Florida - Retire/Vacation Home fbo Cruising

So maybe I am just going thru a phase but been thinking about 10-year goals and not sure I want to stay in my current job the rest of my career. I am mid-40s and have two kids 14 & 12. In 10 years my kids will be out of college, hopefully my house will be paid off along with saving for a vacation home down payment.

With these factors and the fact I am not liking cold winters, a thought popped in my head to relocate to Florida, find a 30-40 hr week job (my current job is pretty demanding) plus we would be close to the cruise ports. My wife & I have become cruise addicts.

Have/would you relocate/retire to be near cruise ports?

This might be impossible to answer, but any particular areas of Florida? We are mid-western and hear gulf coast is more mid-western people, and would like to be near (30-60 minutes from) good beaches & golf courses. Seems like Miami is the biggest cruise port so Ideally within 4/5 hours of Miami but maybe that is pretty much the whole state aside from Destin area.

So maybe I am just going thru a phase but been thinking about 10-year goals and not sure I want to stay in my current job the rest of my career. I am mid-40s and have two kids 14 & 12. In 10 years my kids will be out of college, hopefully my house will be paid off along with saving for a vacation home down payment.

 

With these factors and the fact I am not liking cold winters, a thought popped in my head to relocate to Florida, find a 30-40 hr week job (my current job is pretty demanding) plus we would be close to the cruise ports. My wife & I have become cruise addicts.

 

Have/would you relocate/retire to be near cruise ports?

 

This might be impossible to answer, but any particular areas of Florida? We are mid-western and hear gulf coast is more mid-western people, and would like to be near (30-60 minutes from) good beaches & golf courses. Seems like Miami is the biggest cruise port so Ideally within 4/5 hours of Miami but maybe that is pretty much the whole state aside from Destin area.

Everything mentioned can be accomplished in the Punta Gorda/Port Charlotte / North Port/ Englewood area.

Tampa/Port Canaveral /Miami/Fort Lauderdale are all less than 3-3 1/2 hrs away!

Siesta Key one of the best beaches in America is about 1 hr. away from the locations first mentioned.

Going to retire and get a job?

Construction, agriculture and tourism(service) are Florida's only industries.

Every where south of Orlando is 60 minutes from golf and the beach.

Everywhere north of Orlando the winters are the same as Kentucky, without the snow.

Real Estate prices are around twice the price of Kentucky. (just a guess)

The west coast (Gulf coast) of Florida attracts many mid-westerners, while the east cost attracts many mid-Atlantic / northeastern folks.

Gulf Coast: Naples / Fort Myers / Fort Myers Beach / Cape Coral / Sarasota

East Coast: Delray Beach / Jupiter / Vero Beach / Melbourne

Going to retire and get a job?

Construction, agriculture and tourism(service) are Florida's only industries.

 

Every where south of Orlando is 60 minutes from golf and the beach.

 

Everywhere north of Orlando the winters are the same as Kentucky, without the snow.

 

Real Estate prices are around twice the price of Kentucky. (just a guess)

I will be 55ish then and looking for an accounting position to work my last 10 years. Something 30-40 hrs week compared to 60+ now.

Even northern Fl winters got to be better than Ky winters. Golf is pretty much out of the question from Nov-March in KY. But I'd probably want south of Orlando.

As far as RE prices, maybe then will come down in 10 years as baby boom generation "exits".

I'm a boomer and have no plans "to exit" in 10 years. :D

A lot of retirees with 401Ks, pensions, investments, IRAs, etc. need accounting help, especially with taxes. I would think there would be a market for accountants in Florida.

Roz

retired at ripe old age of 51, 9 years ago to the Melbourne area {30 year military}. No complaints. I'm about 20 minutes from Port Canaveral; under 2 hours to Port of Tampa; about 3 1/2 to POM ... lil less to Port Everglades. 50 minutes to Orlando airport and 15 more to Disney/Universal/SeaWorld

Spousal unit has her own small CPA practice - tax - and has more work than she wants and does as much (or as little) as she wants. She's able to be very selective of the type client she'll take on - there's BIG DEMAND down here for good experienced tax people. She's one of the 'go to' CPAs for several local law firms when messy estate issues come up.

Plenty of condos down here on the beach, I still prefer a house. We've a 4br/3ba/3 car/pool/ on "water" 7 miles from the beach with both the Banana and Indian rivers 'tween us and ocean. Gated community, nice yard .... nice neighbors. King Center for theater is 5 miles away - they bring in Broadway traveling shows regularly (at a fraction of NYC prices)

there's A BUNCH of high tech in this area due to the space center, altho not all space related. Northrup Grumman for air space/Harris communications - these two have a LARGE presence ... most companies that chase government electronics/communications contracts have offices here.

[for other readers] Also a lot of military retired as Patrick AFB remains one base that is VERY retiree friendly{Tricare PRIME} and so long as there is some form of space activity at the Cape, PAFB remains pretty damn safe from closing IMO. {It is possible for a retiree to live ON BASE, in government housing in some 'limited' cases, not temporary but with a lease}

I have a condo in a 55+ community in Ft. Lauderdale area that I use during the winter. You can work for yourself but the drawback is the health insurance/benefits. Depending where you are in FL, things are not that cheap, i.e. car insurance, home owners insurance.

Also baby boomers are just getting started retiring in large numbers. Most of the people where I live are in their 70s-90s. Younger people are moving in but are still in the minority. It will be more than 10 years for the baby boomers to exit. Another 10 years they will be the majority.

wrt certain insurance costs ... stay north of Miami { to include Dade Broward and to a less degree Palm Beach counties . . . .}

If the public schools near you are really good, you might want to wait until your children graduate high school. I'm not sure about the west coast of FL, but most of the public high schools in SE FL are rough and the private schools are expensive.

If the public schools near you are really good, you might want to wait until your children graduate high school. I'm not sure about the west coast of FL, but most of the public high schools in SE FL are rough and the private schools are expensive.

Yes in 10 years my kids will be out of college hopefully (and off the payroll).

retired at ripe old age of 51, 9 years ago to the Melbourne area {30 year military}. No complaints. I'm about 20 minutes from Port Canaveral; under 2 hours to Port of Tampa; about 3 1/2 to POM ... lil less to Port Everglades. 50 minutes to Orlando airport and 15 more to Disney/Universal/SeaWorld

 

Spousal unit has her own small CPA practice - tax - and has more work than she wants and does as much (or as little) as she wants. She's able to be very selective of the type client she'll take on - there's BIG DEMAND down here for good experienced tax people. She's one of the 'go to' CPAs for several local law firms when messy estate issues come up.

 

Plenty of condos down here on the beach, I still prefer a house. We've a 4br/3ba/3 car/pool/ on "water" 7 miles from the beach with both the Banana and Indian rivers 'tween us and ocean. Gated community, nice yard .... nice neighbors. King Center for theater is 5 miles away - they bring in Broadway traveling shows regularly (at a fraction of NYC prices)

 

there's A BUNCH of high tech in this area due to the space center, altho not all space related. Northrup Grumman for air space/Harris communications - these two have a LARGE presence ... most companies that chase government electronics/communications contracts have offices here.

 

[for other readers] Also a lot of military retired as Patrick AFB remains one base that is VERY retiree friendly{Tricare PRIME} and so long as there is some form of space activity at the Cape, PAFB remains pretty damn safe from closing IMO. {It is possible for a retiree to live ON BASE, in government housing in some 'limited' cases, not temporary but with a lease}

Thanks for the good info. I can see there being a need for good tax people in florida but tax is not my background. I always wondered about going into Eldercare services - taking care of finances for the elderly.

I will be driving thru Melbourne in two weeks. We are flying into Orlando and then driving down to Miami. We get into Orlando late and will need to book a hotel for the night. Might look at Melbourne. Off topic, by my brother was stationed at the AF base near Cape Canaveral back in the 1970s.

I will be 55ish then and looking for an accounting position to work my last 10 years. Something 30-40 hrs week compared to 60+ now.

 

Even northern Fl winters got to be better than Ky winters. Golf is pretty much out of the question from Nov-March in KY. But I'd probably want south of Orlando.

 

As far as RE prices, maybe then will come down in 10 years as baby boom generation "exits".

As a South Florida real estate agent, the very first thing I ask people is what is your realistic housing budget?

South Florida is very expensive, not just housing but gas, groceries, everything.

As for working 30-40 hours a week, everyone who wants to 'retire' or semi retire down here is looking for that. Decent paying jobs are very difficult to find because there is a massive pool of over qualified people.

I lived on the west coast on Siesta Key for 18 months and loved it.

Make sure you can afford to live without the extra income or even try and bring your business with you.

I think the Fort Myers/Cape Coral/Venice, Stuart, Fort Pierce areas are going to be the most reasonably priced. Fort Lauderdale, Sarasota, Miami, Naples, Palm Beach, Jupiter are going to be the most expensive.

South Florida is an entire different animal from the rest of the US.

As a South Florida real estate agent, the very first thing I ask people is what is your realistic housing budget?

 

South Florida is very expensive, not just housing but gas, groceries, everything.

 

As for working 30-40 hours a week, everyone who wants to 'retire' or semi retire down here is looking for that. Decent paying jobs are very difficult to find because there is a massive pool of over qualified people.

 

I lived on the west coast on Siesta Key for 18 months and loved it.

 

Make sure you can afford to live without the extra income or even try and bring your business with you.

 

I think the Fort Myers/Cape Coral/Venice, Stuart, Fort Pierce areas are going to be the most reasonably priced. Fort Lauderdale, Sarasota, Miami, Naples, Palm Beach, Jupiter are going to be the most expensive.

 

South Florida is an entire different animal from the rest of the US.

I lived in Ft. Myers for a summer with a college internship. It was okay but that was many many years ago.

Again this is 10 years out and a lot could change but even north Flordia & pan handle would be fine. That would still be just 3-5 hours to most ports including NOLA.

a BUNCH will change in 10 years including your kids out of college

My experience was .... I was stationed in Cape Canaveral 86 - 89 and came to really like the area. Nearly 20 years later we came back for a visit to see if the things we'd liked were still here ....

- Canaveral area if far enuf north to no longer have Miami metropolis effects ... and far enuf south of Jax to be isolated from that side .... and far enuf east of Orlando to STILL be isolated (you'd be amazed to see just how empty it is between Orlando and Cocoa ... check with Google Earth)

- as compared to a lot of Florida .. housing was reasonable. Back in 2007 I could have bought in Alabama for a lot less, and in Miami/Lauderdale or 'the Villages' (popular retirement area north of Orlando) what I got would cost a bunch more. I sold a nice house outside of Norfolk VA and bought down here for the same amount .... I think I got a nicer house but spouse says we were even. Point being the markets were similar. [we bought before the DROP and today prices in our neighborhood are back to pre-drop.]

- we'd lived in Miami a fairly long time -- 10 years+, and on the west coast in St Pete for a few years and here in Canaveral area .... we came back to Canaveral but could have gone anywhere!

- I AM thinking of moving to Cayman in a couple of years tho . . .

BUT YOU HAVE TEN YEARS ..... a lot of time to come down a few times and look around . . .

I did almost this same thing a few years ago, except that I didn't scale back my full-time job or change employers. I'm lucky enough to have a job that lets me work from a home office anywhere in the US (when I'm not traveling, so I do need good airport access.)

Seems like accounting is a job that could be done remotely, so since you've got lots of time to work this all out before you make the move, maybe you could start looking around for an employer who will let you work from home. That way you could take your job with you to Florida.

You definitely want to visit the areas where you're thinking of moving first, and try to make it more of a "real life" vs. a vacation visit. Maybe do AirBnB apartment or something like that where you are in a residential area and buying groceries and driving around experiencing the traffic (or lack thereof) etc. And it's always good to rent first in a new city so you can get a better idea of where (or if!) you want to buy something in that area. Good advice that I've never followed myself... :)

I do think the Miami/Ft. Lauderdale area would be a big culture shock coming from Kentucky, whereas the gulf side (Tampa/Sarasota/Ft. Myers/Naples and points between) would be less so. But think about what you're looking for in a new hometown, what kind of lifestyle you want to lead, etc.--you may welcome the culture shock!

Been in Cocoa Beach 3+ years. Beach condo. Most condos have a first right of refusal clause. You need to start in a lesser unit and buy your way up.

We got lucky and got a 3 bedroom corner after just one year.

Absolutely love it

A higher cost of living or RE being more expensive is all relative to where you currently live. My husband and I have been kicking around the idea of retiring in Florida for no other reason than being able to cruise more frequently (I hate flying) and to retire to a less expensive home and area than where we are now. We currently live in the most outrageously expensive area in the U.S. right now - the San Francisco Bay area. Only Manhattan is equal in costs.

We are very limited as to where we can cruise from on the West Coast and we have done them all many times over. The major thing holding us back is the weather. We used to live on the east coast and dealt with the snow in the winter and horrid humidity in the summer. But we've lived here for 10 years now and got so accustomed to no humidity and spring/fall weather all year round. I hate humidity and bugs and neither are an issue here. So I was thinking of a high-rise condo in Ft. Lauderdale would be do-able. Too high for the bugs and breezy and less hot. Of course, we would have to get used to A/C all over again. And, are we willing to trade hurricanes for the possibility of an earthquake? We are ready to retire in 1-2 years and not looking to find future work. An icy margarita and balcony overlooking the ocean would be perfect to fill in the days we are not on a cruise ship. :D

A higher cost of living or RE being more expensive is all relative to where you currently live. My husband and I have been kicking around the idea of retiring in Florida for no other reason than being able to cruise more frequently (I hate flying) and to retire to a less expensive home and area than where we are now. We currently live in the most outrageously expensive area in the U.S. right now - the San Francisco Bay area. Only Manhattan is equal in costs.

 

The OP is looking at moving from Kentucky. Kentucky, anywhere in the state is going to be cheaper than almost anywhere in Florida on either coast Sarasota/Palm Beach and south.

Apples to oranges Kentucky to the Bay area.

I hate humidity and bugs and neither are an issue here. So I was thinking of a high-rise condo in Ft. Lauderdale would be do-able. Too high for the bugs and breezy and less hot. Of course, we would have to get used to A/C all over again. And, are we willing to trade hurricanes for the possibility of an earthquake?

We live in a condo on the beach just a few miles north of Fort Lauderdale. No bugs except the love bugs for a few weeks in late April/early May and an on-shore breeze most days. Plus the view can't be beat!

Fireofficer,

You said "Construction, agriculture and tourism(service) are Florida's only industries." I would think healthcare would be a big industry, given an older population. Am I missing something?

Roz

Fireofficer,

 

You said "Construction, agriculture and tourism(service) are Florida's only industries." I would think healthcare would be a big industry, given an older population. Am I missing something?

 

Roz

That post was so full of baloney I would disregard it if I were you. I have lived in Florida since 1964, grew up in Miami, and now I live in the Melbourne area. Tourism is our main industry but there are also high tech areas and medical services is a large industry as well.

I did have to laugh about the weather north of Orlando being similar to Kentucky. Pretty absurd

That post was so full of baloney I would disregard it if I were you. I have lived in Florida since 1964, grew up in Miami, and now I live in the Melbourne area. Tourism is our main industry but there are also high tech areas and medical services is a large industry as well.

 

I did have to laugh about the weather north of Orlando being similar to Kentucky. Pretty absurd

While it is true tourism is our number one industry (we had over 100 million people visit Florida in 2015), the largest employer, Disney, is one of the worst paying companies.

I also agree healthcare is up there but again, the pay is dismal if you don't have a bachelor degree'd position or higher.

Someone coming from Boston making $20 an hour as a caregiver, will be lucky to make $8.50 an hour with a similar cost of living in South Florida.

Skilled positions pay but an accountant without a CPA isn't looking at much per hour unless they bring their job with them.

It's the sunshine tax.

Healthcare is everywhere, not really an industry, a necessity.

Living in Melbourne is nothing like Tallahassee, Gainesville, Ocala etc.

The tech industry is tiny in Fl.

Most come here for some tax benefits, then leave for other taxpayer funded

incentive states.

Industries are defined as a productive enterprise.

Also condos have a maintenance fee.

Usually higher amount than the mortgage.

Living in Melbourne is nothing like Tallahassee, Gainesville, Ocala etc.

 

The tech industry is tiny in Fl.

Most come here for some tax benefits, then leave for other taxpayer funded

incentive states.

 

Industries are defined as a productive enterprise.

 

Also condos have a maintenance fee.

Usually higher amount than the mortgage.

Embraer just rolled their 1,000th jet off the line in Melbourne. Getting ready to double production they say.

But what's really cool is a new company at KSC is going to mass produce satellites. Say they can build one in 8 hours. But due to the orbit needed, most of them won't launch from here. :(

Our condo fees are $450