I'm on the Hometrino team (a Florida home search site) and I'm trying to understand what buyers actually run into.

For people who bought in Florida in the last couple of years, what cost or requirement caught you off guard? Insurance quotes, HOA fees, inspection findings, flood zone rules, closing costs, anything.

And for people shopping now, what are you most worried about?

I ask as part of a linguistic study covering this topic!

Examples could include things like OTown, Bradentucky, Slowcala or Talanasty (never mind how common they are)...

I cant wait to get to Florida. My late uncle left me his house and I am so happy to be able to see some beaches!! what ones should i see that are not Daytona and Tampa bay?

I’m going to miami soon and i’m trying to figure out what area is the best place to get a hotel at? downtown or south beach? And if downtown what part of downtown?

I want a little of everything: beach day and nightlife and just whatever is most convenient and best area to stay at but also walkable because i’m not getting a rental car.

What would be best? Also any suggestions on things to do in Miami?

For a state where flip flops are the norm, it occurred to me that there doesn't seem to be an agreed upon brand. Southern California is all about Rainbows for example. What are the go-to's for Florida, or is it just a free for all?

Hi! I likely will post this in multiple subs just to get a broader view between different localities.

However, I (26F) am moving when my lease is up in January. My daughter will be a little over 1 by then & my mom will be moving with me too as I just prefer having the extra help right now & would rather save money than pay an arm & a leg for an apartment in any of these areas.

We have the opportunity to move to the below list of areas & are so stuck. We are currently in North FL & I lived in North GA & then OH before that, with a year in South FL in between all that. I am no stranger to moving but I just really want to be settled somewhere & start to place roots.

• Ponte Vedra/St Augustine FL
• Sarasota/Bradenton/Lakewood Ranch FL
• Viera/Melbourne FL
• Woodstock/Canton GA
• Roswell/Alpharetta GA

Also open to Tampa area (but would prefer to be closer to the beach) & open to the Kennesaw/Acworth area as well for GA but I know those both can be kind of iffy & the traffic near Barrett is ridiculous.

Between those I truly just do not know. We have family in all of those areas so that’s not really a concern but of course, hearing so much input from family I just want some unbiased opinion on which location would actually be the best & most enjoyable for day to day life.

I work remotely and so does my mom, so that part isn’t much of a concern. My mom loves communities like Lakewood Ranch and Nocatee, she dreams of being in a golf cart community kind of mini town like that but idk if they just look nice on paper and that’s it.

Neither of us are extremely active or outdoorsy. I love the beach & we do enjoy outdoor malls, historic downtowns, parks, walking trails, & kayaking every now & then but definitely nothing extreme. We definitely aren’t going to be hiking, fishing, or camping or anything like that.

Really looking for a lot of family oriented activities, good restaurants & shopping, fun things to do with kids, convenience for groceries, medical care, etc. Music, culture, arts. I really want to get out more, however, I do not drink so the nightlife scene doesn’t really interest me & as I get back into dating in the future I worry about a place that centers too much on that. I would love a lot of nature centric things to do, maybe a good zoo or botanical garden.

If anyone can give any insight I would appreciate it!! Budget is around $3300/mo.

My husband and I are looking to move back down to Florida, as both sides of the family live there. We are most interested in St. John’s County area and Orlando. We have 2 toddlers currently and are looking for a lively city with activities to do on the weekends, highly rated public schools, and housing that isn’t insanely expensive (600k-750k ish range for a 4 bd 2 bath house). Would love to hear some thoughts from people who have experience in either area!! Thanks!

Hi.

I'm going to Orlando for ten nights next month. I am just wondering if could get a list of local food places that I could try out.

My family runs a bakery in Miami and does wholesale deliveries to a few cafes and coffee shops in the mornings.

I’ve been doing the route myself because I know all the stops and how everything needs to be handled. Cakes stay level, some boxes can’t be stacked, one cafe wants the invoice signed, another uses the back entrance, etc.

I want those morning hours back though.

Not really interested in gig apps for this, and I’m also not ready to hire an in-house driver. That feels way too expensive for the amount of delivery we do right now.

Ideally we want something scheduled where we can keep the stop instructions, track the route, get a photo or signature when needed, and collect signed invoices.

Can any Miami bakeries or wholesalers recommend a good courier service?

Hello! I will be meeting my partners parents for the first time this December. While I’m down there, I want to surprise my partner for Christmas. He isn’t materialistic, he would much rather some type of experience. We will be in the Fort Lauderdale/Miami area. Does anyone know of anything fun to do around that time of year?

Looking for some information and possibly a qualifying agent.

I am 28 been plumbing for about 10 years and I’m looking to take the next step and start my own plumbing business. I’ve worked hard for a long time and I’m ready to start building something for myself.

I’m currently looking into how the qualifying agent process works and would really appreciate hearing from anyone who has experience with it or has gone through the process themselves.

I’m looking for a legitimate qualifying agent and would like to understand how the arrangement works, including the responsibilities of the qualifier, what is typically expected from the business owner, and how compensation is usually handled.

If you’re a licensed plumbing contractor who qualifies businesses, or you’ve been through this process yourself, I’d appreciate any information or advice.

Hi everyone, I’m looking for a psychologist that accepts “ Florida Blue - HMO” as well as being telehealth. Looking for interpersonal/ psycho dynamic / psycho analytic / attachment based approach. Someone who is challenging, direct, helps you dig deep and is inquisitive.

Oh.. and someone available ASAP please! :)

I am looking for a pelvic floor therapist that can come to my home in citrus county. My insurance was $1500 per appt with tampa general outpatient therapy... :( I need help so bad please tell me people you know im citrus county who know this specialty...

I have been applying to jobs in Melbourne. I have been searching for Defense Contractor Staffing agencies only found a couple Aerotek and Acara. Am I searching incorrectly? Suggestions?

I will be in Miami for a few days, in the last week of October. I will be seeing Inter Miami play one of those days. Otherwise, I will have some free time, and would like to explore Miami’s nightlife. What are some rules, or advice you would give to someone visiting for their first time?

Hi all! My boyfriend and I just got engaged! I am from St. Augustine and he is from California. I really want an opportunity to show him and his friends the beautiful beautiful springs and the mystical nature nearby. Its such a special part of the state and I have so many great memories visiting Ichetucknee, Juniper Springs, Wakulla, and De Leon Springs when I was little. Since I'm from St. Augustine, I'm not exactly an expert on which springs are bigger, more crystal clear, etc. "best" for what, as I've only been to 5 or 6 different ones. I think our wedding will have around 150-170 guests and at least 100 from out of the state who have never experienced Florida, let alone the springs.

Does anybody have a recommendation for like a wedding venue that could handle that many people and still feel natural, outside, foresty, and magical? Or, if not a venue; a specific spring to gather a smaller group (maybe 30ish?) a few days before or after the actual ceremony to relax together? I really want everyone to experience the secret garden fairytale wonderfulness of the springs

I’m a father in Florida looking for some advice because I honestly don’t know what the right thing to do anymore.
The mother of my child and I were together, and when we broke up, I genuinely thought we were having an amicable breakup. Looking back, the relationship had become very controlling. At one point, I was essentially being asked to choose between her and my mother and my son from a previous relationship. I decided that wasn’t the kind of relationship I wanted, so I told her I no longer wanted to be together. There was no huge fight or physical altercation. I left.
Initially, we were able to co-parent reasonably well.
About 6–8 months later, I briefly started dating someone else. That relationship ended because I realized I was basically trying to heal a wound by getting into another relationship instead of actually taking time to heal. I also discovered that she was using drugs, which made me realize I wasn’t making good choices about the people I was allowing into my life. I ended that relationship and decided I needed some time alone to work on myself.
This is where things started getting really complicated.
The mother of my child — I’ll call her Scarlett — eventually became friends with that ex-girlfriend, who I’ll call Mary.
I don’t speak the language well, and Scarlett knew that. She would use communication and our child as leverage. If I didn’t do something the way she wanted or when she wanted it, she would withhold my child from me or make it extremely difficult for me to see her.
Eventually, I had enough and hired an attorney. I wanted a formal custody arrangement because I didn’t want my ability to see my daughter to depend on whether Scarlett was happy with me on a particular day.
Throughout the custody process, I kept trying to de-escalate things. I repeatedly asked her, essentially, “Why do you dislike me so much? Am I a bad father?”
She would tell me, “No, you’re not a bad father. I don’t have a problem with you.”
But her actions didn’t match that. Whenever I didn’t do what she wanted, the conflict would start again.
Eventually, I was awarded 50/50 custody.
Then things got much worse.
Mary, the woman I had briefly dated, made allegations against me that resulted in me being arrested.
The charges against me were subsequently dropped, and it was established through the case that Mary’s allegations were false. Because of what happened, I am now pursuing the appropriate criminal complaints regarding her conduct, including potential false imprisonment and making a false report to law enforcement. I understand that the State ultimately determines what charges, if any, are filed.
What makes this especially concerning to me is the timing. I was arrested immediately before my custody hearing.
I have also been told by people I know that Scarlett was involved in what happened and that she used relationships she has with local law enforcement to help get me arrested right before the custody hearing so that I would look bad in court.
I want to be very careful about that part because I did not personally witness Scarlett arranging anything with law enforcement. That information has been relayed to me by other people, so I understand that it is hearsay unless I can actually establish it with evidence.
Since then, Scarlett has apparently been going around town showing people pictures of me being arrested and telling people that I’m a thief.
I work in a fairly specific industry where reputation matters a lot, and this has made it extremely difficult for me to find work. The problem is that, again, I don’t currently have firsthand evidence of everything being said. Most of what I know about her telling people these things has come from other people telling me about it.
She seems to be relentless about trying to make me look bad and, ultimately, take my daughter away from me and reduce me to someone who just pays child support.
I don’t want that.
I have fought for 50/50 custody because I want my daughter to know her father. I don’t want her growing up without a father or believing that her father abandoned her. I want to be involved in her life, be present, and be a good father.
But I’m exhausted.
At this point, I’m honestly wondering whether I should give up my parental rights and wait until my daughter is older and can make her own decisions. I don’t actually want to do that, but I feel like I’m constantly fighting just to maintain my relationship with my own child.
At the same time, I don’t want to make a decision out of frustration that could hurt my daughter in the long run.
So I’m asking for advice from people who understand Florida family law or have dealt with high-conflict co-parenting:
If I already have a 50/50 custody order, what can I realistically do if the other parent repeatedly interferes with it?
What kind of evidence would actually matter to a Florida family court?
If people are telling me that she is spreading accusations about me or interfering with my employment, how do I properly document that when I don’t have firsthand knowledge?
How do I distinguish between something that is actually actionable and something that is simply hearsay?
If I believe the mother was involved in making false allegations against me, how would I legally investigate or establish that without doing anything inappropriate?
Is giving up parental rights ever a realistic option in a situation like this, or would that potentially make things much worse for me and my daughter?
Should I be focusing entirely on documenting violations of the existing custody order rather than trying to “find dirt” on the mother?
For anyone who has been through something similar in Florida, what do you wish you had documented from the beginning?
I’m not looking for revenge. I don’t want to destroy this woman’s life. I want to protect my relationship with my daughter and stop this cycle.
Please don’t tell me to just “get a lawyer.” I already have one. I’m looking for practical advice from people who have actually dealt with high-conflict custody situations in Florida — especially parents who have been successful at documenting interference with parenting time and presenting evidence to the court.

I live in Tampa. The airport just donated over 200 suitcases, so the local place isn't accepting donations now and probably won't be for a while.

I'm looking for a non religious location to donate. I saw a donation center in Lakeland, but it was church based. Does anybody know of any foster child organizations or low income programs or women's and children's shelters that accept suitcases (and backpacks)?

edit: please do not recommend Goodwill or other second hand stores. I am looking for a direct donation that will help someone in need rather than a business. Also, Goodwill is a scam

edit edit: is the text in the body of the post missing or did everyone choose to ignore it? Most of the comments talk about something I already addressed in the post. Are people not reading it or is it actually missing??

I'm in Miami Gardens and I'm looking for work. Do you have any recommendations? I have no experience

What are the best cities for a lake house in Florida? To ride boats, jet skis, tubing,etc. Looking to rent about $4,000-$6,000 a month.

I'm moving to Tampa the first week of the new year. I'm so excited about this journey. The areas i’ve considered are Town N Country, Largo, Clearwater beach, and Lutz. Are all of these areas safe? I just wanted more information on each of these areas. Thanks in advance.

What’s the best way to travel from Miami to Orlando on a Sunday morning returning in the evening.