I sit on the back porch of my waterfront home in Fort Lauderdale, watching the boats go by, and it certainly looks like paradise. I bought my place here in 2001 for $440,000. Today, Zillow tells me it’s worth north of $1.5 million.
I’m living the dream. But the reality of living here has become a nightmare for many.
For decades, the “Florida plan” was simple: You endured the northern winters, saved your money, and in exchange, you got to retire to a subtropical tax haven…