[firemed]

Originally Posted by jmfikucki

thats what ia am talking about pools boats water skiing we are huge water people after all part of living in ma was the cape. overcast skies for 7 months the cold flus ect.. 10 below and not to mention driving in ice storms mass can have all that. i know that when i am down there i will too find faults but just hoping the are minor to mass after all my taxes i pay here is nothing getting done up here except mistakes on the big dig, as far as people go its everywhere not just the south not liking the north but believe me you will find plenty of people here that dont like each other here and back stab. if people want to judge me on just because i lived in ma and dont like me than thats ingnorant and i probably wouldnt want to associate with them anyway. i am sure there are plenty of people in the south that are good people as well as there are up here!

well said! Im from the south

[bamboosmom]

Originally Posted by NHtoFLMom

My family participates in outdoor activities year-round. Yes, it is very hot in the summer, but that is when we are boating, jet-skiing, visiting the aquarium and science museum, playing in the pool, participating in swim team at the Y, having weekend night-time block parties,...... We are certainly not trapped inside for days at a time like I remember in NH.
Come down with an open mind and I am sure you will enjoy it.

sounds like fun! The only thing is the mosquitos are terrible in the summer.
I hate em!
You really must be able to tolerate the heat though in the summer.
It's brutal. If you are out on a boat you must make sure you have that canopy up or you will roast.
Being at the aquarium and science museum is a good choice but that is mostly INSIDE! Thank heavens for the A/C.
Being in the pool is fun too. I just wish the water wasn't so warm.

[bamboosmom]

Originally Posted by jmfikucki

thats what ia am talking about pools boats water skiing we are huge water people after all part of living in ma was the cape. overcast skies for 7 months the cold flus and heat bill that are over 300.00 a month .. 10 below and not to mention driving in ice storms mass can have all that. i know that when i am down there i will too find faults but just hoping the are minor to mass after all my taxes i pay here is nothing getting done up here except mistakes on the big dig, as far as people go its everywhere not just the south not liking the north but believe me you will find plenty of people here that dont like each other here and back stab. if people want to judge me on just because i lived in ma and dont like me than thats ingnorant and i probably wouldnt want to associate with them anyway. i am sure there are plenty of people in the south that are good people as well as there are up here!

But there are alot of backstabbers right here on this forum.
We have alot of that everywhere in Florida.
Don't open your mouth or speak too loudly. You will surely scare the midwestern folks to death. They think you are yelling or something.
The southern folks are charming but they need to get to know you first before they make you their friend.
Just be cautious. It's not always like Disneyworld down here!
We have disagreements everywhere in this darn country.
Maybe we should just make the country one big state!

[jmfikucki]

and doing and going places indoors is fine too and when i said we are trapped in our houses for 7 mo thats because weather at least i can drive safely to get somewhere without the snow sleet and snow banks that inhibit your driving skills.

[Tampa Red]

I'm not a big Florida fan, but you've got some real whiners in this thread.

Mosquitos are worse in New England than in Florida. It is humid and hot in the summer, but can you take your boat out 9 months a year in Mass. I didn't think so.

And you don't have to shovel sunshine.

You're wise to look near the beach IMO. Other than beach activities, you might find the cultural and entertainment aspects lacking.

Cost of living is much lower than New England, but the employment situation is commensurate. Check on employment if you have specific training or expertise.

There is no job security and benefits and decent wages cannot be taken for granted.

Without a specific credential, someone with a Bachelor's degree from a major University is considered labor. Nail down your employment situation, it cannot be assumed.

Housing has gone up dramatically from the Dogpatch days, but will still seem low to someone from New England.

Do your homework or you're liable to offer much more than you needed to especially with everybody panicking.

A lot of people got suckered into ARMs when they should have locked down fixed mortgages and it's a buyer's market.

Again, don't listen to these people saying how expensive real estate is and go out and offer too much. I lived in a very desirable beach/arts community and houses within blocks of the water were going for 40-50 thousand 5-10 years ago.

Homeowners is through the roof, but that will level off as it did after Andrew.

By the way, I lived in Mass. over thirty years and in Austin Tx. That East Coast area is nice if you're going to enjoy the water to the max. I think you might find Florida boring, otherwise.

Good Luck!

[seeriously]

Yes, we moved to Florida from Massachusetts. And while we love Florida and all it has to offer us, we miss our family and friends. There are times when we are torn between moving back to MA and simply vacationing in Florida and there are times when remaining here in Paradise feels right. Either way, it would be a difficult decision to make. Financially speaking, we find it a lot easier here in Florida. Emotionally speaking, we'd probably rather be in MA.

[April D]

Hi All! We are another family from MA that is looking into relocating to FL. I've been told my job is going away in 2008 (although I'm betting it will be sooner) and it seems like a good time to make the decision. Our son lives in the Tampa area. Not crazy about the size of Tampa, or traffic, but the job opportunities are obviously more plentiful. Our real area of interest is the Ocala area. Also want to check into the Leesburg area. In any case, I'm happy to have found this board!

[julz]

I can sympathize with Ponytail. I moved here 13 yrs. ago from Essex County Mass.This is a tough question as my answer is different from month to month.Overall, I have "adapted" to Fla. and couldn't take the dark, cold winters anymore.My oldest son however never adapted and moved back as soon as he finished high school.All of my family lives in Mass. as well as my first grandchild who was born last yr..I feel as though I'm torn between two worlds.I guess my answer would be...I wish I never moved here in the first place.

[seeriously]

julz, do you ever wonder what it would be like to take a real vacation? I do. We're always going back and forth to Massachusetts so we never get to see anywhere else. I know Essex County well. My son lives in Newburyport. Oh well, I get to spend Christmas in Newburyport. That's not a bad thing.

[Grass Is Greener]

My original plan was to move from MA to FL. But for various reasons I decided to move to NC instead. I still question if I should have moved to FL like I was planning but when I read all the posts here in the FL forum i feel like I made a great decision lol.