Anonymous
07/24/2025 09:03
Subject: Florida more expensive than Great Falls? I don't know how anyone plans to retire there
I was just in the northern part of the state earlier this month and it was insanely hot. Will never see the appeal unless you can swing two homes and not live there in the summer, and aren’t worried about possibly having an uninsurable property.
Anonymous
07/24/2025 09:02
Subject: Florida more expensive than Great Falls? I don't know how anyone plans to retire there
Anonymous wrote:I'm seriously wondering how people are planning to retire in Florida these days. I currently live in the Langley High area in an 8000 square foot home, probably worth around $3 million. When I started looking at homes in Florida Fort Lauderdale, Miami, even Orlando I was shocked to see prices often higher than what we have here in Great Falls, and for homes half the size.
Where are the savings? I always thought Florida was supposed to be more affordable, especially for retirement. But from what I’m seeing, that doesn’t seem to be true anymore.
I ran the numbers on a $1.5 million home in Fort Lauderdale, not even on the water, and even with the house fully paid off, the monthly carrying costs (insurance, property taxes, and HOA) came out to around $3,000 a month. That’s without a mortgage. Unless you’re renting part of it out, how does anyone afford that on a retirement income?
What happened to Florida being a retirement haven? Is anyone else seeing the same thing? I’m genuinely curious how people are making it work.
If you have a $3 mill home, don’t you have a ton of money saved for retirement? How can you not afford this?
Anonymous
07/24/2025 08:58
Subject: Florida more expensive than Great Falls? I don't know how anyone plans to retire there
Anonymous wrote:OP searches in areas that are among the most expensive in the entire state and declares the entire state unaffordable.
I’m not OP but is Orlando really one of the most expensive areas? I can’t really see the attraction of living there unless you work in the tourism industry. (I guess a lot of retirees do work part time at disney for the employee discount so maybe that drives up home prices.). Anyway I think the answers are — because no income tax people just divert money to real estate and with recent spikes in insurance costs the property market is coming a little unhinged.
Anonymous
07/24/2025 06:38
Subject: Florida more expensive than Great Falls? I don't know how anyone plans to retire there
OP searches in areas that are among the most expensive in the entire state and declares the entire state unaffordable.
Anonymous
07/24/2025 01:33
Subject: Florida more expensive than Great Falls? I don't know how anyone plans to retire there
Anonymous wrote:There is no income tax in Florida.
Retirees don't have earned income.
Anonymous
07/24/2025 01:33
Subject: Florida more expensive than Great Falls? I don't know how anyone plans to retire there
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:The very wealthy are buying up those expensive homes, including many wealthy foreigners.
The not so wealthy buy smaller condos, and they are also hurting due to the high insurance costs.
No smart money is going to florida.
Desantis has run it into the ground and the insurance situation is insane.
Dude, (or dudette, suspect latter) smart money has been flocking to Florida for ages due to the generous no state income tax and no inheritance tax. Much of rich NYC are officially residents of Florida. And DeSantis is pretty popular. Gets high marks for an efficient (perhaps breathtakingly efficient) administration. Suspect you know nothing about Florida, let alone even been to Florida.
Am amused at the comments on here. Plenty of houses in Florida across all price levels. $3k a months seems like reasonable carrying costs for a $1.5M+ house covering taxes and insurance. A lot of very expensive housing in the state and a lot of middle class housing and everything in between. Yes, if you're right on the coast it is more expensive but it's on the coast, ya know? Just like coastal property anywhere.
3k is way too much for retirement it should be Luke $250
250? Where? I bet it's more even in a trailer park.
Anonymous
07/24/2025 01:30
Subject: Florida more expensive than Great Falls? I don't know how anyone plans to retire there
Anonymous wrote:I'm seriously wondering how people are planning to retire in Florida these days. I currently live in the Langley High area in an 8000 square foot home, probably worth around $3 million. When I started looking at homes in Florida Fort Lauderdale, Miami, even Orlando I was shocked to see prices often higher than what we have here in Great Falls, and for homes half the size.
Where are the savings? I always thought Florida was supposed to be more affordable, especially for retirement. But from what I’m seeing, that doesn’t seem to be true anymore.
I ran the numbers on a $1.5 million home in Fort Lauderdale, not even on the water, and even with the house fully paid off, the monthly carrying costs (insurance, property taxes, and HOA) came out to around $3,000 a month. That’s without a mortgage. Unless you’re renting part of it out, how does anyone afford that on a retirement income?
What happened to Florida being a retirement haven? Is anyone else seeing the same thing? I’m genuinely curious how people are making it work.
How are your property taxes not high on a 3 mil home?
Anonymous
07/23/2025 16:20
Subject: Florida more expensive than Great Falls? I don't know how anyone plans to retire there
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:The very wealthy are buying up those expensive homes, including many wealthy foreigners.
The not so wealthy buy smaller condos, and they are also hurting due to the high insurance costs.
No smart money is going to florida.
Desantis has run it into the ground and the insurance situation is insane.
Dude, (or dudette, suspect latter) smart money has been flocking to Florida for ages due to the generous no state income tax and no inheritance tax. Much of rich NYC are officially residents of Florida. And DeSantis is pretty popular. Gets high marks for an efficient (perhaps breathtakingly efficient) administration. Suspect you know nothing about Florida, let alone even been to Florida.
Am amused at the comments on here. Plenty of houses in Florida across all price levels. $3k a months seems like reasonable carrying costs for a $1.5M+ house covering taxes and insurance. A lot of very expensive housing in the state and a lot of middle class housing and everything in between. Yes, if you're right on the coast it is more expensive but it's on the coast, ya know? Just like coastal property anywhere.
3k is way too much for retirement it should be Luke $250
Anonymous
07/23/2025 16:17
Subject: Florida more expensive than Great Falls? I don't know how anyone plans to retire there
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:The very wealthy are buying up those expensive homes, including many wealthy foreigners.
The not so wealthy buy smaller condos, and they are also hurting due to the high insurance costs.
No smart money is going to florida.
Desantis has run it into the ground and the insurance situation is insane.
Dude, (or dudette, suspect latter) smart money has been flocking to Florida for ages due to the generous no state income tax and no inheritance tax. Much of rich NYC are officially residents of Florida. And DeSantis is pretty popular. Gets high marks for an efficient (perhaps breathtakingly efficient) administration. Suspect you know nothing about Florida, let alone even been to Florida.
Am amused at the comments on here. Plenty of houses in Florida across all price levels. $3k a months seems like reasonable carrying costs for a $1.5M+ house covering taxes and insurance. A lot of very expensive housing in the state and a lot of middle class housing and everything in between. Yes, if you're right on the coast it is more expensive but it's on the coast, ya know? Just like coastal property anywhere.
Anonymous
07/23/2025 16:15
Subject: Florida more expensive than Great Falls? I don't know how anyone plans to retire there
There is no income tax in Florida.
Anonymous
07/23/2025 15:19
Subject: Florida more expensive than Great Falls? I don't know how anyone plans to retire there
Anonymous wrote:The very wealthy are buying up those expensive homes, including many wealthy foreigners.
The not so wealthy buy smaller condos, and they are also hurting due to the high insurance costs.
No smart money is going to florida.
Desantis has run it into the ground and the insurance situation is insane.
Anonymous
07/23/2025 15:18
Subject: Florida more expensive than Great Falls? I don't know how anyone plans to retire there
The very wealthy are buying up those expensive homes, including many wealthy foreigners.
The not so wealthy buy smaller condos, and they are also hurting due to the high insurance costs.
The not so wealthy buy smaller condos, and they are also hurting due to the high insurance costs.
Anonymous
07/23/2025 15:17
Subject: Florida more expensive than Great Falls? I don't know how anyone plans to retire there
My father spent 900k on a new home in Naples. Not sure what you are looking at- gated communities on a golf course?
Anonymous
07/23/2025 15:16
Subject: Florida more expensive than Great Falls? I don't know how anyone plans to retire there
Even if you can find a good deal, it's going to depreciate quickly—that state is going nowwhere fast.
And you won't be able to insure it.
Don't bother with Florida.
And you won't be able to insure it.
Don't bother with Florida.
Anonymous
07/23/2025 15:14
Subject: Florida more expensive than Great Falls? I don't know how anyone plans to retire there
I'm seriously wondering how people are planning to retire in Florida these days. I currently live in the Langley High area in an 8000 square foot home, probably worth around $3 million. When I started looking at homes in Florida Fort Lauderdale, Miami, even Orlando I was shocked to see prices often higher than what we have here in Great Falls, and for homes half the size.
Where are the savings? I always thought Florida was supposed to be more affordable, especially for retirement. But from what I’m seeing, that doesn’t seem to be true anymore.
I ran the numbers on a $1.5 million home in Fort Lauderdale, not even on the water, and even with the house fully paid off, the monthly carrying costs (insurance, property taxes, and HOA) came out to around $3,000 a month. That’s without a mortgage. Unless you’re renting part of it out, how does anyone afford that on a retirement income?
What happened to Florida being a retirement haven? Is anyone else seeing the same thing? I’m genuinely curious how people are making it work.
Where are the savings? I always thought Florida was supposed to be more affordable, especially for retirement. But from what I’m seeing, that doesn’t seem to be true anymore.
I ran the numbers on a $1.5 million home in Fort Lauderdale, not even on the water, and even with the house fully paid off, the monthly carrying costs (insurance, property taxes, and HOA) came out to around $3,000 a month. That’s without a mortgage. Unless you’re renting part of it out, how does anyone afford that on a retirement income?
What happened to Florida being a retirement haven? Is anyone else seeing the same thing? I’m genuinely curious how people are making it work.