StogieChat Cigar Forum

Like the topic says.  Looking to ask some questions on different areas.

 

I grew up in Orlando, Florida.
Brother in Jacksonville.
Parents in St. Petersburg.

But don't really get what this topic is about???

Looking at buying a vacation/retirement condo down there and was wondering what are some of the nicer areas.  Looking in Orlando and Fort Myers right now.

I'm in Tampa Bay. It's a beautiful area with great beaches and parks. I lived in The Palm Beaches in the 1970's. I suppose it depends on the price range you're looking in. If price is no object, Palm Beach area can't be beat. Tampa is more of a "working man's" retirement area. I don't keep up with waterfront or condo prices. The median home value these days is about 170,000 around Tampa.

I spend a fair amount of time in FL for work and play.  I'm mostly in the Orlando/Windermere area and I love it.  Windermere's close enough to Orlando to do the touristy stuff but far enough away to be quiet and not full of tourists when you want to chill.  Tampa is more my style, quite honestly.  There's a more laid back feel and you got the ocean close by.  Pensacola was a blast when we were just there and the beaches that I saw were beautiful looking and the people were GREAT!  Hell, I'd move there just so I could eat at Jerry's a few times a week and play domino's at Cordova.  If money were no object for this guy, I'd be in the Keys.  NO QUESTION.  There's just a different vibe down there.  It's like being in the caribbean with all the taxes (and services) of the USA! 

I agree that the keys are super. But, I wouldn't live there, unless you're talking about wintering there and going north for the summer. I did that in the '70's. During hurrican season, I want some high ground. The keys empty out at least once most seasons.

crowb8 Wrote:I agree that the keys are super. But, I wouldn't live there, unless you're talking about wintering there and going north for the summer. I did that in the '70's. During hurrican season, I want some high ground. The keys empty out at least once most seasons.

I'm from MN.  NOBODY up here thinks FL is even open during the summer!  We just use it as MN south to get away from our cold-assed winters.  Seriously though, the storms are a concern and a storm ready place should be considered when looking at property anywhere near the ocean in FL in my opinion.

Zammer217 Wrote:Looking at buying a vacation/retirement condo down there and was wondering what are some of the nicer areas.  Looking in Orlando and Fort Myers right now.

My parents live in North Port now, between Ft. Myers and Sarasota.

Palm Coast in Flager county is where my parents went and it's very nice down there

Somebody at work brought in about ten real estate flyers last night.  Apparently there is a ton of houses in the Kissimmee area for cheap.  They are probably all forclosures, but the exterior pics looked good.  The bigger ones were 1700 sq ft, close to Orlando, and about 50 miles or so from the coast.  The most expensive one was $66k.  I would think you could rent out a place close to Disney World for close to $1000 a week as a vacation rental.  That would pay for it in a hurry.