Relocating from Minnesota to Melbourne (moving, donate, deal)

[PacketHauler]

We are enjoying Florida still! I suppose it's still technically the 'honeymoon' phase of the move. I've never lived outside of MN, so I'm enjoying every moment I can.

The kids still love all the things to do around here, we just went up to visit St. Augustine last Saturday, although I should've done my homework as there was a Greek festival there that added a ton of traffic to the area.

We just got our first water bill, and I'm surprised how expensive it is down here, and how much water we used! We used 7,000 gallons a quarter in MN, and somehow we used 12,000 in a month here. Something doesn't look right to me. I guess I need to look at the water meter and see if there is a leak somewhere that we don't know about, and it looks like the water meter is out near the street. Is that a normal placement for those in Florida, or does it vary by neighborhood?

[PacketHauler]

I thought I would update this thread because wow, it's been almost a year since we moved down here! Amazing how fast time goes. We really do enjoy the area! The kids have plenty of things to do year-round, we've found a good church home with Church at Viera, and our son was accepted to the Viera Charter School. He starts kindergarten in a few weeks!

We're still renting the house by Wickham and Pineda, and do like the proximity to the beaches and the rest of the area. The question in front of us now is where do we want to buy a house? Being that VCS doesn't bus to the area we're in now, my wife would be taking my son to school everyday through that wonderful intersection at I-95 and Wickham. So this of course brings up the debate of looking at houses up in Viera East/Suntree/South Rockledge, but that elongates my commute quite a bit. The landlord for our house has given us a generous offer on the house we're in now based on we don't need to get a realtor involved, and that it already has all the features we want, just a tad on the smaller side and we're in a nice quiet neighborhood. The only thing it really needs is potentially a new roof, so that has us reconsidering our options.

I have to say, this last year has probably gone by faster than any year I can remember. That must mean I'm liking it here!

[Nypafl4u]

Great to hear this PacketHauler. My time line for making the move seems to get closer and closer. Work at my job has been uneven and stress seems to be higher than ever. Wife too is having lots of anxiety at work, so the timing to move seems more realistic than ever. My biggest fear is for my eight year old. He likes his school here and is generally a quiet, unassuming kid. I just don't know how the move would affect him from friends and schooling wise. So my annual summer trip being in about a week will likely focus more on schools in the Merritt Island and Cocoa Beach areas. I am truly glad to hear things have gone well for you. It gives me more fuel to just do it.

[clnewman]

Packethauler & Nypafl4u - Gratz to both of you!

Packethauler: If you like the house you're in, and the owner is offering up a good deal, remember that you can always add-on (HOA permitting). In consideration of the roof, you can build "up" instead of "out". This takes some of the sting out of the roof. We had to replace ours shortly after moving in. We went with the traditional shingles, as opposed to tile or metal, and it ran about $5.50/sq. ft. We were able to keep our existing gutters.

Depending on the age of the existing roof, consider a counter offer with a partial reduction on the cost of roof replacement. We did this, and the seller didn't hesitate. Nypafl4u might be able to help you with the details/wording, as he seems to be pretty up on RE transactions.

Nypafl4u: Kids are resilient, and will usually survive pretty much unscathed. It will be traumatic for a little while, but it'll be traumatic for you and your wife, too. You can all 3 support each other. Between kindergarten and my senior year of HS, I went to 10 different schools, 3 in 3rd grade alone. I like to consider myself reasonably well adjusted at 62 We moved our kids around a bit, and they did OK, too.

[PacketHauler]

Originally Posted by Nypafl4u

Great to hear this PacketHauler. My time line for making the move seems to get closer and closer. Work at my job has been uneven and stress seems to be higher than ever. Wife too is having lots of anxiety at work, so the timing to move seems more realistic than ever. My biggest fear is for my eight year old. He likes his school here and is generally a quiet, unassuming kid. I just don't know how the move would affect him from friends and schooling wise. So my annual summer trip being in about a week will likely focus more on schools in the Merritt Island and Cocoa Beach areas. I am truly glad to hear things have gone well for you. It gives me more fuel to just do it.

I hope it works out for you! There are some good 'schools of choice' around here that you can look into, I know there are a couple in Cocoa Beach that are highly regarded!

I thought my 5 year old was going to have a tough time, thinking he might have trouble making friends, but he is much more social than I was at his age, so he's had no problem acclimating. It helps that my wife has been good about getting the kids out of the house on playdates, they've had no trouble finding things to do during the week, or in summer.

I hope you find the school that will be a good fit for your child. That is one thing I'm really focusing on with whatever we decide to do on the house, where my kids will be zoned for high school. If we stay where we are right now, it's Satellite Beach High School, which I've heard nothing but good things about.

Good luck to you!

[PacketHauler]

Originally Posted by clnewman

Packethauler & Nypafl4u - Gratz to both of you!

Packethauler: If you like the house you're in, and the owner is offering up a good deal, remember that you can always add-on (HOA permitting). In consideration of the roof, you can build "up" instead of "out". This takes some of the sting out of the roof. We had to replace ours shortly after moving in. We went with the traditional shingles, as opposed to tile or metal, and it ran about $5.50/sq. ft. We were able to keep our existing gutters.

Depending on the age of the existing roof, consider a counter offer with a partial reduction on the cost of roof replacement. We did this, and the seller didn't hesitate. Nypafl4u might be able to help you with the details/wording, as he seems to be pretty up on RE transactions.

There aren't any 2 story houses in this neighborhood, so adding on wouldn't be realistic, and the lot lines are fairly narrow. It's not that the house is too small, it's just we wish it had a tad more storage space. On the other hand, we probably should get rid of some crap, it is a 4-bedroom house with a pool after all. There are things I really like about the house, and things that I wish were different, and the location is good, and the quiet neighborhood is definitely a plus, not a ton of riff-raff.

The only thing I'd be worried about in it's current state is if it would even pass inspection without a replacement on an FHA-loan? All things to consider, we can close on a house in November of this year as that will cover the 3 years since our short-sale.

[Nypafl4u]

Thanks for the positive thoughts. It is a daunting task when considering all that is involved in a move. We are still undecided but this trip hopefully will help.

PocketHauler, as for the house, the neighborhood is so important. If you like it, consider taking that house. There is a lot that can be done if a second level is not possible. Expanding out for instance with an addition. Adding a storage shed or second garage is another. Of course, the big purge is the cheapest route
If you feel like sharing the particulars of the deal via a DM I would be happy to offer my opinion. I will be down there the first week in August and can even stop by if you'd like.

[PacketHauler]

Originally Posted by Nypafl4u

Thanks for the positive thoughts. It is a daunting task when considering all that is involved in a move. We are still undecided but this trip hopefully will help.

PocketHauler, as for the house, the neighborhood is so important. If you like it, consider taking that house. There is a lot that can be done if a second level is not possible. Expanding out for instance with an addition. Adding a storage shed or second garage is another. Of course, the big purge is the cheapest route
If you feel like sharing the particulars of the deal via a DM I would be happy to offer my opinion. I will be down there the first week in August and can even stop by if you'd like.

Yeah, the only bad thing for our location is that my wife has to drive our son to and from school everyday at the charter school that's over by the government center in Viera. Getting through Wickham and I-95 is not fun by any means in the morning. If it weren't for that, I think we'd lock up the house we're in now.

If I wanted to add on, the only way would to blow out the pool right behind the house, and I don't think that will be happening. It's a very small lot, (.11 acre) We just need to get rid of some stuff anyways. Little kids tend to pile up the amount of toys that they have.

[Nypafl4u]

So true. My eight year old, who loves Legos and cars has a tone of stuff. But communicating with him about our plans has helped him offer to donate his less used things which I think is great. Clearing one little area at a time, makes a great difference and motivates us to do more. It's sticking to it, with a game plan that drives the result. We are trying so we will be ready if that move does come to fruition. The funny part is, once we "see" the house as it once was, cleared of clutter and spruced up, it can make it even harder to let go of it. Strange dynamic this clearing process brings about.

[PacketHauler]

Originally Posted by Nypafl4u

So true. My eight year old, who loves Legos and cars has a tone of stuff. But communicating with him about our plans has helped him offer to donate his less used things which I think is great. Clearing one little area at a time, makes a great difference and motivates us to do more. It's sticking to it, with a game plan that drives the result. We are trying so we will be ready if that move does come to fruition. The funny part is, once we "see" the house as it once was, cleared of clutter and spruced up, it can make it even harder to let go of it. Strange dynamic this clearing process brings about.

That is the idea. Every little bit helps.

The funny (or sad depending how you look at it) is that we cleared out a ton of stuff before we moved from MN. We got rid of all our winter clothes by donating them to the people who needed them most, and donated old kids winter clothing, old toys. Had we not done that, it wouldn't have all fit in the Penske truck I rented. We still have junk to clear out (including stuff I should really stop holding on to). I'm half tempted to rent a dumpster to throw the stuff away that I haven't looked at in 10+ years. Pictures are really the only things that really seem to matter more than anything.