Florida has seen a population boom in recent years, but many longtime residents and recent transplants say rising costs and divisive politics have them fleeing the Sunshine State.

Florida has seen a population boom in recent years, but many longtime residents and recent transplants say rising costs and divisive politics have them fleeing the Sunshine State.

One of the first signs Barb Carter’s move to Florida wasn’t the postcard life she’d envisioned was the armadillo infestation in her home that caused $9,000 in damages. Then came a hurricane, ever present feuding over politics, and an inability to find a doctor to remove a tumor from her liver.

After a year in the Sunshine State, Carter packed her car with whatever belongings she could fit and headed back to her home state of Kansas — selling her Florida home at a $40,000 loss and leaving behind the children and grandchildren she’d moved to be closer to.

“So many people ask, ‘Why would you move back to Kansas?’ I tell them all the same thing — you’ve got to take your vacation goggles off,” Carter said. “For me, it was very falsely promoted. Once living there, I thought, you know, this isn’t all you guys have cracked this up to be, at all.”

  • magnetosphere
    37•8 months ago

    She was already considering a move out of the state when she was told by her homeowners insurance company that she would need to replace her home’s roof because it was older than four years or her insurance premium would be going up…

    Is this normal in Florida? You have to replace your roof every four years?

    • @oopy_soup
      14•8 months ago

      No. This seems kinda crazy. I’ve heard of having wind mitigation done on your roof to get your insurance rates down. I have no idea what it is but I do it.

      • @AA5B
        7•8 months ago

        I imagine this is it - was there a change in code? I have a friend who lives there, and it’s a huge deal for their insurance that they hurricane-proof everything, and those standard do get revised over time

        • @oopy_soup
          4•8 months ago

          Any new construction has to meet the code that the legislation comes up with, at least that’s how I’m to understand it. Most of the new construction on the coast is built up on slits due to coastal flooding. But everything built now must meet hurricane standards.

          When I was a kid we never had to really worry about flooding but we’ve had family members and friends shelter at our house because of the flooding.

          • @AA5B
            3•8 months ago

            New construction has to meet current code, but existing buildings are grandfathered into code that existed when they were built, barring major renovations, as far as building inspections are concerned. However insurance can and does require updates

      • @guacupado
        1•8 months ago

        Sounds like they’re trying to slowly bleed customers to pull out of Florida and banking on anyone forced to stay with them.

      • @LifeInMultipleChoice
        6•8 months ago

        Depends on the damage. It was a 25% damage rule. You get to storms in the same year that total that and it has to be replaced. (E.g. 12.5 and 12.5%). Don’t think it matters/mattered how old it was.