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[miker]

I can tell you about Florida....the west is hotter in the summah and coldah in the winta than on the east when you talk about down south Florida...jussayinsall   

[WFP]

Thanks everyone for some good advice!

miker, sending you a pm.

Bill

[WFP]

What are the things we should RUN away from, fast? Condos, unless they are luxury they are likely to be rental pool investments, and are usually abused party barns or "project housing".

OWL

Thanks again owl...just wondering where the cutoff for luxury would be versus ones that are a drain.  It is hard to see the line but obiously we appear to be well below that marker for now in that we are considering a second home.  In about 10-16 years it may be our only home and we would spend more at that time.

So the question is are we better off getting into the RE Market now to ride the ups and downs or are we better off investing the money and buying a better (Luxury to us ) home in the future.  Food for thought.  A friednd's father is living down there in a Condo/townhome, mentioned Lighthouse Bay at the Brooks, he is in Worthington.

Still not sure we want a Condo when there is such a glut of them that hurts resale but they also offer a couple like us a good low maintenance option.  If we can find something with good resale potential, we have to consider it but will do nothing on emotion and will only purchase using fiscal sense.

Bill

[WFP]

Also, we sold our boat a couple of years ago but when we get to FL, we would definately get another but this time it will be a Center Console instead of an express cruiser and only 24' instead of 42'.

Bill

[miker]

 

[Madchad]

Wondering also about the Jacksonville area as my bride works for the mayo clinic and could transfer there, is it as bad an area as I have heard? Not hijacking this thread to bad I hope!

[mark]

Wondering also about the Jacksonville area as my bride works for the mayo clinic and could transfer there, is it as bad an area as I have heard? Not hijacking this thread to bad I hope!

If moving to JAX, I'd look to the south (St Augustine area) or to the north (Nassau Co., Fernandina Beach, Amelia Island). 

[JCZ]

Bill, are you sure you and Ann don't want to consider Coronado?  While you'll not find anything in that price range on the island, we don't have the humidity that Florida has and our winters do offer.....  http://www.weather.com/weather/tenday/92118   

[Trapperdog]

 $200K might make for a nice 10% down payment  in Coronado   

[FlaHeatWave]

Wondering also about the Jacksonville area as my bride works for the mayo clinic and could transfer there, is it as bad an area as I have heard? Not hijacking this thread to bad I hope!

Jacksonville does have some areas with "issues", but St Augustine (just to the South) is sweet.

[owl893]

Thanks again owl...just wondering where the cutoff for luxury would be versus ones that are a drain.  It is hard to see the line but obiously we appear to be well below that marker for now in that we are considering a second home.  In about 10-16 years it may be our only home and we would spend more at that time.

So the question is are we better off getting into the RE Market now to ride the ups and downs or are we better off investing the money and buying a better (Luxury to us ) home in the future.  Food for thought.  A friednd's father is living down there in a Condo/townhome, mentioned Lighthouse Bay at the Brooks, he is in Worthington.

Still not sure we want a Condo when there is such a glut of them that hurts resale but they also offer a couple like us a good low maintenance option.  If we can find something with good resale potential, we have to consider it but will do nothing on emotion and will only purchase using fiscal sense.

Bill

I need to define my use of the terms; condo (condominium) is an apartment building with "units" (apartments) and (usually) shared amenities like a pool, laundry area, parking, etc. A "VILLA" (townhouse/townhome/coachhome) is on the ground (not on the second floor for instance) but with common walls under a connected roof, with your own garage, and some shared amenities (a pool). Both living options share property tax and insurance and charge a fee for CAM (common area maintenance) garbage collection, emergency fund, etc. At this point I would consider a "luxury" condo starting at $300k.

In about 10-16 years it may be our only home and we would spend more at that time. As I mentioned before many people move again. So the question is are we better off getting into the RE Market now to ride the ups and downs or are we better off investing the money and buying a better (Luxury to us ) home in the future. We are still experiencing lower than normal prices here, but after this winter that may change, however, "investing" using a disciplined approach is always a good thing.

I started with a VILLA (instant neighbors, a pool, SECURITY) after eight years I built a house and spend seven months here.

OWL

[CVOStreetglide]

Wondering also about the Jacksonville area as my bride works for the mayo clinic and could transfer there, is it as bad an area as I have heard? Not hijacking this thread to bad I hope!

As a 20 year Jacksonville resident that moved from the Baltimore Washington area, I would be very interested in what 'bad' stuff you have heard. The area definitely is not Chicago, Atlanta, Washington DC, Baltimore Richmond, Detroit.

Like many locations there are good areas and not so good areas. I am sure if you are interested in a $200k plus residence it won't be in one of the bad areas.

As for the areas to the north of Jacksonville that are mentioned, there are lots of reasons why you would want to be careful in your due dilligence.

If Jacksonville ends up on your short list, there are numerous new planned communities springing up between Jacksonville and St. Augustine that you would want to explore.

I would also suggest you consider that being near as opposed to on the coast is good for the afternoon breezes and cooler temperatures.  The center of Florida is much hotter and the air doesn't flow as well as being near the coast.

Obviously everybody doesn't like the same things, colors or locations so in the end it is your choice. I would suggest renting in a area you like or at least staying there for a week or two before buying.

Good hunting. 

 


A good thing about   

[WFP]

Anne and I returned from Florida last week...Stupidly given the weather up here  We flew to Fort Lauderdale on 15 Feb and drove across Alligator Alley and  spent five nights on the Left Coast at the Sanibel Harbor Marriott.  While there we did some looking at places in the area.  The conclusion is we really liked the Naples/Bonita Springs area but it makes no sense to buy a place at this moment.  For the price range we were looking at there were a ton of very Nice Condos in Gated communities but there is no way that in five years the value will increase to cover the cost of ownership.  Instead, we will wait a while until we can retire before purchasing...we may even do the Jan-Mar Snowbird thing for a few years first to be sute we are comfortable down there.  

We then headed backto Fort Lauderdale for another five nights.  We really like FLL but just don't think we could afford a place there with the Amenities we desire.  Besides, we planned these five days to relax by the pool, driink 2-4-1 Mai tais and eat tons of fresh seafood.  We ditched the car for these five days knowing we could get around by foot or water ytaxi as needed.  Went back to a couple of places we really like, Coconuts and bahia Cabana.  Both have very good food but the drinks are a bit pricier.  We skipped a Steak at Sula's as this was a basically eating/dringing sleeping casual trip.

It was funny at the Courtside Steakhouse (Sanibel harbor marriott) no less than five of the people wroking there moved down from Massachussetts...never to return!

Bill

[miker]

Glad you enjoyed your time, I woulda told you bout real estate "values" (that's funny) I have some real estate....Sorry we didn't see you guys, but the work week carries on.

Maybe next time, we are only an hour north of Laudy....

[WFP]

Glad you enjoyed your time, I woulda told you bout real estate "values" (that's funny) I have some real estate....Sorry we didn't see you guys, but the work week carries on.

Maybe next time, we are only an hour north of Laudy....

Mike,
Sorry for not reaching out when down there...we really were just vegetation most of the time...
Bill