+15 year Orlando Resident Here - Ask Me Anything (Kissimmee, Pine Hills: vacation, rent)

[Magnulus]

That dropout rate is very troubling and should make anybody think carefully about moving to Florida. That high dropout rate spells poor prospects for the areas future. It will not attract businesses to the area and will lead to an increase in crime, since somebody who is a highschool dropout is next-to-unemployable.

[CURT]

Originally Posted by THASPECIAL

The one thing i would disagree with on your reply is about the school system here in the area.....

Fact file: America's 'dropout factories' - Education - MSNBC.com

of coarse Orlando has some good schools but the drop out rate here in Florida is the second worst in the nation...and the states behind Florida in this category don't even come close to our drop-out rate...that has to tell you something about the school system as a whole here in Florida

there were 3 or 4 schools in seminole county rated in the top 3% in the country this year. one was in the top 1%.
as you stated, the system state wide is not good but if you break it down district by district you will weed out the good from the bad.

[jims2321]

Originally Posted by oresident

You're just being negative. Take a moment to really think about these criticisms. I'll give you the public transportation, but...

Tourists: Unless you drive around the tourist areas what does this actually affect (aside from giving you more things to do if you want to)? I never drive down there so I never see tourists. What's the big deal?

Housing: Where'd you get this tree trunk idea? There are plenty of old home in outlying places like Oviedo too. In any case, housing prices have gone up everywhere in the US and they remain relatively cheap here. I for one think the $300k 2500 square foot home in a nice suburb is still ridiculously cheap. My gosh how greedy have people become? To think that you should live in a mansion for $300k! Cause that's what this is- a mansion! They are absurdely cheap and should go up more. You know lots of people live in houses half that size for twice the cost around major cities in this country and they aren't complaining.

Schools: A whole bunch of Seminole Country schools were on the top high schools list THIS YEAR. What makes you say things are going downhill? Sounds like one of the best districts in the country. Not only that, but the houses cost half as much as similarly rated districts on the east and west coast.

Jobs: Such pessimism. We've got a medical school coming, a major biomed research company coming, one of the largest universities in the country (and bringing in over $100 million in research grants this year!). We have the largest hi-tec simulation and training industry in the country, and one of the country's top ranked research parks full of high tech companies. The trend is going to be up. These are exactly the ingredients that lead to an improving job markt.

Taxes: Well, you forgot to mention there is no state income tax. Man, you sure would enjoy it living in a state with one of those.

Culture: Ok it's true there is no culture. But Monster Truck Rallies? Must have missed out on those.

I'm not saying it's great but it's not as bad as you're making it out to be. Too many exagerations. Let's not infest other people with our own negativity.

ores

Let's analyse your replies:

Tourism -- No way 4-5 million tourists stay in South Orlando. When I worked for AAA (National office), the research showed that about 40% of all tourists in Central Florida visit such areas as Daytona Beach, and other destinations north of Highway 50.

Education -- As a parent and graduate of the Central Florida school system, I can only give you the plan simple fact, that schools today in Central Florida are not up to the standards of 1980's or even the 1990's (pre Jeb Bush). UCF's $100M pales in comparision to the grants that FSU, UF, UNF, USF and even FAMU are getting. There is a reason that UCF is nickname (U Can't Finish or Under Construction Forever), because it is growing so fast with commuters. When I attended UCF, it was one of the top colleges in Southeast for Computer Science, now it does not even rank, and may of even been decertified by the IEE and ACM.

Jobs -- Again that is a medical school.. not a major hospital. Ask any nurse or orderly what the make compared to Atlanta or even Tampa, and their answer would surprise you. As for the biomed, most of the jobs are transfers from their California facility to .... once again cut payroll costs.

Taxes -- Truth be told? We should have a state income tax. And that tax by State Constitutional amendment should only be used for schools, roads, police and fire/rescue. We are so subject to the whims of the tourist, we can't properly fund long term projects without suspect financing schemes.

Jim

[writerathome]

Well, not sure where we will end up as yet, but, my honey has job offers in several states including FL. He is from Kissimmee and I'm from Oklahoma. He would love to return there and loved it. Here are my issues. Of course crime is one and I will study the issue of Orlando crime on my own. Judging from the number of vacant homes in and around the area, I'm wondering if the crime isn't directly related to the economic situation. Almost every house I have seen in the $200 - $250k and up range on Realtor.com, is vacant. The walls and floors are for the most part are sterile white in the Kissimmee area. The quality of construction looks horrible. Despite what you might think, middle class Okies are heavy into the aesthetics and their homes reflect it. We have much more color and professional decorating ideas than there seem to be there. We use a lot of warm wood work for walls and floors. I see nothing but cheap WHITE, fake wood in and around Orlando in even the nicer homes. Does that issue have something to do with an abundance of wood destroying pests or what??? Everything just looks temporary to me. My honey said....well, when you are 75, things are pretty temporary and they don't invest much in their housing because they are on a retirement budget. Is that basically it??

[backtofla]

you all may want to visit kissimmee before you move there, especially if it has been a few yrs or more. trust me on this one.

[oresident]

Originally Posted by jims2321

Let's analyse your replies:

Tourism -- No way 4-5 million tourists stay in South Orlando. When I worked for AAA (National office), the research showed that about 40% of all tourists in Central Florida visit such areas as Daytona Beach, and other destinations north of Highway 50.

Education -- As a parent and graduate of the Central Florida school system, I can only give you the plan simple fact, that schools today in Central Florida are not up to the standards of 1980's or even the 1990's (pre Jeb Bush). UCF's $100M pales in comparision to the grants that FSU, UF, UNF, USF and even FAMU are getting. There is a reason that UCF is nickname (U Can't Finish or Under Construction Forever), because it is growing so fast with commuters. When I attended UCF, it was one of the top colleges in Southeast for Computer Science, now it does not even rank, and may of even been decertified by the IEE and ACM.

Jobs -- Again that is a medical school.. not a major hospital. Ask any nurse or orderly what the make compared to Atlanta or even Tampa, and their answer would surprise you. As for the biomed, most of the jobs are transfers from their California facility to .... once again cut payroll costs.

Taxes -- Truth be told? We should have a state income tax. And that tax by State Constitutional amendment should only be used for schools, roads, police and fire/rescue. We are so subject to the whims of the tourist, we can't properly fund long term projects without suspect financing schemes.

Jim

You're being negative, Jim. A grain of truth (which you indeed do achieve) is not the same as the whole truth.

Tourism: "Other Destinations North of 50." Ok so they go to Daytona Beach. Big deal, everyone at the beach is effectively a tourist anyway. And I don't go to Daytona Beach so again I never meet them. Frankly, the "tourist monster" seems to be an issue in your mind's eye. I cannot recall ever speaking to or interacting with a tourist. What exactly does it matter if they are in the city pouring money in away from my consciousness? How is that making your life miserable?

Education: You don't really know much about UCF recently. What's important is the research growth curve- they were making just a few million a few years ago and now are over $100 million. That is a HUGE increase, and that money is pouring into Central Florida. And it's paying highly educated young people like Ph.D. students to move here. It's laughable that your would brush aside $100 million as some meanignless blip. My goodness, how fickle!

And like I said, the number is exploding. Also, the CS dept. has grown a lot with hires from the best departments in the country - look at their home page (where did you get your weird idea that CS is having problems? source?). Your main support for the negative statements on UCF are just some corny slogans from back in the day (and "under construction" is a GOOD thing). Again, in the mind's eye. You also fail to recognize that some crappy schools does not mean all crappy schools. Everyone knows there are some top-ranked high schools in the area. Why do you ignore that in your gloom and doom report?

Taxes- I agree with you, they probably should have an income tax. You're right. It's not perfect here, but come on, have a little perspective!

You manage to find a sad spin on everything! Even the fact that a large biomed research firm and a medical school are moving here somehow manage to be bad news in your mind. How can these things possibly be BAD news? You are actually upset because the incomes may not equal those of California? But the whole city is going to benefit! Cynicism should have its limits!

ores

[backtofla]

"Jobs -- Again that is a medical school.. not a major hospital. Ask any nurse or orderly what the make compared to Atlanta or even Tampa, and their answer would surprise you. As for the biomed, most of the jobs are transfers from their California facility to .... once again cut payroll costs."


what do nurses make in atlanta or tampa?

[writerathome]

Thanks for the truth "back." I have looked at the areas some have suggested on here like: Lake Mary, Lake Nona, some of the others. The price of housing is absolutely ridiculous. Why would anyone pay $100K for a shack or $180K for a 950 sq ft "home" with no yard? I am just puzzled. Let me explain. In Tulsa, $180K will buy you a gorgeous 3000sq ft home and there is very little crime. I don't lock my doors, I do lock my car because there are a few teens in the area that get bored at night and ramsack cars. Our schools are the tops in the nation and we have abundant shopping. We don't have an ocean. We do have many lakes. We have NO hurricanes and tornados are over rated because I've lived here for 35 years an have only seen one. So......I've made up my mind by looking at the area around Orlando and what you all have said, and I'm voting a certain NO on that move. I am going to encourage the honey to look more carefully at the KC, Mo. job and forget Florida. Thanks, but no thanks. I haven't been sold.

[writerathome]

Well, if you love your home, shouldn't you fight for it. It sounds like all of you need to develop some neighborhood crime watch teams and get tough. I know it sounds crazy, but in Oklahoma, we have passed laws to get rid of illegal aliens and force them out of our state. They can't work here, landlords can't rent to them. We won't educate their children. Look at your lawmakers. Some of them may just be complacent. History and experience tell us that moral progress comes not in comfortable and complacent times, but out of trial and confusion[SIZE=5].[/SIZE]
Gerald R. Ford
Not to be trite but, isn't anything worth having worth fighting for?? We have cameras installed on every store front, every intersection. They were paid for by homeland security grants. I would rather live in a somewhat police state than give what I've worked hard for, or my life, to a crook.

[backtofla]

writerathome, good luck with your move ... wherever u decide. there are other nice places to live in florida... maybe u should do some more research into cheaper areas of florida...

good luck

let us know what u decide...