vouchers for seniors. None. Families with children are first on the list and there are so many who need them they have none for seniors. Why do you think so many elderly wind up living in shabby trailer parks?

As a 12-year Floridian, you need to get out from behind your $1M and become educated on what real life is like for the rest of the people in your community.



My dad ran into serious financial trouble, declared bankrumptcy and we had to bail him out. We bought him a $20,000 2 bedroom 2 bathroom condo in Florida 20 years ago. He lived there then on just his Social Security, which was under $900 a month. He even paid the maintenance fee.

We sold the condo later for much more than we paid for it. There are very expensive areas in Florida, but not everyplace is that expensive.


Seniors flock there for a reason. Your weird Section 8 fantasy for the OP just shows your prejudice.




55 communities are very affordable.


There is nothing wrong with shining a light on the lack of diversity, vibrancy and social justice. NOTHING


What a non sequiter. Florida is about the most diverse place you'll find in the U.S.



If you replaced Florida with The DMV, I wouldn’t be laughing right now
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:In a word: don't. Retiring in Florida is so cliche. And Florida sucks.


But sun, sand and most importantly no state taxes.


Keep in mind you get what you pay for. No state income taxes means not much in the way of municipal services either. Or responsiveness. Not exactly an educated Mecca.

Rent, first, then buy. Three quarters of the year the weather is indeed pretty nice. I'd skip the summers due to heat/humidity and storms. That would be after May 15 and ends in late October.

Homeowners insurance near the beaches is really high. Ditto car insurance, all over the state. Look carefully at flood risk before buying, even if well inland.

Do you like critters? Snakes, love bugs (twice a year), gnats, huge mosquitos, big spiders. And those gators. Also tree frogs (who like to rest in canopies, including beach umbrellas). Iguanas fall from the trees if you're in south Florida during a cold snap. They are not tiny.

What sorts of athletic activities do you enjoy? Excellent on golf and pickle ball, the others to various degrees.

Even in the winter the parking lots at the beach fill up fast.



This is so weird and not true at all. I’ve lived here for 12 years - in Miami and the gulf coast. None of this describes my experience, esp not compared with DC (where I lived for 15 years off and on and as recently as three years ago).

No state income taxes is because they make a boatload of taxes from tourists. Of the 200k people a day who visit Disney, there’s something like $30 in taxes per ticket. Every hotel room has a big state tax slug. So you don’t need income taxes bc you get the revenue elsewhere. Social services are great compared with DC. Literally no lines at the DMV, lots of places with great public schools (though plenty of dicey ones too, but no worse than the shitty schools around the dmv). Great state university system. Seniors services out the wazoo. If you call the sheriff for dumb small stuff, they come in ten minutes. And everyone you interact with is sooooo nice. Want me to detail the converse experiences in DC?

Summers in Florida are generally a couple degrees cooler than Dc. So there’s that.

Insurance in Miami is expensive if your house is old. Elsewhere in the state it’s not so bad. We’re a couple blocks inland from the gulf coast, and our homeowners is $5k including hurricane for a 70 year old house that cost $1m with no wind mitigation (the most expensive to insure).

Our car insurance is about ten percent cheaper than what we paid in dc for the same car.

We pay $500 for flood insurance a year - it’s optional where we are.

Yes, there are bugs and critters. Is this seriously why you hate a state? I feel like you constantly harp on Florida threads about the mosquitos and alligators but it’s like you’ve never been here because the rest of your data is just living in bizarro land.


C'mon now. Yours is not the typical lifestyle of the average Floridian. You are living in a $1M house. A couple of blocks from the water so you don't have to deal with beach parking. The fact the sheriff comes in 10 minutes for minor annoyances shows you are in a privileged area.

What kind of senior services are you referring to - recreational? Sure, maybe there are lots of social activities but good luck if you are a lower income senior who needs help with housing and utilities. In my county there are NO SECTION 8 vouchers for seniors. None. Families with children are first on the list and there are so many who need them they have none for seniors. Why do you think so many elderly wind up living in shabby trailer parks?

As a 12-year Floridian, you need to get out from behind your $1M and become educated on what real life is like for the rest of the people in your community.



My dad ran into serious financial trouble, declared bankrumptcy and we had to bail him out. We bought him a $20,000 2 bedroom 2 bathroom condo in Florida 20 years ago. He lived there then on just his Social Security, which was under $900 a month. He even paid the maintenance fee.

We sold the condo later for much more than we paid for it. There are very expensive areas in Florida, but not everyplace is that expensive.


Seniors flock there for a reason. Your weird Section 8 fantasy for the OP just shows your prejudice.




55 communities are very affordable.


There is nothing wrong with shining a light on the lack of diversity, vibrancy and social justice. NOTHING


These PP's attitudes are despicable, especially this:

"So when people cited an appalling lack of social services as a reason for op to not buy in Florida, silly me - I assumed you were talking about social services that were relevant to the OP. Like police responsiveness, schools, dmv, etc. The services that people living above the poverty line use. Those, as I mentioned, are great and robust."

OP, if you want someone like this for your neighbor good luck to you.



Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:In a word: don't. Retiring in Florida is so cliche. And Florida sucks.


But sun, sand and most importantly no state taxes.


Keep in mind you get what you pay for. No state income taxes means not much in the way of municipal services either. Or responsiveness. Not exactly an educated Mecca.

Rent, first, then buy. Three quarters of the year the weather is indeed pretty nice. I'd skip the summers due to heat/humidity and storms. That would be after May 15 and ends in late October.

Homeowners insurance near the beaches is really high. Ditto car insurance, all over the state. Look carefully at flood risk before buying, even if well inland.

Do you like critters? Snakes, love bugs (twice a year), gnats, huge mosquitos, big spiders. And those gators. Also tree frogs (who like to rest in canopies, including beach umbrellas). Iguanas fall from the trees if you're in south Florida during a cold snap. They are not tiny.

What sorts of athletic activities do you enjoy? Excellent on golf and pickle ball, the others to various degrees.

Even in the winter the parking lots at the beach fill up fast.



This is so weird and not true at all. I’ve lived here for 12 years - in Miami and the gulf coast. None of this describes my experience, esp not compared with DC (where I lived for 15 years off and on and as recently as three years ago).

No state income taxes is because they make a boatload of taxes from tourists. Of the 200k people a day who visit Disney, there’s something like $30 in taxes per ticket. Every hotel room has a big state tax slug. So you don’t need income taxes bc you get the revenue elsewhere. Social services are great compared with DC. Literally no lines at the DMV, lots of places with great public schools (though plenty of dicey ones too, but no worse than the shitty schools around the dmv). Great state university system. Seniors services out the wazoo. If you call the sheriff for dumb small stuff, they come in ten minutes. And everyone you interact with is sooooo nice. Want me to detail the converse experiences in DC?

Summers in Florida are generally a couple degrees cooler than Dc. So there’s that.

Insurance in Miami is expensive if your house is old. Elsewhere in the state it’s not so bad. We’re a couple blocks inland from the gulf coast, and our homeowners is $5k including hurricane for a 70 year old house that cost $1m with no wind mitigation (the most expensive to insure).

Our car insurance is about ten percent cheaper than what we paid in dc for the same car.

We pay $500 for flood insurance a year - it’s optional where we are.

Yes, there are bugs and critters. Is this seriously why you hate a state? I feel like you constantly harp on Florida threads about the mosquitos and alligators but it’s like you’ve never been here because the rest of your data is just living in bizarro land.


C'mon now. Yours is not the typical lifestyle of the average Floridian. You are living in a $1M house. A couple of blocks from the water so you don't have to deal with beach parking. The fact the sheriff comes in 10 minutes for minor annoyances shows you are in a privileged area.

What kind of senior services are you referring to - recreational? Sure, maybe there are lots of social activities but good luck if you are a lower income senior who needs help with housing and utilities. In my county there are NO SECTION 8 vouchers for seniors. None. Families with children are first on the list and there are so many who need them they have none for seniors. Why do you think so many elderly wind up living in shabby trailer parks?

As a 12-year Floridian, you need to get out from behind your $1M and become educated on what real life is like for the rest of the people in your community.



My dad ran into serious financial trouble, declared bankrumptcy and we had to bail him out. We bought him a $20,000 2 bedroom 2 bathroom condo in Florida 20 years ago. He lived there then on just his Social Security, which was under $900 a month. He even paid the maintenance fee.

We sold the condo later for much more than we paid for it. There are very expensive areas in Florida, but not everyplace is that expensive.


Seniors flock there for a reason. Your weird Section 8 fantasy for the OP just shows your prejudice.




55 communities are very affordable.


There is nothing wrong with shining a light on the lack of diversity, vibrancy and social justice. NOTHING


What a non sequiter. Florida is about the most diverse place you'll find in the U.S.



If you replaced Florida with The DMV, I wouldn’t be laughing right now


You are really clueless. On the street I lived in in South Florida, we were young professionals with our first home. Next to us were a couple -- she was a secretary, he was a roofer. On the other side was an Italian family. Across the street were Chinese immigrants who ran a wonderful restaurant in the neighborhood. 3 doors down was a young black family, next to the a Hispanic family. In between everyone were white retirees. The whole neighborhood was like that.

The house was about $90,000. It was a working class neighborhood filled with all types of people.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:In a word: don't. Retiring in Florida is so cliche. And Florida sucks.


But sun, sand and most importantly no state taxes.


Keep in mind you get what you pay for. No state income taxes means not much in the way of municipal services either. Or responsiveness. Not exactly an educated Mecca.

Rent, first, then buy. Three quarters of the year the weather is indeed pretty nice. I'd skip the summers due to heat/humidity and storms. That would be after May 15 and ends in late October.

Homeowners insurance near the beaches is really high. Ditto car insurance, all over the state. Look carefully at flood risk before buying, even if well inland.

Do you like critters? Snakes, love bugs (twice a year), gnats, huge mosquitos, big spiders. And those gators. Also tree frogs (who like to rest in canopies, including beach umbrellas). Iguanas fall from the trees if you're in south Florida during a cold snap. They are not tiny.

What sorts of athletic activities do you enjoy? Excellent on golf and pickle ball, the others to various degrees.

Even in the winter the parking lots at the beach fill up fast.



This is so weird and not true at all. I’ve lived here for 12 years - in Miami and the gulf coast. None of this describes my experience, esp not compared with DC (where I lived for 15 years off and on and as recently as three years ago).

No state income taxes is because they make a boatload of taxes from tourists. Of the 200k people a day who visit Disney, there’s something like $30 in taxes per ticket. Every hotel room has a big state tax slug. So you don’t need income taxes bc you get the revenue elsewhere. Social services are great compared with DC. Literally no lines at the DMV, lots of places with great public schools (though plenty of dicey ones too, but no worse than the shitty schools around the dmv). Great state university system. Seniors services out the wazoo. If you call the sheriff for dumb small stuff, they come in ten minutes. And everyone you interact with is sooooo nice. Want me to detail the converse experiences in DC?

Summers in Florida are generally a couple degrees cooler than Dc. So there’s that.

Insurance in Miami is expensive if your house is old. Elsewhere in the state it’s not so bad. We’re a couple blocks inland from the gulf coast, and our homeowners is $5k including hurricane for a 70 year old house that cost $1m with no wind mitigation (the most expensive to insure).

Our car insurance is about ten percent cheaper than what we paid in dc for the same car.

We pay $500 for flood insurance a year - it’s optional where we are.

Yes, there are bugs and critters. Is this seriously why you hate a state? I feel like you constantly harp on Florida threads about the mosquitos and alligators but it’s like you’ve never been here because the rest of your data is just living in bizarro land.


C'mon now. Yours is not the typical lifestyle of the average Floridian. You are living in a $1M house. A couple of blocks from the water so you don't have to deal with beach parking. The fact the sheriff comes in 10 minutes for minor annoyances shows you are in a privileged area.

What kind of senior services are you referring to - recreational? Sure, maybe there are lots of social activities but good luck if you are a lower income senior who needs help with housing and utilities. In my county there are NO SECTION 8 vouchers for seniors. None. Families with children are first on the list and there are so many who need them they have none for seniors. Why do you think so many elderly wind up living in shabby trailer parks?

As a 12-year Floridian, you need to get out from behind your $1M and become educated on what real life is like for the rest of the people in your community.



My dad ran into serious financial trouble, declared bankrumptcy and we had to bail him out. We bought him a $20,000 2 bedroom 2 bathroom condo in Florida 20 years ago. He lived there then on just his Social Security, which was under $900 a month. He even paid the maintenance fee.

We sold the condo later for much more than we paid for it. There are very expensive areas in Florida, but not everyplace is that expensive.


Seniors flock there for a reason. Your weird Section 8 fantasy for the OP just shows your prejudice.




55 communities are very affordable.


There is nothing wrong with shining a light on the lack of diversity, vibrancy and social justice. NOTHING


These PP's attitudes are despicable, especially this:

"So when people cited an appalling lack of social services as a reason for op to not buy in Florida, silly me - I assumed you were talking about social services that were relevant to the OP. Like police responsiveness, schools, dmv, etc. The services that people living above the poverty line use. Those, as I mentioned, are great and robust."

OP, if you want someone like this for your neighbor good luck to you.





+100

Probably written by a Trumpbot who got hers, and is now pulling up the ladder...
Anonymous
Diversity Sucks
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