Florida is pretty diverse depending on where you go. My favorite area would probably be Coral Gables near Fairchild Gardens

Some people say "I cant live in Florida, I love seasons too much."
So do I, which is why I live in a place that skips the crappy ones.

Florida has lots of economic problems due to the real estate bust. I dunno. The soil in South Florida is ridiculous. It is sand. Zero clay content to hold in nutrients. So you have to depend on humus to do this. The main source of humus is chipped mulched tree trimmings which decay very fast to humus down here. Florida would revert to jungle Everglades within 10 years if it weren't for platoons and armies of "lawn maintenance" guys wacking away at the shrubbery and trees year 'round. 365 days a year. I'm exaggerating a bit but not much

If you go to Cuba or Puerto Rico you can find good soil due their volcanic origin. So move to Cuba :)

Matter of fact the old houses in Miami with old clay tile roofs brought those tiles in from Puerto Rico and Cuba where there is clay to make tiles. Just about all the tile roofs you will see here are made of concrete. Sometimes hi-tech concrete that looks a lot like clay tiles

I moved to central FL from Seattle. For that move here are my pros and cons.

Pluses
- Fabulous weather
- Lower cost of living
- Warm water ocean within daytripping distance
- Quite enough of seasons for me. One freeze a year is too many for me.
- Tropical fruit
- I live in a vacation destination. Last year my vacation was to drive an hour to the beach and rent a condo. Cheap and awesome.
- Hurricanes are more predictable than earthquakes.

Minuses
- More bugs - not that big of a deal, that's what screened rooms are for.
- No mountains - only an issue if you really love sports such as mountain biking, rockclimbing or downhill skiing. I don't do any of those things, so it isn't a minus for me.

Not many minuses - that's why I live here=)

If your considering moving to Florida... make sure you don't mind the bugs and the heat. In the summer it can be unbearable unless you are close to a beach. Florida is wonderful place if you are near the beach 2 miles or less. I also noticed the bugs are less intense near the ocean.

South Florida would likely be a culture shock for anyone coming from the Bible Belt states. We have great weather, but the folks aren't nearly as nice here as what you'd be accustomed with. Here you're more likely to get a middle finger while driving than a hand wave... :-)

Jeff

Hi persimmonbob,

I am actually move out of Florida. We are doing it because we want our daughter to experience all the seasons - something she also asks about. Like others said before more there are good and not-so-good places to live in Florida. I have always preferred to live in a smaller town, and not too far from the beach.

Tomas

I moved from Queens NY three years ago. Really cant compare the two. Altogether though I think its an easier day to day. Theres a reason why so many people land here for retirement. its an easy living.

again, Its pretty diverse. Ive noticed more North Easterners move to the south east here and Mid-westerners tend to move to the West coast like Tampa. Its a huge State. It ranges from being like Alabama in the panhandle to a British colony in Key West. Even Miami goes from slums to rural farmland.

as for the soil, its just as diverse. here in Hollywood its sand and limestone but west of here close to the everglades its muck. Homestead, Redlands is typically known for having the best soil. I actually like the sand coupled with alot of rain it provides great drainage and is easily amended to grow almost anything that can overcome nematodes. alot of mulch and organic material help

{{gwi:1304804}}

This is my wife snooping in Hausman backyard.Just kidding!!
This is what i miss when we were in Naples area. I love the Naples area,i almost bought a condo there. Should have bought a house with a couple acres. Maybe it is too late now. I would like to go to the tropical fruit doings there around Miami this summer.Thanks for the advise i have gotten,guys!

Hey Mr. Bob - I've heard the prices of real estate in Florida are at rock bottom now. I actually think you are in luck if you happen to be looking now...have you checked?
I don't think it's too late at all, from what I hear. The Floridians could probably give you some idea what stuff sells for in their neighborhoods.

I too loved Naples (and Fort Myers) when I lived in Clearwater (just west of St. Petersburg) back in 1979 for one calendar year. I remember getting in my parked car in July, and feeling like I'd opened an oven door. Of course here in Palm Springs, California. it's about the same, though drier, we get higher temps, so I think they sort of equalize in that "feel" temperature.

Ever thought of Brownsville, Texas - I hear that's a lot like Miami and has lots of tropical stuff growing there.

anyway, I wouldn't feel so doomed about buying anywhere. And we here in Palm Springs and throughout Southern Calif. are seeing real estate at incredible prices, too - a 3 bed. 2 bath home on 1/4 acre just sold for around $200K, just down the street from me....

Good luck, Roberto de Arkansas - keep us posted with your movements - I see mangos dripping into your hands in my crystal ball......

MangoDogPsychic

My house is a 3/2. a few years ago was valued at $140k, today its probably

The picture persimmon bob posted looks like a Florigon tree. Is that a photo you took bob?

Now is definitely a good time to buy in FL. My house was appraised at 170k a couple years ago. Now I probably couldn't get 100k for it. Luckily I bought just before the artificial boom and could probably get back about what I paid for it. Many others were not as lucky.

My aunt moved from Socal 4 years ago and bought a brand new house in a 140 house track in lehigh acres, FL for 180K....the contractor bailed out when the crisis hit and only 40 some homes where build. She bought the house next door 6 months ago, brand new no one ever lived there, for 60K. I could keep going NW,SW Miami, Hialeah,Kendall,Pembroke Pines, Port Saint Lucie etc. I have family all over Florida and they have suffer major losses.

...you win M Kush - Florida is the Mango-growing deal of the decade for real Estate... I wish I had some extra bucks, JF - those bargains sound too good to be true, but I've heard from others there are absolute STEALS down west and north of Miami.....

Wicked good for buyers, utter pain for sellers....sure hope it all evens out soon.....

mangoDogHouse

Yes i took a lot of pictures during the several trips in the Naples area.I stayed at my friend condo by a golf court just west of hwy 75.I went to a tropical garden somewhere in Homestead i believe and it was destroyed by Huricane Andrew i believe. THere were only sticks leftover.
We also stay at Islamorada a few times. But back in the earky 80's i was wanting to start a mango orchard then with this friend of mine who was much older than me, but never got that far. His name was Bob Kurly who was one of the founders of the NAFEX group. North American Fruit Grower.This group was big with apples,pears,plums etc, not much with tropicals.Thanks for all you guys input and again i hope to be able to meet hausman and meet some of you guys there in the summer at the fruit festival.Bob