What part of Florida should we move to?

[_19disnA]

If you like the warm weather there are lots of others places in the SE US to consider, I wouldn't just focus on Florida. No matter where you are in Florida, you also have to think about the potential of hurricanes since you are never very far from a large body of water.

 

[aprilgail]

it’s beautiful … save ur pennies… houses are Insane right now in Any of the desirable areas .. going over ask is Not uncommon in the current market.

The places I am looking at are all really cheap- not many over 300,000. Looking at villas in The Sanctuary at Blue Heron.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

With the housing market the way it is, honestly I'd wait to move unless you absolutely need to.

 

[pearlieq]

Given that you're still working and want access to a major airport and big city amenities, Tampa is definitely your best bet of the three. The job and business markets are healthy and you have access to pretty much everything. And anything you can't find here, if you absolutely need it, you can get in either Orlando or Sarasota/Bradenton.

Housing is definitely pricey--you'll be looking at a minimum of 300k for any single family house you'd actually want to live in, and just keep adding if you want space, updates, amenities, or a central location. Townhomes and condos will be cheaper, but they're also smaller and will come with fees, some of which can be eye-watering.

There's nothing wrong with the Palm Coast or Space Coast areas at all, they're just sleepier and won't have all of the infrastructure or amenities it sounds like you're looking for. Maybe keep them in mind for a place to retire, though!

Good luck with whatever you choose!

 

[disney212]

We moved to Lakeland FL. It's about 35 minutes to Tampa and 45 minutes to Orlando. So we get to do both areas fairly easy.

We have been looking in Lakeland!

 

[HopperFan]

We want to be close to a bigger city. We enjoy things like concerts, sporting events, and just fun stuff to get us out and enjoy the city. We do enjoy traveling so having a large airport nearby is important. We do enjoy our boating so we want to be close to the water. We dont necessarily need to be directly on the water but close. No kids in the mix so schools are not an issue, but I've still got a good 15 years til retirement so we need a good job market.

St. Augustine here

One area you can look at is Nocatee. Fast growing, almost all new, not far from Ponte Vedra beaches, and in middle between St. Augustine and Jacksonville. Our neighbors in SA just moved there for all the great amenities.

St. Augustine is full of wonderfully artistic people so no shortage on live music indoors and out. One of the top concert venues in the south. Small theater. Museums, galleries, festivals, so much to do you could stay busy every day if you wish. It is a big foodie town with so many good restaurants, several right on the water. Farmer's markets in town and just west by farms.

Staying in the northern parts also gives you a slight winter and break from the heat. Jax airport is not far and we pickup/drop there without issue. Going to Jax for fun easy as well, our gang drives up for football games and other activities.

Disney isn't far, nor is Pt Canaveral if you cruise.

 

[Stratman50th]

We live in Polk City, which is on the border of Lakeland. About 30 minutes from Orlando and 40 from Tampa. We are pretty much surrounded by cattle ranches and citrus groves. About a 10 minute drive west on I-4 takes you to 98 which has just about everything you would find in the suburbs. Anything more "urban" than that would require a trip to Orlando or Tampa. We love it here because it's around 6 hours, maybe a little more to anyplace in the state. While hurricanes are no joke, we are affected here less than the coastal areas along the beaches. I've run into this thread a couple of times and didn't comment since it really didn't meet your requirements but Lakeland, which is close might. Our circumstances were a little different in that we have bought our retirement home a few years before we retired. We have a motorcoach and this development was designed for that purpose. Almost all houses here have a large port or garage that will accommodate a 45' coach. I live on a lake also and that makes my day complete. Good luck in your search.

 

[Joe in VA]

Moved to Tampa in March and wish I had done it much sooner!

 

[PurpleHaze]

Wow, I completely forgot about this thread. One thing I did not mention in my original post was that my company at the time had a sister company in the Tampa area. At that time I was open to changing jobs. Then in January of 2022, my company took over control of the sister company and I got the opportunity to take on a bigger role and work out of the Tampa office. Currently, my wife (yes we got married last year) are still in Alabama waiting on our new home to be finished. Once construction is complete hopefully in the next month or so we will become residents of Apollo Beach. We are very excited and cant wait to get down there.

 

[ford family]

Wow, I completely forgot about this thread. One thing I did not mention in my original post was that my company at the time had a sister company in the Tampa area. At that time I was open to changing jobs. Then in January of 2022, my company took over control of the sister company and I got the opportunity to take on a bigger role and work out of the Tampa office. Currently, my wife (yes we got married last year) are still in Alabama waiting on our new home to be finished. Once construction is complete hopefully in the next month or so we will become residents of Apollo Beach. We are very excited and cant wait to get down there.

Got to love those manatees in the winter months.

ford family