Slightly Terrified (Miami, Kendall, Panama City: real estate, apartment, to rent)

[itsallgooding]

Hi! I just scored a major promotion and will be relocating to Miami from Dallas, TX. I am a single mother who will be taking my 13 y/o son and 10 y/o daughter with me. I have lived in Dallas my entire life and have never been any father down Florida than Panama City Beach. I am terrified, but I refuse to let my fear keep me from being able to provide a better life for my children.

My company is located on the island of Key Biscayne. I have been trying to find an affordable area for me to rent a 2-3 bedroom house or apartment. I will be making 44,000/year. Everything I have seen so far, even places up to 45 minutes away from my job seem to be so expensive.

Does anyone now of an affordable, yet decent area in which I could look to rent? I would greatly appreciate any assistance!

[unquiltom]

You might want to see if you can renegotiate that raise. To live in Miami with 2 kids, you'll need twice that much to be able to live comfortably. If they can't come up significantly, you should stay where you are.
If your company has offices in Key Biscayne, which is some of the most expensive real estate in South Florida, they should be able to up your pay.

[Cubanchic]

Although I do know of families that make it at 44 k a year they live in very working class areas and the schools are not that good. 44k in Texas is not the same as 44k in Miami and areas that are decent enough that you could afford a 2 to 3 bedroom house or apartment would be a huge commute to key Biscayne.

I would really think about this, considering that COL in Miami is not that cheap at all, like research car insurance which most like double, rents which anything decent for a 2 bed room apartment in the most outermost Kendall area or deeper south might run at least 1600 a month.

If you find those areas look into the schools which your kids are looking into middle and high schools which tend to be the grades that you have to be careful about.

[doggiebus]

Miami is one of the more expensive places to live in this country. Coming from Dallas, you'll be in a little shock at what you can't get for your money. Expect your car insurance to double from what your paying in Dallas.

Key Biscayne is one of the best places to live in Miami, meaning it's expensive. $44,000 like others have said, isn't going to get you in good schools most likely. I'd suggest looking into Southern Broward County as it will be cheaper than Miami-Dade County, but the commute to Key Biscayne will be a nightmare.

Kendall would be my suggestion, just for the fact you'll find a variety of different housing options and housing pricing. I'd look at everything between Kendall and Key Biscayne too see if there was anything in your budget. Just remember when you are looking at Miami neighborhoods, you'll find nice areas next to not so nice areas. So when you see cheaper housing lets say in Coconut Grove for instance, that is probably a red flag that its closer to the not so nice area of Coconut Grove.

[Travelassie]

Originally Posted by itsallgooding

Hi! I just scored a major promotion and will be relocating to Miami from Dallas, TX. I am a single mother who will be taking my 13 y/o son and 10 y/o daughter with me. I have lived in Dallas my entire life and have never been any father down Florida than Panama City Beach. I am terrified, but I refuse to let my fear keep me from being able to provide a better life for my children.

My company is located on the island of Key Biscayne. I have been trying to find an affordable area for me to rent a 2-3 bedroom house or apartment. I will be making 44,000/year. Everything I have seen so far, even places up to 45 minutes away from my job seem to be so expensive.

Does anyone now of an affordable, yet decent area in which I could look to rent? I would greatly appreciate any assistance!

As others have said, the cost of living is pretty high in Miami, and a salary of $44,000/annually isn't really enough to cover the expenses you'll have in Miami.

I know of employers who provide higher "locality pay" for their employees who live in areas where the cost of living is higher, and that includes Miami. From what I've seen it's usually somewhere between 10 and 15% higher than the base pay for a given position in the company elsewhere.

I'd suggest maybe you approach your employer and see about getting that locality pay added to your salary- when you think about it, depending on how badly your company needs someone in its Key Biscayne location, it behooves them to make it possible for an employee to live in Miami. Anyone else who might take that position at that salary would be in the same boat.

I've actually seen positions go unfilled because employees could not afford to live in Miami.

Good luck to you! And congratulations on your promotion, I hope it works out for you and your family.

[Surf&Turf]

I've never been in Dallas and I'm not sure what the cost of living is there, but according to various cost of living calculators you can find online, it's safe to say that cost of living in Miami is about 12-15% higher than Dallas. Though that really doesn't factor that housing cost is actually more than double in Miami than Dallas. Unfortunately, with your salary you won't find any decent housing options less than at least 45 minutes to 1 hour commute from Key Biscayne. Also, again I'm not too familiar with Dallas, but good schools are hard to come by in areas where your salary would allow to rent/own a decent and comftortable place, unless you're willing to have a commute closer to 2 hours each way. Good luck.

[ruski]

Key Biscayne is a great place. But.

I doubt you can find anything on Key Biscayne that will be commensurate with your salary, unfortunately.

And if you find something outside of Key Biscayne, it will be far enough, so you will spend a lot of your salary on commuting costs. The tolls alone, to get onto Key Biscayne will eat a chunk of your salary.

[City Guy997S]

visuals help here:

http://www.realtor.com/realestateand...9_M73448-34244
3/2 2100 sq ft on 1/4 acre is 242K

http://www.realtor.com/realestateand...57-41800?row=6
1/1 715 sq ft condo in a 45+ yr old building with no views is 315K

[perry335654]

move and live in Goulds

[doggiebus]

Goulds is a bad area, fyi.