Looks like a pretty good chance I will be leaving HP come October (voluntary early retirement w/a years pay severance), looking at options of places to live.....

Any input from current or past residents of Florida needed; I have friends there (Melbourne) and family members that live here in the Arctic with me visit Florida twice yearly and love it....

Pros....Cons....heat doesn't bother me (my other option is Vegas....) but humidity will take getting used to.

I'm thinking how much better my car would run @ Sea level too......

Plenty warm right now. It does take some getting use to. The weather station will be one of your favs. They give you plenty of advance notice of all hurricanes coming your way.They don`t sneak up on you like earth quakes.

well there's this ...

I don't know were to start...

There are a million places to live, big, small, close to big, middle of nowhere, on the water (lake/salt) golf, fish, in a condo, in a house, in a trailer (premanufactured housing)....

The heat in the summer...stay inside.

Paul

My sister and a bunch of friends live in Fl. I go regularly and love the clean warm ocean water. I love to free dive and love fish(ing). =-) Hot and almost as humid as Hawaii. I live in tank tops, baggies, and flip flops. Lots of Noseeums. The Fl. version of mosquitoes. Little bastards and really hungry.

Cali, on the other hand is tolerable in the summer. Central and So Cal are great year around. Not too hot and not too cold. Not too humid. People can be ass holes much more readily than Floridians. Probably the crappy traffic and Hollywood influences (super ego's).

My Dad lives on the ocean in So Cal and he LOVES it. He's retired and calls me asking if I want pics of the bikini clad babes sunbathing on the beach today? While i'm at work, of course.

Because I live Near San Francisco I tend to like to get away from the hustle and bustle. Warm and relaxing surroundings are what I go for mostly.

Ever been to Key West? It's awesome.

QUOTE (rogergrubb @ Jul 25 2005, 11:46 AM)

Lots of Noseeums. The Fl. version of mosquitoes. Little bastards and really hungry.

I almost croaked when I read this. I've never heard anyone else call them "noseeums".

I'm from Satellite Beach (near Melbourne) and Luckie is from Dade City (near Tampa) and we moved to NM from Orlando.

I love NM, but we will be returning home to FL in a few years. It's a great place to live.

Retiring and Florida. They sort of fit well together.
How much you will enjoy your retirement is very dependent on your life style, hobbys and interests.
Life style = financially fixed.... you will enjoy because you can still travel out of state. Not.. there are still lots of things to do and enjoy. Down side is very crowded environment since tourist is the #1 business.
Hobbys = cars.... for sure. They do rust in Florida. Fishing and boating... paradise. Golf, probably some of the world's best golfers at any of the better courses you play. Girl watching .. ain't mostly young and slim like the beaut's in the West USA.
Interests = whatever, there is likely a group venue for it.
I have a friend who bought a small place in Chiefland. Close enough to the Gulf to fish and boat and far enough away to just get heavy rain when it's hurricane season.
Most residental property is still affordable in Florida.
I only like to visit Florida periodically myself. I like seasons.

Mike
Memphis

QUOTE (Lyressa Roberts @ Jul 25 2005, 12:04 PM)

QUOTE (rogergrubb @ Jul 25 2005, 11:46 AM) Lots of Noseeums.  The Fl. version of mosquitoes.  Little bastards and really hungry. I almost croaked when I read this. I've never heard anyone else call them "noseeums".

Hi Lyressa,

I won't bust your ovaries for not knowing what Noseeums are. You've always been OK by me, and a great fashion sense. =-)))

They are Fl's tiny biting fly. Worse than mosquitoes if you ask me cuz their so small.

Large welts. Bad fly.

I grew up on Long Island, NY. After a long stint in the USAF, I have taken pretty-much a lap of the USA and a bit overseas in-between (MS, NV, CA, Japan, Philippines, Korea, TX), since most all of our family is up-and-down the eastern seaboard. So, after a final move from Austin (Cedar Park), TX to Tampa in '93, we put roots here and haven't looked back since.

Sure, FL has its moments; hurricane activity has been a bit active as of late. But I've been in OK City, OK 5 days after a F-5 tornado almost snapped it in half, and we're talkin' maybe 5 minutes notice IF EVEN! I lived in Las Vegas when my car was sand-blasted by a dust storm slamming across I-15 one afternoon; 'splain THAT ONE to an insurance agent. I'm glad I managed to miss Mount Pinatubo blowin' her freakin' stack in The Philippines by a few years, but pitied my buddies involved in their families being evac'd and subsequent cleanup.

The cost of living is good, and being able to drive my 914 top-off and in shorts while the North digs themselves out of a Noreaster is fine with me. If I want The 4 Seasons, I'll buy their CD.

Thanks for the input....914RS: I grew up in New Mexico (Gallup) and have cousins in Albuquerque (Little Anita's in Old Town is still a road trip favorite on weekends)....

I spent most of my adult life in San Jose and drove to Santa Cruz weekends...Blood Alley (Hwy 17) was an old friend of mine.....

I'm a LONG way from retirement age but HP's incentive to leave early is too good to pass up, so job opportunities and cost of living are strong considerations

I agree, having lived in Fl my whole life, that it is a good place to live.

I would suggest that you stay north of Lake Okeechobee.
It costs less and there is less congestion.

I've lived in Tampa since the beginning of 81 ( moved from Watkins Glen, NY) and personally I wouldn't live anywhere else. I travel almost the entire state and it is as diverse as it is beautiful.I would only live along the coast as in the middle of the state it is even hotter and like the Amazon. But, the Long, Hot, Humid summers are something that I'm not sure that you ever get used to. Example; I stopped by my house this morning (around 10 am) to pick up something and by the time I walked to my workshop and back to the car I was soaked with sweat. It was already over 90 degrees by that point. Then there is the rain which can also be called an airborne flood and the hurricanes. I love the lightning. I tell you though, from the end of October until the end of April this is Paradise. Then we have great racetracks ( Sebring, Daytona) very active PCA regions and while we may not have the #s of 914s that California has, I would put Florida 914s at the top of any list. We have the Brumos cars, the Gunnar cars and pickup, Eliot Forbes Robinsons 914-6, the 901 shops cars, etc. Heck in Tampa alone we have Steve Gagliones 914-6 and the Sahara Beige cars that I would put money on in any concours, Pauls Worlds Lightest Weight 914 ( about to get much faster by the way!) Rob's 3 or 4 cars, my lunatic fringe conversion. Then youve got the Orlando guys and their beautiful cars. If you move here, just make sure you find a place with plenty of garage space for your 914s. We are going to start fining people who leave perfectly good cars outside that rot in no time flat. And if going to move here you better hurry. Real Estate prices are getting CRAZY.

T.C.

come on down!!! bring your own plywood!!

i'm across the river from melbourne. the beaches are nice, traffic isn't too crazy ....yet!!
yup, real estate prices are crazy now!! my neighbor just sold his 80's vintage house, (about 3,500 sq ft, nothing special), for $435K, he bought it about 2 maybe 3 yrs ago for $150K!!

QUOTE

noseeums

Hehehe'

Lyrersaa we call em "noseeums" up here in New York also

If you have a teener, Florida may be disapointing- most of the state is flat and most of the roads are straight.

Industry and business is slim in Florida- it's mostly tourism and retiree type business. In the Melbourne area, there is Harris Corp and Cape Kennedy. A lot of people take Cape jobs for retirement. Not much work unless there is a launch.

Yes, noseeums are fun as well as the sandspurs.

I've lived in Panama City (first few grades), South Miami (Homestead) for my last year and a half of high school, and Melbourne area for college (Florida Institute of Technology). My wife is from Indialantic and went to Satellite Beach High.

Ken

QUOTE (kwales @ Jul 26 2005, 05:22 AM)

Industry and business is slim in Florida- it's mostly tourism and retiree type business.

You're kidding right?

Don't tell those that work in construction, health care, agriculture, real estate development, education, etc, etc, etc,

Oh yea, Florida doesn't have a state income tax.

Paul

Don't tell those that work in construction, health care, agriculture, real estate development, education, etc, etc, etc,"

Sounds a lot like much of TN workforce except nobody working for someone else makes any money in TN. Well some do, the relatives or smoochee's.

Back to subject. Florida is a very enjoyable place to live. If I was going to live along the coast, I think St. Pete Beach would be where I'd like. Hot weather... just hit the water. Cold weather...same.
Or....
Disney probably would be a good place for a early retired computer savvy HP employee. I would like to see a new attraction you could probably suggest, help originate and make happen.
The Pirates of the Carribean pirate ship loaded up with screaming tourists and zooming up, down and thru Space Mountain in a pirate ship or even 914's. LOL :-)) LOL

Mike
Memphis

QUOTE (URY914 @ Jul 26 2005, 09:30 AM)

Oh yea, Florida doesn't have a state income tax. Paul

Uhh... no, they do not... and as long as you don't spend a penny, or do anything at all, you won't have to pay the thru-the-nose tax on everything else.



Florida would tax your arms for moving when you walk.. if they could meter it.


M

I have lived all over Florida, from the Redlands, to the panhandle. Something for everybody, but if you want to live near a hill, it's going to be Tallahassee..




M

QUOTE (redshift @ Jul 26 2005, 08:56 AM)

Florida would tax your arms for moving when you walk.. if they could meter it.

Clearly a case of Florida-envy.

Gee, from a guy in Ga.

P

When I left Florida, I went as far away as I could afford...

hahaha



M

it's realllllllllly flat. the highest points in the state are freeway overpasses. no kidding. compared to CO springs, the weather sucks and it's more expensive. and i can't remember the last snow storm that may me put plywood on my doors and windows.

QUOTE (TROJANMAN @ Jul 26 2005, 09:35 AM)

it's realllllllllly flat. the highest points in the state are freeway overpasses. no kidding. compared to CO springs, the weather sucks and it's more expensive. and i can't remember the last snow storm that may me put plywood on my doors and windows.

I can't remember the last time sunshine keep me in my in house for three days without power.

Rather have sunburn than frost bite.

http://www.visitflorida.com/

On second thought, PLEASE no one else move here. You can visit, we will take your money.

Paul

QUOTE (URY914 @ Jul 26 2005, 09:30 AM)

QUOTE (kwales @ Jul 26 2005, 05:22 AM) Industry and business is slim in Florida- it's mostly tourism and retiree type business. Don't tell those that work in construction, health care, agriculture, real estate development, education, etc, etc, etc, Oh yea, Florida doesn't have a state income tax. Paul

THANK YOU!

QUOTE (URY914 @ Jul 26 2005, 02:58 PM)

Rather have sunburn than frost bite. http://www.visitflorida.com/ On second thought, PLEASE no one else move here. You can visit, we will take your money. Paul

Thank You! Thank You!

Ladies, and Gentlemen! The Sunshine Shills will be appearing live 3 times daily thru Sunday!




M

QUOTE (URY914 @ Jul 26 2005, 02:58 PM)

QUOTE (TROJANMAN @ Jul 26 2005, 09:35 AM) it's realllllllllly flat.  the highest points in the state are freeway overpasses.  no kidding.  compared to CO springs, the weather sucks and it's more expensive. and i can't remember the last snow storm that may me put plywood on my doors and windows. I can't remember the last time sunshine kept me in my house for three days without power. Rather have sunburn than frost bite. On second thought, PLEASE no one else move here. You can visit, we will take your money. Paul

Git 'em, Paul!

Whay ya do is plot the past reporting locations of Jim Cantore. A good place to live is anywhere he doesn't show up form time to time.

So if the guy is standing in your front yard when tuning into the weather channel. You better pack your shit and move.

Paul,

I can remember when a hurricane kept me inside for three days without power.....Several times.

And then there was Andrew.... I used to live on Homestead AFB. Never will forget seeing the video after- everything was flattened rubble until I realized the mound with the blue square in it was the base Officers Club pool. Looking behind it, all the houses in Colonel's row were flattened- including Dad's. All those houses with all those cute girls I used to date- GONE!

Yep, great for construction and real estate- gotta rebuild.

State still isn't much for designing and manufacturing products. These are skills some of us have.

Ken

Would you rather have this....

http://wickedweasel.com/

Or this....

http://www.akgear.com/catalog/parkas/parka1.html

Now you tell me

See ya at the beach,

Paul

Is that mountain goat fur? No, on the parka..


M

Hey, Paul, Temple Terrace is nice. I've had family there forever.

Seriously;

I grew up in Jax, I've visited a lot of FL, and Tallahassee has the most interesting geography if you like/need hills. Melbourne is still my favorite area. A buddy of mine just moved there and he's not working for NASA or the retirees (he's a techie, though) but defense/NASA and the retirement services are the major employers in that area if you're a tech guy.

Tampa is a great town and growing but I'll let the other folks who know it better give you their impressions.

Jacksonville has a pretty good economy and gets more of the 4 seasons but the coast is definitely better than the interior if you want to avoid the worst of the heat and humidity. You'll never escape it completely. Last week it was in the low 90's when we were there and that's normal. The humity was well above 50%. They have a monster Jazz fest every spring and a pretty good Blues festival as well. The Jaguars and the annual FL-GA football game (also known as the worlds largest tailgate party) are attractions if you're into football (and everybody in FL seems to be). Heck, there's even a pro hockey team in FL now! Brumos is in JAX, too, if you bring your fat wallet.

And then there's the bugs. The only way to get rid of 'em is to move off and leave 'em. Roaches, noseeums, skeeters, love bugs; they're the price you pay for no state income tax (Redshift is right about the other taxes, though).

It also seemed to me like they shipped all the good produce to markets out of state and the local grocery stores were left with the dregs. The folks selling on the side of the road had better produce. But maybe you don't care about that.

Houses are still a relative bargain compared to most of the rest of the country even though prices have really gone up lately.

Just my 2c.

QUOTE (URY914 @ Jul 26 2005, 10:58 AM)

I can't remember the last time sunshine keep me in my in house for three days without power. Rather have sunburn than frost bite.

I have never lost power ONCE due to a snowstorm and have lived here all my life.

Contrary to popular belief, it doesn't snow here as much as you might think, but we'll let everybody think it does.

We actually have more sunny days per year than Florida and SoCal - about 300 to be exact.

QUOTE (BMartin914 @ Jul 26 2005, 06:56 PM)

I have never lost power ONCE due to a snowstorm and have lived here all my life. We actually have more sunny days per year than Florida and SoCal - about 300 to be exact.

lost power due to snow for about 6 hrs last winter. sorta.
some goat-roper slid his "invincible 4X4" into a power pole and took out my side of the street.

we got 310-320 sunny days a year in the Sierra - where i no longer am ...

I live in Satellite Beach, have a 74-1.8L that lives in the garage in fear of salt spray - that and the occasional hurricane visit are the biggest negatives. Have lived here since 1990. Grew up in Ohio, lived in North Carolina for 5 years, here for the rest. Florida is best for me, even though I'm not a big fan of the heat. If you move here, live as close to the ocean as you can afford - sea breeze makes heat tolerable and chases away mosquitos [ we had way more mosquitos in Ohio and NC than we have here ]. List of things I've not had to do since moving here:
1. Scraped frost off a car window.
2. Shovelled rain off my driveway to go to work in the morning.
3. Fired up a kerosene heater in the garage for late night knuckle busting.
4. Buy a snow tire or worry about throwing chains in the trunk before a trip.
5. Split wood.
6. Put on long underwear....

Good luck with your choice, hope it works out for you!

the best part of living in florida comes arround january or so,,, then you are watching a nfl game being played in cleveland or buffalo and you are sitting arroung in shorts and flip-flops....now that is nice...

as someone else said...stay north of lake ockecobee it is WAY too crowded here where i live in palm beach county..

cheers..

Paul,

I can remember when a hurricane kept me inside for three days without power.....Several times.

And then there was Andrew.... I used to live on Homestead AFB. Never will forget seeing the video after- everything was flattened rubble until I realized the mound with the blue square in it was the base Officers Club pool. Looking behind it, all the houses in Colonel's row were flattened- including Dad's. All those houses with all those cute girls I used to date- GONE!

Yep, great for construction and real estate- gotta rebuild.

State still isn't much for designing and manufacturing products. These are skills some of us have.

Ken


I lived in Homestead during Andrew. 5 miles west of the air base.

Built our own house, had only cosmetic damage after the blow.

Besides, 30 days of barbecueing after felt like one long camping trip.

Oops, I really have to learn how to do quotes.

Any other Florida members out there that want to chime in?

I'm making a list for a possible get together and this thread has turned up some new folks.

Speak up or PM me.

Thanks,

Paul

QUOTE (heavydriver @ Jul 27 2005, 05:24 AM)

Oops, I really have to learn how to do quotes.

I was going to be nice and not say anything about that.

Good to hear form you.

Paul

I broke out the map. I should learn how to guage distance also. I was only 1 mile west of the base. Most of our housing developement was leveled.

Damn. I was going to mention not letting your pets outside, and the problem with too many Canadian men and Speedo swimsuits, but then I got lost over at that wickedweasel site.

Where was I.....nevermind....now I'm moving to Florida.

The difference in weather between Denver and Colorado Springs is amazing sometimes...I have left C Springs in a chained up 4WD heading to Denver, with roads almost closed traveling @ 10mph and arrived to clear weather and roads in Denver......

Last month we has a suprise thunder/rain/hail storm here that left up to 5 feet of hail in some parts of town and killed two kids....in less than 15 minutes.

I came to work at noon one Friday a few years back in a t-shirt, and was trapped inside the building for 3 days (snow came in so fast and so heavy that by 6:00pm you couldn't make it to your car)

I have had to walk to work on several occasions because the roads were ice (not snow...solid ice rink grade slick ice) and there was zero traction

The sun does shine on most winter days here...warms and melts the snow, drops to freezing about 6pm or so which lays a sheet of ice on everything...so bad a few times you can't even walk on sidewalks...

Rust is a long-term problem is salt areas; our hail can destroy your car (and house roof) in 5 minutes flat...

Even with all that, our winters are much nicer than the east cost or north plains states, and this is one beautiful area, mountain driving is superb and taking the back roads to Breckenridge from Colorado Springs is a drive you wont soon forget....

So Mark,
does that mean you have or have not been to the wickedweasel website?

hey akron zip!!!

get that thing out of the garage and lets go for a drive one weekend!!

BTW, welcome to the club!!!

Food for thought:
I remember reading a year or two ago that meteriologists are just starting to get a decent grasp on something called thermohaline circulation pattern. It has something to do with the circulation of warm and cold currents in the ocean. It seems that in the 1990's, they began to uncover evidence of pronounced cycles that apparently have a huge impact on everything from the weather in Portland to the Salmon season, etc. I guess one of the things most clearly driven by this are hurricanes and they were fairly certain that we were at the beginning of a bad hurricane cycle that they estimate is going to last about 15 to 20 years. Gee....last year, we got hit by Charley, Frances, Ivan, and Jeanne, resulting in estimated losses of $22.8 billion. This year we've already seen SEVEN Tropical Depressions, 2 of which have turned into major hurricanes and three others practically came within a sneeze of being categorized a hurricane.

Arlene.....70mph sustained winds
Brett........40mph sustained winds
Cindy.......70mph sustained winds
Dennis.....150mph sustained winds (strong Category 4, almost a Category 5)
Emily........150mph sustained winds (strong Category 4, almost a Category 5)
Franklin....70mph sustained winds
Gert.........40mph sustained winds

A Category 1 Hurricane starts at 74mph sustained winds


My point is, this is the busiest start in recorded hurricane history. The insurance company I work for just announced that it is non-renewing all property insurance (home/condo/dwelling fire/rental) in Florida effective immediately. I would be worried about property values lagging big time or even dropping if these trends persist.

I love Florida. I visit at least once a year making our yearly trek to Disneyworld. I just think I would be hesitant to invest in property there for a little while.

hth