[polo89]

Originally Posted by Retiredcoach

You talk in circles, never going beyond answering questions with other questions or bizarre generalities. Not sure what you are trying to say.... I don't believe that you do either.

Whats not to understand. Tourism is popular and will always be popular. People wont just stop going to a place. We dont know what the future holds for Florida.

[polo89]

Originally Posted by psouth

Many heavy equipment operators in the Northeast and other progressive areas easily make $80 per hour plus. But not in Florida since they make much much less here. Even your ordinary auto mechanic makes at least $50 per hour on the very low end. Even moonlighters charge at least this much $. Plumbers, electricians, appliance repair, roofers, etc. all make at least this as well. MDs can make $80 on just a 5-minute visit sometimes as we all can probably attest to.

That just means you gotta pay more to things fixed.

[KathyA11]

Originally Posted by Doctor Octagon

Then I apologize.

Apology accepted.

I would never live in a place like NY or NJ unless I had to. I get enough of that in S FL. No thanks, LOL!

There are many areas of NJ that are incredibly beautiful. I was born and raised here, and have spent my entire life here. I love the state, and if our situation were different, we might well think of staying here. But the cost of living is too high, and the winters have become intolerable.

Sometimes it's hard to tell what is a joke and what's not on a message board.

That's why emoticons exist.

[KathyA11]

Originally Posted by psouth

But I think we can all agree on this: DO NOT MOVE TO FLORIDA WITHOUT A GOOD JOB LINED UP FIRST!!

Wrong. Many of us relocating are not in need of jobs -- we're retiring after having worked hard all our lives.

You really need to stay away from the absolutes.

[KathyA11]

Originally Posted by OrlandoRE_Miracle

Annerk, I assume you don't pay non ad valorem taxes in those communities--do you get a break on ad valorem property taxes as well?

A question from someone relocating who has had no experience with gated communities, HOAs (very rare in our area of NJ, if not the state) -- what are ad valorem taxes?

[KathyA11]

[quote=psouth;8978038]

Originally Posted by Retiredcoach

How many 80 plus year old women actually earned their many $millions?? They either married into it or inherited it. Women did not work or make a lot of money in their generation.

Women didn't work in that generation? Man, you need to read more, or get out and talk to people. My mother, who was born in 1919, worked almost her entire life, except for a 7-year stretch when I was young. She had nearly 40 years service with Western Electric (part of the Bell System, and later, AT&T) when she retired in 1984 -- and she went to work during the Depression, and worked during WWII -- then was laid off from her job when the men came back after the war (not fair, but that was how they did things back then). She was called back, and stayed until I was born. When she and my father wanted to buy a house, she went back to work in the office in Maidenform, until she could get back into the Western, which didn't usually take people back after she'd left. But since her record of employment with them was so good, they made an exception for her.

And she was not alone -- there were a lot of women of her generation in the workforce. My aunts (all 5 of them) worked, the mothers of my friends worked, my mother-in-law worked. They didn't just stay home and bake cookies, despite what the TV shows of the day would have you believe.

[KathyA11]

[quote=jojajn;8981630]To put an end to the question of state crime rate rankings.

CRIME RATES

You're comparing apples and oranges. I didn't mention states -- I mentioned 4 specific cities. I'm sure there are many locations in Florida with much lower crime rates than the 4 cities I mentioned.

[stars99]

That's terrible. Do you what's caused that? Too many people moving in from other parts of the country, or just a bad economy? I had no idea Nashville had a crime problem.

Originally Posted by TNRyan23

Our crime rate has gone through the roof the past couple of years too, Nashville went from around 20th to 8th and now to 6th deadliest city in the U.S.
.

[hdinia]

Originally Posted by Doctor Octagon

See what I mean.

My main interest is not the just the weather. I am sorry if you understood my post that way. We have been looking at other places to move to eventually as well. I suffer from SAD and it is to the point that as soon as crops start changing colors in the fall, my attitude, emotions and stress levels are seriously affected. I do not like being depressed 7 - 8 months of the year. Silly me! I despise fall only because it means that winter is coming! I can appreciate that others enjoy the 4 seasons and to some winter is the best. I, however, am not one of them. I do not even like the fall colors because of this and deserts, although warm and sunny, in my perception (which can be totally off since I have not travelled there really) is brown, dry and dead. During the winters, the best I have felt has been when I have been in Florida, visiting my mother and stepfather (another reason I would move there) and the best feeling was being on the beaches looking for shells. I do not need a fancy car, to be wealthy, or a fancy house on the beach or anywhere else.

[stars99]

Kathy,
non ad valorem = a one time assessment for a street improvement or something else right near your home
ad valorem = tax based on the appraised value of your home. It's determined by millage rate. Someone who buys a house and the country or city appraises it at $100,000 with mill rate .18 value will pay roughly $1800 taxes per year, I believe. But you if you claim homestead for your primary residence you subtract $25000 off the appraised value, and then an additional $25000 can be subtracted from everything but the school taxes.
There is a rule about about the second exemption though--I think your house has to be appraised at least 75K to take the full $25000 exemption.

Originally Posted by KathyA11

A question from someone relocating who has had no experience with gated communities, HOAs (very rare in our area of NJ, if not the state) -- what are ad valorem taxes?