moving from the uk to jacksonville. (Homestead: sales, leasing agent, houses)

[natasha1980]

hi,

we currently live in the uk and are thinking about moving over to jacksonville florida, my partner can get a work transfer from here to jacksonville fl 32256 and i would be working for myself as i do here then hopefully turning it in to my own cleaning company. we have 1 child whos 6yrs old. can any one explaine to us what taxes you have to pay in jacksonville as ive tried looking on the internet and cant figure it out. we are not sure weather to rent for 12mths first so we can get to know the areas, we would have around $950 a month for rent or we will have around $175k but not sure which areas we should be looking in, we would like a 3bedroomed family home near good schools and no further than a 40min drive away from fl32256.
if anyone can help us that would be great
thanks, natasha

[bpatel27]

Hey,

Any reason in particular to move to Jacksonville? My boyfriend lives there right now and you should definetely do your research before you buy a place. A large part of Jacksonville is poor and ghetto.

But the good news is that housing is very affordable. Here's some good areas to check out:
Orange park (south jax) -Suburbs, rich, safe, and has good schools.
Southside - younger, hipper area with lots of good shopping and restaurants.
St. John's Town Center - Has the live/work/play/shop concept. Best mall in the area and lots of chain restaurants.

Regarding taxes...you do not pay a state tax in Florida, so you will only pay Federal tax, which ranges depending on your income. If you make around $50K, you will be taxed approx. 13-15%. Also, consider the property tax on your place you purchase, which is another $5k. Also, make sure to file for the "Homestead Exemption" on your house and the property tax will be cut in half since you are the owner and you live there.

Right now is the best time to buy in Jacksonville. Prices are at a really low as developer's are lowering their prices to pay back some of the costs.

Good luck!

[apvbguy]

Originally Posted by natasha1980

hi,

we currently live in the uk and are thinking about moving over to jacksonville florida, my partner can get a work transfer from here to jacksonville fl 32256 and i would be working for myself as i do here then hopefully turning it in to my own cleaning company. we have 1 child whos 6yrs old. can any one explaine to us what taxes you have to pay in jacksonville as ive tried looking on the internet and cant figure it out. we are not sure weather to rent for 12mths first so we can get to know the areas, we would have around $950 a month for rent or we will have around $175k but not sure which areas we should be looking in, we would like a 3bedroomed family home near good schools and no further than a 40min drive away from fl32256.
if anyone can help us that would be great
thanks, natasha

I would consider renting in order to get a handle on the place before making a commitment to buy. $950 isn't going to go very far, there will be places at that price, you'll just need to be selective.
try this site to see what is available
RealtyWEB.NET

taxes are paid to the feds on wages, to the county for property, and there is sales tax, which is like VAT but less

[natasha1980]

thank you for your replies, what are the main areas to avoid in jacksonville?
we are coming to disney land florida for 3 wks next month and getting married there. we will be driving down to jacksonville for the day to have a look round and if i know what areas to avoid we can spend more time looking at the better areas.
thanks

[apvbguy]

Originally Posted by natasha1980

thank you for your replies, what are the main areas to avoid in jacksonville?
we are coming to disney land florida for 3 wks next month and getting married there. we will be driving down to jacksonville for the day to have a look round and if i know what areas to avoid we can spend more time looking at the better areas.
thanks

in general the close in north and west sides are the areas to stay away from, the southside is the most popular area

[riveree]

I would absolutely rent first.

I just had family out here from the UK (London) and it confirmed once again the much higher quality of life you have there compared to what we have here in America.

You might be suprised at just how little you get (in services) for your tax money in America. Our education system is lousy compared to the UK - forget which county's school district is supposedly better than another's - they pale in comparsion to the education your child would get where you are.

Houses are bigger here though, and they're cheap!

I'm happy living here, and I've made a life here, and I don't doubt you can do the same, but I would start by dipping your toes in and seeing if you really like it here...yup, definitely rent .

[cellson]

You may want to check out the beach too...$950 may go furthur than one might think in this market...try and bargin with the leasing agent or landlord.

[meeker1]

We live west of Jax. My husband is from UK and we have a lot of UK friends. There are affordable areas and some look nice but may not be considered really desirable locations...so you do need some local to help w/advise. It would be a little tough finding house for 3 for $950 unless it's smaller home in older section. Safe area is a must, as well as close proximity to work. Schools are an issue. I teach, so I know about that too! If I can help, get in touch.

MJR

Originally Posted by natasha1980

hi,

we currently live in the uk and are thinking about moving over to jacksonville florida, my partner can get a work transfer from here to jacksonville fl 32256 and i would be working for myself as i do here then hopefully turning it in to my own cleaning company. we have 1 child whos 6yrs old. can any one explaine to us what taxes you have to pay in jacksonville as ive tried looking on the internet and cant figure it out. we are not sure weather to rent for 12mths first so we can get to know the areas, we would have around $950 a month for rent or we will have around $175k but not sure which areas we should be looking in, we would like a 3bedroomed family home near good schools and no further than a 40min drive away from fl32256.
if anyone can help us that would be great
thanks, natasha