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Where to move to ? So Cal or Florida?

14K views 106 replies 43 participants last post by  joeleitz 
#1 ·
I would like all suggestions and opinions on plusses and minuses of both areas in regards to possible relocation.
I am married and have 3 kids ages 6-11

We own a successful buisness in Las Vegas but dont have to be here full time . We have been here 10 years (originally NJ) and need a change +dont want to raise kids any more here. . I own a Catalina 350 which is in San Diego.I love sailing and fishing equally. Though I love San diego and the boat is there ,which would make it a logical move- there are some things which Kind of annoy me in Cali- the traffic,some of the people, water not warm enough, limited destinations,state income tax . Being that I love warm locations - we have pretty much narrowed it down to San Diego/Orange County or South Florida for our next move.

From what I am seeing on S Fla so far:
plusses:
more tropical climate
better sailing destinations
no state tax
could possible have a sailboat and fishing boat docked in my backyard:)
great year round fishing

minuses-
bugs
humidity
more rain
hurricanes
higher property tax
higher insurance for boats and houses

As far as So Cal:
plusses-
great temperate weather
good surfing /fishing

minuses-
property values in good school areas still too high
general Keeping up with the Joneses mentality
water cold
lack of destinations
kelp everywhere
state income tax
state may be bankrupt.
traffic sux
may gray june gloom


We are looking for a place to raise the kids on or very close to the water.
we need great school area. I would like great sailing destinations and fishing destinations (mainly saltwater inshore and offshore). Somewhat affordable.
We will eventually have a mid 40's Catamaran and a 30 ft- ish sport fisherman. Also would like a good "atmosphere" for raising family.

all suggestions /opinions /experiances are very welcome!!!!
thank you in advance for your input.
 
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#38 ·
Well it seems that FLA has taken the lead , most notably with a lean towards the SW Florida coast .Thanks Night owl ! we will definately take a look at it.

A little more about us.

we will be keeping our buisness in Vegas. I list Bank owned homes for the banks. So buisness is basically great - except for the temporary supply manipulation shutdown- but that will change shortly.

Mikein LA is correct though - prices still have a ways to fall especially in the high end areas. The So Cal- la Jollas, manhatten and newport beach,RSF, Coronado type areas are all basically toast(of course they all think they are immune to it)The low end and mid end not as much. The same can be said for the 1-5 mill $ Florida mcMansions with waterfront property(like the las olas, rio vista areas,Jupiter, cocunut creek etc. and their ridiculous 40-60k per yr property tax bills) they will plummet massively like the low end did the past 2 years. For that reason we will rent. You can rent a high end home(1 mill plus value) on both coasts for 40% of the same cost to own the same house. Owning does not make sense in this situation.

as far as the boat. we are definately going to get a cat -especially if FLa is our destination. Family likes the room and less heal aspect - with kids this is a big issue. i love my Catalina 2008 350 mk11 but it has regular fin keel with a 6' 8" draft so I would not be taking it to FLA -if that is our destination(if I had a wing keel I would consider transporting it via land)

Anyway that is that. Some more items of importance are year round baseball for the boys ,Wife must be happy,possible buisness opportunity,Fishing , great schools and great atmosphere to raise the kids( seems like sw fla is winning in that catagory as well) .

thanks

Andre
 
#44 ·
Well it seems that FLA has taken the lead , most notably with a lean towards the SW Florida coast .Thanks Night owl ! we will definately take a look at it.

A little more about us.

we will be keeping our buisness in Vegas. I list Bank owned homes for the banks. So buisness is basically great - except for the temporary supply manipulation shutdown- but that will change shortly.

Mikein LA is correct though - prices still have a ways to fall especially in the high end areas. The So Cal- la Jollas, manhatten and newport beach,RSF, Coronado type areas are all basically toast(of course they all think they are immune to it)The low end and mid end not as much. The same can be said for the 1-5 mill $ Florida mcMansions with waterfront property(like the las olas, rio vista areas,Jupiter, cocunut creek etc. and their ridiculous 40-60k per yr property tax bills) they will plummet massively like the low end did the past 2 years. For that reason we will rent. You can rent a high end home(1 mill plus value) on both coasts for 40% of the same cost to own the same house. Owning does not make sense in this situation.

as far as the boat. we are definately going to get a cat -especially if FLa is our destination. Family likes the room and less heal aspect - with kids this is a big issue. i love my Catalina 2008 350 mk11 but it has regular fin keel with a 6' 8" draft so I would not be taking it to FLA -if that is our destination(if I had a wing keel I would consider transporting it via land)

Anyway that is that. Some more items of importance are year round baseball for the boys ,Wife must be happy,possible buisness opportunity,Fishing , great schools and great atmosphere to raise the kids( seems like sw fla is winning in that catagory as well) .

thanks

Andre
In my opinion (stressing my opinion) Naples is still out of sight expensive and not real boater friendly and fewer places to go. Marinas are limited, live aboard marinas are very limited, and Marco was the center of the boat feud about anchoring that went all the way to the Florida Supreme Court (anyone please feel free to alter my facts as I am going off of memory and it has ben a while). Do not get me wrong, it is beautiful there and very exquisite - but was not my first choice and I do 'ok' financially. I know many Californians that have gotten sticker shock in Naples.

I would opt for Punta Gorda or if you like a more laid back atmosphere (but not as nice) Fort Myers Beach (FMB) where I am at. FMB is probably more of the red neck version of coastal living, so it may or may not appeal to you. It is an active community though. THe water here is not as nice as Port CHarlotte. I probably would not move north of Port Charlotte as it seems to get colder there than here and more likely to get a freeze.

Before you go and drop 1/2 million+ on a catamaran, I would sure figure out where I was going to live and start shopping the marinas for a place to put it. I love cats, but I do not own one because finding a place to moor it was very difficult. You might very well end up paying twice what a similar boat-length pays... if not more. This is assuming you can find a marina for it at all. The infrastructure does not support them well down here where marinas/slip rates are a premium. You might be better off getting a larger Catalina or if the heeling bothers you but you still want to live aboard and enjoy the lifestyle, get a good trawler like a Nordhavn, Selene or a Krogen. We almost did and I might still have going back.

Just some thoughts. WIsh you the best in your search. Please let me know if I can assist you with any questions.

All the best,

Brian
 
#39 · (Edited)
This is why SW Florida wins for me....look at ALL the anchorages :) And this is JUST MARCO ISLAND AND THE SURROUNDING AREA!!!!! (thank you ActiveCaptain)

So many places to explore here.



SE Florida isn't nearly as nice sailing. Its all ocean. Between WPB and Biscayne, the anchorages are about 10...and now many have mooring fields that charge you $ to use.
 
#40 ·
BTW - if you're looking to keep your boat behind your house in Marco Island, I think Isle of Capri is where you want to be...thats where I was looking when homes were in the $600-$800k range. I think they're 1/2 that now for a wet lot which is 5 minutes from the Marco Island inlet. Watch the shallows though!
 
#41 ·
Why not consider Ventura to Central Coast/San Luis Obispo? Probably better property prices than further south, good schools and easy proximity to Las Vegas. No real overnight sailing but great day sailing almost year round and similar weather to San Diego.
 
#42 ·
Why not consider Ventura to Central Coast/San Luis Obispo? Probably better property prices than further south, good schools and easy proximity to Las Vegas. No real overnight sailing but great day sailing almost year round and similar weather to San Diego.
Huh?

What about the northern Channel Islands from the harbors south of Pt. Conception; or Port San Luis, Morro Bay, and San Simeon if you start in either Port San Luis or Morro Bay? If one is really adventurous, the islands are a day's sail, or maybe a day and a night, from Port San Luis (you just have to get around Conception/Arguello).
 
#49 ·
Ok this Naples/Marco Island area is becoming very interesting.

As far as locations we kind of like upscale family type areas with a sense of community . I do not want to offend anyone here but I think more country type or areas considered red neck type locations would not be on the list for us(hey I am from the Jersey Shore originally)
Upon a quick search of Naples - sailboat type waterfront properties makes Ft Lauderdale seem low price. Marco Island seems to have a bit more wider range.However it appears a little isolated(from the google maps-never been there). We would be renting at first due to the continued crashing of the high end market.

thanks for your help!
 
#53 · (Edited)
Ok this Naples/Marco Island area is becoming very interesting.

As far as locations we kind of like upscale family type areas with a sense of community . I do not want to offend anyone here but I think more country type or areas considered red neck type locations would not be on the list for us(hey I am from the Jersey Shore originally)
Upon a quick search of Naples - sailboat type waterfront properties makes Ft Lauderdale seem low price. Marco Island seems to have a bit more wider range.However it appears a little isolated(from the google maps-never been there). We would be renting at first due to the continued crashing of the high end market.

thanks for your help!
I have a friend that's the Episcopal priest on Marco. We visited once. From my understanding, it's a snowbird community, so kind of empty in the summer. The population triples to 45k in the winter. Housing is definitely more reasonable (than California for sure, probably than Miami). Upscale, good schools through middle school, then they're bused to Lely High School about thirty minutes off the island. His daughter is doing fine there and has a great group of friends. They're trying to get a charter high school built on Marco.

Isolated? Maybe, but 45 minutes to Naples. Close to the Everglades, and tons of isolated islands to cruise around.

That's all I know. Definitely an outsiders opinion. I try to imagine moving somewhere warmer than the Mississippi coast. Florida is expensive, but nothing like CA!

BTW here's a great demographic tool: MelissaData
 
#51 ·
This is a GREAT thread!
I live in the Huntington Beach/Long Beach area in SoCal and over the past 3 days we have seen severe weather (for us SoCal sailors) with more to come.
I am a transplant form South Carolina and have been here almost 30 years. I think I can count the major storms like this on one hand. 98% of the time SoCal is pretty nice overall but my peeve is the water is indeed cold. Sooo being a sailor i am also looking to make a move to Florida so that I can have a much broader sailing range and WARM water!
A topic like this lends itself to a bit of political opinion since the topic is the pluses and minuses of CA vs FL and I won't say much except to say CA is in the soup and perhaps worse is to come. Perhaps FL has issues too.
I love Catalina! I sail there as much as I can and last Aug. I sailed my 28ft Trimaran up to the Channel Islands. A great trip but the water is COLD! :) it did not keep me from jumping in but warmer is better.
So for me it will eventually be Florida and probably the Ft. Myers Area or Marathon. I want good water. At this moment I am looking to sail my Trimaran down through the canal and then over but as my plan developes I may find myself buying another Tri over in that area.
Work will be the issue. My background is R.E and Mortgage. (No, I have no plans to be a RE agent.) I will rent.

Anyway, did not mean to make this so long...that is my vote. Lot's of sailing venues; warm water = BIG :D for me.
Fair winds,
Kelldog
28/30ft Cross Trimaran
S/V Mystic
 
#65 ·
Can't believe there hasn't been more mention of Tampa Bay. There's a reason many major boat builders are based here; it's yachting central. I much perfer the west coast of Florida. The panhandle is pretty and the water is beautiful but they're in a whole different weather pattern and seem to get every storm that enters the Gulf. The east coast is just too hectic for me ................. I kinda like the laid back suncoast.

You can hardly go wrong from Tarpon Springs to Marco Island but there are some great deals on waterfront housing right now. We're on a 400' wide canal, 13' deep, very protected, about 5 miles to Gulf access, no draw bridges .... what could be better?

Don't like rednecks, just avoid Florida all together. I've actually grown fond of 'em and they can provide lots of entertainment, on and off the water.

I've only visited California a few times. First time was when we rode our motorcycles from Vegas. As we're riding into LA I thought I was getting sick ....... my eyes were burning and throat was feeling raw. I even pulled over on the freeway. My wife, who had lived in Cal. pulled up next to me and explained it was just the air quality and not me! :( Monteray, on the other hand, was fantastic, just a tad expensive!!!

DB
 
#66 ·
I am with you dirtboy, Tampa Bay is the place for me. We moved to South Tampa five years ago from the tri-state area and I never looked back. Take a trip here, spend time in South Tampa (I'm not too big on gated communities in the suburbs) and spend some time in St. Pete. Check out Snell Island and the downtown area. Before we moved we took several trips and stayed in short term corporate condos as a base, rented a car and searched from Tarpon Springs, to Naples. We chose So. Tampa for it's diversity, family owned restaurants (not racist, just don't like chains, sorry) and proximity to Hillsborough and Tampa Bay. When we got here we discovered the best part, the people!
 
#67 ·
I'm not a huge fan of Tampa. Its kind of caught in the middle. Big city but not the biggest. Smaller town, but too congested to be really small. So one could say its got the worst of each category. Its actually kind of like Fort Lauderdale to that extent...which again, while I live there, I'm not the hugest fan for.

That being said, in a better economy than we have now, Tampa has good, non-service/non-tourist jobs...which Marco/Naples dont really offer much of.
 
#68 ·
I just want to point out very qickly that there are some very exclusive and very nice places in Fort Myers. GO look at Gulf Harbor. I suspect that is where our boat will be in a few days. Very, very nice. Reminds me more of Bahia Mar and West Palm. Gated entrance, etc. Tarpon Point is another - but I have not been there since the bottom fell out.

Just some thoughts.

Brian
 
#69 ·
I've lived both. Despite its budget woes, California has a better school system. (Disclaimer: I didn't have kids when I lived in Florida. What I've heard of the schools is hearsay.) Of course, as with anywhere, you have to pick your community wisely. I am blessed to live in Coronado. It is a fantastic place to grow up. (Thank God for the Navy. They keep it real.) Another plus is that my college age kids are getting a great (and affordable---more money for the boat!) education in the University of California system. I love the tropical feel of Florida, its relative affordability and proximity to some great sailing destinations, but the kids come first for now, and suprise, suprise: sailing is not my teenagers top priority.
 
#75 ·
Yes you are lucky to live in Coronado, we love that place. prices are on crack still. still have 25-30% left to go from this point.

Well just so happens my wife goes over her moms house and her moms friend (who just moved to florida in the spring) is back in vegas for the week. She moved to Jensen beach due to a job transfer for her husband. This lady was bitchin a storm on how she hates it there. (she is also from NJ most of her life) hates the bugs ,rain,humidity blah blah blah(funny we had that in NJ too). Lucky I wasnt there. So my wife got a little off the Fla scene temporarily . But I am not .

I just dont want to end up moving real close to any of these guys below:

 
#70 · (Edited)
ok kali and fla are similar in many ways despite the fact the natives of each will speak otherwise lol--i reside in kali so far and sailed a lot in fla---neither place has moorage or slippage available for newcomer boaters..is a wait list...LOL..in san diego is 120 yrs for many marinas and 3 yrs for moorings lol...texas might not be as cool as fla or kali but is a new area to consider as proximity to vegas and sailing are both to be considered---usually in san diego in winter there are big winds--this year gusts have been to 90 mph...more coming and better lol.......fla has its storms as well--same kind only add lightning lol.....there is traffic everywhere and there is congestion everywhere---i am trying to figger out where to relocate myself and formosa--lol----teejass or louseyanny / mississippi so far....or just go to caribbean and play in the warmer water......i like that idea.....LOL..very tired of storms and wind at the moment --and in the middle of both !!!! LOL.....only 30 kts wind at present lol....like no where else has storms lol.--are always a factor in figgering out places to stay /hide ...LOL....as far as schools for kids---none of the school systems is worth anything anymore---there are islands and oases in th edesert of dummyoing up of amerika, but , on t hewhole, school systems in kali sukk--my son was essentially denied education in kali school systems lol.....farther away from east coast--worse the schools...go figger...
 
#71 ·
ok kali and fla are similar in many ways despite the fact the natives of each will speak otherwise lol--i reside in kali so far and sailed a lot in fla---neither place has moorage or slippage available for newcomer boaters..is a wait list...LOL..in san diego is 120 yrs..........
There is no wait list for fulltime, transient or live-aboard slips in NE Florida and Jacksonville's Stanton HS has been rated as one of the top five academic high schools in the nation for the last ten years. Reality trumps perception. 'take care and joy, Aythya crew
 
#76 ·
This is my first post but I feel I know a bit about both. I grew up in Palm Springs and I lived in San Diego for 7years and worked for the San Diego Teachers Association. San Diego schools are great if your in the right neighborhood, which is usually way expensive. (Beach communities, or higher up Interstate 15) Also you have to keep your boat at a marina etc.. and drive to it. I love the weather in CA. There isn't any better and we've lived all over (husband in the navy) We just bought our 4th house we own three others (Norfolk, VA Guam, Bremerton, WA) We bought in a small community on Tampa Bay Apollo Beach. It's a wealthy community that has been hit hard by the collapse of the market. We picked up a 3000 sq ft house on a canal (no dock yet but we have the option) for 300K. The property taxes with the homestead exemption are way less than CA, and no income tax. The school district here is pretty good. A bit north in the Brandon/Valrico suburbs its a bit better. We're about 25 minutes from downtown Tampa. It's slower paced we know all our neighbors and most of them have school aged children. We're far enough out to not be impacted by the city issues but close enough to go to concerts we just saw U2, go to the theater, restaurants, and museums. I walk to the local nature preserve beach every day and we kayak right behind the house in the canals on the weekend. We have a 17 foot trailer sailer we can put in at a ton of boat ramps. There are lots of canals, access to jobs in Tampa, good schools, relatively low taxes don't forget the car registration part way cheaper here. Less congestion, it reminds me of San Diego in the early 90's before the traffic started getting crazy. The big negative here is the weather in the summer. I've lived in Guam so the humidity doesn't bother me. My answer to the hurricane issue. Bite the bullet get good insurance and find a well built house. I love California my family is still there but it's just to crowded and to expensive, I'll take a few negatives to have a slower more affordable lifestyle. Hope this helps.
 
#78 ·
Thanks Natasha for that great post! Thanks to everyone here we have definately(me anyway) put the SW florida up to Tampa area on our check out plans.

as far as this thread goes its:

So Cal -9
Fla-16

If its So Cal we basically have narrowed it down to the San Diego Area and may go as far north as Dana pt. But would prefer Coronado(too expensive ) -1st , Del Mar/ Solano beach area 2nd(pretty expensive) , La Jolla (too expensive) 3rd . Carmel Valley 4th(great schools ) and Carlsbad area 5th -affordable. Pt loma would also be a possibility but schools are a issue(but my boats would be close)

We are going to really check out FLA. I am going in march (also taking a offshore class cat class with BWSS in Ft Lauderdale to Bahamas)

thanks for the input and suggestions . We love to hear what everyone is passionate about, and especially from the ones who have lived in a lot of areas.
 
#80 ·
Nc

We have lived in San Diego for the past 10 years. Originally from NJ. Last year we bought a lot on the water in River Dunes, NC. Check out the site at RiverDunes.com. We are moving for precisely the same reasons you listed. the Sailing and fishing are great. Downside is that you are a 2 1/2 hour drive from the big city of Raleigh. We view that as a plus. The environment far outweighs the distance. We are doing everything we can to build our house and move there. Greater than 50 % of the homeowners have boats that are kept at the Harbor in River Dunes.
 
#83 ·
We have lived in San Diego for the past 10 years. Originally from NJ. Last year we bought a lot on the water in River Dunes, NC. Check out the site at RiverDunes.com. We are moving for precisely the same reasons you listed. the Sailing and fishing are great. Downside is that you are a 2 1/2 hour drive from the big city of Raleigh. We view that as a plus. The environment far outweighs the distance. We are doing everything we can to build our house and move there. Greater than 50 % of the homeowners have boats that are kept at the Harbor in River Dunes.
We do actually like the wilmington area in NC. used to vacation in hatteras when we lived in NJ. We were researching this area last year and the new developments seems great except that sales have been way slower than anticipated and in this area(wilmington and wrightsville) many of the subdivisions are having financial issues and there are already many foreclosed vacant lots that are now selling for half of what they sold for a few years ago. River dunes is a little north and I checked out the site last year and just checked it out again. looks very promising. I think water would be similar compared to San diego. Weather not as good but it was always on our list as a choice for areas for us.
 
#82 ·
If it does not matter where you live, think of La Paz or a couple places in the caribbean
La Paz has fantastic sailing, and as the capital has a lot going for it. You can homeschool or get a tutor for the kids, and only a couple hours from LA. And its cheap.
I used to live on Antigua. If you don't insist on a waterfront home the home prices are really reasonable. Its three hours out of Miami. Also fantastic sailing.
If you like to stay in the US try St. John. Yes there are lots of expensive homes but older and simpler ones are less.
 
#84 ·
I love St Johns. this actually would top (on my list) Fla and Cali. But I have to be practical. Have three kids. 2 play baseball a ton. St John is expensive-very expensive . Not too sure of schools there either I am sure would have to be private. Think most are on St Thomas.
Antigua - Like the Island , its a little rougher than the Virgins which is good in some aspects but not so in others.
LaPAz-never been there but It looks interesting -Not sure of the schooling either. sure it would have to be private and tutors etc. We like the Cabo area(at least I do for fishing). But I think we tossed out Mexico and costa rica or anything EXPAT until kids are out of school.
 
#86 ·
Florida

So many nice places to live in Florida, its hard to choose. If you want a cheap place to live with boat parking behind your house, try Palm Coast. Not many options for work but its a nice quiet community just south of Saint Augustine. New Smyrna Beach , Jupiter , Stuart , Ft. Pierce , and Palm Beach County are are very nice places also.
 
#87 ·
Split the difference and move to the Texas coastal area. No state income tax and lower cost of living that either FL or CA. You have an occassional hurricane, but fewer than FL and the Gulf is great sailing.
 
#89 ·
Hmmm, I have sailed those waters. So let me ask you fellows in Sea Lake: Where you spending your time anchored? How are the views from the power plant?

HEHE! This is just a joke. Texas is home, always will be. But comparing the grey/brown waters of Texas with no close anchorages or deserted islands and national parks (assuming no oil spill which I have done down on Padre... YUCK!) to the crystal blue or aqua green waters of Florida (or deep blue of California) and coral reefs (and shall I tell you that I was cold this morning at 76 degrees), is quite simply apple to oranges. Corpus and south is ok. Padre is ok. But look:

Tortugas. Huge living, abundant coral reefs and crystal clear water over 25-35' visibility.



Avalon, Catalina Island. Cold water, but pretty.



Sorry for the pic quality. If you don't like them, I can go out today and shoot some more... while I am sitting in shorts and a tank top, after my swim....

Brian
 
#90 ·
Dont Mess with Texas

As far as texas is concerned- yes its has many economic benefits and such -but It is not on our short list
(sorry Texas dudes)
Of course there is not any perfect place and never will be. There is always some kind of trade off.
that perfect Utopia is but a fantasy -especially when there are 5 people in one family involved(each with different likes and dislikes)

But of course the most important issue is being happy.

I keep telling everyone do not move because you think it will make you happier-that is a recipe for disaster.
You must be happy with yourself and your life before you make any drastic changes. And if you follow that rule -the chances for increased success go up drastically. So that is my mantra and we are sticking to it.

Anyway we are going out to dinner tommorow night with a Couple who lgrew up in the Juno Beach area in FLA , lived in Vegas for ten years also and are moving back. We are going to get the lowdown of that area.
 
#91 ·
Puerto Rico anyone?

I sailed into St. Johns recently and met a teacher who told me the schools were not the best, though he himself was optimistic that he could change things. Kids took the ferry to St. Thomas daily for public school.
I've sailed from Newport to Grenada and points in between, Bermuda, Bahamas, etc., and not too long ago sailed from St. Petersburg, Florida, through the Keys to the Chesapeake.
I never thought I'd say this, but Florida could be terrific place to sail from as would be the coast of North Carolina. The choice depends on how you want to occupy your time when you're not sailing.
Kids are adaptable (though my son never took to sailing) and I'm glad I chose to live in a place that provided a lot of choices for him to grow as well as for my wife and I. Destination vacation spots that lead to permanent residency often turn into "ports of broken dreams". I read this on sailnet a long time ago so it's not original.
Puerto Rico Anyone? I know nothing about it except that I've been in the airport at least 10 times. It's a larger island and a US territory and I can only assume that there is something positive about the place. Could be wrong but I plan on visiting soon the check out the sailing scene.
I just returned from checking out the Seattle area and 9 months of rain and fog does not seem appealing and the waterways I saw were filled with huge logs. I'm going to give it a second look in the summer.
 
#92 ·
Ahoy Vegasandre,
I'm new to this forum and actually just registered a few moments ago!
i read some of the posts in this thread and wanted to share my opinion about the location where i am.
I currently live in Destin, FL. it's in the panhandle, in the middle between panama city and pensacola. i've moved up here 3 yrs ago from miami. i actually enjoyed living in miami while i was single, it's a very fun place, lots of diversity and just a fast paced place. i was not sailing at that time, but i did think it was a good place to own a boat. retrospectively, miami is well located for both gunkholing or blue water cruising. you can sail to the islands from there, key west or eastward towards the bahamas and beyond.
as far as raising a family with kids, i'm not sure miami is the best environment.
destin is a much smaller town, it's one of the best fishing spots in the gulf coast. i don't do much fishing myself, but i did enjoy it the few times i've been out with friends...the red snappers and the groupers were huge, i saw some of the biggest fish i've ever seen live!!!
as far as sailing, i think it's a decent home port. i own a small 19' shoal draft weekender and i think the area is perfect for small cruises. i also think there are a lot of places you can go to with a much bigger sailboat as well, whether it's hugging the coast or sailing accross the gulf to central/south america or the carribeans.
as far as whether is concerned, i know people freak out when they hear about hurricanes, i did too when i first moved to florida!, but you do get plenty of warning when one is coming your way...you don't get that type of warning before an earthquake! i personally lived in a country prone to earthquakes and i feel hurricanes are a lesser threat even though they might be more common.
the weather in the fl panhandle is not as tropical as in south florida, so it's not as humid, there are bugs, but not as bad as in the keys. spring and fall are just awesome, summer is hot and winter is generally mild. housing prices have come down a great deal and property taxes are lower than south florida.

cheers,
 
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