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What’s life really like for Brits living on Florida’s Gulf Coast? Andrew Bartlett interviews 6 families who achieved their lifetimes dream by relocating to the Gulf Coast of Florida. For some it was a permanent move, for others a seasonal escape from the dreary British winter. They chat about their lifestyles, how they have settled in, what they love, what niggles them and how their American dream turned out in reality Our 6 families’ experience Mark and Anne Traynor relocated from Warrington 4 years ago, seeking out a better way of life, particularly for their daughter Victoria then 11. They relocated to Lakewood Ranch in Bradenton before recently moving again to Osprey near Venice. Their new home adjoins a state park with convenient walking access to Victoria’s school which is rated one of the ten best  in America. It is a State School equivalent to a very good English Grammar School and takes children from the age of 7 through to 18.  The Traynor's came over on an E2 visa after buying an invisible (electric) pet fencing business (As many American properties do not have fences). They felt the business had been a great choice and it has steadily expanded since they bought it from a couple who were retiring. They are delighted with their life in Florida and feel the education system is the icing on the cake.  Their daughter who played county level tennis in Britain now receives coaching at an excellent local Tennis Academy which has further improved her game. They have settled comfortably into the outdoors Florida lifestyle and love their neighbourhood and its proximity to some of the best beaches in the world. They are very happy with the quality of the community activities embracing polo, cricket, tennis, soccer, and Sarasota's wonderful performing arts. Given concerns regarding the long term viability of the E2 visa which does not provide a suitable long term option for children once they turn 21, they are looking at the recently proven investor visa which is seen as a netter option. Details here.   Nigel and Fiona Hayden emigrated last year from a small village in Cheshire, where Fiona owned a successful optical outlet. Nigel was a motor sports insurance broker working in specialist areas that included the Grand Prix. They have three children James 12, Matthew 9 and Emma 8. The Hayden's are unusual in the speed they acted to bring together their move. In the course of a breathless 4 day stay they bought their house in Sarasota in a gated golf course community, tied up arrangements to purchase a meat processing business which qualified for an E2 visa and finalised the sale of their UK assets on their return, talk about not sitting back and enjoying the sun!  They love life in the sun, which has made a big difference to the arthritis Fiona suffered from in the UK. They are delighted with Tatum Ridge School and are amazed how enthusiastic and motivated their children are, particularly as they had to adjust from small village schools and completely different lifestyles. One of their children who found school a struggle in Britain is benefiting from the specialist teaching available in Sarasota. To cap it all Fiona has discovered the ideal dentist after years of toothache in Britain - Mind you she commented that the bill equivalent to the price of a car could have proved the anaesthetic! They would not move back given Florida’s relaxed pace of life, outdoor living and emphasis on family values. David and Fran Hodgkinson retired from top local government consultancy posts before moving via the EB5  visa option, which required a $500,000 investment and subject to satisfying stringent criteria leads to that all important green card. They thoroughly researched the various options and wanted a green card route feeling after stressful high pressure jobs, relaxation in the sun with their dogs was the key consideration rather than having to set up a business in Florida which was a requirement of other visa options.  Having looked at other countries to move to they felt Portugal and Spain had become over built and crowded plus there was the language barrier. Fran had retained great memories of America after student days as a camp councillor with BUNAC and the thrill was reawakened on holidays to Florida including Disney.  Having looked at a shortlist of options in Florida they felt St Petersburg was somewhat touristy, and Naples somewhat artificially manicured to please its millionaire residents. They chose a ranch style home with 6 acres of land in Myakka several miles outside Sarasota as the ideal move from their home in small Sussex village. 'We originally thought we might like to be on a canal or similar waterway but the prevalence of hurricanes and the problems of flood and homeowners insurance put us off. So, we are about 20 miles inland’ Fran commented.  Having personally cleared their land of scrub to design their garden Fran returned to her roots with a summer job at the world famous Bollettieri Academy and again they feel their Florida lifestyle has given them even more than they expected. For another article on the EB 5 visa from the Daily Telegraph click here Michael and Esti Baughen moved to America 16 years ago. They initially spent 10 years enjoying the excitement and pace of New York where Michael obtained an inter company transfer from his UK employer.  Seven years ago they moved to Sarasota where Michael is now a Senior Vice President with Wachovia Banks wealth management arm, and Esti is a specialist Realtor. they are permanent residents with greencards. Their delightful house is on the outskirts of Sarasota, set in a gated community with its own tennis court. Their children Devon 12 and Kabisa 10 were born in the USA and are therefore American citizens.. The Baughen's have been in America longer than our other families and feel very established in the American way of life. Esti and Michael are coaches for the local children’s soccer leagues and very active in school activities. They love the Florida lifestyle, to them England is now a place to take holidays. A typical Sunday for them is to spend a morning watching a polo match with a lunchtime tailgate picnic followed by an afternoon chilling out by the beach. As Esti commented Lido Beach is a particularly lovely place to be as the sun sets, and the smell of the day’s fish catch being cooked on the barbeque grills drifts through the pine forests along the beach shore. Mike and Lucia Holmes Mike Holmes has a sister who is an American citizen; she married a GI after WW2, went to live in the US and took American citizenship. She had to "sponsor" Mike and Lucia and vouch that they would be good citizens and not a burden on the state. Mike and Lucia made a clean break and sold their 16th century farmhouse in Norfolk, a lot of surplus furniture, cars, business interests, PEPs, ISAs and so on. They packed all that was left into a 40-foot container and watched it go off down the driveway for its sea journey to Florida four years ago. Feeling somewhat apprehensive, they said their farewells, got on the plane and they have not regretted their decision for one minute ever since moving to Osprey in a beautiful home overlooking a lake bordering a state park. All of our neighbours have made us feel very welcome and are astounded that we have been so "brave" as to sell up and move to another country. They are very friendly and we have been included from day one into their neighbourhood and country. The estate that we live in is new and some of our neighbours's come from Hawaii, Chicago, and California, so they are a long way from their families as well, so we all join in and celebrate various holidays together, for example Thanksgiving and Independence Day. John and Liz Morley have a vacation home in Sarasota. John a banker who faces a commute each day to work in London and Liz a nurse, plan to eventually become snowbirds or Seasonal visitors leaving the UK for up to 6 months when they retire in a few years time. They wanted to combine the best of both lifestyles in Florida and England and feel they have the perfect balance.  They had considered Spain, France and Greece but were swayed by the relaxed laid back south west Florida lifestyle - the character of Sarasota, the theatre, culture parks and beaches. They felt it was a classy, sophisticated City without being as overwhelmingly wealth orientated as Naples or West Palm Beach and on a containable scale without feeling overwhelmingly large like many American Cities.  Their home also offers the opportunity for great family holidays with convenient direct flights from London to nearby Tampa airport for their children and grandchildren. The Families key tips to ease the move. ·        In the immortal words of Corporal Jones ‘Don’t panic!’ Keep calm and be prepared for hiccups. Things are bound to go wrong; your timetable has to be flexible to tackle those unexpected gremlins. The American Embassy is not easily accessible if you require feedback on your application and sometimes queries arise which can lead to your application being severely delayed. Fiona mentioned her own scenario; she had sold her home and business in the UK and had identified a great business in Florida. However they had to buy the business prior to visa processing, to be sure of having their offer accepted. This was not the ideal scenario, particularly when the visa process had a hitch but everything worked out in the end. ·        Mike and Lucia stressed ‘Do your research but obtain independent impartial advice’. All our families commented that research was important but emphasised the need for independent advice from the earliest stage. Reading thousands of pages of the internet can be useful background information however it is often impossible to determine which sites or indeed glossy brochures are necessarily genuine. They all felt the advice they received had not only been invaluable in helping making the move stress free, but also instrumental in integrating them into American life. Mark and Anne commented that their advisors British perspective was invaluable in guiding them through the whole process from taking on the Americans at negotiating for the house to knowledge of the schools. Liz made the point that it was this knowledge of what would or would not work that helped them locate a holiday home that could be easily rented when not in use. Finding an impartial experienced relocation expert with a British perspective can be fundamental to minimising the costs and making the move work. ·        Despite the common language and possible previous holiday experiences Esti felt The Gulf coast of Florida is 30 years or more behind the UK in some attitudes – it is a very conservative area with strong values. Family values are deemed very important; parents do a lot of voluntary work for the schools. ·        When initially looking to come over don’t assume everyone has your welfare at heart, glossy adverts are not a guarantee for good advice based on your needs. You are moving to America the land of the selling opportunity bear in mind the froth and hype Bear in mind if you were an American visiting Devon or Manchester for two week holiday periods you would probably be ill advised to transfer your family over, pick a school, etc on the basis of those holiday experiences and some time on the internet. Yet each year British families do this, sometimes it works, all too often they find despite their independent streak, problems occur. Do not take everything you hear or are told at face value. All the families had come across British families who had made mistakes coming over and often these related to being sold something unsuitable. ·        Our families emphasised the importance of a good relationship with your partner to help ease the inevitable strains that start once you decide to embark on this major lifestyle change and can continue for at least several months after arrival, whilst you make the transition to Florida life – mutual support can be very important at these times. ·        All felt the boring old adage location, location, location is a critical first step, talk to an impartial independent relocation expert to take you through all the options from a British perspective. A sound business, excellent school and beautiful home are all important but being located in the wrong area will make you as miserable as sin and probably mean you need to start all over again. ·        All felt it was better to buy a house rather than rent, you do not want to be changing school districts shortly after taking children out of one school system, you need to be settled ASAP from a family viewpoint. Your first American mortgage can be easier to apply for using your UK address until you build up an American credit record. The families identified key positive points of life on the Gulf Coast ·        The relaxed pace of life which they felt was nothing like as driven and stressful as everyday life in Britain had become, they could enjoy their leisure time whereas life in Britain was becoming increasingly exhausting. The Hodgkinson and Morley’s contrasted the horrendous pace and strains of life in Britain with the laid back relaxed style of the Gulf Coast. ·        Year round sunshine made life in Florida more enjoyable and healthy. It is not a fallacy that living in the sunshine state leads to fewer colds and ailments. A recent report indicated that people in sunnier climates do seem to enjoy a healthier more active life as they get older. Fiona emphasised this point. ·        The families were all amazed at the feeling of safety in the area, although this is not necessarily the case throughout Florida. Certainly there is not the yobbish attitude, graffiti and sense of potential danger they feel is becoming increasingly pervasive in so many parts of Britain. There is far greater respect for authority and the law which combined with a much more visual police presence means in Sarasota you can walk through the City in the evenings. ·        Family values seem to be more emphasised in America - parent involvement in school activities is very proactive. Schools seemed to focus on drawing out children’s individual strengths; there is something for everyone whether it is sport, academic, arts. The system installs personal pride and self confidence. ·        There is a large emphasis on volunteering to contribute to activities in your community. Although sometimes this leads to some unusual experiences such as a local tourist information centre staffed by very elderly volunteer helpers, who were obviously hard of hearing - this combined with trying to understand the accents of tourists led to some surreal moments. ·        The Pride of Americans was viewed as a positive factor. Although sometimes it may be seem as over the top and misplaced, the genuine pride and patriotism of all America (not conditional on performance in the world cup - just as well!) does contrast with the UK. ·        Houses in many parts of Florida remain incredible value for money allowing you to enjoy a much better standard of comfort and living than would be the case in Britain, however use an agent who understands the British perspective and is there for you long after the housing transaction. ·        Generally lower taxes on income and a lower cost of living lead to having more disposable income for fun and leisure activities. Holidays on ski slopes in California, cruises to the Caribbean were seen as the icing on the cake. The families’ frustrations of life on the Gulf Coast varied. Inevitably there is a flip side to the positive points above and in the early months of a move to Florida these areas can assume greater frustrations than as you come to terms with the different lifestyle. Some are not so much negatives as differences. ·        In some ways, not necessarily negative the Gulf coast is 30 years or more behind the UK in attitudes – indeed some of the most popular shows on BBC America include Benny Hill and Monty Python! ·        Bureaucracy is strangely a big factor in American life. As Bill Bryson has commented on in his books, Americans seem to like living in a very ordered society. There sometimes seems to be only black and white, no shades of grey as you will discover from the moment you land, fill in the form wrongly and get sent to the back of the queue. Flexibility and common sense often don’t seem to feature - many Americans have swallowed whatever manual applies in a particular situation and don’t deviate from this ·        Florida in particular has something of a manyana attitude. As both the Hodgkinsons and Haydens commented there is British time and Florida time. Appointments are often very fluid, there is rarely a sense of urgency, telephone calls are not returned and workman  often turn up when they feel like it. Mind you it could also be considered part of the charm! ·        Fiona in particular, spoke about the sexist attitude prevalent on the Gulf coast that seems to be a throwback to times past and can be particularly frustrating.. It does seem that sometimes women are actually ignored in a sales situation when their partner is present. Fiona when ordering a car with her husband was incensed that the salesperson only communicated with her husband even though the car was her decision. The Fred Flintstone attitude may reflect the mid west where many residents come from and can sometimes seem annoying and patronising. ·        Many drivers are for want of a better word – ‘gormless’, perhaps not surprising when you consider their only driving lessons were given by their parents when they were 15 and the practical test is a 10 minute series off manoeuvres off the road.. Don’t expect indicator use, do expect tailgating and poorly timed manoeuvres but on the plus side none of our families have seen road rage on the gulf coast. ·        As many people on the Gulf coast eat out the choice of food to cook in the supermarkets is not as wide or as of such good quality as in Britain . ·        It seemed to our families (a feeling I share) that many goods in America although very inexpensive do not last any longer than their guarantee period, sometimes the often vaunted concept of American service seems little more than a myth. ·        Television programmes are almost all awful, terrible, rubbish, given some of the best may be BBC Americas repeats of changing rooms, Are You being served, etc enough said! Mind you, you can watch live premier league games Esti pointed out and with an active outdoor life you watch very little television anyway. ·        Americans generally take fewer holidays, 10 days a year is not that uncommon. ·        Finally this could be a good or bad one depending on your outlook, relatives, friends, neighbours and work colleagues you did not even know you had from the UK, may see your new home as the ideal holiday location! Half full half empty Spending my year travelling between Florida the UK and Europe it sometimes seems the key differences in lifestyle  between Britain and America can be simply condensed to the is your glass half full or half empty conundrum. When in Britain or indeed when reading British papers in Florida the emphasis seems to be on the negative aspects of life possibly with some reasons - weather, crime, schools, hospitals politics, etc the perspective is a half empty one.  The American perspective is quite the opposite - the half full perspective reigns, however sometimes reality is glossed over in the jockeying to put a positive glow on everything. By the way in answer to your question how did I manage to live in Florida, well I cheated when I married Siri my wife 25 years ago- she is American.     Thinking about buying a property in Florida - click here   Thinking about selling a property in Florida - click here   Thinking about emigrating or retiring to Florida - click here   Just want to be sent details of suitable agents with excellent testimonials and a proven track record of working with British buyers – click here   For a copy of the original article click here Andrew Bartlett an acknowledged expert on property trends and relocation in Florida, writes articles and answers readers’ questions for several British publications including Florida Magazine, Escape Magazine, Place in the Sun, Sunday Times, America, and The Red guide to buying Property in America and is regularly consulted by journalists and broadcasters. His consumer web guides have received numerous accolades.   Andrew was a Senior Government Official for 20 years before relocating to Florida several years ago where he was headhunted to set up specialist British property and relocation teams for Coldwell Banker and Remax - America’s largest estate agents. He then established a uniquely impartial and independent relocation and property briefing company working between Britain and Florida. He has written a number of watchdog style articles warning Brits planning to buy property in Florida or considering emigration about misleading and dangerous selling practices.