Is Florida really that bad economically? (Spring Hill, Vineyards: houses, buying, subdivision)
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I'm sure there are jobs where you can arrive in FL and be hired that week. Great jobs like the night shift at a debt collection call center. You know - the jobs where you must be available nights, days, weekends, holidays, anytime we feel like scheduling you on. Fine for a single person with no kids who can live with a roommate. Terrible for a single mom.
Like others have said, conditions are different depending on your field and, to some degree, luck of the draw. As for teachers who were laid off, how were they supposed to predict the future 4-6 years ago when they were getting their BA in Ed? Now they are laid off for no reason other than they are the new kid on the block. Shouldf these same young teachers rush back to school to go another $30k into debt to become nurses or dental assitants? Everyone else is doing the same thing. How can a teacher pay back his/her loans for the Ed degree? There are very few teaching jobs anywhere, and things look very bleak for layoffs next spring when the stimulus money runs out. Even special ed is no longer in demand because everyone crowded into that field.
Not everyone has the ability to be a software designer or engineer. The folks feeling a major pinch now are working class - secretaries, construction workers, executive assistants, etc.
In fact, the last company where I worked in FL is now in bankruptcy. They had around 300 employees when I worked there, grew to 500, and now only have 20.
Older workers will have an especially tough time shifting gears. Many are just waiting until they can collect early social security because who is going to hire them over a younger choice (who will work for less)? When you're 50-60 years old, how wise is it to take on debt to try to retrain for a new career? You will be in a new field with zero experience, looking for entry level jobs again.
This has nothing to do with anyone's personal life. The original question was how things are in Florida and it is bad, as bad as anywhere in the county. That is just a fact.
Your filter comment is true by the way, your post is a perfect example, no objectivity at all.
The facts pretty much show your statement to be true. It is tough for blue collar and highly educated workers outside of medical.
However it is a great time to buy real estate or start a business. Also the weak dollar and depressed home prices makes even the most desireable areas a bargain to someone with significant wealth from overseas which is why places like Sarasota and Boca Raton seem to have more dollars flowing. The stock market rebound besides averting a run on the banks was in part a survival of the fittest with access to capital at low rates picking up market share from those weaker competitors closing up shop.
The facts pretty much show your statement to be true. It is tough for blue collar and highly educated workers outside of medical.
However it is a great time to buy real estate or start a business. Also the weak dollar and depressed home prices makes even the most desireable areas a bargain to someone with significant wealth from overseas which is why places like Sarasota and Boca Raton seem to have more dollars flowing. The stock market rebound besides averting a run on the banks was in part a survival of the fittest with access to capital at low rates picking up market share from those weaker competitors closing up shop.
You are quite right. As far as home ownership, yes there are homes available that many people would have thought they could never have afforded. I am talking about buying to live in a raise a family not to flip or anything Business as well. I have owned three pool rooms over the years. I love to play pool but in the last years pool rooms were driven out due to the high cost of rents. It takes a lot of good quality sq. footage for a pool room and there is only so much money to be made. They were just priced out of business.
I know of a building I had looked at considering renting a few years ago but it was just too high. Now, I can "Buy", the building for about what would have been one years worth of rent 5 years ago. I still have 10 pool tables in storage and a lot of bar equipment. I may do something in the near future. A pool room is a good business, it is not a fad business. As long as the nut is in line there is good money to be made with a pool room.
For the working man depending on a paycheck times will be tough for some time to come. But for the entrepreneur there will be opportunities around.
Short answer, NO. Florida is a pretty large state and has way too many qualities to say it is bad economically. North FL is a whole different world than South FL., just like the Gulf of Mexico is not like the Atlantic Ocean (west coast and east coast). Each different part of Florida has a unique economy, Orlando, for instance, is based on tourism and travel and is a major central area for many tourists and local travelers since OIA is a major airport. Orlando's economy is totally different than say, The Villages, where mostly everybody is retired and has a guaranteed pension or Social Security, most of which are sick and tired of cold weather and arthritis. LOL.
With that said, sure we did have a housing bubble. Those who were smart, or had the $$ and resources, capitalized and saw opportunities to become extremely wealthy. Now, with much lower housing prices, almost anyone who has a decent plan, (down to Earth, hard working, can understand basic business principles), can buy a place to live without breaking the bank or are now living without a mortgage or own several properties or contributing heavily into their investments or stashing cash.
Even though FL has many negatives (which I am one of the most outspoken, especially in the Orlando area) I can also realize that this IS paradise for many people. The good things about Orlando is that, we have the Orlando Magic, Orlando and surrounding areas, (mostly South Orlando and Kissimmee) are improving day by day with road projects, revitalization, and it is a centrally located, which is good logistics-wise since we have the world's most well known attractions, including Gator Town, yet you can access any beach with a 1-hour drive.
I don't know anywhere where else in Southeastern United States where we have such diverse nationalities, and Global economic influence. Yes, there are many "questionable" individuals here, but those people I avoid, just like any other city.
So, in short again, NO. Florida is way too diverse, and has some of the best weather in the country (besides a few summer months). There are plenty of other states I have no desire to live in. Florida, Texas, New York, and California will always be the places where people want to live IMO.
Recently drove around Melbourne Beach area. It looked horrible. Most individual homes on the river side look run down. A few people take pride in their properties, but clearly most do not. The area looks trashy. It is a shame that so many cute properties look run-down and trashy. I love the vintage Florida
properties, but too many of these are in the weeds and uncared for. I also saw vacant stores and some run-down abandoned buildings and lots. Why would anyone want to buy a home beside a trashy run-down home or property. Ugh. Basic landscaping and debrie removal would help a lot. The beach side properties looked half empty. Where is the beauty? Eye sores abound.
Having moved from Michigan last year, it doesn't seem all that bad to me.
At least here there is hope that things will move forward again, in addition to the actual numbers being much better than they are in MI. Up there, there is not much hope. Detroit is dead. Unemployment in the city is 30%. The auto industry isn't coming back. It's depressing.
I'm not saying no one has the right to complain in Florida, or that things are super fantastic on the economic front; that obviously isn't the case. But the potential for economic improvement is there.
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