Thinking of relocating
04-17-2015, 04:05 AM
#11
Super Member
Join Date: May 2012
Location: starke,Florida
Posts: 2,025
I would think about what kind of atmosphere you like. Being originally from the south, transplanted to Alaska for 10 years, I love big tress and lush foliage. The 2 years I lived in the desert were not for me. I'm now in north central Florida, where we are protected from hurricanes. I love all my big tree and plants, and my garden. Just something to think about.
04-17-2015, 04:27 AM
#12
Super Member
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Horse Country, FL
Posts: 7,341
Lots of good advice here, especially about renting in an area for awhile before deciding. And living near a younger relative. Many folks here have no family nearby. So age is a factor. Enjoy your search!
04-17-2015, 04:37 AM
#13
Power Poster
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Outside St. Louis
Posts: 38,181
I like cooler weather, an oddity I know. I live outside St. Louis and hate the hot, humid summers. I don't mind the sometimes cold winters. We have two kids and a Granddaughter (like a Daughter) within minutes from us. I love having them so close.
04-17-2015, 04:49 AM
#14
Super Member
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Melbourne, Florida
Posts: 1,134
Check out Dunedin Florida. It is a beautiful community on the gulf. There are no large corporate stores, just locals. It also has the distinction of having the largest quilt shop in the state of Florida, Rainbow's End.
04-17-2015, 05:50 AM
#15
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Leesburg, FL
Posts: 368
I live in a 55+ community in Leesburg, FL. Have been here 3 years. We are about 1 1/2 - 2 hrs from either the Gulf or the ocean. It is halfway between Orlando and Ocala, and 20 miles south of The Villages. It is a beautiful area, close enough to shopping, but still with a country feel. I can go out the back gate and see the cows that I love. One thing I love about this community is that almost everyone is from somewhere else. It is very easy to make friends and create a new "family". My kids say that they can tell that this has been the best move for us. The bad weather seems to go all around us. Our insurance rates are lower than if we lived closer to the coast. Try googling 55+ communities in central Florida to get an idea of the many communities that are available.
04-17-2015, 06:39 AM
#16
Super Member
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Central Florida
Posts: 1,804
Originally Posted by Scraps
Check out The Villages in Florida! 😃
04-17-2015, 06:55 AM
#17
Power Poster
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Corpus Christi, Tx.
Posts: 16,105
Lots to do here in South Texas but if you want to be near family then that's where you should be. Winters are short, couple weeks may get close to freezing. Very little snow. Beautiful views of the bay. Your needs will depend on price no matter where you go. A real estate agent no matter where you go will be your best bet. They have a lot more access to properties. Real estate agents go local and to the state and Washington D.C. to help fight for the rights of homeowners. They really are your best guide.
04-17-2015, 06:58 AM
#18
Super Member
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Posts: 2,877
Originally Posted by Barb in Louisiana
Go to where to where your youngest, most loved, friends or relatives are. If you end up with older folks, you could end up a caretaker before you know it. I want to be with younger folks that could end up taking care of me, but you got to love them and them you.
Next, compare homes near (within 15 to 20 minutes) where they live with prices of real estate. Zillow is a good website for that. http://www.zillow.com/homes/for_sale...ct/10_zm/1_fr/
I'm sure the areas where you are going have websites. Check out all the good things they say about their areas. Then read the local papers or find the local news to find out the bad.
Next, go visit for a week or two in the summer and in the winter. While there, ask some very pointed questions about utility costs and taxes. Being with your friends and family for two weeks will tell you how busy they are and if you will see them as much as you thought you might.
Check the quilt guilds and quilt shops in the area you thinking you are relocating in. Might give you a chance to make extra money or a great place to make new friends.
I live on the Gulf Coast. We get colder winters than most of Florida, but have the heat & humidity in the summer. Some of the bugs we have down here will make a grown man scream and panic. There is always yard work here, even in the dead of winter. Mild climates make very good weed zones and let you have a longer growing season for beautiful flowers or vegetables, if that's your thing. A lot of Florida has a breeze all the time, which makes everything tolerable. I've been to several areas of Arizona in the summer. Down in the desert is just plain HOT. Up in the mountains is delightful in the summer months but can have a lot of snow at times.
Edited to add: Being curious, I looked at the temps today on Accuweather. It's 39 degrees right now in Sedona and will be a high of 64 today. That tells me it probably has a much colder winter than I, being a very southern gal, could tolerate. It's 68 degrees here today and will be somewhere in the 80's today with more rain. I am wondering if God thinks all of us in Louisiana have duck feet, because we sure have gotten some rain lately. Seriously, what is the water bill in Sedona? My uncle lived in Pinetop which was up in the mountains. Long, snowy winters (they are milder now) and cool, dry summers. I remember him telling me his water bill was $75 a month, years ago, and they actually recycled the wash & rinse water in their clothes washing machines.
Next, compare homes near (within 15 to 20 minutes) where they live with prices of real estate. Zillow is a good website for that. http://www.zillow.com/homes/for_sale...ct/10_zm/1_fr/
I'm sure the areas where you are going have websites. Check out all the good things they say about their areas. Then read the local papers or find the local news to find out the bad.
Next, go visit for a week or two in the summer and in the winter. While there, ask some very pointed questions about utility costs and taxes. Being with your friends and family for two weeks will tell you how busy they are and if you will see them as much as you thought you might.
Check the quilt guilds and quilt shops in the area you thinking you are relocating in. Might give you a chance to make extra money or a great place to make new friends.
I live on the Gulf Coast. We get colder winters than most of Florida, but have the heat & humidity in the summer. Some of the bugs we have down here will make a grown man scream and panic. There is always yard work here, even in the dead of winter. Mild climates make very good weed zones and let you have a longer growing season for beautiful flowers or vegetables, if that's your thing. A lot of Florida has a breeze all the time, which makes everything tolerable. I've been to several areas of Arizona in the summer. Down in the desert is just plain HOT. Up in the mountains is delightful in the summer months but can have a lot of snow at times.
Edited to add: Being curious, I looked at the temps today on Accuweather. It's 39 degrees right now in Sedona and will be a high of 64 today. That tells me it probably has a much colder winter than I, being a very southern gal, could tolerate. It's 68 degrees here today and will be somewhere in the 80's today with more rain. I am wondering if God thinks all of us in Louisiana have duck feet, because we sure have gotten some rain lately. Seriously, what is the water bill in Sedona? My uncle lived in Pinetop which was up in the mountains. Long, snowy winters (they are milder now) and cool, dry summers. I remember him telling me his water bill was $75 a month, years ago, and they actually recycled the wash & rinse water in their clothes washing machines.
04-17-2015, 07:04 AM
#19
Super Member
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Sonoma County, CA
Posts: 4,299
I've lived in CA all my life but I've traveled around a bit. For me, having access to the ocean is a must, I can't imagine living in a land-locked state. I love the pacific northwest; DH & I are considering moving north, either further north into CA, or up into Oregon. I love the lush ruggedness of the northern coast, and I love wet weather; it makes my heart happy. 
04-17-2015, 08:17 AM
#20
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2013
Posts: 644
Carmen, I've wintered in Dunedin, FL for the past 3 years and it's beautiful. Where I stay, in a 55 or over park, is just 2 miles away from Rainbows End, great quilt shop. There is also Country Quilts and Bears, and also Happy Apple Quilts about 10 minutes away. Everything you want retail is within 15-20 minutes away. Big mall and theatre just down rte 508 10 minutes away from the park I stay in. Bealls outlet is right across the street along with Dollar Tree and a bag free discount grocery store, also restaurants, liquor store, etc. The quaint town of Dunedin is where all the locally owned stores are and a short walk to the piers where the charter boats are moored. They have farmers market once a week on the common and also craft faire's a few times a year so you have the best of both worlds. I'm looking to buy in that park now after being there for the past 3 years.
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