Florida friends...I sure would appreciate your thoughts... (Jacksonville, Tampa: houses, rent)

[bamboosmom]

Now we can't stop the new people coming! I guess we were found!
Lots of new communities going up down here. Even the big stores are building here. We are going to have a huge Lowes in a few months, Walmart supercenter is opening in about 10 days and it is one of the biggest Walmarts I have ever seen. Lots of traffic now compared to 6 years ago. Lots of young teens in the mall. It's not for retiree's anymore.

[jps]

Hello BBM,

My brother lives in Cape Coral and I go there often, going right by PG. I'm amazed at the growth of the area.

[sami]

I am also from NJ and moved to Florida a year and a half ago. I have no idea what you can spend....but I will talk to you as if you are lower income (like me). I will let others speak for the middle class. There are lots of nice places in Florida and I highly recommend checking with people and internet sites. A lot of information can be found on city/town sites about weather, area size, population, jobs, schools, etc. Rent first...than if you can get a high and dry house made of exterior cement block...good to guard against flooding and hurricanes.... I will tell you about MY area of Lealman- county land near Saint Petersburg (west central FL). Houses start at around $120,000 for wood and a little more for cement....going up to around $200,000 (you can pay more). The cheaper ones have 2-3 bedrooms, 1 bath and maybe a carport. The more expensive houses have 2-3 bedrooms, 1-2 baths, a carport or garage, and are bigger. Cheaper houses run maybe 800+ square feet and more expensive houses can go 1,300+ not including carport, sunroom, etc.-only heated area. Land size is around 6,000 square feet (my land is 50 feet by 133 feet). Some places in my area are quite nice and crime is not too bad--like an average working class suburb on the outskirts of the city in NJ. Property taxes are less than NJ in general but the house insurance (because of hurricanes) sucks. A house appraised for $120,000 may pay $3,000 in property taxes and the same house may be insured for $100,000 which costs around $2,000+ a year. Apply for homestead exemption if it is your main residence. You spend a lot less on heat but more on air conditioning. Apartments in the area run from $500 for a one bedroom to $800+ for a 2 (or 3) bedroom. These are modest apartments but usually quite liveable...you usually pay for all your own utilities. A rental house can start at around $700 a month. Besides housing, utilities are average: with price increases, I spend $100+ in the winter for electric (I rarely use heat, but have an all electric house, no gas) and $200+ in the summer (with air conditioning cooling a 1057 square foot house for 10-12 hours a day). Water runs about $100 for 2 people every 2 months....though count on more if you water your lawn a bit or take long showers. Food is cheaper and the Winn Dixie supermarket has nice stuff and is one of the cheapest around. There is a lower cost of living than NJ but salaries tend to be lower unless you are skilled. One way to keep costs down is to rent or buy a smaller apartment or house that uses less utilities and search for food bargains. A middle class area that is next door is called Kenneth City....and the houses cost maybe $165,000 for a small house (often in cement) and up. Lots of luck. I hope I helped you. PS The schools are not the greatest, but some are better than others and are better than some other places (in an out of Florida).

[Susan058]

I am single mom, kids now on their own, who left Miami 7 yrs. ago and moved to St. Cloud in central FL; 35 mi. from Orlando. NEVER regretted it for a minute. Small town, but growing, but accessible to Orlando, Melbourne. Kids went thru middle/high school here. Most anywhere in this country you can find drugs- some places more than others, traffic more places than others, on and on. This is not a bad place. I just want to be in mts. now that kids are grown/gone.

[JerseyGirlGoinSouth]

St. Augustine is very nice, historic area with a lot of charm. The beaches are beautiful and it is building up a lot but not too crazy yet. You might be able to find something there not too expensive. Good Luck!!!!

[Rayman421]

stay away from Ocala if you're a single mom and trying to support yourself. Salaries are horrible. Even my friend, a paralegal, got less pay in Ocala than if she drove to Orlando or North to Gainesville. She makes even more money now in TN.

I say stay in Orlando vicinity - cost of living is about the same, salaries are higher.

Or better yet, Gainesville/Alachua. Pretty area, still major urban areas with lots of countryside surrounding, and good hospitals,schools, etc.

[Delilah]

There are many great family areas in Florida! However....not all of them have strong job markets. I would strongly recommend securing a job first. You will probably find work near a major metro area, such as Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton, Orlando, Tallahasse or Tampa. Then focus in on the best suburban towns, such as in Fort Lauderdale area I would pick Coral Springs. In Miami, I would pick Miami Lakes. In Boca Raton, I would pick Wellington. In Orlando, I heard was nice Lake Mary. I am not so familiar with Tampa or Tallahassee.

I would move in a heartbeat to areas like Port St. Lucie, Cape Coral, Clewiston, etc. But there are not many career opportunities, many people from South Florida have relocated to these areas & then they come back because of jobs.

Florida unlike the NY/NJ area does not have a great commuter system, so you drive everywhere & live as close to everything as possible.

[TANC]

NancyLynne,

I currently live in Palm City, FL which is on the "Treasure Coast" of FL. Some other cities are Stuart, Jensen Beach, Port St Lucie, Hobe Sound, Port Salerno, and Fort Pierce. The whole area is in my opinion is the nicest in FL and most family friendly. Beautiful rivers and bridges and small town atmosphere but some culture too. School system in Palm City is one of the best in the entire state. Only 45 mins to West Palm Beach if you need more culture and more "action".

Ocean is only a 20 minute drive and as I said much of the area is on rivers and beautiful.

The area is fast growing with a lot of transplants from the Miami/Ft Lauderdale area.

Now, all that being said...I am seriously considering leaving FL. Reasons?

Homeowners Insurance costs are out of control.

Housing market is mostly out of reach for all but those earning substantially more than the median income, and my job is housing related (mortgage loans).

For me, too hot too much of the year. For some that's a plus, for me, I'm okay for a few months of heat but when it's significantly hot 8 months out of the year it gets a bit much. I'd like a little coooler temps a little more often. Don't want bitter cold, just not oppressive heat most of the time. Again, that's me.

Hurricanes have become more than a nuisance. Three major hits in this area in two years. Much of the state has been whacked very hard during the same time more than once.

If a few things were a little different here, I would stay. Very nice area.

Good luck

[orrisfla]

Originally Posted by TootsieWootsie

Isn't Punta Gorda the most common place for the hurricanes to hit?
After reading alot on this Florida board, I am surprised so many suggest Punta Gorda. After last year's hurricanes, the papers indicated that Punta Gorda was most often the heart of the West Florida side's hurricane activity. I would hate to be in the middle of hurricane alley there.

There is no hurricane alley. The entire state is a target if you want to see it that way. Hurricanes don't choose paths and are entirely unpredictable. The entire Southeast and South portion of the U.S. is a target as well.

[Hondax]

Originally Posted by TootsieWootsie

Isn't Punta Gorda the most common place for the hurricanes to hit?
After reading alot on this Florida board, I am surprised so many suggest Punta Gorda. After last year's hurricanes, the papers indicated that Punta Gorda was most often the heart of the West Florida side's hurricane activity. I would hate to be in the middle of hurricane alley there.

TW,
I tried to find a Historical Hurricane Track Chart that numbered and gave percent likelihood of a Hurricane hitting a certain area. I have seen this chart but couldn't locate it,.....sorry. However, no place is safe, but, the NE area of Florida historically has the lowest frequency of hits. SW Florida is right up there in Hurricane path frequency.

Truthfully, if you are worried about Hurricanes, Florida may not be your cup of tea. Peace of mind trumps anxiety every time.