Property in Florida

I spend a fair amount of time in Florida. A number of people have asked me if I want to own property there. Plenty of people up here in New Hampshire have winter homes in Florida. My dad ended up selling his place in NH and only owning a trailer in Florida.

Obviously I enjoy being in Florida. However, it's not a place I'd care to own property. Owning a place would restrict me to one area of Florida. While I spend a lot of time in the state, I spend it all over the state. This past winter my lovely wife and I camped from the Keys to the Panhandle and everywhere in between. We love the St. Augustine area in the Northeast, but also like areas in the Southwest part of the state.

There are plenty of places where it's great to vacation, but you wouldn't want to live there. For example, the natural attractions might be nice, but the local politics could be a mess. I've talked to people who've sold land they've owned because they couldn't afford the bribes needed for a building permit. Even without blatant corruption, it can be difficult for an outsider to find one's way around.

Of course, I love boating in Florida waters. You don't need property for that. Sure, there are times when I think that a small place with a good boat dock would be ideal. Then I think of the price of waterfront property, taxes, flood insurance, and hurricanes, and wake up from the dream. Sometimes I think most of the state is a sandbar that might just get washed away one day.

So for now, while my health is still reasonably good and I'm strong, the snowbird thing works.

-Sixbears