Warm days, small towns, lovely gardens, scenic lakes, walking trails, and great golf are just the beginning of the wonderful amenities of living in Central Florida. Since my family’s roots are not from the South, we don’t have much hurricane experience. When we heard a storm that was targeting Florida had been named a Hurricane, we wanted to be as prepared as possible.
We took the outdoor furniture off the lanai, rolled up the rug, and moved the potted plants from the front entrance to the garage. Then we hunted down two flashlights, checked the batteries, and stocked up on water. The hurricane preparation guide said to fill up the tub with water, just in case we lose power. We followed all the recommendations and then went to the grocery store; got some chips, bread, cheese and wine. Red wine, as it is good for the antioxidant value. Although we have spent time in England, we still have not developed an appreciation for warm beer.
We sat back satisfied that we were as ready as we could be. When Matthew hit, it rained some and the wind blew. We heard a few claps of thunder but all in all Central Florida was quite fortunate. Sadly, all of Florida was not so lucky. Hurricane Matthew hugged the coast and damaged countless homes, bridges, roads and the beautiful beaches along Florida’s east coast. Much of the coast was without power for multiple days. Solivita and Central Florida did quite well. Our power lines are underground and we had no damage, nor did we lose electricity. A few branches fell, but Solivita Maintenance was out cleaning them up as quickly as the clouds cleared. We were out and about within a few hours after the storm blew through. In fact, we still have the wine to prove it!
Originally we had planned to move to one of Florida’s coasts, but after looking around and finding Solivita we changed our minds. While looking at property it is important to look at insurance and maintenance costs as these expenses need to be factored in to your future expenses, especially when purchasing a retirement home. These costs are much lower in central Florida than the costs to insure and maintain property on either coast. Our friends in Daytona and Jacksonville agree, as they are paying higher premiums and have had quite a few storms blow through causing concern, damage, and dollars. Dollars in retirement that should be spent on the golf course, spa, mall, or a vacation and not on storm repairs and storm insurance.
All roads point to Solivita!
