Where to move for best diving in Florida?

[solensdotter]

Speaking of traffic I spent a little time on mapquest this morning after reading the responses to my original post. They have built a huge glut of brand new single family homes on 1+ acres near Immokalee and mapquest says that's 1:58 and 112 miles from Miami. Is that 2 hour drive time a Mapquest fantasy due to traffic? Does it really take much much longer? Port Saint Lucie was 1:58 113 miles from Miami, is that realistic? Cape Coral was 2:26 149 miles, would that time be fantasy? In any of those 3 overbuilt towns, Cape Coral, Naples, and Port Saint Lucie I could definitely afford to live mortgage free and use my cash for dive trips. I could live with the commute times Mapquest is giving me if they are the real deal.

I'll check out Dania and the Keys on the MLS as some have suggested. Thanks

I, too, live "west", in Plantation. I don't mind, though, since I am right off of 595. The major problem is that there are, with the exception of 595, not really any good east-west arteries. The lights on the city streets tend to not be synced, making for very frustrating driving at the best of times. I have decided not to live west of my office for precisely this reason, and for most of my longer trips, I tend to be going against the traffic. Despite living well inland, I can have my toes in the sand at Dania or Ft. Lauderdale beaches within 20 minutes; it takes twice that on city streets.

If you avoid the major rush hours morning & evening (and the Friday evening / Sunday evening "weekender" traffic), I think that the Mapquest times are realistic. I have typically not had any major issues with traffic on weekends.

One of the decisions that you will have to make is "how" you want to live: house with a yard, townhome, condo? Townhomes & condos can definitely be found under $200k throughout Broward; for a house, you'll probably want to consider the neighborhood a bit more carefully, as DebbyDiver pointed out...

Good luck!

 

[cgvmer]

How about over 50 (maybe 55) 1 br co-op for about 80, 2br for about 95 east of 95 in pompano.

 

[waterbearer]

Sorry, don't have any advice for you but let me know when you get here. Let's go diving. I live in Fort Lauderdale for six months of the year and love it there. I will probably rent a condo on the beach somewhere along galt ocean mile but I know the prices there are 399,000 and up.

 

[Speargirl]

Try this site Real Estate Listings - Homes for Sale - Point2 Homes. You can find many homes that are in your price range. Even close by the water.
Good luck

 

[down4fun]

One of the decisions that you will have to make is "how" you want to live: house with a yard, townhome, condo? Townhomes & condos can definitely be found under $200k throughout Broward; for a house, you'll probably want to consider the neighborhood a bit more carefully, as DebbyDiver pointed out...

Good luck!

Good luck with your search. With the recent foreclosure market here in FL you can find some deals. I closed on a 2/1 house in what I would consider a "B" neigborhood for under 150K. I am east of I95, minutes from Ft Lauderdale beach and Hillsoboro Inlet for dive boats, easy access to I95 for north south commute to Boyton or Miami for other dive options. And there is a carport for my jeep

 

[Tom Winters]

Geez...you're leaving Port Townsend for down here? I lived up in Kirkland for a while when I emigrated from Hawaii back to the United States. I almost went back but I just wandered around the country for too long and wound up down here. I pretty much could have lived anywhere in the world when I finally stayed put in Rat's Mouth. I love it here - but I'll be spending more time up there. The water is damn cold though - I have two drysuits for down here.
For $200K, you're not gonna be all that thrilled with what you get. Make sure you bring all your guns with you and get a great safe.
DebbyDiver was right as always about what you get for your money down here.
After living in the gateway to the San Juans, you are in for some serious adjustment shock in Floriduh.
Good luck with your search.

 

[LowVizWiz]

I live in South Florida (East Naples) and if I were single and w/o kids I'd move to Hollywood/Dania. Right in the middle of all the diving you want to do. Unfortunately that's the only part of you criteria you'd be able to meet in Hollywood.

Wiz

 

[DebbyDiver]

Wiz is right, if you have school-age kids you would want the schools in the Western part of the county. I'm childfree, so I'm loving living near the beach!!!

I almost forgot about down4fun's 'hood, it is considered to be a great "starter" neighborhood, MANY of my friends' first homes are/were in her subdivision. Good solid homes that won't blow away in the next 'cane, not far from the beach and real close to I-95 and not that far from the turnpike. They are old enough that most of them have remodeled kitchens and baths. Close to shopping, hospitals, restaurants, dive shops, etc. Single family homes, no homeowner's association to be a PITA and you could fence the yard for your doggy. Or your hot tub. You can most definitely get in there under $200K. Because they are not overpriced, they will hold their value over time as well.

 

[taymere]

I do have kids, and they do need room to breathe run around and play. I've gotten TONS of great ideas from this post. So far what I've come to believe is the the new construction foreclosures in the 34986 area code are close enough to the diving in Jupiter while still being rural enough for the kids. Check out 6446 NW FAGAN ST, Port Saint Lucie, FL 34986 on googlemaps.com with "streetview" for example. Streetview is so cool. The price on that house is 140K leaving me very near to being mortgage free. No mortgage means more $ for local diving and especially for dive travel. Lots of unbuilt lots in the neighborhood serving as greenspace for the kids to play in. Thanks very much everyone, and I hope to be diving with you soon in the warm waters of the gulf stream once I unload my house here in Port Townsend. I really look forward to it.

 

[down4fun]

I do have kids, and they do need room to breathe run around and play. I've gotten TONS of great ideas from this post. So far what I've come to believe is the the new construction foreclosures in the 34986 area code are close enough to the diving in Jupiter while still being rural enough for the kids. Check out 6446 NW FAGAN ST, Port Saint Lucie, FL 34986 on googlemaps.com with "streetview" for example. Streetview is so cool. The price on that house is 140K leaving me very near to being mortgage free. No mortgage means more $ for local diving and especially for dive travel. Lots of unbuilt lots in the neighborhood serving as greenspace for the kids to play in. Thanks very much everyone, and I hope to be diving with you soon in the warm waters of the gulf stream once I unload my house here in Port Townsend. I really look forward to it.

Try PMing OrlandoEric as he is a deputy sherrif in that town and could give you insight on the particular neighborhood you a thinkning about.