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Snowbird

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NYNOLE2

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Mar 29, 2002
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I live in Vermont, working and raising kids. My wife and I are looking to purchase a condo on/near a beach. Looking for advice on which beach town to locate. It would need to be around an hour drive max from a major airport.

My initial thought is SE between Miami-Jupiter or SW in the Naples-Sarasota range.

We would be spending time there once a month Oct-April

Looking for advice on some good options to consider. We like being near some dinning and shopping, golf, tennis and of course the ocean. Lots of towns but I figured you all could help narrow it down for me.

Thanks.
 
And I thought this was going to be a skiing thread.

Do you speak Spanish? If yes, look at Dade and Broward County. If not, go north, Palm beach and Martin County. But only if you like lots of people.

If you want laid back, head to the West Coast. The difference in the 2 is like comparing New York City and Sun City, AZ.
 
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Haha. I have been to Snowbird multiple times and love that Mt (Alta too!).

Good to know. Not psyched about Spanish so I guess would stay more towards Palm beach but it sounds like West coast vibe may be a better match. I know Naples. If I were flying in and out of SWF airport what other towns close bye are worth looking at?
 
Cape Coral, Bonita Springs, Port Charlotte. I am not very familiar with the west coast as I live and play on the east coast.

I was up near Clearwater a few months ago and loved the beach area. Very nice and laid back. I will have to look to see if i can figure out where we were.
 
We just bought a place a mile from Indian Shores Beach. We like the west coast vibe and much better. Plus we are less than an hour from down town St. Pete and TPA. The stretch from St. Pete Beach up to Clearwater beach is awesome. We were deciding between this area and the stretch from Anna Maria Island down to Siesta Key, just on the other side of the Skyway bridge. Can't go wrong there either. Price wise, you'll get more house for your $ in the towns 2U mentioned in the SWF area.
 
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Maybe a stupid question. But as Vermonters coming south in the winter for warm weather, what is the most northern point we should be looking at?

My four years of Tally winters has me thinking the further south the better.
 
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NYNOLE2 said:
Good to know. Not psyched about Spanish so I guess would stay more towards Palm beach but it sounds like West coast vibe may be a better match. I know Naples. If I were flying in and out of SWF airport what other towns close bye are worth looking at?
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I have lived in Fort Lauderdale my whole life which is in Broward County and I have rarely ever needed to speak any Spanish to anybody in my life time. Broward County isn't Little Havana.
 
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I’m very biased towards the gulf coast. Anything from Clearwater south to Sarasota are pretty beautiful beaches. I live in Tampa and in the “winter” it’s not really beach weather, average high in low 70s but cools down pretty quick when the sun sets. So if OP is looking for a place you can reliably late out on the beach in January I’d be looking in Ft Myers-Naples area.
 
NYNOLE2 said:
Need winter beach weather for sure.
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I'm in south Palm Beach County, almost to Broward county, and I love the weather. Rarely gets into the 60s for daytime and rarely below 70 for nights.

If I want cold, I just head northwest and ski for a week or so. Then its time to come back home and defrost.
 
I figured Jupiter would be the furthest north I would look on the east side and sears Sarasota the furthest north on the west side.

Weather wise those seem like safe bets to be warm in the winter.

We will take a trip to both areas this year (April, Nov) to start checking these towns out.

More importantly we are headed to TALLY this October for a game!!!
 
Finance85 said:
Really glad nobody recommended the upper Gulf Coast.
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That’s obviously the best spot, everything from St George to Pensacola is where the true “best beaches” are located. Clearwater to Naples is a strong second choice but not quite up to the panhandle. And the various Atlantic beaches are ok but really more dependent on the individual spot, there’s not 100+ miles of beautiful white sand like you get in the Panhandle or the central to south Gulf Coast. The Atlantic just has a handful of nice 1-2 mile stretches scattered around the entire coast from Jax to Bahia Honda...ie a couple of nice miles here, 40 miles of ^*%*, couple of nice miles here, 40 miles of %*%*, rinse and repeat.
 
I would love to be on the panhandle for the beach and close to Tally.

But for a winter warm up it just doesn’t fit.
 
FSUTribe76 said:
That’s obviously the best spot, everything from St George to Pensacola is where the true “best beaches” are located. Clearwater to Naples is a strong second choice but not quite up to the panhandle. And the various Atlantic beaches are ok but really more dependent on the individual spot, there’s not 100+ miles of beautiful white sand like you get in the Panhandle or the central to south Gulf Coast. The Atlantic just has a handful of nice 1-2 mile stretches scattered around the entire coast from Jax to Bahia Honda...ie a couple of nice miles here, 40 miles of ^*%*, couple of nice miles here, 40 miles of %*%*, rinse and repeat.
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Except it doesn't meet the criteria of beach weather in winter.
 
We would likely be down once a month for 4 days Oct,Nov, Dec,Jan,March and then down for a full week in Feb and April. About 40 days total.
 
QuaZ2002 said:
Except it doesn't meet the criteria of beach weather in winter.
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The average water temp in Panama City in December is warmer than the water in Los Angeles in winter and every other month.

Most nonFloridians consider LA beaches a year round thing.

And honestly since he mentioned he’s from Vermont, even the water in Mass beaches are colder in June and July on average than Panama City in Jan and Feb. And if he’s used to Rhode Island or Maine beaches they seldom get much warmer (about 2 degrees or so) at their hottest than PCB at its coldest.

https://www.visitpanamacitybeach.com/plan-your-trip/weather/

https://www.currentresults.com/Oceans/Temperature/los-angeles-average-water-temperature.php
 
NYNOLE2 said:
We would likely be down once a month for 4 days Oct,Nov, Dec,Jan,March and then down for a full week in Feb and April. About 40 days total.
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If you aren't going to be a full-time snowbird and not set on a particular place, why not rent for the weekends/weeks you come down?

You could move around different places and if you find one you really like buy there. For only 40 nights, you could probably rent for the same or not much more than just the year-round condo HOA fees would be ($500/mth is typical around the Bay area). You wouldn't have a mortgage, tax and insurance payments and wouldn't have to pay for upkeep.
 
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Gonolz said:
If you aren't going to be a full-time snowbird and not set on a particular place, why not rent for the weekends/weeks you come down?

You could move around different places and if you find one you really like buy there. For only 40 nights, you could probably rent for the same or not much more than just the year-round condo HOA fees would be ($500/mth is typical around the Bay area). You wouldn't have a mortgage, tax and insurance payments and wouldn't have to pay for upkeep.
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I agree and this is how we may likely start out over the next 18-24 months, but in the end i like the idea of building equity and not just throwing the money away. I can rent it when i am not there to offset carrying costs.

also in the end, once I retire in 22 years i will end up being a full time snowbird with a place that should be fully paid for and some.

but i agree the first and most important step is settling on a location to set those roots down. The above advice is helpful in narrowing down where i should even be looking and exploring.

Thanks!!!
 
FSUTribe76 said:
The average water temp in Panama City in December is warmer than the water in Los Angeles in winter and every other month.

Most nonFloridians consider LA beaches a year round thing.

And honestly since he mentioned he’s from Vermont, even the water in Mass beaches are colder in June and July on average than Panama City in Jan and Feb. And if he’s used to Rhode Island or Maine beaches they seldom get much warmer (about 2 degrees or so) at their hottest than PCB at its coldest.

https://www.visitpanamacitybeach.com/plan-your-trip/weather/

https://www.currentresults.com/Oceans/Temperature/los-angeles-average-water-temperature.php
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Jan. and Feb this year water temps in the panhandle were ridiculous cold. Jan it was in the lower to mid 50s. Mid of Feb the surface started hitting the mid 60s but the temps at depth were still what most of us FL divers would consider brutal. 51 degrees at 80' on presidents day.
 
Lifelong Broward resident.....consider Delray Beach....Atlantic Avenue is happening. Pompano Beach east of the Intracoastal is undergoing a major redevelopment, and there are deals to be had steps from the sand. Anywhere south of Jupiter...winter traffic, greens fees, etc. are hard to deal with. Good luck.
 
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If you actually want to be in an area with people around, restaurants, bars, shops and close proximity to one of the best malls in America for extra shopping, then I would choose East Delray Beach/East Boynton Beach. Basically anywhere between Linton Rd and Woolbright Rd along Federal Hwy/US1. If you want to leave the area, its 5-10 mins from Boca Raton, 25 mins to West Palm and Palm Beach Island, 35 mins to Fort Lauderdale and an hour from Miami.
 
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FSUDoles said:
Lifelong Broward resident.....consider Delray Beach....Atlantic Avenue is happening. Pompano Beach east of the Intracoastal is undergoing a major redevelopment, and there are deals to be had steps from the sand. Anywhere south of Jupiter...winter traffic, greens fees, etc. are hard to deal with. Good luck.
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I actually have a random connection to a condo development in Pompano beach. My good buddy from Delray recommended it. I will be down that way in April to check it out. I like being between two airports for options on times and prices (palm beach/FLL)
 
I've lived in Pinellas, Treasure Coast, and Broward. I would hands down choose somewhere on the Gulf Coast given your criteria. The beaches in Pinellas are nice, 45 minutes from TPA, lots of shopping and restaurants.
 
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