[Christian11]

What we need is to protest and FORCE the FL government to stop this insurance madness. People are losing their homes. WTF!!

Out of curiosity....since FL is becoming Southern California (and we are begining to see signs of that with skyrocketing crime, high home prices, absurd insurance costs, massive traffic jams and road rage, wages that are not keeping up with cost of living), then why stay or move here?

If you are moving or staying here for the "nice weather", yeah, you will enjoy it from Early-Dec to Mid-April. Dec - April is WONDERFUL in Central FL, but the rest of the year sucks. The rest of the year is 90 - 100 degrees every day. Don't believe me, as around. If you are from like Phoenix or south Texas, yeah, FL weather will feel like home, except it is humid as heck.

Humidity is usually no less than 90% almost every day, so you sweat like an animal. It starts off at 75 degrees around 7:30am and it goes up to the sky from there. Usually the highs are in the 90s, but with the humidity (heat index) is around 101... I have seen it go up to 110 degrees! Nights are not too bad... except the humidity keeps the temp on the upper 80s and low 90's. Oh, don't forget the rain from May - Sept, which is twice a day (usually from 10am - 11am and from 3pm-4pm). That will get annoying too... folks drive at 5 MPH when it rains... you will love it.

Interstate 4 (I-4) will be your best friend! You will spend lots and lots of time stuck in traffic on I-4. Oh and if you get hit by one of our thousands of illegal aliens with no license, no insurance, they will bolt on you, so make sure you get the guy's plate #, if you can. My wife works Personal Injury and it happens all the time. Too often... Americans are dumb and refuse to force the government to enforce Immigration laws. Corporations will love the "guest worker" amnesty. So will the illegals, who steal people's identity, rip-off welfare and overuse our public services. Not to mention the heinous crimes the illegal commit. Anyways...

I know, you say "I prefer that than to deal with the crazy heat than snow 3 months of the year". We will see about that when you begin complaining about the heat every single day and night, sweating and getting angry at people on the streets cause of the heat. Think Orlando hit #1 of America's angriest cities for no reason?

http://www.travel-rants.com/2006/08/...ty-in-america/

Believe it not, but Orlando has been voted the US angriest city by Men’s Health Magazine – it’s interesting that four of the top 10 cities are all in Florida, and here’s you, thinking that Florida was full of jolly Disney characters and thrilling theme parks! Oh, the illegal aliens are great too. Nobody speaks English and they sell crack near public schools. It is lovely.

Good luck moving down here suckers... I mean FOLKS!! I hope you will all enjoy it. I am out of FL March 2007! 10 years in Orlando is long enough, I am tired of it. Had a house, sold a house, rented an apt, worked, gone to Disney (twice), gone to the beach a few times... time 2 go! Thank God we are moving!

Do some serious research and see what the Florida reality is like. Homes are expensive, so is insurance, property taxes, rent is outrageous. Wages are not keeping up with the cost of living. If you think it is the sugar-coated Disney and International Drive dream is the reality in Central Florida, you will wake up on day to regret it.

If you like all this crap, Florida, here you come and here I leave! WHOOOOHOOOO!

Chris

[cradney]

For anyone on this thread:

I'm looking for an organized (or disorganized) grassroots group interested in lobbying the legislature on insurance. Can anyone help me find a group to work with?

[summergal]

Originally Posted by cradney

For anyone on this thread:

I'm looking for an organized (or disorganized) grassroots group interested in lobbying the legislature on insurance. Can anyone help me find a group to work with?

There's this group out of Pasco:

http://www.hacfl.org/

They were included in the insurance town meeting on tv a few months back, but unfortunately the spokeswoman was interupted and talked over everytime she tried to speak I think it would help all of us if they had a really strong aggressive rep to force our voices into the forefront. Maybe that would be you?

[Ladywithafan]

...I heard on MJ this morning is that they want to increase the sales tax to 13% and get rid of property taxes.....in repsonse to the insurance hike about to come down....

[speedonwater]

Try living where I live. The average cost of a home is over $900,000. I have dreary, rainy, miserable winters and tourists all summer. It's not as bad as you think. Floridians have been living the good life aside from summer for years. You are just catching up to the rest of the nation with things to complain about. fix the problem with your government, don't bail out. Fight for what you want. You live in a great part of the country. I live in Ocean City, NJ. Take my word for it, Florida is better.

[quirt111]

Originally Posted by cradney

For anyone on this thread:

I'm looking for an organized (or disorganized) grassroots group interested in lobbying the legislature on insurance. Can anyone help me find a group to work with?

Lets get this straight! You want to lobby the people who are charging higher than normal rates to provide you with coverage to pay you when you live on a large peninnsula hanging out in the middle of the Atlantic ocean protected by nothing other than a few large piles of refuse you call landfills all the while you are located in the paths of one of the most devestating forces know to man "the hurricane" which has potential to devestate the area multiple times from June through November. Good luck with that!!! Your choice of paridise is no different than living at the base of an active volcano, faultline, lowland river basin ect.
When you think in terms of financial reality you pay an average of $5000 per year to be covered for the average house replacement/ rebuilding cost of say $300,000 in a high risk area and your complaining? Your average car insurance is $1200-$1500 per year and thats just to insure your average car which is only worth $30,000. Wake up- you have had it way underpriced for way too long considering where you live only because the past 50 years other than Andrew {which was yes a Cat5 but very condensed in size so damaged area was limited) have been very mild during hurricane season which created a false security in people thinking "It wont happen here". Well it has and it will again. Either pay off your house and risk it, self insure it, get used to paying to live in paridise or MOVE to a more secure part of the planet. Look back in history there are many places in countries much older than the US where civilizations have finally learned some areas are just not worth rebuilding and have moved on past and settled elsewhere.
Im the 1st person to hate insurance companies and think they are scum but in this case I cant really blame them from a business standpoint. Its no different than trying to buy life insurance if they know you are a stuntman or a smoker-YOUR GOING TO PAY MORE!!!

[quirt111]

Originally Posted by Ladywithafan

...I heard on MJ this morning is that they want to increase the sales tax to 13% and get rid of property taxes.....in repsonse to the insurance hike about to come down....

Sure thats going to happen! One is county the other state they dont even reciprocate with tags and drivers licenses and you want to believe that they will abolish all county run services and let the state take over. Thats a good one. I sure am glad I got out when I did.
I moved 7 months ago and I read these blogs and the Sun Senti only because the area was my home for 30 yrs and Ill admit I was forced out by cost. What I have noticed in all the discussions about Florida is the majority of people are very angry about the living cost, rudeness, over crowding ect. I was feeling that same exact way for the past 3-4 yrs, then I moved and I tell you while yes there are a few things I miss about the area nothing could make me want to return. Im finally decompressed and much happier as is my family. My biggest problems now are how to maintain 40 acres, feed the horses and cows and only speaking english.

[cakeprincess]

People, trust me - Christian11 is telling you truth. I've lived in FL for 20 years and I totally 100% agree with Christian11. Another thing, I want to add one more: You will get at least 20 skeeters' bites in 5 minutes worth of time. Yep, you read it right - tons of bites. You don't see many Floridians enjoy drinking ice teas while sitting outside. Most of them have screened porch.

Thank goodness, we just moved here (NC) from Florida. We are much happier and never look back to FL ever again (except Disney vacation)

[dreamofmonterey]

Originally Posted by cakeprincess

People, trust me - Christian11 is telling you truth. I've lived in FL for 20 years and I totally 100% agree with Christian11. Another thing, I want to add one more: You will get at least 20 skeeters' bites in 5 minutes worth of time. Yep, you read it right - tons of bites. You don't see many Floridians enjoy drinking ice teas while sitting outside. Most of them have screened porch.

Thank goodness, we just moved here (NC) from Florida. We are much happier and never look back to FL ever again (except Disney vacation)

Cakeprincess- I too believe that. The mosquitoes are the least of the problem-lol- We used the Florida room (where screens were ripped twice during hurricane-and boarding the house-yeah- my husband loved that aspect) Also we lived in an exclusive gated community/and looters showed up next door- I was actually scared- my dog ran them off- (the police were too busy because of water shortage)

In fairness there are beautiful parts of Florida on the gulf coast. But I would never live in Broken Sound again. And have you seen Margate -ugh-

If you have the money to live at Mar-a-Lago, by all means live in South Florida, otherwise everything Christian has said stands true.

[pianogal]

I live in Orlando in the middle of several acres of woods and have no pool screen. We didn't want one. We eat out on the pool deck often and swim almost year round. We do NOT have a problem with bugs. Does the city/county not spray where you live?