[tmg4me]

Hi,

I've been contemplating either moving to Florida or California. I know the weather between the two are different and the summers can be unbearable in Florida. California has great weather for the most part, however, California is so darn expensive.

I checked and since Florida has no income tax I would bring home a little over $600 per month more in my paycheck and the cost of living is cheaper.

California i would lose $600 monthly and taxes are higher but the weather is gorgeous and I have family out there so I'm back and forth with my decision.

In Florida I could afford to live either on or very close to the beach. California would be impossible financially.

What would your choices be and for what reasons?

Thank you
Theresa

[chiluvr1228]

I would never live in California because of the earthquakes. Yes Florida gets hurricanes but they are few and far between and you have plenty of time to prepare for them. The last two hurricanes in my area were in 1960 and 2004 and since I was living in a house that was built to the new hurricane codes of 2003 my house had no damage.


I don't know how humid California is but Florida is very humid for 6+ months out of the year.


California has droughts, floods, mudslides, bad fires and liberals...... :-)


Florida has too many snowbirds, the occasional tornado and sinkholes in some parts of the state. No place is perfect but I think I will take my chances here in Florida.

[cfbs2691]

Originally Posted by tmg4me

I checked and since Florida has no income tax I would bring home a little over $600 per month more in my paycheck

Your company has a home office in the state of Florida?

A friend of mine is an admin for Deloitte, she lives in Florida, but her office is based in NY.
That is where her tax is based on - You get taxed based on where your company's office is.

Be careful about that.

[Majami]

I'm from California, and chose Florida.

Originally I was fairly ignorant about Florida, a vacation in March to Miami changed my mind.

I still have love for California - most of my friends and family are still there, I'm in California several times a year. Couple things I don't like about California is quite frankly the cool ocean (I love to swim), state income tax (save so much money here), also the early late call pretty much ruins the nightlife everywhere, including LA. Things I miss about California is the foodie scene, the mountains, drives to Mexico, and all the national parks. Overall if California makes more sense for you depends on your lifestyle, I'd add the economy is better in California so if, unlike me, you need to rely on the state economy for jobs California makes much more sense to build your career.

[Majami]

Originally Posted by cfbs2691

Your company has a home office in the state of Florida?

A friend of mine is an admin for Deloitte, she lives in Florida, but her office is based in NY.
That is where her tax is based on - You get taxed based on where your company's office is.

Be careful about that.

One of my clients is based in Manhattan, I do not pay NYS or NYC taxes. Pure 1099 form. In fact, I go to Europe 4 months out of the year and do not even pay Federal Income taxes for that period either.

[bmw335xi]

Originally Posted by tmg4me

Hi,

I've been contemplating either moving to Florida or California. I know the weather between the two are different and the summers can be unbearable in Florida. California has great weather for the most part, however, California is so darn expensive.

I checked and since Florida has no income tax I would bring home a little over $600 per month more in my paycheck and the cost of living is cheaper.

California i would lose $600 monthly and taxes are higher but the weather is gorgeous and I have family out there so I'm back and forth with my decision.

In Florida I could afford to live either on or very close to the beach. California would be impossible financially.

What would your choices be and for what reasons?

Thank you
Theresa

I've moved to California from Florida and to Florida from California a couple times in my life.

One of the reasons I moved to Florida was the weather. However, I lived in San Francisco, which has very different weather from say San Diego. I much prefer the weather in Florida than San Francisco. The winters are perfect walking weather and the summers are great for swimming. Spring and Fall are a nice balance between the two.

Florida is definitely cheaper than California when it comes to renting or buying. In San Francisco, my small 1 bedroom condo on the edge of town was the same price as my 4 bedroom, 4 bathroom, private pool and jacuzzi, big yard, lakefront home in one of the most desirable parts of the city.

I would look into Boca Raton or Miami Beach depending on what kind of lifestyle you want. Boca Raton is very nice and upscale, has a Southern California feel, just more tropical and clean. You can get a house or apartment. You are near some really cool cities like West Palm Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Miami. You could also consider Miami Beach if you want an urban feel, where it's easy to walk to bars, restaurants, shops from your apartment.

Bottom line, California in general is way overrated when given the price one must pay. I would choose South Florida over Southern California in a second. If I won the lotto, I'd much rather buy a penthouse or mansion in South Florida, than anywhere in California.

[02blackgt]

Originally Posted by cfbs2691

Your company has a home office in the state of Florida?

A friend of mine is an admin for Deloitte, she lives in Florida, but her office is based in NY.
That is where her tax is based on - You get taxed based on where your company's office is.

Be careful about that.

There is def something wrong here. She should NOT be paying NY state income tax if she lives and works in Florida. My company is technically based in Indiana but i work out of our Jacksonville office and i do not pay Indiana state income tax.

[PDF]

I have lived in both. California has the great weather but it's also not free of problems either. Go where you can afford, where you think you'll succeed, and what makes sense.

[jghorton]

Originally Posted by cfbs2691

Your company has a home office in the state of Florida?

A friend of mine is an admin for Deloitte, she lives in Florida, but her office is based in NY.
That is where her tax is based on - You get taxed based on where your company's office is.

Be careful about that.

That is simply misinformation. An individual pays state income tax based on where one lives, works and earns their income .... not where the main office of one's company is located. Perhaps you are thinking about where a company pays their corporate taxes, which is different than individual income tax.

[Majami]

Originally Posted by 02blackgt

There is def something wrong here. She should NOT be paying NY state income tax if she lives and works in Florida. My company is technically based in Indiana but i work out of our Jacksonville office and i do not pay Indiana state income tax.

If she is W2 for a NY based company, I believe it maybe required to pay NYC taxes, but if she is 1099 and paying NYC taxes, she's definitely giving that city charity with her money and should demand an immediate refund *with* interest.