[Christian11]

Originally Posted by DeLaSalle

Dear NAH,
I used to be one of those people...
I just decided it would be easier to "Accept the things I Cannot change" and save and save some more...and here I am...A homeowner!!
Keep the Faith young Grasshopper and your dreams will come true as well...
Good things come to those that wait...
Best Regards and Peace to all,
DLS

Dude, is he serious that you think most people can afford a home in South or Central Florida??!?

He is right, the vast majority of people cannot even afford to RENT their own apt. They have to put roommates to live in, so the bills can get paid in the end of the month!! Don't you have friends or know people that rent room(s) in their apt or house just to make the payment in the end of the month?? I know one guy that has a house ($261k on a tiny 2/2 house in northern Kissimmee) he is so strapped for cash, he has a roommate sleeping on the couch in the living room. He took out some "magic loan" and the APR went up the next year and looks at the situation now. He is in the $55k pay bracket....

How can anyone pay a mortgage on a $180k condo in the Orlando ghetto (that is what most people can afford here)? Yeah, you can do an "interest-only loan" and then the year after that be foreclosed upon, but COME ON!! Homes are beyond the reaches of any family, young couple that makes less than $80,000 per year in Central Florida. I am on the $62k pay bracket and we have 791 credit scores... we cannot qualify for ANYTHING price-wise in FL!! One place we could qualify for was a mold-ridden house from hurricane Charlie. You wanna buy that gem?

[CURT]

Originally Posted by Need_affordable_home
Good reply, Rick! This guy DeLaSalle doesnt believe in a house bubble it seems. Theres so many reasons to leave FL or not move to FL that its amazing. Have you seen how expensive houses are, DeLaSalle? Do you realize 90% of us cant afford one?

are you saying that only 10% of florida's population and potential population could purchase a home right now if they wanted to? or does the 90% that you state reflect only the minuscule percentage of the florida population that uses this forum.

[WendiG]

Originally Posted by verobeach

Regarding the perfect city...

Take a poll and ask the whiners on this board where they live and then move someplace else.

LMAO!!!!! :-D
smartest thing i've heard all day!

[luchi46]

Originally Posted by Need_affordable_home

Good reply, Rick! This guy DeLaSalle doesnt believe in a house bubble it seems. Theres so many reasons to leave FL or not move to FL that its amazing. Have you seen how expensive houses are, DeLaSalle? Do you realize 90% of us cant afford one?

Hi I am new in this forum and my husband and I are looking to relocate in Florida, but we whant a condo near any Sephardic Synagogue and in the range of no more tha $200.00, do we have hopes ?
Luchi46

[Christian11]

Just posting to un-subscribe to this particular thread.

Perfect place will not be in FL, the US of A is too big, go look elsewhere.

[kdm31091]

Originally Posted by Need_affordable_home

I love your posts! I give you more positive rep. So true about the much lower costs of living! When I move to Oil city, ill be saving so much! Sad thing is a house in Oil city+costs of living is cheaper than a mobile home+costs of living in Florida!

Um, because Oil City is in the middle of nowhere. Sorry, but it's true.

[pianogal]

I just decided it would be easier to "Accept the things I Cannot change" and save and save some more...and here I am...A homeowner!!
Keep the Faith young Grasshopper and your dreams will come true as well...
Good things come to those that wait...

DeLaSalle, Thank you for your encouraging post and CONGRATULATIONS!

[MotleyCrew]

Here in AZ some of our builders in Vistancia are offering pools with the house. Some homes start around $293,000 and go up to over a million. Not the square footage you want, but our ammenities include an award winning clubhouse/gym, seven miles of walking trails, 3 swimming pools, tennis courts and a beautiful golf course. The HOA fees are $227 a quarter. We have lots of folks from the mid west and the east coast flooding into AZ. However, should I win the lottery, I will be in Florida, on the coast.

[Julie H]

OK ... I'm going to give away one of Florida's best kept secrets ... but only because I think you have received a lot of misinformation & I don't think your expectations are all that unrealistic. First, Tallahassee is our capital city & the home of several major universities. Translated - that means there is always something to do. We have nightlife & the university population attracts plenty of big name entertainment. We have a multitude of museums, great libraries, theaters, a symphony, sports & we lay claim to plenty of cutting edge technology. Tallahassee was one of the country's first "wired" communities. We are 25 miles from the coast & have numerous lakes - if you want to jet ski, swim or fish. We get a change of seasons & check out our weather records. Except for about 5 weeks of the year, the humidity is not an issue. We don't have palm trees, we have massive oaks & they are protected by local ordinance. That is one of the reasons we have very little pollution. We offer a wide choice of housing. My husband & I are looking at a 3,200 sq ft home - new - that is priced at $395,000. The 2,220 sq ft one across the street is priced at $235,000 & our taxes are under $1,000 per yr. Property taxes are lower than what I paid in Michigan & even Arkansas & we have no income tax. You don't pay sales tax on food or pharmacy stuff either. We have an extensive, national award-winning park system, public pools & gyms - 2 of which are operated by Golds. (But .. join Premiere instead!) I don't work for the Chamber of Commerce & - in case you are wondering, I've lived in 9 different states & 2 different countries & have chosen Tallahassee as my "forever" home. I wouldn't live anywhere else. We have a diverse population & welcome newcomers! Come on down & check us out! In the meantime, visit the Leon County, FL web site for an interesting overview.

[florigidge]

good post, julie h. tally is more "southern" in its feel due to its location and topography. it can also get colder in the winter in that area,but overall tally is actually a really pretty city and it bustles with the seat of government. i'm surprised with your property taxes; i would think they would be higher due to lots of gov't buildings/offices that pay no tax. in gainesville, property taxes are very high for this reason.

i know that in the mid-80s, property taxes in gville in general were twice as high than the property tax for my mother's house in miami (i'm sure that's all changed bigtime now, but i moved away from miami in 1984.)

i currently live in the pacific northwest and wow, do i miss florida. so it is with some nostalgia that i read and post in these threads. i hope to come home soon. i was thinking i'd go back to gville but my niece lives in tally, so who knows, maybe i'll go there. can you take a gator in your midst? LOL.