Move to Florida

[Rhonda922]

Hi -

Just wanted to see who lives in Florida and are you originally from there? It's just DH and I and we live in New Jersey (yeah, I know, hold your laughter). I've had the thought in the back of my mind about possibly moving to Florida. We always vacation there in Orlando and Cocoa Beach -- As a matter of fact, we just came back a week ago. The only thing that I can see about FL that I don't like are the large assortment of bugs (ha-ha) but God knows we have plenty here and I get DH to get rid of anything that happens to wonder in the house. But anyway, who has actually gotten up the nerve to make the move to Florida?? I'm so interested in hearing your story. I don't know anyone in FL other than friends of my parents who moved to W. Palm Beach probably 15 years ago. I really want to get out of N.J. Heck, my folks don't even live here anymore. They packed up 5 years ago and moved to Virginia, which is where they're originally from.

 

[Metro West]

I'm originally from Virginia and moved down to Orlando last year. I really like it here but if we have another hurricane season like year, I might have to think about moving back.

 

[chrissyk]

We moved from MA to FL 6 months ago. We'd never move back. It was a long-planned move. We love where we live (Space Coast). I was just telling DH yesterday that I can't believe how much higher our quality of life is here. In MA, we were just existing. It was depressing. Here, we're living It did take a long time to plan the move, but I'm glad that we waited and planned it all out. The only thing to note is that a LOT of people are moving here from the overpriced northeast, so the housing prices here have risen a lot in recent years. Everything is relative, though...your house in NJ has probably appreciated a lot in the same timeframe.

 

[Southern4sure]

Hi -

Just wanted to see who lives in Florida and are you originally from there? It's just DH and I and we live in New Jersey (yeah, I know, hold your laughter). I've had the thought in the back of my mind about possibly moving to Florida. We always vacation there in Orlando and Cocoa Beach -- As a matter of fact, we just came back a week ago. The only thing that I can see about FL that I don't like are the large assortment of bugs (ha-ha) but God knows we have plenty here and I get DH to get rid of anything that happens to wonder in the house. But anyway, who has actually gotten up the nerve to make the move to Florida?? I'm so interested in hearing your story. I don't know anyone in FL other than friends of my parents who moved to W. Palm Beach probably 15 years ago. I really want to get out of N.J. Heck, my folks don't even live here anymore. They packed up 5 years ago and moved to Virginia, which is where they're originally from.

HI we up and moved to FL a few months ago. It wasnt a have to, we just wanted a change. We moved from AL. We knew no one here except for my DH boss. Im still learning my way around but I love it here. We moved to Land O Lakes, FL which is in Pasco county and is 20 minutes or so north of Tampa.

Good luck with your decision.

 

[Virgo10]

My DH and I moved to Auburndale, FL from Massachusetts last November. So far I absolutly love it here.

The first few months were tough. Not knowing where things are and an unexpected bout of homesickness made for an interesting time. Now things are more normal and it seems like I've been here forever.

We moved here for health reasons and my love of WDW. We didn't have to worry about leaving family as the grown kids that are still in MA can certainly come down to visit any time. We didn't have to worry about schools either so the only important things were finding a real town, not a tourist trap, and being less than 30 miles from WDW. Auburndale scored 100% on both of those issues.

Picking up and moving here was the hardest thing I've ever done both physically and mentally. Everytime I walk into WDW I am so grateful I found the strength to do it!

 

[Cebhfhionn]

Hey, I too am originally from New Jersey, Bergen County right outside of NYC. We had been trying to move since 2001 but then 9/11 happened and the economy was really bad, tough finding jobs.

Came down here for vacation(again) and couldn't bear the thought of staying in NJ anymore. So, we moved in June 2003, lived in an apt. for 1 year and bought a house. Our house has actually increased in value by about 30% already!

Times are very tough right now, DH just got laid-off last week. Jobs are not so easy to find for Network Administrators and FL unemployment pays way less than NJ does!

Anyway, sorry, I digress just VERY depressed about that situation....

Ok, so I can completely understand your need to get out of NJ as I was there myself for my entire life. Yes, there are bugs here but like you said, they are there too. Its beautiful here, I'll never go back to NJ! Come on down!

 

[Rhonda922]

I'm so envious that you all had the courage to leave and move to Florida. This would be a really big deal for me as I have a hard time adjusting to new places. DH and I are young and would have to still work if we moved -- We're not looking to move to FL to retire. I don't even know what town we would move to and how do you even go about finding a job in FL when you live out of state. I know the companies would want to meet and interview. I can totally understand the comments about not knowing where things are. I had to chuckle at myself on our last trip a couple weeks ago to WDW in that I'm starting to know the names of the streets and I know my way around the area (a little) from visiting so many times.

 

[Cebhfhionn]

Hey Rhonda,

It takes a long, long time to get used to the roads down here. Most of them have a few different names depending on where you are. The highways have number AND names, AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH, very confusing!

Not easy getting a job prior to moving down here. My DH had the prospect of a job that a friend of ours got him into and I was hoping to work at Medieval Times(like I did in Jersey.) However, we moved close to where his prospective job was and Medieval Times was too far to travel. There are plenty of temp agencies that for the most part have lots to offer but the pay is really low. THAT is a big adjustment as well, pay down here isn't nearly what it is up there and the rent is just as much. Houses are a little less but not for much longer.

If you have any questions, feel free to PM me. Like I said, I can completely relate to the need of getting out of Jersey.

 

[kerrynic78]

My DH and I were married last October and he got a job offer in December. He gave his notice to his current company and on Jan.8th we made the move from CT to FL.

We knew not a single person down here and lived in CT all of our lives but we love it here and feel so lucky to have had the opportunity to make the move.

My DH works in Downtown Orlando, so we are building a house in the SE part of Orlando. We love the community we are in and feel like this is now our home.

 

[ducklite]

We did it!

We're actually back and forth only until the NJ house is sold. I'm looking for a new job, don't want to do what I'm doing anymore, and DH will telecommute.

The house isn't even on the market yet--we were ripping out some wallpaper to paint it to spruce it up before listing it and found termites and damage. It's all been treated an repaired, but it set us back about three weeks. At any rate, we've already got Realtors bringing people over to show the place. We haven't even listed it, just spread the word, and we're telling them we'll only pay them 2 1/2% commission--and there's so little inventory to sell that they don't care!

We were lucky that we've already got half a dozen really good freinds in the area, people we can rely on, so it made the transition easier. Also we moved into a GREAT neighborhood where we know our neighbors. One of my neighbors is retired, and his den looks right out onto my house. He told us he spends his days surfing the Internet and watching our grass grow. It makes me feel very safe

As far as the bugs go, we have the tubes in the walls and tubes in the slab system, and other than an ocasional fly that gets in from outside, we have no bugs inside--and I've looked for them!

Anne

 

[palmtreegirl]

As soon as our house sells here in PA we're moving to Ocala, Florida and we can't wait!

 

[Trinity721]

I moved to Jacksonville, FL just this past December. DH and I are both originally from the suburbs of Chicago. With our situation, it wasn't that we decided to just pick up and move to FL. DH is in the Navy and was stationed down here. He was actually here for 2 years before DD and I moved down here because I opted to stay in Chicago to finish my Bachelors, as well as stay at home for the 6 months that he was deployed overseas. Am I enjoying it here? Oh definitely! The weather is wonderful, as I am not at all a fan of the Midwest winters. Plus, to me there is so much to do here and it's only a drive away. We have been to WDW twice already, it is a 2.5 hour drive. We have visited St. Augustine and we plan to do a few more road trips. Still, I think I will always be a Chicagoan at heart. I certainly miss the city and downtown and the shopping, and most of all my family and friends. Pretty much ALL of my familiy and extended family live in the Chicagoland area. I have no family here in FL.

Good luck to you!

 

[Rhonda922]

And did I mention wanting to get away from the snow!! This past year was so bad that I said to my husband that I don't want to be here again when it snows. You would think that since I've lived in New Jersey all my life, I would be use to it but nope, not yet! I really get nervous when it snows during the week because I'm wondering if I'll be able to make it to work and then once I finally make it, what if it starts snowing again?? How will the trip home be. Everytime someone that I know visits Florida in say January or February, they come back raving about how nice the weather was. Even if Floridians think it's cold or chilly, we always think the weather down there is great! Heck sometimes its 10 degrees here in New Jersey in February so anything's better than that!

I can understand the comment about it being hard to look for a job when you're out of state. I know I would be so nervous moving when I didn't have a job waiting for me. My employer has offices in FL. So I'm really hoping that something will work out. Thank you to everyone for sharing your stories.

 

[GJM]

We are also thinking about moving, but to SC. We live in Bergen Cty., NJ, have lived our whole lives in NJ. I think as I get older the winters just feel longer and worse. My DH could pick up and move tomorrow, but I'm the one that has a problem adjusting to change. If we moved we wouldn't know anyone in SC, plus my DS is 5 and I like the fact that he is growing up around family. All of our family is close by in NJ.

It is such a tough decision, I wish I could just pick up and move. I started thinking about it when I was looking at houses in SC. We could get a nice new house down there. Right now a house on my block is selling for over $450,000 and it is a Cape Cod built in the 50's! It's insane - it makes my DH want to sell our house even more.

We might take a trip down in a couple of months and look around. I worry about finding a job, I have been with my company over 20 years. But when my DS goes to school I would have to worry about who would take care of him if we both were working. Right now I have family that will watch my DS.

Good Luck with your decision.

 

[Otimon]

Been here almost 8 years now (from the Chicago area). Best move we ever made.

Best wishes.

 

[Tink522]

My parents moved us down to Florida from NJ (NewarK) in 1987. I hated Florida growing up but now as an adult I can't imagine living anywhere else. I live in West Palm Beach (about 2 1/2 hrs south or WDW) and the housing market is nuts. But it can't stay like that for ever. At some point it will level out. If you have any questions PM me.

 

[chrissyk]

the pay is really low. THAT is a big adjustment as well, pay down here isn't nearly what it is up there and the rent is just as much. Houses are a little less but not for much longer.

I just wanted to add that we did NOT find this to be the case here at all. The pay (in our case at least) is very comperable to MA pay. This may vary from field to field, though.

 

[Rhonda922]

Most people from NJ will know what I'm talking about if they listen to our popular NJ FM talk-show station....The topic of taxes, car insurance, etc. that we here in NJ cannot afford to pay that are driving most people to move to the southren states comes up from time to time on the station. A lot of people call the radio station talking about their plans to move. The host always says "Will the last person to leave New Jersey PLEASE turn out the light!"

I really think that a lot of us cannot afford to live here and the quality of life is not that great. I'm tired of putting this off because I keep having the thought of moving to FL cross my mind but then I put on the brakes because I'm afraid of moving. I'm going to have a serious sit-down-talk with my DH and see if we can make the move next year some time.