Factor to Consider - Insurance
My husband and I lived in Pinellas County (Clearwater, St. Petersburg area) for many years. After the 2004 and 2005 hurricanes, the homeowners insurance market changed drastically for all living in coastal counties. The building codes also changed after 2005.
Our home was built pre-2005. We lived five miles from the water. Our homeowners insurance was $14,000 a year in 2012-13, the year we left. Our homeowners insurance in The Villages, (similar value home but post-2005 built), is around $1,000.
If costs are a factor in your decision, look carefully at all the cost of living items.
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