Almost ready to make the move to FL...

[supermommyof4]

Family of 6 is getting really tired of the dreary NE Ohio weather. DH & I have been talking about moving to FL for the past few years. Still a little nervous about making such a drastic change, but we are afraid that we will regret not doing this while we are relatively young.

We want to live near Disney or at least a 20-30 minute drive away. We are looking for a neighborhood with good schools in a nice areas where the houses are not piled on top of each other. DH would like something with at least a 1/2 acre lot. We are hoping to find something in the $150-$225k range.

Ideally, we would like to be in Celebration, but we looked at some houses there last spring and they seemed to be very expensive for the lot size/square footage of the homes, plus the taxes are outrageous!!

I am hoping to find something similar that is more affordable?! Is is possible???

Any recommendations or advice would be greatly appreciated from those of you who know the Disney area.

 

[zurgswife]

Having known friends that made the move and it was a failure. The most important thing to have first is secured employment prior to your departure. The employment opportunities in florida are not very good. So, if you want to your dream to be successful focus on employment first and then housing needs.

 

[lucigo]

Good luck! Our new governor is going to run Florida into the ground, so good luck finding a decent school. Hope you don't have any special needs kids they won't have a chance. He just cut their funding of all things. Do you have jobs lined up?

Seriously, whatever you do, make sure you get into the best school district possible. Orlando is a scary place. We almost moved down there last year but had a "save" at the last minute and were able to stay put.

We were planning on moving to Hunter's Creek. Look also at Oviedo.

 

[seasheller]

Be careful where you move in Florida! We bought a retirement home here three years ago and wish we hadn't. Homeowners insurance here is 3 times what we pay in Wisconsin, even though our home here is valued at 1/4 of our WI house. You have only one choice for coverage (Citizens) and they are proposing a 25% increase here for next year! They claim hurricanes and sinkholes are causing the problem. I could go on and on. BUYER BEWARE!

 

[GoofyBaseballMom26]

My DS and DDIL live near Orlando... it is expensive , traffic is terrible and the job market is not good. It is not nearly as "magical" to live there as it is to visit. I would think long and hard before I uprooted my family.

 

[JamKen]

I have to say that under the right circumstances a move can be a good choice. The number one issue is securing employment. If that can be done then it might be the right thing for your family. We recently bought a townhouse and love it. It is a retirement home for us and my parents currently live there. We moved them last October. They are very happy. Our particular community is a beat off the beaten path which is what I consider a good thing for Florida. You have to be very careful there are alot of areas that most people would prefer not to live in. There is plenty of crime in the Orlando area. However I still prefer our second home to our main house and can't wait to be there more and more each year. I worked with a wonderful trustworthy realtor who worked very hard for us to get the right property. If you would like his name I will pass it on to you. Whatever you do just make sure you do your homework. There is alot to know about FLorida. Make sure the community you live in ( a concept I didn't even get when I first started looked) has a strong HOA so your fees don't keep going up and up. Most homes are in an association in the Orlando area.

As far as schools I hear Osceola county is good.

Good Luck
I would be happy to help answer any questions if I can.
Jamie

 

[cassandrap83]

We just moved here from PA a week ago! Both of us had jobs before the move. We decided to rent at first. The market here is great for buyers (Cape Coral) and our daughter got into a great school.

Good Luck!

 

[stitchlovestink]

Be careful where you move in Florida! We bought a retirement home here three years ago and wish we hadn't. Homeowners insurance here is 3 times what we pay in Wisconsin, even though our home here is valued at 1/4 of our WI house. You have only one choice for coverage (Citizens) and they are proposing a 25% increase here for next year! They claim hurricanes and sinkholes are causing the problem. I could go on and on. BUYER BEWARE!

I am sure that the choice of companies that write homeowners policies in FL is much more limited than many other states, but I KNOW that there is more than one choice. My parents just bought a house in FL last October. They are less than 10 miles from the Atlantic Ocean. They had multiple quotes from different insurers for their homeowner's policy. Citizen's was not one of them. I believe they went with Nationwide or All State. And my Inlaws are Gulf coast and they have All State or did last year (2010). It is crazy expensive, but there are choices.

 

[KodakFigment]

Wow not used to so much negativity on the DIS. While living in Orlando is not like living in Disney World it's not like living in the wastelands of Africa either.

We made the move last August. DH got a new and better job here in Orlando. I haven't found work yet, but I'm not looking all that hard We have had a LOT of visitors from up north and I like being able to enjoy their company and be able to fly north when I miss friends and family.

The advice about renting is good. Real estate is very cheap but you have to get the right area. We thought we were going to like one section and ended up loving another area. We are renting but plan to buy in the same general area. Taxes and insurance are pretty high and HOA fees are not something we ever had to deal with in upstate NY.

Schools aren't at the level I was used to. The expectations of staff and parents just seems lower. But they aren't awful either. Not like the horror stories I heard. People are friendly but not overly open to new people i their circle. I think if we had young children it would be easier to meet new friends. It really is a family friendly area.

Lots to do and so far pretty good weather to do it in. Ask me again in July

Any questions feel free to PM me.

Listen to all the advice you get, but do what you know in your heart is the right thing for you and your family.

 

[mom2lns]

A move is huge! We moved from WI about 4 years ago--at the time I thought we were strong enough (in ourselves, in our marriage, etc.) to deal with all the stressors--and we were, and are. There was lots I didn't realize. I was the biggest cheerleader for the move because DH was offered a nice promotion within his company. I sort of regret it.

It will be what you make of it. If you have jobs and rent a house (initially to figure out where you want to be). You can love it! People try to scare you away with talk of hurricanes--my answer to that is there is severe weather everywhere, just different. It might seem cheaper to live here b/c no state taxes...but, you make up the differences in homeowners insurance, HOA dues, pest control services, pool maintenance, yard maintenance, electricity, etc.

My biggest hangup---family and friends. There is no substitute for presence! It often gets lonely. Sure, you will have visitors and all, but there still is an emptiness that lingers. You have no idea how much this affects you until you're here and experiencing it!!

Good luck.

 

[vicki_c]

I'm surprised that this thread is so negative as well. Often these threads are all pixie dust and I usually post something more neutral based on my experience, but this one seems to have pulled out all the not-so-happy transplantees!

I think Florida is fine, if you are a Florida person, KWIM? I was not and we were fairly unhappy there. Nothing to do with hurricanes even though we moved there 2 or 3 weeks before the terrible 2004 hurricane season! There wasn't that much about Florida we liked. We disliked the heat, being far from most of our friends and relatives, a lack of architectural history, a lack of cultural activities (which is not true everywhere, but was where we lived), and a number of other things. Schools weren't as good as where we came from either, and we sent our son to Catholic school so that was a new expense. As noted above, there are also other expenses that most don't have in the North, like pest control services, higher costs for car registration, insurance, etc.

I just caution to look before you leap. Don't go without a job, THEN start researching schools and neighborhoods near where the job is. Rent before buying a house.

For those that it's a good fit for, you would be very happy. My SIL & BIL have lived in Florida for 14 years and love it and would never move back north. We lasted 2 years and moved 1/2 way back home.

 

[4 Ears]

We are planning on moving down in just over 2 years. Gotta have the last one graduate. DH will transfer down, really just a matter of his manager signing the paperwork. Yes I plan on working for Disney- now before I get all the cautions on that- I have a diverse background in employment. We are looking at the Lakeland area. Further away than what you are thinking of though from Disney. Our situation sounds different as our kids will be grown. Good luck in what ever YOU choose to do!

 

[rvchat]

(( so discouraging.


But it's not like things are better anywhere else in the USA.

Is there a state that's screaming 'COME HERE, WE HAVE JOBS, GOOD ONES THAT PAY GOOD SALARIES AND LOW HOUSING PRICES AND GREAT SCHOOLS'.

Is there?

 

[mhsjax]

I am a born and raised FLoridian. I went through a brief, about 2 years, of wanting to move to the Carolinas. Well that is soooo over. It is summer here, almost 90 tomorrow and we are about 30 minutes from the beach. 2.5 from WDW, (water parks only during the summer, I aint crazy) I think I just temporarily lost my mind wanting to move. I told DH that there isnt anyway I would move from FLorida, I LOVE it. WE have a great school system where I am, jobs are few and far between, but that is not a concern for us, thankfully.

Some people love it, some hate it. For me I am a lover. I am turning out just like my dad, he wouldn't go north of GA and anything below 75 degrees was a cold snap.

As far as hurricanes, I am 48 years old and I have never even been through one, threatened yes, but not been through one.

 

[VanessainWonderland]

I am a native Floridian who moved to Texas 4 years ago and have regretted every minute of it.

I am a teacher, and layoffs are huge right now. 500 teachers will be laid off in a school district of about 50 schools.

I was lucky enough to find a great teaching position in Orlando when I visited recently (for the next school year). It is a Title I school, but it is still an "A" school. That typically is not the norm, so I know that this school must be doing some amazing things. I have also just received my Master's in Educational Leadership, and upon receiving my degree, I was told that there would be ABSOLUTELY no administrative poitions in Texas for at least the next 2 years. There is just more opportunity for me there. So many people LOVE to bash Florida, but at this point, my only option is to move back.

Bad or not, Florida has some great things to offer including weather, beautiful environments, and lots of things for families to do; not to mention my entire family is there, and a previous poster struck a chord with me when she said that it gets lonely being away from family.

I think my situation is a bit different because Florida is home to me, so I really do not understand all the Florida bashing. It may be more difficult for you if you are picking up and leaving your home just like that.

Good luck with everything!

 

[MickeyDisneyFan]

Theres a ton of negativity about Florida here as well as another site that I frequent, all I heard is how the economy is terrible and there are no jobs to be found.

I worked on Wall Street in NYC and moved to Charlotte Nc after being laid off in 2008, received a good salary here until Wachovia closed up shop and became part of Wells Fargo. I was laid off again.

Fast forward a year, and after sending out 2300 resumes in Charlotte (yes I counted) I began sending out resumes in Orlando about 2 weeks ago, in less than 2 weeks I received an offer for more money in Fla. My fiance also found a job at the higher end of the salary spectrum in Orlando.

I keep hearing how the economy of Fla is horrible and there are no jobs to be found, speaking from experience this doesnt seem to be the case. I sent out 25 resumes in Orlando and I received 10 call backs. She sent out 30 and received 15 calls and 2 offers.

Do what you think is right for your family and dont let other people dissuade you from your decision.

 

[PatriciaH]

There is another thread going on about this too. Lots of threads like this always pop up during or right after the winter We moved last April after nearly 6 years in Orlando. Do I miss it-yes! My parents are still there and a lot of our friends. Do I miss the pay in FL-no way! It was getting pretty bad around the WDW area with crime, homeless, poor, etc. too. DH got a job offer a few months ago to move back there and we turned it down. It is too iffy there right now. Too many empty homes, too much crime. Maybe when the economy improves. There are families all up and down 192 living in the hotels/motels. 60 minutes just did a story on it. Very sad! 20% of homes in FL are empty! You have to pick an area so carefully now.

 

[Parkers_girl]

I was born and raised in South Florida, then moved to central Florida for a year and I hated it! We lived in seminole county, which was beautiful and very family-centered, but the traffic, crowding, lack of jobs and thefts were enough to overpower the fact that we were a mere 30 minutes from Disney. I applied to practically every place within 30 miles of my home..nothing. We now live in New England and we are loving it, a complete 360 from Florida.

But for your questions, I would suggest you look into Seminole County for housing, beautiful houses with just enough land, don't know too much about the school system though. I would personally avoid Orange and Osecola counties. And I can't stress enough, please make sure you have jobs lined up before the move...work is very hard to come by down there.

 

[GoofyBaseballMom26]

I don't feel like this is Florida "bashing" as it is the cold hard truth. There is a lot of crime around Orlando, the traffic is terrible and it is expensive. My DS and DDIL don't feel nearly as safe there as they did in Knoxville, and we have our share of crime here.

I don't think the people are nearly as friendly as what we are used to but that is personal opinion and others may have a different opinion. However the other points are very real.

That said, I think several other folks have offered very good advice about renting first. An area can be deceiving.

 

[loveysbydesign]

Love reading all these threads! We are thinking of moving to Florida in the summer of 2013 but will not do so unless my dh secures a job there.
I only have my degree in Early childhood Ed/Early intervention so I'm sure I could find a job at a daycare or preschool or babysit in our home.
We are def. planning to rent before buying!