In reply to TJL :
Oh good! Msmdsmsdmbsdm said if he moved out of Florida it would have to be a “no inspection state”, I thought that meant Florida has inspections.
Is there emissions?
It’s Sounding like Florida is a better idea every post. How’s the autocross scene?
If your new in FL, you will probably love it because you dont see the growth we see having been here a while. Im sick of the development and its not slowing down soon. I live in a pretty quiet area in Deland(west of daytona, north of orlando)and it seems the county is determined to have every empty lot filled. Most of us are here for a nice quiet place to live. Thats changing quick.
And yeah you hear about how every strange news story is in FL, but realize people come here from everywhere, even the backwards goof places so sadly, they do dumb stuff and the state gets blamed.
Hurricanes arent that bad. Unless its a direct hit and your close to the coast. We had Mathew and irma wack us nicely. No serious damage but lost power for i think 5 days with Mathew and 6-7 days with irma. They are gonna happen, just do some smart prep and have a plan. You will have close to a weeks notice that it can hit. I get more prepared as the time passes.
I tell people that ask about the heat and humidity, you will sweat. Just deal with it, drink plenty of water, dont get sunburnt and just sweat all ya need to. Totally normal to see people sweat soaked during the summer. You can sweat in the shade here, humidity is cool. i now love the humidity. If i head west or we just have drier weather, my skin freaks out, i’ll start coughing and get sick. It can be rough but id rather have the humidity.
No emission testing either. Mod your car all you want.
Im new to GRM and the race scene so i cant help much there.
Are you wanting privacy in the country, suburban HOA life or city life? You may have mentioned that already. Im a bit frazzled now, neighborhood caught on fire this afternoon, thought we were going to have to evacuate. Part of living on the woods, been real dry lately.
Trackmouse said:In reply to TJL :
Oh good! Msmdsmsdmbsdm said if he moved out of Florida it would have to be a “no inspection state”, I thought that meant Florida has inspections.
Is there emissions?
It’s Sounding like Florida is a better idea every post. How’s the autocross scene?
Bsdm? How'd you know?
No emissions. No inspection. You can license anything here. I saw a guy driving a sand rail down orange blossom trail on my way back from flip flop purchasing (you need flip flops here. I hate them and I have many.).
The autox/racing scene is awesome. There's tracks and events everywhere, always. I've only seen it threaten to drop below freezing once, and I did see frost for the first time since moving here...3 days ago? Sebring, daytona, orlando dragway, etc. Year round is the jam. Friend of mine just got back from scca pro solo in ft myers. There are way more versed than me, to be sure. Racerfink in particular is racing...always.
Tell me about it. Central Oregon is the driest place I’ve ever lived. Right now, it’s still cold, below freezing at night, and so dry my finger tips are cracking. And I use lotion on my face and hands daily. The people here are arrogant shiny happy people that either have so much money they can’t be bothered, or they are old money and have a bitch every time they have to open that wallet. They also think the year is still 1998, and nothing should cost what it is. The winter last 9mos here. Then the cold breaks, the heat comes out, and just as soon as you think summer is here, a damn forest fire breaks out and shuts everything down. I mean, people evac’d, tourists flee, the sky is cloudy, you can’t go outside. You can’t run the AC because it sucks the smoke in. And it’s bloody hot because of that. You can’t keep your car clean here because it’s either raining, snowing, sleeting, or dropping wildfire ashes out of the sky. The nearest autocross is 2hrs away over a treacherous mountain pass. Or 4hrs away in BFE without hotel accommodation.
There aren’t any cars and coffee meets here (largely due to weather and arrogant turds). It’s filled with Audi, Subarus, Porsches, and brodozers. Pretty much everything here revolves around the ski conditions at the mountain. Didn’t get enough snow? No tourism dollars. The effing mayor of bend spent an enormous budget on renovating the already pristine mountain bike trails, but didn’t spend a dime on the actual roadways that had enormous potholes and cracks. Ironically, the arrogant cyclists that “think” they have the right of way on roadways, don’t even use the mountain bike trails. In fact, they are hardly used at all! Instead we get these cyclist mobs from all over that swamp an ENTIRE LANE and hold up traffic for miles. I’ve literally called the cops several times. And while the police know they are breaking the law, they do nothing about it, because “Bend is bike friendly” according to one Johnny. Can’t hurt that precious reputation.
According to a few friends that grew up here, this place used to be great. But it’s gone to E36 M3.
Oh, and before I forget- the god dang horse trailers. Jeeeeeeeeesuuusssssssss these people drive slow. I’m talking 35 in a 55 slow. For 20mi.
As the famous bumper sticker says:
Sadly we have brodozers and arrogant cyclists too. Wife and i took my son to a park. Crossing the road to get there, at the CROSSWALK where there is nice STOP signs. Sidewalk on both sides of the road. Right about as i step out to cross while holding my son, 2 lady road bikers came blowing through the stopsign, zero f’s given. Im shocked at first, then let out a few colorful comments to them to which they replied “really?”. They can do as they please on the street, but dont dare offend them! And ive spent plenty of time on a bike too, just have better sense than some. Also fun is these crosswalks are a big deal as a kid was killed years ago heading to the park. But im the A-hole. I travel all over the country for work. Visited union and cowlitz county oregon last year for work. Amazing drives and great scenery, then you get to Portland. The drive along the columbia was great. I had a real bad feeling that meth/opiods had done a real disservice to the “poorer” areas there.
Anyways no matter where you go, if you look for bad stuff, you will find it. Look for the good, you’ll find that too.
I still very much enjoy coming home to FL from traveling.
In reply to TJL :
Exactly. And I’m not bagging all cyclists. I’ve met the cool cyclists guys that can’t stand the arrogant cyclists.
Ive lived in Portland. That city was rad between 2002-2008. Then the “hipster movement” hit critical mass and became a “thing”. From there it spiraled out flaccid. Now Portland is what Seattle used to be. Seattle is now what LA was. And LA is something else entirely.
Ive lived in Bend for 9yrs now. I can honestly assess given my experience. And keep in mind, I’m in 7-9 different houses a day. So I see it all. I see the wealthy, early retired guy with three Porsches in the mansion on the hill. And I see the poor folks that can’t even afford to really have me in the house, let alone fix it.
In reply to Trackmouse :
Grew up in minnesota. Come for the culture. Stay because your car won't start. If it weren't for winter, I could tolerate MN. 6 months out of the year, all the fun cars were locked up. Snowmobiles are plenty fun, but they're costly and I have no storage like that. I totally understand einter. You won't miss it.
I moved from CT to S FL on the Atlantic coast side. I spent my winters for several years researching and visiting areas for extended stays from NC south and New Orleans East before deciding FL was the state. Then I spent time in all sections of FL before buying. Then I did the snow bird thing a few years before moving here full time in '09. I could write for hours about the reasons I chose this area over the other sections of FL and also the few drawbacks to the area. I chose Delray Beach but the whole section from Pompano To Palm Beach is a great place to live for a number of reasons. From what you've mentioned about jobs for you and the wife you'd do fine here. PM me if you want and I'll give ya my phone #, be happy to answer any questions I can.
In reply to Stampie :
What's the cost to issue a title to out of state motorcycles?
In reply to NOT A TA :
Very good to hear. I might PM you at some point. This is still proabably a year or two out. Haven’t even listed the house yet.
Oh, and I would SOOO look forward to attending my first challenge ever!
In reply to Trackmouse :
Lemme tell ya, it does make it a lot easier. Not that I've managed to make it yet. Hopefully this year.
My issue with Florida has always been the following:
No elevation change aside from what amount to piles of dirt created after holes were dug.
Public land and cities seem far removed. As a mountain biker who likes to get away from people, I want to be able to ride out my back door and "get away" for a bit. Tallahassee, Lake City, Gainesville are the only cities with significant public land (National/State Forest) that borders city limits, and while Ocala National Forest is the largest swath of public land after the Everglades, it's still 30 minutes outside of Ocala. If I'm going to live 1.5 hours from the Ocean, I might as well just live in Asheville, Knoxville or Chattanooga where summers aren't quite as oppressive.
Like mentioned earlier, as you get more rural in Florida you also get far more redneck/southern, and those people aren't as friendly to cyclists. Not to mention trail development is an afterthought.
Plus, now that I've got a kiddo, schools are a concern as well.
As someone said---- FL is many places in one.
Panhandle----Very red-necky, wonderful tourist beaches though
Central (Gulf side)--- nice, tons of Midwestern snowbirds
S. Florida (Gulf side)--- wealthy, very nice, but pricey
S. Florida (Atlantic side) --- tons of East Coast snow birds, and Spanish speaking folks. (Miami area is basically a different country-- Boca is a tropical New Jersey)
Central (Atlantic side)--- not very developed (yet) Daytona is a small town that gets invaded with 200K folks from time to time. New Smyrna Beach is very laid-back and nice--- sort of like Daytona without the seediness. Palm Coast has nice areas, as does Daytona and even Holly Hill (home of GRM) West of US 1 can get a little rough though. There are also blighted areas on beachside.
Central FL----- very red-necky, (lots of Stars and Bars flying) Orlando has been discussed. I-4 may be the worst road in America traffic-wise. You won't sit in traffic all day, like Atlanta or L.A., but you'll be pissed off when you get there anyways. The drivers are horrid. Sebring is a sleepy retirement community in the middle of no-where. Great track though!
N. FL (Atlantic side)----- St. Augustine is charming and nice, Ponte Vedra is an expensive golf mecca, and farther North on Amelia Island / Fernandina Beach it's also very nice----golf mecca. Jax is a mixed bag--- -fun near the beach, pretty dangerous in spots of the city.
Your body adjusts to the weather in the Summer, and I actually look forward to the heat these days. You are either in A/C, or you don't wear clothing. Your jeans won't get much use in the Summer down here!
I love it. I've been here for 16 years (Daytona area) and it has one of the best "bang for the buck" ratios out of anyplace I've seen. To enjoy FL to the fullest you'll need to love the beach, like being on the water, and have a tolerance for heat. People are a total mixed bag, as there are so many non-natives here.
Good luck!
We love Cancun and Heat, and I’m even tolerant of the mugginess. I also absolutely love to swim in the ocean, it is my favorite part of any vacation
Trackmouse said:We love Cancun and Heat, and I’m even tolerant of the mugginess. I also absolutely love to swim in the ocean, it is my favorite part of any vacation
Good news! There's even a ton of Spanish speaking folk here! It's just like Mexico, but with rednecks. And you don't need a passport.
In reply to Mndsm :
And I am redneck mentality. Not totality, but enough to speak “cracker”
In reply to Trackmouse :
I look the part. I don't have near the mechanical ingenuity to do it for real. It's bizarre some of the E36 M3 people will say to you when they male assumptions about who you are.
First of all, 100k is not going to get you anything near the beach anywhere in Florida. I really don't have an idea of exactly what kind of community you are looking for. If you need to be near a resort area with lots of rental property, the cheapest is probably going to be somewhere between Pensacola and Mobile Alabama. Somewhere along the redneck Riviera like Destin, Mexico Beach, Panama City, or even Gulf Shores Alabama. There is reasonable priced housing inland for a small house in your range Within say 5 to 15 miles of beach.
Pete Gossett recommended Biloxi Mississippi. He lives less than 2 blocks from the beach in a nice Cottage with a big shop freestanding separate that was pretty affordable if I recall correctly. Only caveat is that the beach is nice but not the beautiful blue water as the Barrier Islands off the Mississippi Gulf Coast prevents it. Cost of living on the Mississippi Gulf Coast is far far lower than anything in the Florida region. Check out Gulfport, Biloxi, Ocean Springs , Bay St Louis, Long Beach, Etc
You can't have a garden in the front yard. Read that in Readers Digest.
In reply to iceracer :
The soil is gross anyhow.
In reply to Ovid_and_Flem :
Yeah beach front is out of the question. So inland a bit. We’ve found some interesting places. Some are disgusting. Some are incredible that they are still standing. Some are decent. I’m grassroots in more than just cars. So I have no problem with a little sweat equity.
In reply to Trackmouse :
So generally what are you looking for? Small home in semi rural area? Something in an established suburban neighborhood? Small condo or townhouse? Access to a nearby airport? Cultural outlets? What are needs for wife to do with her business? What type of leisure activities for two of you? I assume you don't have children to worry about schools.
I know you were primarily asking about Florida but you might also consider Texas gulf Coast resort areas...I think costs may be a little lower than florida.
No Flordans in Fla. So true, I was born and raised in Miami, As Was My Father and His Mother. My Great Grand Father was First Mayor of Miami in 1896 so yea Florida. I live in North Ga. Ya'll Come Check Out these Blue Ridge Mts. small But Pretty Lots of Vacation rentals , and Lot's of Nice Curvy roads. Deals Gap (Tail of the Dragon) is 1/2 hour away. Not as Laid Back as Key West but Lots of real Flordians. lots of Neat land for sale. Pasture and creek can be found every where and you can get Rural ( Back woods) Quick.
Whoa! This was all fun when talking about Fla. As a Tn land owner, I think we may need to set up a vetting process before this gets out of hand :)
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