Florida has been the destination of choice for American retirees for many years and its popularity continues to gain momentum, with 1100 persons a day moving permanently to enjoy the all important sunshine. Over the past few years the Florida lifestyle has also increasingly found favor with British retirees. The cry ‘the British are coming’ heard during the War of Independence is relevant again, with the new invaders choosing Florida in preference to Europe and the Mediterranean coast. The key reasons apart from that winter warmth are the lack of language barriers, allowing for closer integration with the residents and a comparatively
inexpensive cost of living.

EB5 Investor Visa Pilot Programme is Due to Expire in March 2009 - For More Information Click Here

As the whole idea of retirement is to escape day to day work pressures, a number of Brits are now moving permanently to America via the EB5 investor visa which allows you to retire, this requires a $500,000 ( £250,000) investment which has to be held in an approved investment project for two years after receipt of the green cards that allow permanent residency (after then the investment can be sold) fill in the form at the end of this page for more details.

The B2 visa is the other alternative used by many Brits, it allows for a stay of 6 months a year in the States.

Leaving the foggy drizzle of the UK in November landing over the azure waters of Florida with pelicans lined up as a guard of honor on the bridges is very therapeutic - Leaving Florida at Easter as it begins to get very hot and humid and return to the lush green fields of England, is considered by many an idyllic way of life.

There are a number of alternative types of retirement lifestyles to choose from depending on your individual priorities, some seek out the glamour and buzz of South Beach, Miami which can be a hive of activity. Others favor the convenience of Central Florida with theme parks, those endless buffets, the many activities on offer and the opportunity to recover some costs by renting out your house when not in residence. For others, the laid back Gulf Coast lifestyle offering golf, tennis, bowls, polo, cricket and boat parades, meeting other Snowbirds (local Floridians refer to winter migrants as snowbirds) and neighbors, provides the ideal winter retreat.

A key point - it’s worth discussing the pros and cons of different locations and lifestyles prior to looking in detail at the best option for you, click here for details . Local Realtors champion their own specific locations which does not provide a balanced perspective of all the alternatives.

Richard and Judy Fox are experts on the American retirement scene and their book ‘Where To Retire in Florida’ provides an informative analysis of retirement lifestyles in 100 different areas of Florida - The Foxes awarded up to 10 points (5 each) on their appraisal of the suitability of areas for retirement and only seven locations received the full 10; Boca Raton, Dade City, Longboat Key, Mount Dora, Sarasota, Sun City and Venice. Two general words of caution - northern Florida benefits less from the winter sun factor and some northern areas are comparatively remote which can be a problem if you are spending 3 to 6 months a year, unless you are planning to take up hunting!

Some potential ‘Snowbirds’ are worried about problems that may occur with your Florida home whilst you are in Britain. The options most favored are (subject to zoning policies) using a management company to rent the house when not in residence; those who prefer not to rent out what they consider to be their second family home often find neighbors very accommodating, there are also professional companies which undertake regular checks. Other considerations include low maintenance properties which can further simplify life – and a big must in Florida avoid big gardens unless you mind the expense of upkeep or a lot of work each time you return!

Many British retirees have stressed the ease of integrating into their seasonal American lifestyle and look forward to catching up on the gossip and news with their old friends each year they return to their second home in Florida - there is a common camaraderie with their Americans and Canadians neighbors in Florida, who also have families a long way away. Some developments offer an extensive range of Community facilities including a club house offering special events and dining over Thanksgiving, Christmas and The New Year as well as regular planned events.

In terms of the differences they noticed living in Florida at least part of the year rather than just holidaying in Florida, many British Snowbirds commented on a notable lack of yobbish culture, freedom to walk streets in the evening ,other have cited the importance of the church to the majority of Americans. However the Brits that raised these points did not feel obliged to partake in the very secular aspect of American life. The lack of overseas news that used to be a feature of American life is no longer a problem, there is BBC America on cable, The Daily Mail is printed on the same day and for those with laptops all news is available.

Some of the key factors to consider before planning crossing the pond for at least part of the year include:-

Health Care
The importance of medical insurance, this can be tricky particularly as we get older. The vast majority of American insurance policies do not provide coverage unless you have permanent residence status and there can be clauses limiting the time you are able to spend abroad in many UK insurance policies. There are however a few suitable British policies geared towards the longer stays with more coming on the market for extended stays.

One tip, most health insurance policies provide very limited dental coverage and American dental care can be expensive, so it is worth having your teeth checked prior to leaving home and allow time to have any treatment carried out in Britain. Although treatment is very good in the States and emergencies can occur, quality comes at a significant price very rarely covered by insurance, and you don’t want to be whisked off to the hospital to recover from the shock of the dentist’s bill!

Car Rental
One of the great delights of spending part of the year in Florida is the marvelous opportunity for traveling around the state and despite increases in petrol and gas guzzling American cars, petrol remains way below British prices.

For the vast majority of snowbirds it is necessary to rent rather than buy a car. The problem with buying a car is obtaining insurance without the necessary domicile requirements. Experienced snowbirds find it can be cheaper to shop around for different offers whilst in Britain and sometimes change rental companies during the stay to maximize special deals.

Costs
The cost of living for second home owners in Florida is very much a case of swings and roundabouts. With average winter temperatures in the 70s you will probably not be running to much air conditioning and whilst you are away you can keep the thermostat at home in England on a minimum level.

The major additional costs in owning a second home are property tax, property insurance and ongoing maintenance such as pool and garden. To cover these costs as well as the mortgage (if you decide to take one out) many Snowbirds decide to rent out their property when away.

The cost of living in Florida during the winter is a plus –heating or air conditioning is rarely needed, plus you can operate your UK system at a lower level whilst away.

Food costs are comparable; many eat out more often than in the UK but judicious use of early bird specials and senior discounts plus the local discount vouchers book from many bookshops combined with lower prices anyway, keeps costs reasonable. If traveling, petrol and hotel costs are also lower.

To rent or not to rent
This can be quite an important issue for those snowbirds keen to cover their costs .If you prefer not to rent out your home in Florida you might wish to look carefully at maintenance free properties such as condos or town houses. Some snowbirds have found that neighbors have been delighted to look after your home when you are back in Britain and there are also companies that will keep an eye on things.

If you prefer to rent out the property when you are not using it you will need to look closely at rental options and zoning requirements. You are not necessarily best served by choosing a property in a huge area zoned for rental, as firstly you may not get much of a feeling of community whilst you are staying there and secondly lots of other people are in competition with you from a rental perspective.

Locations
So if you fancy the snowbird lifestyle in Florida where do you start looking? Location is a key criteria and all to often British buyers make a major mistake of making the house the priority rather than the location. This is often because they have seen some really attractive looking properties advertised in the UK that seem great value for money compared to Britain.

However you need to compare like with like, houses in many parts of Florida remain quite a lot cheaper than in Britain. Unfortunately some sales people take advantage of this and point unsuspecting British buyers to an unsuitable property that might pay the agent and developer a high commission but does nothing for the buyer.

It’s always worthwhile seeking independent advice regarding which locations may work best for you and which agents have a proven track record in showing you all the options, not just their pet developments paying higher commission rates. Agents and developers are not always the best people to offer you a balanced perspective on all the alternatives and you can save a lot of time and money by talking to an independent adviser first.

If the winter sun is an important factor in your choice bear in mind that some of the alternative destinations being flagged up because of their comparatively low prices such as the Florida panhandle are further north and there are fewer hot winter days!

Type of house
There are a number of considerations in choosing the ideal winter retreat. Obviously your budget is a significant factor and at the present time and the good news is that there are some significant bargains on the market– although an irony of the American system is that the best bargains are bargains because sometimes they are badly marketed and hard to find so it’s vital you know what to look for - click here for details of a full briefing session.

What are your interests? Many snowbirds have commented how important it is to realize that as they are in their second home for up to 6 months they need a lot more to occupy them than they did for shorter holidays. You can find a wide range of communities, some for over 55s, some focusing on golf, fishing, tennis or other activities others based around a country club with an excellent programme of social activities or an area where there are excellent arts and theatre events.

Many Snowbirds look forward to the company of relatives and friends whilst they are in Florida and so opt for a two or three bedroom property rather than one bedroom – of course more bedrooms also provides greater rental opportunity if desired.

Flights
Although there may be a perception that flying time makes Florida seem too distant an option for a second home, many of those approached put this into perspective and felt the advantages justify the eight hour flight. One tip, its worth paying for a ticket that allows an optional change of dates – for approximately £100 it means you can alter your return flight dates to Britain if you would like to extend your stay in Florida, or indeed need to return to Britain earlier than planned.

Prior to recent UK Government plans, there has been a tendency for many Brits to take earlier retirement. Whether you are retiring in your 40s, 50s or 60s will have an impact on the lifestyle choices you make. Some prefer the relative peace (though not always calm given the range of activities on offer) of the over-55 communities which can be found throughout Florida. These communities often provide lot of facilities but for better or worse the communities are obviously not demographically balanced - one of the most favored being an entire City - Sun City where golf carts provide the main form of transport.

What happens if you tire of your seasonal flight each year?
After a number of years snowbirds seem to go in three distinct ways in relation to their annual migration to the Florida sun.

Some find they prefer life in Florida and do not want keep returning to Britain. This group often starts looking at permanent options such as the EB -5 visa. However due to the minimum investment of $500,000 ($267,000) they often need to sell their UK home to go down this path.

Some Snowbirds do the opposite and prefer to remain in the UK. In their case they often decide to sell their second home in Florida so from that perspective it’s important they initially bought a home in a location that is readily saleable whatever the market conditions at a later date.

The third group is those that seem to continue with the Snowbirds lifestyle, it seems programmed into their way of life and they love many aspects of life in both Britain and Florida.

Florida is being seen more and more as the ideal winter retreat for those not wishing to leave the UK permanently, indeed many British snowbirds cite the active outdoor lifestyle with blue skies, romantic sunsets and all day sunshine as being considerably more fun and healthy than virtual hibernation resulting from the grey drizzly and cold British climate. The ultimate accolade - Brits who originally thought that Spain was the answer are now selling their Spanish property – disenchanted by language and crime issues and turning instead to Florida!