Brits looking to make a quick buck or two on their overseas property purchase have long viewed Florida as one of the top destinations in the world to make this happen. Boasting the world's largest theme park and resort complex – Walt Disney World – over 1,000 golf courses, and almost as many breathtaking beaches, the 'Sunshine State' currently welcomes around 60 million tourists a year, a fact that has been exploited by many a property owner keen to let their homes out to accommodation-needy holidaymakers.

Not that it has only been through potential rental yields that investors have managed to make a profit on their Floridian home, though. Between 2000 and 2005 property prices in the state increased by a whopping 108 per cent, meaning that those who bought their property over five years ago should see a tidy financial gain if and when they choose to sell their property.

Even now prices in the state are still rising, albeit by nowhere near as much as they were at their peak and with the prospect of a market correction on the horizon. In July this year the average price of a home in the state rose by just 1 per cent on the previous month, taking the current average value of a home in Florida to $250,800 (approximately £134,000).

However, not everyone who has their eye on buying property in Florida is solely looking to make money on their investment. For years now Floridian property has been much sought-after by both Americans from northern states and Canadians, who purchase homes in the Sunshine State with the intention of then migrating south for the winter. Boasting an average annual temperature which ranges between 20 to 23.9oC depending on the region – the coldest month tends to be January when average temperatures fluctuate between 6.1 to 21.7°C – Florida offers the perfect climate for those looking to escape the all too often cold and depressing North American winters.

It is estimated that each year almost one million 'snowbirds' arrive in the state to spend at least two or three months in the sun, before returning back 'home' to significantly warmer climes in the spring. This trend was believed to have been started by two of America's best known inventors of the 20th century – Thomas Edison and Henry Ford – who both built holiday homes in Fort Myers for the purpose of winter hibernation. Today, an increasing number of Brits are starting to follow the lead of these American snowbirds. "Leaving the foggy drizzle of the UK in November and landing over the azure waters of Florida with pelicans lined up as a guard of honour on the bridges is very therapeutic", explains Andrew Bartlett of Andrew Bartlett Florida. "Leaving Florida at Easter, as it begins to get very hot and humid, and returning to the lush green fields of England, is considered by many to be an idyllic way of life", he adds.

Winter warmer
Peter Stanhope from York is one Brit who has found wintering across the Atlantic to be far more pleasurable than staying in the UK during the cold season. "My wife Jean and I have spent five winters in Orlando, Florida, so far", he explains. "The time we tend to spend in the state varies from three to five months, either in one stretch or split into two visits with a return to York to spend Christmas and New Year with our family and friends. "We usually go out in early November and stay right through to the end of March, just before the Easter rush, returning to York in the spring with a beautiful yellow carpet of daffodils blooming on our ancient city walls to welcome us back. "In my view winter is the best time to visit Florida as there is none of the humidity or the bugs that you get in the
summer, and no hurricanes either!"

Since his annual winter commutes to Florida began, Stanhope has started up a social club for British people who own homes in Florida (the Florida Brits Club) as well as a real estate consultancy company (Florida Brits Realty). Through these two ventures, known collectively as Florida Brits Group, he has seen for himself the increase in the number of Brits looking to spend winter in the sun. "We know quite a lot of Brits, many from our Florida Brits Group, who have bought homes in Florida with a view to semi-retirement in the state as snowbirds in their later years", he confirms.

From the way Stanhope describes the season in Florida, it is hardly a surprise that more and more Brits are starting to look at the possibilities of swapping a British winter for a Floridian one. "The winter is usually ideal for wearing short-sleeved shirts, although there is the occasional chill in January and February and it can sometimes even freeze in the Orlando area", he says. "But, all in all, the great attraction of wintering in Florida is the ability for us to enjoy more of the year, due to outdoor living still being possible in the months when we would normally be gathered around a roaring fire back home. "In addition, we also get to enjoy the state's beautiful landscapes, lakes and beaches, most of which cost nothing to appreciate. "Jean and I have felt much healthier [since becoming snowbirds] and have a 'Florida glow' all year round. We have largely forgotten our aches and pains due to the higher temperatures and have spent far more time in each others' company and seeing and experiencing new things together", adds Stanhope.

From his numerous dealings with people planning to live full-time or seasonally in Florida, Bartlett has noticed that a real sense of community spirit exists between Florida's temporary winter residents. "Many British retirees have stressed to me the ease of integrating into their seasonal American lifestyle and look forward to catching up on the gossip and news with their old friends each year when they return to their second home in Florida", he says. "There is a common camaraderie with their American and Canadian neighbours in Florida, who also have families a long way away. "Some developments even offer an extensive range of community facilities including club houses which offer special events and dining over holidays like Thanksgiving Christmas and the New Year, as well as regular planned events", he adds.

Visa considerations
While all this may sound great, should you wish to stay in your Floridian property from, say, October until March each year, visa restrictions mean that as a non-resident of the US, you won't then be able to visit your home in the summer. "The Visa Waiver scheme allows British residents visits of up to 90 days without the need of having to apply for a visa", explains Gordon Robinson of Florida Gold International Real Estate. "Generally you can have two visits per 365 days, but make sure you do not exceed this as you could be refused entry the next time you arrive in the US", he adds.

To spend up to six months in the States at any one time – the maximum period a foreign national is permitted to stay in the country – you will need to apply to your local US Embassy for a B-2 visa and convince a consular officer that the nature of your trip to Florida is temporary and that you do have full-time residence outside of the US. This means that whatever your reason for buying a property in Florida you will be limited to spending only half of any one calendar year in it yourself – providing, of course, you are not emigrating to the States permanently.

This begs the question, then, of what should you do with it for the other six months of the year? "Some potential 'snowbirds' are worried about problems that may occur with their Floridian home whilst they are in Britain", acknowledges Bartlett. "Some Brits use a management company to rent the house out when they are not in residence, while those who prefer not to rent out what they consider to be their second family home often find that their neighbours can be very accommodating. There are even professional companies which will undertake regular checks of the home for you." "Other considerations include looking at low maintenance properties which can further simplify life – and a big must in Florida, in my opinion, is avoid big gardens unless you mind the expense of upkeep or a lot of work each time you return", Bartlett adds.

Location dilemmas
Given the aforementioned financial gains that can come with owning a home in the Sunshine State, the chance to make a few extra dollars is often too big a lure for Floridian home owners to ignore. As such, many snowbirds choose to let their house out when they are not staying in it.

However, looking to combine being a winter snowbird with a summer landlord can stir up a number of dilemmas regarding where in the state you should look to purchase your home. "You tend to find that Brits looking for a winter hideaway will want to buy on the West Coast rather than, for example, in Orlando", explains Suzanne Morrill of World of Florida. "I think the reason for this is that Brits look at Orlando as being the main vacation area whereas on the Gulf coast there is more of a community feel for them to integrate into over a period of time."

This leaves you with another question: Should you follow the holiday crowd and purchase in Orlando, which may afford you a higher chance of attracting more holidaymakers and potentially net you more money but possibly won't offer you a community feel, or on the Gulf Coast, where the opposite is the case? "In my opinion the key is to remember that if you are a snowbird you are not on holiday but in your second home, so it's critical to chose an appropriate location which reflects your interests", advises Bartlett. "Some people make the mistake of being talked into a great looking house by a local realtor rather than talking through all the options first from a British perspective, looking at property taxes, any insurance implications, the social life, visa implications, etcetera", he adds.

Stanhope agrees that any property selection should come down to that individual's wants and needs. "If people want to have access to interests, activities, sports, shows, events and cultural things, in addition to all the attractions for when the family visits, then the Orlando area is very good", he says. "If you like the beaches more then the beautiful Gulf of Mexico has some wonderful places. Sarasota, Fort Myers  and Naples are some of our favourites destinations where we spend short breaks away from Orlando. "We also like Fort Lauderdale on the Atlantic Coast. It has a very upmarket lifestyle where there are high rise condominium blocks, waterside mansions and expensive boats on the intracoastal waterways", Stanhope adds.

In the right zone
Wherever you choose to buy your home, if you do think there is a good chance that as well as wintering in Florida you may also wish to let it out during the summer, you will need to make sure you are fully aware of any zoning restrictions that exist in that particular area. "There is not really an issue with long-term lets", says Morrill. "Even if you buy on a short-term development or in an area where short-term lets are permitted, you can stay for as long as you wish." She continues, "[as the owner] you tend to find that if people are going to use their property themselves for a long period then they purchase on a residential development rather than on a vacation development. "In fact, if the owner wishes to let the home out long-term then it would be more beneficial for them to buy on a
residential development. "The only thing they have to be sure about, though, is that they will never wish to use it or let it on a short-term basis, as this would not be allowed", she warns.

Because of the greater sense of community which many people find on the state's coastal resorts, particularly on the stretch of Gulf Coast which runs from Tampa to Naples which promotes itself heavily to snowbirds, there tend to be fewer areas which are zoned for short-term lets there than in vacation-friendly Orlando, which is far more geared towards short stays of one or two weeks. That said, there are still many areas of the Gulf Coast where your property will be allowed to be let out for short periods, just as there are some properties in the Orlando area that won't be. It all depends on the area or the specific rules of the certain development/resort the property is located in.

So what can you do to ensure that your property can be used as both a summer money maker and a winter escape? "Always deal with a qualified real estate broker as he/she has had to pass state exams for competency and work to a strict code of ethics", advises Robinson. "These people will make sure the property you wish to buy is in the right zone for short-term rentals should you wish to rent your property out." Robinson continues, "If you want maximum flexibility I would recommend buying a single family home in an area allowing short-term rentals over, say, a condo development purchase where restrictive covenants could hamper the investment potential. "After all, if you can invest in a holiday home, cover your expenses and, say, look at capital/currency appreciation of 7-to-10 per cent per annum over the long term then this has to be considered."

No matter where in the state you eventually decide to buy a home, one thing that you can be sure of is that you will get more for your money in Florida than in the UK. In the Sarasota-Brandeton region, which according to the Florida Association of Realtors currently boasts the fourth-highest average house prices of 20 different Florida regions, Robinson says that you can expect a home that would cost you around "£500,000 in the UK to set you back just £200,000".

This price would include a private pool and a living area of over 2,000 square feet. "Now is a great time to buy property in Florida with a view to wintering in the state as prices in may areas are moving downwards", Stanhope reports. "Many builders are offering great incentives to buy and some great resale bargains are available."The current favourable exchange rate [$1.87 to a pound at the time of writing] means that Brits can buy at almost half-price compared with Americans who only have their weaker dollars to buy with", he adds.

So if the early chill of the British winter has already left you longing for next year's summer, then for some of you a home in Florida could be the ideal excuse to enjoy the sun in the winter, while maybe even making a little extra pocket money in the summer. After all, wintering in the sun never did Edison or Ford any harm, did it!

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For further information:
World Of Florida
Florida Gold Homes
Florida Brits Group
Andrew Bartlett Florida

Read other articles about Florida:
Living and working in Florida
Is time up for American property?
Exploring central Florida

Article published October 2006