Rent b4 buy?
 

Has anyone chosen to rent for a year before taking the plunge?

We rented for six months before we bought but it was because we sold our home quicker than we had thought! Even though we had a 6 mos lease, we started going to open houses right away and bought 3 months after getting here. It was nice having the additional 3 months for a leisurely move into our ore-owned courtyard villa! We had rented for 2 separate monthly visits in 2010 before making the decision to move here.

Yes rented three times before we bought

Yes if you can
 

We rented 3x for a month at a time. Each area of TV has its pros & cons. We went to many open houses both new & pre-owned. Take a tape measure with you & measure rooms and Garages to see if they meet your needs. Some people move 2-3 times looking for the right house. If you can, rent the model house you think you want to buy!

We will arrive in TV in July to start a 1 year lease in Sanibel. Will use that year to research different types and models of homes before we buy or build.

I think thats a smart idea.

I came for my LSV in May of this year just to "check it out". I thought perhaps if I was inclined, I might rent something a bit later on to have more of an experience. In the one week I was there, I ended up making a decision to buy a lot (which I did) and build a home. I think it just depends on how things strike you while there. I have not regretted for one instant the decision to start building and hope to be full time in another year... Good luck with whatever your intentions, but the most important thing is to enjoy your time there!

We rented for 3 months while we looked for a house. It worked out well.

We are renting for a year before we make a final decision. Tons of variables to consider.....