My books and guides offer an honest look at relocating to Florida, living here, and deciding whether the Florida lifestyle is truly right for you. No sales pitch. No sugarcoating. Just practical information, personal experience, and the things people often wish they had known before making the move.
Florida is more than beaches, palm trees, and warm winters. It also means hurricanes, insurance challenges, intense heat, unexpected expenses, crowded roads, wildlife, and an entirely different way of life.
The Florida Reality Check gives you the honest side of moving to Florida—the good, the difficult, and the things glossy relocation guides tend to leave out.
This book is for you if you are:
You will learn about Florida’s weather, housing, insurance, transportation, lifestyle, communities, costs, wildlife, and the practical realities of starting over in a new state.
You may finish the book more excited about moving. You may decide Florida is not right for you. Either answer is valuable when it helps you avoid an expensive mistake.
I first moved to Florida in 1989 and have lived in communities across the state, including Daytona Beach, Clearwater, Clearwater Beach, Orlando, Sanford, Ormond Beach, Port Orange, and Merritt Island.
I have experienced Florida as a newcomer, resident, homeowner, husband, dog dad, business owner, and real estate professional. I have lived through hurricanes, long power outages, difficult moves, fresh starts, and plenty of days that reminded me why I chose Florida.
I wrote The Florida Reality Check because moving here is a major life decision. People deserve more than sunshine photographs and generic lists of reasons to relocate. They deserve the truth.
My next book will be a practical, step-by-step guide to planning and completing your move. It will cover what to do before leaving, how to organize the relocation, what to expect when you arrive, and how to begin building your new life in Florida.
Coming Soon
There is no single version of the Florida lifestyle. Life in Miami is different from life in Ocala. The Keys are different from the Panhandle. A beach town, inland community, retirement development, and family neighborhood can feel like entirely different states.
The goal is not simply to move to Florida. It is to find the part of Florida where your life makes sense.
Read the reality check first. Then decide whether it is time to change your latitude.
