Ana:

Although I live in Northeast OH, I have friends & family in Florida. And, before I became a Realtor, I traveled all over Florida for business. There are a number of areas that meet your description. And, depending on the exact location, there is a wide variety of price ranges for real estate and cost of living.

My best suggestion is to buy the most recent edition of Places Rated Almanac (you can find it at Borders, Barnes & Noble, Amazon.com, etc.). That will give you a good idea of the amenities, cost of living, weather, real estate values, etc. Then contact some Realtors in your favorite areas of Florida for more specific info.
I am affiliated with Keller Williams (the 4th largest real estate company in North America). There are Keller Williams Realtors all over Florida. You can contact them directly or contact me and I will refer you - - your choice.

Good luck!

Pat Pribisko

I have two condos in Florida, one near Clearwater Beach, actually in Palm Harbor, Florida. It is on the West coast. The other is in Davie, which is only 15 minutes from Ft. Lauderdale Beach. This is a great area. I think it all depends on your life style. The west coast is more laid back, east coast more upscale. I love the Davie area. People are friendly, there is a lot of good restaurants, nightlife, golf, shoppping centers etc. Whatever you want is only a 1/2 hour away. I also find that the area around Clearwater is great. People are friendly there, the beach is wonderful, lots of shopping, etc. That is an opinion from another midwestener. I am a St. Louisian. I can direct you to some really good agents in the Ft. Lauderdale area and a couple in the Clearwater area. I will probably be selling my condo in Palm Harbor in a couple of years. It is a beautiful complex, Tuscany, two pools, next to a great golf course. Everytime I go there I love it. I have it leased out now and cannot enjoy it myself. It is a two bedroom, two bath (actually 2 master suites), one car garage, large lanai (sun room) on the front, nice kitchen, living/dining room combination. Don't know if that might be something you are looking for, but keep it in mind.