Whenever we go on vacation, instead of staying in a hotel we usually try to rent a house or an apartment since you get more room, a kitchen where you can prepare a few meals, and it’s easier to pretend that you live in the community to see if you might want to make it your home. Since we’re house sitting this week along the intracoastal waterway, it’s confirmed our desire to move here once we sell the house in Georgia. When applying for a visa, you have to use the French consulate that has jurisdiction over your state, which in our case would currently be the Atlanta office. They have to deal with applicants from 6 southeast states; consequently, getting an appointment simply to apply for a visa is very difficult during most of the year. On the other hand, the consulate in Miami is responsible for Florida and some of the Caribbean so appointments appear to be much easier to obtain.

A second advantage of being a Florida resident is that there is a reciprocal agreement between this state and France which allows for an easy exchange of driver’s licenses between the two. A few other states, not including Georgia, have the same agreement avoiding the application process that can involve driving school, a written exam, and possibly a medical evaluation. The price for this can be close to $2000.

Lastly, Florida has no income tax. Although we are certainly not opposed to paying taxes we would be foolish not to take advantage of opportunities offered to us.