moving (Christmas: insurance, budget, vacation)

[jmfikucki]

after reading all the threads i am scared to move to fl. we are suposse to lave jan 4th from ma and i am afraid a family with 2 small children wont be able to make it there. we are moving to sebastian because of the old florida feel but i am wondering if i am making a bad descision after reading the articles we arent well off but are middle class i guess. all of our family here says we will be back but i really want this to work- anyone have any opinions?

[Need_affordable_home]

Do you have family in Florida? Whats your reasons for Florida? If you can afford the high house prices and hurricane insurance, youll be fine. Figure $100k+ income will do.

[Jewel]

I moved here from Fall River Ma 18 months ago Im looking for a different part of Fl to live in I have two small children and we are struggling I stay home with the kids and my hubby makes 38,000 We really need another 4-5 grand a year to live a little easier. I picked a bad spot to live Ive never been to Sebastion so no advice there.

I am having a hard time finding an affordable place that is close to a childrens hospital and more family things to do. If you are a sahm than you need to join mommy and me's if there young or other things to make friends the closest one to me is an hour. So ive been in the house pretty much for a year and a half BORING. The food isnt good where I live either but maybe its different there?

Good luck and if you dont like it youll just have to save up to move back. Youll have to adjust to no seasons but it is kinda nice that its 80 outside today

best of luck

[bamboosmom]

Our family said the same thing- "you'll be back". Guess what? We are moving back in 2 months. Family is everything. I really think America has forgotten how important family is. We need to think what is important here.
A bigger home? For what? If you aren't near your family, then why do you need such a big home?
I will come to Florida on VACATION for all the good things that made me want to move here but not have the stress and worries of homeownership anymore!
Just think about your move. Will you miss your family, friends??? Will you want to be with them when the holidays come??? How about when someone in your family up north is sick or dies? You can't be there in a split second.
Sure you can fly up, but believe me, it's really a hassle. In 2005 we lost over 6 people in my husband's family. It was a strain on our budget. We flew up three times that year.
If you think about it, when you have to fly up, it adds to your expenses down here. I said to my husband "wow, our taxes are low but with all this flying its making it hard to afford living down here".

[jmfikucki]

while most of our family is up here we do have family down there already so i will miss some people but i think overall fl has more to offer than mass. am i wrong?

[bamboosmom]

Originally Posted by jmfikucki

while most of our family is up here we do have family down there already so i will miss some people but i think overall fl has more to offer than mass. am i wrong?

True you can go to the theme parks but how many times could you do that?
Florida has alot to offer for a vacation and tourists. The homes are more affordable and taxes are less than up in Mass. too.
We have some family down here but it doesn't make up for all the friends and the rest of the family and the familiar way of life we are use to!!!!
There are people from all over the place down here and it's hard to adjust sometimes. I just want to be around my old haunts and do the things I remember doing while I was growing up. There's no place like home is my motto.

It doesn't even feel like Christmas time down here. I remember the first Christmas we lived down here. We went back up north to be with the family.
Another Christmas we went to Disneyworld. It just didn't make up for the family and friends we missed back home.

[jmfikucki]

I am moving from worcester,ma so any of you from ma know how bad this area is and continues to get the only thing i want is a good quality of life for my kids and for them to have opputunites, the schools are way over crowded and not like they use to be and as far a worc. it is just awful to live in this city. so if it werent for your family would you still move back and where in ma?

[jmfikucki]

oh christamas yes that its going to be hard. nothing like christmas here i agree with you.

[bamboosmom]

The schools aren't all bad down here but it depends on where you move to.
I don't know if the quality of life will be better or worse for your kids either.
It depends.
The neighbors next door are from Mass. and his wife wants to move back.
Not sure which part of Ma though they lived in. Friends of theirs moved down in May and the wife left the husband because she couldn't stand it here. She is back in ma. too.

[MrTudo]

Florida is great and I'd ignore the "you'll be back " garbage ( unless it's meant as a joke, in which case have fun a play along)

Check census.gov and similar places to get an idea of the make up around neighborhoods and areas such as the one you are considering.

I hired someone from western ma who was a professional there and couldn't find work ( Berkshires ). Moved to SW Fla and started his own business doing odd jobs and things. Does better at that here than as an out of work professional there.

It'll be a change for sure and your family can even come down and visit although they'll probably look to come down in the winter time.....with their sniffles and shakes and wheezes hahaha.

Plan on buying more short pants