now what everyone fails to mention is the temp that they keep their house in the summer. I keep mine at 84 during the day and have it automatically from 3-6 to about 78-80 degrees and my electric bill right now for a 10k/w a day fish system is 150 a month on a 1600 sq/ft block home built in 94.
Greetings Floridians. Illinoisan considering relocating has questions. Please help.
- Thread starter adamjr
- Start date
dmbedard
New member
Another thing you want to keep in mind when moving to a new home is that the taxes will go up significantly the second year you are there. The tax collector is unable to raise values much while a homeowner lives in a home due to laws, but when the home is sold, they raise it a chunk. That comes through on the next year's taxes. I am not sure if this happens in other states, but here, it's the norm. Homeowners is rough to get for older homes also. About the electric bill, remember that you are running everything on your electric. You won't have gas or heat expenses in addition (unless you get gas appliances). It's the whole enchilada. Block construction is the norm. Slabs are here because we really don't have the earth structure for basements... therefore storage areas in the home can be a real blessing.
Diane
Diane
dragonette
Yes, its LIVE rock.
dont flame me for this but....
I am a former chicago-an. I have been here 6 years living in west palm most of the time, the recent years living in my home in port saint lucie...
I think the novelty of the nice weather wears off after a while. I would stay in Ill if you are near the city(chicago), its better living IMO. Stay there.
Good Luck in whatever you choose.
I am a former chicago-an. I have been here 6 years living in west palm most of the time, the recent years living in my home in port saint lucie...
I think the novelty of the nice weather wears off after a while. I would stay in Ill if you are near the city(chicago), its better living IMO. Stay there.
Good Luck in whatever you choose.
schnell76
New member
Actually those age houses are built very well too. Most likely the trusses are not strapped down, but thats something you can do once you move in. Or hire someone to do. Good thing is those age houses were typically built with the small 4" blocks (some were stucco'd over, but most are just painted smooth block). Those short 4" blocks are pretty much indestructable. Try knocking down a house built with those little blocks, its tough. Those houses also typically have a lesser roof pitch. Maybe a 3:12 or 4:12....that is important in terms of wind uplift during a storm. Bad things about those age houses are the windows and doors, virtually no insulation and sometimes they develop issues with plumbing. Now if the house has been maintained and upgraded over the years then thats usually not an issue. A good home inspector will point out all those issues.
In terms of the interior it really varies. Some are lathe with rough coat plaster and some have some thickness of drywall board with plaster over them.
Property tax comment is not necessarily true. If the home was bought in the last couple years and now is being resold again the taxes may in fact go down. On the contrary though if someone lived in there for the last 30 years then the taxes may go up 10 times what the current owner is paying. Just make sure to homestead the property once you close and move in. That will cap your taxes and they can only go up about 3% max per year.
I would definitely look into the ability to get home owners insurance though. That will be your first hurdle once you decide on a home. Ask the current owner or if the bank owns it then they may be able to help you out. Your realtor may be able to help you here too.
This all sounds like a lot, but its really not. You will have people that will help you out....your realtor and a home inspector.
If you are serious I would pick out 10-15 houses and come down for a long weekend. Look at all of them, even if you are not seriously buying one right now. That way you can kind of get a feel of the homes that interest you. And also a feel of one thats well maintained and one thats not.
Living down here is just a bit different that living in IL. You will enjoy if you decide to make the move. I know my wife and I have and we have never looked back for a second
skinnyjoe1976
New member
sorry david i had to bust your chops
adamjr
New member
Schnell76,
Thanks again for all of the info. By looking at some of the listings I can tell what has been said about the taxes. Similar houses were as low as $800.00 in taxes while others were closer to $3000-$5000. As much as you hear about people in Cook County griping about their property taxes they are higher in Lake County, IL where I live close to the cheddar curtain (Wisconsin border) taxes are much higher for the same size house and property. We just suffer in silence because the news stations wouldn't have much negative to say since they are all based in the ciy of Chicago. If the news stations were based int he burbs it would be like "hey all you whining Chicagoans, quit griping and try paying the taxes in Lake County."
Homeowners insurance shouldn't be too much of an issue. I have my local State Farm agent looking into it and he said if you have a current homeowners policy they will guarantee a policy if you relocate. He spoke to an agent in an office near Satellite Beach and he is hoping to have info back by today or tomorrow.
Realistically looking at a time frame I see moving within the year to be the most likely scenario. Most of the properties I am seeing in that area are short sale terms. My guess would be they aren't going to be accepting of contingencies of either my home being sold or mortgage approval so I have to have all of my ducks in a row first.
So my plans go like this:
Wait until December when something really nasty on my credit report will be 10 years old and drop off.
Be constantly in contact with the branch manager of my company's office in Orlando to secure employment. I am employable but I have 13 years of experience that many companies aren't willing to pay for so switching employers may be difficult.
Sell my house up here and place the money in the bank so I have a down payment ready and get pre-approved for a mortgage pending only a home inspection. Fortunately I live in a moderately priced neighborhood that wasn't hit to hard when the bubble burst. My equity gains have remained mostly intact. With 20%-35% down it should be an easy purchase.
Move down to Florida and find an apartment or condo with a month to month lease so I can be there and be selective about my purchase rather then rushed. The rent money would ordinarily be considered wasted but in this case I would call it a wise investment in my housing research.
Buy a house, move in, host an ORCA barbecue and meet all my new friends and join their club.
Thanks to everyone for your help and I have recieved a lot of very generous offers of help in this endeavor. I HUGELY appreciate that.
Dragonette suggested I not move so I am wondering if we met before he left Chicago. But seriously I have always loved the ocean and wanted to be near it. I went to Los Angeles last year and drove up the coast. It was beautiful but the water was freezing. Also you couldn't get a shack by the sea for less then a half a million. And for that you get cold water. No thanks.
I love Florida and the feeling of sitting on the beach hip deep in the water at sunset and just staring at the horizon, listening to the waves, and smelling the salt air. It makes all of my stress melt away. Not only do I want to live near the coast, I need to. I know it sounds like a corny board of tourism ad but it's how it makes me feel.
And Schnell76, Thanks for that incredibly generous offer of helping me look over houses over a weekend so I know what to expect. It would be really helpful to have someone without a financial stake in the transaction giving me a very qualified and experieinced opinion. I am going to have to take you up on that when the time comes.
Thanks again all.
Adam
Thanks again for all of the info. By looking at some of the listings I can tell what has been said about the taxes. Similar houses were as low as $800.00 in taxes while others were closer to $3000-$5000. As much as you hear about people in Cook County griping about their property taxes they are higher in Lake County, IL where I live close to the cheddar curtain (Wisconsin border) taxes are much higher for the same size house and property. We just suffer in silence because the news stations wouldn't have much negative to say since they are all based in the ciy of Chicago. If the news stations were based int he burbs it would be like "hey all you whining Chicagoans, quit griping and try paying the taxes in Lake County."
Homeowners insurance shouldn't be too much of an issue. I have my local State Farm agent looking into it and he said if you have a current homeowners policy they will guarantee a policy if you relocate. He spoke to an agent in an office near Satellite Beach and he is hoping to have info back by today or tomorrow.
Realistically looking at a time frame I see moving within the year to be the most likely scenario. Most of the properties I am seeing in that area are short sale terms. My guess would be they aren't going to be accepting of contingencies of either my home being sold or mortgage approval so I have to have all of my ducks in a row first.
So my plans go like this:
Wait until December when something really nasty on my credit report will be 10 years old and drop off.
Be constantly in contact with the branch manager of my company's office in Orlando to secure employment. I am employable but I have 13 years of experience that many companies aren't willing to pay for so switching employers may be difficult.
Sell my house up here and place the money in the bank so I have a down payment ready and get pre-approved for a mortgage pending only a home inspection. Fortunately I live in a moderately priced neighborhood that wasn't hit to hard when the bubble burst. My equity gains have remained mostly intact. With 20%-35% down it should be an easy purchase.
Move down to Florida and find an apartment or condo with a month to month lease so I can be there and be selective about my purchase rather then rushed. The rent money would ordinarily be considered wasted but in this case I would call it a wise investment in my housing research.
Buy a house, move in, host an ORCA barbecue and meet all my new friends and join their club.
Thanks to everyone for your help and I have recieved a lot of very generous offers of help in this endeavor. I HUGELY appreciate that.
Dragonette suggested I not move so I am wondering if we met before he left Chicago. But seriously I have always loved the ocean and wanted to be near it. I went to Los Angeles last year and drove up the coast. It was beautiful but the water was freezing. Also you couldn't get a shack by the sea for less then a half a million. And for that you get cold water. No thanks.
I love Florida and the feeling of sitting on the beach hip deep in the water at sunset and just staring at the horizon, listening to the waves, and smelling the salt air. It makes all of my stress melt away. Not only do I want to live near the coast, I need to. I know it sounds like a corny board of tourism ad but it's how it makes me feel.
And Schnell76, Thanks for that incredibly generous offer of helping me look over houses over a weekend so I know what to expect. It would be really helpful to have someone without a financial stake in the transaction giving me a very qualified and experieinced opinion. I am going to have to take you up on that when the time comes.
Thanks again all.
Adam
Last edited:
Hi there,
Right now you can get a super deal on a house in Florida. the 2 story next to me - JM construction, 3000 sf, 2 yrs old, just went for 149k. thats almost half price!
In the 70's many houses here were built with aluminum wiring...make sure you don't get a house with that. But as far as A/C, you'll probably have to run it year round...and it is the largest consumption of electricity. Our house was built in '89, is 1500 sf, we have a 180g w/ 3 250mh w/vho's 6' 130w ea, and a 80g w/2 250 mh w/2 vho's 4' 110w ea, 2 12g nano's (soon to have 3rd nano), and 28g bow w/2 65w compact and a 55g freshwater.
We run our air 24/7 76 degrees (standard 10sear a/c unit) and our elec bill is avg about 350-370 in the summer. (frame home)
Having said that, I'll say this: I was in insurance for many many years - not personal insurance though - it was ocean marine and also commercial property and inland marine... so my knowlege of personal insurance is limited. BUT I can still tell you that in a coastal county such as many of us are in, its the Insurance and the property tax thats the KILLER- more than the cost of the home....
But my hubby and I say all the time to each other "there is nothing like a perfect Florida evening". The temp drops, the breeze is great...
You got Shamu, you got Disney, and the Orlando Reef Caretakers Assoc (ORCA)...what more could you possibly want???
It is Flippin HOT & HUMID here, but I don't see how you could regret the move....especially with the Ocean Breeze...
Right now you can get a super deal on a house in Florida. the 2 story next to me - JM construction, 3000 sf, 2 yrs old, just went for 149k. thats almost half price!
In the 70's many houses here were built with aluminum wiring...make sure you don't get a house with that. But as far as A/C, you'll probably have to run it year round...and it is the largest consumption of electricity. Our house was built in '89, is 1500 sf, we have a 180g w/ 3 250mh w/vho's 6' 130w ea, and a 80g w/2 250 mh w/2 vho's 4' 110w ea, 2 12g nano's (soon to have 3rd nano), and 28g bow w/2 65w compact and a 55g freshwater.
We run our air 24/7 76 degrees (standard 10sear a/c unit) and our elec bill is avg about 350-370 in the summer. (frame home)
Having said that, I'll say this: I was in insurance for many many years - not personal insurance though - it was ocean marine and also commercial property and inland marine... so my knowlege of personal insurance is limited. BUT I can still tell you that in a coastal county such as many of us are in, its the Insurance and the property tax thats the KILLER- more than the cost of the home....
But my hubby and I say all the time to each other "there is nothing like a perfect Florida evening". The temp drops, the breeze is great...
You got Shamu, you got Disney, and the Orlando Reef Caretakers Assoc (ORCA)...what more could you possibly want???
It is Flippin HOT & HUMID here, but I don't see how you could regret the move....especially with the Ocean Breeze...
dragonette
Yes, its LIVE rock.
adamjr
I lived in lake county too.
Hawthorn woods exactly.. right outside barrington
Jess
I lived in lake county too.
Hawthorn woods exactly.. right outside barrington
Jess
skinnyjoe1976
New member
hey man not to rain on your beach day but you can only get a sunrise on the beach in cocoabeach
and sometimes the salt air smells like skimate from your skimmer:lol: good luck and give me a heads up so i can get some launch passes. you will have to go with us to get in. keep an eye on the schdule because it can change at a mintues notice
JUICE!
Premium Member
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12805622#post12805622 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by schnell76
If you buy a house that was built in 02 or later then you will not have many, if any at all, issues in getting home owners ins. Companies are ready to write policies to those homeowners since they were built under the new FL building code. Its the houses that were built before 02 that can have ins. issues.
Oh yeah, and you definitely want block construction. Would not even consider a house if it was frame.
My wife and I moved from IL about 7 years ago and it can be a learning experience, without a doubt
I'm not sure what you meant regarding block versus wood frame construction, but here's something to keep in mind
Wood frame houses tend to take less damage in major storms than block homes. The theory behind that is that wood frame houses have more "give" so when stressed, they flex which takes stress off the structure
just to give an exaggerated example......when I do design work for places like california where seizmioc activity is an issue, we use all bolted slotted connections and those connections can only be finger tight, and then they pein the threads on the structural bolt
in florida, we weld the connections, or torque them depending on the structure design, but if we applied the same practice over there, welds would break and supports could fail
the same holds true to fast changing wind conditions, though on a smaller scale.
though if you were more referencing termites, or something, you'd be on track!
if you have a choice between two houses and one was built after 04...that's when the latest hurricane/tornado codes were drawn up
adamjr
New member
Okay, so a amonth later we took the advice of looking more inland. Thinking of Palm Bay, Melbourne, or Titusville. When we are in FLA in November we are going to schedule some tours of homes when the time gets closer to travel. Any suggestions of what to avoid or what to look for area wise? Melbourne looks to be a little pricier then we are looking for. Palm Bay had a lot for between $60 and 90 K that looked to be in pretty good repair. Any thoughts on Palm Bay?
Also has anyone heard from Schnell76? Sent him a PM but no reply. I hope everything is alright as he hasn't posted in some time that I have seen.
Adam
Also has anyone heard from Schnell76? Sent him a PM but no reply. I hope everything is alright as he hasn't posted in some time that I have seen.
Adam
skinnyjoe1976
New member
you had posted that you can set on the beach and watch the sunset not the sunrise. i guess you could see both but not a true sunset over the horizion into the ocean. i sent you a pm and i got totally busy with the frag thing. i will get some out to you. i figued i would collect some from some of the areas include, cocoabeach, cape canaveral, satellite beach, melbourne, palmbay, merritt island, cocoa, rockledge, viera, titusville, mims, portsaint john. where in orlando will you be working? along time running joke in this area is that all roads lead to orlando.
adamjr
New member
Hey, thanks Joe. I would probably not be working directly in Orlando. I currently do field service fro a copier manufacturer. I am hoping that I can transfer but Florida is a coveted place. I would be working an, as of now, undetermined territory. I really don't want to change manufacturers or work for a dealership again now that I have seen how good it is to work directly for the manufacturer.
chrisstie
Premium Member
If you're moving down here for the beach, you'll need to be prepared. Palm Bay is nice and um, quaint? There's just not a lot there. It's about an hour drive from east orlando to there (my in-laws live in palm bay.) It wont be too bad if you only have to come into the office a few times a month.
However, I think something people aren't prepared for is the heat and the storms we get. You'll be on/near the coast where there are a lot of storm systems. I haven't been to Illinois before, but even from living in SW florida and moving up here I noticed the storms seem more severe. Lightning and thunder seem out of this world, and the heat is just staggering sometimes. Temps in the 80s with high humidity aren't bad for the beach but as someone said in an earlier post, it may wear off eventually. However being a florida native, I wouldn't want to be anywhere else.
A few things you probably haven't thought of- you'll need to occasionally watch out for portuguese manowars on the beach, do the stringray "shuffle" (shuffle your feet so you scare away and not step on sting rays) and all sorts of things that people who live here know to look out for. Being on the east coast you'll be less apt to suffer through red tide than on the west but these are events that can happen.
If you can handle the heat and many interesting facets of nature you'll thrive down here.
One thing I would suggest actually, strange as it seems, is if you happen to find a house that has a pool, it wouldn't be a bad thing. I've noticed a lot of people here have pools even if they are close to the beach. Whether its out of convenience or a lack of fondness for saltwater, its usually something people want.
However, I think something people aren't prepared for is the heat and the storms we get. You'll be on/near the coast where there are a lot of storm systems. I haven't been to Illinois before, but even from living in SW florida and moving up here I noticed the storms seem more severe. Lightning and thunder seem out of this world, and the heat is just staggering sometimes. Temps in the 80s with high humidity aren't bad for the beach but as someone said in an earlier post, it may wear off eventually. However being a florida native, I wouldn't want to be anywhere else.
A few things you probably haven't thought of- you'll need to occasionally watch out for portuguese manowars on the beach, do the stringray "shuffle" (shuffle your feet so you scare away and not step on sting rays) and all sorts of things that people who live here know to look out for. Being on the east coast you'll be less apt to suffer through red tide than on the west but these are events that can happen.
If you can handle the heat and many interesting facets of nature you'll thrive down here.
One thing I would suggest actually, strange as it seems, is if you happen to find a house that has a pool, it wouldn't be a bad thing. I've noticed a lot of people here have pools even if they are close to the beach. Whether its out of convenience or a lack of fondness for saltwater, its usually something people want.
