Considering a move to Florida......need advice.

[NotUrsula]

We're in our fifties, so we've got lots of time to look around. I like northeastern Florida, around Jacksonville. One of our criteria for an area to either retire to, or snowbird in, is lots of cultural activities. I love sports, museums, zoos, music, etc. Therefore, we need to be within an hour of a bigger city. I also want to be no more than 30 minutes away from the beach. We've spent the last 2 spring breaks on Amelia Island. Love the town of Fernandina! St Augustine is on my list of destinations to visit. Lots of sleepy beach towns up and down the southeastern coast that I love to go to for vacation. But to live somewhere, I'm going to need lots of activities, and volunteer opportunities.

You may want to zero in on the Sarasota area; the ratio of cultural opportunities is very high there.

 

[Traveling on cc points]

MA its the worst for taxes!

I think we’ve got you beat her in Connecticut.

 

[QueenIsabella]

Yeah, my BIL/SIL are moving out of CT and just over the border to MA. It's not that MA is so wonderful, it's just looking a lot better than CT these days.

I wanted to mention to the OP--I can't help you at all with moving to FL, but if you're thinking coastal, you have to assume there will be a hurricane and/or flooding at some point. I know someone posted the map of FL and where hurricanes have hit--basically anywhere, given the shape and location of the state. But, ere along the Eastern coast is completely safe--ask the people of NY, NJ, and CT. A few years ago, Hurricane Fay rolled over CT and caused massive damage to Vermont--a land-locked state. It's rare, to be sure, but anything's possible. In addition, if you're near a hurricane zone, you can be affected for weeks, even if you're not in the direct path. Flooding can be anywhere, and it can occur days or weeks after a hurricane. Even if you don't sustain actual damage, distribution routes (food, gas) can be disrupted for hundreds of miles around.

I'm not trying to discourage you--on the contrary, I live in coastal NC, and we love it here. I have no way of knowing how you'll like Florida, and truly hope you find a good match for your needs. I just think you have to be realistic about the possibility of hurricanes impacting your life. OTOH, I'm here to tell you, it's manageable.

 

[Kimkimba]

@Lynn CC

Your community seems amazing! My dad moved 2.5 years ago from NJ to Summerfield, FL. He’s in a 55+ and loves it. He went down not knowing anyone and we are all only children, so it was/is hard for me. At any rate, we have visited him and will be going down this summer, so perhaps we will look into your community. Dad is currently 84 but after losing my mom, he stayed here a few years and decided he wanted to leave the winter weather behind. My DS27 & his fiancée are visiting him now. Dad did take us to Ocala and loved to see the horse farms.

My MIL moved from NJ to Summerfield in a 55+ and loves it, too.

 

[MillauFr]

10 Worse States for Taxes
1. Illinois
2. Connecticut
3. New York
4. Wisconsin
5. New Jersey
6. Nebraska
7. Pennsylvania
8. Ohio
9. Iowa
10. Kansas

You need to consider your income level when determining your tax burden. Washington State has one of the lowest tax burdens in the country for high income residents. It has one of the highest tax burdens for low income residents. Our family gets a pays very little in taxes as none of our income is taxed, we pay almost nothing in vehicle taxes, the property tax rates are very low, and the sales taxes can often avoided as well.

 

[MillauFr]

Ha! Instead of doing what you so astutely recommend, the residents of high tax states instead move to low tax states and vote for politicians who support high tax policies.

That is what happened in Seattle. Many of the residents from California in high tech industries moved to Seattle to escape high taxes. They move here so they can escape paying millions in capital gains taxes to Sacramento when they sell hundreds of millions in stock options. In Seattle all of the stock sales are tax free. Plus the property taxes are very low here too. There is a reason Seattle is the fastest growing major city in the country.