Why do you hate it here? (Miami, Golden Glades: restaurant, vehicles, retirement)

[Desdemona25]

Originally Posted by planetsurf

Yes, BUT don't forget to add state income tax into the mix in NC:
Tax Rate Range: Low - 6.0%; High - 8.00% (2007) (rate will be 7.75% for tax year 2008)

~$4,200 @ $60k

However, that's money I don't see in my paycheck. Also, I certainly don't make $60K. So I don't miss what I didn't have to begin with. But when it comes to the other stuff, I'm paying that out of whatever pitiful check I bring home. I see those amounts going out.

We've done our research and feel that it's the place to call home. And perhaps my husband's parents will actually come visit more often since it's within their 4 hour travel radius. My other half has been in Florida for almost 2 1/2 years and they've yet to visit us. Yet we're the ones that are scraping by and have made the trip to see them 3 times (soon to be 4 in February when we have to go to a wedding in VA).

[Desdemona25]

Originally Posted by Tungsten_Udder

I think the idea is that you don't figure "I should be able to afford a property like x", regardless of the location, rather you figure out what you can afford to spend on your housing every month, then look for a property that wouldn't cost more than that. In different locations, that's going to be different kinds of properties.

If you can afford to pay $2500 per month (for your mortgage + taxes + insurance, etc.) then you look for something not more than $2500 per month. That's going to be a very different kind of property near Fort Lauderdale than near Port St. Lucie County, near New York City, near Des Moines, etc.

It seems like you're thinking that you should be able to afford, say, a three bedroom, two bathroom, two car garage home on a third acre (or whatever it might be) regardless of where you are. But that's not how it works.

Of course, it's an option if you can't afford what you'd like to move someplace where you can afford what you'd like, and that sounds like what you're doing. But it's not the case that you couldn't afford Florida. It's that you can't afford the house you'd like to have in Florida. (I can't either, really, as I'd like to have one of those 50 million dollar places in Palm Beach )

What we can afford in Florida is a studio apartment in ghettofabulous. And I refuse to have a family living there. Out of state, we have more options. We'd be paying the same in rent for a 3/2/2 house in Johnston County, NC (where we want to call home) as for a SMALL 2/2 apartment in Boca.

I have no desire for the high life. Just give me middle class. Just as an example here...one of the neighborhoods I like in West Boca (no HOA that I know of but am probably wrong, non-gated, homes built late 70s/early 80s) are still over 200K in most places. These homes aren't worth 200K; if they're priced under that due to foreclosure or whatever else, you still don't get a break on the taxes and are probably stuck doing a bunch of work to get it liveable.

If we're going to pay a ton of money for something, we'd at least want to be happy.

[planetsurf]

Originally Posted by Desdemona25

However, that's money I don't see in my paycheck. Also, I certainly don't make $60K. So I don't miss what I didn't have to begin with. But when it comes to the other stuff, I'm paying that out of whatever pitiful check I bring home. I see those amounts going out.

We've done our research and feel that it's the place to call home. And perhaps my husband's parents will actually come visit more often since it's within their 4 hour travel radius. My other half has been in Florida for almost 2 1/2 years and they've yet to visit us. Yet we're the ones that are scraping by and have made the trip to see them 3 times (soon to be 4 in February when we have to go to a wedding in VA).

Your income is your income. If you bring home 7% less for the same pay, that's REAL dollars you can't use to pay your mortgage whether you see it or not.

Regardless, I truly hope you find happiness.
Good luck!

[BornInFL]

Originally Posted by planetsurf

Yes, BUT don't forget to add state income tax into the mix in NC:
Tax Rate Range: Low - 6.0%; High - 8.00% (2007) (rate will be 7.75% for tax year 2008)

~$4,200 @ $60k

But you cant put a price on sanity! Am I right Desdemona??? Raleigh is leaps and bounds better than Boca Raton. You'll also probably make more money, have more friends, enjoy 4 seasons, and enjoy a better quality of life in Raleigh too. Get ready to speak lots of english up there in Raleigh! Are you ready? That is worth a lot more than a few grand.

[fauve]

I don't think you're getting some of what you need. Maybe I should have a look at the books you're reading.

^^^^Tungsten

You're right. I'm not reading at all anymore because this computer b.s. is giving me complete ADD! AHHHHHHH! Plus, my memory is shot...so whatever I do read goes into short-term storage and is lost before it gets to long-term storage!

[fauve]

Oh, and as for Ben Franklin, I put him in the same pile as Bill Gates - those who obtain their education through auto-didacted-ness...I thnk self-education can potentially be the best education.

[Desdemona25]

Originally Posted by BornInFL

But you cant put a price on sanity! Am I right Desdemona??? Raleigh is leaps and bounds better than Boca Raton. You'll also probably make more money, have more friends, enjoy 4 seasons, and enjoy a better quality of life in Raleigh too. Get ready to speak lots of english up there in Raleigh! Are you ready? That is worth a lot more than a few grand.

Most definitely! If it were up to me, we'd have already been out of here. I keep telling my husband to lobby with the owner of his company to move the company to NC and tell them that the Triangle is great for their business (they make high speed surgical drills). The owner currently lives in Asheville, so it's not totally off the mark.

[BornInFL]

Originally Posted by Desdemona25

Most definitely! If it were up to me, we'd have already been out of here. I keep telling my husband to lobby with the owner of his company to move the company to NC and tell them that the Triangle is great for their business (they make high speed surgical drills). The owner currently lives in Asheville, so it's not totally off the mark.

Excellent! I dont blame you! Raleigh is a great place to live and work. IMO, one of the best places to live in U.S.

Nice people, good jobs, good weather, low cost of living (relativley low), great schools, booming economy, not too far from beaches and mtns, etc... so much better quality of life than Boca Raton, Flaaahrrida.

[Wild Style]

Originally Posted by compelled to reply

I don't entirely disagree, but the unemployment rate is actually below the national average, 6.5% local versus 6.8% national.

Florida:

Broward's jobless rate increased to 6.6 percent in November from 6.3 percent a month ago and 3.9 percent a year ago

Florida's unemployment rose to 7.3 percent, or 680,000 residents out of work, the state workforce agency said Friday.

link

Nationally:

Nonfarm payroll employment fell sharply (-533,000) in November, and the unemployment rate rose from 6.5 to 6.7 percent

link

[Tungsten_Udder]

Although in other news, Florida's employment rate was 92.7% in November.