Expert Opinions Needed - To move or not to move? (Fort Lauderdale: home owners insurance, condo)

[compelled to reply]

You can find a very decent 2 bedroom in one of Davie's better school zones within 15 minutes of the airport for...1200...900 is introductory 1 bedroom territory. South Florida is much more expensive than Toronto. I went there and read a real estate magazine and I was surprised at how reasonable the prices were compared to here. Similar living costs to Chicago.

Actually, there are good elementary schools in parts of Ft. Lauderdale proper, also in parts of Plantation and Sunrise. You might be able to find something in a slightly seedy neighborhood for 1100 very close to work, in a decent elementary school zone (the schools are mostly inner city type but many are well run, perform well, don't have the overcrowding problems like out west, and are safe). You might score something in Sunrise too, but the decent parts are getting a little far from the airport.

[chisoxfan]

Originally Posted by compelled to reply

I wouldn't move here, this place is very hard on working class families. I wouldn't move here with children making under 75k a year.

This is probably the most important thing you will read about Broward on this thread. It's just so difficult for a family to make it here unless you have a substantial income (and the ones that ARE making it here tend to be folks who bought homes years ago and are reaping the benefits of the current property-tax laws, while out-of-state newcomers get hosed).

Would your position here have medium- to long-term potential for promotions and potentially sizable salary increases? If so, you'd have a fighting chance here down the road.

[compelled to reply]

Originally Posted by chisoxfan

Would your position here have medium- to long-term potential for promotions and potentially sizable salary increases? If so, you'd have a fighting chance here down the road.

I'm thinking if there is advancement opportunities, they can ride it out in a lesser area since many of the elementary schools are fine and aren't absorbing the negative influences as much. It would be MUCH more challenging if they had middle or high school aged kids, where they would be picking up all of the bad influences. If that were the case a mobile home in Davie or magnet schools would be pretty much the only option.

[crisp444]

Originally Posted by compelled to reply

Believe it or not Miami and Ft. Lauderdale are different, this included. There are decent houses in decent school districts in west Davie now going for the mid 200s and low 300s in Weston and Cooper City, and they are only bound to decrease much more. There are also houses in other decent areas in the mid 200s now too but those are the best areas for the schools K through 12.

You can get into a good school zone for well under $500,000 even in Miami-Dade. You guys should know by now that there are plenty of detached homes selling in all areas of Kendall, West Dade, etc. for under $350,000. The rule that you can't get into a good school district unless you plop down a cool 1/2 million is just as much of a myth in Miami-Dade as it is in Broward!!

[compelled to reply]

I would not call west Dade or a lot of Kendall a good school zone although some of the elementary schools are. Schools are equivalent to Sunrise which has houses in the low to mid 200s now and priced lower because of that.

[crisp444]

I cannot fathom recommending to someone SUNRISE for "good" schools. As if they are "better" than Kendall or West Dade. I think your posts are 90% good but it just really bugs me that you have such a strong anti-Dade bias and will even recommend to people places like East Davie and Sunrise over nicer places in Miami-Dade with equally good schools.

[compelled to reply]

The schools aren't better, they are equivalent which is my point. Sunrise schools would be considered good in Dade, marginal in Broward and atrocious elsewhere. I'm not comparing the areas just the schools. I'm not recommending east Davie either. They get Indian Ridge Middle and Western High all the way to University and there is a whole cluster of condos off of Pine Island that are affordable for this area and also get Fox Trail Elementary which is good. Sunrise also has a good elementary school called "Nob Hill Elementary" and the area is relatively affordable, thus the recommendation.

[Mason19]

Originally Posted by chisoxfan

This is probably the most important thing you will read about Broward on this thread. It's just so difficult for a family to make it here unless you have a substantial income (and the ones that ARE making it here tend to be folks who bought homes years ago and are reaping the benefits of the current property-tax laws, while out-of-state newcomers get hosed).

Would your position here have medium- to long-term potential for promotions and potentially sizable salary increases? If so, you'd have a fighting chance here down the road.

The position does have potential for medium and long term promotions for eg. if I did very well, my next job promotion in say 3-5 yrs would have a starting salary of 48,000 and lets say in another 3-5 yrs I could make around 58K based on some of the other positions that would be available.

Basically I am entering the Airport in an entry level position with aspirations of working my way up the ladder. I hold an MBA and a few yrs of airport experience so I’m really hoping that if I hang in there for a bit it will get better as my career progresses.

It’s a really tough call at this point because before I can advance in my career, I have to feed my family and pay the bills. By the sounds of it, 38K would be a stretch to make that happen. So is Davie a relatively safe area?

[island mermaid]

I think you might need a second job, just to get by. Personally, I would never have raised my children down here. Just my opinion.
I wish you plenty of sucess in finding the perfect place to raise your family!

[crisp444]

Originally Posted by compelled to reply

The schools aren't better, they are equivalent which is my point. Sunrise schools would be considered good in Dade, marginal in Broward and atrocious elsewhere. I'm not comparing the areas just the schools. I'm not recommending east Davie either. They get Indian Ridge Middle and Western High all the way to University and there is a whole cluster of condos off of Pine Island that are affordable for this area and also get Fox Trail Elementary which is good. Sunrise also has a good elementary school called "Nob Hill Elementary" and the area is relatively affordable, thus the recommendation.

Fair enough. My only objection is that an average South Florida school would be considered "atrocious" in most of the US. That's a really discouraging thing to be telling people who want to move here.