Orlando....IS IT WORTH IT??? (Jacksonville, Altamonte Springs: short sales, apartment, foreclosures)

[pwrehder5660]

Hey guys, I am just trying to get info on Orlando, FL. I am currently looking to start putting applications in for the Police Departments, and Orlando looked interesting. I was wondering whats it like down there. I am from Jax by the way, and have a wife and a 2 year old. How are the house prices? Hows the Cost of liveing. I need to live witin 25mi of 100 S. Hughey Avenue so there is a ref point. I know orlando pays 42,000 a year so i need it to stay in that range. So help me out guys, tell me if Orlando is worth the move. Thanks

[Crane's Rooster]

I don't know too much about Jax but what I do know here's my take. The Central FL area is much larger in population than Jax. Although Duval county is likley larger than Orange, the surrounding counties are more densely populated here. The reason I make this point is that even within a 25 mile radius of downtown Orlando you will still likely be in a urbanized, congested area. As far as cost of living, I think it's slightly higher here in Orlando. Housing prices are all over the board due to all the foreclosures and short sales. You can generally find a reasonable home for under $200k right now but could get a distressed property for half of that in a nice area. If you consider renting I know alot of apartment communities here offer discounts to law enforcement to encourage them to live at their properties. OPD, from my experience is a fairly young force. I'm sure you could speak to some of the fellow officers to get their take since many of them are in similar situations.

[OrlFlaUsa]

Originally Posted by pwrehder5660

Hey guys, I am just trying to get info on Orlando, FL. I am currently looking to start putting applications in for the Police Departments, and Orlando looked interesting. I was wondering whats it like down there. I am from Jax by the way, and have a wife and a 2 year old. How are the house prices? Hows the Cost of liveing. I need to live witin 25mi of 100 S. Hughey Avenue so there is a ref point. I know orlando pays 42,000 a year so i need it to stay in that range. So help me out guys, tell me if Orlando is worth the move. Thanks

Are you currently an LEO in Jax? Then you would already be FDLE certified and would be at a greater advantage than coming in from out of state or without any experience. If not might I suggest moving here and renting while you attend 1 of our areas primo Community College Law Enforcement Training Programs such as:Seminole State LEO or Criminal Justice Institute - Valencia Community College (http://www.valenciacc.edu/cji/ - broken link)

Not only will these programs give you a leg up, but also, they will help you test the waters for which department you'd prefer since many of the teachers are from the various departments. As someone mentioned, unlike Jax we have more counties and municipalities in the immediate metro area so your options will be there. Both Seminole & Orange Counties have large Sheriffs Offices as well as large municipality PD's like Altamonte Springs, Sanford, Maitland, etc. $42k a year is pretty good and I do believe OPD is the highest wage for the major departments. I ran the numbers and $42k a year in Orlando is equivalent to about $40k a year in Jacksonville so I'm sure you'll hardly notice a difference. Plus now with the housing market in shambles, you can snag a great house for under $200k and a modest house for under 125!! Good luck, let me know if you have any more questions about local law enforcement.