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Old 11-04-2010, 12:50 PM
 
6 posts, read 10,412 times
Reputation: 10

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I am possibly accepting a position in Miami that will begin this winter. I have two daughters, 14 and 11 years old. We would be moving for me to accept a position in downtown Miami. I was told to consider living in the Ft. Lauderdale area.

We would be solidly middle class, not upper middle class. I have no information on the area, except what I have read here. Any advice on where to live, good schools- middle and high schools, and after school programs would be appreciated. We will not be able to afford private schools. We will probably rent the first year and would prefer to live in a single family home, but will consider a townhouse. We can afford $1500/month. We currently live in the Midwest, so we know this will be a big change.

Thank you! Kayaker2000
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Old 11-08-2010, 06:45 AM
 
11,113 posts, read 19,541,770 times
Reputation: 10175
With a 14 yr. old and an 11 yr. old .... do not go to South Florida! especially from the midwest. I've spent considerable time in that area and it is the PITS. Very high crime. Keep your children in the midwest if you can.
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Old 11-08-2010, 07:00 AM
 
Location: Weston, FL
469 posts, read 1,328,249 times
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I will be honest- in that price range it's gonna be tough. I moved from Chicago-area 9 months ago. We chose to live in a 3brm apartment so the kids can go to good public schools in Weston. We pay over 1500/month in rent (hard pill to swallow since my mortgage/taxes was less than that on my 4brm house with a huge yard). You might be able to find a SF home to rent but probably not in the safest community with good schools. Maybe a 2brm condo/townhouse would be a better for the safety of the kids? Do not underestimate the cost of living in So.Fl. EVERYTHING is more expensive. You can try Pembroke Pines- but probably few single family homes in the nice areas rent for that. Do you speak Spanish? If so you can try some pockets of Miami-Dade that have decent schools- but only if you know some Spanish. If you do not speak any Spanish- do not move into Miami Dade- it will be WAYYY to big of a culture shock for your family. Scour this site- good info!
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Old 11-08-2010, 07:13 AM
 
188 posts, read 587,854 times
Reputation: 58
It will be totally different living in South Florida than the Midwest but you can do it.
We moved from Rural PA to the Weston area 2 years ago. My kids were the same ages as yours when we moved. It was a major change for them but they handled it great and love it here.
My husband works in Coconut Grove and commutes every day. The commute is not easy but worth it for us.
We chose Weston because of the schools and were told to look nowhere else. But now that I am here and know the area, I would tell you to look at the western part of Davie, Cooper City, South West Ranches and parts of Plantation. I don't know the prices of rent or housing though.
Our kids are in public schools and doing great. Public schools are not for everyone down here and we have had a few minor issues. But we had issues up north too.
South Florida living is not for everyone. You and your family will need to be willing to change and go with the flow. Understand that the cost of everything is more down here. For us, this move has been better than I could have ever expected. It can be done.
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Old 11-08-2010, 08:02 AM
 
Location: Hillsboro Beach
1,640 posts, read 1,645,239 times
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Kayaker2000, if you want to rent in a good and safe area ( you have very young daughters ) you have to come up in price, due to $1,500 a month for a rental property does not exist unless you decide to live in a not very safe neighborhood. If you accept the job in Downtown Miami, be prepared to conmute every single day and the cost that it involves substancialy your budget specially if you rent in Fort Lauderdale area or even in Hallandale that is the closest municipality to Miami-Dade county.
According to the school system, Broward county is better than Miami-Dade county for your young daughters, but if you want to spent more quality time with hers after school hours, if you decide to rent in Broward , probably ( almost for sure) it will take you more than 90 minutes to get home from work or even more. The traffic on I-95 expressway is simply horrible and bumper to bumper traffic not only on pic hours. As I see , your daughter and your job position in Downtown Miami are your major priority in this concept, so I suggest you to rent in an area of Miami to stay closer to your place and your girls schools. I live in Fort Lauderdale and I know very well Miami-Dade County also because I lived there many years also. I recommend you the sowthwest areas of Miami-Dade county for your girls like the municipality of Coral Gables ( is not inexpensive) , South Miami, as well as Kendall and Dadeland. Some public schools in those areas are good.

Angel Calzadilla
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Old 11-09-2010, 01:03 PM
 
3,910 posts, read 9,470,837 times
Reputation: 1959
Quote:
Originally Posted by QuilterChick View Post
With a 14 yr. old and an 11 yr. old .... do not go to South Florida! especially from the midwest. I've spent considerable time in that area and it is the PITS. Very high crime. Keep your children in the midwest if you can.
This coming from someone in Western NC. Its funny how so many people in NC hate South FL, yet they don't even live here and have never visited. You are probably a malcontent who moved to FL 10 years ago, bought at the peak of the market, took out a home equity loan to buy an SUV, and had to forclose on your home. Now you blindly followed the herd of malcontents in your exodus to NC. Don't worry, in 10 years Western NC will be like South FL, and you'll be moving somewhere else.

Western NC is half ex-Floridians anyways. We own that part of the state.
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Old 11-09-2010, 05:17 PM
 
11,113 posts, read 19,541,770 times
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Default Moving South Florida with husband and preteen & teen

Sorry Nolefan34, never livedin FL at all. Wouldn't even consider it. Have traveled extensively throughout FL though, and spent extended vacations and time with friends and relatives there. If I had young girls, teenagers of any gender, depending on where they re in the midwest and if the familly can make a living, the children are better off staying there. Or looking for a more wholesome environment, like we have here in western NC.

Bless your heart Nolefan34.
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Old 11-10-2010, 07:20 AM
 
3,910 posts, read 9,470,837 times
Reputation: 1959
Quote:
Originally Posted by QuilterChick View Post
Sorry Nolefan34, never livedin FL at all. Wouldn't even consider it. Have traveled extensively throughout FL though, and spent extended vacations and time with friends and relatives there. If I had young girls, teenagers of any gender, depending on where they re in the midwest and if the familly can make a living, the children are better off staying there. Or looking for a more wholesome environment, like we have here in western NC.

Bless your heart Nolefan34.
QuilterChick>

My point exactly. You've never lived here, yet you seem to be an expert on what life is like in South FL. Vacationing and living somewhere are two different things. NC more wholesome? It depends on the individual. It is arrogant of you to say that since that is only your opinion and many people disagree with you. I am sick of hearing this crap from people in NC who've never even lived here who just trash South FL non-stop. Why are you even on a South FL board? You've never lived here, have no intention of living here, have nothing to interject of value, yet feel the need to trash the place.
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Old 11-10-2010, 08:41 AM
 
11,113 posts, read 19,541,770 times
Reputation: 10175
Default Moving South Florida with husband and preteen & teen

Simply answering the question a concerned mother posted regarding moving there with preteen & teen. I did consider FL at one time even within the past 8 yrs., and did extensive research, went out with Realtors in various areas, looked at property to buy. Was totally turned off by the population density and it was not comfortable. I read the newspapers, researched crime in various areas; and unless you can be (now) in an area where $300,000 and up is average price, my advice if I had two daughters would be not to go to SO. Florida. St Augustine area was the only area I was interested in after looking around; but the heat in the summer was the deciding factor there. I told you I have relatives and friends there, and 2 weeks is about the max for me. I like to walk on the neighborhood streets and walk downtown. But not there.

Why do you think so many people are fleeing So. Florida? Not because they are in love with the place. Many have second homes in other areas and are going back to them year round if they can sell.

There is no Utopia. Cheers.
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Old 11-10-2010, 11:00 AM
 
3,910 posts, read 9,470,837 times
Reputation: 1959
Why did so many people move to South FL in the first place? And why do so few people live in Western NC? There surely must be a reason. I doubt so many people chose to move here for no reason.

People are moving out because it has become a major city and too crowded for many people. Still, there are more people moving in than out. Same can be said for any city in America. People move out of cities to more rural areas. Others like being in a metro area as opposed to a rural mountain area. $300,000 average home price was true 8 years ago, but not today. The housing prices are at 30 year lows.

Crime? Do you have any statistics to back up what you're saying? I doubt it because South FL's crime stats are pretty average compared to other cities around the country. Also, our murder rates are very low compared to most cities. Again, these "problems" seem to be your perception which is based on nothing but myth. South FL is not for everyone. Florida in general is not for everyone. NC is a very nice place as well for entirely different reasons. NC is not for everyone. Simple is that. But to say South FL is a "dump", well you are just bashing at that point. There are lots of nice areas here. I could just as easily say Western NC is a dump, since there is nothing there but a few mountain cabins.

You obviously just came on here to bash FL. If your only advice is to say "don't move here" then you offer nothing. If you have nothing to offer other than baseless negative claims, then get lost. The original poster already has a job here. They are not going to give up their job because you tell them it is a "Dump" here.

Last edited by Nolefan34; 11-10-2010 at 11:19 AM..
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