On Top of the World in Ocala, FL is one of the few 55+ communities that still has a couple of homes that start in the $200k’s. Today’s featured home though is one of the bigger floorplans they offer. With 3 bedrooms plus a “flex” room, 3 bathrooms, and a 3-car garage, the 2,812 sq. … Continue Reading » about The Wellington at On Top of the World in Ocala, FL
Ultimate List of National Parks in Florida
From the Panhandle to the Atlantic Coast and all the way down to the Florida Keys, the National Parks across the state of Florida offer a fantastic number of outdoor experiences for residents and visitors. No matter what type of outdoor adventure you are looking for, there is something for just about everyone at each … Continue Reading » about Ultimate List of National Parks in Florida
The Ibis in 55+ Valencia at Riverland
The Ibis is part of the Premier Collection by GL Homes, available to build in Valencia Parc at Riverland, a 55-plus community in Port St. Lucie. This 1,599 sq. ft. living area home has 2 Bedrooms, 2 Bathrooms and a Den/Optional 3rd Bedroom. Let’s go inside and take a look! Want to see all the … Continue Reading » about The Ibis in 55+ Valencia at Riverland
Here’s What It Really Costs to Live in Florida’s Most Popular Retirement Community
By far the most frequently asked question I get over on my website about The Villages is some variation of: “What does it cost to live in The Villages?” The answer is not as straightforward as many would like, because everybody’s situation is different, and figuring out one’s cost of living is not at all … Continue Reading » about Here’s What It Really Costs to Live in Florida’s Most Popular Retirement Community
The Villages vs. Latitude Margaritaville
Editor’s Note:If you enjoy this sort of thing, in my private, member’s only community for future Florida retirees, I’m comparing lots of other popular Florida retirement communities just like you see here. Learn more here… (opens in a new window) Two of the most popular 55+ communities in Florida today are The Villages and Latitude Margaritaville Daytona … Continue Reading » about The Villages vs. Latitude Margaritaville
Florida Facts: From Basic to Holy Cow! Is That Really True?
While you might know some of these basic Florida facts, I’m willing to bet there are more than a few here that may surprise you. Let’s jump right in! Basic Florida Facts Florida is the 22nd largest state in the country. Its 67 counties cover 65,755 square miles. Florida is the 3rd most populated state … Continue Reading » about Florida Facts: From Basic to Holy Cow! Is That Really True?
Safest Places to Retire in Florida
According to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Florida’s total crime rate has gone down by more than 60% since 1998. Each year the FBI releases crime data for the previous year for all Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSA’s) in the United States, including the 22 MSA’s in Florida. I thought it would be interesting to … Continue Reading » about Safest Places to Retire in Florida
Lakewood Ranch Retirement Guide
Lakewood Ranch is a large master-planned community that is located about halfway between Bradenton and Sarasota on Florida’s west coast. Lakewood Ranch offers more than a dozen different neighborhoods offering both age-restricted and family-friendly living across more than 31,000 acres. Several readers as well as personal friends of mine have moved there, and I can … Continue Reading » about Lakewood Ranch Retirement Guide
The Avon at Freedom San Salito
Avon calling! Ok, with silly jokes out of the way, the Avon, available at Freedom San Salito in St. Augustine is a 3 bedroom, 2 bath home with a 2-car garage, coming in at just over 1,600 sq. ft. of living space. Freedom San Salito is an active adult community that offer a low stress, … Continue Reading » about The Avon at Freedom San Salito
The Best Arizona Retirement and 55+ Communities
A lot of our readers are also considering Arizona for retirement, so we’ve put together a list of the best 55-plus retirement communities in AZ. The following are some of the most popular retirement communities currently being developed in Arizona today. Each of them offer a unique combination of floor plans, amenities, and location to … Continue Reading » about The Best Arizona Retirement and 55+ Communities
Florida Snowbird Guide
If spending the cold winter months living in sunny Florida is something that you have often thought about but never really explored, today is the day for you to start thinking a bit more seriously about wintering in Florida. With a history that dates back to brilliant minds like John D. Rockefeller, Henry Ford, and … Continue Reading » about Florida Snowbird Guide
Florida’s Most Affordable Retirement Communities
Very few retirees can say that “budget is not a concern” when looking for the right Florida retirement or 55+ community. Everyone has their number. But “affordable” means different things to different people, so what I wanted to do in this article is give you a list of the Florida retirement communities with the lowest … Continue Reading » about Florida’s Most Affordable Retirement Communities
Best Places to Retire in Ocala
The Ocala area represents a unique combination of history, horses, and culture that is surrounded by some of the most beautiful natural environments you will find anywhere. Sprinkle in the collection of interesting shops and restaurants in Ocala’s downtown district and you will find Ocala to be the type of place where no one struggles … Continue Reading » about Best Places to Retire in Ocala
Best Florida Events and Festivals for 2023
No matter what type of fun you enjoy or when you plan to be here, there is almost always an amazing event or festival happening somewhere in the Sunshine State. Whether you are looking for art and music festivals or prefer to spend your time among foodies and nature enthusiasts, Florida serves up more than … Continue Reading » about Best Florida Events and Festivals for 2023
Ultimate List of New 55+ Communities in Florida
It only makes sense that there would be more 55+ communities in Florida than in any other state, and we believe this is the most up-to-date list around.
Del Webb Communities in Florida – Updated for 2025
Del Webb is a division of Pulte Homes that focuses on building and developing 55+ active adult communities. Del Webb is one of the original pioneers of the 55-plus community concept, having started their first development, Sun City, more than 50 years ago. Del Webb currently has several new home communities under development in Florida, … Continue Reading » about Del Webb Communities in Florida – Updated for 2025
The Villages vs. Solivita
See also:The Villages vs. Citrus HillsThe Villages vs. On Top of the WorldThe Villages vs. Tradition Introduction Check out the most popular forums frequented by residents and prospective residents of The Villages, and you’ll see that one of the most often discussed community (other than The Villages itself, of course) is Solivita. Solivita is a … Continue Reading » about The Villages vs. Solivita
The Villages vs. Citrus Hills
The Villages is the best-selling community in the country (retirement or otherwise) for a reason, but not everyone who takes a look at The Villages for retirement falls under her spell. We thought it’d be fun to compare The Villages to a number of other popular Florida retirement communities so you can see which one … Continue Reading » about The Villages vs. Citrus Hills
25 Best Places to Retire in Florida – Updated for 2025
Every year I take a look at our website analytics and go through the hundreds of emails I get from readers to figure out the places that people are reading about and asking me about the most.
The Dalton at Parkland Preserve
The Dalton is a floorplan available in the community of Parkland Preserve at World Golf Village, just south of Jacksonville, FL. You get a pretty good bang for your buck in this area, and that’s clear looking at this home which gives you 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, and a 2-car garage starting in the $280k’s … Continue Reading » about The Dalton at Parkland Preserve
The Villages vs. On Top of the World
Of all the community comparison articles I’ve written, this is probably the one people have focused on the most. Some people describe On Top of the World in Ocala as a miniature version of The Villages, and that’s a fairly good description. “The Villages Light” if you wish. I think that most people living in … Continue Reading » about The Villages vs. On Top of the World
Can You Still Find a Florida Waterfront Home For Under $300k?
A reader named Al asks: I want to buy a house preferably on the water, but I’d consider close to the water. Is there a town where a person can still buy a waterfront home say for under 300k? And I mean a home where I could get to the ocean. Not some man made … Continue Reading » about Can You Still Find a Florida Waterfront Home For Under $300k?
Discover Venetian Bay in New Smyrna Beach, FL
Venetian Bay is unique in that it represents not one home, but an epic “Community” of homes and the splendid lifestyle that goes with it. Whether you are buying your first home or your dream home Venetian Bay has something to offer everyone. Perfectly situated in Central Florida’s favorite beach town, New Smyrna Beach, Venetian … Continue Reading » about Discover Venetian Bay in New Smyrna Beach, FL
The Villages vs. Tradition
Tradition is a large Master-Planned community on the east coast of Florida and though it is not as big as The Villages, it will be one of the biggest in the state. While it’s not exclusively an active adult community, there are 55+ options in Tradition like Del Webb Tradition, Vitalia at Tradition, and others … Continue Reading » about The Villages vs. Tradition
The Osprey in Valencia Grove at Riverland
Valencia Grove at Riverland, a 55 plus community in Port St. Lucie, is one of the newest 55+ communities in all of Florida, and they offer 20 different models that range in size from just 1,300 sq. ft. to more than 3,300 sq. ft. One of the ones I like the best is called “The … Continue Reading » about The Osprey in Valencia Grove at Riverland
The Bristol at Valencia Bonita
The Bristol is 2-bedroom, 2 bathroom attached villa at Valencia Bonita 55+ community in Bonita Springs, which sits about halfway between Fort Myers and Naples on the west coast of Florida. It also has an office/den which could also be turned into a 3rd bedroom if you wanted. I’ve talked about my love of the … Continue Reading » about The Bristol at Valencia Bonita
The Livingston at On Top of the World
The Livingston is 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom home at On Top of the World Communities in Ocala, that also includes a flex room, and a 2-car garage plus enough extra space for your golf cart. Want to see all of the other great floorplans available at On Top of the World? Get Information from On … Continue Reading » about The Livingston at On Top of the World
The Villages of Citrus Hills Photo Gallery
Our friends at the Villages of Citrus Hills recently sent over a brand new batch of stunning photos, and since “WE WANT MORE PHOTOS!” is the #1 request I get here on the blog, I’m excited to share these with you today. Skyview Clubhouse The Villages of Citrus Hills is home to a handful of … Continue Reading » about The Villages of Citrus Hills Photo Gallery
St. Cloud Florida Retirement Guide
Located along the southern banks of East Lake Tohopekaliga near Kissimmee and just south of Orlando, St. Cloud is a quiet city that was originally known as a retirement destination for Civil War veterans. In addition to having a rich history, the area also offers a type of small-town living that is getting harder and … Continue Reading » about St. Cloud Florida Retirement Guide
The Amenities at Twin Lakes
Located in St. Cloud (Orlando Area), Twin Lakes is one of the most desirable new active adult communities in all of Central Florida. One of the best features that Twin Lakes really takes advantage of is the fact that it sits right on Live Oak Lake, so residents have easy access to boating, fishing, kayaking … Continue Reading » about The Amenities at Twin Lakes
Best Places to Live / Disney World Hacks / Bicycle Ride Ideas
U.S. News & World Report just released their annual list of the Best Places to Live, and five Florida cities (Sarasota, Melbourne, Fort Myers, Pensacola, and Jacksonville) made the Top 50. The list goes all the way to #125, but rankings aside, what I find most valuable are the detailed profiles you get when you … Continue Reading » about Best Places to Live / Disney World Hacks / Bicycle Ride Ideas
2019 Hurricane Predictions / Virgin Trains / Mullet Tossing
Every year around this time, we Floridians start to listen for some news out of Colorado. Wait…what? Why would Floridians be interested in news coming out of Colorado? Because Colorado State University is where the hurricane season predictions come from. Here’s what they predict for this year. – Weather.com Speaking of hurricanes, some homeowners in … Continue Reading » about 2019 Hurricane Predictions / Virgin Trains / Mullet Tossing
Snow in Florida / East Coast vs. West Coast / Worst States for Retirees
In case you missed it, earlier this week we published our roundup of some of the best activities and events taking place throughout Florida the month of April. Check it out here if you haven’t already. Standing 6′ 8″ tall, I don’t think I could live in a tiny house simply based on the amount … Continue Reading » about Snow in Florida / East Coast vs. West Coast / Worst States for Retirees
Best Beach Towns / Florida Before Mickey / Happiest Cities
1. Two Florida beach towns made this year’s Southern Living list of The South’s Best Beach Towns. Destin came in at #2 on the list and Panama City Beach came in at #3. – Southern Living 2. In a few previous issues we’ve been talking about the bill passing through the Florida legislature to legalize … Continue Reading » about Best Beach Towns / Florida Before Mickey / Happiest Cities
Types of Gated Communities in Florida
One of the most requested features among those searching for new home communities in Florida is that they be gated. There are various types of gated communities, some more secure than others. In this article, which is really just an excerpt from my book Pick the Right Place, we’ll look at the different types of … Continue Reading » about Types of Gated Communities in Florida
Smokeable Marijuana / Sea Turtle Nesting / Tiny Houses
1. A pink, plastic, Flamingo lawn ornament in the front yard is the vision that some people have of houses here in Florida, and with that one might assume that the Flamingo is a state bird. Well, it’s not, but it might be soon. – WLRN 2. On Sunday March 10 at 2am we will … Continue Reading » about Smokeable Marijuana / Sea Turtle Nesting / Tiny Houses
Golf Courses Disappear / #1 Beach in US / Florida’s Safest City
1. Golf courses closing down and the land being used for additional housing is a growing trend here in Florida. We still have about 1,250 golf courses, the most of any state, but we have lost many in recent years including ones in Boca Raton, Amelia Island and Delray Beach. – Tampa Bay Times 2. … Continue Reading » about Golf Courses Disappear / #1 Beach in US / Florida’s Safest City
Record Tourism / Cheaper Prescription Drugs / Top Restaurants
1. The Sunshine State welcomed an all-time record number of visitors in 2018 with 126.1 million out-of-state visitors according to VISIT FLORIDA, the state’s official tourism marketing corporation. Despite the red tide affecting Florida beaches and Hurricane Michael punching through the Panhandle in October, the state topped its 2017 visitor total by 6.2 percent. – … Continue Reading » about Record Tourism / Cheaper Prescription Drugs / Top Restaurants
Tiny House Festival / High-Speed Chase through The Villages / Worst Florida Cities
1. More Florida cities are taking measures to protect the health of their local environments. Last week we mentioned Key West banning certain kinds of sunscreen because of the damage they cause to coral reefs. This week, Sarasota is considering banning plastic straws and styrofoam. – Herald Tribune 2. Four Florida cities were named among … Continue Reading » about Tiny House Festival / High-Speed Chase through The Villages / Worst Florida Cities
The Clifton Model at Freedom San Salito
The Clifton Model, available at Freedom San Salito in St. Augustine is a 3 bedroom, 2 bath home with a 2-car garage, coming in at just under 1,800 sq. ft. of living space. Freedom San Salito is an active adult community that offer a low stress, low maintenance lifestyle that features a gated entrance, amenity … Continue Reading » about The Clifton Model at Freedom San Salito
Red Tide Gone / Sunscreen Ban / Florida’s Largest Winery
1. According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Florida’s coastal waters are entirely free of red tide algal blooms. The state has been dealing with the effects of red tide since October of 2017. – Miami Herald 2. 2017 tax law changes capping a deduction for state and local taxes at $10,000, is … Continue Reading » about Red Tide Gone / Sunscreen Ban / Florida’s Largest Winery
The Santini in Esplanade at Highland Ranch
The Santini is a 2 Bed + Den, 2.5 Bath, 2-Car Garage home available in Esplanade at Highland Ranch, a resort style 55+ community in Clermont (Central Florida). With just over 2,200 sq. ft. of living area, the Santini is in just about the middle of the road as far as sizes of homes that … Continue Reading » about The Santini in Esplanade at Highland Ranch
The Columbia at Valencia Del Sol
Longtime readers know of my affection towards townhouses or “paired villas” as some communities call them. Part of this is due to the fact that they are just so darn convenient, and allow you to really just lock the door and leave to go travel or visit friends and family, without having to worry about … Continue Reading » about The Columbia at Valencia Del Sol
Top 5 Articles of 2018
Each year we like to take a look back at our website stats to see which articles seem to be resonating most with our readers. This helps us plan out our content calendar for the coming year and helps us to try and put out more of the content that our readers are actually interested … Continue Reading » about Top 5 Articles of 2018
48 Hours in Port St. Lucie
Located right in the heart of Florida’s “Treasure Coast,” Port St. Lucie is best known for being the Spring Training home of the New York Mets. It is also a popular golf destination thanks to the world-class PGA Village Resort. But there is much more to Port St. Lucie than golf and baseball. This small-town … Continue Reading » about 48 Hours in Port St. Lucie
Four More Builder’s Models Available to Purchase
A few weeks back I mentioned that On Top of the World was selling a handful of their model homes to make way for a new model center that’s currently under construction. This week, another community, the Villages of Citrus Hills, has reached out to let me know that they too are selling a few … Continue Reading » about Four More Builder’s Models Available to Purchase
Rare opportunity to buy a builder’s model homes
Back when I worked in new home sales, hardly a day went by when someone would come through our model homes and ask to buy one of them. In most cases the answer was a quick “no”, they could not do that. In some cases they had already been sold to investors who bought the … Continue Reading » about Rare opportunity to buy a builder’s model homes
The Carlyle at Valencia Grove
A few weeks ago we featured one of the smaller floorplans available at Valencia Grove, a 55+ community in Port St. Lucie. This week, we bring you one of the bigger models available there. Just fyi, they have 19 different models to choose from starting from the $300k’s. At just over 3,100 sq. ft. (living … Continue Reading » about The Carlyle at Valencia Grove
The Sierra at Valencia Bonita
Part of the “Regal Collection” at Valencia Bonita (nestled between Fort Myers and Naples), The Sierra is a 2 Bedroom, 2 Bathroom home with a den that could be turned into a 3rd Bedroom if you wanted. It also has a Great Room, a Screened Covered Patio, and 2-Car Garage. Watch this video for a … Continue Reading » about The Sierra at Valencia Bonita
Daytona Beach Retirement Guide
Because of its popularity among race fans, motorcycle enthusiasts, spring breakers, and summer vacationers, Daytona Beach is often overlooked by many boomers as they search for a Florida retirement destination that will fit their ideal lifestyle. However, those popular reasons for visiting Daytona Beach are really just scratching the surface of what residents enjoy here … Continue Reading » about Daytona Beach Retirement Guide