Florida Retirement Tips

by Joe
(USA)

These Florida retirement tips will provide you with some insight on retirement, finding a home in Florida, making the move, the Florida lifestyle, and other items that must be considered when deciding how you'll spend your retirement.

The time has finally come to retire from your career/job and live the rest of your life the way you've always dreamed.

Golf, fishing, relaxing, reading, visiting family, moving to your favorite location, and more. You've worked hard, saved and invested wisely, and are ready to enjoy the fruits of your labor and the many years of hard work are now going to pay off.

Let's uncover and discuss some of the areas you'll want to review if you're planning to retire in or move to Florida...

**First why don't we talk about some of the top places to retire to. There are many great Florida beaches to choose from, but there are quite a few that are perfect for retirees, local living, affordable (if that is a concern), and so forth.

Here's a short list that we've identified from discussion and research (we aren't quite retired yet):

• Coral Gables Florida - This is a very unique spot in Dade County. Surrounded by the hustle and bustle of Miami and University of Miami, you may cross this one off your list, but the city is wonderful for Florida living.
  
  
  
  
• Englewood Florida - Our parents are huge fans of this Gulfcoast Gem. Perhpas because it is quiet, offers beautiful beaches, and is less touristy than other spots.
  
  
  
  
• Florida Key Spots - Don't count out the Keys. Aside from Key West, much of the island chain is quiet and perfect for tropical living. It is quite far even from the mainland of Florida, but a wonderful area to spend your retirement.
  
  
  
  
• Tarpon Springs - Tons of great Florida waterfront properties, this is described as a quaint town with working class roots. Worth a look and very affordable.
  
  
  
  
• Others to mention include, Destin, Naples Florida, anywhere near St Pete's, Seaside Florida, parts of the Northern Atlantic Coast, and more. We're more accustomed to the Gulfcoast than the Atlantic Coast, but that is just a preference.

Where you choose to live all comes down to your dislikes, likes, activities, environment, community, people, budget, and more. There is obviously a lot to consider, but it's something we all work towards and think about quite often.

The Florida lifestyle seems to fit retirees quite perfectly. From the beautiful Florida weather to the various communities, there is a reason why so many folks make the Florida move.

Just some of what you'll find include, golf, tennis, shopping, boating, activities, entertainment, wonderful areas away from the tourist attractions, art, culture, history, nature, wonderful restaurants, and more.

What about finding a place to live?? We talk about this in the Florida beach real estate section. It's no different than finding any other place to live except you may be searching from miles away and not know the area other than visiting a few times on vacation which can prove quite different when you're a resident.

Our best recommendation - find a good realtor and other local businesses who can assist you in making the move. Also, find someone who can review all the necessary documents and help you make an informed decision (an attorney, CPA, family member, etc.). Another thing is to consider if being by water is worth the price - if you can afford it go for it.

Another thing you'll have to consider now is the cost of living. The income taxes are non-existent which is good, insurance rates can be higher due to weather conditions, medical care is reasonable, real estate prices soared for a long time and have become more affordable, other taxes can vary, but overall Florida is not near as bad compared to other popular retirement destinations.

Worse comes to worse or you get bored, there's always part time work. Go to a local golf course or find something you'd enjoy doing while making a few dollars in the mean time.

Some of the pros and cons that come with our Florida retirement tips - May be exactly where you want to be (pro), but could be far away from family (con). It may be more expensive than you've been used to over the years (con) or cheaper (pro) depending on where you re-located from.

You may pick an area that doesn't quite excite you. Don't base it just because you loved vacationing there. Go spend a few months there and get to know the area, the local community, the people, and what it feels like to live there versus visit there. Once the honeymoon period is over, you still have to stay.

Bottom line from these Florida retirement tips - Do your homework and be sure this is the right move for you. Everyone has their own, many things to consider and it's important to consider each one closely, which is something we do as we get older anyway.
Florida is a beautiful place to both live and visit and folks who retire there tend to be very happy!

Find Florida Vacation Rentals in the part of Florida you love.

Market your Florida business to assist those looking to retire to Florida.

Tell us about your favorite Florida beaches