Best place to live in Florida?
 

I am looking to buy a property in Florida. The prices now are so cheap compared to a few years ago and very cheap compared to my home town, Toronto. I am looking for a place to spend the winters. I've been looking at different places but can't make up my mind. So many properties and places to choose from. I need some insight from those who live there or who are very familiar with Florida. Where is the best place to live in Florida and why?

It entirely depends on what sort of lifestyle you enjoy.

Yup .. more info needed

I was down in Hollywood a week ago, the old man just moved to Pembroke Pines for the winter, people drive like maniacs in Florida. Why doesn't anyone signal?

If your looking to winter, then South Florida is a good choice. Broward, Miami-Dade.

Golden beach is awesome if your rich.

I lived in Orlando for a few years and that was a place I would consider again. Lots of empty houses, condos and storefronts because their property boom seems to have died down in the few years.

Hey Pierre, some where to live that's a little different in Florida......
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http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2_f0UHML93...Ck/s1600/1.jpg


& the views are great :thumbsup

http://blog.floridaholidays.co.uk/wp...-Hulk-Ride.jpg

Enjoy! :pimp

My Fiancee and I want to buy a Condo in Orlando. We used to go there for a month each year, we loved it. I saw brand new Condos, 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom for $54,000. I think it was a 20-25 minute drive from Disney area as well which is decent. We're going to look into it more after the wedding.

South beach!

If you want culture, fun, adventure, interesting people and shit like that, move to Miami. Visit the other places.

Miami is the only place in Florida I'd go back to.

South Florida is far best to me!

I am trying to convince my girl to up and move the family down there. We can dump rent out our place here and buy two brand new adjoining condos for under $130k.

I'm sick of the cold weather.

Definitely S Florida. I think it was Sperbonzo that said it once best on this board... it went something along the lines of "Anything north of Lake Okechobee is like a totally different state..." or something to that effect, and he was right.

Anything much further north than that and you may as well be living in Alabama because everyone is ass backwards, inbred trailer trash. Of course there are a few exceptions... Orlando and Tampa just being a few. However, even the outskirts of those cities tend to slowly start working their way back to trailer park status.

:2 cents:

Florida is pretty split up, all depends on your lifestyle like others have said, South Florida if you are more liberal, like a faster city life and don't mind a huge mix of races, which is what I prefer.

Right now I live in the Tampa area and I can't stand it, if you are a good ole redneck and like a mix of older white people but still have some city life going then that may be for you.

I also have a house in Sebastian, east coast by Coco Beach, older retired people for the most part the whole coast up there closes at 9:00.

Orlando has a lot to offer but it's still to red neck for me and spread out.

Just my 2 cents but then again when I get North of Boca Raton and I start hearing banjo's playing...

PS been here since 1972.

I knew you would be in this thread soon. You have this place on lock :1orglaugh

Forgot about the the South West Coast, Naples, Ft Myers, Cape Coral, Sarasota, they all suck.

:1orglaugh ..... I love Florida but it has such a diverse assortment of "characters" depending on location.

Here's a great place to live if you don't care for clothes in the heat ...

http://calienteresorts.com/tampa/destination.html

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As others have said.. with FL you really have to pick the right areas. Some places are great then other places are total shit. People say Orl is good but personally I never liked it and crime is a bitch over there. If you watch new in Orlando it's like every other story is someone getting killed. South FL is nice but also has some bad places..

It's almost like Texas and Austin.. You have a whole state filled with cowboy, religious hardcore right wingers then go to Austin and it seems like you are in another country. Fl is much like this but it has more than just one Austin..

And you can watch great sports teams ................................................. beat the local teams.

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Southeast Florida is probably best for you. I am from Tampa.

Florida was a great state until the redneck white trash moved in from up north.
I hear the new Mexican population is a step up.

Tampa can be ok in small doses. If you travel a lot it may be ok.

I live in Boca Raton for more than 20 years now.

Live in Palm Beach County and visit Broward/Miami - Dade. The lifestyle in the keys is awesome for some.

Homeowners and Condo insurance can be insane or unattainable depending on location and building construction,. Would suggest unless you can steal the property don't buy older than 2000 as the codes were stricter and retrofitting roof is beyond expensive.

If you want to snowbird, at least have hurricane glass throughout the house or condo. Shutters are a giveaway you are not there and an invitation to break ins.

No, not South Beach..
North Miami (Aventura), North or South of Ft. Lauderdale.

:disgust

I always liked Hallandale. Was going to move there, except I was worried about drinking and driving, which is something I won't do... and everything is a drive. I ended up choosing Wilton Manors because it's epicenter of the Fort Lauderdale gay scene ... and everything is within walking distance, or we can take the free street legal golf cart people movers.

Talk to an accountant before you as a Canadian buy real estate in the US, there are tax implications.

French Canadians(for some reason French Canadians can't drive for shit), and third-world immigrants who aren't used to crazy concepts like paved roads and traffic signals.

After selling in 2003 a condo ( high price / high exchange rate = more profit for me ), I bought last year in Pompano Beach , directly on the intra-coastal, about 1000 feet from the beach.

Paid a cheap 170K US ( identical units were bought in 2005/2006 for 340K ) when the exchange was good for Can$ ( 161K canadian ).

Now, you can find a ton of condos in communities for 30-50K ( just be carefull as the standing of the OHA ) if you are willing to be between the I-95 and the Turnpike .

Bad bad idea. Condo market got hit 5 times worse than single homes and experts are predicting that they will never recover and in fact depreciate much more. Condo associations are having to deal with not collecting fees due to all the foreclosures etc and thus they are run down, further depreciating the units. . You can buy a 2/2 single home for less than 100k.

To add to what Choker stated ... Many condo owners have walked away from their units. Filling in are squatters, temporary renters, low life renters and empty units without power. So you may live next to non unit owners, people that don't care or mold farms.

That's not true everywhere but the odds increase the further you are from the water.

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Saw this news story on the BBC yesterday...2 brit guys shot dead simply by entering the wrong neighbourhood ( Sarasota) , is it really that unsafe in some parts of Florida?

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage...n-Florida.html

Yes it is.

Florida is a HUGE destination for european tourists, especially Brits. So when something does happen the press blows it out of proportion. A guy gets shot in Timbuktoo nobody gives a fuck. Guy gets shot in Orlando everybody freaks out.

yea i guess it would cause more media coverage than normal.

I went to AVN show in hollywood and loved it just wondered how bad it really was in parts and if overall it was safe.

yes ... they have guns ... and no brain.

Miami sucks... do not live there.
Maybe to hit a club in SoBe for the night, but thats it.

I would live in the Boca Raton / Wellington / Jupiter 'ish area.

I have 6 houses up north past that area, in Vero Beach, and its also a nice area but things do close early and its suburban. You would need to drive back down to Palm Beach area for younger people, if thats your thing.

florida has become too much of a police state in the past few years to enjoy. try moving a few hours south of there you just might surprise yourself :2 cents:

Dominican Republic???

I visit Tampa, Bradenton, Sarasota, St. Pete every year and I dig it. Considering a move to Tampa in a few years. Insurance is high from what the family tells me.

free golf cart? sign me up! :thumbsup

Not sure why you don't like Miami but I love it. Haven't been for about 4 years now to be fair so perhaps I'm a bit out of touch. I loved it when I was there and would happily (back then) live in Miami.

Yeah its really cool. You just call the number and it's a free taxi. Obviously should tip, but not required, even though everybody does as the drivers don't get paid. Electric 8 person golf carts and advertising on top pays for them and the electric to keep them charged.

There again... Guys get shot in London everyday.... but it's gang war fair, not tourists :(


As asked by Domain Diva, Is there good & bad areas of Florida?


If you asked me about London or even local in Bedford, Luton, Bournemouth & Southampton, I could say there are good & bad areas. Detroit, there are bad & bad areas, Beverly hills there are some good & some lovely areas. How about Florida?

Looking to buy a house in Northwest Miami but don't know which neighborhoods to avoid. Crime's everywhere and I understand all that. I don't really even mind that much, frankly. Just places where people get killed every night, home invasions, high gang activity, that sort of thing. Where are the places I should stay out of?

I've been there a few times with some friends that belong there. It's been a couple of years since I have been there, but when I was there, the place was nice as a mother fucker. High class nudist living lol :1orglaugh

If you aren't going to live near the beach, then you can pick anywhere else in Florida and it will be the same. As far as crime and the rest of the shit, don't watch Fox news. I haven't been shot at yet, nobody has invaded my home and the only gang around is a skateboard gang. Read Voltaire's Candide then decide. Plus anyone's opinion that does not live in South Florida isn't worth a fart in a hurricane. You want to buy? Rent first.

If you are British yes.. there is unofficial hunting season on vacationing Brits for some reason.

Florida is a swamp. They have flying cockroaches. It sucks.

don't think i can afford to live ON the beach....i'm looking at houses that are in the numbered streets , like above the 100s (yes, i know i sound like an idiot). why rent first? waste of money. housing market is great here and bad there. i want the house. oh, i'm from new orleans, so i know all about the hurricanes :)