Florida Guy Here

[FLDave1]

Hello-
Lurked for about a year.  20years+ FL resident.  Looking to build 1000sqf +/- get-away central part of state.  Maybe near a state or nat. forest.  Want to keep the drive time 3-3.5 hours one way.  This puts me N of Orlando, maybe a bit W.  Cash to start 45K with full budget of 60K

On/Off grid; I say on grid.

I need to make this hurricane resistant: metal roof, impact doors+ windows, transfer switch, etc..

BTW; I have a question:  Is there such a thing as land that is not owned? In other words has all the land say, in Florida, been spoken for?
Either owned by the Fed, State, or privately?

Thanks;
FLDave

[rick91351]

  Great to have you on board.  Wow the 3 hour drive is a real pain.  Anything closer?  I do an hour and half several times a week and have a good part of my 58 years.  The hour and half is getting to be a real pain now.  We have had a couple here on the forum that were trying like six hours.  They threw their hands up.  Fuel prices and wear on vehicles also start to eat in to your dreams along with tired butt.

     

[Redoverfarm]

  I assume you mean to relocate some 3-3.5 hours from where you are.  Or are you considering to commute.  That would be a real killer.  I have relatives who live about 1 hr from Orlando and it is fairly rural yet in some places. 

[muldoon]

Hi Dave, nice you joined the forum, welcome aboard.

I think a getaway in a rural area sound good, next to a large state forest reserve even better.  The other guys are right that long road trips make for tough getaways, and much tougher work trips.  As long as you can honest with yourself going into it though good luck with that. 

As for land that is not already owned, I dont think so.  About 25 years ago I remember hearing about land grants in Alaska - land that was unowned and available as long as you worked it and liver there.  I dont think it has been the case inside the lower 48 for decades tho. 

One thing, I believe that area is heavily wooded (everglades right?) - you might find some rural parcels owned by either timber or paper mills.  They are hurting right along with the rest of us in todays world and have been selling off acreage because demand has fallen off a cliff and they just need to reduce expenses.  Might be something to check into -- nothing wrong with a good deal.

Good luck, when you get your plan together some more I would love to hear more about your hurricane proofing ideas.  I live on the gulf coast too (Texas) and have a desire to understand more about what is available on the subject.

[MountainDon]

Either owned by the Fed, State, or privately?

to that add tribal and in some places school trust lands (another form of government control). It's all earmarked by someone or something.

[FLDave1]

Ok- the land question is clear now thanks.
As far as the commute. I have practical experience.  I did a 5.5 -hr -each way-commute every Friday afternoon with a return Sunday departure of 2pm; I did this Fort Lauderdale to Jacksonville "hop" for 9 months while I was living out of a one room apt and house shopping when the market crashed  However, I wasn't "working"- hammering, cutting, over the weekend.   I am trying to get a grip on ,is if I do a 3 hour run up to the worksite- how burned out will I be come Monday? I hear chuckles and laughter from "those who know" so, I think I have answered my question. 

What I do not want to happen is that I start to curse the project and create bad energy because I'm getting teed off and burned out. I am fortunate to have a block of time off during the pleasant days of Florida summer. I would be able to get a month of work- this way I want this to be a labor of love- corny but that's the sum of it.

Muldoon- the Everglades may have some pieces of land and trees, scrub and cover exists but not wooded like Lake Kissimmee State Park or say Lake Wales as a comparison.  However, wet, wet, wet and other issues.

My thinking on the location and driving distance: I want the get into the different "topography" from my experience I know many things in Florida change north of Orlando. I want to stay off the coasts for insurance reasons.

I've pulled all county maps from AAA for the areas of interest.  Just a word of advice:  An area around Goethe State Forest got my attention. I did a search and found that a nuclear power substation was proposed for 5k acre tract near the southern end of this forest. I know eventually this issue would come to light but the idea that something like that could be near your "dream" was a reality check.  I might also add that some of us may remember the word Superfund. Well the Feds have site for Superfund cleanup sites and brownfields.  These types of information I file under the category of due diligence.

FLDave

[Don_P]

On the weekend commute, we lived 3 hours away while we built twenty years ago. It took 3 years of driving up after work and driving home Sunday night. The timeline was more money driven than the project actually taking that much time. We did alot of clearing and site work when we didn't have cash. I was 20 years younger but it wasn't too bad. We would try to pick up between 3 and 5 on Sunday and head out, that still got us back in time to relax and wind down. There were sessions of working till dark and then heading back, that made for a long Monday. I timed vacations carefully, we framed through 16" of rain during one vacation week and spent the next vacation huddling from and then cutting out after hurricane Hugo. We also weren't going to move until it was done... I did wait till the roof was on 

[MushCreek]

Pleasant days of Florida summer?? You must really like the heat! I've been in FL for 30 years now, and I just cannot take the heat any more, at least doing manual labor. If you could get your foundation, such as piers and a deck done working part time, you could probably get a lot of the shell built in a solid month of effort, especially if you can get some help. It seems like getting to the point of a deck takes time, and then all of the finishing work takes time. The actual shell usually goes up pretty quick. Can you do any work at home, and then haul it to the site? A friend of mine built a shed at home, knocked it down, and re-assembled it on his property. You could also build things like kitchen cabinets at home. FL summers are hot, but the rainstorms are brief, even if you do get one every afternoon. Now you've got a shell, which you can stay in as-is as you gradually finish it up inside. 3 hours is nothing- our property is 10 hours away in SC! Of course, I'm not trying to build there, either. Once I break ground, that's where I'll stay until it's done, and hopefully for the rest of my days.

[FLDave1]

MushCreek I was being "humorous" regarding the "pleasant days" of a Florida summer.  I think this year we even suffered a week or two in late November -early December... Summers are sweatbox with the afternoon rains that then create enough humidity the rest of the day to take the starch out of your noodle! not tellin ya nuttin you dont know.

I like the idea of builds at home. 

[rwanders]

Some really nice areas around Rainbow Springs State Park and the Rainbow River in Marion County (Dunnedin). Land prices are still seriously down and so it's definitely a buyer's market, especially if you have some cash.  Personally, I like the St Augustine area too-----about 15-20 miles inland from the coast.

[i wish we were up north]

Hi, you may want to check Craigslist in your targeted areas.  We have been finding lots of land for family members there.  Just a thought.

[FLDave1]

Thanks  I've checked Clist but not indepth.  Also, doing a real estate pull for areas in and arounf RSprings.  I was interested in the area around Goethe State Park. 

My initial searches show about 75% of the lots/parcels already part of a subdivision or other HOA type setting- you know the type, ..."1/4 acre bulding site in awesome development."" blah, blah... I am looking for a non restrcited area.

Part of my thinking on this project is to get the family involved. We would like a place to get to without making patience thin.