where to move fl. or s.c.?

[chevnut55]

my wife and I are moving hopefully by next year,we relised lifes too short to not live! but still trying to decide on where fl. or s.c. or ??? we want to get away from winters and the bouring shows and no racing here in ma.

we bolth need to find somewhere to enjoy our cars show/drg/road race) and motorcycles (dirt and street) pwc..etc.. we hate sitting around all winter wating and when its over the only car shows around are people sitting around in folding chairs and get home before it gets dark.
the roads here also suck and take alot of enjoyment out of driving and riding and the off road trails a non existant unless you have a pooping horse!



were looking to move somewhere tropical,close to the water, we need alot of car and bike related things to do close (within 50 miles) drags,road race,auto x.
any ideas or want to tell us where you live is so great..we are listining.

[Garymac69]

The Charleston SC area gets my vote......73 deg today.

Gary

http://lowcountrymusclecar.atspace.com/index.html

[solarguy09]

I am thinking the Same thing.

We have been in California all our Lives.. Great House, Great Weather...Everything else ??????

We are Maybe looking S.C. or maybe Nashville because of my Music...

Also closer to Nascar Events...

Wife and I need to visit first in the next few years...

I will be watching this thread for more comments from Back in that area..

[Garymac69]

I was raised in the Nashville area. Was stationed here during a tour in the Navy and decided I liked it better here.

[cheapthrillz]

Bunch of rednecks in SC.... I wouldn't recomend it lol ;)

[NOT A TA]

I was in a similar frame of mind and decided to make the move South. Was a big decision to give up a good business I'd built up over 25 years but as you noted, life is short. I spent a couple years researching and using my vacations to visit the southeast from NC south and New Orleans east. I decided on a section of south Florida between Palm Beach and Ft. Lauderdale then I narrowed the search within that area and decided on a section that included Boynton Beach, Delray Beach and Boca Raton. It's 80 with puffy white clouds rolling by today, with the windows open while I type this, I can hear the faint engine sounds of an off road motorcycle track which is about 1/2 mile away next to I-95.

There's several drag strips and three road courses within easy driving distance, Palm Beach International, Sebring, and Homestead. I don't frequent shows and cruise nights much but there are a lot around. People drive their cool cars as regular cars so it's not unusual to be in traffic and spot anything from a restored Model A to exotic supercars. Registration of hot rod type cars is a breeze. I took my car to the DMV to register it after a weekend running Sebring with it. Other than the DMV lady asking me to read her the mileage because she couldn't crawl over the roll cage tubing to read the odometer she didn't even blink an eye even with race #'s and track rubber all over it!. No routine inspections or emissions testing and no property tax on vehicles.

There's somewhat of a micro climate in this section of South Florida caused by the Atlantic ocean current that swings close to shore here known as the Straights of Florida. Rarely goes over 92-93 here with much less humidity in summer than a large percentage of FL and it's warmer in the winter. Here's our average temps http://www.weather.com/outlook/healt...ly/graph/33445

If you're interested to know more about why I chose this area PM me.

[chevnut55]

Wow it hasnt been 73 here sincemid sept! its 40 here wich is not bad for the time of year but the roads are all ready too messed up to drive on and everything stoped in oct. wont be anything going on until may..so 8 month sitting around the house freezing .
I have been going to fl. for the last 10 years looking for a good area,so far we looked at a few houses in titusville and merritt island but all the houses were too close and the roads were a bit fast paced and traffic to enjoy the cars and bikes so we need to keep looking .
delray andtampa area is next ,we also want to check out lake marion s.c. and anywhere else before selling my house/shop. now we are cutting back on the stuff we own ,Im selling mt 72 camaro and ffr cobra and want to move with just 2 cars besides the daily drivers..wich we will also sell because we will not need 4wd anymore.
Another problem here is I cant build high end cars or bikes,people do not use them much so they do not want to invest much,most cars here are hacked or good enough to drve at best.
so to add to my list is a good place to build and sell high end classic cars and sport bikes.
dont even get me started on how bad ma. is to reg and tittle any car or bike..I build cobra replicas and you have to pay off everyone on you 3-5 month jurney back and forth to the dmv/ police /state police inspection(that will not let you pass even with all the pappers and every recept for every single nut and bolt,paying more taxes on a car you just payed taxes on eveythiung you just bought to build it ,back to the dmv to be turned away for no reson then back to square one! I was even not issued a tittle for my camaro because the pen skipped on my own name..I was told it need to go to the salvage yard after I invested $75k! bought the shell for $500. was taxed on $5,000. because thats what the book says! and Im still taxed on it every year. sorry I can go on for days and write a book why ma, sucks taxachuttes..m*******s its all true.
so a good place to start our shop and freedom are very important. thanks for the info guys.

[TheJDMan]

For a car guy Charlotte is a very exciting place to be. It is not close to the coast but during huricaine seasion that is not necessarilly a bad thing.

[scogin918]

I can't tell you how many Top Ten lists Charleston and the state of South Carolina have been listed on recently. Our economy is rebounding faster than the national average and our unemployment is lower(at least in the larger municipal areas). Housing is still affordable and there is a good mix of older homes and new construction. As far as the weather goes, we have about 3 weeks of what you might call winter. It does get warm and humid here in July and August though.

[Boatmark]

I spent most of my first forty years in SE Florida, and lived in Columbia, S.C. twice along the way. It all boils down to what type of atmosphere you are looking for.

South Carolina is a nice climate that still has all four seasons. Cold and very occasional snow depends on how far inland you go. If you are looking for laid back, southern hospitality, and plenty of rural areas. I recommend South Carolina highly. Not to far to Charlotte and Atlanta races, and I always hooked up with a lot of car guys.

South Florida is all about the weather. Always something happening. Cool cars running on the street. Property values very depressed so a good time to buy. Also no state income taxes and reasonable sales taxes. The down side is (at least on the SE coast) there has just gotten to be too friggen many people. It will always be home, but only in small doses for me.

I tried moving a little north to Port St. Lucie. Not as many people (although it has grown greatly) but also nothing to do. Property values are down so far I may own the house there forever. Thank god for good tenants. Could be worse I guess, I bought way before the boom, so no upside down issues.

Typing this from near Nashville. Nice place.

[solarguy09]

I can't tell you how many Top Ten lists Charleston and the state of South Carolina have been listed on recently. Our economy is rebounding faster than the national average and our unemployment is lower(at least in the larger municipal areas). Housing is still affordable and there is a good mix of older homes and new construction. As far as the weather goes, we have about 3 weeks of what you might call winter. It does get warm and humid here in July and August though.

Thanks Guys. My wife was reading this with me. We will be vacationing in the area in the next few years. S.C. , Florida.. Where ever we go to vacation, will be a place that we might want to move to...A two for one Vacation.
Sorry about the thread highjack.
I just wanted to pick your Brains.
Being a Conservative that has loved Nascar since 1970, and My Car will fit right in, it may not be a bad place to have my Sunset...

[solarguy09]

I spent most of my first forty years in SE Florida, and lived in Columbia, S.C. twice along the way. It all boils down to what type of atmosphere you are looking for.

South Carolina is a nice climate that still has all four seasons. Cold and very occasional snow depends on how far inland you go. If you are looking for laid back, southern hospitality, and plenty of rural areas. I recommend South Carolina highly. Not to far to Charlotte and Atlanta races, and I always hooked up with a lot of car guys.

South Florida is all about the weather. Always something happening. Cool cars running on the street. Property values very depressed so a good time to buy. Also no state income taxes and reasonable sales taxes. The down side is (at least on the SE coast) there has just gotten to be too friggen many people. It will always be home, but only in small doses for me.

I tried moving a little north to Port St. Lucie. Not as many people (although it has grown greatly) but also nothing to do. Property values are down so far I may own the house there forever. Thank god for good tenants. Could be worse I guess, I bought way before the boom, so no upside down issues.

Typing this from near Nashville. Nice place.

Great info, thanks

[Yelcamino]

I was in a similar frame of mind and decided to make the move South. Was a big decision to give up a good business I'd built up over 25 years but as you noted, life is short. I spent a couple years researching and using my vacations to visit the southeast from NC south and New Orleans east. I decided on a section of south Florida between Palm Beach and Ft. Lauderdale then I narrowed the search within that area and decided on a section that included Boynton Beach, Delray Beach and Boca Raton. It's 80 with puffy white clouds rolling by today, with the windows open while I type this, I can hear the faint engine sounds of an off road motorcycle track which is about 1/2 mile away next to I-95.

There's several drag strips and three road courses within easy driving distance, Palm Beach International, Sebring, and Homestead. I don't frequent shows and cruise nights much but there are a lot around. People drive their cool cars as regular cars so it's not unusual to be in traffic and spot anything from a restored Model A to exotic supercars. Registration of hot rod type cars is a breeze. I took my car to the DMV to register it after a weekend running Sebring with it. Other than the DMV lady asking me to read her the mileage because she couldn't crawl over the roll cage tubing to read the odometer she didn't even blink an eye even with race #'s and track rubber all over it!. No routine inspections or emissions testing and no property tax on vehicles.

There's somewhat of a micro climate in this section of South Florida caused by the Atlantic ocean current that swings close to shore here known as the Straights of Florida. Rarely goes over 92-93 here with much less humidity in summer than a large percentage of FL and it's warmer in the winter. Here's our average temps http://www.weather.com/outlook/healt...ly/graph/33445

If you're interested to know more about why I chose this area PM me.

John, are there any military installations near you?

[scogin918]

Here's some links for you

http://www.charlestoncvb.com/

http://realtorcharlestonsc.com/top-1...charleston-sc/

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/...-manners_x.htm

I know these are biased towards Charleston, but I have family in the upstate as well and the people are pretty much the same throughout the state. I see someone also mentioned dining as well. We have more than a few James Beard award winners here in the area as well as Mobil 4 Star and AAA 4 Diamond restaurants. As far as motorsports are concerned take your pick. Charlotte, Daytona, Darlington, Atlanta are all within a 5 hour driving radius. Road courses? Roebling Road, Road Atlanta and Carolina Motorsports Park should fit the bill. There are also several dragstrips in the area as well; both 1/8 and 1/4 mile. Not too mention the beach, the mountains, College and Pro football, minor league baseball and hockey and lots and lots of golf if that's your thing.

[dadto2jays]

I have been in South Florida for almost 30 years and I will not change it for anything in the world. I have traveled to many places but we always prefer south florida anywhere between dade county north to palm beach county you will find everything that you are looking for. Outstanding homes, low taxes, as already mentioned three tracks within an hour drive. Car shows five or six between all three counties every weekend all year long. High end vehicles around here very common as well as motorycles and boating. I have a lake house in north georgia (Lake Oconee) to be exact and as much as I like it up there I can only take about a week of it then I need to come back home. There is so much to do all the time that youu will never be bored.

Here are some cities that I would suggest as great cities to live in Weston Florida, West Pines Florida, Parkland Florida, Miami Lakes Florida, fort Lauderdale Florida, boca Raton florida, Palm beach gardens, Coral Gables Florida, Plantation Florida, Davie Florida all these cities are within the three counties.

[MyFriendScott]

I'm in central FL, about 50 miles from the beach on the west coast, a 2.5 hour drive to Daytona on the east coast. So you got your motor speedway within 2.5 hours, Sebring, Florida about 1.5 hours south, and drag strips within reasonable driving distances too. The entire state of Florida is one big car show every weekend. It doesn't matter where you live, there's always a car show nearby. It's not as "tropical" as living in south FL, but there's less people, less traffic, more spread out, lower cost of living, and Miami is still only 4.5 hours away. And a very easy drive at that. South FL is very "northern" and Cuban, take your pick. Central and north FL are much more "southern" living/culture.

If you're thinking of moving in a few years, property values will have started to recover so buy as soon as you can if this is where you call home next. Shoot, rent the property until you're ready to move. Residents of FL get a property tax discount called "homestead" of up to $50,000 before real estate taxes are assessed. Briefly look at http://dor.myflorida.com/dor/propert...xemptions.html and compare with estimated taxes owning a home in S.C. The best market for home buyers looking to move to FL right now, in my humble opinion is on the west coast, south of Tampa.Home prices suffered significantly in that region, plenty of market supply even very close to the beach.

Good luck on which ever decision you make.

[MyFriendScott]

I forgot to add, it's 79F as I write this.

[WS6]

I'm biased but I'd say consider North GA. You're 4-6 hours from multiple beaches on the East Coast and the Gulf of Mexico depending on your mood. Winters are mild with snow and ice possible but nothing horrible. You have many very scenic mountains and roads to ride on though they can get busy. Road Atlanta is in Gainesville/Flowery Branch, GA. You have NASCAR in Hampton(Atlanta metro area), GA , Talledega, AL, Charlotte, NC, and Darlington, SC which are all an easy half day drive. Many drag strips from 1/8mi tracks to a few 1/4 mi tracks. I'm back in Kansas now but it was very hard for me to leave GA after spending 2 weeks there for vacation. I miss my home state I really do. SC is my second home state as I've spent a lot of time there. Personally, I don't think you'll go wrong choosing any southern state. Even NC is great but is a target for hurricanes since it sticks out so far. Taxes are low in all these states with TN and FL having no state income tax but higher sales taxes typically.

[SRD art]

I grew up in S FL, Boynton Beach, a suburb of West Palm Beach on the south east coast. Car stuff goes on all year and cruising around Lake Worth Beach on Friday nights was cool. The tracks were great and I had heard Gainesville in northern FL was like the second fastest drag strip in the country, but that was 15 years ago when I moved away, not sure if it still is. I loved the weather, I could ride my bike to the beach in 11 minutes, sunshine, crazy afternoon 5 minute rain storms, alligators in the canal behind the house preying on the neighbor's annoying poodle, sitting on the beach at night to see the stars and hear the surf rolling in, jazz festivals, outdoor art shows, tons of fun stuff to do within an hour or two drive, etc etc. The FL keys are a fun place to go and relax, Miami is a fun place to go for excitement. Lots of good memories. The weather was cold for like 2 weeks in January, and cold means in the 50's. Only 2 things I didn't like, and this was only my opinion- Lots of different people of many different nationalities, cultures and personalities there so it seemed like folks weren't all that friendly, generally speaking. In SC you'll have that nice southern hospitality but probably won't find it in FL. Also you have to keep the cars clean, rust can be a pretty nasty issue with the salty air and rain if you neglect your rides.

When people ask me about moving there I tell them to vacation there and experience the lifestyle first then make a decision. Personally I don't ever want to move back, I'd rather live in an area where if you wave at people passing by they wave back, something like SC or GA or ...

[chevnut55]

srd, very interesting. I think we are going to check out s/c next. we were going to check out floridas west coast next ,but I think looking at a different state this time will be a smart move. thanks for your input guys,very helpful.