enchanted_belle
Active Member
I'm looking into moving down there from DE (hi neighbor!!!) after I finish my teaching degree. From what I have been looking at online so far, their school system is better than the local ones up here.
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Moving to Florida for many reasons
- Thread starter Fashionista007
- Start date
Howdy neighbor! We keep moving up our moving date and now it's definitely happening
Feel free to PM me when you're planning your move, I'm sure I'll have a lot of helpful tips! I'll probably start a blog after all these life changes too!
April or bust
We decided that since our lease is up at the end of April, that's when we're going to move. We rent from a private landlord and he's very old and has been sick lately. We understand his condition but this is business and we need our maintenance requests taken care of promptly, not months later :hammer:
So with that in mind, we are already planning a trip down at the end of February to take advantage of cheaper rates before peak season hits. We're going to schedule appointments to see houses and check out the different areas :sohappy:
I have seen a lot of listings in Davenport that I like, can anyone tell me about the area? We're waffling between areas because we're not sure how far we want to live from WDW. It's kind of a dream to live 5 - 10 mins away but we also like peace and quiet.
I just wanted to say thanks to everyone for helping us! This is a HUGE life change for us and we're not taking it lightly.
We decided that since our lease is up at the end of April, that's when we're going to move. We rent from a private landlord and he's very old and has been sick lately. We understand his condition but this is business and we need our maintenance requests taken care of promptly, not months later :hammer:
So with that in mind, we are already planning a trip down at the end of February to take advantage of cheaper rates before peak season hits. We're going to schedule appointments to see houses and check out the different areas :sohappy:
I have seen a lot of listings in Davenport that I like, can anyone tell me about the area? We're waffling between areas because we're not sure how far we want to live from WDW. It's kind of a dream to live 5 - 10 mins away but we also like peace and quiet.
I just wanted to say thanks to everyone for helping us! This is a HUGE life change for us and we're not taking it lightly.
Mr_Incredible
Well-Known Member
Davenport is buidling, but nice. We are looking at the Clermont area, and inbetween clermont and where us92 and 27 meet.
A lot of houses for rent, with pools, lots of space, for cheap. Good luck:wave:
Thank you, this is very helpful! I'm just trying to widen my search a bit so we can make a more informed decision when we go house hunting. We are looking for a Single Family Home with a screened in pool and hot tub. It's the hot tub requirement that's killing us. We do see them but not as often as regular pools. We will probably also need 4+ BR because our families will come to stay with us. My Mom is already planning to come down to stay for "the winter" hehe.
Mammymouse
Well-Known Member
We live in Florida now (since 2006) and have only driven through Davenport once, but have shopped and eaten in Clermont several times. Clermont seems to be more modern than Davenport from what I've seen, especially their newer main shopping and restaurant district. But please don't take my narrow comparison and rule out Davenport. I have spoken to several Disney CM's that say many of the employees live in Davenport. A drive through will give you your best impression to see if it feels like "home" to you.
Uponastar
Well-Known Member
We moved to Florida from Philadelphia this past February. Being huge WDW fans, we always thought we'd wind up in the Orlando area but, after much shopping around we decided against it. To make a very long story, short...we wound up in Vero Beach and we couldn't be happier. We're in our late 50s and Vero is a great retirement town, but it has good schools and much to offer younger people, too. And...it's only about 2 to 2 1/2 hours from WDW. We love it here!
Tater48
Well-Known Member
We closed on our house in Davenport last month. We are out RRP almost to Loughman and we love the peace and quiet out here. We have to drive a little ways to the grocery store, hardware store, and any other store, but it is well worth it. Certainly not the hustle and bustle of Clermont, or anything else on the west side of I-4, but I'll make the extra drive for it.
aeillill
Active Member
Earlier this year I drove from Tucson, Arizona to Northern New Jersey with 1 cat. We got a roomy crate for him, made out of canvas so he'd stay cool and got drugs from the vet to keep him calm since cats aren't known for their driving ability. We only drove 9 hours a day and stayed overnight at a pet friendly hotel, which my cat loved to explore.
mariashark
New Member
Thanks for all the good info
High unemployment rate huh? We'll have to do some research on that before we move down I guess. Luckily my salary can sustain us for awhile but not forever. He said he might want to become a CM but I'm willing to bet those jobs are hard to get. My sister tried once and she never heard back.
We almost moved to the Orlando area due to my husband's job a year and a half ago. We loved the prospect of a lower cost of living than VA but were not happy with the crime rate in and around Orlando. Schools were also important to us and they also weren't that great in general. I too wanted to live in a suburban area. We worked with an agent and he showed us two great family friendly areas around Orlando, Oviedo and Winter Springs. Low crime rates, great schools and family oriented. If we had moved to FL, I think we would have gone with Oviedo. However, as life goes FL wasn't meant to be, so instead if buying extra swimsuits for the kids, we ended up having to buy extra snowsuits instead.
Mr_Incredible
Well-Known Member
After more and more research, we have now come to the conclusion that we are moving to either Clermont or Dr Phillips area. Dr Phillips is closer to DT Orlando (for jobs) but a little more pricey (but good area). Clermont is further away, but cheaper (rent and daycare wise)
We are about 4 months away from moving (February 2012) We can't wait. We are still researching every second we can. I work for SunTrust bank so I can transfer, my wife is a medical assistant in Dermatology/plastic surgery as well as 5+ years experience in family practice, so hopefully she can find a job with her background.
We are so excited to be back in Florida! Home!
We are about 4 months away from moving (February 2012) We can't wait. We are still researching every second we can. I work for SunTrust bank so I can transfer, my wife is a medical assistant in Dermatology/plastic surgery as well as 5+ years experience in family practice, so hopefully she can find a job with her background.
We are so excited to be back in Florida! Home!
Mrs.Skellington
Active Member
We have stayed in Davenport ( Rented 6 bedroom houses in gated communities) It took us about 10-15 minutes to drive to Disney. The community was nice and we had a screened in pool. My only complaint would be the closeness of the houses. Our neighbor behind us didn't have a pool and it felt like out porch and his back door were touching. The houses are a lot cheaper than they are in Louisiana. A six bedroom for 130,000 where here a 3 bedroom goes for atleast 160,000. One day we will move there but for now, we have to stay here
Another Louisiana resident
We live in Louisiana, and son is a sophomore at the University of Alabama. He will go to grad school, and I really hope he looks at UCF. I am glad they are expanding in the medical field, as my son wants to study biomedical engineering, so maybe there will be opportunities for him there. I went to UMiami 30 years ago and just spent a long weekend with a college friend in Clearwater. My friend lives in St. Pete and loves it, but my hotel was in Clearwater. My friend does not care for Tampa. During our weekend together, we drove all the way down to Sarasota to go to Mote. I loved the areas between Clearwater and Sarasota. I never realized how close they were to Orlando as well. I had a seminar about 20 years ago in Altamonte Springs. Would that be an area the OP can look into? I wonder how the area around UCF is. It is supposed to be a very large college, so there would probably be a lot of jobs there. Your fiance may be able to find something in food services. It may not be glamorous, but it would be a foot in the door and a job, which is hard to come by nowadays. Good luck with your new life. Your career options will be better if you are open to travel. We passed by many relocation opportunities because of not wanting to leave family, and being stuck in Louisiana has not been very prosperous for us. We would have had a much better life, and actually been able to take our son on vacation to Disney, if we had relocated to another location. Living in New Orleans, we've had to pay Catholic school tuition every year. Now that son has a full scholarship to Bama, we are finally able to go to Disney. Best of luck in your future!
We live in Louisiana, and son is a sophomore at the University of Alabama. He will go to grad school, and I really hope he looks at UCF. I am glad they are expanding in the medical field, as my son wants to study biomedical engineering, so maybe there will be opportunities for him there. I went to UMiami 30 years ago and just spent a long weekend with a college friend in Clearwater. My friend lives in St. Pete and loves it, but my hotel was in Clearwater. My friend does not care for Tampa. During our weekend together, we drove all the way down to Sarasota to go to Mote. I loved the areas between Clearwater and Sarasota. I never realized how close they were to Orlando as well. I had a seminar about 20 years ago in Altamonte Springs. Would that be an area the OP can look into? I wonder how the area around UCF is. It is supposed to be a very large college, so there would probably be a lot of jobs there. Your fiance may be able to find something in food services. It may not be glamorous, but it would be a foot in the door and a job, which is hard to come by nowadays. Good luck with your new life. Your career options will be better if you are open to travel. We passed by many relocation opportunities because of not wanting to leave family, and being stuck in Louisiana has not been very prosperous for us. We would have had a much better life, and actually been able to take our son on vacation to Disney, if we had relocated to another location. Living in New Orleans, we've had to pay Catholic school tuition every year. Now that son has a full scholarship to Bama, we are finally able to go to Disney. Best of luck in your future!
SMS55
Well-Known Member
Before you get overly excited about the price, check the neighborhood. During the boom developers went crazy and so did buyers. alot of developments went up in areas that aren't the best in town. Also check the rate of foreclosures. Florida has been decimated by it. If you plan to stay for several yearsyou'll be fine. Even if you lose a little value now, it will eventually rebound. Florida real estate always appreciates because people are always moving down. We just have to weather this storm. If you want lower cost of living, stay away from South Florida, anything sout of West Palm has a very high cost of living. Take it from me, I live in Miami-Dade County and traffic down here is horrendous. If you think Orlando traffic is bad, you aint seen nuthing yet. West coast of the state is nice, but it also has a fairly large retirement population, just like the Keys. Might be hard for your husband to find a job. Good luck in your search and make sure to bring the sunscreen and bug spray. You'll need it in the summer.
SMS55
Well-Known Member
We have stayed in Davenport ( Rented 6 bedroom houses in gated communities) It took us about 10-15 minutes to drive to Disney. The community was nice and we had a screened in pool. My only complaint would be the closeness of the houses. Our neighbor behind us didn't have a pool and it felt like out porch and his back door were touching. The houses are a lot cheaper than they are in Louisiana. A six bedroom for 130,000 where here a 3 bedroom goes for atleast 160,000. One day we will move there but for now, we have to stay here
a very common problem with newer communities. In order to maximize efficiency, developers are only giving the minimum requirement for setbacks to be able to build as many houses as the zoning laws permit. Some properties are also zero lot line, which means one wall is built right on the property line. You have no windows on that side because if not you'd be peeking into your neighbors yard. Your neighbor's house practically acts a fence on that side
This is a very good point and something I am worried about. We're 4 months away from our move and the houses I've looked at are very close together in pictures. I'm definitely looking for a fenced yard in that case! In MD, we have large lawns and trees in between houses.
I am so glad this thread was kept alive all of this time! When I started this thread, my (then) Fiance and I had just gotten back from Star Wars Weekends and we did the whole get-to-DHS-at-4AM-to-get-celeb-fastpasses and I remember while we were waiting we began hatching our plan to move. I had just accepted a position to work from home 100% and we were talking about how awesome it would be to live in FL for Star Wars Weekends 2012. And now it's happening!!!! I have a realtor contact and we're going down in Feb to go house hunting and we move in April. We've even donated a big pile of stuff to charity. Our plan is to sell or donate anything that is not precious to us and we will ship everything else. We're selling all of our furniture and starting fresh when we get there. Trust me, there's no love lost there. Our furniture is old and crappy anyway. All of this is so exciting, I will keep you posted!
enchanted_belle
Active Member
Howdy neighbor! We keep moving up our moving date and now it's definitely happening
:ROFLOL: you know, I never saw that comment back to me until just now on here... I have a year left, well like a year and a month, until I do my first part of my Florida move! I just need to figure out how to save up my money for it.
tink65
Active Member
Oh my goodness! I work for SunTrust bank also! I'm in Tennessee! It's a small world!