Very timely discussion for me as my husband ( I’m still getting used to that term) and I will be relocating to the Philly area at the end of the summer. We are concentrating on the mainline, with the town of Wayne at the epicenter of our search. Wayne is very much like winter park, which is why I probably love it so much. What I’m looking for is a walkable downtown with coffee shops, bookstores, movie theaters, great restaurants and easy access to downtown Philadelphia. Wayne has all of that, and more. My parents live in Manhattan, so access to New York City is important to me as well. If we could, I would love to be within walking distance of downtown Wayne, but it is probably out of our budget as we are looking for a good-sized house. I want my children to be able to visit and my husband wants an office. He’s also partial to a pool, so that almost guarantees a home outside of the downtown area due to yard requirements. There are a lot of houses on the mainline that are in our budget that we like, but I don’t like the towns as much as Wayne.

I’m heading to Philly this weekend and we plan on driving around to look at towns and maybe meeting with a realtor.

I think you will love Winter Park.

Jo

I think I should have phrased my question more narrowly. If you were visiting a city or a few days, and it was a city your were thinking you might move to at some point in the future, what things would you investigate while you were there. Think of it a whittling down a list that right now has over 10 options on it.

Yikes, D, you may have to PM me about where those places were, LOL

Jterri, Interesting strategy, I have thought about buying something now and renting it out, just to get invested. Not that I think FL RE is a bargain but what investment is today, arggh.

Annie, I've heard lots of good things about WP from people who moved their from this area, which is one thing that encourages me.

WB, I don't know if that is good or bad!

BP - Wow! you, like us, have a list of very disparate places. This is part of the reason we are gathering information so far in advance.

WWBungalow - I am leaning toward CityMouse too. I mean, we already have something on the ocean. Neither of us particularly love spending a ton of time on the beach, or boating, and both of us are allergic to shellfish. DH golfs, but isn't a nut about it. I can take it or leave it. We do like warm weather (who doesn't) and indoor/outdoor living, but we also like to ski and I love snow (we are also looking at NE ski resorts). We value good dining choices and gourmet food sources, art films, art museums, plays, classes, etc. You can see why CityMouse makes sense, but, OTOH our beachhouse is 70 miles from Boston and we have gone into Boston from there for daytrips a few times. We are flexible on price.

SueB, If we go CityMouse, it is probably Boston (close to DH's family), New York (esp if I keep working part time or even just consult) or Phila (close to my family). The first one would be the easiest commute to the beach of course. Maybe we would look in Cambridge or Brookline for something more neighborhood-y. IKWYM, though, you want a city big enough to offer it all, but not a place that feels like noone lives there.

Maddie, Tampa is off the list for an odd reason. BIL and SIL live there. Have for decades. It seems odd to move to him, of all the places in the world. We like them fine, but not enough to move to "their" town. Of course now I could say I just moved to be close to Maddielee, LOL!

Tina, eventually, when the list has been narrowed down, we would spend a few weeks. Just trying to make use of the time we will be in the area for other reasons (visiting friends in Nov, a sports meet in Feb). I see your point about continuity of old friends, but that was lost a long time ago. I moved away from my hometown at 23, lived in Phila., lived in NYC, then in No NJ, now in CT. DH grew up in Mass., then lived in No NJ, now CT. We have made good friends in each spot but we don't have deep roots anywhere anymore. My sister is thinking about moving to FL, and we are very close. I think both she and I would strongly consider choosing a city with the other in mind, if we moved to FL.

Bonnieann, If I had to decide right now, we'd do something pretty similar. I can't know where my kids (all still in HS!) will be, but odds are at least one will be in the DC-Boston corridor.

Outside ,the rental thing is tricky. I can see not wanting it, but OTOH, i can imagine wanting to rent our place while we are not there, too. Especially it were a condo in a resort or somesuch.

Voila, yes, I have heard that moniker. I assume it applies mostly to young people or singles, IDK. LOL, several malls around the country have sold for token amounts (yes the anchors often own their stores). I've seen some lovely places in Jupiter, TBH I almost consider that akin to VB, but I just looked and that is a full hour S. Hmm, how would you compare the two towns?

Joanie, It is so funny that you say that, because that was my first thought. I think the two reasons are weather and income tax. I thought my DH would want to move to Boston to be near family and because there is no pull like home, IMHO, but ... he likes the idea of indoor/outdoor living. A big great room that opens onto a courtyard pool, with a grill, he is in heaven. What I like about Winter Park is the housing stock looks a fair bit like NE, and it has a walkable, upscale downtown. Being "close" to Disney might make us newly popular with all manner of extended family, which would be fine.

Anglo, I agree, you need to market yourself, LOL! If we were city mice, I would imagine all get togethers would be held at the beach. If not, it might be a mix. That is another reason for FL. People like to go there when it gets cold; everybody really. I hear you on all the other factors but they are impossible to plan for right now. We are younger than most people who are retired and younger than most people thinking of being snowbirds. We have no idea where any of our kids will be, given that all three are in high school right now! I think we have to think of it as a "next move" and not necessarily a final move. The insurance tables say we could nearly another 35-40 years; who knows?

Jo,

How exciting!!

That area of PA is so pretty. At one point, looking for walkable downtowns, I thought about Ardmore.

How do your parents like being retired in Manhattan?

My parents love Manhattan, always have. My dad worked on Wall Street and grew up in NYC. We lived just outside in CT, so I'm also a huge fan. I'm not sure I could live there full time as I love a yard and dogs (a fenced yard), but we'll never say never as my dh's (first time with that term too, lol) dad and stepmom also live there. But for now, we're concentrating on Philly environs. Ardmore is also high on the list.

Jo

DH and I spent a few years evaluating different locals for this same reason after he retired (the year our oldest DS graduated hs). We knew we wanted to stay put for the next four years while our younger DD finished up hs, but planned to relocate after that. We traveled to and evaluated lots of potential destinations during that time. Then a funny thing happened. Our son, after completing his undergrad and masters in the east, came back to Austin to work. We were stunned. And another funny thing happened -the July before she was due to start college, DD, who always wanted to go to college out of state, canceled her acceptance to an OOS school and wheedled her way back into UT Austin. So now we had two kids living three hours from us, and the idea of leaving seemed crazy and unappealing. I've also moved a couple of times as an adult, and this last move to TX was particularly difficult. It took me a much longer time than usual to make true, lifelong friends, and I was becoming ever more aware of that. So instead of moving, we decided to keep our house here, and to sell an investment property and buy two vacation properties in other parts of the country which we use when we want, and also rent out. One is in Austin, and gives us a base to gather with kiddoes and their friends. The other is back east, which maintains a hold on our hearts, and we've made a few trips a year back there with the kiddoes, (probably because it's a very appealing destination to them). Now DD is about to graduate and who knows where she might end up. Our son has recently started a new job in Austin, which he loves, and I imagine he will be there a few years, but who knows. It just feels right to maximize our proximity to them now, and perhaps we'll change things up in a few years. We raised both our kiddoes thousands of miles away from any family. It wasn't terrible, and there were probably some benefits, but overall, I don't think DH and I or the kiddoes want to repeat that experience for the next generation.

Anyway, I'm not sure if any of this is relatable for you, but I do think the looming deadline of such a decision does help crystalize things.

Best,

It's all very relatable! I think your experience is why we should be flexible, and not consider any moves permanent. Unlike past purchases, this time I think we will want turnkey choices that are good for resale.

We're childless (by choice) mid-6)0's. Have lived in Europe for a job opportunity . We live on Cape Cod - outer Cape and remote. We're very seriously considering buying a property in the Dordogne area of France. But in January we are taking leave from New England to visit family and friends in FL with rentals already booked in St. Augustine, Savannah and Charleston. Don't know what to expect.

I would:

Walk around the downtown or busiest area as much as possible. Get a feel for what it would be like going out for a nice dinner on a Thursday or Friday night.

Try driving around from prospective home locations to, like, whole foods. On a weekday. And on a weekend morning.

Check local event listings.

Check out the local restaurants and food offerings.

Check out the local “stuff to do” – – not necessarily because you will be doing this but because your visitors will.

Check out things that align with your interests – – in my case it is state parks, hiking, birdwatching and museums (I keep meaning to get to that Tiffany museum in Winter Park!). Edited to add: One thing I now love doing every time I go to Sarasota is visiting the Marie Selby Botanical garden and I have started seeking out other local botanical gardens like the Naples garden (which is in great shape for a young garden).

I’m not really a beachgoer either and my husband definitely is not, but I also would hesitate to live inland. We visit the gulf side and it’s so interesting and beautiful. Just being able to watch dolphins or manatees practically every time you go to downtown Sarasota is amazing. The quantity of seabirds is incredible. And being on the gulf is so different than being on the Atlantic. Up North being on the Atlantic means the weather is crappier, colder and harsher. It’s not inviting, it’s exhilarating. The gulf makes the weather better and it’s so easy to wade in or walk miles of beaches. With non-salt water you can’t really go in it because of alligators so you’re stuck admiring it from a distance or via boat.

I agree with Robo. Duplicate the things you would do every day in your own hometown.

I personally would not want to live too close to a tourist attraction.

It's a good idea to start early. You will immediately start eliminating the "do not wants."

We have a home in Florida that we rent out. Someday we might get there! Although we also don't sit on the beach per se, a long walk on the beach is something we would do daily.

My parents were snowbirds to Sarasota for years, and finally moved year round. I did not like the congested traffic, and other more touristy areas would be worse. It did not help that my legs would swell up every time I visited! It was also all too flat for me. If I were moving to Florida, I would be checking the sink hole maps, although friends who grew up and live in an inland area loaded with sinkholes, all seem unconcerned. (Visiting my folks so far from me in New England was challenging for me, especially settling affairs and clearing out the house.)

Of the places mtn is considering, Winter Park is the only area where sinkholes are really a serious concern, but they are a consideration in much of inland FL, especially near Orlando.

I agree that you should definitely visit in high season, too, before committing to an area. On my island, for instance, the year round population is a little over 5000, but in Jan-April that soars to over 20K.

Why not make your beautiful beach house your primary home, and travel to different places each year during the winter months? You might find that once all the children are out of the house you might welcome the quieter pace of living so you might not even end up traveling for all of that time. And once they start having families you can go visit them.

Lucille, Thanks for the compliment. In a way I will think of it as our primary home, as it will be the largest and the one for family gatherings. I don't feel particularly driven to travel. I finished that bucket list too early maybe, LOL. "once they start having families" ... gosh, I think we cannot plan that far ahead, at they are 14-18 right now!

WB - We will be in Naples and Sarasota in high season. VB and WP will be the weekend before ThxG, so still quiet . I don't mind traffic since we can work around it usually, and sometimes I even enjoy traffic if it's sunny and we are in the convertible! When it is high season at the beach we plan around it; for example we bbq on weekends, only go out on weeknights, etc. Traffic to me means, in part, desirability!

Indigo Rose, I don't think we are thinking about settling affairs just yet ...nowhere near traditional retirement age even. I wonder why your legs would swell?

Eld, I agree with both points. Starting early allows us to vet a lot of ideas, and then spend a year or two researching the top 2-3 in depth. Also agree about the beach. I'd never sit at the beach for a day or even an afternoon. But they are lovely to walk. I'd also like bike paths, not sure what places might have them near a beach in FL.

Robo, Thank you for your list. I never thought about your point about inland lakes in FL. Not that I really need to be waterfront anywhere. But it's a good point. I'm looking forward to Sarasota, I keep hearing good things about it. That won't be till Feb.

From allergy standpoints, Florida is the south, and that's all I'm talking about!

It's not just the southern states that can trigger allergies of course. The Scottish countryside tried to kill me.

None of us are allergy sufferers.

Mtn, the tax benefits of living 6 months+ make it an appealing options for sure. For us, having 2 houses in Taxachusetts may not make sense as we get older and are living on unearned income. So many things to ponder. Everything about FL is appealing when it comes to finances, but the emotional tug for us, especially DH, may win out over the savings.

Maddie,

I decided to look at Tampa, for the heck of it, plus even tho we fly into Tampa to see BIL/SIL, the actually are in a nearby town and not Tampa proper. I came across the Hyde Park neighborhood and love it! I love the old housing stock, it seems very like the Northeast, and it seems there are walkable areas? Do tell. I am charmed.

Your comments about loving snow and already owing a home on the beach made me wonder if you'd considered Asheville, NC. It is very beautiful,...I particularly love the homes in Biltmore Village, but many of my parent's friends have built stunning retirement homes in all different parts of the area. Asheville is very "funky" with a great arts and restaurant scene. It not of course a warm weather retirement place, but fall and spring are so gorgeous there, plus if you currently live in New England, it may not seem that cold to you at all!

Nini,

Asheville is on a "possibles" list but pretty far down. It is neither fish nor fowl for us. Unlike southern Florida, It is not a snowbird spot (even tho we don't need beaches, we do like warm weather ) and does not offer tax advantages. Unlike the city mouse locales we are considering (Boston, NY or Phila.), it is much smaller and much further away from what will be our primary home. Our distant third category is ski areas near us, and NC does not hit on either of those counts, either.

That said, i do agree the area is charming (we were there on a stop from Lake Lure about 4 yrs ago). I do recall it was March and the roads were very icy! I have looked online because it was a place I considered until I came up with the current framework.

That makes perfect sense, Mtn. I'm with you...I'd need a warmer winter home than the NC mountains! One other place that is so lovely is Kiawah Island. The natural beauty is stunning, homes exquisite, and very close to Charleston which, while not a big city, definitely has a vibrant arts scene and literally some of the best restaurants I have ever been to. Definitely not as warm as FL in the winter, but you can have amazing outdoor experiences on Kiawah all year. So much biking, gorgeous beaches, golf, tennis...plus just the beauty of the low country (live oaks, Spanish moss, etc) is breathtaking. Plus...if you wanted to mix it up your kids would probably love being there for a beach vacation in the Summmer...it is probably a different beach experience than coastal Maine. Not better, just completely different. If it's warm enough for you, check it out!! :)

I had a big crush on Charleston, Beaufort, and Sullivan's Island, Nini. I finally had to admit that high season there is the same as high season at our beachhouse. That just doesn't make sense for us. As it is, it pains me to leave our beachouse for travel (but, for example, when we go to Greece, it will have to be summer). I don't need more competition for a place to be Jun-Sep.

So, sadly I had to cross SC off. The killer is, when I look at individual houses, the housing stock in that area is *exactly* to my taste and I see home after home that I adore *as is*. By contrast, more than half the homes in Florida are Tuscan with dark wood trim everywhere and all i can think is "white paint!"

"I decided to look at Tampa, for the heck of it, plus even tho we fly into Tampa to see BIL/SIL, the actually are in a nearby town and not Tampa proper. I came across the Hyde Park neighborhood"

Hyde Park, New Suburb Beautiful (funny name, beautiful area), Parkland Estates, Beach Park and some areas of Davis Islands are all wonderful, older neighborhoods. For newer builds with nice neighborhood charm, search the Ballast Point, Culbreath Isles or Culbreath Bayou area.

Zillow zip code search -33611, 33606 or 33629 otherwise known as SOK (South of Kennedy (Blvd.).

When you need a realtor, let me know. A friend handles listings in those areas.

Asheville (and even Boone,NC) are great places, but the major drawback is lack of access to a major airport. Asheville has a regional airport, but people I know at Appalachain State in Boone usually drive the 2 hours to Charlotte or Greensboro.

Hyde Park is lovely, near the university and medical centers, and it is a great mix of new and old. I'm recommending that you consider the beach towns near St. Petersburg; we have a place in Clearwater Beach, but you may also like Belleaire Beach and Belleaire Shores.

My dh and I have been visiting the gulf coast of FL for nearly 15 years. We started up by Tampa and moved south from there. Our favorites... Seista key and Bonita Beach. 5 years ago, we were all set to snowbird there. My sister has lived in California for years. I would visit her every year.

Three years ago, walking on the beach with her...it hit me like a ton of bricks. I started crying and realized that I did not want to live in Florida. I wanted to live in California.

It took some convincing, and a few trips out west by my 4th, but we bought our place there this past spring.

What was most important to me was living near my family. Being in a location where everything else was nearby was just icing on the cake.

Czarina, agree that being near family is high on the list. But it is too soon to figure out where they will be for the most part. That's why I tell myself not to think of this as necessarily forever, and be attuned (for the first time) to resale.

Thanks, Maddie and JB, back to realtor.com!

i already narrowed it down..in my dreams. don't know how and when and if; but i'll never give up until i can

-walkability. unfortunately also will have to be mostly flat while i strongly prefer hills..

-city. good hospitals nearby. either major city or its suburbs

-no snow in the winter.

-won't be near family there(unless they move for some reason) but will be easy to visit. kids..that's one of the biggest problems I've got. maybe will split our time between here(which I really like btw) and there? not that I need to decide it today or tomorrow but still. airport will be real close, but the flights will be long and expensive

-might be near some close friends

-sea in close proximity would be nice..but it's there already lol

-that's how I know the weather will be awful most of the year, and the prices will be outrageous. like here, or worse, like in SF.

"We raised both our kiddoes thousands of miles away from any family. It wasn't terrible, and there were probably some benefits, but overall, I don't think DH and I or the kiddoes want to repeat that experience for the next generation."-yes..same here, and another "how on Earth then"

This list of Vero Beach attractions and activities I assembled for our renters might be helpful when you visit that area:

http://verobeachrentalhome.com/activities-and-attractions.php

(We sold this house a few months ago, and the list hadn’t been updated for a while, so a few links might be broken; google the listing if you find a broken link.)

We’re currently renovating a different house; my husband wanted a dock with easy ocean access via Ft Pierce inlet, but I will miss the convenient walkability of Central Beach. I strongly recommend speaking with our realtor since she’s fantastic and welcomes casual lookers with open arms. She’d show you around and take you through Johns Island and a couple other gated developments that might be a good match for you. I also think you’d really like Riomar. But Vero — while offering lots of amenities for a small city — is very quiet and worlds away from a big city atmosphere. We love it for all it offers in a small package. But it’s definitely not Boston ... nor Jupiter nor Stuart nor Tampa nor Clearwater. Vero is a different pace than most. Much quieter, no traffic. There is a nonstop flight now from Vero’s small airport to Newark, but most flights are out of Palm Beach or Orlando. Piper hq is in Vero so the runway can accommodate larger private jets.

Let me know if you’d like me to connect you with our realtor. Highly recommended!

I think knowing that this might not be your final retirement home gives you more leeway in your decision-making. Many good points to ponder have already been discussed in this thread. Our three kids are a bit spread out now and potentially may become more so in the coming years. With that in mind, being close to a major airport would be paramount for me. DH and I are beginning to think about our next move/retirement and will most likely rent a place for an entire year there (wherever there is) before purchasing. Have fun with the search!

Ha, my trip to Savannah and Charleston was kind of exploring potential retirement places. I liked both a lot (Charleston probably more) but agree that I need to visit during their high seasons.

Anyways, for me it's definitely city with walkability and culture, so definitely need colleges around, art, theater. Also, access to an airport.

Of course, there's also Europe.

Yes, NoSoccer, they are lovely towns.

That's smart, Texanjana, I hope I can be that disciplined!

Jules, That is so nice of you. Thank you for all the information! I am not going to meet with realtors just yet. That will be for second round!

Have you looked at Dunedin, Safety Harbor or Tarpon Springs, on the west coast of central Florida? All interesting in their own ways, walkable, some with beaches, not heavily touristy but all close to all the Tampa Bay area has offer. I have to put in a little plug for Tarpon Springs with its unique Greek community, riverside with sponge docks and Greek restaurants, two small unspoiled beaches, large freshwater lake and some lovely historic houses around the bayous.

Thanks, Sis, I have not. Maybe when we go to Sarasota next year?

We are back from our trip to Vero Beach and Winter Park. TBH, I don't think it helped me choose at all!

We had lunch at Vero Beach, walked the beach, a bit, shopped, and then drove the streets of Riomar. (Jules suggestion; spot on). We oohed and aahed over the wonderful vegetation and the charm of it. See below. We were totally sold.

Then we went to Winter park, and had a TDF meal at Luma, strolled Park Avenue, and visited a gorgeous new construction home. After all that, I was sold ... on Winter Park.

I am back to square one. Vero Beach is very charming, has gorgeous beaches and some cute shops and restaurants. Winter Park is even more upscale, larger, has a university in town, and is easier to get to, but homes are more costly and you are inland (albeit with a charming chain of lakes).

I don't personally have a strong desire to be on the ocean, but it confounds me that WP is so expensive sans ocean. VB seems like better value. In both cases, one thing I am finding is that premier locations have large homes. I only want a 3br, but in WP, for example, that almost does not exist lakefront. And in VB, most Riomar homes are large or else they are knockdowns.

So, they are still on my list. In Feb we will check out Naples and Sarasota.

oh my. now i want to go visit there too. what beautiful places these are

April, they really are. Not at all what I think of when I hear "Florida", TBH. I think they are examples of what some call "old Florida"; before we Northerners "ruined" it.

Just have to say that I spent my undergrad years in Winter Park (went to Rollins College) and loved it there. Even though it is inland, it is only an hour from the east coast , and as Mtn said there are lots of lakes. Funny, going there as a student from the St Petersburg area, the beaches seemed So far away! Now I live in Ohio and wish every day that the beach was only an hour away!

Funny you should say that, Hatethecold. I was talking to DH (this first trip was part of a girls trip so he did not go) and he has a very strong preference for Winter Park at this point.

We are on the ocean in Southern Maine in the summer, and the funny thing is, though we love our home there, DH and I personally do not like going to beaches, boating or eating shellfish (both allergic). We do like to hear the ocean and we like to look at it, and swim in it occasionally (but regardless of temp I'd much rather swim in a pool). So choosing a winter home also on the ocean is not terribly logical.

I just read that the nearest beach to WP is only 45 min. So we, or our guests, can certainly enjoy a beach day. As for the lakes, I also forgot how much my DH enjoys fishing and boating on a lake (and I do too, since I don't get seasick!). We sold our summer lakehouse (and canoes and kayaks and paddleboat and pontoon boat!) when we bought the beachhouse. He especially could spend hours on the boat fishing. I liked kayaking but the whole family liked the pontoon boat.

So, we will go back for round 2 sometime, probably not until next winter as we already have a bunch of trips lined up. When we do, we need to check out the lakes (we did not do the boat ride when I was there). We would like to be on the lake with a dock, but that is hard to find in 3br. I did read about a development that shares a dock, that may work for us.

Thanks for your input, Rollins College (which is actually a University) seems lovely. Maybe our youngest DD would want to go.

Mtn, even if your youngest has no interest in Rollins I would recommend visiting the campus. It is lovely, and of course right on Lake Virginia. It has grown quite a bit since my time-up to almost 2,000 students vs ~1250 in my day :)

Hi Hatethecold, Yes, we drove through a bit. So picturesque!

just read that the nearest beach to WP is only 45 min

That must have been written by the Chamber of Commerce!

LOL actually that came from both the Cocoa Beach website and from an article in the Orlando Sentinel about the 5 best beaches near Orlando. (both quoting from Orlando...probably the airport ... and not WP, FWIW).

No matter, it is not like I am commuting it and it really matters exactly how long it would take, or how long it would take in traffic. The point is simply that is it no biggie for a day trip if for some reason we found ourselves wanting to go to the beach on a random day.

"just read that the nearest beach to WP is only 45 min

That must have been written by the Chamber of Commerce! "

Exactly.

Many years ago (early 70s), we were given the sales spel for property at River Ranch Acres. The salesman keep repeating what a great investment it was because it was only 45 minutes to Disney World! 45 minutes if you are a crow.

I like Winter Park, as long as I wouldn't have to leave WP and travel anywhere on the Interstate very often. (Hint- The best time to get through Orlando is at 4:30 am.)

That's why the criteria for retiring is entirely different than those for working and commuting. When I used to live 12 miles outside of Manhattan and commute, it usually took an hour by train and ferry or train and subway, and about an hour and 20 by car at rush hours. But one summer Friday night my car service took 3.5 hours, and one New Year's Eve DH drove us home from Lincoln Center in under 30minutes ( a record! but still not great for people who travel 12 miles in most of the country!)

In a similar vein, somewhat facetiously, I told DH we should look for a home in a bad school district. What do we need with schools? ( I know I know, it drives home values and is also a social obligation).

Jojo - If you are reading, I think you first suggested Winter Park. If we end up wanting to be on a lake, what did you think of Windermere? I know you lived there at one time? It doesn't seem to have a downtown and a lot of the housing stock is a little OTT stylistically, but curious what your thoughts were. It came up when I was looking for lakefront.

Have you ruled out the Florida panhandle? It’s not as warm in the winter as it is downstate, but there are some lovely developments between Destin and Panama City in the new urbanism vein. Seaside was the first, with Rosemary Beach and Alys Beach being more recent additions. Highway 30A.

Oh yes, i have looked there. I adore those communities. But, their prime season is summer, which is when we will be at our beachhouse. So it makes no sense. And from what I saw, the communities are pretty dead in winter. Also somewhat isolated and hard to get to.

I noticed a few new construction homes in WP that were called "Alys Beach" style! That is very much the look we like. Understated, West Indies-ish. So much of FL real estate is still very Tuscan and overwrought; ugh!

That's very true -- I forgot you wanted it to be primarily a winter place. There's not much happening on 30A in winter save for some action right around the holidays. Jan-April is pretty quiet. I agree that the Alys Beach aesthetic -- that sort of Dutch Colonial thing -- is super inviting. I grew up in that area and remember when they first broke ground on Seaside. We all thought it was crazy - a whole little expensive town out in the middle of nowhere? Little did we know.

As a bit of a design buff, I've read about Seaside over the years and always loved the idea. The communities along 30A are truly lovely!

These are two homes we looked at in WP. Neither works because they aren't the right location; we either want to have a dock or be downtown or both. Both are described as "Alys Beach".

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/111-E-Rockwood-Way-Winter-Park-FL-32789/46073630_zpid/

https://www.coldwellbankerhomes.com/fl/winter-park/1551-mizell-ave/pid_12732872/

This is also a similar style and my current fave, but DH wants lakefront. Even though its new I think it needs a Curb Appeal makeover.

https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/1501-Cardinal-Ct_Winter-Park_FL_32789_M64256-87174

I didn’t realize that “Alys Beach” had become a de facto style. I like both of those houses. The third one is pretty faithful to the ‘20s-‘30s Spanish Colonial Revival style. It doesn’t look obviously new at all from the front. And I can understand your hub’s desire to be lakefront. There’s just something about having that water right there where you can see it all the time.