Dh's sis and bil have about 2000 square feet in Winter Park. They bought it about 8 years ago for 200 thousand. It is an older house, they totally re-did the kitchen and bathrooms. They have a small yard and a pool. Similar houses in their neighborhood are now going for half a million. They would love to sell and get something bigger. We moved to the Dallas burbs in December. We got 4450 square feet for 300 thousand. Small yard and a pool. When I go to their house I think "no way could we squeeze into this!" I know how you feel about the cold up north. We were in Chicago burbs for 5 years prior to this. I have to say though, the heat here is miserable (and dh and I are southerners!) One good thing, if you and/or your dh teaches at a private school your kids should get in! My dh does IT stuff and makes good money, but we move a lot because he often does consulting or takes a new job in another state. We do miss Florida thoughK&KsMom said:
. We go back every year and when we are there we feel like we are "home", though it is mighty hot there too! Good luck!
I went to high school near Pensacola (late 70's), college in Tallahassee (early 80's) and then lived in Jacksonville from the mid-80's until 1999. It used to be that North and Northwest Florida were cheap like Georgia and Alabama. Central and South Florida, and anything on the beach, have always been pricey. Since 2000, however, those areas have been playing "catch up" with the rest of Florida and prices have risen dramatically. We have many friends in those areas whose small houses are now worth 300 to 400 thousand. I hope the person who said "prices are coming down" is correct. Wages in those areas no way make up for the housing prices. Basically, folks who cook in restaurants and clean hotel rooms live in the less desireable areas, and northerners who sell their homes in the northeast for a huge profit then move down live in the nicer areas, and the rest of us working stiffs just have to struggle, have two incomes ect., to be able to live in anything halfway decent. I know Florida is not alone in this issue, they just came to it more recently (the northeast and California have been this way for years!)MEredhead said:
DawnM said:
He has been so supportive of my decision to stay home with the boys. I refused to send them to daycare. Now that we are looking at schools I would be looking for a private catholic school preferably. 
DawnM said:
laceemouse said:
Don't know which area of town you are in, townhouses were rare when we were there, but that has probably changed. Anyhow, we lived north of Regency Square Mall, east Arlington. In 1996 we bought our dream home in the original Hidden Hills area, 3000 square feet, gated community, gorgeous trees, ect. We sold in 1999 due to dh being out of work for 6 months and getting a job in Illinois. We had paid 175 thousand and sold for a little over 200. Houses in that neighborhood are now going for 400 thousand plus! These are older homes, probably lots of them still need updating. I go to realtor.com all the time and look up our old zip code and I am shocked. Don't get me wrong, the Chicago area was just as bad (worse in some neighborhoods) but the idea that all of the southern US is cheap is unfortunately not true any more! Texas is still reasonable, but we of course now are worried that this house may not appreciate at all and we have a track record of moving every few years. Enjoy!! Like I said, we would love to come back to Florida!!....ps, They grow up so fast don't they?FigmentsBiggestFan said:
laceemouse said:Don't know which area of town you are in, townhouses were rare when we were there, but that has probably changed. Anyhow, we lived north of Regency Square Mall, east Arlington. In 1996 we bought our dream home in the original Hidden Hills area, 3000 square feet, gated community, gorgeous trees, ect. We sold in 1999 due to dh being out of work for 6 months and getting a job in Illinois. We had paid 175 thousand and sold for a little over 200. Houses in that neighborhood are now going for 400 thousand plus! These are older homes, probably lots of them still need updating. I go to realtor.com all the time and look up our old zip code and I am shocked. Don't get me wrong, the Chicago area was just as bad (worse in some neighborhoods) but the idea that all of the southern US is cheap is unfortunately not true any more! Texas is still reasonable, but we of course now are worried that this house may not appreciate at all and we have a track record of moving every few years. Enjoy!! Like I said, we would love to come back to Florida!!....ps, They grow up so fast don't they?
FigmentsBiggestFan said:
