Run to the sun!?!?



I'll tell you what Shaun...will do you one better. I'll sell you a pristine 480DB sitting at Treasure Island right now. You can then try everybody's suggestions firsthand :)

For just my wife and I that would make a great live aboard...hmmmmm.....


Shaun
Sent from my iPhone
 
I'm following this thread with great interest and would really appreciate it if you could post some of these realities here on the forum. Thanks.

I was kinda thinking the same thing. Jim, if you don't mind.


Shaun
Sent from my iPhone
 
Ok but it will be later when I'm not at work and can totally focus on the response
 
Ahhh all this talk about sunny warm weather all year has me wondering why I didn't drive the Dancer down for the winter lol, maybe next year..
 
The Jacksonville area is nice also including St. Augustine, at least if your on the east coast you can go to the bahamas, went last yr. and going again in June:thumbsup:
 
Shaun,
I will give you another warm place that no one has yet mentioned and that is Scottsdale AZ. Just as warm if not warmer in the winter than FL but little humidity. It's the humidity that nixed FL for us along with the "Blue Hair" factor Frank W. mentioned. Yes, it is hot here in the summers but certainly not as bad as Chicago this past summer with the humidity factored in. Life is easier here than in the Midwest and taxes are exponentially lower. The people here are laid back and exhibit a agreat deal of Midwest sensibility, perhaps because so many come from there. The desert and mountains here are gorgeous and a welcome sight every morning when you look outside for the first time. As far as boating goes, it's fresh water like you are used to and the lakes here are big enough to give miles of cruising but nothing like the Great Lakes. Wind and waves are not a factor so any time you want to go out, you can. If you don 't believe me, take a look at the pictures I posted a couple if days ago of Bartlett Lake here. I am fortunate enough to have a job that only require being near a major airport which is why I made the move 2 1/2 months ago from the Chicago suburbs with absolutely no regrets. PM me if you would like any additional info. Good Luck.
 
My kids live in naples,been there 2 times.Kinda touristy and yet the codgers still drive worse.Check out venice, punta gorda(south side of river)coral gables is nice too.
 
Shaun,
I will give you another warm place that no one has yet mentioned and that is Scottsdale AZ. Just as warm if not warmer in the winter than FL but little humidity. It's the humidity that nixed FL for us along with the "Blue Hair" factor Frank W. mentioned. Yes, it is hot here in the summers but certainly not as bad as Chicago this past summer with the humidity factored in. Life is easier here than in the Midwest and taxes are exponentially lower. The people here are laid back and exhibit a agreat deal of Midwest sensibility, perhaps because so many come from there. The desert and mountains here are gorgeous and a welcome sight every morning when you look outside for the first time. As far as boating goes, it's fresh water like you are used to and the lakes here are big enough to give miles of cruising but nothing like the Great Lakes. Wind and waves are not a factor so any time you want to go out, you can. If you don 't believe me, take a look at the pictures I posted a couple if days ago of Bartlett Lake here. I am fortunate enough to have a job that only require being near a major airport which is why I made the move 2 1/2 months ago from the Chicago suburbs with absolutely no regrets. PM me if you would like any additional info. Good Luck.

Yeah, but them 120f days in the summer with 100f at midnight can be a kick in the ......
 
Yeah, but them 120f days in the summer with 100f at midnight can be a kick in the ......
Your confusing Scottsdale with Death Valley. It never gets much above 110 here!!:smt043
 
One of my questions has not yet been addressed and that is regarding my current boat. My initial gut instinct was I'd have to sell it here and then buy a boat down there. However, I'm not convinced about that yet. Although its a "classic", I have done SO much to her with upgrades the last few years and am very happy with her right now. I know what her quirks are, maintenance, etc. and really am wondering about moving her. I would tow down so wouldn't have to pay a mover. I would assume it would be smart to convert to a closed cooling system going to salt water? (Frank??). Other than the couple grand for the cooling I think with the lack out drives she would be a good boat there. Is it crazy to move a boat of this age that far or does the value of my upgrades and knowing what I have add enough value to make sense taking her along?


Shaun
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
When I was at Phantom Ranch CC,AZ it was 114 but up on the rim it was only 58, most beautiful place I have ever seen but the walk to get there was not only breath taking but also life taking if you don't watch your step.

No humidity....like to have killed a Florida boy.

R
 
One of my questions has not yet been addressed and that is regarding my current boat. My initial gut instinct was I'd have to sell it here and then buy a boat down there. However, I'm not convinced about that yet. Although its a "classic", I have done SO much to her with upgrades the last few years and am very happy with her right now. I know what her quirks are, maintenance, etc. and really am wondering about moving her. I would tow down so wouldn't have to pay a mover. I would assume it would be smart to convert to a closed cooling system going to salt water? (Frank??). Other than the couple grand for the cooling I think with the lack out drives she would be a good boat there. Is it crazy to move a boat of this age that far or does the value of my upgrades and knowing what I have add enough value to make sense taking her along?


Shaun
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Your decision should consider replacement cost if you sell before moving. If your classic meets all your boating needs it would probably be cheaper to keep her. But if you truly would like to have either a bigger or different type of boat then buying one where you move might make sense. New boats are horribly expensive unless you downsize like I did and a use one is always carries some risk even with a survey. Another option is to move your classic down and use it for a season to see if it still provides the boating experience you desire in the new locale. If not trade or sell it and get another one.
 
I'm following this thread with great interest and would really appreciate it if you could post some of these realities here on the forum. Thanks.

I was kinda thinking the same thing. Jim, if you don't mind.


Shaun
Sent from my iPhone
sorry took so long to respond ....
In 1999 my wife at the time and I moved from Bloomington IN to Lakeland FL
Sold nearly everything and picked up and moved.
Did all the research into all aspects of comparison , cost of living, wages, realestate pricing, schools....all of it.
I was a dealer mechanic and the wife had degrees in business and office management.
Lakeland was nearly a mirror image of Bloomington in all aspects.
but...
I ended up working about 30% more hours to clear the same money I did in the north.... at the same flat rate hourly pay.
the wife couldn't find a decent job in her field due to all of the retired folk willing to work for near nothing or $$$ under the table
just to have someting to do and suppliment their social security checks.
fuel prices were ludicrous due to the state taxes on them
car insurance is crazy due to it being a no fault state... but plates are dirt cheap.
everything is a bit expensive due to the tourism ...restaurants averaged 20-30% higher price than the same chains in the north.
seafood is cheap but beef is expensive...the cows look like cambodian children there.
the sales tax rates were determined by county so the tourist areas could get up to 12% sales tax on anything...Polk county where I lived was 6%.
the roads EAT tires on your car as they are made from sand on the sides of the road and contain ground seashells.
Hurricanes are a looming issue always and the farther south you go everything wierd that walks, crawls, or flys gets bigger and lives forever
because it never gets cold to kill them or stunt thier growth.
it rains at 5 o'clock....everyday and the lizards love that.....ever see a palmetto bug ???
don't get me wrong I really DID like it there but nearly went broke in a year and was quite fortunate in the sale of my house there at a good profit
to come back to Indiana at a barely break even situation.
They say Florida is the land of the newly wed and nearly dead......I was one and felt like the other by the time I came home again.
but in your line of work it COULD be a great place Shaun :lol:

I guess what I am saying is do your research and believe about half of the results.
 
Thank you for the info Jim. All I can say at this point is we are seriously considering it, but not taking it lightly and not rushing into it. We're doing all our research so if we go we will have all our ducks in a row. With my profession and Heather being a surgical RN with extensive er experience as well I believe we will both be able to find good paying, stable employment. We are really weighing the pros and cons of leaving our families and close friends behind more than anything else.


Shaun
Sent from my iPhone
 
Shaun, I'll tell you this, No Risk, No Reward. Go for it :thumbsup:

Momma and I have always talked about doing that move as well. Sh!t, I'm a Disney nut and all I want to do is be a greeter when I retire :grin:
 
Thank you for the info Jim. All I can say at this point is we are seriously considering it, but not taking it lightly and not rushing into it. We're doing all our research so if we go we will have all our ducks in a row. With my profession and Heather being a surgical RN with extensive er experience as well I believe we will both be able to find good paying, stable employment. We are really weighing the pros and cons of leaving our families and close friends behind more than anything else.


Shaun
Sent from my iPhone

Shaun,

I don't know what you do for a living but I am a physical therapist by trade. I did a clinical rotation in Fort Myers for 6 weeks in 1998. It was Jan-Feb. I stayed with a buddy who lived in a 5 bedroom house ,on sailboat access canal, in Cape Coral with a 37 Silverton Convertable out back. He also had a pool, hot tub and outdoor kitchen under his lanai. All I can say is that I love it down there that time of year. I had a job offer at the Healthsouth facility I interned at and was going to take it. I then started dating my now wife about 3 months before the move. She wouldn't go with me so I stayed here, got married and have 3 beautuiful children. Whether or not I made the right call is open to debate (j/k) but, if not for her I would have been there in a heartbeat. The pay was better than I got here out of college and there is no state income tax. As far as the other expenses go, gas was cheaper (but just about everywhere is cheaper than my sh!tty state) and food was more expensive. That's about all I was involved in purchasing there. Good luck with your choice.
 

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