[SoFLGal]

Originally Posted by Sunshine Chick

I would not stay in any place and be miserable for 8 years as if you are miserable you will pass that down to your children and I wont do that.

Thank you very much. North Port is further south then we wanted but with it's location and access to some of the best beaches we might give it a look to.

What beaches do you go to?
How long is the drive to Disney?

You like the NP schools, which is most important to me as it seems many schools in Florida are not very good for some reason. The low grad rate amazed me when I looked at the info. No wonder people whine about being poor when a large majoirty are not even completing high school.

My college friend lives in St Pete and loves it there but she makes 80k per year and can afford to live wherever she wants. So looking at google maps I won't be that far from her at all. I don't think I would want St Pete because of the insane traffic they have and of course the prices of home there have not moved much in what I think is a buyers market in many places.

Are you allowed to PM me your info on NP homes?

Hi Sunshine,

I usually go to Nokomis Beach which is about 30 minutes away. Then there is Englewood Beach which is about 25 minutes away. The world famous Venice Beach, known for it's Shark's teeth is about 25 minutes. Siesta Key Beach known for it's sugar white sand is about 40 minutes away.

My children attend Pine View School in Osprey. It was rated the number 6 school in US by US News. It is a public gifted school for ages 2-12th grades.

The Elementary Schools for North Port are Cranberry, Glenallen, Toledo Blade & Lamarque. Heron Creek is the Middle School (there will be a new one next year) and North Port High is the only high school right now. I have a few friends that have children that attend Cranberry and Lamarque Elementary, they seem to be very happy with both schools.

According to Map quest Disney is 2 hours or 137 miles from North Port.

[mr&mrssunshine]

Originally Posted by SKB

" the way that your country is run compared to the UK with our ridiculous taxes and rising costs, (our gas is currently just over $5 a gallon...)"

Are you talking about the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA??? You really need to do more research first, as we are facing the same problems as the UK is with prices snowballing out of control.

Mrs S should have said £5 or $10 a gallon, plus cars twice the price PLUS housing at crazy prices $500000 buys you a 750 sq foot 2 bedroom apartment round here, plus a government that fines you for putting out the trash on the wrong day, plus a judiciary that imprisons retirees for not paying their rates ( home taxes) but treats real criminals like mis-understood puppies. And add in crap weather !!!!!!! Tell ya what- wanna swap? cos I would tomorrow (the last flight today already left !)

[Wutsup]

Originally Posted by AnotherDayInParadise

I hope you are bringing your whole family when you visit... I am originally from Cincinnati but have been in Florida for just over ten years now. By coming in July you will certainly be feeling the heat and may be in for some wet weather... but it beats ice and snow!

North Port has a new middle school opening in time for the 2008-2009 school year. There are over 12,000 school-aged children in the city so the schools are being built nearly annually. Always looking for teachers.

You will find that the city of North Port will have the most affordable housing options in Sarasota County.

Good Luck!

Thanks for the encouragement. Talking with teachers on a teacher forum, I was told that there are no teaching jobs in Sarasota County. Jobs are hard to get here,too.
Do you have any kids in the High School there? Or know any? How do they like it? What line of work are you in?

[Wutsup]

Originally Posted by New England Yankee

I know Mantee county is cutting back their expenses on education.Plus teachers get low pay in Florida.
The medical field is OK.
If your husband doesn't want to move and things don't turn out right,it will be on your head.
I have a home in Florida and love it.

Teachers get low pay EVERYWHERE......in general, salaries in the Florida counties I have researched are decent compared to here in the area I live. I work in inner city and the pay is the highest around. I live rural and the pay is the lowest.

You hit it on the nail about my husband. Funny how that seems to work in his favor.

[AnotherDayInParadise]

Originally Posted by Wutsup

Thanks for the encouragement. Talking with teachers on a teacher forum, I was told that there are no teaching jobs in Sarasota County. Jobs are hard to get here,too.
Do you have any kids in the High School there? Or know any? How do they like it? What line of work are you in?

I just went on the Sarasota County School District's website and saw 4 instructional positions open. I work for a non-profit organization... and no, I don't have children. I don't know many either, but the ones I have interacted with seem as happy as 16 year-olds can be.

[faithfulFrank]

Originally Posted by mr&mrssunshine

Mrs S should have said £5 or $10 a gallon, plus cars twice the price PLUS housing at crazy prices $500000 buys you a 750 sq foot 2 bedroom apartment round here, plus a government that fines you for putting out the trash on the wrong day, plus a judiciary that imprisons retirees for not paying their rates ( home taxes) but treats real criminals like mis-understood puppies. And add in crap weather !!!!!!! Tell ya what- wanna swap? cos I would tomorrow (the last flight today already left !)

Mr & Mrs.......
I guess everything is relative. We Americans need to be more thankful of the blessings we have here. Please keep in mind that Florida is a diverse state. In life, everyone has their story and everyone's situation is different. I do not pretend to be an expert. There are many in Florida and on these boards who are discouraged about their job, or lack of one, the housing market changes in the past few years. There are others who remember the Florida of years back, and wish things were the same as they were then.

Understand that there are ALWAYS two sides of a story. Some of us see things different. Some of us have invested well, and are closer to retirement. We feel bad for the many here who are having tough times, but that does not make everything about Florida bad.

Money magazine stated that Lake county was one of the top 3 places to retire in the country. I bought my home in a +55 gated community in Leesburg and I love it. The neighbors are great, the community has TONS to do. The people there are happy. They lived wisely, and decided to buy there. They want to be there and are happy. It shows.

Just know that there are many active retirees here who are happy. They are living the good life and would not change a thing. I bought my future ahead of time.....I'm only there part time now, but will make the big move there an about 3 years.

I am also active on another forum that caters more to Florida retirees....not a shred of negativity there.........

Good luck with your plans....!

Frank D.

[LeavingScotlandforFL]

What are you from?
Cold, wet, miserable Scotland

Where in Florida are you moving?
Don't know yet, but probably the GC. From Clearwater through Tampa to Sarasota Springs possibly. I want to be near an Int'l airport, close to the beach, and not too far from Mickey. SE coast sounds lovely, but it's just too far from Mickey, and I want friends from back home to stay with me sometimes.

What attracts you to Florida?
Hmmm? Sun, heat, blue skies, beaches.
Quality of housing, way better than the UK. It's more affordable and it looks like getting even more so.
Quality of life, just having a pool party and a barbie with friends would be amazing. Everything seems cheaper, apart from Health and Insurance I guess.
American attitude, you guys do things in style. There is generally a real effort to excel in whatever you do.
More opportunities for my kids, away from the goldfish bowl of Scotland. Their horizons will expand dramatically, I hope.
Golf where you don't lose balls in the rough. I may live in the home of golf, but it's bloody miserable playing over here, and nothing beats a palm tree lined fairway.
The scary weather. I appreciate that hurricanes and tornadoes are deadly, and shatter communities, but I have loved the storms that I have experienced so far.
Diversity. The only black guys I see are on US TV! And I never knew what a Jew was until i was 12...

What research did you do or have already done to pick your city or location?
Previous holidays, reading this forum, reading online newspapers, and I will be over 2-3 times before we move.

Did you spend time in that town in person?
I will do. We have only really been up and down I4 to Tampa, Clearwater and Orlando, but the next visits will be much more varied and indepth.

Did you communicate with people who live their personally?
Again, I will do when I am back over

[hdzup3]

Originally Posted by acsolomon33

Hi - When I read this I felt like I was writing it! I feel the same way!!! My husband and my 2 boys (ages 4 and 5) are moving to Stuart, hopefully right after the boys get out of school. My kids are always stuck inside all winter, with snow and alot of the spring (with rain). I want my children to play outside and have lots of fresh air!
I, too have visited alot and as soon as I would get off that airplane, something would just feel right!
If you move to the Stuart area, u can definitely do my hair, as I will be looking for a new stylist!

Thanks!

wheres stuart? were defenately going to bradenton. i went to visit and look around march 5-10 and i was so happy. love it east bradenton. close to everything. my little girl was with me and she spent the whole time outside!! she cried when we were leaving. and shes been inside eversince!
i dont think ill be doing hair in a salon to start. i wont have any clients ,and i need a paying job for sure!
good luck to u and your family. happy sunny warm life!

[Cyndisz]

I live in NYC. I plan to retire in 3-4 years and have been looking at gated communities for a condo in Plantation, Sunrise, Margate but have not have any luck. I've been to Miami Beach, South Beach -- but I like visiting not necessarily living there. Hope you know something in this area or if anyone else does, please post reply.

Wish me good hunting!

[granitelady]

I love this thread!
something positive for a change...and if I could afford to I'd put an add on the front page of a major FL newspaper telling people to STAY THERE AND MAKE IT WORK!
I left FL 3 1/2 years ago after a divorce thinking that NC could offer me cheaper housing, etc... like so many other Floridians that keep coming up here every day...
Guess what????
Once you live in FL it is very hard to adapt anywhere else, and the cheaper cost of living outside of FL is just an illusion.
I pay a lot more taxes in NC than I did in FL, taxes on food, your cars every year, there is a tax for everything! Houses are a little cheaper, but now that the housing market in FL is returning to reality the gap is not so big anymore.
And only in FL you are truly free to be whoever you want to be, I can tell you from experience that up in these areas here people are about 50 years behind FL in terms of social evolution.
5 months of grey trees and 30 degree weather, people are depressed!!!!
SO....You guessed it...I'M MOVING BACK!!!!!!
and I'm counting the days, so is my son, he misses FL so much!
We're moving to Coral Springs, we already know the area, have friends there, so we're moving back home.
And in the midst of all this economical crisis that everyone is so afraid of we are also opening a duplicate of the business that we have here and we are positive that FL will bounce back like it did so many times before (remember the 80's?) and we will be there to se it get back up.
No matter what anyone says, housing crisis, hurricanes, crime, whatever....Florida still is Paradise to me! You know why? The people, Florida has great people!
There is always the bad anywhere you go, but in FL the good out weights the bad.
So, to all of you that are thinking about leaving...think twice, the grass really is NOT greener on the other State.