Single mother with 4 kids (Orlando, Gainesville: buyers, prices, housing)

[antonayahry]

I was looking to commute to Orlando for my employment.....i commute to NJ from NY everyday that is at least one half drive

[Songbird42]

Just about everything that everyone said, is basically right on the mark, with 4 kids coming down here if not supervised, many kids get into the wrong type of situations. And what everyone said about salaries is also right on the mark
I doubt if you'd start anywhere near $36,000. Commuting from Ocala to Orlando, Ocala is North of Orlando, but once you get into the heart of Orlando
traffic, traffic I wouldn't want to do it, spend more time in the car.

Schools down here are nothing like NJ....NJ schools are way better and the kids get a better education. I would do more research and really check out the whole thing of moving, and one friend is not alot of support, trust me, don't move because of friendship.

Good luck, look into NC as someone suggested, you might have a fighting chance up there.

[CJFlorida]

I agree with some of what has been posted. However, your best friend being down here, assuming they are going to be big into your kid's lives, is a huge X factor. It is hard to put a monetary figure on that vs going someplace cheaper or someplace with 'better schools', but with zero support.

I disagree that one friend is not much support as someone posted, it totally depends on the person. If this best friend is a special person with lots of skills and love for your kids, that could make all the difference in the world.

Another poster suggested that 4 kids unsupervised could get into trouble down here. Well, sure. Just like any kid, rich or poor will no matter where they live. Frontline had an expose called "Lost Children of Rockland County" about all the upper middle class kids in a very affluent suburb, right in the bible belt. The kids were all left to their own devices after school. Half the kids in town ended up engaging in all sorts of horrid behaviour, many ending up with syphilis! Point is, no where in the world can 4 kids be left without structure, and I'm sure you have no intention of that anyway. But for a poster to imply Ocala is not a place to leave kids unattended, and NC is? Come on now.

Many have suggested NC and thats fine. But be aware that NC has always been very heavy on industry, Winston-Salem, Charlotte, Raleigh-Durham and other parts of NC. We used to run a chemical business in Charlotte so know a lot about the state and its EPA struggles.

I would suggest comparing 'Clean Air Days' of any area you are thinking of moving 4 kids to. You can find this information with a simple Google search. For example, Ocala has an air quality index of 91.2%. That means over 91% of says are rated as good air quality. The Charlotte and Raleigh areas have air quality indexes of 47%. So more than half the days are poor air quality.

Remember, kids are highly sensitive to air pollution. I would discuss this with your pediatrician. To me, air quality is about as basic a life issue when raising kids as anything. It deserves to be considered, just as much as education or economic issues.

As we all know, great kids and poorly raised kids come from every part of the US, depending on the quality of the parenting. There are teachers, doctors, engineers, and many successful people who somehow made it just fine through Ocala's schools!

[compelled to reply]

Originally Posted by antonayahry

Thanks Alot.. i will look into NC, however i have no support system in NC, at least in Ocala i have my best friend there. Right?

Good point, very good point. Think about what you value the most, your friendship, or your quality of life potential. A close relationship weighs extremely high on that quality of life scale, but so do finances. As has been mentioned, Ocala's job market is terrible, the job market in the major cities in Florida is bad enough relative to our state's high cost of living, forget about smaller towns. Not to mention I'm not sure how much of an upgrade the school system will be, but it probably wouldn't be much. If I were you I would look into NC, but it's tough going someplace so far from the people that you know. It's a tough choice, but I say that no matter what, you should NOT stay in NYC in your situation, and I wish you luck.

You really need around 100k a year to raise four kids in a family-oriented area in Florida. 36 is going to be very, very tough, and you are lucky if you will even make that much.

[CJFlorida]

Originally Posted by fort lauderdale

Good point, very good point. Think about what you value the most, your friendship, or your quality of life potential. A close relationship weighs extremely high on that quality of life scale, but so do finances. As has been mentioned, Ocala's job market is terrible, the job market in the major cities in Florida is bad enough relative to our state's high cost of living, forget about smaller towns. Not to mention I'm not sure how much of an upgrade the school system will be, but it probably wouldn't be much. If I were you I would look into NC, but it's tough going someplace so far from the people that you know. It's a tough choice, but I say that no matter what, you should NOT stay in NYC in your situation, and I wish you luck.

Exactly. None of us but the OP know that best friend and what they have to offer her and her kids. So she is the only one that can rate that support vs every other quality of life issue.

If her best friend takes an active role with her kids education, then they have a huge advantage, no matter what the school rating.

To me, a great best friend in an area trumps many other factors, especially creating support for kids.

[Retiredcoach]

You are making the number one mistake of relocation... you are assuming that the grass will be greener in another place. I am sorry to say if raising a family of 4 on your $36000 a year in New York is tough, wait until you try to start in Florida. You are basically entering a very tight job market where you are underqualified or unqualified. You will be challenged to find a job making anywhere near close to your current salary when/if you move. Did you happen to notice the post on this forum for an administrative assistant position for $10/hour that had 250 applicants? Good luck, but review all possible scenarios for your family before you make a move that you could quickly regret.

[Magnulus]

I'd stay in New York if I were you. Also, you might check out government aid in your area if you are having financial troubles.

Florida would suck if you got down here with 4 kids and fell into hard times. The government here is cheap, benefits are not very good, and frankly there are lots of people just as qualified for your job here, maybe even more qualified. The job market is alot tighter than the media would have you believe. Competition is brutal here, and Florida is entering a recession and local governmets are trying to cut back... because Florida has a sucky economy. New Jersey and New York get put down alot but their economies are far more robust and you can make better money there.

[SouthernBelle3]

Don't even think about commuting to Orlando from Ocala. It won't work. Gas alone would ruin your finances and the time away from your kids. I wouldn't bet on 36500 here. People with 4 year degrees make less. Maybe 10/hr. Unless your friend plans on helping you financially, you will be hurting here. Sorry to be so negative about it, but it is hard to earn a good wage with your type of qualifications. I am friends with single moms making 10-12/hr and they barely scrape by, plus if you make too much, your kids will not qualify for the Kid Care program. Many employers in Florida offer no benefits, so you work hard for nothing but your paycheck.

[antonayahry]

Thank u soo much i was beginging to get discourage. You made fine points about air quality..all of my kids suffer from chronic asthma..thanks for the info. Also my friend and i have been friends for 17 years (my sister) also her mother is up there (my mom) and my friend just brought a 3 bedroom house.. i guess the other post that i have read do make good points..but u know what...i have hope in my strenght..and like my friends mother said "Dont come to Ocala with a NYC mentality"

[Khayla007]

Please don't fall for the NC is so great hype either. The job market in Charlotte is tight for those with a degree let alone for someone who doesn't have one. Life here is similar to life in Long Island and upstate NY however its not the land of golden opportunity and the pay isn't that great either.