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I am getting pretty tired the high real estate taxes in Illinois. My brother is going to move to the Milton Florida area. Looking a Zillow there are many possibilities in the surrounding area compared to this place. The good thing is property is and all time high here and I could easily sell my house in a matter of days at the most. The problem is I don't exactly know the area.
i would be interested if any Forum members in the area and what they like or don't like. Also, the jazz guitar scene. I am not looking to gig but repairs and just general music. Quality of life would be most important. My thinking is stay off the cost inland to avoid at least some of the storm surge hurricane problem but what do I know? Getting homeowners insurance might be hard and offset the real estate taxes. What does homeowner insurance cost for typical house in the area and can you find it? I could even buy in Alabama and that would be ok too.
Trying to figure out a move though is a huge task. I don't possess a lot of household items and not much worth taking, just buying new. The only thing is guitars and they go with me in the same vehicle.
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05-01-2024 04:02 PM
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North Florida and Nature coast area? Bring your MAGA hat.
You're asking about north Florida when you really mean central Florida. Central Florida has what you are looking for, but not the good prices. There are reasons North FL is still reasonable....
I spent many years in Florida and had friends up the coast in Dixie county Old Town/Chiefland and in the Bushnell/Floral City area. My sister lives in Tallahassee. There are some great places out there but truthfully there isn't jack going on.
As for HO insurance....I never carried any. Even my old man doesn't carry any and he lives on the beach. It's too expensive so he puts his money into CD's instead in case of a catastrophe. I believe all the insurance is through the state, and a lot of money. I know the prices recently shot way up in conjunction with increased home values. That system is all screwed up right now. You might be better off buying a double wide and when it blows away just grab another one. Everything is a risk....
As for the panhandle....I have seen that area and the nature coase bear the brunt of more hurricanes than anyplace else. Wouldn't be my first choice and you still get "winter" just not a Illinois winter.
Gigging and guitar was a priority to me. This is why I live in the Austin area, not the Tampa bay area anymore because truthfully even in the Tampa area, there just isn't a whole ton going on by comparison. There are just more gigs here. I also briefly lived in Nashville but left because there are too many great musicians and too few gigs so it was great for the chops but bad for the wallet....
I'd be happy to answer any other questions to the best of my ability.. FL-TX have been where I stayed the last 20 years. About a decade in each, the last 8 years have been here in TX. I got my brother to move here from FL to gig more and so that's what we're doing. I have had a lot more success here than there, just my experience.
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Dawbone,
Thanks for the details pretty much what I assumed. The first part about Trump and MAGA, that does not bother me I am not necessarily a Trump fan but certainly not a Biden fan.
The lack of things going on is actually pretty good for me. I am not a gigging guitarist these days I cannot stay up late and retired from civil job. My main gig is a deacon in the Roman Catholic Church. I can get permission to function in the Pensacola/Tallahassee diocese and that could be ok. Deacons generally are not paid unless they work a specific job in health care or carry some office. That is of upmost importance but usually not a problem.
Frankly I am looking for a place that has little going on a more rural or at least away from large cities. My thought is to stay off the coast at least 10-15 miles. Even up by the Alabama border some towns around there. The trailer thing I would not go for me need a basic house not big but a house. I am no looking for a lot maintenance so probably needs to be substantial. I like quiet and my hours of operation probably different than most. I get up very early usually 4am and not out late. My big activity is I like to ride my road bike. I ride a bike about 10.000 miles a year. Normally my rides are 35-75 miles and I go pretty much daily. I can't run anymore but I do call running, more like power walking. I do that also and really into those things as much a guitar.
Property around Central Illinois is really high property taxes. My property taxes would go down at least to 1/3 of what I am presently paying. The one issue is I think health care is not a good in the panhandle. Getting older and that is always a concern. Tallahassee might be better too and closer to bigger cities. What do you know about Tall.
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Actually sounds like North Florida would be a good fit for you as long as you don't mind the long, humid summers, mid march/April-Oct. There are a lot of affordable places up in that region, which is why I have looked there many times for property. It has more affordable acreage considering it's Florida. But honestly I can't tell you a whole lot about Tallahassee itself. Most of my Florida adventures were along the nature and sun coast. I would guess the medical is pretty good in Tallahassee. It's a long haul to the next nearest major city.
Originally Posted by deacon Mark
Here, I found your place. 30 minutes from Quincy to Tal. These kinda deals are what I look for myself. Small home on acreage. Florida electricity has gotten pretty pricey and you are definitely gonna be wanting to run that AC so small keeps the bill down. I thought this was a pretty good price. Pocket the cash from my place here, downsize, and kick back for a while .I have found quite a few beautiful vintage homes on small acreage in the northern regions of Florida for sale. Depending on how much you want to spend you could get an amazingly nice place. But prices haven't gone crazy so much up there like they have a lot of places:
4640 Attapulgus Hwy, Quincy, FL 32352 | MLS# 371214 | Trulia
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One other thing while my brain still rememers: You mentioned wanting to be 15 miles inland. Well when you shop make sure you learn where the flood risk zones are and what your evac priority zone is (or whatever the heck it's called). I was a mile or two from the Gulf and weathered many storms without flooding or damage in St. Pete. People two blocks down from me had water coming up their driveways and cars stalled out in huge puddles along a main thoroughfare.
I was in a no-evacuation zone, which means I don't get kicked out of my house when big storms come in head on. Five feet of elevation can make a big difference. If you don't want to be told to leave during a hurricane, check that info closely. Living further inland on or near waterways means possible flooding. In fact some areas of the nature coast flooded that had not previously done so before due to a tidal surge and inland waterways.
Living in North Florida you have the premium access to pathways to drive out of those storms if you want. Lots of fear about hurricanes though. I've seen a normal afternoon squall come in, form a waterspout, and blow down concrete block walls. Of course that was beach life but you get the idea. The coast, and associated storms, are unpredictable but usually no biggie.
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One consideration is that in states with no income taxes (I live in one) the budget has to be made up by property taxes, so you'll generally end up paying more total taxes in those states. An income tax makes everyone pay. No income tax means property owners have to pay for everyone else. Of course there are many other taxes, such as sales tax, ad valorem taxes, taxes on fuel, ad nauseum. But mostly, it's property tax, whether or not you have any income. You gotta pay taxes no matter what, it's one of the two mandatory things in this life - the other being death. Civilization does not work, nor even exist, without taxes.
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You can’t even buy 8 acres of land for $175k my area!
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There are two five acre lots that were for sale down the street from me. I think one is still on the market. Listed at 220k and 250k Neither of them are among the more premium lots along a mile and a half stretch either. One of them is raw woods with a road cut, the other is a former unofficial garbage dump that investors spent a bunch of money cleaning up. That's a whole other story..... Originally Posted by 2bornot2bop
You can’t even buy 8 acres of land for $175k my area!
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Recommended reading: Why insurance companies are pulling out of California and Florida
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We have been in S. Florida for nearly 7 years now. Like millions of others all over the country, we're staying put with low interest mortgage rate and not sure why anyone would want to assume ownership at, what,7percent interest now? Trump talk aside, and no matter what one's political leanings, I wouldn't make any move until 2025. The country is in for a change by the end of the year, and the smoke will need to clear, enough said on that point. Others have already mentioned hurricanes, high home insurance premiums, insurance companies fleeing. Our real estate taxes have hardly increased over 7 years, entirely manageable. We're a solid 20min+ from the coast, and we have friends who live within a few hundred yards of the coast, massive liability and every summer grows more perilous with heat and hurricane threats. Seriously hot and humid down here from...now through November. 6 months on; 6 months off, two seasons, that's it. My brother is in Ocala, in central Florida, very peaceful and flat horse country. Florida is a beautiful state. If we were going to move again, it would probably be central to further north, inland. Hurricanes can still hover inland, though. But nothing going on there. Nothing! All this said, I have a 67-year-old wife with Parkinson's. There is no better climate. I am retiring, and we can now figure out how to escape here for 2-3 months, to take the edge off the heat--no better place in the US than here to navigate PD's symptoms. NC or SC? Everyone is moving there. Maybe GA? We're both from the Chicago area and would move back any time, with a plan to be in this area for the winter. Chicago has soul; Florida doesn't.
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Contrary to election results and news echo chambers. I've found that if you get about 15 miles away from Chicago, Illinois is hard MAGA. Not sure where OP lives, but it might not be much of a culture shock. Originally Posted by DawgBone
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Yeah, anything south of I-80 is basically Missouri Originally Posted by AllanAllen
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Chicago is now another world. I used to love to go to the City 40 years ago and see the guitar stores. Do you remember Wooden Music. Went to my first real guitar show there in 1979. Hung out a little with Fred Rundquist and bothered him for some guitar lessons. However, now Chicago is a place to avoid completely. Still the worst traffic in the US and I have drove everywhere. It has high crime and not safe in many parts. It is super expensive if you want to do anything and now give me the country. Peace and a small town even out away from town.
I live in with Illinois State University and Illinois Wesleyan so some benefit to resources. This was at one time a very conservative GOP strong hold but that now has changed. Frankly though that is not a real problem for me either way. Politically I am probably off base to most folks. One gets into to politics to better the country not themselves that that has gone by the wayside. It makes no difference what party both are guilty.
As to the guitar and lifestyle that is what is at issue. Illinois has high real estate taxes and a house that is worth say $250,000 on the market would real estate taxes running about $5200 a year. That is huge real estate taxes. Income tax is better because they don't tax retirement benefits but hard to offset the huge real estate taxes. I would not mind downsizing here but nothing available and I would not be in a better spot. To downsize it need to get out of Illinois.Last edited by deacon Mark; 05-02-2024 at 01:23 PM.
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I grew up in SFL so I don't know many details about the North FL scene, but I do know FSU in Tallahassee has a pretty good jazz program. If I'm not mistaken, the current leader of the Basie Band teaches there. Because of the good program, I assume theres somewhat of a decent scene there but I don't really know the details. That being said, FSU strangely does not a have a guitar program (or at least it didnt last time I checked four-ish years ago), so while there might be a decent scene, I have no clue how the guitar situation is out there. When jazz guitarists in SFL wanted to stay in state for school, my understanding is that they either went to Miami, or went to UNF in Jacksonville which is North FL but definitely not the Panhandle as its on the east coast.
This isn't good help since I don't have any first hand experience, but since the replies in this thread have not really been about the music aspect of your question, I wanted to give you at least somewhat of a direction to research.
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No offense to anyone, but Florida is just not my bag. I grew up nextdoor in Georgia. Florida was and remains nice to visit, but to live there? "Florida Man" for a reason...
Here's where you need to move. Tennessee. No state income tax. Good (maybe great) health care. Not quite as hot and humid as Florida or the Carolinas.
Of course everyone wants to live in Nashville, but it's expensive there. My sis and mom live in Murfreesboro, which is more manageable but still close to Nashville. And Gruhn Guitars--nuff said.
I grew up and went to school in the Chattanooga area. The music scene has improved a lot--quite a few of the Nashville players make their way down there. Beautiful part of the country.
And finally...
Not sure I should tell you this, because it's on my list of places to move to...
Bristol. Beautiful little town with its roots in country music, but a lot of variety there. It is growing quickly. New Hard Rock Casino going in. The Speedway. Relatively easy access to the east coast and Nashville. Go during the country music festival in September--I'll be there. (My parents were living in Bristol when I was, uh, conceived. My step-grandfather ran Raytheon there. I still have family in the area.)
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I will also put North Carolina on the list. I don't think it's as cheap to live as Tennessee, but not so bad. Fairly progressive for a southern state in a lot of ways. (Unless that idiot fascist on the Repub ticket gets elected. And no I'm not being hyperbolic here.)
I have 2 brothers in the Charlotte area. There are a lot of nice communities nearby, though Charlotte itself is congested.
Also...again, hate to reveal a secret spot...Boone. Beautiful area in the National Forest with world-class fishing including trout. My nephew just graduated from college there.
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I would suggest Omaha--great place with a lot of nice features and relatively low cost of living, high wages.
But...not low property taxes. Even having a Republican governor and legislature has not solved that problem, nor the high vehicle taxes and registration fees.
Anyway, come down and I'll show you around. A lot of good musicians around here.
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The least safe (based on crime data) neighborhoods in Chicago are generally places only the people who live there go. Originally Posted by deacon Mark
And I hesitate to use the word "unsafe." Because I supposedly work in one of them, and I've never felt unsafe. I mean, it's a big city, you gotta be aware of your surroundings. But avoid completely?
You get a nice little bungalow on the Side Side and you'll have the lowest property taxes in the state, pretty much.
Sorry, gotta stick up for the coolest city in the U.S.
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