OP
OP
Ex-Calif
Well-known member
So sorry your plans got blown up. I hope you can look forward and build a new plan.
The Next Phase Just Became Real
- Thread starter Ex-Calif
- Start date
The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an RV or an interest in RVing!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
Wow, crazy! I lived in Ca as well for a long time(30+years)but as I said now living in Fl. Both my brothers still live in Ca but dread the costs etc there. We grew up on a cattle ranch for about 10-11 years as a kid out there and loved it! But as you said has done nothing but get worse there,so sad.
Oldgator73
Well-known member
I feel about Florida the same way you feel about California. I grew up in Florida in the 50’s and 60’s and it was great. We had a blast. We left in 1975 and traveled the country and the world on the governments dime. There are some places we’ve lived we never want to go back to; Florida, Texas, Louisiana to name a few. But there’s somewhere and something for everybody. We have lived in Delaware since about 2015 and I’m anxious to move on again. Getting too old to pack up and move though.
Reinigm
Well-known member
I know this is a stupid question, but you weren't planning on taking "Marvin" down to Cartagena, were you?
OP
OP
Ex-Calif
Well-known member
No. The "original" plan was to tour the USA for a while with Florida as my legal residence to break tax ties with Ohio, then sell everything and move to Cartagena. I had noodled the idea of taking part of the Pan American Highway down to Cali in an MGB but that may not happen.
I feel about Florida the same way you feel about California. I grew up in Florida in the 50’s and 60’s and it was great. We had a blast. We left in 1975 and traveled the country and the world on the governments dime. There are some places we’ve lived we never want to go back to; Florida, Texas, Louisiana to name a few. But there’s somewhere and something for everybody. We have lived in Delaware since about 2015 and I’m anxious to move on again. Getting too old to pack up and move though.
I am sure Florida was even more interesting back then. I think there are nomads like us but at the opposite end are people that have pretty much never left their county.
My real estate agent is like that as well as the inspector for the septic. The inspector was all puffed up for leaving home to go to college. He went to Florida State - LOL...
Oldgator73
Well-known member
I’d of thrown him off the property.
OP
OP
Ex-Calif
Well-known member
We are in the final push! The home is sited and they got it mated yesterday evening.
I am gonna have to lickety split dig a trench for the 200 amp service, dig another trench for the water and get to installing. The setup guys are supposed to do the sewer hookup. They leave all the water and drain drops open - the setup manual tells them the exact parts list to connect all the drains.
They are gonna run the 3 inch to the northeast corner and then it's about a 30 foot run to the septic head.
I am gonna have to lickety split dig a trench for the 200 amp service, dig another trench for the water and get to installing. The setup guys are supposed to do the sewer hookup. They leave all the water and drain drops open - the setup manual tells them the exact parts list to connect all the drains.
They are gonna run the 3 inch to the northeast corner and then it's about a 30 foot run to the septic head.
Rene T
Site Team
Is it set up on a concrete slab or just blocks? If it’s on blocks, do you have to lay down plastic over the soil?
Who anchors it to the ground? Them or you.
Who anchors it to the ground? Them or you.
DonTom
Well-known member
I am surprised it is happening so fast. I assumed it would be many more months, if not years, when I was looking at it all there.
-Don- Reno, NV
OP
OP
Ex-Calif
Well-known member
Nah... We were in wait for delivery mode since early January. I did 200 feet of trenching to tie the water in this morning. This afternoon I should do about 150 feet for power.
There is an installation manual that is about 50 pages. I would say 42 pages are how to block it and tie it down. Probably 4 pages on plumbing including a detailed parts list of what is needed to tie it all together.
There is like one page on power - Hook up the black, red, green and copper here --->
There is like one page on water - plug in water here --->
I exaggerate a little on the tying it down as there are pages on cross ties for utilities on a double wide but the tie down specs are exhaustive.
It's on blocks but at 48 feet it is required to have 4 tie downs. These are big spikes drilled pretty deep in the ground and tied into the frame underneath.
They caution about settling in the first 90 days so I have to check things out over the first month's of occupancy.
Like an RV I also have 30 days to discover any minor glitches such as water leaks, things not working etc. etc. They provide a punch list which is nice and I plan to make working copies of the punch list to go from.
OP
OP
Ex-Calif
Well-known member
It's surprising how fast time flies after the home is sited.
But at long last we have the first inspection complete with only 3 minor gigs on the work.
We are ohh..., soo... close...
I'll keep the rental house through May and make a leisurely move. The LL and I have a handshake agreement that I can get out of the lease as soon as she finds a replacement renter. Should move most of the furniture out by end of April so she can start showing the place.
I won't bore you with all the videos - so here is about the final one.
First Inspection
But at long last we have the first inspection complete with only 3 minor gigs on the work.
We are ohh..., soo... close...
I'll keep the rental house through May and make a leisurely move. The LL and I have a handshake agreement that I can get out of the lease as soon as she finds a replacement renter. Should move most of the furniture out by end of April so she can start showing the place.
I won't bore you with all the videos - so here is about the final one.
First Inspection
Last edited:
Rene T
Site Team
It could take months for her to find a renter. When is your lease up?
OP
OP
Ex-Calif
Well-known member
Lease is up in like January next year.
She had 3 backup offers on this place the first week she advertised it so I am not too worried about her finding a replacement.
Reinigm
Well-known member
That's a cool looking forest setting. What part of Florida are you in?
OP
OP
Ex-Calif
Well-known member
Live Oak - Off I10 about 90 miles from Jacksonville and about the same to Tallahassee.
OP
OP
Ex-Calif
Well-known member
Little bit frustrated at the 11th hour. Inspection passed on May 2. The Florida power folks were supposed to be automatically notified of the inspection - I had confirmed with them the process about 2 weeks ago - And they "automatically" come in within 1-7 days, run the power lines and put the meter in.
Well here we are 9 days after that and I called FPL - They state they never got the COO (certificate of occupancy). Well every home that hooks up has this process so I have the permits lady chasing it down.
I did not expect to have these 2 outfits dropping the ball and finger pointing but of course they are - grrr...
Paid rent this month and in 4 days will make my 4th mortgage payment - Money life sucks right now...
Decided a few weeks back to just buy a 10 X 16 shed/workshop as the materials were gonna be close to the cost of the shed and I also needed a place to store stuff fast.
Everyone send anti-bureaucracy vibes to north Florida please...
Skirting Being Installed
New Shed
Well here we are 9 days after that and I called FPL - They state they never got the COO (certificate of occupancy). Well every home that hooks up has this process so I have the permits lady chasing it down.
I did not expect to have these 2 outfits dropping the ball and finger pointing but of course they are - grrr...
Paid rent this month and in 4 days will make my 4th mortgage payment - Money life sucks right now...
Decided a few weeks back to just buy a 10 X 16 shed/workshop as the materials were gonna be close to the cost of the shed and I also needed a place to store stuff fast.
Everyone send anti-bureaucracy vibes to north Florida please...
Skirting Being Installed
New Shed
DonTom
Well-known member
I didn't know they ship sheds like that. At both my houses, I had a Tuff-Shed built on my property. They use three guys and get the job done in one day.
The one at my Reno home is rather large. Cost me 10K$. The one at Auburn is smaller. The shed pad was being built around the same time I was visiting with you. No level ground at my Auburn house. Cost me more than ten grand for the smaller shed as well. 3.5K$ for the shed pad and a 7K$ shed. Prices were extra high then because of the COVID related wood shortage.
I needed the sheds because of all the junk at the house I sold. All the larger junk I just left in the house and let the buyers have a very large front yard sale. They probably made a bundle on selling that stuff that I just didn't want to deal with. Includes stuff such as slot machines that Tommy bought over the years. I just didn't want to bother with such stuff.
I sold that house because of hassles with the HOA. And then I get a violation from the other HOA after I had the shed built at my other house, in the back yard. I didn't know something like a shed in the backyard needed advance approval from the HOA. But they are just leaving that one hang. I have heard nothing and done nothing since that HOA violation I got just before that RV trip, in late Oct 2021.
But I will never buy a house in an HOA again. Why own a house if somebody else has to give permission for everything done?
My Auburn house is NOT in an HOA and it's even a better area than my Reno place.
-Don- Tom's Place, CA
The one at my Reno home is rather large. Cost me 10K$. The one at Auburn is smaller. The shed pad was being built around the same time I was visiting with you. No level ground at my Auburn house. Cost me more than ten grand for the smaller shed as well. 3.5K$ for the shed pad and a 7K$ shed. Prices were extra high then because of the COVID related wood shortage.
I needed the sheds because of all the junk at the house I sold. All the larger junk I just left in the house and let the buyers have a very large front yard sale. They probably made a bundle on selling that stuff that I just didn't want to deal with. Includes stuff such as slot machines that Tommy bought over the years. I just didn't want to bother with such stuff.
I sold that house because of hassles with the HOA. And then I get a violation from the other HOA after I had the shed built at my other house, in the back yard. I didn't know something like a shed in the backyard needed advance approval from the HOA. But they are just leaving that one hang. I have heard nothing and done nothing since that HOA violation I got just before that RV trip, in late Oct 2021.
But I will never buy a house in an HOA again. Why own a house if somebody else has to give permission for everything done?
My Auburn house is NOT in an HOA and it's even a better area than my Reno place.
-Don- Tom's Place, CA
DonTom
Well-known member
Northern part, just below the panhandle. I have been there at his property that is shown in the video. Around 80 miles SE of Tallahassee, FL.
A bit more on the Western Side. Close to the RV Park I was staying in, in Mayo, FL. But he (Ex-Calif or Dan) lives in Live Oak, next town, just a few miles away.
-Don- Tom's Place, CA
DonTom
Well-known member
It seems to me most of Florida looks much like that. Just stay away from the major cities.
-Don- Tom's Place, CA
OP
OP
Ex-Calif
Well-known member
The place I bought from was right here in Live Oak. There are like 8 shed places around me. The guy was telling me that they ship up to 12 foot wide all assembled.
I was in an HOA in Ohio. My (rental) house had a driveway that went past the house on the side and there was a second 2 car garage in the back. I parked the RV n the back and got in trouble from HOA because you "have to park you RV on the side of the house."
I did that but anytime I wanted to ride my motorcycle or drive an MG I had to move the RV out of the way or drive around it on the grass. Then I bought the fishing boat you and i went out in.
I parked that in front of the back garage door. Sure enough... Apparently you can have a trailer or an RV but not both. WTF?
I ended up having to put the boat in the garage and leaving an MG out on the drive. Apparently you could have s many cars on the driveway as you wanted, as long as they were all registered.
When I bought the property here I specifically avoided being in the city limits or in any HOA. As you saw by my property I can pretty much do anything I want to.
