Moving from Connecticut to Orlando or Charlotte (Tampa, Weston: car insurance, crime rate)

[juicycoach117]

Okay here's deal I have been visiting the central Florida area at least 2 times a yr for the last 7 yrs. I have been everywhere from Tampa, Orlando and Daytona area you name it I have been there. I have 3 kids 13, 10 and 4 and in my early 30's. I have wanted to move to Florida for the past 4 yrs. I am a young black mom and I am married and I wanna know the truth about living in the central Florida area. I am thinking about Charlotte, NC as well so I am trying to decide where to go for the new year. Any advice?

[annerk]

I've got three things to say:

1. Think long and hard about why you want to move here. Living here and being on vacation here are two very different things.

2. Get a job before you move, the unemployment rate is 10%+ and jobs are not easy to come by, particularly when you don't already have a network in place.

3. Personally I think you are crazy taking your kids from a state well regarded for it's educational system to a state where even the best schools would equal an average school in CT.

[ComSense]

I'd think real hard before moving to Orlando. Think about things (as I'm sure you already have) like schools, safety, crime, traffic/congestion, etc... not that Charlotte is that much better, but I'd pick Charlotte over Orlando, and rather easily.

Orlando is FAR different than what it used to be.

[Wilshire81182]

If you can afford CT you can probably buy into a very nice area of Orlando or the surrounding areas and whether public or private, the school in your area will probably be decent too. I would not disregard Orlando just due to a few naysayers on this forum. It is a great place to live IMO.

[ComSense]

I think if somehow we could get rid of all the rude people and all the road ragers, Orlando would be much better. I like Orlando's downtown, the humidity gets really old, but I can deal with it. The crime is also an issue, but it doesnt affect my day like the unfriendly/rude people do and all the ridiculous and arrogant drivers... other than that, it's not bad!

[annerk]

Originally Posted by Wilshire81182

If you can afford CT you can probably buy into a very nice area of Orlando or the surrounding areas and whether public or private, the school in your area will probably be decent too. I would not disregard Orlando just due to a few naysayers on this forum. It is a great place to live IMO.

Not all of CT is expensive like Weston. There are areas that are no more expensive than many of the suburban neighborhoods around Orlando. (I just sold my grandmothers house in a nice middle class suburb of Hartford for a lot less than it would cost to buy a house in the neighborhood that I live in--and I'm not in Isleworth or Lake Butler.)

The school might be decent, but like I said, very likely not as good or any better than where they are now.

I'm not saying the OP shouldn't look at Orlando, but I am saying that she needs to look for the right reasons, not the wrong ones, and not let her vision get clouded by Mickey Mouse dreams.

[juicycoach117]

I agree about the schools the are the best and I love the schools my children are in. However just because the schools are good does not mean that it does cancel out all the other con's of living in CT.

The there are high property tax and car tax.

The homes are ridiculously high in price do you know how much $300k will get you a house in the ghetto and on top of that you are paying $10k in property tax.

The car insurance is it extermely high shall I go on. If you want raise a family of five here you need to be making $500k min combined to stay a float. My husband and I were making close to $200k together before taxes and still were just making it.

Originally Posted by annerk

I've got three things to say:

1. Think long and hard about why you want to move here. Living here and being on vacation here are two very different things.

2. Get a job before you move, the unemployment rate is 10%+ and jobs are not easy to come by, particularly when you don't already have a network in place.

3. Personally I think you are crazy taking your kids from a state well regarded for it's educational system to a state where even the best schools would equal an average school in CT.

[juicycoach117]

I appreciate all the comments and I well think long and hard about my decision. Living in CT has a lot of perks but it is very expensive to live here. Yes our crime rate is high it bothers me but not to the point where I would be scared to move to a city because of crime I from NYC. Traffic can be bad in CT but if you have a GPS you can get around that. Unfriendly people come with living in the North if someone speaks to you here you think they want something.LOL I love the South just not sure what part I wanna live in.

[annerk]

Originally Posted by juicycoach117

I agree about the schools the are the best and I love the schools my children are in. However just because the schools are good does not mean that it does cancel out all the other con's of living in CT.

The there are high property tax and car tax.

FYI, I pay $10K a year in property tax on a home worth about $450K, and it costs $150 or so per year to register your car, the first time you register in Florida it's about $400. Dont' for a single minute think it's inexpensive to live here.

The homes are ridiculously high in price do you know how much $300k will get you a house in the ghetto and on top of that you are paying $10k in property tax.

Like I said earlier, I just sold my grandmothers house in Manchester, hardly a "ghetto" and it sold for $225K.

The car insurance is it extermely high shall I go on. If you want raise a family of five here you need to be making $500k min combined to stay a float. My husband and I were making close to $200k together before taxes and still were just making it.

Check rates before you commit to moving, many find that car insurance is no cheaper here than up north. I'm not trying to rain on your parade, just letting you know that it is not as inexpensive to live here as you seem to think it is.

[markhunt]

Originally Posted by juicycoach117

Okay here's deal I have been visiting the central Florida area at least 2 times a yr for the last 7 yrs. I have been everywhere from Tampa, Orlando and Daytona area you name it I have been there. I have 3 kids 13, 10 and 4 and in my early 30's. I have wanted to move to Florida for the past 4 yrs. I am a young black mom and I am married and I wanna know the truth about living in the central Florida area. I am thinking about Charlotte, NC as well so I am trying to decide where to go for the new year. Any advice?

Originally Posted by juicycoach117

I agree about the schools the are the best and I love the schools my children are in. However just because the schools are good does not mean that it does cancel out all the other con's of living in CT.

The there are high property tax and car tax.

The homes are ridiculously high in price do you know how much $300k will get you a house in the ghetto and on top of that you are paying $10k in property tax.

The car insurance is it extermely high shall I go on. If you want raise a family of five here you need to be making $500k min combined to stay a float. My husband and I were making close to $200k together before taxes and still were just making it.

Originally Posted by juicycoach117

I appreciate all the comments and I well think long and hard about my decision. Living in CT has a lot of perks but it is very expensive to live here. Yes our crime rate is high it bothers me but not to the point where I would be scared to move to a city because of crime I from NYC. Traffic can be bad in CT but if you have a GPS you can get around that. Unfriendly people come with living in the North if someone speaks to you here you think they want something.LOL I love the South just not sure what part I wanna live in.

Looks like you will fit right in down here. After all, grossing 200K per year is only what the median household income is in the town of New Canaan. Come on down, the weather is great!