A question for Florida forumites

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Lindy
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Location: Connecticut

A question for Florida forumites

Post by Lindy »

My husband and I are in negotiation right now to possibly build a retirement home in Sebastian Florida, which is in between Vero Beach and Melbourne. We have been vigorously "discussing" which lot to choose and can't quite seem to agree although we've narrrowed it down to two. The problem is that we would build the house and rent it back to the builder for several years as a model home and then take possession when we are ready to retire. Because of that, the builder is only offering a few lots that are close to the entrance of the gated community where a model makes the most sense and none of them would be OUR first choice. One lot is the standard quarter acre lot that butts up to another lot behind on a different street - the other is on the edge of the complex and butts up to a golf course with a narrow drainage ditch seperating the lot from the golf course. That is the one that I'm voting for because there would be some vistas of the golf course from the pool/lanai area rather than looking directly into the pool/lanai area of another home only a short distance away. Hubby is worried about snakes and gators coming into the yard and harming our dogs but I'm not sure it's going to be that bad. When we were there in February there wasn't much water, if any, so I'm thinking that it's there mainly to handle run off from the golf course when it rains. I'm no expert on gators, but I doubt that it would be attractive to them because of the shallowness most of the time (no food source) and there is a much larger, concrete-lined ditch about a quarter of a mile away that consistenly has fairly deep water and I'd think that would be a better place for them to hang out. Also, snakes are all over in Florida so that's unavoidable to some degree. Do any of you have issues with "critters" and how do you handle them with pets? Is there any sort of landscaping or material that would discourage anything from climbing up the bank? We aren't familiar with the ins and outs of living in Florida (yet) so we have lots of questions.
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ccinhbg
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Location: Central Pennsylvania

Re: A question for Florida forumites

Post by ccinhbg »

As a golfer, I would be more concerned about the golf balls and golfers who would appear in my yard as well as the language that would be floating through the air. As much as I enjoy playing, there are some really rude people who play who have no respect for property that abuts a course. I've seen guys tramp through gardens swearing up a blue streak as they search for a ball worth a buck and a half.
eala
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Location: detroit suburb

Re: A question for Florida forumites

Post by eala »

I've been lucky to winter in FL from '89-'04, alligators normally aren't a problem accept during breeding season in April. Then they move out and about and can get more aggressive. They like shallow, warm, slow-moving or still water for most of the year. I wouldn't worry about them for the most part but if the pooches are on the small side I'd keep an eye on them from the alligators and hawks.
Don't sweat the small stuff!
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Lindy
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Location: Connecticut

Re: A question for Florida forumites

Post by Lindy »

Thanks ccinhbg...hahaha!! It shouldn't be a huge problem because the lot is actually behind the first tee in the opposite direction that the ball should be travelling. Even if someone is uncoordinated enough to hit the ball backwards I think the depth of the drainage ditch and the wild, brushy growth on the slopes would probably keep most people from crossing over into the yard. Sane people anyway....they'd ruin shoes, clothing and risk stepping on snakes for that buck and a half ball.

Thanks for the heads up on breeding season eala. It's good to know when they'd be most aggressive. I've think that I'd probably be most worried about snakes. My smallest dog is 15 pounds and hasn't attracted the attention of the hawks here in CT and we have a good number of them.
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GotToGetAway
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Location: FL

Re: A question for Florida forumites

Post by GotToGetAway »

Currently, my rental home abuts a golf course in the back. There are golfers out there every day all hours. When they ride in the golf carts they can see into our back yard. We find golf balls in the yard all the time. Also, the sprinklers from the golf course come on frequently and are loud. Think about how your dogs would handle having strangers constantly coming to your property line. Are they the kind of dogs to bark when they hear unfamiliar voices?
We have had snakes in the yard and house and are not near a canal. You will also have to get used to a host of other bugs that you will see more frequently than snakes.
Good luck with your choice.
Tickerless :(
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Lindy
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Location: Connecticut

Re: A question for Florida forumites

Post by Lindy »

Thanks for the info. I'm hoping that the golfers, sprinklers and errant golf balls won't be a huge but maybe I'm wrong. The lot in question is near the very front section of the golf course, almost in line with the club house. There is a parking lot between the clubhouse and the lot in question and it is buffered by a fairly large planting area on the golf course which totally blocks the view of the parking lot and hopefully most the sound from the clubhouse, along with sprinklers. There will be sprinklers in my own yard, where ever it is, so I won't be able to escape that completely anyway. I'm hoping that the screen structure over the pool will keep most of the bugs at bay unless we're outside working in the yard. This is all still in the negotiation phase so it's possible that we wind up somewhere completely different. I'll have a lot of new things to learn about, that's for sure!
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Florida Girl
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Location: Fort Myers

Re: A question for Florida forumites

Post by Florida Girl »

Hi Lindy! As I'm sure you are aware, we moved to Florida just over a year ago and the 3rd tee of the Whiskey Creek Golf Course is in our backyard! Because it's a tee, we don't have any problem with golf balls coming into our yard, and even though we can see and hear the golfers very well (and have even had short conversations with some of them), the worst we've heard as far as language goes is, "Fore! Damnit!" For the most part the golfers are extremely respectful and we enjoy seeing them out there... it's free entertainment! And being a tee, they're there for a minute or two and then gone, it's not like people hang out there all day. And yes, we hear the mower every morning about 6:30 a.m., but we're used to it now and usually sleep through it... it's one of those noises you don't really notice much anymore. The sprinklers come on about 11:00 p.m. and I like the way they sound as the water hits the tropical leaves of the foliage. Again, they're not on for very long either, and the sound tends to help me go to sleep.

We've seen 2 snakes in just over a year. They were Black Racers and they were racing through the yard on their way somewhere else... they're more afraid of us than we are of them. We've never seen a gator in our neighborhood, even though there's a good sized canal about a half block away. But you do need to be aware, they can be anywhere! I know there are gators in the lakes on various golf courses, but again, they are more afraid of you than you are of them, and all you have to do is call the Florida Wildlife Commission and they're come out and capture & relocate them.

We have two cats that I was worried about letting out, but they are happy to stay inside the pool cage and therefore we have no problems with them interacting with other wildlife, nor can the hawks, ospreys or eagles get to them. We have a grassy portion of yard just outside the pool cage with a small fence around it that was built by the previous owner for their dog. If you watch your dog while he/she's outdoors to poop or pee, or walk him on a leash, then keep him inside the cage, you won't have any problems. I have seen a dog or cat or two out loose, but in general no one lets them out to roam, all of our "dog neighbors" walk their dogs in the morning or evening while the weather is still cool.

As to landscaping to discourage critters from climbing up the river bank, you'd have to talk to a Florida landscaper or Google that question, but my opinion is, if they're native to the Everglades, nothing will discourage them! A chainlink fence will keep the gators out, but not the snakes... the wildlife is just part of living in Florida! We enjoy all the birds that come into our yard and root around in the golf course grass for bugs. We have Great White Egrets, Great Blue Herons, Cattle Egrets, Ibis, Cardinals, Blue Jays, Hawks, Ospreys, Anhingas, Muscovy Ducks, and many many more! Just this spring I've seen some Wood Storks that migrate here. I can't begin to tell you how much we love Florida!

I hope this helps! :D

P.S. You have to like lizards, they're EVERYWHERE! I happen to love them!
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Lindy
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Re: A question for Florida forumites

Post by Lindy »

Thanks so much Florida Girl!! This is exactly the kind of information I was looking for. In fact, I'm going to print out your response for Hubby to read.I actually LOVE the little lizards in Florida - they're fun to watch and they remind me of STJ.
I would love to watch the snakes and gators too but don't want them going after my pets so it's reassuring to know that it's not really a huge issue. Just another little adjustment to make.
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