Would people stop coming to Florida?

[cheeriokid61]

Could I ask you a dumb question? What and where is New South Wales and what is its relevance to this discussion?

[FLAplaya]

Florida is pushing 18 million people, if not already, and a hurricane is not gowing to stop people from moving here. And about the old people.... there are roughly 2.9 million or 17% (2003) residents that are 65 and older...put that into perspective....

[MrSmith]

Actually -- Florida would be very negatively affected by several massive hurricances.

People will ignore nature once, maybe twice but not 3 times. And Insurance companies will not ignore the problem. If i couldn't get insurance coverage I certainly would not buy a house in Florida. And, if I were a senior citizen, I would be extra cautious about investing my savings without insurance.

The big thing florida has going for it is the weather -- but it can also be a liability.

I know my parents are thinking about moving from Florida to AZ because their insurance is so expensive it offsets any tax savings --and they don't want to have to deal with hurricanes or potential hurricanes.

[LJinPA]

I still know of a lot of people around here who would love to move to Florida and any mention of Hurricanes would only provoke a very smug "I'm not concerned we can get hurricanes up here" reaction. Possibly these are people who have never been near the eyewall of a Cat 3 or greater or ever had to clean up after one. I'm not saying it's stupid to live in Florida or people should move out, but I think it would be wise to think twice about investing in property on a low lying beack front.

I also noticed this thread was recenyly resurrected and quite a bit has happened since 2004...

What I think will happen is that Florida's boom will continue but it WILL be affected. People who may have been on the fence about relocating to either Florida or somewhere else will choose "somewhere else".

I also think that there will be increased interest in the inland parts of North Fla. and the less Hurricane prone Northeast. this could be an advantage for Orlando, Ocala, Gainesville, and Jacksonville. Gainesville has the added benefit of rolling hills, which can be a rare treat in a mostly flat state. Perhaps more people will be discovering the inland parts of the south too such as the I-85 corridor. Winters are still somewhat mild compared to the snowbelt, its far enough inland to be away from direct landfalls and the humidity of the coastal plain, Florida's still not too far to visit, and yet it's closer to "home" for many.

[FLAplaya]

I feel like there is a little too much doom and gloom about hurricanes.....(1.) hurricanes are not restricted to just florida (2.) yeah MAJOR hurricanes do in fact suck and CAN cause a lot of damage...i've been through 2 major ones (opal and ivan) as well as, several smaller ones and yes we felt the outer fringes of plenty that have gone to Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi including Katrina.

However - (3.) hurricanes in general ARE NOT "that" devastating overall. We do have the exceptions, but for the most part damage is really selected to a few details such as tree debris, missing vinyl siding, occasional downed power line, and maybe one or two roof shingles being blown off. I don't know about other states, and their utility recovery efforts, but here in Florida, if and/or when the power goes out, it would normally be back on within a day or a week or rarely two weeks max. The next day after is cleanup for a couple hours and its back to bussiness as usual. Basically, unless you live on the IMMEDIATE coast which MOST people don't, or a trailer/ mobile home, then you don't have to worry too much about your house being blown away. The great majority of homes and businesses will be UNSCATHED even through a Cat 3 storm.

Unfortunately though, insurance companies are rampant blood suckers and THAT is what is more impeding on people trying to move down here the most, not the hurricanes themselves. It does in fact let people look at inland Florida locations such as Orlando, Tallahassee, and even cities like Crestview, Marianna, and Lake City a little moreso than their coastal counterparts. But people are always drawn to the beaches and even after the 2004 and 2005 hurricane seasons brought us some record breaking storms, the populatiopn growth of the Sunshine State is still going pretty strong....

[Richhamleigh, DC]

In North Carolina, I'm hearing all the new transplanted Floridians "half-backs"...

They moved to Florida from the North and coming half-way back to North Carolina.

I think Virginia and South Carolina are also getting a lot of Floridians?

[johnatl]

Yeah, they call them the same thing here (I happen to be one)!

There are a TON in North Georgia, including the metro area. Florida transplants are almost a growth industry here now.

[Aporkalypse]

Yeah, they call them the same thing here (I happen to be one)!

There are a TON in North Georgia, including the metro area. Florida transplants are almost a growth industry here now.

Maybe but for everyone moving out two are coming to replace them.

[Lady Celeste]

Maybe but for everyone moving out two are coming to replace them.

I have to agree with Aporkalypse here.

If I could, I would love to move to South Florida....right on the water. Would I be worried about hurricanes? Yes...but it would probably be the same as I worry about tornados in the metro Atlanta area. I wouldn't be consumed with the thought....I would to busy enjoying the beach and ocean.

There are tons of new construction that are so well built that they can withstand CAT 4 storms. I'm sure most new construction will be fine in a hurricane...minus the down Canary Island Date, Foxtail and Queen Palms here and there, if insured properly, you will be okay. Just make sure you keep a stash just in case you have to leave a pending storm....plan for at least a month. Chances are you will be back in a week.

[princessangry]

people's moving out cause of the rising costs of housing. a 1700 sq ft hole in the wall will run you up $300,000 or more!

legacy place and sam merano at mirasol are exellent examples of failed condos! they are forced to rent these again. they allready kicked out tons of residents and they went a little something like this:

rent-condo-rent-condo-rent/condo

[ChattyPlanner]

Florida has more going for it then just beautiful beaches and warm winters . . . NO STATE INCOME TAX and one of the most progressive tax laws in the country

How are the public schools in FL with no state income tax? I would guess that an overload of retirees would be unwilling to foot the bill for a public school system. Progressive? Tennessee also has no state income tax and has very poor schools...and Tennessee is definitely not progressive.

[GRDadof3]

It would take one time for me to be displaced from my home for a hurricane and I'd say "f**k this!"

[Phizzy]

Hurricanes have become a significant factor of people moving away from hurricane-prone areas.

I don't personally know very many people living in the South. However, a former co-worker of mine and his family moved from Michigan to Florida a few years ago. They are seriously thinking of returning. Also, relatives of mine moved back to Michigan from Mississippi following Katrina.

[charlotte_bon_vivant]

How are the public schools in FL with no state income tax? I would guess that an overload of retirees would be unwilling to foot the bill for a public school system.

FL relies heavily on other taxes like the property tax, gas tax or hotel/motel tax. The FL lottery also funds education. Not paying income tax in FL has its drawbacks. In some counties, the property taxes are so high, you'd keep more money by paying a state income tax.