This channel is all about Living in & Moving to Central Florida from a mom’s (and realtor’s) perspective.
Prior to making the move to Central Florida from the northeast, I spent about 5 years researching the different areas throughout to ensure we would settle in somewhere safe, with excellent schools, and a great location between the attractions and beaches.
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Stephanie Kennedy - Central Florida Realtor EXP Realty 3557985
Last time I was on the auto train it was 2002. I moved th FL from the Philly area. Packed the car with my belongings. I had a full bedroom and it worked for me.
First time we took the Auto Train we went with just coach seats. Even though our lower level car was only half full, we were unable to get comfortable enough to actually sleep. My husband’s health and mobility was deteriorating so from then on we requested an accessible room, and that was wonderful. We had a toilet and sink in the room and quite a bit of space. Of course, I had to sleep on the upper bunk but I did manage to get some sleep.
Hi...i'm not buying but holidaying in Sanford in a few months time....lovely air b n b booked....is there a Publix and Walmart nearby for food shopping...i hear you said a Publix is being built???
Hi! Yes the new Publix that I was referencing is now open. There are multiple Walmarts in Sanford as well as food stores. :) You will not have any trouble finding places to go food shopping. Enjoy your holiday!
We've taken the Auto Train quite a few times. When you factor wear and tear on your car, plus hotels, plus rental car, plus wear and tear on YOU, the Auto Train is roughly a wash, cost-wise. It's even cheaper if you do not get a sleeper, but I highly recommend the sleeper. Down sides: you will have an hour or more to kill at the boarding end. In VA, there is nothing to occupy your time except a playground. There are numerous restaurants within a short cab ride - which is what we did our last trip south. In Sanford, at least certain days of the week there is a free shuttle bus that goes to the tourist / restaurant area of town. You likely will NOT sleep well on the train - but it's still less fatiguing than the drive would be.
I think it’s a great option for many of my clients to gain a feel for the different areas and where you want to be. We spent several years prior to our move looking in different areas etc and when we found Lake Mary, we immediately knew it was what we were looking for. :)
We have taken Auto train a few times and really like it. We have had both a roomette and regular seats and we prefer the roomette. Its not very big and sleeping on the top bunk is tight so you can't be a large person or you won't fit comfortably. Regular seats are larger than airplane seat and they recline a bit. They also have an electric plug so you can use electronics devices. Coach seated passengers use to get a free dinner however since Covid I heard that is no longer the case. Check with Amtrak before you go because you can bring food onto the train such as subs and sandwiches. The train is very full November thru April with Northerners go south and than heading back after the winter. The prices are also higher at this time. You can walk the train if your legs get restless and they do have a lounge car that sells adult beverages and snacks. Off loading of your car can take awhile depending on how full the train was. However in my opinion it really beats driving especially if you are going south. Just board the train go to the club car get a drink and as the train starts to leave look at all those car's on I-95 stuck in traffic not moving. Enjoy a relaxing trip.
We did that but the worker came out and told us it’s almost always the opposite. So we left and loaded toward the end. We were offloaded in the first 1/3 of the vehicles.
Driving 850 miles one way is $200 in gas. A room for 2 adults is $600 and up. Plus you have to hand your car to a stranger. Not to mention it will take up to 2 days to get there. I would prefer to drive in one day or stay in motel midway.
I am a person who lived in Naples and I used the auto train a couple of times, and it was well worth it... So thank you for making this useful video. It was well executed and very easy to follow. You covered all of the essential information that people would like to know. So here's a HUGE THANK YOU! VERY INFORMATIVE.👍
I am a Snowbird and rely on Auto train to avoid the grizzly drive between Annapolis, Maryland and Fort Myers Florida. The tracks are awful and there’s a lot of shimming, but that’s what Ambien or Melatonin gummies are for. The drive is BRUTAL! 2 lanes on the Carolina’s with poindexter drivers blocking the passing lanes, exhausting! While the train ride isn’t smooth like European trains. It gets the job done. A couchette is a MUST! I’ve gotten those for a as low as $365 plus $285 for car. Well worth avoiding the dreaded drive.
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Cannot determine in this state (USA) - of communities such as this - the interest we have re: privacy fences. Some of these homes are quite close. We’re aware some communities in the Villages, maybe, have real greenery hedges - natural privacy fences. V. important feature for us, quality of life. But, everything else looks fine. (Not a main property for us, anyway) We’ll research it. Ty
Yes it’s an adjustment. Depending on the location and type of community you can gain larger properties but then it’s more to maintain. So it really depends on your priorities. If you have any questions, I’m happy to help answer them. Thanks for watching! :)
@@LivingInCentralFL407 Ty for the reply. Still want to do a vast research on the issue, status of one’s rights to privacy fences. Perhaps certain gated communities have (what I term) capitol controls on their communities. Within reason, a non issue. But again, v curious to ck on the status of fences, even in individual towns, I believe Michael Bordenaro’s channel shows many regular towns. Don’t always see fences. Well we just found an interesting video, can’t find it right now, the exact channel. But it was about Solivita Community in Kissimmee. That vid was impressive. Lots of greenery between homes, large trees 🌲 in the middle dividers of some streets, they absolutely do not appear ‘cookie cutter’. Although we don’t see high fences, we see smaller ones between and tons of greenery around the homes. Homes design appear to be unique and not all the same, as in an ‘quick build look’. Just viewing now. Ty for reaching out and any further questions, we’ll contact. (Personally, going out of the country. Two places. But, my son brought up the interest today, as an idea. Nothing firm, research stage). 😀✅
@@reneeemigree9004 ah I see. If you’re looking in a 55+ or hoa community, it will certainly depend on the specific bylaws of that community. We have privacy fences in our HOA community but others communities that is not permitted. Many people plant greenery like podocarpus for privacy. I do know of communities that have what you have described but again it depends on budget, location, home size preference etc.. Good luck in your search! :)
@@LivingInCentralFL407 Thanks again for your reply. Re-reading it again in the future. Solivita allows fences, etc., so it seems. This is a very nice place. Ttyl, thanks again.
i just booked a trip with 3 coach seats down to flordia and back. is there any seat assignments or ability to pick your own seats i cant hear anything on it and i dont see anything on it we have a small kid and despratley need and want to sit close together. do you have any information on that
My friend traveled coach recently. She said they didn't get to pick seats. They assigned them when they arrived but if you get there early enough, I believe you can ask for a window seat/ to be seated together etc..
Amtrak loses over $2b a year that has to be covered by the tax payers. If it was “independent“ like the original auto train, operations would cease immediately. It’s an ancient form of long distance transportation better suited now for intrastate travel or within a pocket of smaller states.
How can I find out the pet limitations at the various communities? It seams like they want to hide the information or make it very hard to find. Thank you.
If you let me know which communities you are interested in specifically I can reach out to them on their policy. In my experience most allow dogs and cats.
The first year me and my husband drove down to Panama City, Fl. as snow birds leaving just outside of Philadelphia, PA (stopping half way in Charlotte) the drive was horrible. Both days we drove about 10 hours and it felt like it was never ending journey. Not to mention the crazy drivers on the road made us feel like we were taking our life in our hands. Last year we decided to visit Jupiter, Fl and after reviewing the cost of a coach seat/car on the auto train we realized the cost was about the same when you add the cost of an overnight stay at a hotel, dinner out, Gas, tolls etc. to drive the full trip. I booked the auto train. We found the ability to be able to relax, read a book, watch a movie and sleep without the stress of the drive made this decision an excellent choice. And the fact that you are getting closer to you destination is also big perk. You depart Lorton, Va at 5 PM and if all goes well, you get into Sandford, Fl at 10 AM. This changes the trip from 2 full days to 1 day which is something I really appreciated. The coach seating is spacious and comfortable. Sleep can be difficult with all the snoring men, but I downloaded “white noise” on my phone and with the use of ear plugs that resolved that problem. You can bring a cooler with food, drinks and snacks. The seats recline back pretty far and we brought pillows and small blankets for additional comfort. Returning home we booked the roomette. The roomette is very tight space, but allowed us our own space and beds where you can sleep lying down. This is pricier, but felt like I did get a better sleep even with the rocking of the train.
One more thing you don't have to deal with when you take the train instead of driving -- those orange signs with those dreaded three words: "Road Work Ahead".
How do deal with all hurricane and tornadoes that hit in Florida 8 of them in 2023 alone. The cost of insurance to protect your value, unless your a risk taker. No one has died from an earthquake since 1994 in California.
We live in central Florida and have experienced 2 hurricanes in the past 4 years. Location is a huge factor. While hurricanes are inevitable, we are able to prepare accordingly and most homes are built to withstand high winds and such. Insurance has definitely gone up without a doubt. I haven’t personally experienced any tornadoes so I can’t speak to them.
@LivingInCentralFL407 , Serveral tornadoes hit the Florida panhandle Tuesday morning. With one south of Panama Beach hitting serverly hard. The damage in that one particularly city rough estimates to be in 100's of millions of losses with unknown injuries but hospitals filling fast. That is one reason the state offers no state income tax due to risk involved with living in the state of Florida to make it attractive.
@@williamnavarrete2739 yes. Tornadoes are a factor. Coming from Pennsylvania, we had them there as well but again I hadn’t personally experienced any. We still had state income tax there though. Weather is definitely something to take into consideration but my family and I truly love living here.
Here's a place you may want check out. I have a home at Baja Mar south of Rosarito Beach, it true that in August of 2023, a hurricane hit our peninsular some 800 miles away with after mat being rain wind at 40&50 miles strong. just about everyone is an expat and retired. 27 holes of golf with every home has an ocean view from its roof. the cost of living is half of the U.S. my property tax are $189.00 a year.
Thank you very much. We are seriously looking into moving to Sanford next year. We would becoming from miserable, overcrowded, expensive South Florida. We have family in Winter Park, but need a more affordable area. I think we found our spot! Thank you for the information.
You’re very welcome! I’m glad that you found value in this. If you’re able to make the trip, it’s definitely worth taking a drive through the get a good feel for the area. And of course if you need help with anything, please don’t hesitate to reach out. :)
I have family in PA actually i have 2 cousins from my moms side who live in lancaster and Bethlehem and on my dads side my cousin maria who lives in port matilda she and her husband my cousin bill used to live in bethpage since 2003 and moved to a quiet and family oriented gated community near beautiful farmland there in 2019 and my little cousin loves the farms which is one of the reasons why they left so my cousin can have a farm to go to on weekends and see the animals
As of 2023 my dads family still lives in lake worth and my moms family just moved my aunt durene is now in a 1 bed 1 bath mobile house in clearwater my aunt lisa now lives in tarpon springs and my grandparents are in trinity and had their home since 2001
This is a great video actually my whole family used to live on long island my moms family lived in west islip and brooklyn and my dads side lived in lynbrook my grandparents left for palm harbor in 1989 my aunt durene left in 1991 to palm harbor then 1995 my aunt lisa was last to leave, then on dads side my uncle al left for palm beach in 1995 after getting hired by palm beach pd district 1 then my granddad moved to boyton beach in july 1998 and lastly my aunt maria left in september of 1999 to palm beach then after a year there they moved to lake worth in june 2001 then my granddad moved to orlando in 2005 and lived there until his tragic passing of heart failure and old age in 2017
At present, it costs over $3000 round trip for a family bedroom and a car. That's double what it costs to fly to Orlando from Philly, for my family of four. I could literally fly and rent a car for cheaper, even including airport parking and a meal at my connection. That's crazy.
Agreed. We are flying to Philly tomorrow for that same reason and my husband drove because the prices made more sense this way. It definitely is necessary to price it out depending on time of travel and capacity. Thanks for sharing!
I had seen another RU-vidr from FL say that Homeowners Insurance quadrupled in price across the state. Some that were paying $1,800 - $2,000 annually are now paying $10k or more. Is that true? is it only pertaining to those that live in the major flooding areas?
It has definitely gone up across the board. The majority affected are older homes built prior to 2005 and areas prone to flooding. My home was built in 2020 and we don’t live near any major bodies of water. Our homeowners insurance increased $380 this year from last.
@@LivingInCentralFL407 If you don't mind sharing, so it increased $380 this year... what are your monthly premiums or what are you paying annually? My family and I are looking to invest in New Homes that will be STRs and eventually move down there from NY in the next 3-5yrs.
Y'know what's weird here Kennedy? I'll tell you what's weird... there's not a single person on the streets but YOU... there's nobody... no repair trucks running cable tv, no shoppers walking the sidewalks, no kids playing at the park, nobody riding a bike, nobody ANYWHERE doing ANYTHING... it's like... it's like a movie set ghost town with only you there and nobody else... What happened to the people Kennedy? Is this real? Or is it some simulation set up by aliens to lure people in and use them for scientific experiments... It's weird Kennedy, really weird... it's STERILE.. it's... it's... it's like The Twilight Zone or something... Are you real Kennedy? Or just a computer generated image in a computer generated town?
You caught me.. OR I just shoot at times when it’s quiet so the background noise doesn’t overwhelm the video ;) your theory sounds better though so we will go with that
Been living in Sanford for almost 16 years now. Such an amazing city with a small town feel. Everything you said is true. Such an up and coming town. So eclectic, diverse and with so much culture. The people are super friendly and there are so many small festivals throughout the year. Always something to do in Sanford/Lake Mary (I always like to keep those two together). Such wonderful places to live. 🥰
