Where the Livin' Is Easy

Diane Sears | 10/1/2007

Florida's State Capitol, Tallahassee [Photo: Visit Florida]

For eight straight years, Florida has earned a top spot in Harris Poll’s “most desirable places to live” survey. Now, it seems, plenty of those who picked Florida as the place they’d most like to live are making good on their choice. Every day, close to 1,000 new residents move into Florida. The fact that many of them came here first as tourists is proof positive that the world’s number 1 travel destination is a favorite for permanent residence, too.

Play Here, Stay Here

Kristjan Ingvarsson had traveled from his native Iceland to Florida on vacation numerous times, visiting beaches on the east and west coasts as well as the theme parks in between. So when he was looking to expand his business into the United States and an opportunity to move to Ocala came his way, Florida seemed like the perfect place to grow.

Ingvarsson set up Ocala Instruments in the 1990s to manufacture and distribute electronic measuring devices for the construction industry. Later, he moved the business to be closer to Orlando International Airport.

Today, Kristjan and his wife, Gudrun, travel extensively between Florida, Iceland and other parts of the world for business and leisure. They own a house in a community near Orlando International Airport where nearly 200 Icelanders live part-time or year-round and get together often to revel in the “paradise weather.”

“The whole year except maybe one month, we live outside on the veranda,” Ingvarsson says. “When we come home from work, we stay outside. In Iceland, we’d spend maybe a week outside all year.”

Most of Ingvarsson’s customers are in other parts of the United States, but he has no plans to move. Quite the opposite in fact; he’s encouraged Icelanders and others to join him in Florida.

“The sooner you come, the better off you’ll be” he tells them. “Real estate prices are at a lull for now, and we’re getting new industries here that will bring prosperity to the region. Come now.”

The main attraction

Largemouth bass

Of the 83.9 million visitors who came to Florida in 2006, a majority cited the state’s beaches as their number 1 reason for visiting. Surrounded on three sides by water, Florida is home to 1,350 miles of sandy coastal shoreline, plus 11,761 square miles of inland waterways, all of which provide plenty of opportunities for boating, fishing, snorkeling, diving and water-skiing.

A great place to live

Florida’s remarkable quality of life is one of the state’s biggest assets. Consider these reasons why companies and employees are choosing to relocate here:

• Climate — average annual temperatures are between 81 and 60 degrees Fahrenheit.
  
  
• Schools — rigorous standards for small class size and regular testing improve performance.
  
  
• Housing — at a median value of $248,350 in 2006, housing prices are below those of other states with similar growth and in-migration rates.

Tags: North Central, Business Florida