I keep it simple;
If there are no palm trees then I am too far North.

The Villages will never flood..the drainage systems are built to prevent that.
We have been through many hurricane warnings , watches and actual hurricanes here in almost 11 years. We have NEVER lost power, been flooded or had any damage. No…very few people leave..but many come from other areas to the relative safety of TV.

July and August in the Villages is like January and February in Chicago. You go out when you have to, or if you really want to. It does not cool off much at night, unlike on hot days in the Midwest. The humidity is very high, with dew points often in the middle 70s or higher. Get used to it. On the other hand, you will not slip and fall on the sunshine, and you never need to shovel the rain.

Right, every area you just mentioned is notorious for that type of weather and thus, people are captive to their AC all day. In other parts of the country, the north east specifically, those days are variable and few in duration. If the former is what some refer to as quality of life, enjoy it.

Blonds Brunette’s Redheads and now Grey heads everyone likes something different

I am from Minnesota and move down here last August. I don't have the luxury of owning two properties so I live here full-time. I also lived in Houston for a couple years, which is just as hot and humid during the summer as this area of florida.

Have you thought of coming down here in July for a week or two to give it a test run, just so you can experience how hot it actually is? You will probably acclimate to it somewhat but if you're the type of person that dislikes heat and humidity then you might not like it no matter how much you acclimate to it. That's the way I felt about the cold and Minnesota, I absolutely hated it. I don't like oppressive heat and humidity either but I tolerate it much better than the cold.

The sun is very hot down here, even when it's in the upper 70s. If there's no breeze and you're in direct sun, the 70s feels like much warmer than the temperature belies.

I'm not sure anybody's gonna be able to answer your question adequately because each person has different tolerances to heat and cold. Maybe you could hang onto your property up north for a year or two and see how it goes?

The difference is.... Cold, bitter cold is actually painful. It's also dangerous if you have to shovel snow, or walk or drive on ice.

Summer in Florida is miserable, during the day, but it doesn't hurt. We live in an air conditioned word. Our homes, cars and places we go all have air conditioning. Yard work is restricted to after dinner...... summer in Florida is better than winter in the frozen north.

Summer vs winter
 

You don't have to shovel heat

We'll snowbird this summer only because we're setting up our house in Upstate NY for sale. When I was younger, didn't have an iffy back, etc. I enjoyed a day on the slopes, but skiing is even more pricey, crowed with less good snow days, and my back won't take it. That leaves us with just stupidly cold days (even when no snow) and winter seems like it lasts 6 months now. Snowblowers, shoveling sidewalks, heating bills, and just getting around can be miserable. Spring (muddy season), Summer, Fall are pretty, and we do enjoy it. In the early 80s, I lived in Michigan on Lake Michigan, which brought a new definition of cold to me with the obscene double digit below zero windchill off the lake. While not having been on a Florida summer in decades, I did work for years in MS, where the heat and humidity were at least as oppressive as FL, with Golf Shores, AL as the nearest clean reasonable beach. We're going to do year-round in TV, the Gulf and the Atlantic are easy day trips to find sea water and breezes. We won't be there every day of summer, but as a hub to go visit kids around the country and generally travel, we're good with just having one place to keep up with. Being <1 hour to MCO makes traveling almost anywhere easy.

We have been in Florida for almost 4 years coming from Ohio.

IF you are wanting to do anything outside during the day from late May till October you must get used to sweating and most of the time ALOT. Any small task you will sweat. It doesn't matter if you feel the humidity it is there. Once you start doing anything you will sweat. A normal 90 degree day yes you experience it up north but it does not compare to 90 degrees here at all. The sun is more intense here and even if you don't feel the humidity when you step outside in 5 minutes you will feel it. It the peak of Summer you will feel the humidity instantly. You will run your car AC probably 350 days of the year. You learn to do activities early in the morning or after the sun goes down like biking or walking. It takes some getting used to and I get hot very easily. You learn to cope with it and do things around weather if it is all possible. When I mow the yard I try to pick a day when the temps are lower and if it is a cloudy day which helps. If you think at all it may not be for you you should plan a trip in July or August for a week in Florida and plan to be outdoors to see if you can handle it. AC IS your friend and most people are inside during the hot part of the day. However, you ARE in Florida so everyone tends to be more active here than up North.

Having lived in upstate NY for 35 years and now living here, here is my comparison.

Northern winters -
1) Looks like a black and white film from November until early April.
2) If it snows, ( or worse yet, an ice storm), while you are away from home, driving can be treacherous. Several times Mother Nature can overwhelm the plow/sanders in the short term. Icy roads can cause accidents no matter how careful you are.
3) While I often backpacked during the winter as a younger man, I am no longer as tolerant to the cold as I have gotten older. So I found myself less active in winter. If you are still active outdoors in the winter, good for you.

Summers in FL -

1) The summers are hot but no worse than what we experienced in NY. The major difference is that we would get significant breaks when a cold front came through. I found that I got used to the heat and planned accordingly with time.
2) My energy bills for the summer are 1/3 of our energy bills for winter up north. We set our thermostat at 78 here and up north we set it at 68.
3) I can mow my lawn in 30 minutes. It seemed like the wind was always blowing when I shoveled snow and it took much longer than 30 minutes.

In the northern winter, we went from heated building, to scraping the windshield then into a heated car, and into a heated building. Down here, you go from AC building to AC car (no scraping involved) to AC building.

BTW, I agree with your decision not to own 2 places in different parts of the country. Good luck.

Every regions weather has its own advantages and disadvantages. If I were able to financially I would have a mountain house in Tennessee to go to a few months in the summer

I grew up in East Lansing. I would admire the fresh fallen snow from inside my house but dread the cold when it was time to walk to school. I’ve lived in Florida for 50 years and never once regretted the trade off of cold winters for hot summers.

Changing climates
 

We are snowbirds from Michigan. I must admit, it's nice to get out of the dreary cloudy Michigan winters for 6 months. It seems like the winters are getting milder up there though. Less snow and warmer days. Still a lot of clouds tho. So, sometimes I think about staying up in Michigan longer before we come to Florida. Coming to The Villages is not always nice either. It's so crowded in the winter, and this year the weather wasn't very good. Overall, I still think being here for a few months (Jan-Mar) makes for a nice break, even if it's crowded and cooler. You wouldn't have to live in the Villages either. Central Florida is a good location because you don't really get damage from hurricanes. And, the weather is cooler than the southern parts.

Summer in The Villages is Enjoyable
 

Summer Temps in The Villages (TV) range mostly between the Mid-80's to Mid-90's in the afternoon. The humidity in TV is typically much lower than along the coast, so these temps are tolerable. My wife and I typically golf in the afternoon during the summer because it's easy to get a Tee-Time, but we select courses with plenty of shade to keep things comfortable.

Hmmm...From Minnesota. First summer here the humidity hit us the most but we had to go back to Minnesota in the summer to check on our house up there and it was 104 degrees that day we arrived in Minneapolis. So we find we are fine here.

You can still go out in the summer, may want to do you exercise early morning, wear your sunscreen, eyewear/hat and stay hydrated. Keep car out of heat if you can if not put a sunscreen in the window. I find the breeze here is more prevalent in the summer as well. Ocean is about 60 min away to enjoy in the summer as well. We have so many pools here to keep you cool too. I found it easier to go out in the summer than to deal with the brutal cold and snow up north. We have done more down here in the summer than we have in the winter up north! And it is healthier lifestyle here as well. Other than the few grey days here this winter, it is sunny most of the time. The hubby has almost wiped out his depression just due to the sunshine here and able to exercise everyday outside!

You can always go visit during those months if it gets a bit warm. I would rather shovel sunshine than snow anyday! Happy soul searching!

Best Wishes!

In Florida summers we take our walks before dawn. Last summer was so unbearably hot and humid I didn’t even go out so then so we stayed up North until it cooled down. Previous summers were more tolerable. As far as winter up North, as you say it’s the lack of sun that is the problem. It would be nice to own just one home but at this point the benefits outweigh negatives. Biggest negative in central Florida is the healthcare. They say TV is one of the healthiest places to live. But watch out if you end up with a serious health issue. Hospitals, medical professionals (in general) and rehab facilities are below par. Some much lower. With some of the horror stories we’ve heard you’d think we were in a third world state. It’s the healthcare that keeps us from becoming permanent residents of Fl.

We moved to TV from northern Michigan. The first summer was a shock. We'd never experienced heat and humidity like that before.You do acclimate but change your routine to avoid the worst heat of the day. The bitter cold, fear of slipping, shoveling snow, in Michigan are worse than summer heat in Florida. I never would have believed it before experiencing it.
The more time you spend in the heat and sun the harder it is to handle the cold and gray - at least for us.

Just realized you wanted to compare Michigan Winter with Florida summer. I guess it depends on your tolerance for humdity vs cold. Michigan does get cold (although less lately) and the skies are often cloudy, but it's beautiful in spring, summer, and fall. Florida is often humid, and it has a lot of windy days. So, if you can stand to sweat a lot, then I suppose the summers would be a fair price to pay for the nicer winters.
In Michigan, you can stay in the house on bad days, and the same goes for Florida. The main difference would be taking care of snowy driveways and having to drive somewhere if it does snow in Michigan. In Florida you have to worry about mold and bugs, but you can control when you have to do something about them.
So, it depends on what's important for you. You should visit during the summer and check it out before committing to a life down here.

We moved from Boston here - and are full time. The first summer was really hot but as a blizzard day you stay in- planned shopping and getting out isn’t as bad as snow as you get into air conditioned areas… no shoveling slipping falling driving is easy— you just change clothes more often!

To the multitude that don't read threads in there entirety, 'you dont shovel heat' reference are duly noted. Smh

In the interest of fairplay, the summers in the north are also free from shoveling....hurricane and tornado debris

I would take the hot summers in Florida any day over the cold snowy winters up north. It's great leaving the a/c house in your a/c car in just your t-shirt and sandals.

There are hurricanes & tornados in the northern parts.

I'm a
Florida native can you believe that there's not many of us here in the villages?I lived in portland oregon for twenty seven years and other places around The
World I'm back here in Central Florida in the villages.And I thought I'd never retire Here in florida , it took me a couple years to get used to the heat again since I was born In south florida and was raised here And yes , I do agree that it is just as hot in midwest in northern united States as it is here in Florida.It's not hot so much it's the humidity Out Western United States.There is no humidity.Very little , so it didn't bother me there
You save money by living in Florida due to the tax rates here you go Away for a couple months in the summer of the florida Go to the mountains of north carolina Or outwest where the humidity's not so bad and then come back around the middle of september That's it. Save thousands being in florida Really? We've noticed it always sunny and bright.

July & August in northern Illinois were just as hot and humid as summers can be here. We tend to stay indoors during the day but enjoy going out early evening.

I'll take sunshine and heat in Summer over snow in Winter any day!

Last summer was our first summer in TV, and from what I understand it was one of the hotter summers. Compared to winters up north, it was a lot nicer in TV. Adjusted our schedule so we were indoors or at the pool during the early afternoon. As I get older I find I'm more tolerant of heat, less tolerant of cold.

But everyone is different. My advice to you is to rent for a month or two in the summer and see for yourself. Rates would be lowest of the year and you'll be able to see how you like it.

Of course their are...but isolated at best. FL... All of FL is under constant threat from now til November. Every year. Is what it is

When it comes to the seasons, I will take the northern winter months over the Florida summer. I don't mind the cold .....even when way below zero. The cold and snow has never kept me from going outside. And when going inside, there's nothing like a good fire going in the woodstove. Ooooooh, the comforting warmth and smell......
The only thing I dislike about northern winters is the salt/brine that they cover the roads with that end up all over the car.
Florida summers are a bit tough ..... the heat and humidity make it a little tough to breathe. But indoors, the air conditioning keeps one indoors more than outside.

I love the snow. The more snow, the better. I love to drive in it and play in and on it.

I can tolerate heat better than cold so my choice is heat with no regrets. The trick is to get out in the early morning during the summer. I have also played golf in the worst of the summer heat and the trick is to stay hydrated. The hazards of travel in ice and snow are not something that I want to deal with. I would prefer heat rather than cold with the occasional loss of power.

Hot as Hades
 

We moved down from the Syracuse area. When it's 5 below and the snow is blowing, we just stayed in the house with the wood stove going full blast. So being in the house in the winter was common.
Here (at least for me) when you wake up and it's 88º and the humidity is high, I don't go outside. I don't play golf (although my husband will) and I don't ride my bike (although my husband will). So the summer here and the winter up there, the house was my refuge!!
So.. it depends on your comfort level!!

Amen. The novelty of paradise does wear off but if you want to maintain only one property , come on down! I moved down from PA (originally from NYC) with my wife (originally from Maine). There is period to become acclimatized in the summer but swimming pools, air conditioned homes, cars and stores help.

[QUOTE=tophcfa;2313751]Like when a nor’easter hits up north?


We never suffered a nor’easter in the Midwest. Apples and oranges…

You are missing the point. As I stated earlier, some people love Florida heat, some don’t. And when one doesn’t, it’s a tough pill to swallow. That isn’t taking anything away from those who love it. Declaring a Florida summer is the same as an up north summer, however, is ridiculous.

That’s the reason for the rent suggestion. Try before you buy and determine if it’s your cup of tea, OP.:coolsmiley:

FL summers
 

We now live in Hawaii but summer in TV (grandkids nearby) after 26 years in Oklahoma. Summers in TV do not compare to the OK summer much less the ice storms of winter. However, each to his own!

For some it is…

We have been full time here for six years. Came from Philadelphia area. It was just as hot in July and august there as it is here. We have pools and ac here. What’s the big deal. Exercise early in the day or later at night. People are going to complain no matter what the question is.

And you won’t have a heatstroke shoveling snow..:wave:

Its been my personal experience that the summers in Florida are really no different than NJ or NC except that it lasts longer. Hot n sticky. I like it in fl but not in those other states go figure.

Haha we should talk. I'd like to spend my winters in a tennesee mtn house and my spring and summer in florida.

IF florida is that bad then you all need to try ARizona in the dead heat of 118 plus for days on end! Oh ya its a dry heat sure HOT IS HOT I have been here for 122........degrees that is......not days ! It truly is living in hell.........

I suppose either extreme takes some getting used to and everyone is different. I'm originally from CT. When we moved to FL in 96' the heat of SE FL was very hard for me to get used to. My husband on the other hand adjusted quickly but he always adjusted to the cold up north easily too. My husband used to love, love, love to do yard work. It didn't matter to him how hot it was even when we first moved here. He'd get so involved with making the yard look nice he didn't notice how hot it was. I would run water out to him and stay in the A/C house.
It took me about 10 years to get used to the hot summers. I weighed more then too and believe that made it a bit harder. Now after 28 years in FL the cold is harder for me to tolerate than the heat.

Someone suggested renting for a summer, that's a good idea.