[Angelrocks]

Originally Posted by ejbx2

I would like to start out by saying that many of the complainers on this forum make me laugh. If I had found this site before I moved to Florida, I probably wouldn't be here now. To get back on topic, I would say that I am a very happy transplant. I am originally from Michigan, moved to Alabama, then Tennessee, and next Florida. The first time we moved to Florida we had to cut our stay short (only one year) because of a sickness in the family. No one else in my family would leave Michigan to help out my uncle, so seeming that we were not yet established in Florida, we moved to North Carolina for 10 months. I could not wait to get back to Florida.
We have been back for a couple of years now and would not leave again anything. My wife and I are also in our thirties and have two girls (ages 10 and 8). The kids love it here, and the school that they are in is better than any other before it. Yes it gets hot in the summer, but if you are active and like to go to the beach or if you have access to a boat it is a great time of year.
Living in northern Florida, the winters get a little cold so we head down to the WPB area every now and then to warm up. Having only visited the area I can't comment on everyday living, but from visiting quit a few times, I think that Jupiter is a very nice area. The restaurants and stores we have been in have been clean. I can only advise you to take a look for yourself because Florida is nothing like the Midwest. Good luck in your decision.

Well, St. Augustine isn't like the rest of Florida.

First of all everybody speaks English. You don't have ten million illegals running around taking jobs away from American's and doing it for half the pay.
You also don't have to deal with direct hits from hurricanes, which makes your homeowners insurance much less. In St. Johns county, property taxes are reasonable and home prices are lower. For example: If I wanted to move into a 3000 square foot home in St. Johns County property taxes would be about 5k. If I wanted a 3000 square foot home in Broward I am looking about about 15k. I would also need hurricane panels for Broward if the house didn't have any installed. I also find that most everybody will insure those in St. Augustine...try finding homeowners insurance for Broward. It's Citizens baby! I found that all of our insurance needs are at least 40% to 50% less in St. Johns and the property taxes would be 66% less than Broward or Miami-Dade.

Of course you love in St. Augustine...it totally rocks! My friends just moved there because of all the issues I mentioned above. My friend is a master glass installer. Because of all the illegals that work dirt cheap, and cram 3 or more families to a household or apt., that is a contributing factor that made his salary much lower here. As soon as he got up to St. Augustine he was able to find a job at $20 an hr. there. There ya go. I checked into the prices myself. I found the homes are beautiful, reasonably priced and all our insurances would be lower up there. You don't even have any traffic like the traffic in Miami and the people up there actually speak English!

St. Augustine is nothing like Miami or Ft. Lauderdale! You can't even compare it! It's really two different worlds.

[Angelrocks]

Originally Posted by dennyboy

Isn't that funny that St Augustine was first settled by the Spanish and now there aren't any "running around" anymore.
I've never seen a non English speaking under qualified Guatemalan or Ecuadorian installing glass (masterly no less). These people take the jobs that some "Americans" feel that they are too good for. Tell me what race you are and I'll make some generalizations about your "people".......even if you are white. C'mon it'l be fun

Well, I'm Jewish and I noticed that yes, some illegals are taking the blue collar work from Americans. My friend lived with me for quite some time. He is a master glass installer. He installed glass at many of the malls here in South Florida and as well as many wealthy individuals residences down here. He did have people assisting him, and I remember his last assistant could barely speak English. I remember he was trying to train him how to install glass...then I get a phone call....it was from my friend.

He told me that the guy he was training had a wife with high blood pressure. He wanted me to talk to him since my husband is a personal fitness trainer. I started to talk to him (it was very difficult to understand anything he said), but when my friend translated for me, I realized his wife was eating a traditional "Cuban" diet loaded with pork and salt products. I suggested that his wife get off of that diet and start taking holistic and organic products. I also suggested that she see a dietician for complete nutritional support. Her diet was horrible. I am surprised she didn't die from what she was eating.

She had soda, pork, salt, coffee, white bread, white rice, etc...no wonder why the doctor was shocked when she was admitted to the hospital. I believe her blood pressure was the highest he ever saw in his career. I can't remember what it was but it was very high.

My friend worked with many immigrants. He an Italian American, from NYC and he speaks English. The minute he left here he got a great job in St. Augustine. They looked all over Florida for an affordable house. Finally got a great job offer in St. Augustine and settled there. The house is beautiful, by the way! If they stayed here all they would have been able to afford was a home in "Crack Town."

[Angelrocks]

Oh, one other thing Dennyboy... If you thought it sounds odd that you never met a glass installer that was an immigrant, just wait till you go to the Emergency room and meet up with the ER staff doctor who can't speak English if his life depended on it. When I was in 8th grade I split my ear lobe in half. I went to the Pembroke Pines, Hospital to get a few stitches. Well, I never had to get stitches before and lucky me, this time I had the doctor that couldn't speak English. I tried to tell him over and over again not to make it to where I couldn't wear earrings. Sure enough, when the stitches healed, I couldn't wear earrings. I had to have my mother find a plastic surgeon that spoke English split my ear lobe in half again and restitch it so I could wear earrings. We never experienced this before, since we had just came from NYC, so we had no idea of just how terrible the situation down here was with immigration. That was my first experience more than 20 yrs ago. The worst part is that there are more in the medical profession like him.

[jaguar77]

Originally Posted by jeannievb

I am considering moving to Florida with my husband and two young kids. We currently live in downtown Chicago and it appears that the cost of living is similar to Jupiter/West Palm area so we feel confident we will be able to handle the cost of living there. Is there anyone familar with these areas? Does it seem like a good place for younger families? We are in our 30's and my kids are 3 and 4 years old. We love Chicago's urban lifestyle but are over the brutal winters. I'm just trying to find out if there are people who have relaocated to Florida and are happy with their decision. Thanks in advance for the input.

Verrrrry Happy!
When I call my family up north (Ohio) and listen to them say there's a wind chill factor of minus 10 and I am sitting on my lanai in shorts and a t-shirt, and it's mid 70's or better (!) I know I made the right decision!
The Bradenton/Sarasota area is a very nice place to live. Lots of young families, great schools and beautiful beaches, history and culture. Also, further east ( just past I-75) many new subdivisions, some with lots as big as an acre or more. Housing prices have come back down to almost where they were 3 years ago. Only 25 min to beaches. Go to www.myflorida.com where you will find a wealth of info on Florida. Escape those brutal winters for good!
I'm glad I did!

[jaguar77]

Originally Posted by Terry Gross

I've lived in Cleveland all my life, and my boyfriend is originally from Israel. We're done with the winters. We want to move somewhere around Venice, Ft. Meyers, Sarasota. We are young 50's and want a fresh look at life with warmth and sun. I will be leaving my 3 children and grandchildren which is heartbreaking for me, but we've had it with Cleve. My parents lived in Boca, but we visited the west coast and liked it better. Any advice on which city is affordable, interesting and not full of retirees? We don't want cookie cutter subdivisions and would like to be near the beaches( 10 min. drive)

Try the Sarasota/Bradenton area. Some of the newer subdivisions out east of I-75 have larger lots, more distinctive homes. Stay away from Lakewood Ranch area, cookie cutter homes, thisclosetoeachother!, and ever rising CDD and homeowners fees. Home prices have dropped to almost what they were 3 years ago. There are many fun things to do here and not that far from the beach! I grew up in Cleveland too! I love to call friends and family when it's freezing cold up there and tell them I'm wearing shorts!

[Sunshine State]

this whole thread is a rockin joke, lolol.... belleview dot com, thanks for all the laffs, folks, have a great day, seriously, youre all totally entertaining!....

[verobeach]

Google St. Augustine and hurricanes. In 1599 a hurricane hit St. Augustine and flooded it and almost washed it away. There've been many hurricanes since this date. Yet St. Augustine and Jacksonville do not enforce the same hurricane safety codes as the rest of Florida. We were up there talking with a realtor recently and they don't use cbs construction, just wood frame. There aren't any wind bars on the garage doors either. Builders do not supply hurricane shutters with new construction. If St. Augustine gets hit, and it will someday, what a mess it will be because they think it can't happen there.

[Nirvana-Guy]

Originally Posted by verobeach

Google St. Augustine and hurricanes. In 1599 a hurricane hit St. Augustine and flooded it and almost washed it away. There've been many hurricanes since this date. Yet St. Augustine and Jacksonville do not enforce the same hurricane safety codes as the rest of Florida. We were up there talking with a realtor recently and they don't use cbs construction, just wood frame. There aren't any wind bars on the garage doors either. Builders do not supply hurricane shutters with new construction. If St. Augustine gets hit, and it will someday, what a mess it will be because they think it can't happen there.

Any costal area suck in terms of hurricane damage. I did not know about the 1599 hurricane... man, am I glad I am in Orlando (inland) and will hopefully move out of FL soon!

You guys enjoy the hurricanes!

[Sunshine State]

Dennyboy, Im a 5'2" 116 pound blonde dudette for your ignorant information, and a retired SCPO from the USN, wot are your quals?...

[gypsychic]

There is just NO such thing as any "protected" area in Florida as far as hurricanes go, not even inland. Some of those hurricanes are bigger than the whole state. As far as St. Augustine goes, they have just been lucky that they have gone a long time without a big hit, but so have a lot of other areas escaped a direct hit. Actually, Hurricane Dora (category 2) passed over St. Augustine back in 1964, it originated around Cape Verde. All coastal areas of this state are especially vulnerable.

I live inland, in the hilliest part of the state but in 2004 had back-to-back damage from Frances and Jeanne, both of which were downgraded by the time they got to my area. Still had wind damage from a tree falling on my roof, and no power/water/communications for a week each time.

Not looking forward to storm season this year!