I often say to someone thinking of a move to Florida, that renting is the best way to “try out” a community. Because when you rent—it means that the commitment you are making is much smaller than say investing everything you have into one location. And what are the benefits of that?
Well, for one thing—you get to get acclimated to the state first…See if you like living in Florida! Then, see if you like the area that you are living in. You get to learn the streets, and find your favorite stores and restaurants…and if you work –you will have found a job and then see where you need to live to reduce any commuting issues.
Renting gives you the opportunity to save money, and is a short term commitment of your time. Then, when you have completely decided you love the area, and want to invest further there—you can home shop at your leisure. You and your Realtor can do monthly housing searches and you can take your time and decide at leisure where you want to buy.
My initial move to live in Florida full time was in 2005. That move involved taking a 6 month lease at a golf course development in the Keys. I learned that at 4 pm in the afternoon we needed to be inside—because the no-see-ums in that particular area were so bad at that time of day, that you could not use the back patio or be at the pool.
Further, I learned that the nearly $800,000 attached townhomes we were living in—where pets were allowed—had very thin walls, and dogs kept inside barked continuously throughout the day.. making it a fairly noisy place to live.
My lease was adequate time to decide not to invest and own there, but to continue my journey and find a home that would satisfy all of my housing needs. And that flexibility –knowing I hadn’t bought a unit in that particular complex—allowed me to really enjoy living there, because I knew it was not a permanent situation. I loved the pets and animals there, and loved my neighbors, and all because I was just “passing through it,” not tied to it.
My experience has shown me how to guide you into making a good decision for yourself when you make the giant leap of faith into a new territory! I help you research and investigate your purchase thoroughly before you commit to own.
The author is Carolyn Mac Evoy, Broker of Mac Evoy Real Estate Co., a 2nd generation real estate firm, started in NJ and continued in Florida. Should you be needing housing or commercial property or farm land in Florida, please contact her at: carolyn@macevoy.org or by calling 772.925.4791.
