To all the Miami-haters on this forum... (Tampa, Orlando: insurance, house)

[tallrick]

Miami thrives on its image, and profits from the endless stream of dreamers who come to the area. While there are far worse places, Miami-Dade county combines expensive real estate with few opportunities for legal business. Broward county was a good alternative, but buildout and the close proximity of Miami-dade have made it as bad in many areas. Unless you have support (born here to established parents, have a lot of $$$ or are employed by a major corporation and well compensated) you will never attain a good quality lifestyle in today's Miami. This area is like a dumpster, containing the good and bad in a confined space with nowhere to grow. Many midwestern cities are surrounded by useable rural land that keeps costs down, that does not exist in the south Florida area anymore.

[illini84]

Ha ha...yeah, there are parts of Miami-Dade that are really nice (the Gables), but who can really afford to live there? I checked the median home price in Coral Gables yesterday and it was somewhere around $850,000. Unbelievable. Some girl on "Deal or No Deal" last night got offered $150,000 and kept saying that she could buy a nice house with that. Not even a shack around these parts...(literally). I wouldn't really mind the high cost of living if the salaries came anywhere close to balancing that out (like they do in most places), but they don't. Maybe if you're a doctor or lawyer, but not the "average Joe"...even though I'm "average Joe" (or "Jane", rather ) with a college-degree working for a development consulting firm...and somehow am damn near living paycheck to paycheck. I'd be living comfortably in most other places.

[d40372]

Originally Posted by illini84

... I wouldn't really mind the high cost of living if the salaries came anywhere close to balancing that out (like they do in most places), but they don't. Maybe if you're a doctor or lawyer, but not the "average Joe"...

Sad to say, but this isn't necessarily true for honest doctors, either. I had a heart-to-heart with my primary care doc a few months back, and he was at his wits' end....working like a dog and barely making ends meet. Granted, though, life is probably much sweeter for the high-paying specialties such as plastic surgery, radiology, and dermatology.

But, even still, sky-high malpractice rates lead many doctors down here to protect their assets, drop their malpractice policies, and hope for the best (a.k.a. "going bare"). The next time you're in a physician's office, check the wall in his waiting room. Odds are, there's a small sign posted that announces that he carries no malpractice insurance.

Combine this factor with the lousy reimbursements that result when you have a large elderly population in an area of the country where HMO's have a strangle-hold on the Medicare market, and you end up with a ton of docs who are struggling just to keep their heads above water.

In a previous post, I had remarked upon the risk of a major "brain drain" from south Florida. Though this could end up involving various professions, I was particularly thinking of physicians. This area of the country is not exactly known for attracting excellent doctors. Plus, Miami is a hotbed of Medicare fraud as it is. If good, honest primary care physicians start leaving in droves, I'd hate to think what medical care here will become.

As far as lawyers go..my previous girlfriend is an attorney, and she's nearly living paycheck-to-paycheck. In talking to her, it didn't sound as if her colleagues (who are a couple of years out of law school) are doing much better. My impression is that, unless you're in a big firm or have achieved partnership, even lawyers get crappy pay in Miami.

[gv0928]

It seems that people expect things to change instantly for them, for the better, upon setting foot into the MIA airport.

[illini84]

My point is that I could make the exact same salary (or probably more) doing the exact same job in the city I came from--St. Louis. My rent was literally half the cost of what it is here for an equally nice (or nicer) place, and a better quality of live overall. I didn't except this "amazing" lifestyle upon moving here, but I at least expected to live comfortably on my salary and not have to adapt to a poorer quality of life. I still can't figure out why I'm paying so much to live in Miami...for what?

[tallrick]

Originally Posted by illini84

I still can't figure out why I'm paying so much to live in Miami...for what?

This is the question of the century. Miami is overrated, overpriced and economically depressed as stated repeatedly. While St Louis is seen as a crime-ridden hell hole by many, I have a friend who lives in the area and says otherwise. He has repeatedly asked me to move to the area. I am hoping that I can stay in Florida, but anyone living in Miami is at a huge disadvantage. You cannot compete in the world market with Miami overhead. Remember, if you want to live in Miami get your fortune elsewhere, then blow it in south Florida.

[mariecug]

It's VERY hard to explain the difference between visiting Miami and living there. I visited Miami for years before moving there and thought - this will be great! I knew it was expensive, but I had a degree and live pretty cheap.

But there's something about it...it's so disorganized. You get exhausted because nothing is easy. The people are harsh and superficial (I lived on SoBe). You can't trust the phone company, the mail, the traffic lights, the sewer system.
Everyone is kinda scheming - "we pay you as a contractor so you get more!! (translation - we don't offer health insurance)". It's hard to define what living in a place without a strong organizational structure is like. But it's awful. And no amount of sitting on a beach changes that.

So I ran back home, in debt, to Washington, DC - and it never looked better. Hopefully you'll gain a new appreciation!

[305guy]

Originally Posted by illini84

My point is that I could make the exact same salary (or probably more) doing the exact same job in the city I came from--St. Louis. My rent was literally half the cost of what it is here for an equally nice (or nicer) place, and a better quality of live overall. I didn't except this "amazing" lifestyle upon moving here, but I at least expected to live comfortably on my salary and not have to adapt to a poorer quality of life. I still can't figure out why I'm paying so much to live in Miami...for what?

Miami has big city prices...didn't you research the rent prices before coming down here? I know of alot of places where the rent is a 1/3 of what I pay now and where rent is 2x what I pay now. I know my salary is decent to live in Miami but if I moved to San Francisco I'd have to get a 3rd job to support myself. I don't need to move to San Francsico to figure that out. When you move somewhere that is more expensive and your salary is not going to be on par with your lifestyle, of course your quality of life is going to suffer. Why you moved to Miami? Only you know that, but don't blame the city/county for your lack of research.

[illini84]

Originally Posted by 305guy

Miami has big city prices...but don't blame the city/county for your lack of research.

Sure, most big cities have high costs of living. But in other big cities, you get a far better quality of life. Miami is consistently the worst city (or at least at the bottom of the list) in almost every category imaginable (worst airport, fewest/worst parks, worst traffic, worst public transportation, worst drivers, etc.). Is it ever the best in anything? I moved here knowing Miami has problems--most cities do--but the extent of those problems are only things that can be realized after actually living here. I did tons of research about Miami, but gave it the benefit of the doubt and moved anyway. I thought it surely wasn't as bad as people make it out to be. I tried to be optimistic when I first came here, but that's quickly fading. In my opinion though, the absolute worst thing about Miami is its people. It really ruins the city. That's not something you can do a study on or research. You can only find that out by living here and interacting on a daily basis. St. Louis, on the other hand, is similar to Miami in that it is a very poor, crime-ridden city. But the people make St. Louis and I loved living there. Everyone is so friendly, fun, and nice. Maybe it's a Midwest vs. East Coast thing...I don't know.

[Wild Style]

Originally Posted by illini84

Sure, most big cities have high costs of living. But in other big cities, you get a far better quality of life. Miami is consistently the worst city (or at least at the bottom of the list) in almost every category imaginable (worst airport, fewest/worst parks, worst traffic, worst public transportation, worst drivers, etc.). Is it ever the best in anything? I moved here knowing Miami has problems--most cities do--but the extent of those problems are only things that can be realized after actually living here. I did tons of research about Miami, but gave it the benefit of the doubt and moved anyway. I thought it surely wasn't as bad as people make it out to be. I tried to be optimistic when I first came here, but that's quickly fading. In my opinion though, the absolute worst thing about Miami is its people. It really ruins the city. That's not something you can do a study on or research. You can only find that out by living here and interacting on a daily basis. St. Louis, on the other hand, is similar to Miami in that it is a very poor, crime-ridden city. But the people make St. Louis and I loved living there. Everyone is so friendly, fun, and nice. Maybe it's a Midwest vs. East Coast thing...I don't know.

From the above sentenced I gather you knew Miami had problems that were bad yet you moved to S. Florida anyway?