Relocating to SW Florida - HELP??

[Ixolib]

My wife and I are getting closer to our dream date for permanently relocating to SW Florida and would appreciate input on these two topics:

1. Is it possible to by a small home (even a fixer-upper), in a decent/nice neighborhood, for 80K +/-? We'd like to be no more than 30-40 minutes from the Gulf anywhere from St. Petersburg south.

2. For those have just "up-and-moved" to Florida like we are going to do, how difficult was the job hunt, and are jobs really as hard to find as I'm seeing via Monster.com and Careerbuilder.com (even before the hurricanes!!)

(Of course, if anyone knows someone who's hiring, I can always offer my resume!!)

[BEER980]

I don't know much about SW Florida but what city are you thinking of? Is it beach you are looking for or just boat ramp for fishing? What type of jobs are you looking for?

[Aquawind]

There are few homes in that 80K price range near canals or waters adjacent to the Gulf down south of Ft Myers I am speaking for.. Although the fixer upper is usually a money maker down here...more like 100-150K fixer uppers..Real Estate is big business down here..Jems are tough to find as demand is still pretty good. Lotsa 175K and wayy up are available..

30-40 minutes away really opens the door to better pricing inland from I-75..

There seems like plenty of jobs around..we both could have had jobs in days and did when we looked..We have a decent economy but finding affordable living is difficult. We had a harder time finding a place to live until we had jobs..cash helped..

[Derek Ortt]

dont go to arcadia, punta gorda, or port charlotte.

charley totally destroyed those 3 cities

[Sanibel]

The 90's boom really gouged up prices down here. 15 years ago you could get a 3 bedroom 2 bath with pool for 49k. Forget it now. The real estate market has descended down here and things are going well-above what their actual material worth is because of speculative value. They've ruined the place. The cheapest areas are now becoming more dangerous.

I'm sure you can find something cheap inland. They aren't supposed to build east of I-75 because they are trying to conserve water absorbing reintroduction zones for the aquifirs. But the greedy land-grabbing development corporations have paid-off the local politicians and they end up with huge parcels for major condo division development. The local papers resolve this with "Land values soar in boom"! or some other nonsense.

I'm sure you can find something if you are willing to drive. I disagree with Derek. Those devastated areas will probably have some deals open up for cheap fixer-uppers from people wanting to get rid of them...

[tronbunny]

I'm with Sanibel 100%
My sister moved from Englewood just 2 years ago and their home almost doubled in value in the 5 years they lived there. from 88K to 160K
Have family/friends from in/around the Arcadia area. Very rural, growing very fast. (as is all of FL)

[Ixolib]

Thanks for all the replys, folks.

While I'd be thrilled to live where Sanibel does ( YOU LUCKY DOG!!), I would quickly settle for 40 minutes inland. We're looking at SW FL because we absolutely just love the area. The fishing for me, and the beach/shells for the wife. Plus, the ability to drive a little further south and be in the 10,000 Islands and Everglades - love the "outback" and wildlife. And Captiva & Sanibel would also be a lot closer than the 13 hours I have to drive now!!

All I gotta do is figure out a good area in the 80K range for homes. Jobs, I believe, will be easier to get with a FL address than with a MS address as we currently have. Looked at areas in Ft. Myers but some of the neighborhoods were REALLY scarey in this price range. Also looked at Lehigh Acres, but it looked like a lot of the options there were on reclaimed swamp land that might be easily flood prone.

Oh well... May just be a pipe dream - but we're gonna get it figured out sooner or later. Sooner is the preference. Perhaps SANIBEL would rent me his tool shed for a nominal fee - cots and sleeping bags not included.

[Derek Ortt]

land prices have reduced after charley, so if one wants to live among the destruction for a period of time, it may be a good deal, or even a good investment as land prices will quickly rebound

[Ixolib]

land prices have reduced after charley, so if one wants to live among the destruction for a period of time, it may be a good deal, or even a good investment as land prices will quickly rebound

Thanks, Derek - I believe you're right about the quick rebound on the prices. No matter the rare circumstances of this tropical season, Florida is STILL paradise - and a whole lot of people still recognize that. I think ya'll who live there are very lucky to live in such a beautiful part of the world!!

I'd be interested to see the studies on the number of people leaving compared to the number coming in as a result of this season. I know native Floridians might look at newcomers with some disdain, but I promise we'll be good neighbors when we get there... You won't even know we're "outsiders"!!

[tronbunny]

Sorry to say..but most of us can be transplants here in FL.
I've been here 25 of my 40 years.
The poor native population are so outnumbered, they can't complain.
Plus, I had a kid here. He's a native, and I married one, too. So, I just take that attitude, now.