Not a bad place to live luxuriously on the cheap.
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3/4/2017
Pro's: No state tax, no yearly inspection fees for cars, the homeowner's homestead exemption is excellent, low cost of living in general. In Ocala, I rented in 2015 a 3/2 3,000 SQFT luxury condo with armed security, gated access, every possible country club benefit you could dream up at Fore Ranch. God, that place is like living in the lap of luxury. I paid $1,000/month rent. The gym, pool and clubhouse was worth it on it's own, absent the rent! It's like living at one of those grand hotels you never want ot check out of and Ocala has way more than just Fore Ranch! Tuscany is another, the list goes on. I moved to an equally small town in Longmeadow, MA and $1,000 a month got me a one room studio in a horrible section of town. In Ocala the only expensive thing is utilities. In any other place, your utility will be 70% less. In Florida, utility companies are privately owned and they charge whatever they like and pad the bill. But it's worth putting up with in exchange for 3 pks of cigarettes for $9 if you smoke, easy weather and you do get used to the humidity. Tanning salons & airbrush in Ocala are $2 each luxury session while in Mass it's $35 per session, you get the idea. Services and goods in general cost more than half in Ocala as compared to other areas.
Con's: In Ocala, everyone and their brother literally, are in your business. There is a cop for every 10 people. BUT if you want a state job, Ocala is the place to be. The women still have the Lifetime Movie Network mentality and if your kid goes to school with a skinned knee they assume you beat him. If you go to work with a scratch they assume you need to visit the Rape Crisis Center. If you're broke and are trying to raise your kids, everyone will be in your business. With the redneck idiots there, I would retire there or be single and live on the cheap but I would not raise a family there. You think I am kidding, or I am exaggerating. I am not. There is a general consensus and the IQ there is extremely LOW. You have to explain things 2,3, 4x in order to get your point across. People there are idiots. No joke. But the weather and cost of living are excellent.
Maggie | Longmeadow, MA