Try to get these Florida houses for sale before I do... I dare you.

When you live in a state where the temperature -- the HIGH temperature -- on May 15 is 53 degrees, it's only natural to dream of moving someplace warm, which is why I'm constantly haunting the Kolter Homes website of Florida houses for sale.

Who WOULDN'T want to move to Florida? Warm year round, only about 2 hours away from the ocean no matter where you live, convenient to theme parks, the Everglades, the Keys, and the space program, plus the guy who wrote "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" lives there, so that's a bonus, too.

Now, granted, buying a new home is a major investment, and one not to be taken lightly -- but that's why I think buying a house in Florida would be such a good idea. You buy houses, the way I see it, primarily to LIVE in; forget about appreciation in value for a moment, and instead just think about that: You're buying the place you want to raise your family and spend almost all of the time in your life at: it's where you'll have birthdays and graduation parties and relaxing nights and games of croquet (people still play croquet, right?)

On top of that all, then, you also want your home to have a chance to grow in value, so that you can borrow against it for big things, or leave a nest egg for your retirement (or to your children.)

Florida provides both of those things: a great place to live (No Snow!) plus a chance for increase in your investment as more people realize how perfect that state is.

And the Kolter Homes site sells me even without that stuff: beautiful high-end houses made by people who know the houses, know the state, and know the area: they're committed to excellent homes for excellent people, and you can build the house from the ground up with them, so not only do you have a house to grow old in, but you have a house to grow old in that is EXACTLY THE HOUSE YOU WANT: no getting someone else's house that you have to try to fit into; with Kolter Homes, your house will be the way you picture it, and it'll truly be your house.

I keep the site bookmarked, longing for the day that I can stop freezing here in Wisconsin and start relaxing in Florida -- so maybe I'll see you there? (I'll be the one borrowing your jet ski.)