The Real story of living in Fla?

[gm1180]

Hello all! My hubby and I are nearing retirement (62 and 52) and are starting to look into options. We are very attracted to Florida and to TV for all the activities I am reading about in your community. But, in my research I found a book by Ron Stack called Florida Move Guide - The Unofficial Moving to FL Warning. He claims to be a FL real estate agent but is warning those thinking about moving to the state to rethink due to several factors. What is freaking me out is his stern warning about hurricanes, snakes & alligators. He claims that a lot of his clients leave (or want to leave) within a year because of these factors. Can you please share with me your thoughts and what it has Really been like for you living in TV if you moved to Florida from another state? Thank you! (By the way we are in north Georgia)

[Graytop]

Hello all! My hubby and I are nearing retirement (62 and 52) and are starting to look into options. We are very attracted to Florida and to TV for all the activities I am reading about in your community. But, in my research I found a book by Ron Stack called Florida Move Guide - The Unofficial Moving to FL Warning. He claims to be a FL real estate agent but is warning those thinking about moving to the state to rethink due to several factors. What is freaking me out is his stern warning about hurricanes, snakes & alligators. He claims that a lot of his clients leave (or want to leave) within a year because of these factors. Can you please share with me your thoughts and what it has Really been like for you living in TV if you moved to Florida from another state? Thank you! (By the way we are in north Georgia)

There are snakes, hurricanes, and alligators. My wife doesn't like them but it hasn't deterrred us from living here so far. These things exist anywhere the weather is tropical,...it's part of life here. The animals are more afraid of you and the hurricanes come with plenty of warning. (certainly more than a tornado) Don't let these things scare you off,....come on down!:smiley:

[gm1180]

Graytop - are you a guitar player? My hubby is...it would be nice to hear about what playing opportunities there are. If we move he would leave 3 bands behind.

The description of what preparing for hurricanes was difficult to read. Yes, we get lots of tornadoes here but they come up very quickly and you just head for the basement or "safe" place and ride it out. What he is talking about is preparing the house, getting out of dodge, staying out of dodge , etc. Doesn't sound like a lot of fun over and over again in a typical season.

[mulligan]

Hurricanes are not anywhere near as much a concern in TV as they are near the coast. By the time they reach this far inland, they usually drop 1 or 2 categories. You may see some substantial wind and rain, but you could probably sit on your lanai and watch most hurricanes pass by. You probably have as many snakes and gators in Ga. as we do here.

[LittleDog]

We've been here for 7 years and have never experienced a hurricane here. It was more frequent in NJ. Also remember that TV is in the middle of the state and when a hurricane travels over land it loses some velocity.

John

[Applepie]

There are alligators, snakes and hurricanes in Georgia. What's the big deal?
There are also earthquakes in California, torandos in almost every part of the country. Don't be a scary cat. Florida, especially The Villages is wonderful.

[Graytop]

Graytop - are you a guitar player? My hubby is...it would be nice to hear about what playing opportunities there are. If we move he would leave 3 bands behind.

The description of what preparing for hurricanes was difficult to read. Yes, we get lots of tornadoes here but they come up very quickly and you just head for the basement or "safe" place and ride it out. What he is talking about is preparing the house, getting out of dodge, staying out of dodge , etc. Doesn't sound like a lot of fun over and over again in a typical season.

Yes, I am a guitar player. We moved here to be near retired family members. After we moved here I happily discovered that there are multitudes of retired musicians and working musicians living close by, and that The Villages is fast becoming the entertainment capital of central Florida. It wasn't long before I hooked up with some of them and became involved in a couple different bands. Here's the one I'm currently in,....

The Sixties Home (http://www.musicbythesixties.com)

There are numerous guitar clubs your husband can become involved in that meet at our various recreation centers on a regular basis. The styles go from Bluegrass to Jazz and anything in between, also with varying skill levels.

Look at Mulligans post about hurricanes.....

[cappyjon431]

I'm a lifetime Floridian and when I haven't lived in Florida I've lived in other hurricane prone areas (Bahamas, Belize, and coastal North Carolina). I've been through some really bad ones (Hurricane Andrew in south Florida, Hurricane Iris in Belize, Hurricane Irene in the Bahamas) and lots of wimpy ones and near misses. Don't let the fear of these storms keep you from moving here. Being inland (The villages) minimizes the risk and the nice thing about hurricanes is that at least you get plenty of notice to prepare (the news media has become so sensationalized that you start hearing about potential threats well in advance).

Almost anywhere you live there are threats of natural disaster--tornados in the midwest, earthquakes on the west coast, blizzards and ice storms up north. Unlike earthquakes and tornados at least you get plenty of time to prepare for hurricanes. We actually moved to Panama and thought to ourselves, we'll never see another hurricane (the Caribbean coastal area of Panama where we lived had NEVER experienced a hurricane), but we were not there for two months when I experienced my first eartyhquake--I'll take hurricanes anytime!

As for gators and snakes, they are here and they are part of the beautiful natural environment. I am not afraid of them (I grew up around them so I never developed that fear), but my wife is. She gives them their space and they give her space as well (she says they only make good belts). They really are not a threat, especially in a well developed neighborhood like The Villages. you might see an occasional snake here or an occasional gator in one of the lakes or ponds, but they are just as afraid of you as you are of them.

[gm1180]

Good points everyone and well taken! I think his warning in the book was too all encompassing and should not be. As for snakes and alligators I'm all for mother nature as long as they stay out of my house. (Love the belt comment!)

Fun to see that music and musicians are thriving there Greytop! Great site looks like y'all are having a lot of fun playing out! Hubby should be fine with that and bridge and some golf thrown in.

Thank you all for your input. I feel much better.

[buggyone]

I have been here about 3 years in The Villages. Have not had a hurricane yet but I know they would be mainly rain plus very windy for a day or so. By the time they pass over Central Florida, most of the energy is gone.

I do see alligators in the golf course ponds. If my ball lands close to an alligator while he is on the shore, it is a free drop. Stay your distance from a gator and DO NOT FEED them. It is against Florida law and basically you have condemned that animal to be killed.

As for snakes, I have a couple of black racers in my yard area that I see every now and then. Beautiful creatures and harmless. I have seen a few garter snakes, too. Never seen a venomous snake here - but I am sure they are around.

[RichieB]

I do see alligators in the golf course ponds. If my ball lands close to an alligator while he is on the shore, it is a free drop.

How close to a gator are you talking about ?

Just curious.........

[gm1180]

Oh now Fire Ants I know a lot about! LOL

[bandsdavis]

Graytop - are you a guitar player? My hubby is...it would be nice to hear about what playing opportunities there are. If we move he would leave 3 bands behind.

The description of what preparing for hurricanes was difficult to read. Yes, we get lots of tornadoes here but they come up very quickly and you just head for the basement or "safe" place and ride it out. What he is talking about is preparing the house, getting out of dodge, staying out of dodge , etc. Doesn't sound like a lot of fun over and over again in a typical season.

Hi! I am another guitar player planning to move to TV in the coming months (no firm date yet). I will also be looking for people to play with when we get there, so let's keep in touch. In addition to Graytop, I've also corresponded with an organist (CaptJohn) and a drummer (TommyC) on this forum. There will be no deterent to playing music when he arrives! As to your original question, I agree with Graytop. We are certain we will be able to deal with these small issues to live the good life!

B.

[Villages PL]

Hello all! My hubby and I are nearing retirement (62 and 52) and are starting to look into options. We are very attracted to Florida and to TV for all the activities I am reading about in your community. But, in my research I found a book by Ron Stack called Florida Move Guide - The Unofficial Moving to FL Warning. He claims to be a FL real estate agent but is warning those thinking about moving to the state to rethink due to several factors. What is freaking me out is his stern warning about hurricanes, snakes & alligators. He claims that a lot of his clients leave (or want to leave) within a year because of these factors. Can you please share with me your thoughts and what it has Really been like for you living in TV if you moved to Florida from another state? Thank you! (By the way we are in north Georgia)

I moved to central Florida in 1969, so I've been here for about 42 years. The worst 2 storms I have experienced had winds up to 60 miles per hour. It was a little exciting but nothing to really worry about.

Snakes: I believe all states have their own variety of snakes, both poisonous and non-poisonous. I have seen snakes in my home state of CT and have seen a few in central Florida. Since moving to The Villages in 2000 I have only seen one small snake and it was the non-poisonous type. And it was more afraid of me than I was of it. It slithered off and I never saw it again.

Alligators: In all the time I've lived in central Florida, I only remember seeing one alligator. Back in the early seventies I worked for a citrus processing plant and the owner allowed one to live in a nearby pond. Everyone knew it was there but didn't worry about it as it never bothered anyone. :)

If you're really worried about it, when you move to the Villages, buy a home away from marshes, ponds, lakes and wildlife areas.

[Graytop]

Good points everyone and well taken! I think his warning in the book was too all encompassing and should not be. As for snakes and alligators I'm all for mother nature as long as they stay out of my house. (Love the belt comment!)

Fun to see that music and musicians are thriving there Greytop! Great site looks like y'all are having a lot of fun playing out! Hubby should be fine with that and bridge and some golf thrown in.

Thank you all for your input. I feel much better.

We do have fun,....it's a good bunch of guys that I play with !:)

[Happinow]

Before we made the decision to move to TV (we will arrive in May) we talked about all of the things you are concerned about. I've never seen a live gator, except on tv, I hate snakes, the fire ants don't sound too good either. As for hurricanes....like everyone else said, TV is inland, which was what made it easier for us to make our decision to move there, and is protected much more than living in other parts of Florida. We weighed the pros and cons and the pros won by far. We feel we can avoid the gators, probably avoid snakes, the fire ants are probably like the black fly bites we get in NY, and preparing for a hurricane is kinda like preparing for a foot of snow and ice. So, I'd rather be enjoying the fun, the sun and all that TV has to offer than sit here in the North Country and complain about all that I don't like. We will deal with ever comes our way in TV and with such a great community, if anything really bad happens (a hurricane) we will all ban together and help one another until things get back to normal. My daughter, who lives in NC, has lived there a year, and I can't tell you how many times she calls and tells me there are tornado watches for her area. Much more than I've ever heard of extreme weather in TV. I say pack your bags and make the move!! Life is too short to wonder if what it would have been like to live the good life!

[Mikitv]

We moved from the Tennessee and Arkansas area were we had a tremendous amount of Tornado's. At least I will get a warning if a hurricane is coming. There are wild animals in every state we have lived. Tarantulas in Ark and snakes. If you are scared off by that persons opinion then you should stay away. I've been here two years and love it. IMHO

[missypie]

We are not there yet but friends and family are. I NEVER wanted to move to Florida to retire. Then I met TV.

I always say now, I am moving to TV. It is located in Florida.

[bandsdavis]

We are not there yet but friends and family are. I NEVER wanted to move to Florida to retire. Then I met TV.

I always say now, I am moving to TV. It is located in Florida.

PERFECT! :wave:

[ToolGirl624]

Been in Fl. about 9 yrs. and in The Villages 1 yr. We Love it here...so much to do & it really is the friendliest town...always lots going on & I have seen 1 little black snack in 10 yrs. maybe a couple of baby alligators in Leesburg..but ..Hey...thats Florida!! Come on down..and OK..a couple of Hurricans..but we lived in Ohio & had plenty of Tornado's...Find a new Realtor!

[JimPete]

You can't count on living out of harm's way in any area of the country or world for that matter. As an example, when we were down last August to finalize the details of our new home our home state of Virginia was hit by an earthquake and a hurricane in the same week.

I wouldn't make a decision based on that realtor says. Every area of the country has negatives and positives. You have to way the pluses and minuses. IMHO the amenities of TV really tips the scales toward the positve.

Jim

[John_W]

My parents moved from Baltimore to St. Petersburg in 1959 when I was in the 4th grade. I went through high school and junior college there and after an enlistment in the Army I later lived in Pensacola, Savannah and Atlanta. I was pretty much in the south my whole life until a few years ago I did return to Baltimore for a while. As soon as I retired I headed back this way, if it hadn't been for TV I would of probably retired in Pensacola, but it would of definitely been Florida. What's not to like?

[Indydealmaker]

I would take what this author has to say with a "grain of salt". He claims in his book that 1000 people per day move to Florida, but that number is offset by 1000 people per day who leave. This would represent nearly stagnant population figures, but the latest U.S. Census dramatically shows otherwise.

[CarGuys]

I say pack your bags and make the move!! Life is too short to wonder if what it would have been like to live the good life![/QUOTE]

I like Gators because they are big enough to see and stay away from.

I like Gators because they eat snakes!

It's the snake thing that is going to take some getting use to.

Ehhhhhh Gadds!

[hedoman]

There are alligators, snakes and hurricanes in Georgia. What's the big deal?
There are also earthquakes in California, torandos in almost every part of the country. Don't be a scary cat. Florida, especially The Villages is wonderful.

That's what makes FL. Up north we had snow, hurricanes (Irene), wild fires, traffic, smog, snakes called bankers/lawyers, high taxes and such. Gators are not a threat if you know NOT to go into their domain. They are actually quite a converation item

It was cooler here last summer than in PA......

[Jhooman]

We moved here from California, earthquakes-no notice. Tax's very high! To retire we would need to buy down. Here in The Villages we live abundantly well, grand people, great golf courses and other amenities that you we could not find in California.

Check us out, you will be pleasantly surprised. We love it here with the snakes, gators and hurricanes.

Good luck.

[RichieB]

We moved here from California, earthquakes-no notice. Tax's very high! To retire we would need to buy down.

I fully agree with you abour CA being an "unfriendly" retirement state. We fully researched things, since our daughter lives in beautiful San Diego, but taxes are EXTREMELY high, and housing is expensive. CA offers no tax benefits for retirees; even NY offers tax breaks for pensioners.

Only thing holding us back from FL is the heat and humidity of the summers, since my wife has MS.