BUYING GUIDE FLORIDA
The state of Florida attracted a record number of tourists in 2013 – a whopping 94.7 million in a year
Caribbean. During holiday seasons, you can add many charter fl ights from around Britain - many going to smaller Orlando Sanford airport, 18 miles northeast of Orlando. Flight times are approximately eight to nine-and-a-half hours and return fl ights are from about £350. For trips to the USA under 90 days, British citizens need only a full machine-readable passport. Visas currently are not required, although this could change in the future.
Infrastructure Florida has slick super-highways, shopping malls galore, top-notch communications and telecoms services, and sophisticated health facilities. It’s important to note, however, that proper medical insurance, which can be expensive, is highly advisable. Some companies, including Mainstream Insurance, have special medical insurance plans designed specifi cally for newly arrived Brits. Education is good in the state of Florida, with locals typically sending their children to the local state schools.
Value for money You get a lot of bang for your buck in Florida, especially with the current strong pound to the weaker American dollar. And with governor Rick Scott having recently claimed [September 2014] that he’s turned the state around in his four years of offi ce – lowering unemployment, upping employment creation and improving economic growth and progress in education – you can see many of the Floridian population of 19.5 million and outsiders wanting to put their money there.
Toleration of foreigners Because of its diverse historical ethnic mix and large number of foreign visitors to the theme parks, Florida’s used to a wide variety of people within its borders. To give one
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example, Jacksonville alone has a cultural cornucopia of native Timucuan Indians, French Huguenots, Spaniards, and African and Hispanic Americans. And of course, Florida remains massively popular with Britons. It’s estimated about 400,000 Brits live in the Sunshine State.
Popular areas of Florida Contrary to popular opinion Florida’s not just about tangerine-tanned tourists and that infamous mouse with the big ears. Even though a large chunk of central Florida’s dedicated to the tourist trade, there are also alligator-fi lled mangrove swamps in the Everglades contrasting with Miami’s uber-groovy South Beach, where bikini-clad babes rollerblade in front of Art Deco buildings. In Florida, you’re never very far from
a body of water of some sort, from the Atlantic, Gulf and Gold coasts, to the Keys, various lakes and canal-like inter-coastal waterways. Many buyers like the idea of a home by the water, although normally you would pay more to be near the ocean or to get a glimpse of the briny. T ose who venture away from the
water, big cities and tourist hangouts will undoubtedly pay less for property. But you need to factor in the idea that it could be harder to let these homes out for high sums if you’re keen on obtaining some kind of rentals income. Fundamental locations in this large
state covering 53,625 square miles include: Orlando, Miami, Sarasota, Naples, Jacksonville and Amelia Island.
Orlando Most British buyers fl ock to central Florida near Orlando, close to the theme parks of Walt Disney World, SeaWorld Orlando, Disney-MGM and Universal Studios, and the Epcot Centre. Few people actually buy in
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