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I was reading a lot of comments and discussions about everything in Florida.
90% is negativity: insurance rates, crimes here and crime there, hurricanes, traffic,...
I'm really really very confused now. Firsat I was thinking to move to Broward county. Known fact it has a large Jewish population, so I wanted to be there.
Then somebody told me to look into ft.Myers, Tampa bay area, because I can get a house there for half price than in Broward. Researched - not exactly true. But the prices there are a bit lower. I liked St.Pete area, Clearwater, Largo, Dunedin. Jewish population is much smaller there. Then another friend turned me around back to Broward-Palm Beach. Then in between my searches for houses I realized crazy facts about property insurance. Although I'm planning for a townhome condo, I'm really getting upset with these negative facts.
I even researched Jacksonville area.
So, I'm loaded now with a lot of negative facts and don't know what to do.
Is anybody here is HAPPY in Florida ?
Could anybody give me an advise or opinion about insurance rates for a townhome condo priced at $150,000-$170,000 ? I know it will be included in the maintenance fee.
I'm in Ontario(just north of Buffalo,NY), so i have no idea about car insurance rates(30 years driving) for a minivan ?
and the last question Jewish related: anybody lives in Tampa-Bay area, Clearwater...etc. ? any advise please ?
Thanks a lot!
Do I have to be Jewish to answer your question here?
We're very happy in Fla. Pay no attention to the whining and snivelling from some and "don't feed the trolls"! . Seems like they come here from other states and immedietly start crying. Thankfully many of them have no standing, do not own anything and when they find out they have to try being creative and talented to earn real money down here they run home.
That in and of itself is hugely positive.
It's a great place to be. Cmon down and enjoy yourself. Lots and lots of great areas. Spend a few bucks and take weekend trips to various places here and find what clicks with you. Chances are that more than one area will do that and so that will be the tough part......making the ultimate decision as to where to stake your flag.
And you will have so much to choose from as every other house in Florida is for sale right now!
Actually I am probably the happiest Broward resident on this board, seemingly the only one (aside from a few others) that doesn't bash it on end. I'm not 100 percent satisfied, but about 70 percent. I would, however, suggest that you rent in todays market. Broward and Palm Beach County are going to be undergoing a major price correction to get back in line with current median incomes. There is a predicted 11% decrease in prices.
About the Jewish population, it's still ticking along in Broward, although in Palm Beach County, there are more Jewish people and the observant community there is thriving and growing. I would say the only cities that DON'T have a significant Jewish population in Broward are...Miramar, and maybe Davie (which still has a large Jewish population compared to average). That's all I can think of. Here in Weston we have two conservative synagogues and a very large Jewish community. Emerald Hills in Hollywood probably has the largest Jewish population in the area. It could be compared to the five towns in Long Island it's so large. Just about every branch of Juidasm, including some Hasidic Jews are in that part of Hollywood. But, as I said, the Jewish population is very large county wide. The strongest Jewish communities are in
Parkland (forget about that price though)
Coral Springs
Cooper City (the high school even has a Jewish Student Union)
Weston
Pockets of Hollywood
Plantation
Tamarac
Sunrise
Pembroke Pines
But they are present in just about every community. Miramar is really the only area I can think of without a significant Jewish presence.
However, I wouldn't ask for only "positive" facts. People are complaining for a reason- the region is overpriced, hard on a middle class family, and crowded. There are other negative factors to living here depending on what the individual is looking for. The crime factor is incredibly exaggerated, but yes, there are plenty of high crime areas. It's not all palm trees and sunshine, but you can live a very nice life here if you pick the right neighborhood, have a good job, and (preferably) don't have any children. My neighborhood grocery store is really friendly, everyone knows each other. My neighborhood is safe enough to leave my doors unlocked. My neighbors grilled for us when I moved in. The highway traffic isn't bad by major city standards, and the local traffic is next-to-none in a lot of areas. For me, the positives have been numerous down here, even to my career. It's not quite as bad as some people here make it out to be, there is plenty to enjoy.
And to whoever negative repped me, I WAS JOKING, LOL! I was updating my post.
I think the biggest problem people forget considering moving to Florida is that it is in the DEEP south. The south has its own culture, and florida is a part of it. Some folks like to think that if you flood enough northerns in the state that it would negate that fact, but that's not the case. Also, Florida has one of the highest percentages of Hispanics of any state, and Miami is majority hispanic, including the larger metro area. Speaking spanish and understanding the hispanic culture is not only politically correct, but mere survival in some circumstances. Florida is a polyglot culture, and there is great beauty in it if one is willing to look for it, and I'm talking human beauty. There are many friendly people here. On the other hand, this is a gun carrying culture, like the rest of the deep south, prob most of all in the deep south, with the second largest number of capital punishment executions in the nation behind Texas. It can be frighteningly dangerous here, in many cities all over the state. Even the Keys are not immune to this, though they may be the safest part of the state. Finally, is is a prime location for drug running, adjacent to the Carribean and mainland, with all the bad things one associates with such activities. Paradise it's not, but it is wonderful for those who look at it realistically and accept it for what it is, and love it for what it is......and you can be quite happy here..just be realistic......thats all..
There is no way on earth home prices in SWFL are going to go up starting in 9 months.
In fact, the negatives such as tighter lending standards, foreclosures, ARM resets, higher utilities and gasoline, tighter job market, historic levels of credit card debt....those are just starting to build.
9 months from now things will be getting worse, same thing in a year, same thing in 2 years. Credit Suisse has a chart that is readily available that shows the number of ARM resets is huge over the next 18 months. The wave of foreclosures has barely even begun.
The tax situation as you explained it does not apply to new buyers. It applies to existing home owners. Those that buy now will face way more property taxes than the former owners did until prices fall back to real fundamental levels. That is one major reason houses won't start selling until prices come down a lot more.
Many housing blogs have posted study after study....there are no massive numbers of Europeans coming to SWFL, they are retiring many other places. There are no massive numbers of baby boomers coming, most have no retirement savings, are retiring elsewhere, are working longer. Those that do come want small condos or townhouses, not the 3-5 bedroom houses flooding the SWFL inventory.
Median area income and rents will decide where SWFL real estate prices will fall to. Most areas of SWFL have median incomes around $40,000....houses will fall back to a $120,000 median again.
That house example of $160,000 in 2001 that peaked at $500,000 and is now $330,000? It will come back down to $160,000 or maybe even below.
In 2001 people had more money to put into principle and interest. Since then gasoline has doubled, personal debt has doubled, property insurance has doubled and tripled, property taxes have doubled and tripled, food and other staples have gone way up. The money available to service a mortgage is much less than it was in 2001.
The SWFL crash has barely even started. The housing bubble blogs were right in 2003, right in 2005 and they are right now. They said the bubble was forming. They predicted everything all the while the 'experts' were telling us something different. I think I will trust them now when they say SWFL real estate has a loooong way to fall.
And I love Florida and defend her over and over on this forum. But SWFL real estate?? Please, the disaster has only just begun.
Drive around Cape Coral, look at for sale signs hanging on about every 10th house, sometimes more, and tell me you think the prices will go up in 9 months. Do you think that the lending standards and credit markets will resume the same crazy gusher of lending that commenced during the boom? That lending frenzy will probably never be seen again in our lifetimes. So, where is the lending money going to come from? Are the real estate agents going to originate it themselves? The foreclosures and resetting of arms have to be well spent before any climbing back in home values takes place in Florida. A climb 9 months from now would imply that it is spent about now, which we know is not the case. We may not see home values go up for many years here, except for high-end areas in and around the major coastal cities. The run-of-the-mill houses and places may stay flat for 5-7 years from now.........again, 9 months? Please!
There is no way on earth home prices in SWFL are going to go up starting in 9 months.
In fact, the negatives such as tighter lending standards, foreclosures, ARM resets, higher utilities and gasoline, tighter job market, historic levels of credit card debt....those are just starting to build.
9 months from now things will be getting worse, same thing in a year, same thing in 2 years. Credit Suisse has a chart that is readily available that shows the number of ARM resets is huge over the next 18 months. The wave of foreclosures has barely even begun.
The tax situation as you explained it does not apply to new buyers. It applies to existing home owners. Those that buy now will face way more property taxes than the former owners did until prices fall back to real fundamental levels. That is one major reason houses won't start selling until prices come down a lot more.
Many housing blogs have posted study after study....there are no massive numbers of Europeans coming to SWFL, they are retiring many other places. There are no massive numbers of baby boomers coming, most have no retirement savings, are retiring elsewhere, are working longer. Those that do come want small condos or townhouses, not the 3-5 bedroom houses flooding the SWFL inventory.
Median area income and rents will decide where SWFL real estate prices will fall to. Most areas of SWFL have median incomes around $40,000....houses will fall back to a $120,000 median again.
That house example of $160,000 in 2001 that peaked at $500,000 and is now $330,000? It will come back down to $160,000 or maybe even below.
In 2001 people had more money to put into principle and interest. Since then gasoline has doubled, personal debt has doubled, property insurance has doubled and tripled, property taxes have doubled and tripled, food and other staples have gone way up. The money available to service a mortgage is much less than it was in 2001.
The SWFL crash has barely even started. The housing bubble blogs were right in 2003, right in 2005 and they are right now. They said the bubble was forming. They predicted everything all the while the 'experts' were telling us something different. I think I will trust them now when they say SWFL real estate has a loooong way to fall.
And I love Florida and defend her over and over on this forum. But SWFL real estate?? Please, the disaster has only just begun.
I agree that the trend in the market should start to slightly rebound in 9 months, there will not be an increase in home prices. There will not be enough of a surge to warrant it.
I think the biggest problem people forget considering moving to Florida is that it is in the DEEP south. The south has its own culture, and florida is a part of it. Some folks like to think that if you flood enough northerns in the state that it would negate that fact, but that's not the case. Also, Florida has one of the highest percentages of Hispanics of any state, and Miami is majority hispanic, including the larger metro area. Speaking spanish and understanding the hispanic culture is not only politically correct, but mere survival in some circumstances. Florida is a polyglot culture, and there is great beauty in it if one is willing to look for it, and I'm talking human beauty. There are many friendly people here. On the other hand, this is a gun carrying culture, like the rest of the deep south, prob most of all in the deep south, with the second largest number of capital punishment executions in the nation behind Texas. It can be frighteningly dangerous here, in many cities all over the state. Even the Keys are not immune to this, though they may be the safest part of the state. Finally, is is a prime location for drug running, adjacent to the Carribean and mainland, with all the bad things one associates with such activities. Paradise it's not, but it is wonderful for those who look at it realistically and accept it for what it is, and love it for what it is......and you can be quite happy here..just be realistic......thats all..
Broward County actually has one of the lowest gun ownership rates in the nation: 12.44 percent of the population. Does the shocking spike in violent crime have anything to do with increased gun ownership? Probably not, because most of the criminals shooting cops and holding up banks stole their firearms anyway. Let someone who wants to legally attain a gun attain a gun, it's not hurting society unless it's in the hands of the wrong person. And I'm a damn yankee. The south has it's own culture, but for better or worse, there isn't much of it left here. You won't even find sweet tea in restaurants.
"Drive around Cape Coral, look at for sale signs hanging on about every 10th house"
It was like that in 2005 when houses were very expensive. Most of the 'For sale' signs are from investors who bought the house at the High Point and are trying to sell it now.
The guys I am working with are now able to buy some of these houses right now since the drop in price. There is a small surge right now because some of the locals are getting a second chance to buy a house. 2 years ago they could not buy a house because they were too expensive.
The 'Northerners' will be the ones to determine when houses go up in price
again. You see the SURGE will come from the Baby boomers. When the Northerners can unload their house up North and get down here where it is warm...then you will see the surge. Also, the stoke Market has to rise...and guess what.....a recession in 2008.....watch the market go through the roof.
High 401k yeilds for baby boomers and being able to sell their house up north along with locals and Canadians buying up homes here....you will see SW Florida rise again. Maybe not as high or as quick.....but you just can not beat the -
Location - location - Location.
"Drive around Cape Coral, look at for sale signs hanging on about every 10th house"
It was like that in 2005 when houses were very expensive. Most of the 'For sale' signs are from investors who bought the house at the High Point and are trying to sell it now.
The guys I am working with are now able to buy some of these houses right now since the drop in price. There is a small surge right now because some of the locals are getting a second chance to buy a house. 2 years ago they could not buy a house because they were too expensive.
The 'Northerners' will be the ones to determine when houses go up in price
again. You see the SURGE will come from the Baby boomers. When the Northerners can unload their house up North and get down here where it is warm...then you will see the surge. Also, the stoke Market has to rise...and guess what.....a recession in 2008.....watch the market go through the roof.
High 401k yeilds for baby boomers and being able to sell their house up north along with locals and Canadians buying up homes here....you will see SW Florida rise again. Maybe not as high or as quick.....but you just can not beat the -
Location - location - Location.
Caught a 30' Snook since I last posted.
fish
MMMMMMMMMMM---- The South will rise again !!!!! That would be a great name for a song.
Do I have to be Jewish to answer your question here?
..just wanted to know if there is any jewish community there...
I know the biggest is in SE, but have no idea about Clearwater-Largo area.
Reason..I love bagels..
I'd love to hear your comments about your location and if there are any bagels there ?
If you move here I hope you like Reggaeton music, low paying jobs, tourists driving backwards on one lane roads, (especially at the airport) and lots of crime. Oh yeah lots of trust fund babys who have been given everything and don't know a lick about running a business and working hard to earn what they need. Sounds like paradise don't it?
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I love living in SW Florida
..just wanted to know if there is any jewish community there...
