Thinking of Moving to Jacksonville (Orlando, Plantation: sales, real estate, insurance)

[wsforchrist]

Why do I keep getting so much negative feedback about Florida? We have been thinking of moving to Jacksonville when we sale our house but I hear so much about taxes and insurance prices I am afraid to even consider Florida. Is it true the property taxes are coming down 20% the first of July and there is a possibility that property tax (if you own your own home) will be elimiated and sales taxe will increase to 8% sometime soon? The property tax where we live in Alabama is really cheap compared to Florida but we already have 8% sales tax.

[riverviewnative]

I would not believe anything said about tax reductions until if and when they happen. As far as taxes our property taxes on the lot that we do not have homestead. $3,000 to $11,000 in three years.

[a_nu_me]

I am not a home owner so I can't speak on the taxes. But Fl. does have beautiful landscaping and no state tax. Try it. You may actually find it worth while and Al. isn't too far to visit. However, I would suggest Orange Park versus Jacksonville. The two are pretty much connected.

[pianogal]

No one knows yet what the solution to the property tax crisis will be yet. I wish they would just replace it with a sales tax, but it would be a miracle - too many cities, groups crying out against that one. We are all in a wait and see attitude. There was an article posted in the Orlando Sentinel stating that many prospective home buyers are on the fence - not closing deals - also in a wait and see mode.

[riveree]

Originally Posted by a_nu_me

However, I would suggest Orange Park versus Jacksonville. The two are pretty much connected.

a_nu_me,

What would you say the advantages are that Orange Park has over Jax? I tend to think of Orange Park as a bedroom community. Orange Park is built up enough to be established (you can get what you need there), but Jacksonville is a full-blown second-tier city. I'm just curious what it is you prefer.

I would add that although Orange Park often gets lumped in with Jax, there is a large river dividing the two that seperates them physically and otherwise. They are also different counties with their own governing bodies and their own tax rates (since that's what the original post was about - taxes - they are higher in Orange Park).

[GotPuggle]

Orange Park may be seperated from Jax by a river...but for that matter Jacksonville is seperated by a river. I like Orange Park. I moved out here a year or so ago and I have no complaints. I moved into a great development with low crime, good schools, and tons of ammenities. You cant beet it. In two years I will hardly have to leave my community because of the development and growth of orange park.

As for me, I don't like the beaches/southside area too much. Its nice and all, but the property is to expensive for what you get(in my opinion anyways) and the traffic in Mandarin is WAY WORSE than any traffic in OP.

I hear from my friend who is in the Real Estate industry that the House of Reps keeps pushing the tax thing. It seems that one way or another there will be some sort of relief. Honestly its not that bad in NE Florida though. South Florida is who really takes the brunt of the beating on the taxes.

[jsimms3]

Orange Park is not separated from Jacksonville by a river, well maybe Fleming Island Plantation is by a small river, i.e. Blck Creek. In fact, I live in Jacksonville and it is a short 10-30 minute drive down Roosevelt (or 5 hours down Blanding) depending on traffic. The Southside does not equal Jacksonville, it is essentially a side of Jacksonville. Sometimes I think people forget that there is another side of town on the other side of the river called the Westside and the Northside. Some of Jacksonville's finest neighborhoods (true neighborhoods not communties with HOA's and such) are on this side of the river.

[daisies76]

[quote=GotPuggle;556957]) and the traffic in Mandarin is WAY WORSE than any traffic in OP.QUOTE]

I completely disagree. The only area of mandarin that traffic backs up is near Walmart that can be aggrivating sometimes, but Blanding is a mess ALL the time. Just getting off the intserstate during rush hour and near Argyle is enough to make me scream...and unfortunately that traffic isnt limited to just rush hour. And near the mall? YIKES!

[riveree]

Originally Posted by jsimms3

Orange Park is not separated from Jacksonville by a river

True enough - you can get to parts of Jacksonville (including Downtown's Northbank) without crossing the river. To get to the Southbank, Southside & Beaches you'd have to cross the river.

The Southside does not equal Jacksonville, it is essentially a side of Jacksonville. Sometimes I think people forget that there is another side of town on the other side of the river called the Westside and the Northside. Some of Jacksonville's finest neighborhoods (true neighborhoods not communties with HOA's and such) are on this side of the river.

Well, the Southside is the biggest chunk of Jacksonville, so I think that's why it's referenced so much. There's also so much discussion about beach proximity when housing questions come up, so the Southside is a natural reference again.

[riveree]

Oops - I did something wrong with my quote of JSimms above.

The sentence "True enough..." in the second paragraph of the quote is actually mine.