How to Successfully Find a Florida Retirement Home

If retirement is in your immediate or near future, is a change of venue also in play? That decision might be easy if snow removal is a seasonal chore at your current home. Or de-icing the car. Or weathering an ice storm.

You’ll have none of that when you retire in Florida.

Will you have to wear an occasional light jacket during January? Maybe. What you will do is enjoy a sub-tropical climate that permits year-around outdoor recreation and beach days.

But, you must get here first. For those of you who want to spend your golden years somewhere other than your current address, here’s how to do a Florida retirement

Choose a Retirement Location

If you’re targeting a Florida retirement, you already may know the locale. Many people don’t, so allow us to help. As Florida’s Custom Home Builder, ICI Homes offers communities in northeast, central and southwest Florida — the Jacksonville, Daytona Beach, Gainesville, Orlando and Tampa areas — so we know whereof we speak.

Those of you following along should compile of a short list of places that pique your retirement interest. As an example, let’s choose one of our ICI Homes locations: Jacksonville.

Test-Drive It on Vacation

Go there! Visit as many neighborhoods as time and budget permit. Treating research like a vacation allows you to have fun while still compiling critical information. Chose any lodging you prefer, then go on reconnaissance. Talk to residents. Try a few restaurants. Drive streets and note shopping areas and traffic patterns. Make at least one detour to Jacksonville beaches.
The next most important step is to visit communities and tour model homes. Spend time (if possible) with the folks you find building, selling and designing new Florida homes. Test-driving a neighborhood while vacationing is the surest way to scout your future retirement haven.

Make Another List: Positives and Negatives

What you don’t like about a potential retirement destination is personal preference. We’ll leave that list to you. But, our Jacksonville example reveals a lot to like (it’s why we love to build there).

Yes, the climate rocks. Per the U.S. National Weather Service, the average January high is 64.2 degrees Fahrenheit and the average low is 41.9 degrees. Sounds totally doable. So does the financial climate. The cost of living in “JAX” is below the national average and Florida is one of only seven states that doesn’t levy state income taxes.

We’ve mentioned it, but outdoor activities are tremendous in a region filled with parks, Atlantic beaches, inland boating facilities and golf courses. If you prefer to cheer instead of partake, the NFL’s Jacksonville Jaguars, along with numerous arts and cultural installations, give you unlimited choices.

Even if you, the soon-to-retire, leave people two decades younger in your cycling road dust, you should never ignore the importance of quality healthcare resources. “JAX” is home to several major healthcare campuses; specifically, one of the Mayo Clinic’s three U.S. sites.

Finally, if you decide to tackle a part-time job during retirement,Florida’s booming metro area provides many industries and opportunities.

Time to target a Florida retirement? Choose your location, test-drive it on vacation and make lists of what you like and don’t from all your research. Then, click here. ICI Homes is ready to help you find your new Florida home.