Yes Florida is great.   They also have Jimmy Buffett and not Oprah.  Another bonus no Rahm Emanuel

I don't have an elevator speech vis-a-vis Florida or any other place. What I will say is that one reason we selected Charlotte as a place to move 20 years ago is because the liklihood of earthquakers, floods, tornados, hurricanes, mud slides, etc. was much lower here than in many other places.

I love Florida - it's so beautiful, the beaches are so blue and white and the people are scary friendly for an LA girl like me!
HOWEVER, the humidity and the large flying bugs are a dealbreaker.
Since I am currently in love with the TV show Claws, I may rethink it. Rethought. Stil no. Not even for Desna, Riva and Uncle Daddy! 

 We have more Ritz Carltons than anywhere else in the world.

In the summer it is hot everywere...maybe even hotter in Chicago.  What about the Chicago snowstorms? 

How do you show property driving on ice?Whats the big deal with bugs? What bugs?

What...? Chicago does not have wacky people? Don't they have the most killings?

I first visited Florida on my honeymoon and always wanted to live here.  Not interested in moving. 

No elevator speech for you...

Eve

Everybody has to live somewhere.   

It is a personal choice. I live in the land of wacky people in CA - earthquakes.

a beautiful place to live and have a tan year 'round....

As a Chicago resident and Florida transplant, it all depends! If you love the water, fishing and golf Florida is for you and the negatives go away!

Every place has it's stuff.

We tend to embrace the stuff with which we are familiar.

My preference is to raise all the bridges and allow not a single additional 'Northlander" across the border. They want Florida to look like a NJ mall.

I'll deal with that which which I am familiar.

Florida is a beautiful state; let them go to Florida - in a few years, many of them come back to NC - we call them half-backs!

All I can say is  San Diego, CA is Heaven on Earth for me, I'm glad folks choose to live elsewhere so our traffic stays tolerable.

Depends on where in Florida.

Three word speech: Ohio in January

John Bear - Where Life Lives...

Love the beaches and sand. It tends to clear the mental cobwebs. We have owned for 23 years and survived several storms. The smell of the air when I arrive at my condo is worth it all by itself. 

I wouldnt live anywhere else, but you aren't me so do what makes you happy. If you don't like Florida don't move here and complain about it. 

It may be a good place to park your van in the winter John, or spring break.

I'm sorry John, but I live in Southern California, a stone's throw from Venice Beach, Hollyweird, Beverly Hills and "Hollywood & Vine".  Between that and our legislature, we own the crown for wackiest people and biggest crackpots.

I've made a friend on Bigger Pockets who is a firearms dealer in Florida.  Some of the guns you can buy there is the elevator speech for moving there.

I lived in northeast Florida for almost 29 years and we never once had a direct hit from a hurricane.  The weather is good and there is no state income tax so for me, the benefits outweigh the potential of getting hit by a storm.  My advice is to be vigilant and leave early if there is a threat of a hurricane.

There are pros and cons to living there, how many hurricans do they get a year.  Now the bugs and snakes, no thank you.

Humidity?  Have you been in Panama? It's worst! and almost 25% of their residents in the City are from North America. Every year many retired people come here to live permanent and they love it. Remember there is not a perfect place as long its perfect for you.

It's still a paradise! Just be prepared.

I recommend Virginia and Maryland.

Every place has issues of one sort or another. I have no desire to live in Florida, but loves of people LOVE it!

Easy for against. You said it yourself. Humidity, bugs, extra dose of wacky people and hurricanes. Isn't that enough? 

Your elevator speech (in the form of a question) just worked on me.  I don't like humidity, bugs, wacky people or hurricanes... so guess I won't be moving to Florida.  

Alligators. -Kasey

John,

To each his/her own.

Chicagoland has negatives??

I love to spend time in certain parts of Florida during certain seasons but I have no desire to live there. I wouldn't even want to stay there for several months out of the year.

Dennis Swartz nailed this one!

This to will pass!

The ocean, great fish to eat, and I love palm trees.

I think more people should move there as it will keep my area from getting to crowded!!!!

Having lived in CA - home of wackiest Americans in the country and considering Chicago leads the country in killings...

Yah well worth it LOL

I am all for living there during the winter, but not sure i could do it all year. I hate bugs, humidity and crazy people

I am not a heat and humidity person, so I am not able to help with this one. I'd prefer to be in the mountains, personally.

John Bear No where seems to be safe from Mother Nature anymore. Looks like we may be having another one coming up the Coast.

If you like having to make many adjustments to find quality of life go Florida

I have a great speech for living in Bucks county.

People have to live in a place they are comfortable with, no matter what the obstacles.