[duffysmom]

If I'm not mistaken I've read that the most transplants to TV are from FLORIDA. Does anyone have the statistics on this?

[rubicon]

I like the thought of the coast but not actually living there. I hated the Keys. We choose TV because of the various zoning /deed compliance and rules. However Central Florida is too cold and Central Florida is going to continue to get very very congested which to me is a real turn off because I moved here to get away from the rat race but just when you want to quit they pull you back in.

One of my favorite places in the US is Laguana Niguel especially around Dana Point.

[Bay Kid]

My parents have been renting in TV for 4 years. This year I came to help Dad w/Mom. I love the water, but I never have that safe feeling for parents anywhere in Florida except in TV. Dad loves TV sooooo now I do also! We will be new owners in a little over a month. We will stay in VA on the great Chesapeake Bay for a least 6 months a year. This will be the 1st year I can remember that I will be looking forward to cold weather because we will be heading to TV!!!

[buzzy]

We have just spent 19 years in an east coast waterfront condo, but only retired four years ago. The condo people were so angry and miserable that it was spoiling our retirement. When we got to The Villages, there were so many nice people enjoying themselves, that we got hooked. Although we can't sell the condo right now, we won't be using it any more.

[Barefoot]

Originally Posted by Bay Kid

This will be the 1st year I can remember that I will be looking forward to cold weather because we will be heading to TV!!!

We feel exactly the same way. We love it when the leaves change color ... that means we'll soon be on our way back to The Reservation!

[senior citizen]

Originally Posted by buzzy

We have just spent 19 years in an east coast waterfront condo, but only retired four years ago. The condo people were so angry and miserable that it was spoiling our retirement. When we got to The Villages, there were so many nice people enjoying themselves, that we got hooked. Although we can't sell the condo right now, we won't be using it any more.

We can relate to your experience of condo living, but you really stuck it out for 19 years which is a long time.

After owning a solitary home and raising our family to adulthood, college graduation, marriage..........we thought that selling their childhood home and downsizing to a beachfront condo would be "ideal"....so that we did back in 1994. Sold all of our furniture; replaced it down there with Florida furniture......

Just stayed end of December of 1994 to April 1st , 1995 and flew back to Vermont to buy a home in our old neighborhood again, where we've been for the past 18 years.

What you said about the condo owners , which I assume you also meant the Homeowners Association, was also true of the ones in Venice Florida. First of all we were not retired and were younger at age 49. They were all silver haired elderly folks..........like we are now at 68/67. Time flies.

Crotchety beyond belief........the HO meetings were a laugh.
We are still "young at heart" as all our young friends tell us.....

I finally realized what the car rental gal in Sarasota meant when she asked, "Why do you want to live on Venice Beach with such old people".

It sounds funny now, but I didn't have a clue...........but then it didn't take long.............the condo turned out gorgeous, the beach was fantastic.....we had a balcony gulf front looking down on the pool and the sand and Gulf of Mexico..........plus a balcony in the rear looking down on the Esplanade............it was a "Main Street Community" and laid out in a beautiful fashion..........a planned community of its time. Very pretty.
It had jetties for fishing, etc...........great shopping on the "avenue"....

But beach front condo living was not for us.........and I was never so happy as to get back to another home in Vermont...........with my own *laundry room, etc. and no Homeowners Association..........so, it's been 18 years back here, but now the winters are definitely getting to us........and Florida is calling us back again.

Third time might be the charm. We did live in Florida for one year when our children were 18 mos. and 5 years old, in Satellite Beach, Florida......near Cape Kennedy.

*We had put in a request to add a stackable washer / dryer while doing our kitchen remodeling........and they put the kabosh on that....although the plumber said the plumbing was adequate.......I had my elderly mom with early stage Alzheimers with us as she was recently widowed and we could not leave her behind.............I had to take her every day up or down the elevator as our floor did NOT have a laundry room on it.......hoping she wouldn't wander away, me with the heavy laundry basket...first to put it in the wash......then back...then to take her again to put it in the dryer........then to pick it up. A pain.

One old codger confronted us and said we didn't belong on his floor in his laundry room..........(our floor didn't have one; it was every other floor); my dear old mom nicely put him in his place and he didn't know how to respond........she simply explained that if that were the case then where is my daughter to go with the laundry??????

The realtors also did not disclose that the RED TIDE was prevalent to the point of causing illness and we are NOT hypochondriacs. Our realtor always wore a surgical mask and even when re selling our condo would come into our unit wearing his mask...........really weird.........to say the least.............he was about 80 and it didn't take us long to realize he had no customers to show our condo to..........we'd see him stop strangers walking on the beach........and then he'd bring them upstairs to our third floor unit.......still sandy, damp or wet, etc........and take them through the rooms............an experience for sure.

We moved back to Vermont, bought a home in our old neighborhood.........and luckily sold the condo to a woman from Hawaii..........she loved it and it did turn out beautifully; the workmen had been great and really got it remodeled in about two months time while we moved around during "winter high season" with mom in tow.........our Vermont house had sold in October and they wanted us out by December 15........long story............but I can relate to your angry condo people. They were all grumpy.

We got my mom back to her support system up here and that was important at the time.........a learning experience re buying in Florida. We had always rented condos on vacation, in various beach resort, but owning one is a totally different thing. Nothing like a single home. A man's home is his castle.

As I've said on other posts, during our 48 years of marriage, we always vacationed primarily up and down both coasts of Florida.........explored it all.
Never thought at all of living "inland"..........only time we went inland was every April school vacation to take the kids to Disney World for a week.....for 15 years.
Central Florida is "different" than the coasts..........and we would feel safe from crime in the "bubble" of THE VILLAGES.........compared to either seacoast of Florida.

[tucson]

Originally Posted by Golf-Tinker

Coastal property insurance rates are extremely high because of hurricane storm damage in recent years.

Many owners of coastal property have been forced to self insure because they either cannot find an insurer or they cannot afford the cost of property insurance.

TV property rates are much less ... So far.

No, that is not true. My condo in S.Fl.is a walking distance to the Intracoastal and I pay 800.a yr. (that's without a Homestead Exemption). My house in TV was just under 4000. ( WITH a Homestead Exemption)

[graciegirl]

Originally Posted by tucson

No, that is not true. My condo in S.Fl.is a walking distance to the Intracoastal and I pay 800.a yr. (that's without a Homestead Exemption). My house in TV was just under 4000. ( WITH a Homestead Exemption)

Are you quoting taxes or insurance? Seems high for insurance.

[tucson]

OOPS! Yes, I did. (haven't had my coffee yet.:-) My condo insurance is 350 a yr. TV was 900. yrly.

[Cedwards38]

TV lifestyle.

[2 Oldcrabs]

Spent 5 years traveling to differnt area of FL. Found insurance rates to be high near the water. Did not like the damage that "salt air" does to metal. TV may not be perfect, but it is safe & comfortable. If I want to vacation to the beach, it is a short drive.

[JourneyOfLife]

Those comments about the red tide were good to know.

It reinforces the wisdom of the advice... "when relocating to a new area... rent for a year or so before you buy" so you can be sure you want to live/own in that location and in that community (town, neighborhood, association).

[EastCoastDawg]

Originally Posted by JourneyOfLife

Why did you choose to be in Central Florida instead of a Coastal Region.

When Central Florida is an island, around 2050, I'll still have my real estate

[senior citizen]

Originally Posted by DougB

We have a house on the east coast in Melbourne because of the ocean and the Indian River and one here in Central Florida because that is where The Villages is.

You most definitely have the "best of both worlds" in having a home on the seacoast in Melbourne as well as the one in THE VILLAGES, FLORIDA.

We were just double checking real estate in Indialantic and Indialantic by the Sea , Melbourne Beach, etc.

Not necessarily "second guessing" ourselves, but just "revisiting" as we lived in Satellite Beach for one year many moons ago. We do not recall any type of winter "snow bird congestion" back then on A1A or Patrick Drive (?) the alternate road.....my husband had a business connection in Indialantic.

In just checking their real estate , there are many nice pool homes on larger properties and just a few blocks to the beach.........the crime rate is below the national average and the population is around 2,000.

We do remember the two causeways to the mainland.......and Tropical Trail which had hills and reminded us of Vermont (a little bit) ......when we were nostalgic for home.

Indialantic has the fishing pier and a nice park for the grandkids.......
with the Indian River on one side and the Atlantic Ocean on the other side, lots of boating opportunities.........should my hubby ever decide to re purchase a smaller boat than the one he just sold.

Guess I still have "beach" and "seashore" on my mind having just enjoyed the five grandchildren (with more to come) ; their enthusiasm for all that the coastal area offered was contagious.

The Space Coast is also extremely close to where the cruise ships go out at Port Canaveral and not too far from the Disney Beach Resort in Vero Beach , a place we also enjoyed very much.

When you "map it".....that part of the Atlantic Ocean beaches are still nice and empty......not honky tonk like in the more southern areas of the east coast of Florida.........nor the Gulf Coast of Florida beaches....

A friend has been researching the west coast up by Homosassa Springs but I think that big open swamp land would mean too many mosquitos......which I really do not recall when we lived on the east coast..........nor was there red tide like on the Gulf Coast where we bought a condo on the beach.



Again, you most definitely have the best of both worlds in having two homes, one on the coast and one in The Villages...



Home Town Snapshots Florida Above Average Costs



**Please keep scrolling down as I can't get the bottom portion to move up............

oX

Retire in Indialantic, Florida?



Overview: Clean, pretty Indialantic sits on a barrier island along the southern tip of Florida's Space Coast. The town's name, as might be guessed, comes from its location between the Indian River Lagoon and the Atlantic Ocean. It is connected to the mainland via a causeway.

The rambling stretch of beach is often uncrowded, and parking is plentiful. The 5 block long boardwalk has shops and restaurants, and busy 5th Avenue, which dead ends at the ocean, is lined with palm trees and eclectic retailers in attractive, modern buildings. Indialantic is also home to the Jungle, the county's only organic eatery. Nance Sea Turtle Park, which now covers the land where the well known Indialantic Casino and Hotel once flourished, has fishing stations, showers and a pavilion. Nance Park is also home to Indialantic's annual Art Festival. There are two recording studios in town, and live music is always a possibility. The Indialantic Chamber Singers, a group of 40 auditioned voices, present three to four concerts per year. Neighborhoods are neatly laid out and are well kempt, with everything from modest, inland manufactured homes to expensive waterfront residences along the river or a canal. x

Population: 2,700 (city proper)

Percentage of Population Age 45 or Better: 51%


Cost of Living: 13% above the national average

Median Home Price: $230,000

Climate: Summer temperatures are in the 80s and 90s, and winter temperatures are in the 60s and 70s. On average, the area receives 52 inches of rain per year.

At Least One Hospital Accepts Medicare Patients? No, but Holmes Regional Medical Center is 3 miles away in Melbourne and accepts Medicare patients.

At Least One Hospital Accredited by Joint Commission? No, but Holmes Regional Medical Center is 3 miles away in Melbourne and is accredited.



Public Transit: No
Crime Rate: Below the national average
Wal-Mart? No, but one is three miles away in Indian Harbour Beach.
Public Library? No, but Melbourne, 3 miles away, has one
Political Leanings: Conservative

Is Florida Considered Tax Friendly for Retirement? Yes

Cons: The town is losing population, 2% in the last decade.

Notes: Indialantic is a quiet place.

Recommended as a Retirement Spot? Yes

.

[dotti105]

Both my husband and I grew up on Clearwater Beach.

It was beautiful living there "back in the day". My mom still lives in the same water front house, my sister's family lives next door. Beautiful views of the Marina, fun to watch the boats come and go.

As a kid the population of Clearwater beach was about 8,000. Today it is over 100,000. Concrete and high rises everywhere, that is except for the T-shirt shops etc. I hate going back.

We swore that we would never move back to Fla.

Unless you LIVE on the water, it is just like Ga or Kansas for that matter. If you do not have a water view, there are only disadvantages to living near the coast.

The traffic during the season is terrible! You can't get to or from the grocery store, in less than an hour. Seriously! If you are water front you have lots of crowding and lots of commercial. Part of the package!

We visited TV and now we can't wait to get into our Fla home. TV is unique and with the abundant recreation, everyone a transplant, it is very friendly and it is beautiful.
If we had a time machine and could go back to "old " Clearwater, it might be a different story, but even the beauty of being waterfront does not make up for the disadvantages of crowds, commercial and storms.

We evacuated every year, often several times.

We will enjoy visiting the beautiful coasts, but No I would not want to live on the coast. The Villages is the only thing that made us change our minds about moving back to Fla. (And I'm still not sure about the late summer humidity.....and the love bugs..)