South Florida Fantasy- Coral Springs Move (Miami, Tampa: rent, home owners insurance, condo)

[cr8086]

Sitting here before work waiting for the rain to stop and the weather to warm up from the 30's and 40's. Decided to finally ask questions that are whirling through my mind and request some input. Don't mind my spell errors since I claim to be no typist and I have construction hands ! finger pecking -LOL.
Ok Lets get started.
Ahhh Florida , my thoughts and memories of beautiful palm trees ,that ocean breeze,the fun parks, tropical smell,the birds singing daily,and oh boy that sun!
All of my wife's 28 relatives in Coral Springs in the 33076 area. They all have various jobs from casino dealers to hairdressers to retail jobs. Some have bucks and others live week by week. Everyone says they are doing great and I can see that. I can see what they own and tell by their lifestyles. They all claim they love it and wouldn't trade the North for it ever again. We have visited them many times on vacation. Things look so great in Coral Springs and they beg us to come down with them. They all come from NYC and surrounding areas within the last 1-10 years. They constantly boast how great it is there. Their main objective to boasting is not a ploy just to get my wife down there at any cost either.
We currently live in NorthEast - Greece ,NY 14612 (rated very high for low crime) and I am the lone wolf ( the only one on her side of the family) left up North. Its a wonderful suburban place with a unique community experience. It has high pockets of extremely bad areas in the city of Rochester which is 15 minutes drive from us.
We own a 3200 sq ft 1989 contemporary ranch with almost an acre of land. I updated everything and we got everything imaginable from inground pool ,6 car garage ,sunroom, 800 sq ft party room,20' ceilings,etc. We lived in small and big homes and Ill take a smaller home now any day. Less responsibility,less maintenance,,tons of glass to clean ,tons of floors to clean and more to worry about. Who cares we don't use 2/3 of it. I kid you not we have to scream to talk to each other and repeat the same thing 100 times to hear each other. We have to call and text on the cell phone to each other now just to communicate.I know its not that big but I am not joking and can't imagine having 3 of us in a 4000 or larger home. You lose family time. We also have 50 acres of forever wild woods behind me, and own 2 building lots next to me. I am 47 and own my own construction business (Masonry and Home Building) .I have been doing this for 30 years. Work got extremely dead in 2008 and I am stable now with future contracts.
My property taxes area joke and over 10 thousand a year and my H/O Insurance is $1,200 a year. I feel lucky because there are newer homes smaller than mine and they pay 13,000 to 25000k! My buddy just had his built with 2800 sq ft and he got"hit" with 15.5k! What a joke, try to justify that.There are only 3 of us living in here now and we are going to downsize very soon.
Coral Springs seems like a dream world when I go down there. They say it has low crime and good schools? I have visited Florida about 50 times in my life -from Disney 30+ times to St Pete, Tampa and Coral Springs.
I have been down at every month of the year (5-20 days max at a time) and can deal with the heat much better than the cold. Rochester has some very brutal snowstorms and intense frigid temperatures in the winter. We also have a real HOT humid summer at times. We feel the need for a change. I really hate the dark dreary skies and the lack of sunshine for 6 months.The gray skies everyday has a takes a toll on your mood and being cooped up all winter dreaming of sun isn't my cup of tea anymore. We do do some outdoor activities just to keep sane but we don't like to have fun in wet ice and snow. It isn't comfortable to us. Getting dressed to go anywhere is a chore. I barely see or talk to neighbors from October to late March.
I look online in the MLS and see pathetic homes in a normal price range or 150-250k for a 2-3 bed/1-2 bath. They look like shacks. But we don't need alot and a home is a roof for us. We just don't want a moldy bug infested place.I can fix and place anything to make it livable.
For 100 k here you can have ALOT but taxes will be 4-6 grand depending on the location. Then I look at Port St Lucie and see New beautiful homes at 1/3 the price of Coral Springs but know the schools and job market and community is bad there I read. We want to downscale but don't want to invest mad money to live. My wife don't want to split the living between here and there due to the school situation with my son. She said it would be hard for him to do that and I kind of agree. So its here or there i guess. We are trying to weigh the cost of taxes there v/s here and it looks like 50% less(.42 mill rate v/v 2% market minus homestead there) -but the property values are rated much higher which brings the cost of taxes high again. Catch 22 for me? The House Insurance there would be around 1% -1.5% I am told.
Heres the Deal and issues I have...

• I have a 13 year old boy who is the world to us and he comes first for education (A+ student 3.98 gpa) ,safety ,social structure,activities(music),sports(soccer) and freinds. ( We also have 2 girls that are 20 +21 and they live on their own).
  • Are the schools programs good?
  • Are there many transients or pedophiles living near schools in Coral Springs?
  • what high schools are the best there in 33076?
  • What is the student teacher ratio in the high school?

• I am willing to start another business in the service industry and possible handyman business. My business now is getting physically harder anyway and A business change would be exciting.I realize all the necessary licensing and procedures for operating a Florida business.I realize it will be 6 months to 2 years before I grow.
  • Is the job market too depressed there for a service/maintenance Industry?
  • What are businesses contract from like -are they too demanding or down right rude?
  • Are homeowners not having the routine maintenance on their homes done by someone else and doing it themselves?

• We will probably rent a townhome first before a purchase. Eventually buying either a condo first ,then a home.( rent out later or keep for my side of the family to visit) Or just purchase a home when We find what we like..
  • Is Renting a townhome safe for my Wife and son there?
  • Is moving into a condo safe for Wife and my son there?
  • How much does hurricane and property Insurance cost for $150-$350k range home?
  • Are you still afraid of your neighbors in your area?
• We have been down to Florida in the torrential rains and Tornado watches but never actually been in a Tornado or Hurricane. We have never been a whole summer in Florida and we wonder if we will get sick of it -her relatives absolutely love it and wouldn't Ever come back to the crazy NY winters. I like it sometimes because of the fresh crisp air and the beautiful springs.
  • Are hurricane warnings and hurricanes a major stress for most?
  • Do hurricane warnings create any post stress disorders ?
  • Will it frighten my son like it's the end of the world and will he get use to it after a while?
  • Is the heat prolonged in the summer so much you cant work on your yard or spend time outdoors?

• Cost of living in Greece is great v/s Florida in my Fantasy picture. Correct me in areas I am wrong please.
  • Greece has-> extremely high property taxes,
  • state Income taxes,
  • High corporate taxes (I am one) ,
  • High Workers Comp costs,
  • Extra clothes for 6 months a year,
  • Snow removal costs(snowblower ,plow or services),
  • cost of annual flowers and plants for yard each spring,
  • leaf clean up in fall,
  • opening and closing of pool each year and extra chemicals to get it started,
  • higher car repairs due to bad roads,roadwork,fresh tar,potholes,salt,rusting etc.
  • Icestorms and major snowstorms which create tree cleanup, chainsawing
  • pest and animal control here too! In my yard i have to chase /scare away these from eating and destroying trees,undermining decks,chewing on house,danger to kids and pets. Raccoons, woodchucks,rabbits,deer,fox,coyote,snakes,turkey,p heasant,squirrels,chipmunks,stray cats,-and more. You think I had a safari here ! LOL the coyotes will eat your small children and small pets! You see noises and eyes all over at night! (scares my wife to death)
• Crime is everywhere but there are horror stories told up here about Florida and the stigma attached there is horrifying for us. Our city has extreme homicides and crazy crimes all year. In Greece 15 minutes away its calm and only petty crimes happen now and then mostly. I been reading the crime statistics in Coral Springs and it looks average to sketchy except the home invasions. I can deal with someone taking my car but to break in my home-well that's just dam scary. My wife and son is my life and to drop them in a high crime place is unforgivable and stupid.
  • Is pedophiles in Coral Springs running rampant?
  • Does everyone that has kids fear pedophiles ?
  • Do you have to listen for ever noise waiting for a break in while enjoying the evening (even with the alarm on)
  • Are there really thief's walking the streets of Coral Springs looking for open cars or anything to steal without being at least questioned by police?
  • Do We have to watch our back everywhere there?
  • Is road rage scary there or over rated?
  • has anyone recently had a crime happen against them there?
  • are drugs a huge problem there in schools,etc.?

I know this is long and dragged out but it is the only way for me to make a decision that has been on going for 7 years. I have more detail questions
but this is a start.
Lets be real . There are no Perfect places on earth and I don't expect it here.I just need input from people who live in CORAL SPRINGS mostly.

Please be honest and I know everyone has their own opinions and there are negatives and positives to every place on earth.-I have covered all the what if's and would appreciate facts as much as possible.
Any other input I have missed here is still important and we probably though about it. Other Positives and Negatives on Coral Springs are appreciated .
Thank you -please tell us where you are from when responding. Make it real and fun.
Answer a couple or all questions, anything would be helpful and greatly appreciated.

[Julianq101]

Originally Posted by cr8086

• Extra clothes for 6 months a year,
• Snow removal costs(snowblower ,plow or services),
• cost of annual flowers and plants for yard each spring,
• leaf clean up in fall,
• opening and closing of pool each year and extra chemicals to get it started,
• higher car repairs due to bad roads,roadwork,fresh tar,potholes,salt,rusting etc.
• Icestorms and major snowstorms which create tree cleanup, chainsawing
• pest and animal control here too! In my yard i have to chase /scare away these from eating and destroying trees,undermining decks,chewing on house,danger to kids and pets. Raccoons, woodchucks,rabbits,deer,fox,coyote,snakes,turkey,p heasant,squirrels,chipmunks,stray cats,-and more. You think I had a safari here ! LOL the coyotes will eat your small children and small pets! You see noises and eyes all over at night! (scares my wife to death)

LOL you really summarized so very well what life is like up in the north. I'm in Canada - just a little north of Rochester - and it's the same for us. People "beetch" about the heat in Florida but in my opinion it's harder in the north with the extreme winters. And as you listed, there are LOTS of costs associated with the climate. And there are many you never listed like salt for the driveway, the damage the ice does to the paved areas and your roof, replacing insulated windows every few years, cost of getting your lawn back up in the spring, putting up with the unavoidable fall you will have on the iced sidewalk, the crazy cost of winter boots/coats/gloves (especially when kids outgrow them each year), winter car tyres etc, etc, etc...

You asked good questions. I wait with interest for the locals to reply.

[Elvi03]

OMG, I saw a coyote roaming in my back yard last summer!! I freaked out. Your post summed out our life too.

[cr8086]

I agree Julian that there are more expenses here. They don't count all that when you do a salary or cost of living comparison online.

I think my story may be too long for people to respond. LOL

Come on people we are anxious to read some answers

[cr8086]

Elvi Coyotes are vicious and sneaky. We have 2 of them that run together daily next to my home. I had a neighbor that just moved in completely freaking out like he seen a ghost. He was telling everyone he seen a wet raggedy timber wolf . His lawn guys actually ran in the truck LOL.
(no wolves here -I don't think )

[Chelsa1075]

I think Coral Springs is a fantastic place - I don't currently live there, but it is definitely high on the places I would live. It has been called the City for kids and was voted the safest city in Broward in 2007, I'm not sure about 2008, but they (CS) was very proud that they beat Parkland out for this - so, I assume that it was a pretty big deal. Parkland is also a place you may want to look! If I were to move to CS tomorrow - I would only chose the 33076 and 33071 areas. Can I ask what your background is? I only ask because Weston is also very nice but heavily populated by hispanics. If this is a turn off for you, that may not be the best choice for you. This was actually a selling point for me. My husband is Argentinean and I thought that Florida would be less of a culture shock for us if we moved there. Again, that doesn't work for everyone, but I will say that there are mix of races and ethnicities that live in Weston and . Cooper City and Davie also very nice and may be along the lines of what you are looking for. Also, West Boca gets rave reviews, all of these towns are not that far from Coral Springs. I'm not so sure about the schools anymore - all of the cities I mentioned have great reputations, but some parents think they cater too much to the FCAT's and not enough on the other everyday stuff and schools that don't perform that well, the parents seem to be happier. So, with that I can't say anything with certainty on the school side. Good luck!

[AJ1972]

I think Coral Springs is a great place. Of course there are better pockets than others. But that goes with any city pretty much.
Wow! I forgot what it's like to live up north (I'm from Queens, NY). I have always wanted to go back to 4 seasons, but it's been about 15 years, and when I read your post I forgot about all of those added costs for season change. LOL I forgot about being stuck indoors for months on end.
We have severe thunderstorm warning and tornado watches (and warnings). However, in our area, a tornado greater than an F0 is very low. Maybe an F1. Maybe. I am one who is terrified of BAD weather like that, and in 15 years, I can thankfully say I have never seen a tornado. I live in the Coral Springs/Creek area. As for Hurricanes, we have been lucky the last couple of years...after the crazy 2 years we had (2004 and 2005). Just for the record, those 2 years were "crazy", and besides Andrew in 1992, I never saw anything here like that. Hurricanes definitely stress me out. I am packed and ready to drive away when I see one within days of us. We've actually gone away twice, and thankfully came back to our home, fine. Wilma rocked us the worst in the Springs/Creek area. No power, water, for days. We packed up and drove to Orlando and spent 2 days at Disney. My mom (who lives here too) called us when our power came on and we drove back home (from Disney). Not too shabby
We have 2 kids (one is almost in K). Schools are VERY important to me. Education is KEY to us. I'm picky, and I won't get into my ideals (I disagree with a lot of what they offer or DON'T offer here, amongst other things), but I will say that West Springs is supposed to have 2 real good schools. I can't think of the names, but I know someone will know them.
Safety. Like I said, I have been here for over 15 years. In those 15 years I have never been car jacked, nor has my car been stolen, nor has my house been broken into. Phew. However, my husband's car was broken into...but that was when he was at a fast food place in Pompano. They broke the window and stole his college books. $800 worth, might I add. He was a Med student at the time (has since graduated and is now in his field).
I miss season changes, I do. However, gradual ones, not extreme like NY State, etc. I always say how I love the fact that my kids can be outdoors practically every day of the year here. There is always something to do. They are TONS of extra curricular stuff. Sports, dance, karate, you name it they've done it or are currently doing it. Plus, the city of Coral Springs has a rec center that offers tons of extra curricular stuff, too.
I think property taxes are coming down to where they should be with that new law (that's still working out, right?). But I think home owners insurance STINKS and has a lot to be desired as far as cost per year is concerned.
The homes here, in my opinion, are pretty boring looking. They all look the same, to me. My husband and I are always saying how we wish the homes here were prettier. There's nothing to them, in my opinion. They just look so plain, and dry. Of course, that's if you're comparing them to let's say....homes in NC. Front porches, pretty yards, etc. You don't have that here.
There are tons of parks here I must say. Tons. Especially in Springs, so clean too.

So I hope that this helped you a little.
I know there are a lot of others on here that you will hear from too.


Good luck.

[cr8086]

Thank You AJ that was an extremely helpful post .I love that Disney getaway idea. It's just my kind of life.
We have some relatives a lot of relatives from NYC that moved there there too.
Very positive post also I may add. I think you have to really be a Northerner with crippling snowstorms and severe frigid temperatures and dark dreary gray skies for months on end to appreciate South Florida. The mood elevation from warmer weather and sunshine can bring a totally happy mood most of the time. There are many depressed people here in the 4 months of winter.
My quest to live down there is a long await. This recession has given me a little down time from work to focus on the reality of moving.

I am wondering if will be a blessing or a nightmare and don't want to make a blunder move. Your hope of low crime and good schools in Coral Springs distinguish it from the "South Florida" general statistics on bad crime and poor funded schools.

Once I get enough cahoonahs to make a calculated decision I need to sell out my business, my home and personal items which will take at least 3-6 months.
Any ideas what a good range of income is to live a decent life there? I may or may not buy a house cash right away it depends on my tax situation and "write offs" I need for the future.

[qcguy]

Also looking to escape the cold/snow of northeast. Heard good things about Coral Springs.

Is it realistic to expect to find a 2K sq-ft home w/ 4br, 2bath, in the $240-$250K range? How about property taxes and home insurance these days?

Can a family live there with pay in the early $70K range?

[Nolefan34]

Things you need to know about South Florida:

There is a lot to know so I'll stick to the basics and try to address some of the OP's questions.

Weather: A big pro or big con depending on the person. It is hot & humid here most of the year, and brutal during the months of June-September. You walk outside during any time of the day or night and it feels like a sauna. You will sweat profusely, and find yourself wanting to shower 3X per day. Some people can tolerate it better than others. For example, my father absolutely HATES living here because of the heat & humidity. The only reason he doesn't move back up north is because my mother likes it here and most of our family is down here. But the heat prevents him from wanting to do any outdoor activities.

You don't have to shovel heat, but the weather here isn't something to take lightly. You will be moving from one extreme to the other. We have severe weather here often in the summer and fall months. We get daily afternoon thunderstorms that usually last about an hour and then pass. They dump a ton of rainfall in a short amount of time, and the lightning and thunder can be scary. Sometimes we get torrential downpours that last an entire day of thunder/lightning, and flash flooding occurs. The afternoon t-storms can ruin a picnic or a sunny day at the beach in a heartbeat. Some summers we get intense/extreme heat warnings where people get heat stroke and die or are hospitalized. This mainly occurs with the elderly, but others are vulnerable too.

We also get hurricane and tropical storm scares just about every year. These storms produce heavy flooding and pretty much shut down the city for a day or two while everyone makes preparations. During those preparation days, you will encounter long lines at stores because everyone is stocking up on supplies. Things like bottled water, canned foods, batteries, flashlights, lumber, and cash from the ATM are scarce since there is a sudden run on those items. And the roads are gridlocked due to evacuations. Nobody knows where the hurricane is going to hit until the last minute, and by that time it is too late to evacuate. The entire hurricane preparation/aftermath process is a major deal.

Another pain caused by the heat/humidity is mold and mildew. You cannot keep anything in your garage that you want to last for any length of time because the mold and mildew destroys it. Also, the heat hots items that you store in a garage. You have to keep valuable items in air-conditioned storage if you wish them to last.

Air Conditioning- you will have to run your air condition throughout the year. There are rare exceptions during the winter months when we sometimes get a few days here and there of cool weather which allow you to shut off the A/C and open the windows. But even when it cools down slightly, if it is still humid you have to keep the A/C running or else mold and mildew grow in your house.

Crime- Is a problem here. The stats don't tell the whole story as most people will attest to on this message board. On paper, crime here appears about average or maybe slightly above average. But in reality, there are a lot of really bad people living in South Florida. Most of them do not live in Coral Springs, but just because you live in Springs doesn't mean you won't venture out to other areas that may be less safe. For example, you might want to go out to a restaurant or bar in Fort Lauderdale, or out to the beach. You may just want to drive around and explore. You may want to hit the Sawgrass Mills shopping mall, or you may want to take a trip down to Miami. That said, I don't think the crime should prevent you from moving here, but its no walk in the park. Its probably worse here than where you live.

Cost of Living- is very high here. This is the biggest con of living in South Florida, and what most people complain about on the message boards. Everything is expensive here. Particularly housing costs and insurance costs. Your car insurance will go up significantly when you move here. I think South Florida is now the most expensive place to insure a car in the U.S. Living in Coral Springs, your car insurance will be less than someone who lives in Fort Lauderdale or Miami, but still very expensive compared to Rochester I'd imagine. Property insurance fluctuates greatly. It has gone down in recent years because we haven't had any major hurricanes hit. But it can skyrocket quickly if we have a repeat of 2004 or 2005. Entertainment is very expensive here. Food is expensive. Gas prices are above average but not as bad as California or Atlanta. Not sure what gas prices are like in Rochester, but I'd imagine NYC is very expensive. There is no public transportation here so you'll need a reliable vehicle. Broward County is very spread out so you will have to drive a good distance to get to the beach from Coral Springs, or to get to Fort Lauderdale. This adds to cost of living expenses. The beaches and other public places are all going to paid parking meters at a rapid pace. Pretty soon you'll be paying to park just about everywhere.

Traffic/drivers- Traffic in Coral Springs is not a major issue, but the surrounding areas can get pretty clogged up. There is a morning and afternoon rush hour in and out of downtown Fort Lauderdale that causes backups on the expressways, and the I-95 corridor is usually jammed up from Fort Lauderdale down to Miami and north to West Palm Beach. Traffic has gotten better in the area the past year since the jump in gas prices caused people to carpool and take more public transportation options such as Tri-Rail. Also, unemployment has jumped so less people are out on the roads commuting. I read something recently that said traffic in South Florida has decreased by about 20% since last summer due to gas prices and less people commuting on the highways.

The drivers here are very aggressive and wreckless. You have to be very careful even in Coral Springs. Turn signals are not used very often here. People do not let you in if you signal to switch lanes. They speed up instead. People from NYC don't get phased by the driving here, but people from any other part of the country are surprised by the drivers here. Hit-and-runs are rampant here. Just be really careful on the roadways.

Jobs/Employment- unemployment is high here. The job market may be the worst we've seen in 50 years. Many people have given up. There is no manufacturing base here, so the economy is a service based economy. This is another reason why S. FL is harder hit than most places because we are service based. If people cannot afford to buy goods and services then the economy does not function very well. This is a terrible time to move to S. FL if you do not have a job lined up first. If you are retired then this will not be an issue.