About The Author
Pictured With His Wife Sharon

Born and raised in New Jersey, when I was 13 years old, I moved to Orlando with my mother. I was fortunate enough to go to the opening day of Disney World’s Magic Kingdom. From Orlando, my mother and I moved to Homestead, Florida.
My mother stayed behind, and I moved back to New Jersey.
Sometime later, when I was about 19 years old, I moved back to Homestead, where I got a job in a small television repair shop, picking up and delivering televisions and installing TV antennas.
With Key Largo and the Keys so close to Homestead, I enjoyed day trips when I could go exploring, fishing, and snorkeling. I did not have the means to purchase a boat then, but I always looked out at those fortunate enough to have a boat. I was genuinely jealous. I had Florida Fever.
While raising our children, we would visit the state at least once a year, if not twice yearly. Our trips included Disney World and other theme parks. Many of our trips to Florida would be scouting missions to get a feel for different areas of the state.
When the children were young, we would spend at least one week at Fort Myers Beach and up to three weeks a year in Key West.
Once the children were grown, my wife, Sharon, and I visited Florida three to four times a year. We’ve been up and down the east and west coasts. We’d visit Cocoa Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Lauderdale By The Sea, and Miami for a week or two.
We enjoyed the West Coast for its beautiful beaches. We went year after year and stayed at St. Pete Beach, Madeira Beach by John’s Pass, Indian Rocks, and Clearwater. In 2012, Super Storm Sandy
made landfall on the Jersey Shore; concerned for us, a long-lost cousin reached out to me from Key Largo. We started visiting Karen and David, our cousins, around 2015. They were very generous in inviting us to stay at their lovely home.
Then, around 2017, we purchased a boat and kept it at a marina in Key Largo. This was fantastic for us when we visited there. We had a boat to go out on the reef or the backcountry and fish, snorkel, scuba dive, or take in the beautiful water and blue sky.
The dream became a reality. Then, in February 2020, we
purchased a beautiful oceanfront condo in Key Largo, which we own today. Over the past few years, we have spent a good deal of time in Sebring, Florida, and the Gainesville region. As of this writing, we are still considered New Jersey residents, and that is where we operate our real estate business. We visit the Sunshine State almost monthly, though, sometimes twice a month. We’re planning to move to Florida permanently. We have been looking at properties around the state’s southwest coast, and we’re getting close to determining where to purchase our future home and establish our real estate business.
This state is a dream, and it is a huge part of my story. I hope this book can guide you to enjoy Florida just as much as I do and help make your decision to move to the Sunshine State much smoother.