SEAN AVERSO, P.A. · CHERI ISAACSON · EMERALD PRESTIGE GROUP AT PREFERRED SHORE
From New England to Florida's Gulf Coast — with guides who made the move themselves
Still love New England, but ready to trade the snow shovel for a beach chair? If you've ever come down in February and thought, "I could get used to this," Sean and Cheri get it — because that was their story too. Coffee outside in the morning. Dinner by the water. A Tuesday evening walk on the beach.
New: Amendment 3 Passed — and December 31, 2026 Just Became a Big Date
On November 3, 2026, Florida voters approved Amendment 3 with about 62% of the vote — the biggest property tax cut in state history. For homeowners with a homestead exemption, the exemption on non-school property taxes jumps to $150,000 in 2027 and $250,000 in 2028. For second homes and other non-homestead property, the yearly cap on assessment increases drops from 10% to 5%.
The timing catch: the full new exemption is tied to being a Florida permanent resident by December 31, 2026. Buyers who establish residency after that date start smaller until their fifth year of homestead. If a move is on your radar, when you move now matters as much as where.
Why New Englanders Keep Picking the Gulf Coast
People have moved to Florida for the sunshine for decades. Now the math is pulling them too — and nobody explains the trade better than people who left New England winters behind themselves.
No State Income Tax
Florida has no personal income tax, and that protection is written into the state constitution. Your paycheck, pension and retirement income are not taxed by the state — a real raise compared with most of New England.
The #1 Economy in America
U.S. News ranked Florida's economy #1 in the nation in 2025 for the third straight year, and CNBC has ranked Florida the #1 state economy three years running as well. Florida also leads the nation in new business formations.
Beaches & Warm Weather
The Sarasota Gulf Coast pairs roughly 255 days of sunshine a year with beaches like Siesta Key, ranked among the best in America. Winter here means the lanai, the boat and the golf course — not the snow shovel.
Homestead Protections
Beyond the new Amendment 3 exemption, Florida's Save Our Homes cap limits assessed-value increases on your primary home to 3% a year, and Florida homestead law offers strong asset protection for your primary residence.
#1 State for New Movers
Since 2020, Florida has gained more net movers from other states than any state in the country: over 890,000 more people moved in than out (U.S. Census Bureau). New England is one of the biggest sending regions of all.
A Decade of Momentum
Florida's population has grown from about 21.5 million in 2020 to more than 23.4 million today. People are voting with their moving trucks, and the Sarasota area is one of the most popular landing spots on the Gulf Coast.
The Real Question: What Should Your Everyday Life Look Like?
That's the question Sean asks every New England buyer first — because the right town matters more than the right house. Three landing spots, three different lives:
Downtown Sarasota
Walk to dinner, the theater and the bayfront. Condos and historic neighborhoods with culture on your doorstep and Siesta Key minutes away.
Lakewood Ranch
A little more room, top-rated schools, trails, town centers and the #1 multi-generational master-planned community in the country — the suburban upgrade, Florida style.
The Gulf Islands
Siesta Key, Longboat Key, Lido Key and Anna Maria Island. Close enough to catch sunset after work — or make the water your everyday view.
Meet Your Relocation Team
Sean Averso and Cheri Isaacson work as a team in the Emerald Prestige Group at Preferred SHORE — the Averso Group, built on a simple motto: Experience. Integrity. Results.
Sean Averso, P.A.
REALTOR® · Emerald Prestige Group at Preferred SHORE · FL License SL3590753
Sean's roots are pure New England: he grew up in Connecticut — Plainville High School, in the Plainville–New Britain–Bristol area of central Connecticut — and made the move to Florida's Gulf Coast himself. Today he lives in the Sarasota–Parrish area and sells the move he made, which is why his relocation advice starts with everyday life, not square footage.
- Background in both real estate and mortgage lending — he has sat on the financing side of the table too
- Dedicated family man; 7+ years coaching youth and high school football in his community
- Known for integrity, charity and community work — testimonials call him "dedicated, knowledgeable, trusted"
- Home base: 50 S. Lemon Ave., #302, Sarasota, FL 34236
(941) 704-0325 · [email protected]
SellingFloridaWorldwide.com
Cheri Isaacson
REALTOR® · Emerald Prestige Group at Preferred SHORE
Cheri is Sean's partner in the Averso Group and the team's Sarasota–Manatee and Lakewood Ranch specialist. She came to Emerald Prestige from the Florida Home Girls team at Compass — a Gulf Coast team built on local storytelling and community connection, from Anna Maria to Sarasota to Lakewood Ranch and Wellen Park — and she brings that same neighborhood-first approach to relocation buyers.
- Co-lists with Sean across Sarasota and Manatee County, including new-construction homes in Charlotte Ranchettes
- Deep Lakewood Ranch knowledge, from Azario to the Ranch's village centers
- The detail half of the team: tours, timelines and the thousand small calls that make a long-distance move feel local
How a Long-Distance Move Works With Sean & Cheri
Where you're coming from, what you'd love to have nearby, and when you'd like to land. DM "FLORIDA," call, or use the form below.
A straight, area-by-area read on which communities fit your life — before you fly down or spend a dollar.
Video tours and honest on-the-ground reporting, so a February visit turns into a short list, not a scouting trip.
Financing partner Paul Deibler (below) lines up your Florida pre-approval, so your offer is ready the moment the right home appears.
Sean and Cheri manage the close, and flag the residency timing that Amendment 3 just made valuable.
Financing, Handled by a Local Lender
Paul Deibler and the Deibler Home Team at OriginPoint are the financing partners on this page: 23+ years in lending, licensed in Florida and across the Northeast corridor Paul's buyers move from — including Maryland, DC, Virginia, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. Relocation pre-approvals, buy-before-you-sell strategies, and buydown options, explained before you ever fly down.
Paul Deibler · Deibler Home Team at OriginPoint · NMLS #221586 · (941) 724-8195 · [email protected]
Sources: Amendment 3 results and text, Florida Division of Elections and Florida Department of Revenue bulletin PTO 26-21 (Nov 5, 2026); election results are unofficial until certified. Migration and population: U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 estimates. Economy rankings: U.S. News Best States 2025; CNBC America's Top States 2025. Sean Averso background: SellingFloridaWorldwide.com and his Compass profile. Tax benefits vary by household; this page is general information, not tax or legal advice.