[MyHomeIsInOcala]

Hello Shores!

No more arguments over this very same issue I hope!! We all have missed your posts and photos!!!!!

PS: I LOVE GA! My taxes on one of my homes is only $128 a YEAR! Cant wait to get back there in another 30 months!!!

[hiknapster]

Hi Shores!

Glad to see you back!

My MIL is in Fort Myers, and works for a real estate appraisal place. She says that work is picking up. She said that a lot of it is foreclosures, but that they are selling houses.

I kind of wonder if that is wishful thinking on her part, though.

She bought her house for $45,000 about 15 years ago. Now, she owes $90,000 due to equity loans!

She insists that she can get $230,000 for her house now. Looking at the MLS, I think she would be lucky to get $150,000. It is a two-bedroom. About 900 square feet. The only thing going for it is it's in a very good neighborhood. It's the dump of the neighborhood, so to speak.

I think during the height of the boom, she had it appraised for $230,000, but I think prices have slipped that much!

I've said this before, when we were moving in October of 2005, we were featured in the local daily. The gist of it was that the working middle-class was moving away. We didn't own our own home and had no choice.

Just to put another spin on this, there are LOTS of people moving to Tennessee, and I'm not particularly happy about it. Prices are rising, subdivisions are going up where farmland once was, traffic is getting crazy and schools are getting crowded. There is a big school district rezoning situation going on now.

Crime is also rising.

I would personally like to see Florida work it all out. A lot of times, I really miss it. I also like a lot of people on the Florida boards. There ARE a lot of good people that live there. Maybe, just not in Fort Myers!

[bale002]

Originally Posted by Shores9

the reality is that Florida real estate is overpriced and overtaxed making it unaffordable for the most of its residents.

Businesses and families are coming in at much smaller numbers and it is only a matter of time before the trend turns to declining population and loss of businesses ... the trend is scary.


Bottom line is people are looking at affordability in either a place to live or a place to do business or both. Florida is not that place anymore.

... I take the savings and see Florida from 30,000 ft as I fly to Mexico or Costa Rica for two months

Yes your right!!!!!!! The only thing is.... what’s left of Florida will be very scary – not a place I’d like to live in even at lower home prices. Too much C R A P and corruption

I run a small internet-based business and make significantly more than the average household income. I have saved by renting over the past few years, but now that I have a family, one thinks about buying a house.

After making all the calculations - mainly property tax and homeowner's insurance, but the straw that broke the camel's back is health insurance and being the victim of predatory hospital billing by a hospital that touts itself as non-profit serving the community - the bottom line is that I and my family are out of here in two weeks, but that, apparently, is what the ruling classes of Florida want.

I will miss the Florida temperature and its geographical location, but I can better achieve more important goals in life elsewhere where the fixed cost structure is more favorable.

I have thoroughly enjoyed this board, its stimulating debate, for the most part, and I hope you don't mind if I come back lurking from time to time. Who knows, the situation may even turnaround in 2-5 years?

God bless all.

[dreamofmonterey]

Originally Posted by bale002

I run a small internet-based business and make significantly more than the average household income. I have saved by renting over the past few years, but now that I have a family, one thinks about buying a house.

After making all the calculations - mainly property tax and homeowner's insurance, but the straw that broke the camel's back is health insurance and being the victim of predatory hospital billing by a hospital that touts itself as non-profit serving the community - the bottom line is that I and my family are out of here in two weeks, but that, apparently, is what the ruling classes of Florida want.



I will miss the Florida temperature and its geographical location, but I can better achieve more important goals in life elsewhere where the fixed cost structure is more favorable.

I have thoroughly enjoyed this board, its stimulating debate, for the most part, and I hope you don't mind if I come back lurking from time to time. Who knows, the situation may even turnaround in 2-5 years?

God bless all.

Tenet hospital conglomerate? how can they claim to be non-profit?
They put a lien on my neighbors house when got transport home (a five minute ride) for 1900.00 he had to get an attorney to get them to take it off his credit.

[bale002]

I am not sure if the hospital in question belongs to the Tenet conglomerate.

[hiknapster]

Lordy! Florida health care! That's a whole other situation.

First of all, I have terrible credit because of medical bills from there. Good luck getting decent health insurance. So you go to the emergency room wait for HOURS, they don't actually DO anything because you are not covered, then you get a massive bill.

My FIL, when he was alive, had Medicare, and a progressive disease. He went to the emergency room because he was bleeding from the head, waited for six hours, and was NEVER seen. I kid you not. He ended up going home.

Try getting a doctor's appointment. You can wait months.

And then the quality of the health care is suspect.

I went to numerous doctors down there. Everyone had a different diagnosis. In Tennessee, within seconds they figured out what was wrong with me. I will have surgery next Tuesday to correct a problem that has plagued me for years.

I just came back from the hospital today, after having pre-admission tests. I have never been treated with such dignity. In Florida, I always felt like I was imposing.

I had a toothache here and the dentist took me in immediately, ahead of other patients, even though I had never seen him before. Same with the doctor that will perform my surgery. No one, and I mean no one, wants to see anyone suffer here.

I thank God everyday that I am going through this in Tennessee.

[Bones]

Shores, get in your plane and come up here.

KCSV airport. 5400' runway.

http://www.airnav.com/airport/KCSV

[Jammie]

Bale, good luck with your move! Remember, you're always welcome on the Fla. forum cause you've got friends here.

Hik, sorry to hear about the lack of health care in the area you used to live. Good luck with your surgery and I hope everything turns out ok.

[Muggy]

Originally Posted by Shores9

I have come to realize that there are many issues clouding the facts on both sides of the real estate argument.

In the past I chose to look at the numbers as they have always been the most reliable basis to formulate opinion. However, the numbers and information I was looking at was only as good as the news articles and media sources I criticized others for using.

I believe that much of the doom and gloom stories will fade away but the reality is that Florida real estate is overpriced and overtaxed making it unaffordable for the most of its residents.

Since government historically is unwilling to address the monsters that they create and will unlikely trim their spending and taxing habits then prices of homes will have to fall. Businesses and families are coming in at much smaller numbers and it is only a matter of time before the trend turns to declining population and loss of businesses. I relied in the past on census projections but more recently have been looking at other factors like student school population and US Postal data and the trend is scary.

Student school population has only increased 500 seats for the entire state in the recent year over year count. Large counties like Pinellas have actually seen a drop in student population

Bottom line is people are looking at affordability in either a place to live or a place to do business or both. Florida is not that place anymore.

Prices will have to go back to 2001-2002 levels or taxes will have to be cut 20-50 percent or a combination of the two to keep people and businesses coming. Florida is NOT NY or CA. Take away the industries that came in the last 5-8 years and you are left with agriculture (which is only getting smaller) and tourism.

I may sell out entirely and rent – Imagine that!!! And when I buy cash in TN NC SC GA and pay $60 per month for insurance instead of $600 and $100 per month for taxes instead of $1000 I take the savings and see Florida from 30,000 ft as I fly to Mexico or Costa Rica for two months

Yes your right!!!!!!! The only thing is.... what’s left of Florida will be very scary – not a place I’d like to live in even at lower home prices. Too much C R A P and corruption

Shores9, be honest. I have two theories on this post:

1. You pretty much meant what you wrote.
2. This is the most absurd piece you've ever posted ("abolish property tax" Trojan horse).

[Bones]

Muggy, I think it's;

1. You pretty much meant what you wrote.