Need Some good Florida Advice

[rosebud5]

I am officially sick of the cold weather in the northeast. I'm now on my second cold. What I am going to do starting next January is rent a place somewhere in Florida for three months (Jan-Feb-Mar), preferably close to the ocean, don't care which side.

What I would like some feedback is on locations. Where along the Floridian coast would you suggest based on apartment rental costs, climate, good restaurants. I was thinking Ft Lauderdale or Tampa.

Also, does anyone have any recommendations for short-term rentals, three-months in this case. Can you provide specific names I can check.

 

[vacationhopeful]

You will run into all types of 'terms' for a short rental.

Many condos in the Broward County area .. have restrictive convenents to keep units "restricted" to NOT becoming disruptive short term rentals ... minimum length of rentals, interviews and HOA approval of tenants. And the closer a rental is to the water, the HIGHER the cost to buy and the association fees.

I have been in one building in Pompano .. where my GF and her husband were the ONLY current residents on one floor (highrise near Atlantic) of 26 units ... beachfront with indoor parking and pool. She told me that after living there for over a year ... she just about fainted when someone walked into the floor's laundry room .. first time in that year she saw someone ON HER FLOOR other than the building's security guard on patrol.

I had a realtor (senior lady and she was very knowledgable about the area) driving me around several times looking at units FOR SALE ... 10+ buildings ... some of the places were nice enough. Husband was a contractor ... she knew the lay of the land .. we got along really well.

She explained most owners want to rent for 12 months (as do their HOAs) or Rent DEC/JAN or FEB/MAR at a different rents. Others terms, were for NOV, DEC and JAN or FEB, MAR and APR. Shorter the term ... higher the per month rental rate.

So start shopping for SEVERAL agents ... each agency would have different targets .. and I would bet, no sharing of listings. Wait.. the term is, they just have 'leads' of places that might be for rent.

 

[ronparise]

seasonal or vacation rentals are a big thing here in SW Florida, Punta Gorda, Ft Myers and Naples, Sanibel Island and Ft Myers Beach > Lots of condos and single family homes were bought just for the seasonal rentals Prices vary depending on lots of variables, but proximity to the beach is the big one
Id budget about $4000 a month for something nice and well located

There are also lots of people that own a condo or home as a second home.You can spend anywhere from 100k and up. My home for example with a pool and canal waterfront , 3 bedrooms 2 baths in Cape Coral would sell for about 300k. Utilities, taxes insurance, lawn mowing pool care etc, cost roughly $1000 a month

Another possibility is to buy enough timeshares to put together 3 months in Florida. For example you can buy enough wyndham points (about 2 million) for a two bedroom at Palm Aire near Ft Lauderdale, for under 20k maybe a whole lot less than that) and your annual maintenance fees will be about $12000 or hook up with a Platinum VIP who will make the reservations for you at half that

 

[rapmarks]

my cousin is spending $6000 for one month in Naples near Vanderbilt beach. Our subdivision in Estero rents , usually a three month minimum, and rents for about $3000 to $4000 a month, depending on whether it is a condo, villa, hoe, pool, etc. we are about ten miles from the beach. when you rent short term in Florida, you are subject to an 11% tax, a cleaning fee, and our HOA demands a transfer fee amounting to about $250 which gives you access to golf for cart fee only ( a difference of about 40 some dollars each round, and all the social activities of the club, which are numerous.

 

[vacationhopeful]

.....

Another possibility is to buy enough timeshares to put together 3 months in Florida. For example you can buy enough wyndham points (about 2 million) for a two bedroom at Palm Aire near Ft Lauderdale, for under 20k maybe a whole lot less than that) and your annual maintenance fees will be about $12000 or hook up with a Platinum VIP who will make the reservations for you at half that

Been there ... DONE THAT ... now, I just have to be able to spend the time in Pompano/Ft Lauderdale area.

Back in the day ... Palm Aire still has Fixed Weeks units as a form of ownership as does Sea Gardens and Santa Barbara .. all Wyndham resorts.

As for the size of units ... Santa Barbara - the STUDIO units can easily be found ... full kitchen, balcony, queen bed with a sofabed also. Then 2/2 units ... for those who can not live for more than a week in a single room. The 1bdr/2bath units are harder and more expensive to find ... but around. No in unit washers & dryers in any of these units; a coin operated pair is on each floor.

Palm Aire are almost all 2bdr units with washer & dryers. Avoid the studios.

Royal Vista is ALL UDI points reservations.

Sea Gardens ... mostly fixed weeks .. some UDI points in Ocean Palms towers. CWA is mostly the converted fixed weeks .. limited winter inventory. 5 different HOAs .. know which one is being sold and decide.

Other Fixed Week resorts are available in the beach area ... my other favorite is Ft Lauderdale Beach Resort ... has an realtor SELLING weeks turned into or foreclosed on my HOA. About $5000-8000 per Winter week plus some costs. Very few turn up on eBay but look on Redweek/TUG Marketplace and other resale sites ... smart owners are selling privately.

Other resorts in your beach area goal: Coconut Bay, Lighthouse Cove, etc. Visit and stay before buying...

 

[Jason245]

Have you considered home away and airbnb..

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N910A using Tapatalk

 

[Poette]

I understand winter Florida rentals are quite expensive. Consider, as friends did, Hilton Head. Temps vary from day to day, not as warm as southern Florida, but mostly sunshine and blue skies. Just another option.

 

[rosebud5]

Thanks for the replies. Not interested in Hilton Head or timeshares. What would the most expensive option assuming a two bedroom, apartment a mile or so from the beach, 1) FT Lauderdale area, 2) Tampa area, 3) Venice/San Marco.

 

[rapmarks]

Venice/San Marco ????? I know where Venice is, but not San Marco

 

[moonstone]

Venice/San Marco ????? I know where Venice is, but not San Marco

I was thinking the same thing! Maybe Marco Island??

Rosebud keep in mind if you want really warm temps all winter you may not get that in the Tampa area. They get days with temps in the 50'sF in the winter. But that is still a lot warmer than your home area.

We wanted cheap living & really warm temps for the winter as well. We ended up in Belize! Although we just had a week of cool temps (70'sF during the day, 50'sF at night) but everybody has been telling us that's rare. They also speak English here, unlike Mexico, that we were considering, and not a corrupt government -its a democracy like Canada.

~Diane

 

[Roger830]

Thanks for the replies. Not interested in Hilton Head or timeshares. What would the most expensive option assuming a two bedroom, apartment a mile or so from the beach, 1) FT Lauderdale area, 2) Tampa area, 3) Venice/San Marco.

I wouldn't recommend Ft Lauderdale for 3 months, especially inland. There's just too much traffic. I just spent 3 weeks at Hollywood Beach and only drove once a week for groceries.

Tampa would be too cold for me. Venice would be a good choice.

 

[vacationhopeful]

In Ft Lauderdale, a mile or so from the beach is pretty much in the less desirable areas. Need to stay on the barrier island side of the intercoastal waterway. Plus, the closer you are to I-95 ... more road traffic.

Ft Lauderdale is an OLD city in Florida ... the Navy had a lots of airfields in the area (actually up the coast) plus a few places to park their boats ... "government cut" is the passage created to get from the boats from their protected ports thru the barrier reef to the wide open ocean. Cruise ships use it now to get to the ocean.

So there housing stock is either TALL and NEW highrise condos (built from the 1970s on) or stuff built in the later 1930s-1960s ranchers.

Plus, when looking anywheres in Florida, look for the halfway houses or rehab operations. Another big business is residential group homes with "programs" for drug rehab clients. Great appeal to their clients ... cheap older house or fleabag motels for their operations. And so lots of marginal characters floating around your home and cars.

I actually like the timeshare resort atmosphere - everyone is on vacation, most are able to walk and talk, still taking showers but might drink too much verses actually overdosing or skipping their meds while not being really dressed (in clean clothes).

 

[Maple_Leaf]

Also, does anyone have any recommendations for short-term rentals, three-months in this case. Can you provide specific names I can check.

What is your monthly rental budget?

 

[Nancy]

Tampa

We live part-time in Tampa area. It isn't that cold. January has been cool this year, but not every year. We find our temps are only about 5 degrees cooler than Ft. Myers and sometimes even warmer.

Nancy

 

[TUGBrian]

if it were me....id pick a nice house in the keys =)

 

[theo]

A good friend of mine who has lived year round in Florida for many years claims that you actually have to get as far south as Fort Myers in order to reach an area where frost and / or freezing temperatures are reportedly almost never encountered.

Then again, he seems not to have taken this particular observation to heart, since he lives in Clearwater, well north of this alleged "frost proof" line.

 

[ronparise]

A good friend of mine who has lived year round in Florida for many years claims that you actually have to get as far south as Fort Myers in order to reach an area where frost and / or freezing temperatures are reportedly never encountered.

Then again, he seems not to have taken this particular observation to heart, since he lives in Clearwater, well north of this alleged "frost proof" line.

This is why, I bought in Ft Myers 20 years ago

 

[ronparise]

I am officially sick of the cold weather in the northeast. I'm now on my second cold. What I am going to do starting next January is rent a place somewhere in Florida for three months (Jan-Feb-Mar), preferably close to the ocean, don't care which side.

What I would like some feedback is on locations. Where along the Floridian coast would you suggest based on apartment rental costs, climate, good restaurants. I was thinking Ft Lauderdale or Tampa.

Also, does anyone have any recommendations for short-term rentals, three-months in this case. Can you provide specific names I can check.

There are good reasons to give up the Northeast in favor of Florida for your full time residence. Real estate taxes are low (compared to the NE) housing costs are less than the northeast, no heat bill if you get as far south as I am. FP&L has some of the lowest elect bills in the country, no state income tax

Sell that NE place and buy a house here and maybe a condo back home

 

[rapmarks]

I agree with Ron's take on Florida living. One year when we did a time share in Sarasota in early December we encountered a terrible cold snap. After a couple of days, I checked the weather very carefully, it was 8 degrees warmer in Estero, although just over an hour south. also, it gets warmer earlier inthe day. Despite this being a cold winter, I have not turned on my heat and haven't turned on the heat in several years when we had a very cold weather, and I believe we had a freeze one night about 4 or 5 years ago. That is in the course of 14 years I have lived here.

 

[rosebud5]

I'm thinking no more than $3K per month. I liked the idea of Belize, but I also have a pooch we want to take with us. A lot of good tips to take into consideration. I think I like FT Lauderdale and north of it or west central Florida.

 

[rapmarks]

I do know couples that pay two thousand to 2400 for condos in Naples, they have a pool to use.

 

[Maple_Leaf]

A couple of ideas

I'm thinking no more than $3K per month. I liked the idea of Belize, but I also have a pooch we want to take with us. A lot of good tips to take into consideration. I think I like FT Lauderdale and north of it or west central Florida.

How about Cortez, on the mainland from Anna Maria Island?

If you want to live in Naples near water but not pay an arm and leg you may want to give Naples Land Yacht Harbor a look. It's great if you have a boat.

 

[bogey21]

I think I like FT Lauderdale and north of it or west central Florida.

My favorite city in Florida is Deerfield Beach (particularly withing 5-6 blocks of the beach) which is just North of Fort Lauderdale. I have no idea what rents are there as I have only stayed in my TS.

George

 

[silentg]

Look at Vero Beach, lot of NE folks live there part time.

 

[moonstone]

I'm thinking no more than $3K per month. I liked the idea of Belize, but I also have a pooch we want to take with us. A lot of good tips to take into consideration. I think I like FT Lauderdale and north of it or west central Florida.

Dogs are welcomed here in Belize, your pooch will have lots of company! We have met many American & Canadian (& a British) snowbirds who are here for the winter with their dogs. Most of the people that fly with their pets have small breeds so they can travel in the cabin, the people with large dogs drive down.

The cost of living is much cheaper than Florida (2 bedrm,1 ba apt $450.US/mo.) and a cool day in January means temps in the 70's!

~Diane (a Canadian snowbirding in Corozal, BZ)