Why are soo many people from florida unhappy there? (Miami: for sale, to rent)

jayp19777 · 11-12-2006, 12:59 PM

alot of people from this forum r so negative about florida? i wanna move to central florida with my mom and everyone here is making it seem like the worst decision i coule ever make? im really frightened for real. i feel like if i move to florida(central, sanford) im setting my self up for misery, unhappiness and failure. is florida really that horrible and is the pay and jobs really as horific as everyone make it seem? is florida a place for a person in there mid 20's or is it a place for retirees? talk to me!everyone just makes it seem like its wonderfull for retirees but not good for young people trieng to make it

Jeff Miller · 11-12-2006, 01:06 PM

We like it here. It is a good quality of life.

Rosalie Windsor · 11-12-2006, 01:20 PM

Move to Florida you'll love it. I have a home in central FL around the corner from Seaworld this place is for young people. At least this part of Fl is not for retirees.
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Quote:

Originally Posted by jayp19777

alot of people from this forum r so negative about florida? i wanna move to central florida with my mom and everyone here is making it seem like the worst decision i coule ever make? im really frightened for real. i feel like if i move to florida(central, sanford) im setting my self up for misery, unhappiness and failure. is florida really that horrible and is the pay and jobs really as horific as everyone make it seem? is florida a place for a person in there mid 20's or is it a place for retirees? talk to me!

macguy · 11-12-2006, 01:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jayp19777

alot of people from this forum r so negative about florida? i wanna move to central florida with my mom and everyone here is making it seem like the worst decision i coule ever make? im really frightened for real. i feel like if i move to florida(central, sanford) im setting my self up for misery, unhappiness and failure. is florida really that horrible and is the pay and jobs really as horific as everyone make it seem? is florida a place for a person in there mid 20's or is it a place for retirees? talk to me!everyone just makes it seem like its wonderfull for retirees but not good for young people trieng to make it

The main reason people are unhappy is they come to Florida for various reasons but Florida changes very fast. I live in Fort Lauderdale and If I leave for a year I come back and it will in some way be different. You invest in a house or business and love it only to see things morf into something different right before your eyes. That's just the nature of many Florida cities.

The reason you came here in the first place other then the whether is not there anymore and you resent it. It is like someone is always screwing with your existence. You would like to think when you move somewhere you will be there for many years and have a sense of what your life will be, not in Florida. When that change happens, and it will, you resent it.

firemed · 11-12-2006, 01:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jayp19777

alot of people from this forum r so negative about florida? i wanna move to central florida with my mom and everyone here is making it seem like the worst decision i coule ever make? im really frightened for real. i feel like if i move to florida(central, sanford) im setting my self up for misery, unhappiness and failure. is florida really that horrible and is the pay and jobs really as horific as everyone make it seem? is florida a place for a person in there mid 20's or is it a place for retirees? talk to me!everyone just makes it seem like its wonderfull for retirees but not good for young people trieng to make it

Its not that bad all over Florida, but you have to check the area your moving to. I list whats in the news, most of it is negative, but its the news, Jobs and housing are the big thing. What do you do. there are jobs but you might not be able to live in the area on the pay. Florida has changed alot in the past 5 years. retirees are moving away due to a fixed income and the cost going up each year. But on the other hand retirees don't need jobs and can keep the state going. Just do your homework before you move.

pianogal · 11-12-2006, 01:29 PM

It does seem as if most of the people posting on this board see the worst of Florida...and as one who has lived here for 25 years, I can agree that it has changed and alot of the change has not been good.

However my husband and I looked into moving to some of the other states mentioned here..mostly other southern states. Georgia, South Carolina, Tennesse and Alabama. DH went so far as to interview for a couple of jobs. Even though he was offered the jobs, they apologized that they could only offer him about 60% of what he is making here in Florida. Although I miss the seasons and I would like to move to a less tropical climate, we just can't find jobs that pay close to what we make here in Florida. And because I've lived in Florida so long, I'm not sure I would enjoy the cold winters anymore.

I know some have posted to the contrary, but that has been our experience.

Here is what I love about living in the Orlando area. The weather from October - April is heavenly. We have had beautiful weather recently...in the mid 50's to 60's at night and warming up to the 70's-low 80's in the daytime with low humidity. Yes, 2003 was miserable with all the hurricanes. BUT in the 25 years I lived here that has been the ONLY time we've had anything like that. Plus, Orlando is far enough from the coast that we were saved the worst of the damage. Most of the homes just had roof damage if any damage at all. Our current neighborhood where homes were built to the new code set after Andrew had ZERO damage. Not even a missing shingle.

I don't know what circles some of the people who post on this board move in. But I meet delightful people every day. There is never a lack of places to go for entertainment and you can find a store that carries most anything you could ever want.

My son is just starting out and has no intention of moving. He is a senior at UCF and has already landed a great job in his field making excellent money. Two young 20 somethings just bought the home next door to us. It is a new 2500 square foot 4/3 - they purchased for 350K. They are engineers and drive a Lexus SUV and a Mercedes Sports Coupe. Yes, there is good money to be made in Florida.

If this is your dream please don't let the nay sayers here deter you. There are many Floridians who love it here and wouldn't live anywhere else.

watsont3 · 11-12-2006, 01:37 PM

I have found that people who post on message boards of almost all kinds tend to be more negative. I don't know why but maybe those who are content with their life do not feel the urge to post their experience as much as those who are unhappy.
In our travels and researching of places to live, I have begun to believe that old adage bout "the grass always being greener on the others side of the fence" contains a lot of truth.
I just try to research as much as I can, visit the area and make a judgement as to whether I will be able to live relatively happy in an area. Only you can decide that. Take the negative comments and file them with other information and make up your own mind.
We have decided to rent for a year to see whether we will like it or not. If you can, maybe consider that option.

chrisonja · 11-12-2006, 01:49 PM

The reason you won't make as much is because in Tennessee it is alot cheaper to live there then here in FL where I live. That is what I want so that is why my family is moving to Tennessee this summer. I have lived in SW Florida since I was 5 years old and hubby since he was 7. We both moved here with our families in 1971. Now we have decided to move our 2 boys who still live at home with us to Sumner County, Tennessee. Our pawn shop is now for sale and then we will buy a place in TN and have no mortgage.

What I wanted to say was that I drive a school bus for a living here and I am now making $15.64 an hour and when I move I will make between $10 and $12 an hour. I will still have the insurance but the hourly rate of pay will go down drasticly. I also drive 5 1/2 hours a day here and will go to about 4 1/2 hours. But everything is so much cheaper there then it is here. Also we can't wait to have much less property taxes than we pay now. I have to pay $3200 for this years taxes in January. That will be a plus.

I have been through Hurricane Charlie, Hurricane Jean and some wind from Hurricane Frances. All in the same year. But we made it and I am glad I got to go through one.

Florida is a beautiful place. But of course I don't know any place else really.

Sonja

za-fl · 11-12-2006, 01:58 PM

Hi there,

I moved here from Cape Town, South Africa 1 year ago. Where I come from it's a lot like San Francisco, culturewise, scenerywise, climatewise etc. I suppose it depends where you're coming from. Orlando will shock the living-whits out of you if you're from New York, Boston, San Francisco, Seattle, Chicago or LA. If you're from the south, Texas, maybe one of the smaller, less prominant and cultured US cities, you should be okay.

I'm 26 and this is certainly not a place for a cultured, adventurous, well-travelled young man. Orlando is a city geared towards kids and tourists looking for mice. If you have to move to Florida as a young guy, you'd prefer Tampa or Miami. Orlando is also the most humid and hot city in Florida, as there is no sea, so the moderating effect of the seabreezes is unfelt here.

Unfortunately, the young locals in Orlando are generally untrusting, ignorant and have a slight "gansta" leaning. People may come accross friendly, but more often than not, they aren't genuinely so. I find New York more genuinely kind.

Best of luck, but I would never ever advise a global-citizen that is unattached, cultured and kidless to ever move to this city.

Sorry guys, some people may like it, but I don't want anyone that's youthful and of a more global mindset to have any misconceptions.

pianogal · 11-12-2006, 02:08 PM

Yes, it does cost more to live in Florida IN SOME WAYS. However, my parents and siblings all live in South Carolina and Georgia. They pay sales tax on food and medicine. They also pay 5-7% state INCOME tax AND income tax on their cars. The taxes on my parents CARS alone were over 2K last year. By the time you add all that up, they are not the deal that initially look like. We added it all up when we were thinking of moving to Greenville SC and with the state income tax, tax on cars, food and drugs PLUS their property tax (at about 1% compared to our 1.8%) - we were still doing alot better here in Florida.

Also, when I visit home, I can't believe how much my parents pay for fresh vegetables, etc. and the quality is terrible. Sometimes the case is empty and they are not even available. I can't imagine going into a Publix and seeing that.

Everyone is different and it just depends on your situation and priorities. I hope you enjoy your move and it turns out well for you and your family. I went to college in Tennessee and have always loved it.