Relocating to Florida - Need some advice

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LazyNihilist
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Relocating to Florida - Need some advice

Post by LazyNihilist »

Hello Bogleheads,

I am relocating to Florida from CT. I was given an option to work remotely and I decided moving to Florida would be good because of the weather and beaches.
I need some advice on which places would be good for a single mid 30's person. I am leaning towards Miami or Ft. Lauderdale.

I have a lot of questions,
What things do I need to look out for when moving?
How do you search for rentals? I'm using trulia.com now.
Where can I stay while searching for a place to rent?
If you've worked from home, did you face any challenges? Do you have a separate workspace at home for work?

Looking forward for any advice you think might be useful.

Thanks
The strong do what they can and the weak suffer what they must -Thucydides
S&L1940
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Re: Relocating to Florida - Need some advice

Post by S&L1940 »

LazyNihilist wrote:Hello Bogleheads,

I am relocating to Florida from CT. I was given an option to work remotely and I decided moving to Florida would be good because of the weather and beaches.
I need some advice on which places would be good for a single mid 30's person. I am leaning towards Miami or Ft. Lauderdale.

I have a lot of questions,
What things do I need to look out for when moving?
How do you search for rentals? I'm using trulia.com now.
Where can I stay while searching for a place to rent?
If you've worked from home, did you face any challenges? Do you have a separate workspace at home for work?
Looking forward for any advice you think might be useful. Thanks
Moved to Palm Beach County in '04 and worked remotely through the beginning of this year. First two years down here we had like four storms of the century (meaning no more storms until 2300). Biggest hassle was losing phone and computer usage. Also, being South Florida is the world leader in lightning, all the more reason to have battery back up for your system and possibly a generator for basic power needs during blackouts. You may lose the internet but still have access to the computer to manage your software for awhile. Having a land line or good cell service can give you limited phone time (depending on various factors, hours or several days) until things get back to normal. And yes, you should have a dedicated "office" area for business environment effect.
Being much older than you, others will have to give advice as to what a mid-30 yo would look for down here... Good luck
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livesoft
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Re: Relocating to Florida - Need some advice

Post by livesoft »

Buy some alligator repellent, fire ant repellent, python repellent, brown recluse repellent, rattlesnake repellent, cottonmouth repellent, mosquito repellent, etc. Oh, you mentioned beaches, so add shark repellent, jellyfish repellent, too. Presumably you already have tick repellent coming from CT. Get your shots for Dengue fever, St Louis encephalitis, West Nile virus, Chikungunya virus. Don't forget about malaria and some of those other diseases, too.
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Re: Relocating to Florida - Need some advice

Post by Workinghard »

livesoft wrote:Buy some alligator repellent, fire ant repellent, python repellent, brown recluse repellent, rattlesnake repellent, cottonmouth repellent, mosquito repellent, etc. Oh, you mentioned beaches, so add shark repellent, jellyfish repellent, too. Presumably you already have tick repellent coming from CT. Get your shots for Dengue fever, St Louis encephalitis, West Nile virus, Chikungunya virus. Don't forget about malaria and some of those other diseases, too.
Aw, come on, livesoft. It's not that bad. Just think, it's less years for retirement planning. :wink:
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happyisland
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Re: Relocating to Florida - Need some advice

Post by happyisland »

Very different from the Miami/Fort Lauderdale metropolis, but St Petersburg is a surprisingly nice smaller town. I would also check out Key West, which can be a fun and laid back place to live - just not during bike week.
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Re: Relocating to Florida - Need some advice

Post by LazyNihilist »

1530jesup wrote:
LazyNihilist wrote:Hello Bogleheads,

I am relocating to Florida from CT. I was given an option to work remotely and I decided moving to Florida would be good because of the weather and beaches.
I need some advice on which places would be good for a single mid 30's person. I am leaning towards Miami or Ft. Lauderdale.

I have a lot of questions,
What things do I need to look out for when moving?
How do you search for rentals? I'm using trulia.com now.
Where can I stay while searching for a place to rent?
If you've worked from home, did you face any challenges? Do you have a separate workspace at home for work?
Looking forward for any advice you think might be useful. Thanks
Moved to Palm Beach County in '04 and worked remotely through the beginning of this year. First two years down here we had like four storms of the century (meaning no more storms until 2300). Biggest hassle was losing phone and computer usage. Also, being South Florida is the world leader in lightning, all the more reason to have battery back up for your system and possibly a generator for basic power needs during blackouts. You may lose the internet but still have access to the computer to manage your software for awhile. Having a land line or good cell service can give you limited phone time (depending on various factors, hours or several days) until things get back to normal. And yes, you should have a dedicated "office" area for business environment effect.
Being much older than you, others will have to give advice as to what a mid-30 yo would look for down here... Good luck
Thanks 1530jesup, being on the phone and having a good internet connection is very important for me. Hopefully not many storms.
I need to make sure to have an office setup, so I can avoid distractions.
The strong do what they can and the weak suffer what they must -Thucydides
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Re: Relocating to Florida - Need some advice

Post by LazyNihilist »

livesoft wrote:Buy some alligator repellent, fire ant repellent, python repellent, brown recluse repellent, rattlesnake repellent, cottonmouth repellent, mosquito repellent, etc. Oh, you mentioned beaches, so add shark repellent, jellyfish repellent, too. Presumably you already have tick repellent coming from CT. Get your shots for Dengue fever, St Louis encephalitis, West Nile virus, Chikungunya virus. Don't forget about malaria and some of those other diseases, too.
:shock: Can I get an ETF with all the repellents bundled? :wink:
The strong do what they can and the weak suffer what they must -Thucydides
S&L1940
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Re: Relocating to Florida - Need some advice

Post by S&L1940 »

livesoft wrote:Buy some alligator repellent, fire ant repellent, python repellent, brown recluse repellent, rattlesnake repellent, cottonmouth repellent, mosquito repellent, etc. Oh, you mentioned beaches, so add shark repellent, jellyfish repellent, too. Presumably you already have tick repellent coming from CT. Get your shots for Dengue fever, St Louis encephalitis, West Nile virus, Chikungunya virus. Don't forget about malaria and some of those other diseases, too.
Shouldn't there be full disclosure that Livesoft is the head of Florida's Tourist Bureau?
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Dutch
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Re: Relocating to Florida - Need some advice

Post by Dutch »

LazyNihilist wrote:Where can I stay while searching for a place to rent?
Maybe you can couch surf in The Villages :P
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Re: Relocating to Florida - Need some advice

Post by joe8d »

When I first saw that heading,I thought the poster may have been Fidel :happy
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Re: Relocating to Florida - Need some advice

Post by cfs »

What is missing from the repellents listing?

One thing missing from the list is the tropical cyclone repellent, and soon you will need to add the cigarros habaneros repellent.
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Taylor Larimore
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Re: Relocating to Florida - Need some advice

Post by Taylor Larimore »

LN:

An English-Spanish dictionary may be helpful. :wink:

Best wishes
Taylor
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Jfet
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Re: Relocating to Florida - Need some advice

Post by Jfet »

Not relocating but we do plan on spending about 3 months in the Keys.

I would ignore livesoft. There is a reason all the retired folks go to Florida.
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Re: Relocating to Florida - Need some advice

Post by flyingaway »

happyisland wrote:Very different from the Miami/Fort Lauderdale metropolis, but St Petersburg is a surprisingly nice smaller town. I would also check out Key West, which can be a fun and laid back place to live - just not during bike week.
St. Petersburg is a small town? With more than a quarter million people, it should be considered as a middle size city in the U.S. I like that place.
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Re: Relocating to Florida - Need some advice

Post by invst65 »

I've lived in both S. Florida, near Ft. Lauderdale and in the Tampa area, mostly the latter.

The weather was great in S. Florida as they don't seem to get the cold snaps we get here in Central Florida but I still prefer the Tampa area (this includes Clearwater, and St. Petersburg). Just feels like it's less crowded and less hustle and bustle to me. And the drivers in S. Florida were maniacs. I still notice that every time I go down there.
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Re: Relocating to Florida - Need some advice

Post by scubablue »

invst65 wrote:I've lived in both S. Florida, near Ft. Lauderdale and in the Tampa area, mostly the latter.

The weather was great in S. Florida as they don't seem to get the cold snaps we get here in Central Florida but I still prefer the Tampa area (this includes Clearwater, and St. Petersburg). Just feels like it's less crowded and less hustle and bustle to me. And the drivers in S. Florida were maniacs. I still notice that every time I go down there.


Completely agree. One of the worst parts of living here is the drivers: tailgating is mandatory, use of turn signals is non-existant, and speed limits completely ignored. Compound this with every other driver talking/texting on their cell phones (no hands-free laws here) and it is no wonder not a day goes by without seeing or hearing about terrible accidents.
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Re: Relocating to Florida - Need some advice

Post by PoppyA »

Miami & Ft. Launderdale are hectic, expensive, overcrowded, big cities.

I love Sarasota. It has the world's finest beaches VERY close by, it has culture,,airport, good food. Not sure about the "scene" for thirty something's.
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Re: Relocating to Florida - Need some advice

Post by texasdiver »

Does working remotely mean frequent/infrequent returns to the home office or other business travel? If so you'll want to look at the convenience of airport access and which airports have the best connections and prices for destinations you are likely to be flying to. Some of the smaller airports in Florida have high priced or inconvenient flights.
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Re: Relocating to Florida - Need some advice

Post by Mick »

I would think where you live in Florida would be a personal choice based on your likes and dislikes. We have our favorite spot and live there. Won't share it because we like the small town nature of it as it is now. Personally, we hate the crowds from West Palm down and most of the Gulf coast for the same reason. If I need 4 lanes on the main roads there are too many people.

As far as telecommuting or working remotely I can offer some advice after doing it the last 8 years of my career. First is to set yourself a schedule and make sure it is known. Doing your scheduled work time always be available. People will think you are goofing off if you miss a call during your normal hours. Outside of your normal hours do not answer your office phone, you are not working. That being said, get a separate line for your business from your personal for this very reason. I would keep my schedule religiously. Get up, do my morning personal stuff, get dressed instead of staying in my robe go into my office and start work. You need to be able to change your focus and a few patterns will let you go from personal time to work time. Avoid doing personal things while working because it can be easy to get distracted.

Tax wise, I never deducted for a home office as such. Too hard to keep track of that for the reward. Besides, back then that was considered a good way to get audited. I needed several computers for work and their cost was considered for taxes as was my business phone line and other expenses specific to that. All of which would normally be supplied by your employer in the office.
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Re: Relocating to Florida - Need some advice

Post by S&L1940 »

scubablue wrote:
invst65 wrote:I've lived in both S. Florida, near Ft. Lauderdale and in the Tampa area, mostly the latter.
The weather was great in S. Florida as they don't seem to get the cold snaps we get here in Central Florida but I still prefer the Tampa area (this includes Clearwater, and St. Petersburg). Just feels like it's less crowded and less hustle and bustle to me. And the drivers in S. Florida were maniacs. I still notice that every time I go down there.

Completely agree. One of the worst parts of living here is the drivers: tailgating is mandatory, use of turn signals is non-existant, and speed limits completely ignored. Compound this with every other driver talking/texting on their cell phones (no hands-free laws here) and it is no wonder not a day goes by without seeing or hearing about terrible accidents.
You have to realize there is no such thing as a native Floridian. So, all of our nutty drivers did their training in areas like Metro NY where they are taught that stop signs are only suggestions. I do agree that those who travel I95 seem to think that the 95 refers to the speed limit. And it is a chore when all those arthritic thumbs try to text and drive at the same time. Bottom line, I hated Florida, never even visited until personal reasons dictated a change in lifestyles. Now, love the place, you make of it what you want which you can do anywhere but the down jacket and boots that I saved have not moved out of the closet in ten years and that as they say, 'is priceless'...
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Re: Relocating to Florida - Need some advice

Post by matjen »

I have always enjoyed my visits to Florida but it does have a reputation...

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Re: Relocating to Florida - Need some advice

Post by midareff »

LOL, learn Spanish. Actually, the winter weather is worth it's weight in gold. Keep a heavy coat or two for trips back and get used to life in T shirts and shorts. No state income tax here either. Lots to do in the winter with art shows, outdoor concerts, tennis and golf tournaments, horse and dog racing, year round beach availability, etc.

High quality surge protectors a must on everything that plugs in. Miami and Fort Lauderdale have grown over the years and are busy cities. I've lived in Miami 50 years now and am looking to go someplace on the western side of the state with less traffic and a more laid back lifestyle now that I am retired. If you rent don't forget appropriate insurance.
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Re: Relocating to Florida - Need some advice

Post by S&L1940 »

When I first moved to Florida my cubicle mates were all over me with typical put downs - primarily of the early bird dining, crazy drivers and old age variety. Then the company went into casual Friday mode and I emailed everyone with my plight: 'here I am sitting barefoot wearing shorts and a tee shirt and no clue what I am going to wear for casual Friday'. That settled things down and I got a bit of respect (powered by envy) from the troops...
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Re: Relocating to Florida - Need some advice

Post by wilpat »

I strongly recommend the West Coast! The East Coast, in my opinion, is just displaced Northeast.
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Re: Relocating to Florida - Need some advice

Post by S&L1940 »

wilpat wrote:I strongly recommend the West Coast! The East Coast, in my opinion, is just displaced Northeast.
which means what? where is the moderator when innuendo enters the conversation?
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Re: Relocating to Florida - Need some advice

Post by LazyNihilist »

joe8d wrote:When I first saw that heading,I thought the poster may have been Fidel :happy
How do you know I'm not :wink:
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Re: Relocating to Florida - Need some advice

Post by LazyNihilist »

Taylor Larimore wrote:LN:

An English-Spanish dictionary may be helpful. :wink:

Best wishes
Taylor
I'm pretty fluent in Spanish. I know both the words. Gracias and Komusta. :P

I hope I can get around without knowing Spanish, may be a good time to start learning a new language.
One advantage with the latest smart phones is the almost instant translation between different languages.

Thanks Taylor.
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Re: Relocating to Florida - Need some advice

Post by LazyNihilist »

Jfet wrote:Not relocating but we do plan on spending about 3 months in the Keys.

I would ignore livesoft. There is a reason all the retired folks go to Florida.
I think livesoft was just joking. At least I hope so. I'm not too fond of snakes.
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Re: Relocating to Florida - Need some advice

Post by LazyNihilist »

texasdiver wrote:Does working remotely mean frequent/infrequent returns to the home office or other business travel? If so you'll want to look at the convenience of airport access and which airports have the best connections and prices for destinations you are likely to be flying to. Some of the smaller airports in Florida have high priced or inconvenient flights.
That's a good thing to keep in mind. My home office (base) is still in CT. So I might need to fly may be once or twice a year. Thank you texasdiver.
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Re: Relocating to Florida - Need some advice

Post by LazyNihilist »

Mick wrote:As far as telecommuting or working remotely I can offer some advice after doing it the last 8 years of my career. First is to set yourself a schedule and make sure it is known. Doing your scheduled work time always be available. People will think you are goofing off if you miss a call during your normal hours. Outside of your normal hours do not answer your office phone, you are not working. That being said, get a separate line for your business from your personal for this very reason. I would keep my schedule religiously. Get up, do my morning personal stuff, get dressed instead of staying in my robe go into my office and start work. You need to be able to change your focus and a few patterns will let you go from personal time to work time. Avoid doing personal things while working because it can be easy to get distracted.
I have worked from home only on a few snow days, and never at a stretch of more than a week. So this is going to be something new for me. Trying to get a seperate workspace is one piece of advice I keep reading most of the time.

Thanks for all the great tips and advice Mick.
The strong do what they can and the weak suffer what they must -Thucydides
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Re: Relocating to Florida - Need some advice

Post by LazyNihilist »

midareff wrote:LOL, learn Spanish. Actually, the winter weather is worth it's weight in gold. Keep a heavy coat or two for trips back and get used to life in T shirts and shorts. No state income tax here either. Lots to do in the winter with art shows, outdoor concerts, tennis and golf tournaments, horse and dog racing, year round beach availability, etc.

High quality surge protectors a must on everything that plugs in. Miami and Fort Lauderdale have grown over the years and are busy cities. I've lived in Miami 50 years now and am looking to go someplace on the western side of the state with less traffic and a more laid back lifestyle now that I am retired. If you rent don't forget appropriate insurance.
Good pointer on the surge protectors. It has been added to my list of Learning Spanish and arranging a seperate Office WorkSpace.
What about insurance for renters? I am currently renting but don't have any specific insurance for renting. Is it to cover any liability in case of damage?

Thanks midareff.
The strong do what they can and the weak suffer what they must -Thucydides
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Re: Relocating to Florida - Need some advice

Post by LazyNihilist »

1530jesup wrote:When I first moved to Florida my cubicle mates were all over me with typical put downs - primarily of the early bird dining, crazy drivers and old age variety. Then the company went into casual Friday mode and I emailed everyone with my plight: 'here I am sitting barefoot wearing shorts and a tee shirt and no clue what I am going to wear for casual Friday'. That settled things down and I got a bit of respect (powered by envy) from the troops...
I've never been south of Washington D.C. so this will be my first visit to Florida.
I barely got the permission to work remote and casually mentioned I might go to Miami, and everyone started asking me when I will go to Miami and are already Jealous of me. :happy
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Re: Relocating to Florida - Need some advice

Post by LazyNihilist »

wilpat wrote:I strongly recommend the West Coast! The East Coast, in my opinion, is just displaced Northeast.
I keep hearing/reading this. East Coast for a more fast paced life and West Coast for a more laid back.
I will probably lease/rent for a few months to see how I like Miami (or Ft. Lauderdale), and may be move to different parts of the state later on.
The strong do what they can and the weak suffer what they must -Thucydides
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Re: Relocating to Florida - Need some advice

Post by Miriam2 »

scubablue wrote: One of the worst parts of living here is the drivers: tailgating is mandatory, use of turn signals is non-existant, and speed limits completely ignored.
Using turn signals gives information to the enemy.
midareff wrote:Actually, the winter weather is worth it's weight in gold.
Midareff - aren't you freezing?? It has gone down into the 50's every night these past two weeks in Miami and only up to the 70's during the day. I have to wear my L.L. Bean fleece jacket. My poodle won't walk on the cold pavement and my parrot is hunkered down in his Happy Hut.
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Re: Relocating to Florida - Need some advice

Post by S&L1940 »

LazyNihilist wrote:
1530jesup wrote:When I first moved to Florida my cubicle mates were all over me with typical put downs - primarily of the early bird dining, crazy drivers and old age variety. Then the company went into casual Friday mode and I emailed everyone with my plight: 'here I am sitting barefoot wearing shorts and a tee shirt and no clue what I am going to wear for casual Friday'. That settled things down and I got a bit of respect (powered by envy) from the troops...
I've never been south of Washington D.C. so this will be my first visit to Florida.
I barely got the permission to work remote and casually mentioned I might go to Miami, and everyone started asking me when I will go to Miami and are already Jealous of me. :happy
I was also CT based and I negotiated a trade off; where the home office might close on snow days, I would get the equivalent tropical storm days when electricity went down. Since the EAST coast has not had a storm or total black out for the past nine years I believe there were only 1-2 days back in '05 that I asked for and got paid "storm" days.
As to you other questions,
[*]as a renter, insurance would be a good idea for your contents no matter where you live.
[*]treat your "office area" no different than what you have now - as a serious work place
[*]stay focused, it is easy to get caught up with the attraction of grabbing down time at the pool
[*]and, as to that West coast booster, you can veg out and be laid back anywhere, if you ever rode the subway or Amtrak you should know you can create your own space...
[*]yeah it can get cool at night but the next day you are back in shorts enjoying the temps in the 70's
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Re: Relocating to Florida - Need some advice

Post by PoppyA »

One more thing:

I live in central Florida. It is HOT from April until September. I mean HOT!
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Re: Relocating to Florida - Need some advice

Post by eucalyptus »

LazyNihilist wrote:
wilpat wrote:I strongly recommend the West Coast! The East Coast, in my opinion, is just displaced Northeast.
I keep hearing/reading this. East Coast for a more fast paced life and West Coast for a more laid back.
I will probably lease/rent for a few months to see how I like Miami (or Ft. Lauderdale), and may be move to different parts of the state later on.


Miami is an international city. Palm Beach attracts an interesting, well traveled, successful crowd. There is no Art Basel Naples. There is no Tampa design district, at least that anyone outside of Tampa cares about. I doubt you'll find an equivalent to PAMM in Bradenton. Miami International is an American Airlines hub from which you can fly overnight to many distant cities. Southeast Florida is a major urban area that has both the ugly and the fascinating. No one is ever going to film "Fort Myers Vice," and Tom Wolfe's next book is not going to be set in Clearwater. Save the west for when you are closer to a walker. Slowcala may beckon, then. Or Seaside. I never seriously considered any Florida location except the southeast.

As I'm sure you can imagine, you need to get to know southeast Florida, as it is not a homogenous block from Homestead to Tequesta. Like every other place, it comprises many neighborhoods and lifestyles. Good luck.
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