Reconsider! Here is the low down on maintenance and costs.
First of all with a brand new air system by Trane (2 years) our bill is still 400 a month for cooling a 1650 square foot house. Electricity down here is very, very expensive.
Mold and Mildew during the summer months will take over a pool, deck, or the side of your house with in days. Pool chems are at least 75.00 a month if not more and pool work is daily.
A 30 year roof will last possibly 15 years if your lucky. Yes we are lush with foilage, also lush with every possible bug you can imagine. Huge grasshoppers and palmetto bugs (roaches) in every one elses description. The previous so big its shocking.
Without your knowledge you will be infiltrated by fire ants in your yard, carpenter ants in your roof, Monster wolf spiders in your home, and those damn monster roaches, everywhere.
Outside every crevice will be over taken by wasps and hornets.
It takes un-ending work and chems, to keep that "Florida look and feel" going.....
Think again if you really want to live here.
Realestate is very cheap again, but maintenance never is.
Its horribly dry in the fall, and then you spend untold dollars trying to keep your plants and yard from dieing. You rarely can shut off the air conditioning unless it gets dry and cool enough. Usually that means close to a freeze...then you get to pay double for heat.
r.