Yet another helpful video for potential newcomers; nicely done Katrin. Do you have current data on the outflow vs. inflow? I ask because residential construction continues to explode here in SW FL. FYI Babcock Ranch has 9 developers building ~12 new communities right now, from 50 to 1,000 new homes each...and there are only about 9,000 of us living here. If demand is slowing, it's not apparent here. Hope you are doing well and HNY 2024.

Bottomline: We have too many folks from up north in Florida, that never should have moved here. I am a 40 year resident of Florida and love the Florida lifestyle. All I seem to hear are complaints from Snowbirds about everything that is Florida. Don't like it here? LEAVE.

florida is nice to visit during winter but i would never want to live there full time. i prefer all 4 seasons over tropical weather

Left USA and moved to Europe, no gun, much more slow pace, good weather, great infrastructure travelling around Europe, more culture, friendly people, and great health care, have dual citizenship here.

The summer heat is brutal. I'm imprisoned by my air conditioner.

Leaved in fla, 50 years, inland area , moved to Knoxville Tennessee 6 years ago, our house on market, moving back home. Home Sweet Home. Prices are dropping, in fla gonna buy at the right time.

My Dad moved to FL in 2022. Him and his wife tried everything to get me down there with them, to buy a house in their neighborhood. Telling me how great everything is, how the people are so friendly, etc etc etc. I keept saying nah, I'm good where I'm at (PA). I have seen far too many people pack up and go to FL saying they will never move back only to move back in a year or so. Guess what? My Dad just sold his place and moving back. He didnt even last 2 years

Katrin, the world is changing. Soon for most it will be paradise though not without its growing pains. I hope to see you then. Thank you for caring.❤

Great video. Balanced and informative.

Once again well presented and informative video. I appreciate it. thank you

Purchased my home 10 years ago 124k with two thousand square ft. and a 2 car garage and a mortgage of 853.30 per month in a beautiful neighborhood on a dead end street. I love it here and lucky for me I can retire here. Today the prices are outrageous but I am never selling.

❤Always great info Katrin. I’ve been in Miami Florida 15 years (originally from Philly) and I still miss family and friends every day. I’m in Florida because I HAVE to be. My gut tell me people will be moving out of Florida by the droves.

Very good points. I live in South Carolina and I used to live in Tampa. I dont think id move back. Love South Carolina!

I had to move from fl 7 years ago for medical reasons. I can’t wait to get back. It is home and I love it.

Florida is becoming a joke, with all expense , insurance double or triple the national average, home insurance out of control, housing becoming so overpriced, its not what it used to be,unfortunately,

Thank you for this video

Great points! I just watched the channel @connect2Florida and she said a lot of the same things you did. I live in Destin and I think everything fits there too.

I lived in Naples Florida for 8 years until 2021. In that time, the overdevelopment was rampant. Building on every corner. Roads were getting packed even not in season. The people moving in were golfers and tennis players and pickleball nuts who liked to get drunk at the bar every night. If you did not like these things you were ignored and shunned. I mean when you met someone they would say, "Oh do you golf?" and if you said no there was a long ooooooh followed by a look and then being ignored. One day, a self entitled golfer on a golf cart riding on the sidewalk at 10 AM when a friend and I were walking came right at us and refused to yield ON THE SIDEWALK! He came right at us full speed ahead. I pushed my friend aside and he said "Good morning ladies" and laughed at us as if trying to run us over was funny. We lived in a rather upscale golf community with an HOA Board that thought money was no object. Despite having a bar restaurant and a fitness center, the board decided it was not good enough- they needed more bars, a large restaurant a 5500 sq foot wellness center. They proposed to tear down a fitness center which we paid an $2500 assessment for only 3 years prior to build a super duper wellness center. The price tag was $15 M. With the new buildings came the need for higher utility costs, insurance costs and labor costs. We did the math and like MANY of people who had bought earlier and who were pleased with the amenities decided to move. Nearly every one of our friends who was not into golf, tennis and pickleball, and getting loaded at the bar sold. The project went ahead after we left with a $19 M price tag. In addition to crazy project ideas, which I might say were always being proposed! the HOA was so oppressive! During the height of covid we got a letter demanding our tile roof be cleaned as it was a "nuisance" and "danger" to the health of the community. One area of mold on one side of the house. As we are seniors and immuno compromised- we were not looking forward to having roof cleaners come to give estimates. For anyone not aware of it, roof cleaning is expensive and if not done correctly can kill shrubbery with the bleach solution so picking a good company is important. The time before the letter we had over $2500 in shrubs killed by the roof cleaner- and had to fight to get him to pay to have them replaced. If bleach gets into the soil it makes growing new plants difficult. We asked for an extension as iy was height of covid and were told $100 a day fine if we did not get it cleaned within 15 days. They suggested a company which we suspected was giving them something for references. If anyone does not know roof cleaning can be very expensive so quotes are needed- our neighbor paid $1500 for a roof cleaning and it has to be done every 2-3 years. Tiles crack from walking on the roof so getting a careful company is important. Our next door neighbor had a major leak as tiles were ruined by a careless roof cleaner. Since moving, I have heard the crowding is getting ridiculous. New condo and apartments going up all over. Immokalee Road, the major road from Immokalee to 75 and downtown Naples, is a parking lot 24/7. There are serious and often deadly accidents on a frequent basis. I read on a blog that Publix is understocked as too many people are there. The no state income tax was nice- and yes, we moved to a red state with a state income tax-it was nice to have no income tax but we live in a place now where people are kind, not judgmental and thank goodness no oppressive HOA. Friends in Cape Coral are r paying $9900 for home insurance on a 2500 sq ft house with a lrge hurricane deductible. And fighting the insurance company for damages from Ian- Florida sounds good until you live there. And I am not even mentioning the large assessment after Hurricane Irma we had to pay in addition to OUR OWN home damages! No one tells you this until you live there!

I don't mind the snow. At least you can shovel it, unlike humidity. I like snuggly clothes and fireplaces. The intense sun and abrasive sand make the beach a No-Go Zone for me as I have Plaque Psoriasis

Great content, Thank you!

living in Florida means you will be in your car all damn day long if you need to do something or go somewhere. People from the northeast used to public transportation don't realize this.

thx for sharing

Florida the land of fees and scams

The tropical weather is enough to stop me moving to Florida. The tropical weather doesn’t agree with me. Thank you for the video. 👍🌹🎊

Hello Katrin! We talked back in 2023. I did move to Bradenton. The only regret I have is the HOA. But too many other great thing about FL so I'm staying. Thanks for the vids.

I had plans on moving to Florida for the past 10 years, not anymore.

It's the gator you didn't see.

Very good information/update. I did what you and a few other real estate experts on KZfaq mentioned -a lot of research. Don’t plan to retire for another 4-5 years, but been watching the Florida bubble pop indicators happen over the last year plus. my neighbors down the street decided to buy the villages about 15 months ago maybe 18 months. Seeing a video on that seems to show about a 25% reduction in value and a lot of homes on the market. I’m happy just taking trips to wonderful Florida and watching your videos! Hey, can I get a condo with grandfathered HOA if I buy some T-shirts from your shop? 😊😂

Born and raised in Florida for 40 of my 50 years. Moved back to help my parents with health issues. The mass influx since 2020 has been unreal. The highway systems here were ready, the massive lack of home Owners insurance,

Research is the key, I look at everything, crime, weather, taxes on current homes.

Are there any resources for reviewing HOA associations? Some HOA associations have very thorough websites where you can see meeting minutes and budgets. Others seem to have very little. Was wondering if there are any resources on line where you can review a HOA.

I live in Georgia. When I retired I vowed I would never move to Florida. Too hot , Too expensive, Too many people. I do love DeSantis however.

Great video! I'm leaving for all those reasons, spot on esp being single its Highway to Heaven.

Outstanding video! Florida has one of the greatest number of homeowners insurance claims in the nation. Whether due to hurricane flood and wind damage, sinkholes, storm surge, or building on sand, Florida always seems to ‘get hit.’ For decades, Florida insurance premiums didn’t come close to reflecting the actual increased risks incurred by the insurance companies. Rather, the costs were redistributed to all states’ policyholders. Then, FEMA updated and expanded the floodmaps to reflect contemporary water patterns. Too, roofing company schemers took advantage of Florida’s new laws and homeowner naïveté to bilk insurance companies out of any profit margin. The impact on carriers was so profound that insurance analysts decided it was just cheaper to blast Florida policy rates if not drop the state altogether. The truly scary part is that more over time, homeowners whom no longer have mortgages are opting out of homeowners and flood insurance policies altogether. Those with mortgages are only insuring the bare minimum to placate the lenders. Many, still, are strategizing ways to go completely uninsured. They’re all hoping against hope that they’ll dodge damage, or have enough cash on hand to cover a loss. It’s quite the gamble - a single flood or high wind event can easily cost 10s of thousands of dollars, and the longer repairs are delayed, the more damage is done. Compounding all of this is the extra layer when an HOA is involved. Weather-related damage hits HOA infrastructures hard and triggers special assessments that knock the financial socks off every unit owner. Buyer beware.

I would imagine the humidity would get to me after a few months.

Live in South fl since 2015, fl has changed a lot !! Cost of living is very expensive , salaries very low , rent oh my gosh I pay for 1 bed luxury condo $2,740!!!people very rude !!!, the worst drivers we have them here , bumper to bumper all day long !!, customer service does not exist here !!miami the city of scam, fraud and corruption !! Better speak espanol !!! my husband is Gringo !he has struggled with español a lot , I’m Cuban so I’m bilingual , we moved from CA 2015 but we will leave fl this year !! No more latino BS , this is the true so guys think twice !! beautiful beaches but that’s it 💁‍♂️💁‍♂️

Myself, I grew up in California, when it was still a great place to be. 😅😊😂 The company in which i was working for at the time; asked me to moved to Miami, for the purpose of overseeing a large project for a, German client of ours; of fiber optical cable; it took us a few years... We were handling, all the equipment and international documentation, logistics, for them. They had to begged me 😅 It's a beautiful natural environment with the beaches, great food, etc. Finally, left in March 2006 and I've never have been back... Too much corruption and one of the most racist of people to be around. The politics, the way people drive, constantly blowing their horns 😮 I founded hard to deal with all the unhealthy competition and fake people 😊... At one point, it was rated as the most stressful city to be living in the USA. And, add, the hurricanes... 🥵 Good place to visit but that's about it, for this Lady 😂

Good Job .

For me, politics has really made me uncomfortable . When i moved here in 1988,it was not a hotbed of political division,we had respectable representation, senators,congressmen, women and state reps including the governor. I'm not happy with the amount of people carrying weapons,looking to solve the simplest of problems with said gun. I have been a responsible member of our community for 36 years and have invested a lot of time,and money, to be a good neighbor, only to find my nieghbors were very good at hiding their deep seeded hatred for certain people. I am going nowhere,this is my home,i simply do not deal with people who spew hate. I can only hope that the next election will show once and for all that the majority of Americans just want this band of merry nitwits to go away,so we can live our lives in peace. Katrin,thanks for opening up the real conversations we should be having😊😊

I love FL!! Give me the hurricanes and the heat! I love the tropical vibe. The food, the diversity, the animals…I’ll be back this year! 😍

I think it's funny that people don't want to come here because they are afraid of gators and even sharks and the beach. I have a boat and many times when I take people out to beach, they are afraid to get into the water. I grew up here on the central west coast of Florida. I'm 65 now and I'm still alive and have all of my limbs. I've hunted gators and have caught many big sharks. It's kids stuff.

I live in Michigan but stayed at my cuzins in boca raton many summers when I was younger and I loved it. Been to Destin to. Florida is awesome and I will live there by this summer

Yep I live in Arizona I here the same things ! HEY if it's not for you have 49 others states and 14 U.S. territories to move to no passport required !

Rules! I am ok with some rules as it does help to maintain the value. However, I live in a small 55+ community very clicky and have rules from 1980 when they started and are need of serious updating. I actually went on the board to change things. That was a total impasse as the old regime was too entrenched. I will probably rent it and purchase something else for myself. I am 15 min East of AMI which I love. 10 min to SRQ and 15 min north of Sarasota so the location is perfect. I am not in a flood or hurricane zone so my insurance is not as bad as what's happening elswhere.

FL people are obsessed with politics. It's the only state where you go to work and people regularly talk about politics. People sit in front of their tv all day and watch the news. People don't do much outdoors and aren't that active. You'd think a warm state would have active people, but nope.

4th Gen native of Florida. Born and raised in Sarasota. Now live in Bradenton. The biggest problems I see in Fla are taxes, insurance costs and politics. And the amount of cars on our highways. It’s bad when it takes you 30 min to drive 8 or 10 miles.

Visit Chinsegut Hill near Brooksville FL 😎

I'm not sure if any amount of research could have foretold where we are at now. Let's see 2022 people came in droves...Florida was open due to shutdown in other states...home prices were relatively low...bidding wars on homes...now prices sky high and sales movement in general takes longer....pre hurricane Ian homeowners rates were manageable...after Ian they are now through the roof....mortgage rates were relatively low...now through inflation at the highest in years...possibly other things I missed.? Bottom line there is no crystal ball...and who knows what's next?

I had moved to Fla 1952. I hadn't left since.

Thanks Katrin , that was a really good heads up , I’ve been there a half dozen times and always after 9-10 days I couldn’t wait to leave , most of the people were very opinionated and down right angry about everything, price of food, gas , insurance, it’s too hot it’s too cold , The pool needs cleaning, their favorite restaurant is closed on Tuesday…… yeah just didn’t care for it, thanks though

Sounds like an interesting place.Is the humidity as bad as they say it is ?

It's true there are no mountains in Florida but there is great hiking here, especially in the colder months! I hike every year and there are lots of tree hammocks and wildlife everywhere, you just have to do a little research!

People who move to Florida and don't like the politics shouldn't vote, and mess it up for the rest of us.

No mention of traffic

7. Very Heavy traffic, backups particularly in large metro areas and on interstate highways. Long waits at traffic lights that have very long cycle time. 8. Aggressive drivers speeding, passing on the right, tailgating, changing and cutting across multiple lanes in heavy traffic.

People not from here think they know what heat is. They think they would love to deal with it. They really don’t understand HUMIDITY. Mosttttttttttt people who move here wind up spending most there lives indoors in there Ac. And the electric bills are really high because of your AC constantly running. And most AC units need to be replaced every 10-14 years at Thousandssssss of dollars.

We have Mt. Trashmoore

I want a sign at the Florida border: Florida sucks, your state is much better go back! Canadians welcome, bring money. LOL (Regards from a 20-year resident of Spring Hill.)

I will stay away from Florida no matter what. Is to expensive the summer is the worst. I stay in Puerto Rico with a beach time weather all year around, 🇵🇷 / 🇺🇸 every body is welcome, Red, yellow, Black, white and brown. No need for passport, PR is USA - “ TERRITORY “

Lived there three years and would never move back - lots of bugs, heat, humidity and way too many snowbirds.

Wao, Although most people make their decisions based on what they want with out any considerations of the things or people that are around you

We have a man made mountain hill called vista view in Davie off griffin road. 😬 former dump

High cost of living, high property taxes, high traffic, high humidity, people need to do their homework before moving to Florida 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂, definitely unfriendly to retired people inless your wealthy.

COLD. 🥶. MANY PARTS OF FL ARE VERY VERY COLD IN WINTERS. Too many coming here have no CLUE about weather zones.

Hot is good but FL TOO HUMID/DAMP! I chose Arizona instead, hot but DRY. Weather important to consider: do you like damp or dry? FL, Hawaii even Calif too damp for me, feels like I'm "breathing water," coming down with a cold and swollen glands.

Just ONE QUESTION! How are the regular, normal, average retirees making it do in Fl with all these horror insurance rates and reset property?? taxes

The cities in FL are pretty diverse. The villages is basically all snowbirds. FL cities are much more diverse than northern big cities in my experience.

I have interstitial lung disease and stay in Miami every winter. My cough completely clears up. By April the heat is so oppressive I return back to Philadelphia. Looking at the costs and lifestyle restrictions the rest of the year, I would not care to own any real estate in Florida.

We have rolling hills in FL

Yes Florida is a paradise. Its everything youve heard it is. Beaches, sunshine, palm tree's and cocktails. Just don't be broke.

Florida's climate is great except for the rainy season. #RFMvids

Scratch 5 Floridians and you'll find 7 real estate hucksters. What kind of like is it when the constant obsession is housing -- condos and money, money, money. That is the opposite of relaxation.

Mosquitoes tooooooo..........lots of mosquitoes....😅😅😅😅😅

The main reasons that I won't move to Florida are a few you mentioned: alligators and weather and insects. I live here in the northeast with the change of seasons, but our summers are cooler than Florida and we don't have the alligators and the insects and the other wildlife like snakes. Your video is a good one for someone or a family that visit during the winter months and don't really see first-hand the real stuff. During the 80s and early 90s visited Florida about three times per year because of family and I was considering moving there, however, when I spent more time there, for example, one month in January, April, August, and November, I soon discovered that it wasn't the place I would like to build my life and remain. Florida is a gorgeous state, but it just doesn't work for me.

Buying is definitely not worthed in Florida, renting is a lot better and wiser.

I moved to Florida in 2022, I now want to leave. Taxes, too high, homeowners insurance, too high. Diversity, my area is ok but not optimal. Politics are good. The only mountains are the landfills near me. The weather is hot, not terrible. Not happy that there are not cycling trails near me. Bottom line, can’t wait to leave, I would go back to the Chicago suburbs in a New York minute, wife is the issue. She wants out too but not back to the icebox. It is a beautiful state, love our governor but it’s not for me. BTW, auto insurance is through the roof and I don’t know how the zoning works here but there are abundant dilapidated and some collapsing structures near residential areas that I would never see where I came from. Thank you, very good and informative video.

Property taxes in manatee are 1.39% of purchase price.

👍👍👍

Me and the family moved to Lakeland FL in 1993. At that time you could buy a quarter acre and a 3 bed 2 bath 2 car garage from Mike Lilley homes for 83,000. I left Florida in 2017 and best thing i ever have done. Do miss the beaches! Lol

2023 over a million people moved to FL and 500K left.

Good please leave there were too many people here 10 years ago now people that move here can't drive and think we should appreciate them being here my family has been here since the early 1800s and I like being able to drive to Orlando in 30 minutes no traffic quiet evenings and days and no obnoxious idiots moving here we were better 40 years ago

There's landfill mountain's

I moved to Sarasota from New York and although Sarasota is my favorite part of Florida. I'm moving back to New York because I have a child with special needs and Florida doesn't have the care that New York has not even half of the care and I didn't do the research I didn't think it would be so different. I have looked in other parts of Florida and Sarasota has the most but it's no where near enough so we are moving back to New York in two months but we have family here in Florida so there will be many visits

Personally I dont like the heat and deep Florida lifers are too laid back dare I say ignorant, for me so I'll visit but wont stay. Strange that they dont mind us northernors spending boosting your economy though. You cant have it both ways.

Can't Florida keep those large bugs out? 🙂

Very good realistic presentation. I could not deal with any of this, however. One thing another realtor mentioned was the horrible traffic, she mentioned a 15 mile trip that took 1.5 hours. No thanks.

I think you're crazy, lady. I've been away twelve years in can't wait to get back

Most people don't fsbo due to NAR blackballing.

Made me laugh with the Flat. There IS a noticeable hill east of Lakewood Ranch High School. Loving the gators, it’s fascinating seeing them, some people don’t notice them at all.

Problem is in the last few years florida has been way over hyped. I rember building a house 22 yrs ago in lwr and the builder had advertised in new jersey and new york. 75% of them went back after 3 yrs.

Florida is a conservative state and that’s why it’s great. Law and order

True what do you expect ?

Hialeah

It was a Covid haven Now, its pricing them all out

I live in Englewood Fl..used to be paradise but the county commissioners allowed massive developments against the will of the people and my insurance doubled..first time I thought about leaving..

Get out of Florida before the market crashes and you get stuck.

Okay, you terrorized me right out of moving to Florida. 😝

The real estate market goes up and down like every thing else . Go figure . 😮

The Pirates are alive and doing very well fleecing Florida as always..

You left out the rapidly warming climate, it gets hotter every year. In ten years you will not be able to go outside in the summer. I sold my Pensacola property and moved to the Philippines. I will never be back.