Thinking about moving to the country

[BimmerDimmer6]

I'm honestly considering moving out of the Suburbs and into a more secluded area.

I live in a pretty cookie cutter neighborhood currently, HOA, security, the whole deal. And have honestly liked it this way for years, but, with current events, I am considering moving to north FL area where its less populated and can build out a decent house for about half what mine costs currently. Might even do a nice garage and wash bay or something if I find a good enough deal.

Anyone else considering a move next year sometime?

This isn't even COVID specific, but rather just wanting to get away from the masses in general.

The only issue that my wife has brought up, is schooling. Not sure how the schooling and social scene are going to be in the sticks and really don't want to do any home schooling.

[BimmerDimmer6]

This is kind of what I'm after. Nothing fancy.

Is amazing what you can get for your money when you get away from the hustle and bustle.

See what I found on #Zillow!
https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/1...47939898_zpid/

[Smgs1992]

I’m house hunting myself. Looking to get about 5-20acres i dont have kids so schooling isnt an issue currently but there is several private schools in my area and having gone private to public personally. The education is far better in my experience.

[Throttlesteer14]

I like the idea. Just consider things like access to medical care and the time investment caring for a larger piece of property.

[dreamingat30fps]

I go back and forth between selling my house and buying something out in the middle of nowhere or keeping my house and buying something out west like in AZ or maybe even WY. All of our family is basically within an hour of where we live now so that's really the main reason for being here. Also thinking maybe in the mountains in SC or NC since it would be a lot easier to get to than something out west.... anyways basically just got analysis paralysis at this point. Also waiting to see if prices drop because everything seems pretty crazy expensive right now.

[2000cs]

We moved into the city from the country - the real country where the lots are at least 10 ac and the road too narrow for two larger vehicles (car and school bus) to pass. We loved the privacy and quiet of the country, but not the road, deer hits, and very poor internet (DSL). Groceries were a minimum 20 minutes away, each way.

When we were looking for houses we wanted to be near enough to medical facilities, groceries and shopping. We found that we could use pizza as a proxy for all of that. If there is a pizza parlor within delivery range of the house, the other services likely are nearby, too.

Other things to consider in the country are well water and septic systems. Neither is a problem, but it is different than city living with all the amenities (and taxes).

[Our03z4]

Originally Posted by 2000cs

We moved into the city from the country - the real country where the lots are at least 10 ac and the road too narrow for two larger vehicles (car and school bus) to pass. We loved the privacy and quiet of the country, but not the road, deer hits, and very poor internet (DSL). Groceries were a minimum 20 minutes away, each way.

When we were looking for houses we wanted to be near enough to medical facilities, groceries and shopping. We found that we could use pizza as a proxy for all of that. If there is a pizza parlor within delivery range of the house, the other services likely are nearby, too.

Other things to consider in the country are well water and septic systems. Neither is a problem, but it is different than city living with all the amenities (and taxes).

We've had 2 deer strikes here. Small roads, tractor jams, and the newest fun thing, road chip sealing!

We work in the burbs everyday and can't understand how anyone does it. Seems like a miserable life and our clients always complain about lack of privacy, traffic, etc. The air is terrible too, heck the temps are even higher.

I love life in the country, much nicer people, cleaner air, private, better driving, lower cost of living and better made homes if you go the 1800s route.

[BimmerDimmer6]

Yes, I really want to do a mid century modern.

I'm in real estate myself, so would look for a fixer upper. Main thing for me is finding a nice piece of property. Would buy something now if I can find a deal and fix up before moving in next summer.

[spazzyfry123]

We moved from Atlanta to north Florida a bit over a year ago. Grabbed an apartment until we figured out what it was we wanted and bought the place we’re in now this past February. We’re in a gated neighborhood with the typical swim and tennis and basketball and such, but we’ve got dedicated trails, private lake, everyone (for the most part) has acreage... really a good mix. We’re the last “real” neighborhood on your way out of the city, but we’re in the middle of horse farms. It’s great. If we went another 10 minutes east of here we could have locked in 10+ acres for nothing and still be able to get to the best healthcare in under half an hour.

If you’re serious about wanting land but still “close enough” to the day-to-day, I’d actually recommend East Tallahassee or even beyond. And I don’t recommend much. I’m happy with our move! Not exactly your scenario as we still needed to be somewhat established with a newborn on the way, we needed a sense of community. But we’re on that line.

That said, our next stop will be East Tennessee. Johnson City or somewhere nearby. I miss the elevation!

[RickFLM4]

We live in a gated community in the suburbs (Wellington zip 33414). It is a nice balance. We don’t have acres but there is open space from the golf course out back. Plenty of room for us. Population swells in the winter when the equestrians show up with their horses and money bags but still a pretty peaceful place. West Palm, Boca, Ft. Lauderdale are all within a reasonable drive for a night out.

I think the one thing that we have come to appreciate where we live, and would suggest thinking about, is the quality of municipal services. When there is a hurricane, or something goes wrong, this town is on it. Knock on wood, have never had a problem with water, sewer, trash collection, street lights, roads, traffic, etc. 2 good hospitals and plenty of medical practices around. When you get too remote, you can end up with a lot more time allocated to chores and errands, less reliable municipal services, dirt roads, well water, no sewer system, etc. Nothing wrong with that if that’s what you want but really need to think through all those details if moving from a city or suburb because those aren’t surprises you want.

[Mo2002]

I moved out of Miami a couple years ago and it was the best decision I ever made. I live on the west coast of FL now. Still urban but not as big of a city but at the same time not a super small town. I was able to build a decent sized house for half the cost I would've paid in south FL and I enjoy not dealing with all the traffic, congestion and crazy people.
Ocala and surrounding towns and cities in FL are nice if you want a lot of land and are wanting to build.

[M_Six]

We're not in FL, but we're outside the city limits in a township. We pay considerably lower real estate taxes than those in town, but we have a volunteer fire dept, sheriff instead of police dept, septic instead of town sewerage, and virtually no ordinances at all. That last one took a while to adjust to and even now I hate it sometimes. If a neighbor decides to throw a loud party all night, there is nothing to stop him. Several of my neighbors regularly take up target practice in their yards with their pistols/rifles almost daily. Like living next door to a gun range. My nephew lives on the city limit of Melbourne, FL and the land behind him is unincorporated. He gets the gunfire all the time as well, he says. Just one of those things.

Still, we're literally minutes out of town and there is a decent hospital system here. It's mostly quiet and we have a wooded acre of land around us. Traffic in this area in general is non-existent. That's one thing I could never go back to. I'll take the trade-off in shopping and entertainment to not have to deal with traffic every day. There are decent stores and restaurants an hour north of here, so that works for us. I can ride my bike for miles near my house and not have to worry too much about traffic. Although the oil-and-chip "paving" every summer can screw that up quickly.

That house you found on Zillow looks sweet, though. I'd love to have a pool and lanai like that here.

[BimmerDimmer6]

Look at this freaking place for $630k. Would be over $2M in my area.


See what I found on #Zillow!
https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/4...47933654_zpid/

[BimmerDimmer6]

Originally Posted by RickFLM4

We live in a gated community in the suburbs (Wellington zip 33414). It is a nice balance. We don't have acres but there is open space from the golf course out back. Plenty of room for us. Population swells in the winter when the equestrians show up with their horses and money bags but still a pretty peaceful place. West Palm, Boca, Ft. Lauderdale are all within a reasonable drive for a night out.

I think the one thing that we have come to appreciate where we live, and would suggest thinking about, is the quality of municipal services. When there is a hurricane, or something goes wrong, this town is on it. Knock on wood, have never had a problem with water, sewer, trash collection, street lights, roads, traffic, etc. 2 good hospitals and plenty of medical practices around. When you get too remote, you can end up with a lot more time allocated to chores and errands, less reliable municipal services, dirt roads, well water, no sewer system, etc. Nothing wrong with that if that's what you want but really need to think through all those details if moving from a city or suburb because those aren't surprises you want.

Yes, familiar with area. Very nice, but too far south. I have rental properties in Gainesville and Orlando. Would like to stay within an hour of these.

[TrevorM3]

Originally Posted by BimmerDimmer6

Look at this freaking place for $630k. Would be over $2M in my area.


See what I found on #Zillow!
https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/4...47933654_zpid/

looks nice. looks like it would also be creepy at night lol

[AlpineWhite_SJ]

Considering AZ - Tucson area, just need to finish up some work on this house and find a place we like there.

[BimmerDimmer6]

Originally Posted by TrevorM3

looks nice. looks like it would also be creepy at night lol

I think it would be awesome! I love sketchy stuff like this.

I'd probably end up doing a full 4K Montavue setup. 30fps night vision with like 8 cams.

Would be legit:

https://montavue.com/shop/4k-ip-came...4kdp/#FEATURES

[rebekahb]

Originally Posted by RickFLM4

We live in a gated community in the suburbs (Wellington zip 33414). It is a nice balance. We don't have acres but there is open space from the golf course out back. Plenty of room for us. Population swells in the winter when the equestrians show up with their horses and money bags but still a pretty peaceful place. West Palm, Boca, Ft. Lauderdale are all within a reasonable drive for a night out.

I think the one thing that we have come to appreciate where we live, and would suggest thinking about, is the quality of municipal services. When there is a hurricane, or something goes wrong, this town is on it. Knock on wood, have never had a problem with water, sewer, trash collection, street lights, roads, traffic, etc. 2 good hospitals and plenty of medical practices around. When you get too remote, you can end up with a lot more time allocated to chores and errands, less reliable municipal services, dirt roads, well water, no sewer system, etc. Nothing wrong with that if that's what you want but really need to think through all those details if moving from a city or suburb because those aren't surprises you want.

My sister in law lives in Wellington & the other one lives in Jupiter.

[M_Six]

Originally Posted by BimmerDimmer6

Look at this freaking place for $630k. Would be over $2M in my area.


See what I found on #Zillow!
https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/4...47933654_zpid/

That's a sweet house. Throw in a pool and lanai and you'd be set. Love the porches and kitchen.

[floridaorange]

After covid there will be a massive migration all over the world - many will leave densely populated areas.

[DETRoadster]

Originally Posted by BimmerDimmer6

Look at this freaking place for $630k. Would be over $2M in my area.


See what I found on #Zillow!
https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/4...47933654_zpid/

Plus this guy lives next door. So, you know, if you ever need help disposing of that body I'm sure he can assist!

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/4...47933656_zpid/

[M_Six]

Originally Posted by DETRoadster

Plus this guy lives next door. So, you know, if you ever need help disposing of that body I'm sure he can assist!

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/4...47933656_zpid/

Like living next to a nuke plant.