Thinking of moving to Florida

[cabotnn22]

Hi,

My husband and I currently live in Canada - but he has dual citizenship. We're considering move to Florida for health reasons. My lungs don't react well to the severe cold during the winters in Canada anymore. We're considering St. Augustine or Key West. Does anyone in this forum have any pros/cons for both places. To be honest, I've been to Key West but only briefly. I enjoyed it.

[JoseBalow]

1. The best decision I ever made

was moving out of Florida.

[Keepthesoulalive]

28. Amen

[mahatmakanejeeves]

2. College town? Someplace with a med school, for the health care? NT

[3Hotdogs]

5. Health care? Florida?

You're shittin' me.

Florida is where you go if you lost your MD license and can't practice anywhere else.

University Hospital is named University Hospital because it is on University Avenue...

[sab390]

3. There are other states

Southern Alabama or Georgia. I would just say take a look at that too. Mobile is a nice place with great golf.

[cabotnn22]

14. Thanks!

We're definitely looking for somewhere warm and near water.

[The Blue Flower]

4. The heat and humidity--ugh

My family moved from Detroit to the outskirts of Orlando in July of 1959. I grew up there until 1970, then lived there again off and on through the 70s and 80s. St. Augustine is near the Atlantic, so the air may be fresher, but it's hard to breathe when it's hot and humid inland. And don't ask about the palmetto bugs. They're flying cockroaches. I'd never live there again since I like having all four seasons where I am. But to each his own, of course.

[cabotnn22]

15. Flying cockroaches are so disgusting

LOL..I'd forgotten about them.

[Phoenix61]

26. The only thing that makes me scream like a little girl.

Ever put on a shirt that one was hiding in? ARGH!!!

[Keepthesoulalive]

31. We call them palmetto bugs

They fly blind and bump into everything.

[The Blue Flower]

33. There's nothing like having one buzz by your ear at midnight

Sickening and scary feeling. UGH.

[leighbythesea2]

6. Key West

I lived there. Its fabulous.
Expensive. US 1 highway is only way in & out. I was told best to have a boat, bc that’s the way to get out & enjoy nature. The water is the back yard, so to speak. I did find this true, very little land so you can get rock fever.
I like to cycle & it’s not long rides there. Plus flat. Overall, would recommend.
I lived in Ft Meyers also, & being able to drive anywhere was a huge benefit. St Augustine is lovely too!
If I moved back a 3rd time would definitely go to Tampa or Panhandle area. Maybe Tarpon Springs, but any would be nice.
Check the homeowners insurance situation. home owners insurance being high, & flood insurance nearly not available because of hurricanes.
If you buy, check the township & city to be sure you can rent, if you wanted? If you were to go back and forth? A friend bought in Tampa and now cannot rent her place, while in Michigan. (She works for a company in Detroit, & Canada—they’ve been asked to come back into office part time, so now she’s in Michigan for weeks at a time).

[cabotnn22]

17. Thanks for the reply

I love sailing - which is one reason we want to be near water. Key West, we've heard, has a really good sailing culture. We've thought about doing the back and forth thing, and it is an option. Spring/Summer in Canada and Autumn/Winter in the US. My husband works online, so it wouldn't be an issue. The only problem is trying to arrange with my employer for me to work remotely for 4-6 months. I work for a union, so it may be possible.

[Raven123]

7. You will probably do this anyway, but check out the housing market

Florida is receiving a lot of attention for increasing insurance premiums, and overbuilding leading to declining home prices and increased time for homes being on the market.

As I understand it the problem is not equal throughout the state, but understanding it might help your decision making.

I have no personal knowledge of the market, just what I have read and heard in the media.

[cabotnn22]

18. Thanks

I definitely will look into it. Honestly, I'd not considered it.

[Alliepoo]

8. How about North Carolina? It doesn't get super

Cold, still seasonal and there are some blue areas with decent medical care available. A gal I graduated with and her husband moved to New Mexico a couple of years ago and they love it. Again, you get some weather but not sickening or sustained cold. Good luck with whatever you decide!!

[cabotnn22]

19. Thanks! My husband spent a lot of time in Asheville

He loved it. He did throw out Wilmington, NC as an option. We'd be closer to his family as well.

[appalachiablue]

9. Friends in Jacksonville have had good experiences with medical care at

nearby Mayo Clinic in St Augustine I think. I love the Spanish influenced culture and art of Old Florida in places like St. Augustine and Key West which I've visited many times. What little I've seen of SW Fla., Naples and Sarasota is very nice with beautiful beaches.

Climate change and governance are big negatives for the sunshine state unfortunately. Regardless, all the best with your plans and search.

[cabotnn22]

20. Thanks so much!

I love cities with a bit of history and interesting architecture.

[Ritabert]

10. I left Florida when my home insurance hit $7000 per year

Now it would be $12,000. Key West is very expensive and it's a party town which can get annoying. St. Augustine was nice to visit.

[Tbear]

11. If you can afford Key West

then Pointe Verde might be nice. On US1 in between Jacksonville and St Augustine.
Lived in Jacks and St A but it was 40 years ago.

[Timeflyer]

12. As a longtime FL resident, move anywhere else but here--our summers are 9 months long and brutally humid.

Home insurance is hugely expensive and rising yearly, and our state gov't is owned by greedy conservative billionaire developers who buy the politics they want, and public education is going to privatization hell. But other than that--if you like staying inside your air-conditioned home, car, etc. and taking two showers a day to stay somewhat fresh after stepping outdoors---plus, the whole coastline being rearranged after each hurricane season...

But I could be wrong.

[cabotnn22]

21. Yikes

That doesn't sound good. We do have a couple of other options (one of which is North Carolina). Obviously, we're not enamored of the current government but unfortunately all the warm states seem to be red. I may be wrong - but I don't think DeSantis can run again. Maybe Florida will elect a Democratic governor next time.

[Keepthesoulalive]

32. Why don't you try renting for a year

And see if you like it.

[Timeflyer]

43. It will take 20 years for Florida to turn around the complete GOP takeover of courts, legislatures, gov.

If it happens ever. Many people come here (post air-conditioning) thinking it will just be sort of temporary, not really "home" in the sense that they care deeply about it, deeply enough to really care what happens to FL in future. It suits their needs, they imagine, for now--and look, no snow, yippee. But how many clothes can you take off when sweat is pouring in your eyes if you try to take a 10-minute walk outside at 11:00am in June? Believe me, global warming is hitting here fast, worse every year. There's a reason FL was the real last frontier in US before AC. That, and the predatory developers and politician/grifters--if you have a choice, give FL a pass.

[buzzycrumbhunger]

13. Holy cow...

I grew up in Eastern Iowa and am not sure I could embrace the tundra again, but I’m kicking myself for not looking for a nice, burly Canadian guy to whisk me away from here when I was still young enough to swing it.

Florida is FULL. The insurance companies have almost all withdrawn from insuring homes because climate change is worsening. You’d find rents here astronomical and if you buy a house, you need to be prepared to self-insure (as in YOU pay to replace it when a hurricane wipes you out or accept the loss and keep moving on). Roads, traffic, and overdevelopment are AWFUL, even through the summer months now. We’ve had monstrous Repuke government since Lawton Chiles died in the late 1980s—Rick Scott, Ron fucking Desantis, Marco Rubio, ad nauseam. They’ve decimated what made Florida great—especially bad in Sarasota, which used to have outstanding schools like New College, which have been gutted in the image of the fascist right.

I did acute care transcription for over 15 years and my favourite hospital was in Toronto. I can’t imagine that anyone would want to give up Canadian healthcare for the horrendous for-profit mess and slap-dash treatments here.

Even Key West is not what it used to be, and with the sea level rising, it might not even be here. All our coastline is in peril.

Honestly, I’m flabbergasted that people still view Florida as the ultimate retirement oasis. It’s not. Many of us would do anything to get the hell out of Florida, but the cost of living is so high and wages are so low, who can afford to?

Shaking my head that this is still a retirement dream for anyone.

[cabotnn22]

22. Thanks!

We live in an area of Canada will terrible health care, unfortunately. There are no doctors and the wait times are so long. To be honest, I love my country. I enjoy living here but the winters are just destroying my lungs. You and the others have definitely given me something to think about. My husband grew up i NC, and he's gently suggesting it might be a better option (closer to his family, etc.)

Honestly, more Democrats need to move to warm states! Turn them blue.

[Lochloosa]

27. I second NC. I would suggest looking at Hayesville.

Hidden gem

[piddyprints]

30. Florida won't be kind to your lungs.

The humidity makes it hard to breathe…. not to mention all the mold from that humidity. Added to that, they do aerial insect spraying, which you might not notice until you get sick and can’t figure out why. I’d stay away. Plus all the other things people have already said about insurance, rising sea levels, housing, and medical care. We left in 2006 and never looked back.

We are in East TN now, to be near our daughter. But if I had it to do over again, I would love to settle in Asheville, NC. We go there for day trips. It’s a nice blue oasis in our sea of red. We’re going this Friday, as a matter of fact. We frequent one of the art galleries and have made friends with several of the artists.

I know what you mean about the cold. I just can’t tolerate it.

[buzzycrumbhunger]

40. Asheville used to be THE place to go in NC

In recent years, it’s become hugely overrun as well, and cost of living there is also ridiculous. Lots of snowbirds moved to FL and hated it here, so bounced halfway back to Asheville because “everybody” was going there… I looked into it maybe 10 years ago and it was way more expensive than Sarasota. Now, I don’t hear of anyone yearning to move there. Might make more sense to look at a hidden gem in that general area that hasn’t been spoiled yet.

[Geechie]

16. Required watching and everything you need to know

(Coming from a lifelong Floridian)

]

[cabotnn22]

24. LOL

Thanks. He's good.

[flvegan]

23. Long time and current Floridian here.

Tampa area, to be specific. Honestly, I love it here. If I were moving here now, I'd definitely rent, probably somewhere in or around Lakeland in the middle of the state. Homeowners insurance can be someone else's nightmare. A 3/2 here in a nice area is $1800-2k/mo. Same for a condo if you don't want to ever mow anything. Plus, renting lets you pack up and move elsewhere in the state if you're not happy with the locale. I'd stay away from Miami. Miami is like that drunk friend. You know they're a lot of fun, but nothing good is going to come of you hanging out together.

That said, where you want to live depends on what you want to do. You mentioned the Keys, not sure if it's the lifestyle or the proximity to the ocean. You have to stay prepared, as hurricane (hype) season starts in like February now. Yeah, the weather folks on the tv like to keep the folks good 'n scared almost year round at this point. No state income tax. Not sure if that matters to you folks.

Of course there's endless stuff to do here for entertainment. For example, here, we've got the beach 30 minutes away. More theme parks within an hour than I care to think about at this point. Golf courses, parks, markets, bars, all the usual stuff. We have great sports teams like the Lightning and the Rays. We also have the Buccaneers (they try really hard). Baseball spring training is all over the place. Plus, it's right in the middle, so everything else in the state is either a day trip or a nice weekend.

Downsides? Oh baby, you bet. It IS hot, but you get used to it over time. The drivers here suck. I mean not like Jersey suck, but really suck. This naturally makes traffic a problem (actually, that's more a population problem, but whatever). The politics are terrible, as the entire place is gerrymandered all to hell, and the stupid voters currently outnumber everyone else. There are gators, like really big ones, in every body of water that isn't chlorinated. Oh, and back to the weather. It can be absolutely pouring in one side of a street while the other side is completely dry. It will pour for 20 minutes, dropping an amazing amount of rain, then back to a beautiful day. With that rain comes local street flooding, because our politicians will let anyone pave and build, but won't touch infrastructure. Someone above mentioned palmetto bugs. I'll let you google that. Or DuckDuckGo that. Whatever we're not boycotting today.

If you want any other opinions or info, you're welcome to message me.

Good luck with your decision!

[cabotnn22]

25. Thanks so much!

We're still weighing options. To be honest, I'm the one pushing for Florida. We definitely will visit our three "finalists" before making a decision.

I do love being by the ocean. I grew up near the ocean and am very much a creature of the sea. As I've said elsewhere, I wish all the warmer states in the US weren't so damned red! We need more blue state residents moving to warmer climates.

[Phoenix61]

29. No, just no. There is no where on the coast safe from

a devastating hurricane. Home insurance is insanely expensive. Due to the collapse of a condo that claimed the lives of 93 people a state law was passed that requires inspection of older condos. The cost of those inspections and the repairs will be passed on to the owners by the HOAs. So, lots of condos getting dumped on the market. I won’t even get into the MAGA political bs. I’ve lived most of my 63 years in Florida but not a snowballs chance in hell I’d willingly move here. I’d look into the research triangle in North Carolina.

[mitch96]

34. I've lived in Florida most of my life. Came for school and never left. Problems? yes. Then again most states

have their problems. Hot? yes. you live in A/C in the summer and winters are mild. In northern winters, you go from a heated house to a heated car to a heated job. In Florida summers you go from a air conditioned house to a air conditioned car to a air conditioned job.. It's a 180º flip..
Hurricanes? At least you know they are coming. If it bothers you just leave. I mean tornados and earthquakes come quick with no warning. I hate shoveling snow. The politics in florida SUCK and as mentioned the traffic and drivers are bad. I'm retired so the living is inexpensive for me. Low taxes. If you own a home/townhome/condo after a year you get a rebate on taxes. $25,000 right off the top. Taxes are the least expense I have. Auto and home insurance are a bit high but less than what friends up north are paying..
I lived in South Florida most of my life and I recently (5 yrs ago) moved to west central florida. It just might be me but the people seem nicer, more polite on this coast. Still can't drive worth a shit.
Lots of older drivers. It's funny but people from the east coast of the US move to the east coast of Florida and people from north central US move to the west coast of florida..
Would I move? sure but I don't like the cold so I guess I'll stay here.
Like others have said, rent and see if you like the area. If not move to another area and try it out.
.On my walk this morning (69ºF with low humidity) the air actually smelled sweet.. weird, huh..
Good luck with the quest..

m

[mitch96]

35. I forgot to mention this website is a good place to get info from people that live in the area you are interested in

https://www.city-data.com.
m

[Karadeniz]

36. How about a SW state, Arizona, New Mexico or Nevada?

[Bev54]

37. Is this a joke?

From Canada to Florida??

[drray23]

38. Sorry but you've got to be kidding

I cannot believe you would seriously consider that. Florida is a hellhole controlled by right wingers. I am not sure how you could think for a second that healthcare in Florida would be better than in Canada. Even if you have to deal with wait times for some procedures in Canada, at least you will not end up bankrupt and dead if you have a serious health challenge.

As far as lodging, it's going to be impossible to get mortgages and insure houses in the next few years. Insurance companies are withdrawing from the market, and those that do not are raising their prices. It is more expensive to insure the house than the mortgage itself.

As far as your lungs, Florida is the last place you would want to be, its hot and humid, not dry.

[sinkingfeeling]

39. Please consider some places other than Florida. I could only stand living

there for 14 months. If you truly want the US, try New Mexico or Arizona. I would suggest looking farther to the south, like Mexico or Central America.
Key West is more liberal than northern Florida.

[JustAnotherGen]

41. What about Costa Rica?

We bought land on utilities in Parrita. Our member Arenal moved there from the US.

Our goal winter and spring Costa Rica and Summer and fall at our home in Italy (Mountains)

[Alliepoo]

42. And another thing I just remembered-

Those freakin’ little no-see-um’s down there in FL will chew you up and eat you alive. I hate those things. You have to slather on bug spray or pay the price of itchy bug bites everywhere and those little suckers get in places you wouldn’t think they could!

[iscooterliberally]

44. I would pick St Augustine over Key West.

It's not that I don't like both places. I used to play in a band at Sloppy Joe's back in the 90s. Key West is very small and you will most likely have to evacuate when a hurricane comes your way. It's not fun trying to get out of there when the roads are all jammed up. Sometimes they even get shut down and people get stuck. It's a fun place to visit, but I wouldn't want to live there full time. The down side of St Augustine is that it's going through major growing pains. My sister and brother in law bought a house there a couple of years ago and there are too many cars and not enough road. There's lots of construction going on. I live just north of Fort Lauderdale. It's very congested down here and more and more people keep coming. My rent has gone up about a thousand dollars a month over the last five years. I've been all over the world and worked in 18 different countries across three continents. I keep coming back here where I grew up. It's not everyone's cup of tea, but I'm used to it. Good luck with whatever you decide!