Job offer and moving to Orlando from Miami (Kendall, Coral Gables: fit in, for sale)

[spencer1800]

Hello,

I have a couple of questions about Orlando. I got a good offer to work with Disney at Celebration. We currently live in Miami, to be more specific in Coral Gables and I work in the same neighborhood. So, I walk to my office everyday except when it rains. Me 38 and she 32 yrs old, Married with no children. my wife works, but if I accept the offer she would quit on the condition that she'll get a job in Orlando (Good for me).

1-Where would you recommend to live if I want to keep the same quality of life regarding my commute? If I have to drive, I don't want to be more than 20 min in a car. Currently we live in a 3 bed-house, but we don't mind living in an apartment. At least 2 bedrooms since we like to have guests.

2-What would you consider is a reasonable budget to live in the areas that you guys recommend (house, entertainment, etc).

3-Job market for my wife? She is a sales-sales marketing professional with experience plus a strong academic background.

4-Considering Miami, We have the beach very close, also plenty of activities in the area that we like such as going to restaurants, bars, MTB biking, paddle boarding, concerts, Yoga, small breweries (this is new here). How is that in Orlando?

5-Multi Cultural diversity? Here in Miami we feel at home, but moving to Orlando I know is not that far, but from my experience during the interview process, it was different. My wife is Hispanic and I'm from Austria.

In general, I'm leaning more on moving to Orlando since it would be better for us financially speaking. But my wife is with the idea of staying in Miami even if we don't make what Disney is offering. Her family is here, our friends are here for now, the beach, the weather, cheap tickets to travel anywhere compared with other cities.
Hope someone is willing to share with us their thoughts.

[Orlando2015]

Look into Windermere, depending on budget.

[spencer1800]

Thanks Orlando!! We are considering no more than $3K

[Arcenal813]

1-Where would you recommend to live if I want to keep the same quality of life regarding my commute? If I have to drive, I don't want to be more than 20 min in a car. Currently we live in a 3 bed-house, but we don't mind living in an apartment. At least 2 bedrooms since we like to have guests.

To be close to Disney? Windermere/Dr.Philips would be your best bet, although SoDo (South Downtown) is also nice, but it might be a bit too chaotic to travel from there to Disney. Clermont is also a viable option, and is generally more affordable than the aforementioned cities.

2-What would you consider is a reasonable budget to live in the areas that you guys recommend (house, entertainment, etc).

Are you planning on having kids? For us, (young, married, 3 kids) a combined income under $100k would force us to live a rather unpleasant lifestyle. With no kids, however, I'd say young adults can get by with a combined ~$75k income if renting.

3-Job market for my wife? She is a sales-sales marketing professional with experience plus a strong academic background.

Job market is hit or miss, as it is pretty much anywhere in Florida. It is my understanding that the unemployment rate in Orlando is lower than in Miami. Median household incomes appear to be roughly the same. As for sales/Marketing, with tourism being a huge industry here, there is always a demand for it. I'm not sure about salaries, though.
Manufacturing companies are always looking to hire sales professionals as well.

4-Considering Miami, We have the beach very close, also plenty of activities in the area that we like such as going to restaurants, bars, MTB biking, paddle boarding, concerts, Yoga, small breweries (this is new here). How is that in Orlando?

You'd be surprised. Miami doesn't really have much that Orlando can't offer, aside from the beaches (which are only an hour away anyway...) Lots of aquatic activities all over with the many lakes scattered throughout as well as the springs, concert events are always happening, and small breweries are very popular here.

5-Multi Cultural diversity? Here in Miami we feel at home, but moving to Orlando I know is not that far, but from my experience during the interview process, it was different. My wife is Hispanic and I'm from Austria.

I'm of Guyanese descent, born and raised in Montreal. My wife is from St-Martin/Anguilla. We feel right at home and fit in with the rest.
Orlando has the highest population of Puerto Ricans in FL, and hispanics make up 25% of the population. You'll be just fine.

In general, I'm leaning more on moving to Orlando since it would be better for us financially speaking. But my wife is with the idea of staying in Miami even if we don't make what Disney is offering. Her family is here, our friends are here for now, the beach, the weather, cheap tickets to travel anywhere compared with other cities.
Hope someone is willing to share with us their thoughts.

And finally, as far as family is concerned, it's not like Miami is far from Orlando. Hop on the Turnpike, it can take you 3.5 hours.
The weather is a little bit cooler in the winter, but it likely won't bother your much.
Airfare tickets and destinations are similar in both cities.

Should you make the move, you'll be quick to see that Orlando and Miami appear to be different on the surface, but share quite a few similarities. You might even enjoy it more, as it isn't as chaotic and frantically-paced (yet) as Miami.

[Arcenal813]

Originally Posted by spencer1800

Thanks Orlando!! We are considering no more than $3K

$3K per month? You can definitely afford Windermere/Dr.Philips. You might even be able to find a place in Celebration, although the cookie-cutter dollhouse type of atmosphere in that area might turn you off...

[kyle19125]

Originally Posted by spencer1800

In general, I'm leaning more on moving to Orlando since it would be better for us financially speaking. But my wife is with the idea of staying in Miami even if we don't make what Disney is offering. Her family is here, our friends are here for now, the beach, the weather, cheap tickets to travel anywhere compared with other cities. Hope someone is willing to share with us their thoughts.

This...Bear in mind that it's not always about the money. Family, friends and comfort level are priceless and why throw that away on an unknown if you're happy? Orlando and Coral Gables are quite different as well.

[spencer1800]

Arcenal thanks a lot for your insights!
Windermere will be a place I'll check for sure. I was told Celebration too since it would be walk-able to the office, but at the end I don't know if I want to be that close either. At this point I just want to make everything easier for my wife. Regarding having kids, I think we are going to give a couple more years to get there. At least that is what we say.

[FL2MT]

I'd consider renting an apartment right there in Celebration. It's a walkable area and while it doesn't have as much as Coral Gables and some find it a little 'Stepford-ish' it's got a variety of activities and things to do. Plus by renting you don't lock yourself in if your wife finds she misses family too much. A happy wife makes a happy life after all.

Short of the beach, all of those activities can easily be found in the area. A wonderful brewery just opened in downtown Winter Garden about two months ago and I love going there.

[spencer1800]

Thanks Kyle, I understand that money is not all in life and that is part of the dilemma right now. The thing is that you don't get these kind of opportunities twice in a row. I understand the family issue, they are extremely supportive, specially with me that I don't have anyone from my family in this country.

I just want to check on this forum with other people's opinions. If we only take into consideration my in-law's opinions, I won't be moving to Orlando but to Kendall next to my in-laws.

[spencer1800]

Thanks FL2MT!! You got it right buddy "A happy wife makes a happy life after all" and that is what I'm trying to accomplish here too. What is the name of the brewery?