Why would anybody in their right mind move here knowing that South Florida has the worst economy? (Fort Lauderdale: apartment complexes, low crime)

[Elvi03]

How do these poor people get in to your "exclusive waterfront neighborhood"? I live in an exclusive neighborhood in NY and trust me, not even "20 crammed hispanics in a garage" can afford it.

[NEWTOSFLA]

Originally Posted by Elvi03

How do these poor people get in to your "exclusive waterfront neighborhood"? I live in an exclusive neighborhood in NY and trust me, not even "20 crammed hispanics in a garage" can afford it.

stuff like that should be regulated...those living conditions are absurd...there is no way i'm going pay out of the ass for a beautiful place and have to put up with "20 crammed hispanics in a garage"...causing all types of problems

[compelled to reply]

Somehow I think that when he said "waterfront", he probably meant that it backs up to a drainage pond in SW Ft. Lauderdale which has been like that for years, nothing new at all...anything south of Davie Rd has a little of that east LA feel. I spent a couple weeks volunteering around there one time and I thought these were mostly good people in bad conditions, yes a lot of them are illegal. I left around midnight a few times and Chula Vista was fine. It's Broadview Park that was really nasty, and it was mostly the scary good ol boy type characters roaming the streets that made it that way.

Anyway, I think if you treat people a certain way, you will mostly (not entirely of course, we are still talking about human beings) receive it in return regardless of their country of origin. A lot of the people who posted on here might want to start using that practice in life.

Originally Posted by NEWTOSFLA

stuff like that should be regulated...

OK, why don't you just move to China? Low crime rate, few Hispanics and plenty of regulations.

[MisterNY]

There is a phenomenon that is happening here. You have people who purchased houses they had no business buying in the first place. They could not afford to live here to begin with. With the economic downturn, there has been a trend West of I-75, of people who purchased these 4-5 bedroom houses for Half a million-up, then end up renting rooms to people who are not even related to them, fearing they will lose them to foreclosure. It's getting common down here to see houses with 6-7 cars with 3 different families living in them....not related. I can't comment much on such cases, but I have a student that explained issues he was having with his parents renting rooms to strangers, and other issues that stemed from that. Not good, but let's say a social worker was sent there for a home visit. Nothing good. I'm not at the liberty to elaborate on that...Sad stories down here. People making irresponsible choices and others (their families, and neighbors) are paying dearly for them. The whole 20 hispanics living in a 3BR home is not uncommon down here. I wont get too much into that. I'll watch you guys duke it out.

[runswithscissors]

Originally Posted by MisterNY

There is a phenomenon that is happening here. You have people who purchased houses they had no business buying in the first place. They could not afford to live here to begin with. With the economic downturn, there has been a trend West of I-75, of people who purchased these 4-5 bedroom houses for Half a million-up, then end up renting rooms to people who are not even related to them, fearing they will lose them to foreclosure. It's getting common down here to see houses with 6-7 cars with 3 different families living in them....not related. I can't comment much on such cases, but I have a student that explained issues he was having with his parents renting rooms to strangers, and other issues that stemed from that. Not good, but let's say a social worker was sent there for a home visit. Nothing good. I'm not at the liberty to elaborate on that...Sad stories down here. People making irresponsible choices and others (their families, and neighbors) are paying dearly for them. The whole 20 hispanics living in a 3BR home is not uncommon down here. I wont get too much into that. I'll watch you guys duke it out.

I just walked into my house in Vero Beach after experiencing that phenomenon down in Tamarac. I'm still in shock after driving around all of Tamarac for hours. The areas I was thinking about were all showing signs of deferred maintenance but Mainlands was bad. About 5 different sections, then I left.

You're not exaggerating. I moved here to Vero recently with the intention of buying early next year. After spending time in Mainlands Tamarac at University TWO years ago (and briefly last year) I still had it in my mind that the Mainlands north of Commercial intersecting University on both sides was a cute, inexpensive, old school Florida place close to shopping and quiet, calm and a bunch of seniors with a few younger families sprinkled in. At the time I felt they were super inflated for 900 - 1500 sq feet allegedly appraised for up to $270,000. But I've been watching and now that the prices were adjusting I thought I'd go give a look. Before,all the homes were well maintained and you saw very little deferred maintenance. No junk outside, no chipped paint as a rule even after Wilma and Rita things were moving along. Lot's of trimmed lawns and current landscaping. Like people actually cared about the neighborhoods. Yes the 55+ sections had less put into them because the HOAs remain low and the residents wanted it that way.

OMG not now. The first glaring testimony to your phenomenon was exactly what you said. Overcrowded driveways and overflow into the small streets. Groups of 6,8 sitting around all over the lawns with dogs and teenagers running amuck in the streets. (in Mainlands 10 - all ages) Guys encouraging the dogs to play fight and making a bunch of noise. Toys all over the place piled up around the houses and on lawns. Beat up landscaping and even overgrown (which I don't understand because the HOA cuts the lawns.) Stuff like siding and coping hanging from houses with chipped paint. Trash cans with stuff hanging out and left right in front of the house up against the front window lol.

Then lets talk about the shopping center. Every single guy hanging around there had the old pants falling down around the butt fashion dragging on the ground. You couldn't even get a parking spot (University at Commercial at Petco/Publix). Two years ago there were plenty of spots.

Many of those homes are renters. In foreclosures or abandoned properties. I drove to the various houses on my list that were still active sales listings that I know for a fact were abandoned (or "available") because of calling the agents over the past 6 months and watching them as a benchmark. One in particular, the guy stripped it and it flooded ...and the bank wouldn't even consider what I felt was a "reasonable" offer. Of course now it's listed for 50,000 less than my offer, as is the case with most of these houses. I asked the woman in the driveway there if she bought it and she said no she was renting.

My opinion is that the banks and/or owners are putting tenants in these vacant homes to generate revenue without screening or not caring. After all, FL has a 5 day late rent eviction statute right? So they have nothing to lose. This was also a complaint on tv here in Vero (retirement capitol and home of snowbirds) at the last televised council meeting where the residents were furious at the long distance investors indiscriminately filling the neighboring homes with tenants who were making a mess of their street. Literally and behaviorally. I drove by their homes, too, and they weren't exaggerating.

So sadly, all these communities are going to deteriorate and I highly doubt that they will "rejuvinate" into new owners who have the same pride of ownership as before. Someone on one of these threads posted she was trying to just keep some value in her property (mighta been on the rooster thread) and now I see exactly what she means. I feel very sorry for the Mainlands residents who have lived there for years and now have to put up with these new neighbors.

The only pleasant surprise I saw today was little old dumpy Lime Bay senior citizen pink condos, I drove by out of curiosity, expecting it to be a mess since they are currently selling for $30,000 but to their credit the whole complex seemed well maintained. (ghost town but well maintained)

I will continue to rent here indefinitely since apparently, I really can't predict what the future holds in various neighborhoods. The only "sure thing" imo, is directly on water (not in my price range) or in Vero not on water but on the barrier island which is also pricey.

[JSnFla]

man i got out of south florida just in time, 2007.....tampa is a huge mess too. do i dare move back to the northeast, hmmm, not sure i can swallow that.

[compelled to reply]

Originally Posted by JSnFla

man i got out of south florida just in time, 2007.....tampa is a huge mess too. do i dare move back to the northeast, hmmm, not sure i can swallow that.

Stomach that? What do you hate about Florida? What did you hate about the north? The NE has a lot to offer and is a lot more stable and safer than the sunbelt.

I'm still trying to figure out what the point of this thread is. The title doesn't have any sufficient fact to back it up. It doesn't even have the worst economy in Florida. Tampa, coastal central FL, SW FL and much (not all) of the panhandle are much worse economically, and even those places are far from the worst. The US in general is going through an economic slowdown for sure and possibly a recession.

[runswithscissors]

Originally Posted by JSnFla

man i got out of south florida just in time, 2007.....tampa is a huge mess too. do i dare move back to the northeast, hmmm, not sure i can swallow that.

Well I'm in that boat now too. I just moved to FL from Philly lol. Good time for early retirement and going to FL Dec 07 right?

My 27 yr old son moved out of Mainlands10 18 mos ago to WPB downtown and likes it. (he has to stay in the general vicinity)....I have to tell you the "neighborhoods" are still cute and maintained but is a very small area. And has interlopers of course but for him it's fine. His Great Dane barks really loud lol.

I told him about Mainlands and he said "duh, I told you my last neighbor there was a sex offender with tatoos on his face but I guess you weren't listening"

[JSnFla]

i used to play golf with my grandfather in the mainlands back in the early 80s when it was really nice, clean, quaint lil retirement enclave. they lived in sabal palm senior complex by rock island rd and commercial which was also a retirement paradise in the 70s and 80s but th at whole area is a complete zoo now.

[compelled to reply]

I have an in law in the Mainlands that has lived there since the late 70s. That area has become congested, but otherwise from what I understand nothing has changed about that area that would make it a "zoo" and with those grown in cypress trees it looks pretty nice...Lauderhill in the past 20 years on the other hand...I have seen pictures. Hard to believe what that area was...that truly has gone downhill.