[villages07]

Debbie.... best decision you'll ever make to move to TV.

To your questions...

The heat. If you live here year-round, the heat creeps up gradually and you do become acclimated to it. It is hot from mid June thru the end of Sept ... basically 90-94 everyday. Mornings are lovely and evenings are gorgeous. Midday you stay in the A/C or go to the pool. We seem to have a nice gentle breeze most of the time. I grew up in the DC area (not that different a climate than NJ) and I think the summers here are more tolerable than in the mid-Atlantic .... our summer just lasts longer. Also, the air quality is almost always code green...that's quite different than the big cities of the mid Atlantic and NE. So, summers, to me, are better than up in NJ/DC.

Life in a Bubble...yes, it can be like that. You can be as insulated or as involved/informed as you wish to be. Crime and mayhem and other issues of big cities don't come knocking on our doorstep very often. Orlando sure has its share...although I rarely watch the local news (not quite the same quality that we were used to). On the other hand, we do feel safe and secure here surrounded by so many great people. Not a bad way to feel in your golden years.

Homeowner's Insurance... I remember being very concerned about that. I had read so many horror stories about how hard it was to get HO Insurance and how expensive it was in FL. Well, that was mostly along the coast. I don't think you'll find a problem here and plan on spending between 600 and 1400 per year (depending on the value of your home and coverages). Very general ballpark figure. sinkholes are rare but do happen...smart to make sure you have sinkhole coverage in your HO policy.

Jobs.... this could be a challenge. There aren't that many jobs and the pay isn't great. This is one aspect of your move that you really need to investigate and understand before you commit, especially if making a "living wage" is critical for you. Salaries are certainly not like you are used to in the NE.

Good luck to you!!!