[Swimmom32]

Originally Posted by TXRyan23

I have family in NC, they live near Winston-Salem and they seem to like it real well. I think NJ is one of the worst in the country for property taxes, right?

I think another thing that most people don't bargain for when they relocate is the insane amounts for homeowners insurance, auto insurance, and vehicle registrations (for the first time)

Ultimately people need to live where ever they're happy. It's just laughable sometimes when people try to make Florida out to be something that it's clearly not.

Agreed..Now Auto Insurance in South Florida..Holy Cow that we were really shocked about and every 6 months our policy would renew it would go up what was up with that? well Geico told us because of all the Fraud and insurance claims someone had to pay for them, Mind you we have been in NC For almost a year, same insurance same insurance company and they havent raised our rates Once if anything we just got a decrease and my 18 yr is on our policy with a new car..and Yes NJ has some of the highest property taxes in the country..our property taxes were 12.5k when we left...I am in Charlotte again its the 2nd time around for us...Dont love it but it was a temporary move but at this point we will stay here for 4 years until our daughter graduates from HS...

We moved to NC from NJ and from NC to Florida...

Again we loved it there and if people can do it than great for them, and I wont bash it however I really think that they need to lure company's in and try to find the brightest people because I know there are some very smart hard working people that live there...lol

[TXRyan23]

Originally Posted by Swimmom32

Agreed..Now Auto Insurance in South Florida..Holy Cow that we were really shocked about and every 6 months our policy would renew it would go up what was up with that? well Geico told us because of all the Fraud and insurance claims someone had to pay for them, Mind you we have been in NC For almost a year, same insurance same insurance company and they havent raised our rates Once if anything we just got a decrease and my 18 yr is on our policy with a new car..and Yes NJ has some of the highest property taxes in the country..our property taxes were 12.5k when we left...I am in Charlotte again its the 2nd time around for us...Dont love it but it was a temporary move but at this point we will stay here for 4 years until our daughter graduates from HS...

We moved to NC from NJ and from NC to Florida...

Again we loved it there and if people can do it than great for them, and I wont bash it however I really think that they need to lure company's in and try to find the brightest people because I know there are some very smart hard working people that live there...lol

Yeah, my insurance policy for two late model vehicles with full coverage in Tennessee was $78/mo. with Tennessee Farm Bureau. When I was considering relocation to either Florida or Texas back in 2009, I was quoted around $300/mo. for the Tampa area. I'm currently paying $170/mo. in Texas and I have Geico as well and every 6 months our policy goes down like $5-10 per month. My property taxes in Tennessee was $1,200 and my homeowners insurance was roughly $50/month.

[THX 1138]

Originally Posted by Colorado xxxxx

So after reading this thread, and my own 2 bad experiences, is it safe to say that Florida employers, in general, don't pay well?

They do not pay well typically because they do not have too...lack of competition to make wages competitive...no fear that employees will leave for companies down the street because often there is no other companies to go to.

Sunshine Tax or just the mentality of some small business owners, that's another thing people forget, Florida is a state of small businesses, South Florida in general will be all about small business, that's the future and salaries will never be enough for many.

Although this article is about the "Sunshine Tax" and San Diego, much of it relates well to Florida, at least the Southern part of the state from my experiences.

The sunshine tax: Just how much is it? | UTSanDiego.com

Some people do well here, it just depends a lot of luck, and what industry you are in....overall averages and people's experiences have been subpar compared to other areas...in my area if the COL was lower, it would a lot easier for people to make ends meet...save money and for the future, most live paycheck to paycheck due to high rents and some of my staff still live at home with their parents, just cannot afford the rents here.

[THX 1138]

Originally Posted by Swimmom32

Agreed..Now Auto Insurance in South Florida..Holy Cow that we were really shocked about and every 6 months our policy would renew it would go up what was up with that? well Geico told us because of all the Fraud and insurance claims someone had to pay for them, Mind you we have been in NC For almost a year, same insurance same insurance company and they havent raised our rates Once if anything we just got a decrease and my 18 yr is on our policy with a new car..and Yes NJ has some of the highest property taxes in the country..our property taxes were 12.5k when we left...I am in Charlotte again its the 2nd time around for us...Dont love it but it was a temporary move but at this point we will stay here for 4 years until our daughter graduates from HS...

We moved to NC from NJ and from NC to Florida...

Again we loved it there and if people can do it than great for them, and I wont bash it however I really think that they need to lure company's in and try to find the brightest people because I know there are some very smart hard working people that live there...lol

Car insurance here is quite high here, I switch carriers often but have been with Geico a few years now. I shop around and do not find rates to be any less. I think much of it is based on the amount of fraud here and car theft, plus after 2004-2005 Hurricanes, the rates skyrocketed all over. Further making it a more expensive place to live.

It's dangerous to lower or drop your liability, most importantly uninsured motorists protection, because a lot of people are on the roads here without insurance. And since people like to sue here, even having lower liability limits in a no-fault state means squat, you can drive safe and have some idiot weaving in and out of traffic run into you and they get whiplash and sue you for injuries in the process.

The TV ads, billboards all cater to this crap...much of it is making lawyers rich and a lot of it is not justified.

I really like to see some hard numbers on South Florida car insurance rates, but they seem to only average the state on a whole..