topic Re: my move in Community Chat

my move

Elom — Sat, 19 Sep 2015 21:31:07 GMT

I am recently widowed and am anticipating a move to Florida. Can anyone give me any feedback on the Flagler Beach area?

Re: my move

Preds — Sat, 19 Sep 2015 23:19:21 GMT

I am so sorry for your loss. Blessings to you on having to deal with this and a possible move. I wish you all the best. I can't help you with the information you need, but I did want to move this up in the hopes that someone could.

Re: my move

Elom — Sat, 19 Sep 2015 23:39:32 GMT

Well thank you! It was a shot in the dark and I am actually thinking about different SE Coast of Florida areas and this area popped up and looked interesting.

Re: my move

Lucky Charm — Sun, 20 Sep 2015 01:03:37 GMT

My condolences to you on your loss.

A better way to get feedback would be to start another thread asking about 'Flagler Beach' (in the title!) or any other area you may be interested in.

You will get lots of hits then. And also if you start a thread in Among Friends or Beauty Banter.

Good luck in your search!

Re: my move

feline groovy — Sun, 20 Sep 2015 03:15:34 GMT

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flagler_Beach,_Florida

http://www.cityofflaglerbeach.com/

http://www.visitflorida.com/en-us/cities/flagler-beach.html

The links above have lots of info... sorry for your loss.

Re: my move

Burnsite — Sun, 20 Sep 2015 14:26:36 GMT

evom, It might be well to wait a year or so before making a major move.

Try to spend a late summer month or so (August--Sept) in your prospective town. The summer weather is no big deal to many people, but for others it is way too humid and hot and dank, and for several months. Late "summer" is FL's "winter."

There are sites on the internet that rate the quality of life and cost of living in various places, so that you'd have some sense of how far your real estate purchasing price, and income generally, will go in the new place. City Data is a good site with a forum for asking questions about the towns you are considering. The Florida forums aren't too active on that site, though.

Florida's towns vary a lot in affordability. AreaVibes "Best Places to Live" index gives Flagler Beach a good score: 77. Their Cost of Living score is a D, for the cost of living there is 112, on a national average of 100. (My town is higher still: I think around 130, so it's not that bad). Crime and Employment only get in the C range. You would want to check medical resources, too. They are great in some parts of Florida and sketchy in others.

For nearby towns, that AreaVibes site ranks nearby Wallace FL higher at 84. I don't know that part of the state at all--just went to the site I check regularly, as I am looking at relocating out of FL in the next few years.

Another part of that site will also compare where you are living now to the places you are considering. I use that all the time to estimate cost of living expenses, and how they break down (housing, heat/cooling, crime, quality of schools--which can correlate with crime, amenities, etc.)

A rating of B for amenities ... many places in Florida will be higher than that, but the cost of living may be higher, too.

Re: my move

deepwaterdotter — Sun, 20 Sep 2015 14:59:27 GMT

Hi Burnsite, After reading your post I thought you must be thinking about retirement in New England. I know how much you wish to return to your home state and family ties. I always look forward to our autumns in Wisconsin and how good the house smells when baking apple crisp. Wishing you good fortune in finding the perfect house for you and your kitties in northern climes, DEEP

Re: my move

Elom — Sun, 20 Sep 2015 15:32:18 GMT

Thank you Burnsite for the great information. I/we have had a long relationship with Florida. My children were born in Ft.Lauderdale and I have numerous family members, not all close, in the Vero Beach area. I just want to make the most educated choice because this will be my forever home alone. Security etc are my main concerns. I need some closure and I am sitting and waiting on this house to sell in TN. It is a hard sell and I knew it would be. But my GA home sold so I am hopeful. Want to move on with my life.

At my age,66, not that courageous to go to places unknown and not familiar. Maybe I could?

thank you again for the reply.

Re: my move

Kalli — Sun, 20 Sep 2015 15:33:49 GMT

Evom, I'm so sorry for your loss. I'm not familiar with Flagler Beach. We've spent time in Titusville but that's about an hour away.

Good Luck with your move. We've found friendly folks and lots to do in Fl.

Re: my move

HB glamma — Sun, 20 Sep 2015 16:40:28 GMT

Sorry for your loss. You sound courageous to take on a move alone. A fresh start in the Florida sun sounds therapeutic. Best of luck!

Re: my move

Burnsite — Sun, 20 Sep 2015 16:58:50 GMT

Hi. Deep, If I can figure out a way to move back to New England, the house I live in won't be anywhere near perfect with my budget; but I am happy to fix things up--or adapt. As long as it is peaceful and quiet, I can clean it up. The house I live in now is very shaky, poor thing, and yet I really have come to love the house. I wish I could just teleport it, shakiness and all, to Mass or Maine or Vermont.

Autumn is what I miss most (besides family members), such wonderful weather and colors.

Re: my move

Burnsite — Sun, 20 Sep 2015 17:11:20 GMT

Hello, evom, I love Fort Lauderdale, but I don't know the area to the north at all well. I have two friends now living up there on the Treasure and Space coasts who report intense boredom, but they don't miss the city bustle, either.

I like to use the comparison costs on AreaVibes, just to get a sense of what income would be required regularly to get by in a new place. Florida looks cheap, but I pay a lot in insurance these days--five times as much as people pay in Maine. Utilities tend to be low where I live, but very, very high in New England. Lots of people live off the grid in Maine, but . . . I don't know. That's a lot of work and a steep learning curve.

If you've already had homes in two places, you know about the variable COL (cost of living) already. The various states just have different areas where unusual expenses may happen.

I wish you success in finding a new place that suits you perfectly.