I never lived in the northern part of Florida, your taxes and insurance are nothing compared to South Florida. Car insurance over $1200 a year per car, with a clean driving record and a average car or truck. Home insurance over $3500 a year, if you could get it, and they would raise it 50% a year just to get you to go elsewhere. You had to have hurricane and flood insurance even if you were 25-30 miles inland and not in a flood plain. Property taxes in Broward Co. were unreal and then you add city tax on top and you were over $3500 a year, and I was homesteaded in. The guy that bought my house had to pay over $7500/year in taxes. That was in 2005 and a 2100 sq. ft. home.
We were going to move to Clinton, Florida when we retired, but some friends put us on to Tennessee and it was a no brainer! So here we are and we love it. Hope all goes well for you and I'm glad your enjoying the beaches.