Ever feel like you’re always getting the sugar-coated version of what an area is like, but you want the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth? I get that feeling all the time, so today I’m going to address the top 7 reasons someone should NOT move to Deland, Florida. These aren’t necessarily in any particular order; however, the 7^th reason NOT to move to Deland is one that you may NOT have considered, so be sure to read through to that one.

1. Not much to do. First, while Deland is a cool little town, there is very little to do IN Deland. Want night life? Want options for shopping? How about a variety of restaurants? NOPE, you won’t find any of those here. Yes, there are a few restaurants and bars around and a few of them are pretty nice, but if you want a variety, you’ll need to head over towards Daytona Beach, or down into Sanford for a real variety. Cress Restaurant and Da Vinci’s is about as high society as we get around here-and I love both places. There’s plenty of shopping, but again, you may well need to spend 30 minutes on the road in search of what you’re looking for.

Since SOOO many people come to Florida just for our beaches, you should be aware that the closest beach is still 30 minutes away, and that may not even get your toes in the sand, but rather into the congestion of Daytona or New Smyrna Beaches. I’ve sat in traffic in New Smyrna for 30 minutes!!! Want some of that crystal clear water on those beautiful beaches? Well, that’s over on the west coast of Florida and that’s a two-hour drive.

Isn’t Disney, Universal Studios and all of that just down the road? NOPE! That’s an hour away. Well, an hour is WITHOUT Orlando traffic, so you’ve got a 50/50 shot of making it to Disney in an hour and a 50/50 shot that it will take you an hour and a half. You may think that it wouldn’t matter, and some locals do it all the time, but trust me, I live here and it DOES matter to some of us.

2. Rough Sections. Next, you’ve seen the pictures of Deland, the beautiful downtown, or the residential historic section or maybe Victoria Park, and these are GREAT places to live. But don’t be misled, there are parts of Deland that some people won’t even drive through. Yes, Deland is the county seat, and what I’d consider the most desirable city in this area, but I haven’t heard people with this same claim in other neighboring cities Like Orange City or even Deltona. As such, if you’re thinking of moving to Deland, Florida do some driving around and check this stuff out for yourself!

3. Cockroaches. Well, technically they’re Palmetto Bugs, but they can be about 2 inches long and they’re nasty! I don’t care how clean you keep your home, or how good your pest control guy is, they’re a reality of life here in Florida and I believe you’re fooling yourself if you think they aren’t in or around your home, too! To be truthful, I usually play this issue down, but that’s usually so that whoever I’m with doesn’t get hurt trying to get away from them or break something trying to kill them. As such, I usually end up being the one dancing around the kitchen with a newspaper, or whatever I can quickly find to kill that monster. I’ve gotten used to them and most of us do, well, we usually just try to pretend they don’t live near us and that makes most of us feel better.

4. The heat. If you live in Minnesota, Ohio, or Michigan, where I’m from and you’ve got snow on the ground, you may be telling me to get over myself-I get that. In the winters, Deland has fantastic weather, but there are 6 months of heat from mid-April to mid-October that can be unbearable. Yes, swimming pools are a common occurrence in homes here and the beaches do provide relief, but don’t believe that lows in the mid-70’s and highs in the mid to upper 90’s don’t get old. Want to spend the day outside, maybe fishing, hiking, or anything outdoors for that matter? Well, you’d better stay hydrated, and understand that your body simply won’t hold up like it does when the highs are in the 60’s, 70’s, or even the 80’s. If you look up Deland, Florida on a map, it may look like we’re so close to the beach that we’d have cooling ocean breezes, but don’t believe all that mess as it’s just not the case.

5. The freezes. Number 5 is really the inverse of number 4, and it’s one that most northerners don’t think of. It freezes here. Most people see Central Florida as some sort of tropical oasis, but that’s a bunch of bologna. When I had a home built on property many years ago, I brought out my inner green thumb and started planting citrus trees. When the deer weren’t eating those fresh leaves, the trees were dying off whenever we’d have a good freeze. Now, some years we don’t even have a good freeze, but other years it’ll freeze 4 or 5 times and, although I take the time and effort to cover up those trees, it’s sometimes a losing battle. I’ve purchased Key lime Trees right here in Deland, only to have them die from a freeze in the first couple years. There are some people here in the Deland area that are able to protect some of those gorgeous palms or crotons, or what not, but most of that beautiful stuff that survives is over towards the beach or well south of us.

6. Hurricanes. Yes, we have those, too. While Deland is inland, and the brunt of those Gulf or Atlantic storms can be WAY worse over on the beaches, don’t let anyone tell you that they don’t impact us. Hurricanes can cause severe flooding and can knock out power for weeks at a time, not to mention the downed trees that fall all around, and sometimes on rooftops, like a friend of mine recently had to deal with-it was a total loss. Yes, generators help, but they don’t always get you air conditioning, a hot shower, or remove the dampness from the severe humidity that we often face here in Deland. I love my family, but one hurricane that left us without power for two weeks really tested our relationship! Plus, every time we have a hurricane come through it seems like our homeowner’s insurance rates jump up as another insurance carrier leaves the state.

7. Traffic. Maybe you’ve heard one of my other videos, where I talk about how the traffic is nothing like it is down in Sanford, Lake Mary, or Orlando, but like the great Bob Dylan once said, “The times they are a changin’”. The intersection of Spring Garden and 17-92 or MLK and highway 44 are exhibits A and B. Try getting through those intersections in just one light change during the morning or afternoon ride to work. While the roundabout down at MLK and Orange Camp has helped, that’s one area that we can see how traffic is a problem for us here in Deland. Deland is still a small town and traffic isn’t necessarily a MAJOR consideration like in some areas, but by the time you watch this video is may be a thing throughout all of Deland, and not just at 8am or 5:30pm.

Maybe I’m just being crabby, or maybe I just don’t want more congestion here, but these 7 things are complaints that I’ve actually heard. The truth is that I LOVE Deland and this entire area and I’ve learned to love Deland in spite of these issues, but I also believe that before people move to this area, they should consider these 7 reasons not to move to Deland.

If you have questions about Deland, or have real estate needs anywhere here in Central Florida, either call me directly or use this contact form.

Published on November 18. 2022 / Tags: florida, moving to Deland / no comments.