[runswithscissors]

Originally Posted by kristin4

Where I live in Pa my kids are safe. We can be out back in the pool and leave the front door wide open. My neighbors visit us and leave their garage doors opened. Doors are never locked. I guess I never realized how bad other people had it.
My parents lived in Naples for over 10 years. They lived in a HOA development and then built a home in the estates in the middle of nowhere. When I was there I always felt safe. We would take long walks... of course he lived on a dead end.
I just can't believe there are 110 offenders in 1 zip code.
Just crazy.
Prices are just too high for us in these other areas.

Small world. I'm from Bucks County Pa outside of Philly. Yes, we have a grand total of about 15 in my old PA zip and half of them had to register because they work there. AND they were all in certain apartments mostly.

Florida is filled with HOAs, use your ticket and come down and visit. Be careful with reading prices, though. Alot of them are short sales and you might not want to get involved.

Regardless, prices are still dropping and many feel won't bottom out until at LEAST next year. How about renting? That would give you the opportunity to make a better informed not rushed decision. Higher end neighborhoods are more accessible now with rents being lower. I rent a 2600 sf house for $1200 that would have been $2000 or so before.

Good luck with whatever you decide.

[runswithscissors]

MSNBC right now is showing a guy who is sick of his kids seeing public sex so he goes around and films lewd activity in his town and posts it on utube and gives it to the cops:

john tv dot com

It's unbelievable I swear. Girls taking their clothing off right in the middle of the street not even in the car lol.....next to dumpsters.

Ok city.

[ambi007]

Kristin, where will you have to go to work? Sorry if I missed it...

[kristin4]

Originally Posted by ambi007

Kristin, where will you have to go to work? Sorry if I missed it...

We are retired and my Dh is disabled. We will be living on a fixed income. So, basically we can live anywhere in the US. I prefer warm humid weather and beaches. This is why we picked south Florida. I have severe arthritis and RSD and can no longer tolerate cold and here in Pa, it gets cold! In the winter I have to soak in my jetted tub for at least 4 hrs every day just to keep going.

I am still coming to Florida, but turned down the offer on the house. It was lower than we wanted anyway. I will continue looking until I find something I really like and will feel safe. I just can't imagine taking my children from total freedom to total lock down. I just never knew places could be so bad...

[sunrico90]

See link: FDLE Florida Sexual Offenders and Predators

[kristin4]

Originally Posted by sunrico90

See link: FDLE Florida Sexual Offenders and Predators

That is the site I have been going on to check each address that I was interested in. Now I know why some houses are back on the market after being under contract. I thought it was because of mortgage falling through. Not always the case, some had pedophiles living right next door! Or how about the one with 21 offenders and 3 predators within 2 miles. I feel sorry for those people that invested so much money into their homes and now a pedophile lives next door. Really brings a value of a home crashing down.

Anyway, thanks for your help and input everyone. I will continue to look in Florida, but will be picky about each place and who lives nearby. Its not like we have to move right now... Although the thought of snow really ruins my day!

[runswithscissors]

Originally Posted by kristin4

That is the site I have been going on to check each address that I was interested in. Now I know why some houses are back on the market after being under contract. I thought it was because of mortgage falling through. Not always the case, some had pedophiles living right next door! Or how about the one with 21 offenders and 3 predators within 2 miles. I feel sorry for those people that invested so much money into their homes and now a pedophile lives next door. Really brings a value of a home crashing down.

Anyway, thanks for your help and input everyone. I will continue to look in Florida, but will be picky about each place and who lives nearby. Its not like we have to move right now... Although the thought of snow really ruins my day!

I would really suggest you move and rent anyway. Housing is not bottomed out and it's likely whatever you purchase is going to go down in value before it even starts going up. This way you can travel around and see different areas. That's what I'm doing.

Like I said I flew down almost weekly for months and things are different once you're here than when you're visiting. IMO moving from a distance to a purchase would have to be a FANTASTIC "special" property such as ocean front in a great building or location or say, it's next door to a family member and you've been wanting to be there ....etc....to get lucky enough that you have no regrets later. Too many variables...even dumb stuff, like for me, I cannot find a decent produce store and plan to move to where there is a Whole Foods. But when you eat mostly produce, it's pretty much a priority.

Remember, once you make the purchase it's not going to be that easy to unload it any time soon in Florida.

[Mr. SlowFlow]

doesnt alaska (or a state you would least expect) have the most (per capita) sex offenders?

[compelled to reply]

I believe so. Florida is something like 20th place but don't quote me on it unless I find a link. Florida most certainly has the perception of being number one though, largely thanks to the media and a few high profile incidents.

[Mr. SlowFlow]

I think FL does have the largest number of sex offenders, but per capita, I believe it is Alaska.