Is there anyone who move to the Ft. Lauderdale area and is actually happy they did... (Westchester: real estate, rent to own)

[tankev]

When my husband told me he was applying to a job in Miami I told him "over my dead body"
I am pretty much Fl born and raised (Tampa) and moved north (South Jersey and Eastern PA) several years ago. I never wanted to move back to Fl. Now that we are here, I am enjoying it. And at this point in our lives glad we made the move. (especially right now watching the weather up north) I do miss that fact that in Jersey or PA I could be in New York City in an hour and a half, DC in 3 hours or Phila in 20 minutes. So far that is the only negitive for me other than the heat yet to come!

[Dazzlinnewbie]

Hello,

Everyone is giving great advice. I just moved to this area 2 1/2 months ago from New York. I am new to the area, and, very fortunately, recently started a new job. I moved here to be closer to my boyfriend, and am finally starting to adjust to the area. The weather is a definite pro. Also, despite what some people say, there are a lot of things to do around here, it just depends on your personal taste, and you have to look for them. Every weekend you will find something going on - festivals, art walks, outdoor concerts, classes, etc. As everyone has said, it really does depend on your taste and what you are looking for in a neighborhood, city, community.

Some of the things that have shocked me include the fact that FL ranks 48th or 49th as a state for education. I do not have kids, but I find that ranking very concerning. There IS a lot of crime here, and, while some areas are worse than others, some of it seems to be random. Also, take a good, hard look at the economy before you do anything. I found a job in 2 1/2 months, but it was not easy. Just as in other states, many, many people have been laid off here and the wages are not that great. The positions I was applying for were receiving 300 - 400 apps in 10 days, even for a low-paying entry level job. This by far has been the most difficult part of my transition.

One last thing - I have not found people to be particularly rude here. In fact, people have gone out of their way to be nice to me, help me out, give advice, direct me to job leads. However, the drivers scare the heck out of me. I drive like an old lady because I'm terrified when I'm on 95.

[Momma_bear]

Originally Posted by Chelsa1075

Please I want all replies both negative and positive. I have 2 boys who live for sports and a husband whose whole family lives there (this of course is not the plus), but he has finally convinced me to go. We both have good paying jobs here (NYC), we live in a nice apartment, but it is small, and it is cold her a lot. I told him that I am not going any where without a job, so that is obviously one hurdle we have to jump. I have read in the sun sentinel adds for 50k-65k for Legal/Executive Assistants. Is this just a lie? I'm getting mixed feelings about this. I know what I have in NY and do not want to risk that to live in an RV, if you know what I mean. I want the american dream too!

We have 3 kids, all boys. We moved from Northern Westchester to Broward County in 2000. At the time we moved the job market was HOT here. My husband had a job when we moved.

My husband is lawyer and has his own practice now. He hires legal assistants and pays in the 50's for some of them but these are women with alot of experience in a specialized field. If you have never been a legal assistance before you will not make that much money.

Our kids really like being here in FL. They play fooball and lacrosse and can play ball all year. Our lacrosse practices have started and it was chilly tonight (around 55 deg) but it was a very nice night for the kids to play ball.

The schools here are not good. Some are better than others but they are all pretty bad. We can afford private school so we went that route.

The job market here is pretty bad right now so I would advise you to find jobs first.

[ruski]

Back in 2000, I quit a high paying IT job at a big bank in NYC and moved to Weston, FL. We sold a townhouse in Yonkers, so that helped buy a house in Weston.

We have loved it here in Weston, hurricanes et al.

Finding a job was tough at first. I worked as an IT contractor for a few months before I found a permanent job which lasted 3 years, then company folded and laid off most people, including me. I then found another job, and then anohter, been at the current place for 5 years. Financially I had to take a pretty big cut and it took ~ 6 years to get myself up to the same salary level I used to have in NY.

When we first moved and I was looking for a job, I got the feeling that "I just moved from NYC and looking for a job here in South Florida" was not helping with the job search.

Also keep in mind - Florida is an "at will" state. A company can fire you here more easily than in NY, without giving you any explanations.


As for living down here - we still like it, especially in Weston. They have very nice athletic programs for kids too; there are a number of former pro football and baseball players who live here and some of them work as coaches.


Also schools in Weston are better than most in South Florida, although they tend to be overcrowded.

[cassie147]

I heard that it is really expensive to live on the East Coast. I am in Sarasota county and not only is it BEAUTIFUL(clean), it is much more affordable to live!!! It is less "City", so there is less variety of things to do. I am from New Hampshire and I don't miss the cold at all!!! I am 25 years old and if you really like peace, tranquility and affordability... the West Coast (Lee, Sarasota counties) is for you. It also has GREAT public school systems!!! My fiance just got a job offer over there and I'm trying to find a nice area over there with great schools, and it is hard!

[Shoegal1075]

Momma from Westchester huh, can I ask you something and please don't take offense for me asking, because the truth is it doesn't matter, but I will ask anyway...are you african american? I ask only cuz you called yourself momma and that typically is a southern thing. My boys call me momma and I'm spanish, but they don't call me Mama, like typical spanish they call me Momma and when other women (mainly black women) hear them call me that they ask if I'm from the south - LOL. I'm sorry that had nothing to do with anything you have mentioned to me, but I figured I'd ask. Okay now to the subject at hand which is the school and area to live in. My boys go to Catholic school here (where I can afford it), when you say the schools are bad what do you mean by that? Weston was actually a place I considered because there schools are so highly regarded. Please tell me what you dislike about the public schools. That for me is a very big issue and as with you I'm sure. That is a make it or break it for me. I refuse to have my children turn out to be...further to what you were saying about your husband paying in the 50's, I could live on that there (kind of). I mean to be perfectly honest with you, I make 85K here and I'm on the higher end. I know that I will never make that in Florida even with my experience. I have been doing this for 12 years, maybe a little longer. I'm versed in most parts of the law being that I was a floater for several years. I'm not leaving until June, so I hope that the job situation will be a little better.

[Lost in Translation]

Originally Posted by dk22

I moved to South Florida 9 years ago. The first three years I was here, I hated so many things about the place. I tried to go back to the Tampa area every chance I could to see my family and friends there. Then I started to do those things that I did somewhere else here and met new friends down here. Now I don't ever want to move anywhere else in Florida. I've traveled to many places on business and visited many states. I still enjoy coming back to South Florida because it has become home now for me and my family. Any place can be home to anyone if you're willing to be a part of the place. I also have co workers that relocated here and just never understood or liked this place. They never really gave it a chance so they just moved back to where they came from. It's not for everyone, but you have to be open minded and willing to accept things for what they are and filter all the things you dislike instead of using it as reason to build on your dislike for this place.

I like this and I think it speaks volumes. Many people just never give a place a chance because it does not ressemble the place they are coming from.

[Shoegal1075]

Do you mean Sarasota Florida? I'm just wondering because you said the west coast. Did you mean the weast coast of Florida?

[fauve]

Wow...$85K! And, that doesn't even include what your husband makes. Why are you renting a 2 bedroom in Woodside and washing your clothes at a laundromat? Why not move to a rental in a good school district in NJ or Westchester? You'd save on tuition,, and keep your high salary, and I know the athetic programs in these areas would be terrific.

And, with that kind of income, I'm sure you could find a nice rent-to-own deal in this market.

[Shoegal1075]

You are funny Fauve, my husband and I make a combined salary of about 165K, however, you have to understand we are taxed out of the wazoo here. I make about 3400 every 2 weeks, I come home with 1900 - yes you heard right just about half and NOOOOOOOOOOO, I do not get most of that back in taxes, I get little if anything back. I like most of america, have a car payment, my husband has a Motorcycle and we pay car insurance on 2 cars totaling about 450 dollars on all of the vehicles and bike. And then of course every day expenses, like train fare and lunch (if we don't make it - which we are doing every day now in preparation for the move down there), that can cost you about 10$ a day. It sounds like a lot, but believe me at the end of the day it really isn't. Have I mentioned the pot holes the size of cars that if you hit them, you could easily end up in NJ, oh and the fare hikes, with the cut backs in service and the best is putting tolls on all the east river crossings! I could have a 3 bedroom with W/D and amenities if I were willing to pay 2500 a month plus all utilities. All that sounds really awsome right. I thought about your suggestions before and am still mulling them over, but there is nothing worse than holland tunnel traffic in bad weather and that is really the only way to get to Jersey and I really can't afford Westchester, it is more expensive and I would have to pay the rediculous 300$ a month for Metro North, because the 125$ a week I pay to the city, just to live in the boroughs is not enough. We really don't have the rent to own deals here except in undesirable neighborhoods (places I would never live)! You know woodside and it isn't that great, but I have a nice apartment, but small and by boys are outgrowing the room. The one nice thing that I do have is a garage, but I wouldn't really need that there. Thank you for your honesty, now you understand why I am so aprehensive about leaving. I can't leave without a decent paying job waiting for me.