Hi Michelle,
Bugs - There are tons of them, the no-see-ums are these tiny little annoying bugs that are found closest to the water. We do have less flies than the northern states though.
Weather - Wonderful in the winter... super duper hot in the summer with tons of humidity, but the winter does make up for it.
Education - the school choice program makes it nice if you get to choose the school your child goes to. There are both great Public and Private schools. The best way to evaluate them is to go onto the state website and research the schools, they all have grades and statistics
Cost of living is probably comparable especially since we are in such a great buyers market right now. You can probably find everything you are describing in your previous email for under 400K depending on the area. If you want more property you are looking at over 400K. You can search our MLS for free without having to fill anything out athttp:// www.welcomehomefortmyers.com (search area homes).
Hope that helps a little!
Terra Anderson
Southwest Florida's Family Realtor
Century 21 Sunbelt Realty
239-590-5731
terraanderson@yahoo.com
www.welcomehomefortmyers.com

Tue May 13 2008, 19:18

BUGS!!
Whenever you tell someone your moving to Florida they always bring up the BUGS!!
I have lived here for 4 years and have no problem with bugs!! Remember when you talk to people to take everything with a grain of salt. The weather is great. Yes, the summers are hot, but every year I go to Michigan for vacation to visit family and it is the same temp there. I would rather have a couple months of hot than 4-5 months of snow and clouds.
Whatever you say you want to do something someone will always knock you down. I say "Go for it" The prices are amazing, and the time is right.
Cyndi Grabowski
239-887-2635
Grabthehousekey@kw.com
Grabthehousekey.com

Sun May 11 2008, 09:35

Hi Michelle!
What a great question and I will definitely have to write an article about our precious Florida bugs. I have to tell you that we have all kinds of bugs here - from the big Palmetto Roaches to the very annoying no-see-ums. We all live with them, know what to do about them and many times they are not an issue.

Locals know that visiting the Everglades in the Summer will mean mean amounts of bug spray, they also know that there are no bugs there in the winter. We plant citronella and light beautiful lanterns to hang out by the pool......it's all part of our beautiful weather and surroundings.

Rick and I pride ourselves in providing an inside look to different neighborhoods in Miami and you can certainly check them out on our website. Remember that there are plenty of great places in Florida and it will take a lot of research for you to find the "perfect place". Trulia is definitely a great place to start, if you can read through the sales pitches.
Ines

Sat May 10 2008, 16:24

Michelle,
It sound like you are not familiar with the Venice area of florida. Venice has been recognized several times as one of the top locations to relocate and top locations to retire to in the entire country.

These destinctions are baced on the following criteria: low crime rate, employment, education, climate, beaches, and social & cultural opportunities. This is not made up....it is factual and a true reflection of why people who come here appreciating the quality of life....and keep coming back.

Don't overlook this very special area. It's worth a visit.

Let us know if there is anything we can do to support your interests.

Good luck,
The"Eckler Team"
Century 21 almar and Associates
Venice, Fl 34285
ecklerteam@comcast.net

Sat May 10 2008, 16:23

Florida is a great place to live! I have been here for 40 years and don't really notice bugs very much. It depends on where you'll be moving as to what types of bugs you may encounter. For instance, when my family and i lived down in Southern Florida where there were coconut trees we noticed that cockroaches were more prevalent there then they are here in the Melbourne area. We hardly see one here at all. But, in talking to others, you may find their experiences different.

We do have mosquitoes in the warm moist weather, usually in the summer time. Ponds, lakes and standing water attract them. I am attaching a link for Florida Insect web links. http://www.flaentsoc.org/fespestweblinks2.html

If considering a real estate purchase here in Florida be sure you are aware of termites. They are wood eaters and they love the soil here. Every year they do millions of dollars in damage to houses. So, be sure that you have a termite inspection completed prior to a home purchase by a certified termite company. A good real estate professional will be sure that you have one done.

I have attached a link below to City Town Info for Florida demographics and statistics. You may find that in order to find additional information you'll need to include a specific area in your search. This may head you in the right direction.

Best wishes on your move to Florida.

Sat May 10 2008, 15:07

I'm not sure which area you are thinking about. I would love to send you a relocation package about Jacksonville and everything it has to offer. You can find out more information about education and crime rates in the links below. Also check out my website to read more about North East Florida .

Shonda Sauls,REALTOR®
Prudential Network Realty
(904)260-4300 #625
Shonda.Sauls@PrudentialNetworkRealty.com

http://www.prudentialnetworkrealty.com/agent.aspx?id=34733

http://www.fdle.state.fl.us/.

http://www.dreamsbeginhere.org/

Sat May 10 2008, 15:06