Florida-to-GA...What's the deal??? (Atlanta, Duluth: real estate market, car insurance, crime)

[GAisGreat]

Almost every thread on here is someone inquiring about moving to GA from FLA, mostly South FL. Now I've visited FLA, Tampa, Pensacola areas, no SoFlo, but is it really that bad there?

All the things I see these people complaining about really aren't much diff up here, minus the hurricanes...Is Florida THAT BAD? I mean I didn't really care for it, but it seems as if 1/2 the state is trying to move to GA from there...GA already sucks, is it actually going to become worse if all these people that ruined Florida are moving here now? Is housing going to become even more inflated and overpriced? Is traffic and overdevelopment, don't know how it's possible, going to actually become even worse?

You people do realize, crime is pretty high here, traffic is a nightmare at best, the people are very phony and materialistic, there are no seasons, everything (housing, shopping, dining...) is pretty much the same corporate, cookie cutter, garbage that you find on every corner in FLA, illegals are welcomed w/open arms while anybody from another state is an 'outsider'....Am I missing something here?

[kaycee01]

I'm from sw florida and we are looking to move out of here as well, but not to Georgia, thinking SC. Cost of living is sky rocketing, insurance companies, will drop you like a hat, since they can't afford to be in business. It is beautiful here in so called paradice, but if you have no time to enjoy it whats the use.

[Mike&Linda]

We live near Tampa. Florida is great, though hurricane season, high insurance rates and deed restricted living is painful.

[SR89racer]

$4,800 in taxes and $4,600 for insurance a year! What would you do?

[ready2move]

what is is going on in Florida you ask? It has become a state where the middle class are being forced out of their homes. Insurance rates have doubled since last summer with the hurricanes. Example, our homeowner's insurance last year was 2400. This year our premiums are going anywhere from 4400-4800. Housing is overvalued and overpriced and property taxes are out of control. We have something called "Save Our Homes" This allows a max of a 3% increase on your asessed value of your current property. We have been in our home since 1992. We pay approx 3400 a year on our property tax. Now if I sold my house today (which I am trying to do) at 450,000, the new owners would pay close to 10,0000.00 in taxes. NOT A TYPO. What Save our homes does not allow you to do, is to move to another home or different county within FLA because thate 3% cap does not follow you. So basically, you are a prisoner in your own home, unless you move out of state, so hence the exodus to GA. In addition, Florida, especially South Florida, has changed in the last years, english has become the second language, and people have become rude and angry. The only thing right now that FLA has going for it is no state income tax. I never thought I would leave FLA, been here since 1980, but there comes a point where quality of life outweighs everything else, and the mountains are looking better and better everyday!

[Georgia]

Originally Posted by SR89racer

$4,800 in taxes and $4,600 for insurance a year! What would you do?

Yeah your insurance is high. Property taxes are not that much different.
Plus you have to look at Georgia this way.
Higher car insurance rates.
6% income taxation
Ad Vallurum Car Taxation ( In other words annual tags for your car can average $250 for a new Hyundai a year to $1,000+ for a BMW luxury car)
Ga is also a non referrendum state. In other words the county can raise your taxes annually at will. Example Gwinnett citizens were told due to storm drains we will have a upper tiered tax rates for the next 3 years adding to our bills for storm water Basically we are paying for developers run a muk here under no consequence for their actions. Let the taxpayers pay.
Don't think GA is this Utopia from Florida. It isn't.

Take your time and do the math before you uproot and move.

[GAisGreat]

Ok, I should have worded the original post better...I feel your pain, and understand why people want to get the hell out of Florida...What I don't understand is why you all want to go to GA? You have had it w/Florida, and think GA will be your paradise on earth?????

To me it's like saying you want to get the heck out of New York City because your tired of bad traffic, too expensive, rude people, cold weather...so you've decided to move to Boston...Or you're sick and tired of the cold Minnesota winters so you're moving to Wisconsin???

I'm just trying to figure out what has caused this mass belief that GA is this utopian alternative to FLA???

[jillmaican]

Even if you consider Georgia to be overpriced/over-rated you have to compare what you get for your money in Georgia vs. what you get in South Florida. Its actually quite simple. For example my fiance and I bought our townhome in a semi-ok neighborhood in the worst high school in the area for $130K only two years ago. We just sold in a now not so good neighborhood, with still the same horrible schools for $230K. Our association fees were $255 a month and we spent close to $3k on assessments due to hurricanes. Now I can take that money and move to Duluth or wherever and get in one of the best school districts in the area. Even if I had made no money on my home I could still get a single family home in a great school district for less than $300K. That simply WOULD NOT HAPPEN in S. Fl. A good school district (which when compared to other areas is not that great) would cost about $450K for a STARTER home. Not to mention the $5000 for insurance and about $10,000 in taxes. Unless this starts to happen in GA you will have to get use to Floridians. I'm not running from other Flordians, no one expects GA to be perfect but we all want a nice home and don't want to spend our lives at work just to pay the mortgage. S. Florida = HOUSE POOR. And believe me we know crime in S.Fl. I had never even thought of home invasions until I moved here. I'm not expecting utopia. If just need my $ to go a little further. Be ready for the real estate market to start moving this summer. North Carolina is quite expensive now so GA is the next on the list. I'm just glad I'm getting there before it gets any worse.

[dig02]

I am a teacher here in South FLorida and my family and I are considering relocating as well. If not Georgia, then North Carolina. Sad as it is, my husband and I can't afford a house here. We're also not willing to pay $500K for a house that costs 1/3 of that price somewhere else. And the insurance costs are ski rocketing every 2 to 3 months.

[Georgia]

Jam and Dig,

Yes your money may go further. I lived in NJ for 10 years.
My taxes were 810.00 A MONTH in 2000, my income tax was 7.35%, my car insurance was bid each year and it was murder.
My company transferred me to Illinois. My taxes went down 1,000 per year, car insurance was cheap, but homes were higher.
Transfered to GA. Homes were cheaper. Car insurance 30% higher, property tax way less, income tax double. Car tax, local county piggy back tax, and many wonderful "southern tactic" hidden nickle and dime fees and taxes to nip you little by little.

Just want to make sure you check out each and every angle. It's funny. Im a native West Virginian but hard to believe I really really miss New Jersey. I like Georgia but you do not have the overall traditional things here, outside of the UGA Bulldogs I guess. GA in the Atlanta area is transplant city. No diversity in food, no life long team loyalties in sports, just Wal Marts, Costco's, Strip Malls, and chains. Man, I really miss a good Cheesesteak, Hogie, and a NY Pizza.

Coming from Florida, your gonna miss your Grouper and seafood! Unless Ms. Pauls will satisfy