Although he has only Joel's Relocation book, (not the Secure Home book) my son, who loves warm weather, bought 7 acres in east Central Florida, (where he was born) with a creek, spent all his vacations over the past four years fencing and improving and just this week planned to begin the pad for construction of his home.
He intended to build a small home, impervious to hurricanes and to intrusion. Wanted to use poured concrete and rebar. His job is chief fire officer on a ship and has made a point to learn from the artisans there who build ship doors and windows that withstand hurricanes at sea. He intended to use those gained skills to build his own doors and windows.
In seeking information about a building permit, he was told at the county office that he could not reasonably build this type of home. He must use "rated" materials--standard stuff. Those materials are far inferior to the materials he wants to use.
The county man told him he could build it if he had it "engineered". They warned him that they didn't recommend it because of the cost, but suggested he contact an engineer.
The first one he called told him "don't even think about it" and did not want to take the time to discuss it. The second hung up on him. The third was a nice guy that explained that with the county requirements, he would have to charge $3,000 just to do the MATH on a 25' x 30' "box" before he even did anything else. He also suggested my son forget it. The cost would be prohibitive.
Outraged and disappointed, he decided to not only forget it but sell his property and leave the state. This is not the first run-in we have had with Florida bureaucracy. It's more the "last straw" type of thing. Perhaps there are counties in Florida that operate differently--but I suspect these are state requirements. As for counties, I know about Dade and Broward, however, and they are worse.
Joel lists Florida in his Relocation book as one of the 5 (I think) most intrusive state governments. In our experience, he called it right on Florida. I suggest anyone think long and hard before moving here unless you're a pretty "traditional" type that is happy with the status quo, or if your research shows there are pockets of freedom in the State.
One thing about Florida, they do allow concealed weapons, with permit. With the crime rate in many parts of Florida being what it is, that's a good thing! Also, you can garden almost all year around, and it doesn't snow! But long term food storage is nearly impossible because of the summer heat. Root cellars don't work here, unless they do in North Florida. Forget about storing wheat indefinitely, for example, in the summer heat.
Hope this helps someone.
Have to agree with you on Florida. You might try Gilchrist, Levy, and Dixie counties in the big bend area of N. Florida. Florida is full of regulations. North of Ocala it is very southern(as in Dixie) and very pro-gun.
Bill
We live 40 miles north of Pensacola, Florida, out in the woods so to speak. But all houses have been marked by the GPS. The Sherrifs department came around a couple of years ago and loaded our location with the satalite. They said it was for the "911" system. Our house in Kentucky was marked the same way a little later. How do you think the Naval Air Station in Pensacola will fare in an early attack? Do you think it will be a priority target?
FLORIDA IS A HELL HOLE.I;VE BEEN HERE FOR 20 YEARS. GREAT FOR 4 MONTHS A YEAR...THATS IT.IT SEEMS EVERY CASTASTROPHE HAPPENS HERE.
CHEAPEST LAND: PANHANDLE
BEST METRO AREA: JACKSONVILLE.,TALLAHASSEE
WORST JOBS: OCALA,LEVY+NORTH
THE BEST AREA IN THE COUNTRY IS THE BLUE RIDGE AREAS...VA. AND N.C.
BYE FROM GERM STATE
Does anyone have anything positive to say about the Sunshine State? I love it here, my family is here...but things are a bit intrusive. Can anyone think of a reason to stay here?
Despreratly,
Chane
"Chane",
As one who has lived in Florida for (only) 26 yrs. The answer is NO. I no longer live there. I would have to agree with .."Me" (above)
..(east)"TN sounds good to me"
-Steve-
Been here, (second time), for 17+ years...first time was for 3 years in Miami. I'm ready to get out of Dodge. County and State officials want only to line THEIR pockets at the full-time residents expense. North & Panhandle areas are the most desirable. My wife wanted/s to buy land around Okeechobee and have a "retreat/weekend" spot...I'm for N. Ga or Tn...The hills are far more friendly, progun/constitution than these id10ts here. JMHO r
10,000 Pensacola, Gulf Breeze residents drank unsafe water for 54 months. Radioactive water flowed to thousands of homes. Today, the toxic groundwater plume sits underneath the city, untouched, where it could continue threatening public water supplies for decades.
Full story at:
http://www.pensacolanewsjournal.com/news/090703/Local/ST001.shtml
I lived in Panama City Beach and moved back in 2000 to Arkansas. The area that I moved to has clean water, air and is outside of the top 120 cities for nuclear threat, and is not near the two nuclear power facilities or the route for transporting the nuclear waste. There are no known terrorist networks working out of this area. 5 clean lakes within a one hour radius and a creek in my back yard.
I really loved Florida, but from the aspect of being surrounded by military bases, and intrusive government regulations have learned to love the hills here in Arkansas!
Malaria Resurfaces in Florida—Beware of Mosquitoes
Health department officials warned Friday there is a "very high" chance that mosquitoes with malaria are flying around, after an infected Lake Worth man was bitten.
http://www.rense.com/general54/beware.htm
So long, Sunshine State. Hello, Hurricane Alley.
Killer storms like Charley, Frances and now Ivan are not a temporary exception to the weather patterns affecting Florida but the continuation of a historic pattern, scientists say.
And it suggests more major hurricanes will be trolling the Atlantic for years to come.
"We better be ready for an active hurricane season for the next few decades," said John Gaynor, program manager for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's U.S. Weather Research Program. "It could last for another 30 years."
http://www.news-leader.com/today/0913-Expertspre-177610.html
We’re Not Ready
See how the coastline of Tampa Bay would change during a severe rise in sea level. Dr. Robert H. Weisberg, a professor of oceanography at the USF, talks about the worst-case scenario impacting Tampa Bay. Watch an animated fly-through of downtown Tampa after a 20-foot rise in sea level.
http://tbo.com/hurricane2005/worstcase/worstcase.html
I'm a 4th generation Floridian and this place is total h*ll. I live in west palm beach and the crime has sky rocked here in the last 10 years. Since the hurricanes, taxes, insurance and power prices have trippled. The only thing good is that stupid people from up north still think this is a utopia to retire to and i can make a decent junk of change on the sale of my house. My family and i will soon be relocating to eastern Tennessee and i'll be using my knowledge as an architect to build a secure home. My advise to anyone wanting to relocate to south florida is DON'T. If you do, get your CWP and watch your back.