Moving to Florida-Florida Real Estate Network-Living plus Relocating

Miami like New York and Chicago is a city that never sleeps. Tropical weather, 15 miles of beaches, lots of sun, great nightlife mixed in with world-class restaurants is attractive to people of all ages.

From downtown Miami and Miami beach to the neighborhoods of Coral Gables and Kendall on to Key Biscayne and then the city of Homestead, Dade county has a place for you. If you like big city life but like the idea of great weather and outdoor recreation, this could be the place. Although more expensive than most of Florida in comparison to New York or San Francisco it’s still a bargain.

Things to consider:

• The Miami metropolitan area (Miami-Dade County, which is governed as one entity) has more than 2.3 million residents.

• Miami-Dade County has 35 Incorporated cities within its boundaries.

• Miami is the financial capital of Latin America and the Caribbean with more than 500 multinational corporations, 40 bi-national chambers of commerce and 100 foreign banks with 60 billion in deposits.

• Miami is a major educational center.  Best known are the University of Miami, Florida International University, and Miami-Dade Community College, but there are also dozens of lesser known colleges, trade schools, and other educational institutions

• The average median age is 37, making it one of the youngest cities in Florida..

• Dade County encompasses 2431 square miles

• Miami is surrounded by water and wilderness Its eastern edge borders the Atlantic Ocean.  Miami Beach, South Beach, and Key Biscayne offer quintessential water playgrounds, with all the other amenities of fine dining and nightlife clustered nearby

• The Intracoastal Waterway (ICW) winds through the downtown  (separating it from Miami Beach, South Beach, and Key Biscayne), and heads north to Ft. Lauderdale, Boca Raton, and the Palm Beaches; or south to Florida Bay and the Florida Keys. Key West is just a three hour drive away across a zillion bridges connecting a myriad of island dots tossed on blue-green tropical sea, the Atlantic Ocean on one side of you, the Gulf of Mexico on the other.  The Keys have been called Miami’s Cape Cod.

• To the West of the metropolitan area is the vast Everglades and Everglades National Park, playgrounds in their own right, and quiet alternatives to the hectic big city.  Or drive about an hour and a half across this wilderness and you are at Marco Island-Naples on the Gulf of Mexico.

• Miami’s cost of living is 102.6 as of 2004 and was 6th in the State

• As of June 2005, an average home was $361,000; but the range is wide, with opportunities for people of all means.

• Miam-Dade County  is the 4^th largest school district in the United States.

• Miami has a vibrant arts community, whether your interests run to art, dance, theater, music, and more.  These scenese are informed, influenced, and benefit from Miami’s rich diversity of population and location at the crossroads of America, the Caribbean, Latin America, and Europe.

• Miami has a rich ethnic and racial mix: all manner of Europeans and North Americans who have relocated here; Cubans, Jamaicans, Haitians, Dominicans and others from the Caribbean; Nicaraguans, Panamanians, Hondurans, and Guatamalans from Central America; Brazilians; and subpopulations from every South American country; small but flourishing Asian groups; and so on.  The area is essentially bi-lingual in English and Spanish.

• Miami has world class medical/heath facilities (34 major hospitals), with some of its institutions consistently ranked among the finest in the United States

• One of the things which knits this diverse area together, for many people, is its professional sports mix: for example, the NFL Dolphins, NBA Heat, and MLB Marlins.

• Getting around easily is the bane of many big metro areas: not Miami, which has first class transportation facilities in the form of a highway system that works superbly, excelent mass transit, both bus and rail, and one of the world’s busiest (but easiest to use) international airports

For more statistics see http://www.answers.com/topic/miami-dade-county-florida

Sound good so far? See the links to the left, for more specific information. See the google map to the right.

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Located in Northeast Florida in Duval County, Jacksonville sits at the crossroads of two interstate highways, Jacksonville is the largest city in the contiguous United States in land area, a major port, the insurance and financial center of the state, site of U.S. Navy bases and the home of the National Football League’s Jacksonville Jaguars. As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 777,704 [1]. It is the principal city on the First Coast region of Florida

Some statistics

• The Jacksonville metropolitan area is ranked as the 14th^th largest city in the United States with more than 1.3 million  residents. Jacksonville encompasses 841 square miles.
• The median age is 36, making it one of the youngest cities in Florida.
• The cost of living per the 2nd quarter(stats by Accra) is 91.5, making this one of the lowest CGI’s in Florida.
• Jacksonville is surrounded by water. The eastern edge borders the Ocean.  Several big Atlantic beaches and beautiful barrier islands lie just east and north of the city.
• The St. Johns River winds through the downtown then turns north heading to the Ocean.
• Jacksonville lies just a few hours drive from Atlanta, Charleston, and Savannah, if your taste runs to exploring surrounding cities, and, aside from its Beaches and the Ocean itself, at the center of watery paradises like the St. Johns estuary, the Okefenokee Swamp, and the Georgia Sea Islands.
• As of June 2005, the median home price was $211,000 –  probably the lowest in coastal Florida.  In fact, in some ways, Jax is the still-undiscovered bargain of coastal Florida.
• Jacksonville has schools that rank in top ten% nationally, a vibrant arts community and abundant medical/heath facilities (20 major hospitals) and first class transportation facilities.
• The Jacksonville metropolitan area, which includes three beach cities and Clay, Baker, Nassau and St. Johns counties just may be the most diverse metro area in all Florida. And though sprawled as it is across the whole corner of northeast Florida, it has a great infrastructure and feels “user-friendly

Average temperatures

• Dec – Feb: 54
  Mar – May: 67
  Jun – Aug: 81
  Sep – Nov: 70

Industries providing employment:

• Educational,health and social services
• Finance,insurance,real Estate,and rental and leasing
• Retail trade
• Professional,scientific,management,administrative

Jacksonville Downtown
General Neighborhood Information

• Downtown is centrally located in a region of 1.2 million people. It is the symbolic and geographic center of the city and metropolitan area.
• Downtown has over 5.6 miles of riverfront, of which 4 miles are developed with riverfront trail. An additional 2.75 miles of riverfront development are scheduled to be completed this year.
• Downtown is one of the few public places in Jacksonville with access to the St. Johns River.
• Many of the region’s largest public and cultural facilities are located Downtown, including the convention center, the stadium, the arena, the ballpark, the main library branch, theatres, museums and performing arts organizations.
• Downtown has 256 acres of parks and public space.
• There are over 1300 housing units available Downtown, of which approximately 900 are currently occupied.
• Downtown is statistically one of the safest areas in Jacksonville, with a total crime index lower than 70% of the rest of the city.
  Above info from- http://www.downtownjacksonville.org/content/?page_id=39
• Quality of life:
  How would you like to live in an area that has a great quality of life, a low cost of living, a mild breezy climate, lots of sun and white sandy beaches? Add in the fact that you can enjoy all the benefits that a big city has to offer, like pro sports-shopping, first class restaurants, Arts and Culture, and real diversity.
  Jacksonville and it’s six neighboring counties is just that place. In addition the job-employment picture is good here. What if your tastes run to living in a rural community or maybe you like a metropolitan or downtown setting? Then the Jacksonville area is also it.
• Many areas are quiet and rural, and hark back to an older Florida.  Check out the little village of Green Cove Springs, with brick streets and lakeside venue, and a spring-fed spa that dates back to the days when this part of Florida was a resort at the end of the train line.  Or Black Creek, where pirates hid out after raids on the Spanish Armada five centuries ago!
• Another great spot just outside Jacksonville (city) is Neptune Beach and Jacksonville Beach. These areas are filled with unique shops, restaurants and music venues. What a great place to spend an evening or go to on the weekends. oh, by the way, even though these are popular places, there are no parking meters. How’s that for friendly?

In conclusion, the Jacksonville area is a great blend of big city life and yet rural life. Plus it’s still affordable!
A good site for more information is at http://www.coj.net/About+Jacksonville/default.htm

Sound good so far? See the links to the left, for more specific information. See the google map to the upper right.

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Tampa , Clearwater and St Petersburg

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Tampa Bay, on Florida’s central west coast on the Gulf of Mexico,  is a vibrant, thriving metropolitan area of nearly 4 million people.  It includes the major cities of Tampa, St Petersburg, and Clearwater. It also includes several smaller towns plus the urban unincorporated areas of Hillsborough and Pinellas Counties.

Tampa Bay is  proof that Florida is not all about retirees: the median age is only about 40 for the region as a whole, and area residents offer employees a highly diverse and well educated labor force Tampa Bay is a services- and tech-driven engine of economic growth, not only for Central and South Florida, but indeed the entire State. Over 50% of Florida’s high tech industries and over 113 foreign-owned international companies call  the Bay area home.

Tampa is often referred to as Wall street South and is a regional home to major banking firms like JPMorgan Chase, Citigroup, Depository Trust and Clearing Corp., Raymond James, MetLife, State Farm, and Progressive Insurance to name but a few. http://www.tampabay.org/subpage.asp?navid=1&id=9

Education is big here, too.  Home to the University of South Florida, the University of Tampa, and some 20 other colleges, universities, and higher education learning facilities, and to several very respected K-12 school systems, the Bay area is competitive with most metropolitan areas across the United States.

Living in Tampa Bay offers an enormous range of recreational choices, too: for example, water-related outdoor activities like beaching, birding, fishing, hiking, boating, kayaking; significant arts and cultural activities and institutions; world class restaurants and night life; and a full slate of minor and major league NFL and NHL professional sports teams.  Tampa offers all this in a relatively compact metropolitan area that in general is more manageable, easier to get around, and more laid back than metro East Coast Florida.

And if Tampa Bay is still not enough for you – is that even possible? – then Sarasota-Bradenton are just across the spectacular Sunshine Skyway south of the Bay, and metropolitan Orlando and Disney are just an hour and a half up Interstate 4. For a change of pace, more rural areas offer a very different kind of easy escape from the metropole: say,north to the quirky village of Tarpon Springs, founded by Greek sponge divers; to other northern quiet reaches of Pasco and Hernando counties; east to eastern Hillsborough and Polk counties; and southeast to Manatee and Hardee Counties.  All these latter areas offer a mix of ponds, lakes, rivers, estuaries, and farmland, and are within easy access by a good road network.

What if I told you that all this comes with fabulous weather and an inexpensive price tag?  How about an average summer temperature of 83 and an average winter low of 55 degrees? How about a cost of living of just 98.08?  How about an average Real Estate home cost under $250,000?

In short, imagine big city life (restaurants-nightlife-sports-Arts and Culture) mixed in with great weather and recreational opportunities along with great job opportunities and a relatively low cost of living. If this sounds good, then you have to look hard at the Tampa area. (37,000 new jobs created here last year)

http://www.tampabay.org/subpage.asp?navid=1&id=5

General Information.

• Located in the central West coast portion of Florida, 249 miles northwest of Miami, 86 mile southwest of Orlando and 190 miles south of Jacksonville.
• 1051 square miles ?
• Average summer Temperature 90°F
• Average winter temperature is 70
• Average yearly temperature 74
• Average Annual Precipitation 53 in
• Average Rain Days 107
• Population projection 2010 -1,228,000-Hillsborough county
• Average home cost-June 2005-$240,000
• Cost of Living- 98.08
• Median age-41
• Great weather and lots of sun

Major Employment By Industry

• Agriculture
• Mining
• Construction
• Manufacturing
• Transportation/Utilities
• Wholesale Trade
• Retail Trade
• Financial/Insurance/Real Estate
• Services
• Public administration

See the links to the left, for information on other topics.

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To see average January temperatures across the United States go tohttp://www.mapsofworld.com/usa/thematic-maps/usa-temprature-january.html
Compare where you live or want to live in Florida. For more specific info, look at the area you are interested in and go to the weather page.

So what about Hurricanes, the rainy season and humidity?
We are a tropical climate, so our rainy season comes in the summer. Generally it will rain hard for a half hour then subside. It does get humid then. Although not as bad as you’d think. Our water breezes really help cool us off.
Hurricanes.
Despite four devastating hurricanes in 2004, the number of Florida visitors rose 7% to an all-time high of 79.8 million last year and is on target to hit 80 million this year.
To think on:
If you live on the coast you stand the greatest chance of having one affect you. Some areas of Florida have gone fifty years plus without one but you never know.
As a resident having lived in the Keys and now in central Florida I’ve been through them.

In my opinion, the best thing you can do is buy a home that was built after Andrew-August 92 that was built to stricter building codes. Have window protection and a backup generator and make sure your insurance is up to date. If they ask you to leave, do it!

Realize-If you live in an older home that was not built up to the stricter building codes (After Hurricane Andrew-August 1992) or you live in a mobile home you stand the best chance of having major structural damage.

Living on the beach in a mobile home is asking for it. Although, you may never have a problem, you’re still definitely taking your chances. Barrier islands and open-water Ocean or Gulf front are the most prone to damage.
Having lived in California, I prefer the threat of a hurricane however as opposed to an earthquake. At least you have a warning.

• For current information about hurricanes go to http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/
• For 2005 climate info by areas go tohttp://www.coaps.fsu.edu/climate_center/LCD/2005LCD.html
• For current weather forecasts by cities go to http://iwin.nws.noaa.gov/iwin/fl/fl.html

*Living in a waterfront home typically means that you will pay a higher Insurance premium. The insurance is higher due to flood and wind concerns.
Part of this is also because the pricing on these homes is higher so there is more value to insure against.

Having said all this, I can’t imagine living elsewhere. It is really great to wake up and it’s sunny out.
We spend over half our lives indoors, so when you do go outside, wouldn’t it be nice if it was warm and sunny?

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When the name Orlando is mentioned we always think about Disney and theme parks. And these were the economic engines that drove Orlando’s growth for a quarter century.

But today’s Orlando is much, much more than that.

It is a diverse community, with great neighborhoods and excelent educational and health systems that manage to serve this rapidly changing community and still compete with the best in the country. Orlando-Orange County and adjacent sections of other Central Florida counties are home to a number of colleges and universities which over time are helping transform this area into a center of higher education. Seminole, Volusia, Lake

Built around literally hundreds of lakes, Orlando is also an extraordinarily beautiful city.  As Orlando has grown, it has enclosed old Orange County cities like Winter Park,which then become fabulous neighborhoods within the greater metro area, adding to the character of this unique city. Towns of interest in surrounding parts of Seminole, Volusia, Lake, and Osceola counties have also become part of this process

It is already an economic giant in business and job creation,and is on its way to becoming one of the world’s major metropolitan areas. The Florida Turnpike and the I-4 Corridor cross here, making Orlando the connecting hub of Central Florida and linking it to both Coasts.  Its state-of-the-art, award-winning  international airport is connected by dozens of carriers to every spot in North America and around the globe.

You might think that such rapid growth would create an unacceptable price in terms of poor infrastructure but you would be wrong.  Central Florida counties have stayed ahead of the curve, and the roads and highways are generally excelent throughout the metro region. Some have compared this area to a growing mini-Los Angeles, but Orlando’s freeway system is better.

What else is there to say? Well, add in a great quality of life and recreational choices ranging from professional sports, outdoor activities, vibrant nightlife, excelent dining out choices, fine art and cultural events, world famous family attractions, a beautiful natural environment and nearby beaches on either the Atlantic or the Gulf. Orlando has much of what you would expect to find, and the offerings seem to increase every day. And if you’d like to explore another metropolitan area as well, Tampa-St.Petersburg are just over an hour’s drive West.

Another word about the diverse recreational options outdoors: to the North is the Ocala National Forest and Lake Woodruff National Wildlife Refuge, with hiking, paddleboating, and birding. All of the Lake Country that was part of the 19^th century Steamboat Era lies just to the North, and the great Citrus Ridge area lies just to the South. To the East are the great Atlantic beaches at Daytona, New Smyrna, and Cocoa Beach, not to mention Cape Canaveral National Seashore. Also East, in the Mosquito Lagoon, the Indian and Banana Rivers, and of course any number of fresh-water lakes one finds myriad opportunities for boating, fishing, and exploring.

And last but not least, the cost of living in Orlando is below the national average, and compared to other areas of the United States it’s way below. In fact, Central Florida remains one of the last great bargains in the Sunshine State(see cost of living page).

General Information, Orange County:

• Located in the middle portion of Florida, 85 miles northeast of Tampa, 231 miles north west of Miami and 243 miles south of Tallahassee.
• Average summer Temperature 90°F, but hotter in July and August, although it tends to cool off at night
• Average winter temperature is 71, with warm comfortable days and cool nights
• Average yearly temperature 72
• Average Annual Precipitation 53 in
• Average Rain Days 116
• Population projection 2005 -1 million, Orange County County
• Average home cost-June 2005-$242,000
• Cost of Living-99.98
• Median age-33

Major Employment By Industry in order of numbers

• Construction 5.1%
• Education & Health Services   15.0%
• Financial Activities 6.5%
• Information 2.7%
• Leisure & Hospitality 22.2%
• Manufacturing 4.6%
• Natural Resources & Mining    0.8%
• Other Services     2.9% 3.2%
• Professional & Business Services 17.3%
• Public administration     4.4%
• Trade, Transportation and Utilities 18.6%

A great quality of life amidst a rapidly growing area a vibrant and rapidly diversifying economy, good schools and medical services, safe neighborhoods and a unique lake-filled, protected natural environment are some of the things that Orlando-Orange County  all about.

For specifics in other general categories, see the links to the left.

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Melbourne and Brevard County Tansportation

Melbourne is located about midway on the eastern coastline. Its location makes it easy to get anywhere in the State. Miami is just three hours away. 

AUTOMOBILE
These major north/south routes are important arteries that connect a number of communities: Titusville in the north; Cocoa , Cocoa Beach and Rockledge in central Brevard; and Melbourne, Melbourne Beach and Palm Bay in the south
Interstate 95 skirts Brevard County on its north/south trip from Maine to Miami. Interstates & Highways

• Running from Maine to Miami, I-95 is the most heavily traveled north-south interstate on the East Coast, and for the convenience of businesses and residents alike, it runs directly through Brevard County.
• State Road A1A along the coastline.
• US1 In the barrier islands (Melbourne Beach to Port Canaveral.

East West routes
State Road 405 to the north, which traverses the NASA Causeway to the space center

• S.R. 528 (the Beeline Expressway) in the center of the county. For goods and persons traveling to Orlando, Tampa and all points west, SR- 528 directly links to other major Florida highways like I-4 and the Florida Turnpike.
• S.R. 524 (the Bennett Causeway), merges with the Beeline, crosses the Indian River to Merritt Island and then the Banana River to the town of Cape Canaveral and Port Canaveral.
• State Roads 502 (Barnes Boulevard) and 509 (Wickham Road) serve Vierra and Melbourne.
• S.R. 518, connects Melbourne with the beach communities of Indian Harbour, Canova, Indialantic and Melbourne Beach.
• S.R. 509 travels north/south through the county’s southern section and connects with Eau Gallie Boulevard.

Airlines

• At least five airlines serve passengers at Melbourne International Airport. Melbourne’s main carrier is Delta with service to Atlanta, Wash DC and New York/
• Orlando International, is just 50 miles and about 45 minutes away via the Beeline Expressway (S.R. 528). From either place you can fly almost anywhere.
• Smaller executive airports are scattered around the region, including the Space Center Executive Airport.

Cruise ships

The state’s third-largest cruise-passenger port, Port Canaveral, also handles lots of space-related and commercial cargo at its deep-water facility. The East Coast Railroad carries freight by rail. Greyhound buses also provide transportation in the county.

Rail Service

• Running directly through Brevard County, Florida’s East Coast Railway connects with Norfolk Southern and CSX and provides another ground-based transportation option for business.
• There are Amtrak stations located in Delray beach, Tampa and Jacksonville.
• There is also a unique car Auto Train (Amtrak) located in Sanford Florida.
• The Auto Train offers rail transportation for passengers and their personal vehicles between Lorton, Virginia (near Washington, D.C.) and Sanford, Florida, near Orlando.
• Passengers are allowed to take their automobile, small van, light duty truck, or motorcycle when they travel north or south.
• Wide coach seats or private first-class sleeping compartments and dining cars and meals are offered.
• Reservations required. See your travel agent, call 1-800-USA-RAIL, 1-877-SKIP-I-95, or visit tickets.amtrak.com for reservations and fare information.

In conclusion, whatever mode of transportation you need, be it for personal or for business, Melbourne is in a great location and has the transportation options.

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Melbourne and Brevard County Recreation and Outdoors
To say that Florida is about being outdoors is an understatement.  Some parts of the SunBelt seem to be mostly about air conditioning and a quick dash outdoors to go to the supermarket.  Central Coastal Florida isn’t like that; sure it’s hot in the Summertime, but that doesn’t get in the way of things, like it does in, say, Texas or Arizona or Nevada.
And this greater Melbourne area, in particular, is phenomenal.  Consider, for a moment, its sheer number and variety of recreational opportunities:

• 200 Parks, 21 Nature Trails
• 28 Golf Courses, 23 Tennis Courts
• 37 Boat Ramps
• 72 miles of beaches
• 13 Ocean beach parks
• 3 Full service campgrounds
• 11 Ocean Surf fishing park areas

To see a complete list fo to the site below
http://www.brevardparks.com/parks/index.htm

If you think about this for a moment, it resolves into a pretty interesting list of things to do outdoors in Melbourne and  Brevard County:
Beaching, in all its variety

• Fishing-saltwater and freshwater
• Boating-Ocean or River Florida Fishing Guides by Lagooner
• Diving-Ocean wrecks
• Surfing-We have some of the best surfing in the state.
• Hiking
• Bike riding – most residential areas are enforced 25 mph speed limits
• Birding-world class, lots of stops on the migration flyway too
• Photography
• Windsurfing
• Kayaking—there are good rental locations and lots of places to launch.
  And besides the Beaches, which I’ve mentioned already, there are myriad and wonderful other places to visit.  Among these are:

• Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge
• Turkey Creek sanctuary

Another place you’ll want to visit is the citizen-built Brevard Zoo. This is a very well run, clean facility with both local and African wildlife.

And for environmentally based outings consider the dolphin-watch cruises on the Indian River Lagoon.

Other outdoor wonderlands–in addition to the miles and miles of beaches (especially the pristine sands owned and monitored by the federal government)–include the Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge, the Canaveral National Seashore, Erna Nixon Park, the Turkey Creek Sanctuary, the Ulamay Wildlife Sanctuary, the Enchanted Forest and the Sebastian Inlet State Recreation Area. Coon’s Run Wildlife Sanctuary in Rockledge offers rehabilitation for injured and orphaned wildlife at its privately operated, non-profit center.

The area on the barrier island along the Atlantic Ocean from Holland Spessard Park south of Melbourne Beach to Sebastian Inlet, at the county’s southern border, is the largest sea turtle nesting area in the United States. Between May and August, Loggerheads, Greens and Leatherbacks come ashore to lay their eggs. You can walk the beach in the morning and see as many as 20 new turtle crawls from the night before, or you can sign up for one of the frequent nighttime turtle conservation tours and watch the egg-laying yourself.  Hatchlings that survive–and few do in spite of serious efforts to protect them–struggle back to the sea during September and October.

Good Sports

Surfing is big here. Several tournaments occur annually in Cocoa Beach. Sebastian Inlet’s Monster Hole and Spanish House challenge even experienced surfers. One “don’t miss” spot on the surf circuit is Ron Jon’s Surf Shop, a Cocoa Beach institution. Originally a small surf shop with several boards and a few T-shirts for sale, it’s now a 24-hours-a-day merchandising palace complete with amenities like a fountain and a glass-encased elevator in addition to every conceivable retail item that can carry a Ron Jon logo, including thousands and thousands of T-shirts.

Fishing–especially the saltwater variety–is popular with locals and vacationers. Sport fishermen catch mackerel, sailfish, marlin, wahoo and tuna from Brevard County waters. Marinas, boats, airboats, charter fishing boats, commercial fishing boats and pleasure craft–ranging from one-man skulls and canoes to cabin cruisers and yachts–abound. The Cocoa Beach Pier, which stretches out 840 feet above the ocean, is a good place to cast your line if you don’t have a boat–or even if you do.   And then there’s that 40 mile beach-anybody can be a surfcaster, and it doesn’t require a lot of fancy equipment.

Other active sports fans enjoy Brevard’s facilities, too. Hiking and biking entertain some. Public tennis courses exist in at least 11 parks. The 16 public and seven private golf courses located within county borders keep most golfers content. And, of course, wind surfing, surfing, swimming, diving and boating along the Intracoastal Waterway and Atlantic Ocean beaches keep water-friendly folks in a state of barely controlled bliss.

Baseball is big in the late winter and early spring when Big League ball players train and compete here on the Grapefruit Circuit. The Florida Marlins (from the Miami area) train right here in Brevard County; the Los Angeles Dodgers do their spring stint in Vero Beach (in Indian River County just south of Brevard County). For professional football, residents can travel up the coast to see the Jacksonville Jaguars play; for pro basketball, their best bet is the Orlando Magic, who play less than an hour’s drive from home.

Hot Times in the City
You’ll be busy for weeks visiting Brevard County’s many places of interest. In the Titusville area (north), try Astronaut Hall of Fame, the Valiant Air Command Museum and especially the very reasonable and exciting NASA Kennedy Space Center, where the Astronauts Memorial is also worth a look. Don’t neglect downtown Titusville’s historic district and the North Brevard Historical Museum.

In the Cocoa Beach (north central) area, check out the pier and Port Canaveral–its commerce, foreign trade zone and Jetty Park. Also mid-county, don’t miss Cocoa Village, especially the Village Playhouse and the Porcher House. On A1A in Cocoa Beach, you’ll find the famous Ron Jon Surf Shop. On the mainland in Cocoa, visit the Brevard Museum of History and Natural Science and the Astronaut Memorial Hall and Planetarium at the Cocoa campus of Brevard Community College (BCC).

In conclusion, what choices! Glad I’m not in Michigan this winter.  Ha!

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Florida Keys Weather
The Keys sub-tropical climate offers year-round sports and recreational opportunities. Winter, spring and fall are filled with lots of sunshine.

The hottest month is August with an average high of 89° F and an average low of 78° F. In January the average high temperature is 74° F and the average low is 65° F.
There has never been frost or freezing conditions in Key West.
Normal annual precipitation is 39 plus inches, with the largest monthly totals accumulating from July through September.
Subtropics marked by two distinct seasons

Weather is what brings a lot of people to Southern Florida – particularly during the dry, mild winter.
It’s also what drives a lot of people away – particularly during the hot, rainy, sweaty, sticky summer.
Welcome to the subtropics, an area just outside the tropics, which lie between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn. GENERAL WEATHER SAFETY
Lightning
• When lightning flashes, count the number of seconds before thunder is heard. Divide the number by five. The answer is the approximate distance in miles from the lightning.
• Never seek refuge from a storm under a tree
• Make sure you are not the highest object around you
• Avoid open fields, open water, beaches
• If you are on the road, stay in your car
Heat
• Avoid heavy exertion during the hottest part of the day – noon to 3 p.m.
• Drink plenty of fluids, especially water. Remember, alcohol and caffeine increase dehydration n Wear a hat and sunscreen
Our subtropical weather is marked by two distinct seasons – the rainy season, part of which is hurricane season, and the dry season, part of which is windsurfing season.
During rainy season, May 15 to Oct. 15, Southern Florida receives 42 of its annual 53 inches of rain.
Rainy season temperatures average highs in the high 80s and low 90s and lows in the 70s.
A typical rainy-season day in Southern Florida starts with a hot, humid morning, followed by a hotter afternoon, clouds moving in from the east, and sometimes violent thunderstorms.
The frequency of summer thunderstorms has made Southern Florida the lightning capital of the world, so it’s a good idea to seek shelter as the clouds roll in.
Hurricane season runs from June 1 to Nov. 30
Emergency managers suggest that residents educate themselves about hurricanes and be prepared, just in case.
In contrast to Southern Florida’s rainy season, dry season is, well, dry.
Eleven inches of rain spread over six months doesn’t exactly put us in the same arid league with the Sahara, but the countryside can get pretty parched.
In one of those curious hydrological coincidences, the dry season also happens to be tourist season, so we have all those extra people using up the available water that isn’t replenished because it’s the dry season.
So water levels in aquifers can drop, and the South Florida Water Management District can impose water-use restrictions.
All this dryness can lead to serious wildfires, and residents are urged to clear vegetation around their homes.
People should never throw cigarette butts from car windows – that practice is bad for the environment at any time – but during dry season, it can easily and quickly spark a major fire.
Dry season temperatures average highs in the 70s and lows in the 50s.
But things can get chilly around here.
The big factors are cold fronts that occasionally blast through Southern Florida, bringing nasty cold rain and leaving behind unsubtropical, cold air.
You can usually tell when a cold front is coming without even looking at a weather map.
Southern Florida’s prevailing winter winds are light and easterly, but a couple of days before a front hits, winds pick up and clock around to the south – the winds are warm and the days sunny.
This is when area windsurfers load up their gear and head to their favorite sailing sites.
As the front approaches, winds shift to the Southern, then west – winds still warm, days still sunny.
Eventually, the front appears on the horizon like a long, gray wall; when it hits, the wind jerks abruptly around to the north, and the air behind the front feels as if somebody up north left the door open on a giant freezer.
Fortunately, cold temperatures following a front usually don’t last long.
Within a few days, skies clear, temperatures warm, and once again, Southern Florida shows off the weather that attracts all those winter visitors.
Then, within a few weeks, the overall dry, mild dry season gives way to the rainy, sweaty rainy season that drives them all away.
The above article was written by By KEVIN LOLLAR, klollar@news-press.com Published by news-press.com on November 3, 2003.
His emphasis was on the southwest area of Florida just above the everglades, however the article primarily relates to the Keys as well.

The Keys Temperature Annual high average

Month Air
January 7 4
February 75
March 78
April 81
May 85
June 87
July 89
August 89
September 88
October 84
November 80
December 76
Water temperatures go from 69 in January to 87 in July and August.

Other Keys Weather Indicators

Average Wind Speed 10.9
Clear Days 104
Partly Cloudy Days 155
Cloudy Days 107
Avg. Relative Humidity 74.5. To see stats by the month, go to
http://www.climate-zone.com/climate/united-states/florida/key-west/
*Although it looks like we have lots of cloudy days, the sun is out almost year round and the clouds are partial-not like in the Northwest (where I’m from) and it will stay overcast and dark for weeks on end.

*Also, although we do get rain here-it is a tropical rain and comes and goes quickly, generally acts as a refresher to the hot days..

To see average January temperatures across the United States go to http://www.mapsofworld.com/usa/thematic-maps/usa-temprature-january.html
Compare where you live or want to live in Florida. For more specific info, look at the area you are interested in and go to the weather page.

So what about Hurricanes, the rainy season and humidity?
We are a tropical climate, so our rainy season comes in the summer. Generally it will rain hard for a half hour then subside. It does get humid then. Although not as bad as you’d think. Our water breezes really help cool us off.
Hurricanes.
Despite four devastating hurricanes in 2004, the number of Florida visitors rose 7% to an all-time high of 79.8 million last year and is on target to hit 80 million this year.
To think on:
If you live on the coast you stand the greatest chance of having one affect you. Some areas of Florida have gone fifty years plus without one but you never know.
As a resident having lived in the Keys and now in central Florida I’ve been through them.

In my opinion, the best thing you can do is buy a home that was built after Andrew-August 92 that was built to stricter building codes. Have window protection and a backup generator and make sure your insurance is up to date. If they ask you to leave, do it!

Realize-If you live in an older home that was not built up to the stricter building codes (After Hurricane Andrew-August 1992) or you live in a mobile home you stand the best chance of having major structural damage.

Living on the beach in a mobile home is asking for it. Although, you may never have a problem, you’re still definitely taking your chances. Barrier islands and open-water Ocean or Gulf front are the most prone to damage.
Having lived in California, I prefer the threat of a hurricane however as opposed to an earthquake. At least you have a warning.

For current information about hurricanes go to http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/
For 2005 climate info by areas go to http://www.coaps.fsu.edu/climate_center/LCD/2005LCD.html
For current weather forecasts by cities go to http://iwin.nws.noaa.gov/iwin/fl/fl.html
*Living in a waterfront home typically means that you will pay a higher Insurance premium. The insurance is higher due to flood and wind concerns.
Part of this is also because the pricing on these homes is higher so there is more value to insure against.

Having said all this, I can’t imagine living elsewhere. It is really great to wake up and it’s sunny out.
We spend over half our lives indoors…so when you do go outside, wouldn’t it be nice if it was warm and sunny?

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