Retirement in Florida...recommendations

[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 [b]most importantly no state taxes.

First, you get what you pay for. Second, if not state taxes is that important to you, then I feel sorry for you. You must be broke.

Actually you don’t pay much in taxes if you’re broke, because you’re broke.

But the more money you have, the more Florida makes sense.

See, I can figure this out because I’m relatively smart.

Unlike you.

I can't imagine being in a position of having to take state taxes into account in deciding where to retire or move.

If you don’t have much money, you can live anywhere and not worry about taxes.

If you have money, you make a lot of effort to find lower/no tax options.

[Anonymous]

I live in the Tampa Bay area. I work in Tampa and live around the Pasco-Hernando county line. Lots of new construction out here, and places to hike/kayak/boat and fish.

Tampa is vibrant, diverse and active, and at home I am 15 minutes to the beach-but far enough inland that I am not in a flood zone. I'm just under 2hrs to Disney. I'm also just over an hr to St. Pete and Clearwater. My kids are in good schools, in person. My parents are here too and have had no problem finding good doctors.

We love it.

[Anonymous]

OP, what’s your budget?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I may hate the politics around Naples, Fl, but I have to say that it seems everyone around the Vanderbilt Beach area is super nice to my mom, who lives alone now that my dad has passed. Of course, most of their neighbors are also from the DMV, which probably helps. (And there are a fair number of never-Trump conservatives to balance out the rabid crazies.)

My MIL lives in Naples (she used to live just off of Vanderbilt Beach Rd near the beach!) and I agree it's a friendly place with a lot of positives like restaurants, beaches, shopping. We never saw ourselves as "Florida people" yet we love visiting her and spending time down there. Very easy access to Naples from Ft Myers airport, which is a nice airport but small enough that you're not on trams or a million moving walkways...you can walk to the rental cars! Southwest flies to there regularly (at least from BWI, DCA is more seasonal) and in an emergency we were easily able to drive on Alligator Alley to Ft Lauderdale to catch a flight back north.

Yes, there are some political people who skew far one way in Naples but I think it's slowly balancing out as liberal people like my MIL and her friends move in. She's also found some good volunteer work that she can still do virtually right now because of Covid. Honestly if we could go live anywhere in the US, Naples would be up there as a choice.

I'm the PP with the mom in Naples, and you did a great job of describing why the area is great for the still-active elderly, PP! Glad your MIL is neighbors with my mom!

[Anonymous]

Tampa Bay PP here-I almost forgot, since I'm not into sports-but, sports. Bucs, Lightening, and Rays. Lots to see here if into that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We're looking in Sarasota / Clearwater area.

We are from Clearwater.

Traffic is awful, flooding so fun.

My H too. Traffic doesn't phase me and there are some places with 1 risk but not on the beach. I like Sarasota better but Tampa airport is great, even for international flights.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: I live in the Tampa Bay area. I work in Tampa and live around the Pasco-Hernando county line. Lots of new construction out here, and places to hike/kayak/boat and fish.

Tampa is vibrant, diverse and active, and at home I am 15 minutes to the beach-but far enough inland that I am not in a flood zone. I'm just under 2hrs to Disney. I'm also just over an hr to St. Pete and Clearwater. My kids are in good schools, in person. My parents are here too and have had no problem finding good doctors.

We love it.

PP where are you? My H went to Pinellas schools.

[Anonymous]

The area walkable to Southside Village in Sarasota could be an option for OP. But it’s pricey.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sanibel Island is my dream retirement. I just want to bike everywhere and play Pickleball and browse that amazing bookstore.

I love Sanibel. I lived in Ft. Lauderdale for a couple years and escaped to Sanibel on the weekend whenever I could. I don’t have a huge desire to move back to FL in general but Sanibel, you could convince me.

[Anonymous]

What's Wimauma like? There's a bunch of over 55 developments there. North of Sarasota and South of Tampa. I feel like it's in the middle of nowhere.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What's Wimauma like? There's a bunch of over 55 developments there. North of Sarasota and South of Tampa. I feel like it's in the middle of nowhere.

Eek

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The area walkable to Southside Village in Sarasota could be an option for OP. But it’s pricey.

We live in the next neighborhood a couple blocks south of southside in sarasota and its heavenly here. Neighbors of all ages (but typically 40+ because the neighborhood is pricey), people are crazy nice and DH and I were just discussing that the nyt showed everything west of Tamiami in sarasota voting blue in November.

Ds goes to a public school that’s on several top 15 lists in the country.

We can bike to the beach in five mins. My Saturday bike ride is a one hour loop through siesta key and back home.

Weather is fine.... summer is no hotter than dc, and did I mention the beach?

Sarasota has a zillion theaters, orchestra, opera, ballet and a ton Of other random local cultural institutions. If you have Friday night 7:30 tickets, you leave home at 7, park at 7:15 for free and walk right in in five mins. It’s so easy.

Traffic increases in season, but unless you’re living on a barrier island (requiring a bridge to get to the mainland), the traffic isn’t so bad that it makes you not want to go out.

When I first moved to Florida from a super liberal place, I thought I’d hate it. Four days later, while watching a manatee swim by while I ate my lunch, I told DH I might never want to leave.

[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 [b]most importantly no state taxes.

First, you get what you pay for. Second, if not state taxes is that important to you, then I feel sorry for you. You must be broke.

Actually you don’t pay much in taxes if you’re broke, because you’re broke.

But the more money you have, the more Florida makes sense.

See, I can figure this out because I’m relatively smart.

Unlike you.

I can't imagine being in a position of having to take state taxes into account in deciding where to retire or move.

Our last year in DC, DH and me paid around $100k in state taxes. Now we live in Florida, same jobs, higher salaries, and don’t pay state taxes. We didn’t move here because of that, but it sure as hell helps.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I come on every Florida thread to tell people that Winter Park is where it's at but nobody ever cares

What do you like about it? Is it good for all ages?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The area walkable to Southside Village in Sarasota could be an option for OP. But it’s pricey.

We live in the next neighborhood a couple blocks south of southside in sarasota and its heavenly here. Neighbors of all ages (but typically 40+ because the neighborhood is pricey), people are crazy nice and DH and I were just discussing that the nyt showed everything west of Tamiami in sarasota voting blue in November.

Ds goes to a public school that’s on several top 15 lists in the country.

We can bike to the beach in five mins. My Saturday bike ride is a one hour loop through siesta key and back home.

Weather is fine.... summer is no hotter than dc, and did I mention the beach?

Sarasota has a zillion theaters, orchestra, opera, ballet and a ton Of other random local cultural institutions. If you have Friday night 7:30 tickets, you leave home at 7, park at 7:15 for free and walk right in in five mins. It’s so easy.

Traffic increases in season, but unless you’re living on a barrier island (requiring a bridge to get to the mainland), the traffic isn’t so bad that it makes you not want to go out.

When I first moved to Florida from a super liberal place, I thought I’d hate it. Four days later, while watching a manatee swim by while I ate my lunch, I told DH I might never want to leave.

I’m a Bostonian who’s wintering nearby. And I too was happy to see the NYT election map. But Desantis still looms large (Lakewood Ranch vaccine controversy) and the Sarasota city council just shot down the mask mandate. Things like that give me pause for a permanent relo here. But Morton’s, Libby’s and Veronica are great!