Is Jacksonville really this affluent now? (Miami: crime, credit card, home)

[BabyBoomers2]

In Red below......That's is definitely a fact!!
In Blue below....... Not my wife!! Thank God!!

Today most people live on credit cards.....that is just fact. What I mean is that 90% of shopping is done with credit cards. If someone is paying with cash or check, it's looks rather odd to me! Although, from what I've seen, a lot of older Seniors do pay in cash. Very seldom do I see a check being written out at a register.
As far as the Baby Boomer "money saving" thing.......yep, that was me for numerous years. Thing is, I didn't give it a thought about getting into a Retirement Plan (401K or whatever) while working. I seemed to always make a lower salary ($11 per hour or lower) at each job and wanted as much of my salary for "take home" as I could get. Warehouse type positions don't make that much in the first place, unless a person is working for a very large company. Anyway, my wife is also a Baby Boomer, but also a degreed Accountant and definitely used the Retirement Plan at jobs. Even though she loves spending money (sometimes), she sure knows how to "stick it away" in a Retirement Plan as well. Unfortunately, when she was unemployed also, we had to use some of that money to live on.




From Robyn55: I don't care if people have more or less money. I just think they should live within their means (with the occasional splurge - not paid for on credit). I guess that is a pretty old-fashioned view these days. If you want to see something kind of pathetic - go to the Retirement forum here. There are a large number of baby boomers around my age who have saved zero - zip - zilch - for their retirement (some have had unfortunate employment things happen to them in recent years - but many just failed to plan). I recommend that 20 year olds who are thinking of leasing a lifestyle that they can't afford lurk there for a while. Might change your mind about what you plan to do for the next 40 years. Robyn

[projectmaximus]

Originally Posted by jsimms3

I'm guessing your friends live in Pablo Reserve? Just a hunch

Actually, no. Probably thinking of the wrong Gator related name. They live on public roads...just blocks from HUD housing! But it's on the river. Inside the 295-9A loop. I don't know the city that well, but I'm pretty sure that narrows it down a lot.

Originally Posted by Robyn55

Could also be the hundred thousandaire syndrome. We have a friend who's a golf pro. He gave it up to become a financial advisor for a major firm. He told us that when he went to peoples' houses (and we're talking about expensive houses) - and he sat down to figure out investment strategies - he couldn't do it for many many people. Because they had negative net worths (and this was before the housing crash). All the cars were leased - all the furniture (what there was of it) was bought on time from Rooms to Go - credit cards max'd out - etc. The best advice he could give these people was to pay off 18% credit card debt (because he couldn't guarantee 18% returns). He quit after a while - wound up with a really good management job in the golf industry .

I have to admit that I was pretty naive when I first moved here. Although I came from Miami - the people who lived in our condo were mostly wealthy south Americans who paid for things in cash - and successful professionals (also - this was before housing prices went into the stratosphere). I would go to tennis lunches here in million dollar+ houses (which ours is not) - and listen in amazement as women planned very cheap vacations (discussing how to save money by staying with relatives they barely knew).

I don't care if people have more or less money. I just think they should live within their means (with the occasional splurge - not paid for on credit). I guess that is a pretty old-fashioned view these days. If you want to see something kind of pathetic - go to the Retirement forum here. There are a large number of baby boomers around my age who have saved zero - zip - zilch - for their retirement (some have had unfortunate employment things happen to them in recent years - but many just failed to plan). I recommend that 20 year olds who are thinking of leasing a lifestyle that they can't afford lurk there for a while. Might change your mind about what you plan to do for the next 40 years. Robyn

Wow...very interesting insights!! If you think about it, the numbers tell you that many people must be living that way, but to hear anecdotal evidence is intriguing to me. Part of the problem is that most (myself included) probably expect things to get better. We all have a dream and obviously have faith that we'll succeed. Just that many of us don't prepare in case it doesn't happen.

[staywarm2]

Originally Posted by KerryB

Nah, like a lot of Florida, you'll probably seeing some "fake wealth" being thrown around here these days. We're just late to the poser party.

Anyways, I never usually equate expensive cars & big houses with true wealth. Usually means big car loans & big mortgages.

OR leased cars...

[Robyn55]

Originally Posted by projectmaximus

Wow...very interesting insights!! If you think about it, the numbers tell you that many people must be living that way, but to hear anecdotal evidence is intriguing to me. Part of the problem is that most (myself included) probably expect things to get better. We all have a dream and obviously have faith that we'll succeed. Just that many of us don't prepare in case it doesn't happen.

Actually I think more people are living within their means these days. They can't afford not to. And - if you're in the majority - not unemployed - the world may not be normal - but your life probably is. I agree about hoping the world will get better - and that people will wind up achieving their dreams. We can't do much about the world - but we can perhaps have the best chance of achieving our dreams if we don't hang ourselves with a noose of excessive debt.

OTOH - for a lot of people - their dreams simply involve getting lots of "stuff" - especially new and trendy stuff. I was in Best Buy today - looking at cellphones. And I swear - I was twice as old as everyone else - and I doubt most of the people I saw there can afford the monthly plans for phones like the Samsung Epic 4. That happens to be my favorite phone these days - but I can't justify over $1k/year for a cellphone plan.

Not to mention that one of the great luxuries in life is being "out of touch" - "don't call me - I'll call you" living. Living tethered to a Blackberry is no way to go through life IMO (I don't know why normal people do it voluntarily - or allow their employers to put them on call 24/7). Or having to lug an iPad around when you're shopping for shoes? I've done some pretty time sensitive things in my life. And the thing that was most time sensitive was day trading. Anyone who tries to do that on a cellphone or an iPad while trying to do something else is pretty dumb IMO.

One thing that I think has been lost in this blitz of technology spending is real personal communication. FTF - even over the phone. I don't want to read a friend or family member's blog - or their Facebook stuff - or see the 500 unedited pictures they've posted on Flickr - or get a mass email from them (especially one that gives everyone else my email address!). A 10-15 phone call once a year would be nice. Dinner if possible once in a while would be better. And technology doesn't always lead to greater skills. I saw a white kid in Costco today - about 7 - in a shopping cart. Playing that stupid game with the birds and pigs on a cellphone. Saw an Indian kid about the same age. Reading a book. Guess who's getting better preparation for life? Robyn

P.S. The pictures thing drives me nuts. Now that everyone can take 100 digital pictures in 10 minutes - they do so. And then they upload them - and send you links. I'm a decent amateur photographer - and I spend about 90% of my time editing photos (deleting the bad ones - photoshoping the best ones - etc.). When someone sends me a link to a site with 100's of unedited pictures - it says to me: "My time is more valuable than yours. Wade through this pile of junk and see what you think." Thanks but no thanks.

[Tinky30]

I'm curious as to where the high crime neighborhoods are on the LISC map. Would it be a stupid assumption to say the highly concentrated blue/blue-green areas are the high crime areas in Jacksonville?

[Robyn55]

It would be a stupid assumption. Low income and property values doesn't necessarily = high crime. It's sometimes yes - sometimes no. Any particular area you're interested in (and then we can perhaps help you with additional info)? Robyn

[Northside904]

Originally Posted by Tinky30

I'm curious as to where the high crime neighborhoods are on the LISC map. Would it be a stupid assumption to say the highly concentrated blue/blue-green areas are the high crime areas in Jacksonville?

The high-crime areas are in Inner Northside/Inner NW Jacksonville as evidenced by the concentrated blue/blue-green areas. At the same time, those areas have quiet, pretty neighborhoods where homes have just been built and single-family. Take 32208 and 32209, very ghetto areas but they have nice neighborhoods here and there.

Originally Posted by Robyn55

It would be a stupid assumption. Low income and property values doesn't necessarily = high crime. It's sometimes yes - sometimes no. Any particular area you're interested in (and then we can perhaps help you with additional info)? Robyn

9 times out of 10, in any city where homes sell for under 100k, you're cutting it close to entering a low-income area or are deep into the inner-city. This is true in Jacksonville. If homes sell for under 50K, you're definitely in the 'hood.

[fsu813]

Originally Posted by Tinky30

I'm curious as to where the high crime neighborhoods are on the LISC map. Would it be a stupid assumption to say the highly concentrated blue/blue-green areas are the high crime areas in Jacksonville?

Here's a close up of part of the "North/Northwest side", where most of the crime in Jacksonville comes from. The bottom of the map is Downtown, Riverside, and San Marco. In this area, general crime does follow in line with propety values.

So the orange & yellow along the Trout River to the North, and orange & yellow just above Downtown near the bottom of the map, don't have the same crime issues as the blue & green shaded areas.

Once you get out into the suburbs, rural and un/underdeveloped, that's where you'll find home values that do NOT match up with crime.

One execption to that would be the Murray Hill neighborhood, next to Avondale. Most of it's houses are pretty darn small (around 1000 sq ft), so the home values will obviously be less.



http://myspringfield.smugmug.com/photos/1111045591_38poK-X2.jpg (broken link)

[FlyiMetro]

Originally Posted by Robyn55

Was listening to the football game on 690 this weekend - it said WOKV (?) - the voice of Jacksonville and Ponte Vedra Beach. So I reckon we're in the metro area.

BTW - your stuff about a McCondo - and "all your women". Don't know how old you are (pushing 30 or older I'd guess) - but I suspect it's time for you to find that "one woman" and get married and settle down. You know - the older you get - the harder it is to find someone to live with - bond with. (It's the start of Chanukah tomorrow - and I'm in full Jewish mother mode - bet you never had a Jewish mother to nag you ). Take care, Robyn

I will settle down in a coffin. The world is a huge place, Id like to see the other "fruits" it has to offer.

One topic...I have to say the coolest car I have ever seen in Jax was a Lambo on 295 & a De Lorian on Atlantic Blvd other than those two...just a bunch of pick up trucks.

[FlyiMetro]

Originally Posted by CanesFan81

Believe me, I agree that the pickups will always outnumber any car or truck here!! I was just saying that I see alot more upscale amenities(i.e. St. John's Town Center), cars, and vibe since I last visited Jacksonville. Jacksonville just looks lioke a more progressive city these days.

Jax is progressing slowly, not the speed Id like it to move at, but it is moving. I moved from Jax mainly due to the speed of life landed in Atl where the speed is no different, my next stop Miami or New York & I have no issue learning spanish either, it would make one more competitive. If Jax was more competitive Id probably still be living there, but I am cheering for it & watch it closely via the internet.