OT Does any one on actually live

[TWyn]

That's a great post! I wish you lots and lots of luck! Smiles sent your way......

Thank you so much! All three of us are very excited to make this happen.

 

[disneydreamersx4]

We live in southern Indiana. My hubby was manager for a small family owned electronics retail business. His main source of income was commission and we saw it steadily decline over the last few years. We've always loved Florida but never dreamed of moving there. Our daughter is a senior in high school and loves Disney as much as I do. She always said she'd love to go to college at the University of Central Florida. I woke up in the middle of the night and got to thinking, why not? Hubby applied and was hired into the managment training program at hhgregg in Jacksonville this past July. He accepted and moved ahead to Jacksonville. I stayed here to sell the house and let our daughter finish her senior year. She was accpeted to UCF and since hubby will have been a Florida resident for a full year before she starts next fall, she will qualify for in-state tuition. We already sold our home (yay and sold it for 75% more than we paid for it) and I'm just waiting for her to graduate in the spring. Hubby may very well be placed in a store in the Orlando area, so all fingers are crossed. I can't wait to move there! I never dreamed I'd be doing this last year. You only live once, though.

Your dream is wish that is coming true, so happy for you

 

[angwill]

We live in southern Indiana. My hubby was manager for a small family owned electronics retail business. His main source of income was commission and we saw it steadily decline over the last few years. We've always loved Florida but never dreamed of moving there. Our daughter is a senior in high school and loves Disney as much as I do. She always said she'd love to go to college at the University of Central Florida. I woke up in the middle of the night and got to thinking, why not? Hubby applied and was hired into the managment training program at hhgregg in Jacksonville this past July. He accepted and moved ahead to Jacksonville. I stayed here to sell the house and let our daughter finish her senior year. She was accpeted to UCF and since hubby will have been a Florida resident for a full year before she starts next fall, she will qualify for in-state tuition. We already sold our home (yay and sold it for 75% more than we paid for it) and I'm just waiting for her to graduate in the spring. Hubby may very well be placed in a store in the Orlando area, so all fingers are crossed. I can't wait to move there! I never dreamed I'd be doing this last year. You only live once, though.

That is awsome. Good luck and enjoy.

 

[PatriciaH]

My property taxes seem cheap enough...$850 on $150k house. (ranch)...and homeowners ran $650 thru USAA.

I would LOVE your prop tax! Our house is $200K and they run over $2600!

Our house is $230,000 and our property taxes are $6,000 and that's just for a townhouse with a small yard that only fits a deck. (Jersey)

I guess it really depends on where you are in Florida. We paid over $2,000 a year on an 800 sf condo in Celebration and my parents pay $7,000+ on a 1200 sf house there (they paid $3,500 in NYC on a bigger house!) There was also HOA and huge electric bills there. Our friends on the coast near Clearwater paid through the nose for insurance and were just about to get dropped when they decided to move to CA.

 

[LoveBWVVBR]

I don't really like the idea of not seeing through the water. I prefer the clearer waters of the keys/carib/med/etc. I just hate not knowing if I am going to step on something under the water. A silly fear I know...but there it is.

My best friend and her husband live/work in Melbourne and about the closest to the beach up there I ever get is we occasionally jog the causeway from the park at Front St. down to the beach and back. I do have to say that I LOVE to see the dolphins in the river.

Ah, that makes sense. The water isn't terribly murky here, but it's just moving so much that it isn't crystal clear either. I can see what you mean. It's not a silly fear at all. Buried coquina HURTS when you step on it, and also you could step on something worse like a jellyfish. I make the kids wear water shoes when we're going into the water at the beach, but I do that whether we're at our neighborhood beach or on vacation in the Carribean, KWIM?

The dolphins in the river are great! We love them too!

Honestly, the reason that I love the beach so much and go as often as I can (weather permitting) is that I just love to see the amazing beauty and power of nature. The beauty never ceases to amaze me when I gaze out into the ocean. I just never want to take it for granted, KWIM?

 

[LoveBWVVBR]

I guess it really depends on where you are in Florida. We paid over $2,000 a year on an 800 sf condo in Celebration and my parents pay $7,000+ on a 1200 sf house there (they paid $3,500 in NYC on a bigger house!) There was also HOA and huge electric bills there. Our friends on the coast near Clearwater paid through the nose for insurance and were just about to get dropped when they decided to move to CA.

Wow, we had a 2000+ sq. ft. house in Celebration and didn't pay anything near that in taxes. The fees were pretty steep, though.

Getting dropped from homeowners' really isn't the end of the world. We ended up w/Citizens' when State Farm left our area, and honestly they were the best insurance company. Our rates went down with them, and they were easy to deal with whenever I had to deal with them on policy issues, etc. We are w/a private carrier now, but as soon as this house is paid off we'll opt onto Citizens' again I'm sure.

 

[PatriciaH]

Wow, we had a 2000+ sq. ft. house in Celebration and didn't pay anything near that in taxes. The fees were pretty steep, though.

Maybe you lived there earlier on when homes were cheaper? Taxes are based on sales price in FL.

 

[Kika]

I live in Orlando and really like it. I moved here 16 years ago from New Jersey and never looked back. (I like to go back to NJ to visit family, but high property taxes and cold weather prevent me from ever considering a move back; those are some of the reasons I moved down here in the first place!)

For those of you who are considering moving here and are asking about the schools, I would say (and I cannot stress this enough) to do your research. Even within a certain county, the quality varies and can be anywhere from excellent to horrible, IMHO of course.

Here are a couple of resources:

https://www.ocps.net/cs/services/accountability/StudentAssessment/Pages/TestScores.aspx

http://www.greatschools.org/

http://www.city-data.com/forum/orlando/

Also, I wouldn't recommend moving here without a job. I know a couple people who have done so and are having a rough go of it. On the other hand, if you have a good job down here, you can have a nice quality of life.

The biggest drawbacks for me are the humidity from around July-September (awful!), bugs, and an occaisonal snake. Other than that, I love it!

 

[TWyn]

Your dream is wish that is coming true, so happy for you

Thank you. I hate being away from my hubby, but it'll be worth it once we're together again.

 

[TWyn]

That is awsome. Good luck and enjoy.

Thank you! I'm going to enjoy every minute of it.

 

[LoveBWVVBR]

Maybe you lived there earlier on when homes were cheaper? Taxes are based on sales price in FL.

We built, so it was cheaper than buying a resale. It was back during the bubble, though. Also, the taxes are based on sales price in Osceola County. That isn't exactly true in Brevard. When we moved here I was bummed out to find out that our taxes here aren't done the same way as in Osceola county. That would have been a little more favorable to us, especially with the house that we're in now.

 

[LoveBWVVBR]

I live in Orlando and really like it. I moved here 16 years ago from New Jersey and never looked back. (I like to go back to NJ to visit family, but high property taxes and cold weather prevent me from ever considering a move back; those are some of the reasons I moved down here in the first place!)

I love your attitude! You know what irks me most about living here? All of the people who constantly talk about how much better it was "back home". OK, then go back there if it was so great, KWIM? If you move here, really MOVE here and don't look back! That's what we did too and I'm so glad. There is so much to love about FL if you let yourself really MOVE here mentally as well as physically and if you stop comparing it to "back home". Off my soapbox now

 

[lakelandgal70]

I love your attitude! You know what irks me most about living here? All of the people who constantly talk about how much better it was "back home". OK, then go back there if it was so great, KWIM? If you move here, really MOVE here and don't look back! That's what we did too and I'm so glad. There is so much to love about FL if you let yourself really MOVE here mentally as well as physically and if you stop comparing it to "back home". Off my soapbox now

Yeah you have a point. There are tons of good things about Florida but some not so good things. No where is gonna be perfect. I moved here when I was a kid and hope to someday move to TN but keep our home here. Maybe be a winter visitor. Can't imagine being way from the World! But also want to be in the mountains. lol.

 

[lyncecelia]

I grew up in Florida and just moved here this past May. I might be against the popular answer, but I have no desire whatsoever to live there again. I was born and raised there but I hate the heat. My DBF is dying to move there in 10 years or so, but I just don't want to live there again!

We'll see what tune I'm singing in the middle of February

 

[rparmfamily]

I would LOVE your prop tax! Our house is $200K and they run over $2600!

My home is in Clay County, outside Jax. Orange Park area.

I guess it really depends on where you are in Florida. We paid over $2,000 a year on an 800 sf condo in Celebration and my parents pay $7,000+ on a 1200 sf house there (they paid $3,500 in NYC on a bigger house!) There was also HOA and huge electric bills there. Our friends on the coast near Clearwater paid through the nose for insurance and were just about to get dropped when they decided to move to CA.

I'd imagine that if they pay $7k on a 1200 ft house, the house is worth a lot. Mine is a basic cute ranch about 25 miles inland in a suburban/rural area.

 

[PatriciaH]

I'd imagine that if they pay $7k on a 1200 ft house, the house is worth a lot. Mine is a basic cute ranch about 25 miles inland in a suburban/rural area.

They paid about $324k for it but it is worth about $224k now. We found taxes and electric very high in Celebration. Some people were paying $700/month in electric for 3br's. Groceries were crazy too. We found grocery prices about twice what they are in MA/NH. For example ground beef was $3.99/lb there unless it was on sale-here about $2/lb. A 3 pack of peppers (1 green, 1 yellow, 1 red) was $5.99 at Publix!

 

[LoveBWVVBR]

They paid about $324k for it but it is worth about $224k now. We found taxes and electric very high in Celebration. Some people were paying $700/month in electric for 3br's. Groceries were crazy too. We found grocery prices about twice what they are in MA/NH. For example ground beef was $3.99/lb there unless it was on sale-here about $2/lb. A 3 pack of peppers (1 green, 1 yellow, 1 red) was $5.99 at Publix!

Publix is hands-down the cheapest grocery chain going if you know how to shop there though! They take competitor coupons and competitor $/$$ coupons also. They stack competitor/manuf. and Publix/manuf. and take 2 coupons on BOGOS. Needless to say, as a result we find groceries to be infinitely cheaper here than we did in MA! In addition to Publix you also have SuperTarget, SuperWalmart and BJs not too far away. I won't mention the giant Whole Foods in terms of being budget-friendly, but I do envy Orlando that store. I love that place!

Our house had 3 bedrooms and our electric was under $200/month most months. I really wonder what the difference was Are you talking about condos as opposed to single-family dwellings? Maybe somehow heat/AC are higher because they are multi-family units?

 

[jwfla422]

We are actually considering moving to Florida soon! We tried to once...then we found out I was pregnant & decided to stay close to camily. Now the kids are a bit older (4 & 5) & we're thinking about moving again. I am fairly certain that I can transfer with my job. Chances are we will end up in Ft. Myers, Ft. Lauderdale or Jacksonville.

Being a resident of the Ft. Lauderdale area for more than 22 yrs now, I have been ready to move further north (within FL) for more than 10 years. When I say north, more into LoveBWVVBR's area. I love Melbourne/Viera, it's so laid back compared to this area. People are nicer, the pace is slower. The drivers are so much more considerate! It's crazy around here and I'm so tired of the rude people.

I'd recommend Jax or Ft. Myers out of those 3 choices. I have family who lived in Jax for many years and ironically after all the kids grew up they moved down this way. Jax is a great place to raise a family but so is the west coast. But, I'd steer away from SE FL, just my opinion.

 

[vicki_c]

That's interesting about the utilities. In Brevard, I paid (averaged over the year) $200/month for electricity for our 2900 sf house - everything was electric. I guess it depends on which utility provider you have - we had FP&L I'm pretty sure.

In WNY, I also paid an average of $200/month for gas + electric together for a 1500 sf house - so utilities were a wash for us from a monthly budget standpoint when we moved. But of course in Florida, we had to have the pest control service too - didn't need that in NYS.

I didn't mind grocery prices in FL either but I hated the stores for the most part. I begrudgingly shopped @ Publix, but really didn't like it but it was the best choice in my mind. I'm a bit of a grocery store snob.

Overall I thought the cost of living was about the same - it's just that the house prices were so much more (we also built a house at the height of the bubble in 2004-2005). But that's all changed now!

This thread just shows though - that it's all about the individual - I don't think anyone can accurately predict whether you will like living in FL or not - some people love it, some people do not/ did not. My SIL and family live in Orange Park (JAX) for the past 15 years and wouldn't dream of leaving FL - part of why we moved there was their persuasion. But it wasn't for us.

 

[LoveBWVVBR]

Being a resident of the Ft. Lauderdale area for more than 22 yrs now, I have been ready to move further north (within FL) for more than 10 years. When I say north, more into LoveBWVVBR's area. I love Melbourne/Viera, it's so laid back compared to this area. People are nicer, the pace is slower. The drivers are so much more considerate! It's crazy around here and I'm so tired of the rude people.

The people who bought our old house (same town here in Brevard) are from Ft. Lauderdale. They are using it as a weekend home right now because they LOVE this area. They find it very peaceful compared to S. Florida. I must say that I love the pace of life here too. A woman who is about to move out of the area was ragging on Melbourne as being in the middle of nowhere and so horrible last week I was like "you know what? Some people LIKE that aspect of it!" Seriously, the pace here is just fine with me. I like to visit S. Florida and I sure do envy your shopping options, but I could never live anywhere but here.