[kevinkagy]

Florida is a great place to live, and as someone who's born and raised in Florida, I really like it. Go Florida!

[jschulst]

I had posted about moving to florida last summer, I am learning a lot the hard way. If you plan to find a nice job in florida (expecially that you came from the manufacturing sector), you will be wasting your time. I have moved my family back to Michigan after experiencing 5 months of stay at Port St Lucie.

Here's a list I've learned about making a living:
CONS
1. If you come down looking for a job and you worked for the auto industries...good luck, aerospace and defense reject about all auto guys.
2. Your pay will be less than what you earned up north
3. If you get laid off from a job in Florida, good luck!!

PROS:
1. Teaching jobs are in demand
2. Health care jobs are in demand (plenty of baby boomers to care for, expecially west side of Florida)
3. If you provide service like docs, dentist, legal...you can start a business there
4. Contrators to help senior citizens with repairsw
5.Tourism and sales (pay isn't that great though)

Florida has nice weather: if you got a nice job up north, best is to wait out till retirement and move to florida. It will make your life a whole lot easier with a pension and social security than look for work.

[hautbrion]

There are some strange comments on here regarding Florida.
I checked the crime rate in the Treasure Coast before moving from Europe and the crime rate is very low in relation to the rest of the USA. I know that wages are lower than other states but there is no Florida sales tax. The insurance issue is one that needs to be addressed .

The major problem is Homestead , I find it hard to stomach the fact that someone living in a 5 bedroom home for 20 years can pay less property taxes than a person living in a 2 bedroom condo they bought in 2005.
Property taxes in Florida compared to London England are double the price in Florida if based on 2004 sales prices

[Eduardo983]

Originally Posted by jschulst

I had posted about moving to florida last summer, I am learning a lot the hard way. If you plan to find a nice job in florida (expecially that you came from the manufacturing sector), you will be wasting your time. I have moved my family back to Michigan after experiencing 5 months of stay at Port St Lucie.

Here's a list I've learned about making a living:
CONS
1. If you come down looking for a job and you worked for the auto industries...good luck, aerospace and defense reject about all auto guys.
2. Your pay will be less than what you earned up north
3. If you get laid off from a job in Florida, good luck!!

PROS:
1. Teaching jobs are in demand
2. Health care jobs are in demand (plenty of baby boomers to care for, expecially west side of Florida)
3. If you provide service like docs, dentist, legal...you can start a business there
4. Contrators to help senior citizens with repairsw
5.Tourism and sales (pay isn't that great though)

Florida has nice weather: if you got a nice job up north, best is to wait out till retirement and move to florida. It will make your life a whole lot easier with a pension and social security than look for work.

Where?

In Miami, MDCPS has not hired new fulltime teachers since 2007.

Maybe Orlando or other places....

[Doctor Octagon]

^^^Not in Orlando.

[psouth]

No teaching jobs here.

[stars99]

The poll needs more options. Whether you like it here or not is dependent on your circumstances. If you come here with no money, no plans and end up working 60 hours a week at service industry jobs, of course you'll hate it here.

And I don't get the complaining about the heat--the heat doesn't make it good or bad to live here--some people like and some don't. What if I lived in Chicago for one year, moved away and then spent all my time on the Chicago forum telling people it's a horrible place because it's too windy anb cold? How ridiculous would that be?

[TANaples]

Not in Collier or Lee either.

[jschulst]

Port St Lucie schools were hiring last summer, I checked out the schools and my kids had some 1st yr teachers starting thier careers. Many came from north as there are no teaching jobs up there.

A former co-worker who's daughter tells him she heard on the radio that they are looking for teachers.

After seeing some comments, I believe only some areas are hiring. Port St Lucie was one of the few areas with growth, but I believe that has halted since then due to the economy.

Benefits as a teacher isn't that good though, my wife complained the insurance was too high and ate up 1/3 of her paycheck.

[Doctor Octagon]

^^^ I cant imagine PSL growing anytime in the near future. With it's unemployment rate and forclosure numbers, I cant see that happening, atleast not for a while. My 2 cents.