Is there Any Advice on Relocating to Orlando, Florida?

Question

Which neighborhoods or surrounding areas would you recommend?

I'm fortunate in that I was able to retire early. My plan was to get a laid back job to supplement the income and avoid boredom.

I'm so good at adding details after the fact. We are considering renting initially as we evaluate life in the sunshine state.

My wife and I are debating whether to work at Disney as a supplement to our pension.

Answer 1

I think the other two that answered this question didn't see the part where you said fortunate- 7 years ago i had a vacation home in Orlando and it was wonderful...... if you plan on retiring there and working too keep your head together, that's a great idea- even tho alot of jobs are for min-wage they are not hard to come by - especially if you don't mind working serving food etc- Real estate can be rather expensive but not too much off the charts

since you are retiring I'm sure you have some savings for a down payment on a home or even enough to not need a mortgage...... and if your willing to work to help pay a part of your expenses......there is no reason why not to move to the sunshine state...........all the best to you-

Regards

Answer 2

If you are thinking of moving to the Central Florida area and also looking into working for Disney, you may want to consider renting in Celebration. You may find a townhome or one of the mother in law suites to rent. There are also a few mobile home parks on HWY 192 that you may be interested in. Solivita is a retirement community in Poinciana and is very nice.
Don't make the mistake I did when we moved to Florida and give away all of your winter clothes. You will need them for a few day out of the year when sometimes it is as cold as many states in the North. Also prepare yourself for the slow way of life down here. Things seem to move at a snails pace and it is hard to get use to it.
If you do not want to work for Disney, there are tons of resorts that you can also seek employment.
As another member mentioned, things here are a bit expensive. My parents up north actually pay less for Florida oranges than we do here. Go figure..

Answer 3

My advice is DO NOT MOVE WITHOUT A JOB. Other than that, if you are wanting to live in the city of Orlando, stay away from OBT which is also known as Orange Blossom Drive. It's not the safest area to be in. It's hard to recommend an area without knowing your budget or where you will be working but I prefer the "east side" of town and surrounding towns like Altamonte Springs, Oviedo, Maitland.

Answer 4

Do some research on Central, FL first. It's a fun vacation but I wouldn't recomend living there. First off, water is expensive because the supply is low. Second, you never know what kind of weather you're gonna get. Like, when we were booking vacations in Kissimee/Orlando, it said clear skies. We were so close to being hit by a tornado! It was the last day of the vacation and we were driving to the airport, and we past a neighborhood that was so bad, people were sitting on the roof of their houses waiting for help. Anna

Answer 5

You might check on a little place called Sun City Center. It is not in Orlando but it is full of retirees, and very centrally located.

Answer 6

I moved here from ga. I was shocked at how expensive it was to live here compared to the other places that I have lived. The traffic is terrible and the tolls are expensive.

Answer 7

Take my word for it, you don't want to move to Orlando. Well, unless you want to accept a minumm wage job no matter how much experience and/or education you have. Unless you love congested roads, and taxes, taxes, taxes!!!

Answer 8

If you want to go back to minimum wage and you like traffic go ahead.