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As a Sunbelt property owner, I sure hope this thread title bears fruit. I don't think FL will ever be what it used to be. Entire cities/communities previously occupied by retirees are now drug infested and run down. FL takes a beating in the National Press, if it ain't hurricanes, it's Casey Anthony, the face-eating guy, sinkholes, etc. The unemployment is horrible, the heat unbearable, real estate stagnant.
Seems like the old days when folks came to retire and stay year round have been supplanted by "folks who just want to get out of the snow for awhile".
If only all of your overtly dramatic post was true.
Florida hasn't been damaged significantly by a hurricane in nearly 10 years. The coastal residents of Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, New York and Connecticut would love to be able to say that
Sinkholes are a rare phenomenon unlike other natural disasters like the consistent loss of life and destruction by Tornadoes in the Midwest and Plains States, Wildfires in California and the Rockies, or even
Hurricane damage in NY/NJ over the past few years which have claimed thousands of lives. Sinkholes have accounted for three deaths in Florida over 40 years despite the media frenzy to portray how widespread and dangerous they are. The same media that won't run similar news stories about similar or worse incidents of human behavior elsewhere, which differs from state to state somehow.
Cities in the Northeast US such as Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington DC have hotter (or as hot) months on average in the Summer as Florida. Cities like Houston, Austin, Dallas, Oklahoma City, Phoenix and Albuquerque are experiencing hotter weather than Florida of late.
"Florida's median home prices last month bested the year before for the 15th month in a row, climbing 15 percent to $160,000, data shows. Sales climbed 9 percent over March 2012, with nearly half of the 20,000 closings paid in cash. Tight inventories continue to turn the market's screws, squeezing newly emboldened buyers into shrinking supplies. If no more homes were added, the state's inventory would sell in five months, below the six-month supply commonly considered healthy."
Now see, aren't facts a bit more useful than say one person's obvious issues???
For the most part, the sun-belt boom will not end, just slow down. As long as the area has milder temps, lower housings costs, and employment opportunities there is no end in sight, only a slow down. Florida will always be popular with older folks and younger ones as well. The same with Arizona, Nevada, Georgia, and Texas. I don't think any state within the sunbelt confines will experience a decline in the way that say Ohio or Pennsylvania has. People will be more apt to move within the sunbelt (say from Los Angeles to Austin, or Atlanta to Las Vegas) than vise versa.
I find it amazing that some people actually think the only reason Southern cities prosper is low cost of living, real estate and mild weather.
Here are some reasons besides that that make Atlanta sure to keep growing.
1. Among Top three in number of Fortune 500 companies located here.
2. Busiest Airport in the world.
3. Within 2 hour flight of 80% of the U.S. population.
4. Very Major rail hub for over 150 years now.
5. Close proximity to the Countries 3rd and 10th busiest Ports.
6. Americas 3rd topped ranked and largest Engineering School located here. Along with other major Universities.
7. Major convention center
8. CNN, TBS, TNT, TCM, Weather Channel, Cartoon Network, Three Movie studios.
9. One of the countries best internet fiber optics infrastructure.
As for Texas with Dallas and Houston, America's Energy sector is centered there. And that is a very huge deal by itself.
I find it amazing that some people actually think the only reason Southern cities prosper is low cost of living, real estate and mild weather.
Here are some reasons besides that that make Atlanta sure to keep growing.
1. Among Top three in number of Fortune 500 companies located here.
2. Busiest Airport in the world.
3. Within 2 hour flight of 80% of the U.S. population.
4. Very Major rail hub for over 150 years now.
5. Close proximity to the Countries 3rd and 10th busiest Ports.
6. Americas 3rd topped ranked and largest Engineering School located here. Along with other major Universities.
7. Major convention center
8. CNN, TBS, TNT, TCM, Weather Channel, Cartoon Network, Three Movie studios.
9. One of the countries best internet fiber optics infrastructure.
As for Texas with Dallas and Houston, America's Energy sector is centered there. And that is a very huge deal by itself.
Sure, but Atlanta is not a typical or median Southern City. It's arguably (maybe inarguably...) the capitol of the South.
Just as one wouldn't make generalizations about the whole Midwest based on Chicago or all of New England based on Boston, one shouldn't argue that Atlanta typifies the or urban or economic development of the South.
Don't get me wrong, there are a lot of people that utterly dismiss the South, and they shouldn't. There is a lot of economic growth occurring in the South, and the South does have more going for it than just mild winters and a low cost of living. But let's not act like Atlanta is typical of the region; it's not.
Sure, but Atlanta is not a typical or median Southern City. It's arguably (maybe inarguably...) the capitol of the South.
Just as one wouldn't make generalizations about the whole Midwest based on Chicago or all of New England based on Boston, one shouldn't argue that Atlanta typifies the or urban or economic development of the South.
Don't get me wrong, there are a lot of people that utterly dismiss the South, and they shouldn't. There is a lot of economic growth occurring in the South, and the South does have more going for it than just mild winters and a low cost of living. But let's not act like Atlanta is typical of the region; it's not.
Atlanta's also not really an anomaly, at least as far as the "New South" goes.
there are still many key industries not moving to the south, and are basically nonexistent there. They will stay in cities like Boston, NYC, DC as can be seen by the cost of living in these cities going up, b/c people are still making a lottt of $. Meanwhile as somebody said, you can get a house in Cleveland for the price of a VCR. Most job changes are being cities like Detroit, St. Louis, Cincinatti, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Buffalo being gutted for jobs.
Most companies even in Atlanta are somewhat blue collar, built on manufacturing and logistics and a network of back office business people...
Home Depot
UPS
Coke
Delta
Southern
Rubbermaid
NCR
Houston is lots of Big Oil/Chemical type blue collar work companies also.
The best and brightest, world leaders with Ivy Degrees still largely flock to NYC, DC, Boston, SF etc.
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If the housing market is any indication, the boom is back on in this corner of the Sunbelt. Bidding wars are once again breaking out over residential properties, and a suburban builder recently reported that he was selling new construction on average 40 days after it comes out of the ground.
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