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Mike & Lucia Holmes Mike and Lucia Holmes are already living the dream in the Sunshine State - An inerview wih them appeared in Homes Worldwide in December 2004. Retiring to the US permanently isn't as straightforward as you may think. 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, 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. Feeling somewhat apprehensive, they said their farewells, got on the plane and they have not regretted their decision for one minute ever since.   What influenced your decision to buy a home in Florida? Mainly the weather. The winters here are excellent, with the humidity low, the sun shining almost every day, and temperatures in the 70s. Spring and autumn are really nice; the temperatures are also a little higher. Summers can be very warm, but then we go travelling to cooler places. Travel between the UK and Florida is very good, too, with several daily flights. We can visit friends and relations back in the US easily - and vice versa. How did you choose the area where you made your purchase? Having researched the area and visited Florida several times before, we had a good idea of the general area in which we would like to live. We then had a scouting trip to the two areas which interested us most. Naples and Sarasota on the Gulf Coast. We spent a week in each area - we felt that although Naples was lovely - Sarasota had more things happening - theatres, arts, festivals, museums,unusual shops, better beach access and also seemed less formal and more relaxed. How long did it take you to find the right property? Having selected Sarasota we found about Andrew Bartlett from one of his articles in Going USA, which we came across at the American Embassy in London. His website was invaluable and with his excellent advice and briefing service we were able to home in on certain areas. We wanted to be near the sea, backing onto a lake or waterway, convenient for shops etc. One area had all the criteria so that was it. Apart from all the things to see and do in Sarasota it's only one hour from Tampa. How much did you pay for your new home and how did you fund the purchase? We paid $450,000 (£244,486) for our house, and had sold our house in the UK, so were able to pay cash. Can you describe your property? We have a new single-storey house with four bedrooms, three bathrooms, 3000 square feet of air conditioned living space, a swimming pool, a lanai overlooking a large lake with a state park beyond that which is a haven for birds and wildlife of all sorts. Do you feel it has been a good investment? Property has increased in the area by a phenomenal rate in the last few years and there are fewer properties available than there are potential buyers. Are the locals friendly? 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. What's the best thing about life in Florida so far? It is so nice to get up every day and see the sunshine - no more dull damp days. We can also get to the beach in 15 minutes and watch the gorgeous sunsets. We can eat breakfast, lunch and dinner outside most days. We have not had colds since we came, which is a definite bonus. We have joined a great tennis club, play most days and are a lot fitter! Any downsides? We miss the variety of restaurants that we had in England, no going to the local for a pub lunch and the choice in the supermarkets is not so good.There's no decent fish and chips either! And your future plans? More travel in this really beautiful country, more watching sunsets, more sitting on the lanai, gin and tonic in hand watching the alligators cruise by. Click here for a full transcript of their story  Thinking about buying a property in Florida - click here   Thinking about selling a property in Florida - click here   Thinking about emigrating 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 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 on overseas property and emigration selling techniques.