Considering Relocating To Orlando Area (Winter Springs, Oviedo: apartment complex, renting, homeowners insurance)

[silvio]

I used to live in New Jersey, Bridgewater-Somerville area to be exact. Here's my take...408 and I-4 between the hours of 4-7 or like the Turnpike or Rte.22 at 5pm. People drive like maniacs, usually with attitude, and when it rains, no1 can drive at all. I don't know anything about the schools because I moved here when I went to UCF in 2002. Like New Jersey, housing is through the roof, property taxes are high, and living here is expensive.

[pianogal]

Today was a gorgeous day here in Florida. Like anywhere else it all depends on you. I am happy in Florida and enjoy living here more than I've enjoyed living in South Carolina, North Carolina, Tenessee, Georgia and California. I enjoyed living here in the 80's when it was cheaper and I enjoy living here even more now. Perhaps it's because I'm older and colder...but I enjoy/appreciate the climate more. I like all the new growth, all the renovation that has happened in some of the older areas and downtown. When we moved here in the 80's it looked like the ghetto then...NOT now!

I really don't know where some of the people that post on here get all they're saying - it has not been my experience at all. Orlando is a MUCH better place than it was when I first moved here. It is BECOMING a city....it's not there yet! So, if you're looking for a small town, don't come.

My husband grew up here and remembers when it was basically an agricultural town...had orange groves around some teepees that someone set up to rent out as hotel rooms on Orange Blossom Trail downtown...Can you imagine? Ask him and he will tell you in a heartbeat that he wouldn't want it to be like it was then...he much prefers the urban city Orlando is becoming.

[Dee2e]

Originally Posted by MaryLou2007

My hubby attended FL Public schools in Orange county. He said the schools are SUPER overcrowded, BUT he said that individual students are not bad. Most of the "bad school report cards" these schools gte is because of the massive influx of illegal aliens who have no formal education in their home countries and are now here milking America for free education, causing our schools to be overcrowded. These kids drag the school scores down. Hubby said at one point 1 in 3 kids in his HS were hispanic, many spoke 0 (zero) English.

But what you said about:

1. no affordable housing
2. skyrocketing property taxes
3. insurance is going up another 200% in the next 2 yrs.
4. sinkholes.
5. massive urban sprawl and overpowering traffic
6. HAVING TO learn another language (Spanish) just to be able to communicate at the grocery store

All of the above is 100% true. I believe many others can confirm that, just ask around, ask co-workers, ask neighbors. Unless they live in candyland, they will tell you, all of the above is true (sadly).

I'll address a few of your items by number.

1. The average priced home in Orlando in 200 was $250,000. The average County wide was $311,065. The median for the year is shown monthly on this link: http://www.city-data.com/forum/newre...reply&p=324545

2. You can compare the 2005 and 2006 millage rates for Orange County at http://www.octaxcol.com/RealEstateTaxesInfo.htm (broken link) If you right click the link for each year and choose open in new window, you'll be able to put the tables side by side and see that the millage is decreasing in Orange County. Taxes increase with property value, however.

3. Insurance is not going up 200% in the next two years. I'd like to see your source on that one.

4. Orange County is not having a sinkhole problem. Volusia and Lake Counties experienced a few sinkholes after the 2004 hurricane season.

5. This one is true.

6. You don't need to speak Spanish to live in Orange County. I don't and I do business there every day of the week. While it might be helpful it is not necessary. I can count to ten in Spanish and say hi and bye and that's about it and I get along just fine.

Here is a breakdown by race:
"As of the census² of 2000, there were 896,344 people, 336,286 households, and 220,267 families residing in the county. The population density was 381/km² (988/mi²). There were 361,349 housing units at an average density of 154/km² (398/mi²). The racial makeup of the county was 68.59% White, 18.17% Black or African American, 0.34% Native American, 3.35% Asian, 0.09% Pacific Islander, 6.01% from other races, and 3.43% from two or more races. 28.78% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orange_County,_Florida

[MaryLou2007]

Originally Posted by silvio

I used to live in New Jersey, Bridgewater-Somerville area to be exact. Here's my take...408 and I-4 between the hours of 4-7 or like the Turnpike or Rte.22 at 5pm. People drive like maniacs, usually with attitude, and when it rains, no1 can drive at all. I don't know anything about the schools because I moved here when I went to UCF in 2002. Like New Jersey, housing is through the roof, property taxes are high, and living here is expensive.

Please do not remind me that everyone drives at 10MPH when a drop of rain falls from the sky! It drives me ape!!

You said that "like New Jersey, housing is through the roof, property taxes are high, and living here is expensive".

I say like Los Angeles housing is through the roof, property taxes are high, and living here is expensive. I was in L.A. in 2002... Orlando REMINDS ME of L.A. everyday. I saw the same type of crimes in LA that I see in Orlando. And I have heard similar complaints about cost of living, taxes, and etc in LA too.

Now here is the $1 million dollar question: WHO is making the kind of bucks to pay for the every-rising cost of living? My borther works 2 jobs just to pay his bills. And he has a BA in Paralegal studies from UCF!

[pougdo]

Schools aren't bad - my children did really well. The NY education was a big help. Florida has some good programs - and of course if you kids do well Florida has a pretty good tuition program for State colleges. In Volusia county you can still get a pretty decent size house for a good price - and with some land (not living up against your neighbor). Taxes aren't bad in this county (about 35 miles from Orlando).
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[silvio]

This is just a very mixed up city. Tied to its Disney and theme park affiliations and yet trying to develop its own identity. I'll admit, it frustrates me when everything is in spanish along OBT, Conway, East Orlando/Orange, and around Osceola county. I feel like I'm in Miami alot of time, just without the culture. As I said to many others, it's a city where you can drive through beautiful downtown along Lake Eola and have a beat-up pickup truck with Confederate flags pull up alongside you on your left, with a Mercedes on your right. If we get an Opera house, its opening act will be Larry the Cable Guy.

When people ask me if they should relocate here, I just smile and ask, "what are your expectations?" I get the feeling that the city has a vision of what it wants to become, however for that to happen we need more educated people, more cultured base, and massive makeover in many areas.

[moonbeam]

How come nobody has mentioned that it's a right-to-work state here in Florida? The employers treat you like crap, pay you next to nothing and work you like a dog all for NO LOYALTY. The sunshine isn't worth that much to me to sell my dignity for Orlando. The temp companies well, that's another chapter. It is extremely difficult to get a good job here. I'm proud I've been educated up north, worked and know what decent money is, and been surrounded by intelligent people most of my life. That's not true here.
Also I've never been to a meaner town than Orlando. Orlando sucks big time.
You never see any good looking men here either. They're all jocks from UCF, with husky builds, neutral looks, wearing baseball caps or everyone is from another country in Starbucks. I miss American men with good DNA, man.

[Pigsty333]

All the negativity - but everyone seems to stay. You know, crime is crime everywhere. That photo of the Mexican gang member is the same ones you see in NY, Texas, Chicago, LA. So it is not only here. That photo was taken in a very low income area full of crime and drugs, like many other parts of the country.

Why the bashing of the language speakers - there are many areas of the country where the languages are spoken from many different countries. So what - that is what makes it so great. You go to PA and there are places that everything is German or Polish; Chicago - the same, as well as Italian. NY had Little Italy and China Town. So what is the deal. You find that where you have a large concentration of people from one geographical area, you will find things that are native to that section. How about on Colonial - the Vietnamese section - all the shops are Vietnamese run, language is spoken there and the writing is in Vietnamese. Should you not patronize those. If you don't want to hear any other language from any workers - stick to your Publix.

There are many beautiful areas in Orlando and surrounding areas.

Schools - the thing with the school grades are based on a ONE DAY TEST. Is that fair? My daughter is an excellent student and in AP Classes. However, the day of her reading test she was so sick but decided to go and take the test since it is mandatory to graduate and they put so much emphasis and stress everyone over it. Guess what - she missed it by two points and has to retake it again in order to graduate. I don't think that we should be tested and students graded to meet requirements based on a test done in one day.

That is where the schools get their grades. My son goes to Oak Ridge (just got a D) this year after receiving Fs. Not a problem there, he is in AP classes, full curriculum, besides Concert Band, ROTC and JV Baseball. The schools will give you an education. It depends on your child if he wants to learn or be a class clown and how much involvement you, as parents, put into the school and his education. Attend the meetings, be part of the PTSA and be involved. You will see a different side.

For those not happy - go move to the OZARKS. There is crime there too. I lvoe the heat over the damn snow and cold weather. NY has bugs and flies too and their problems - they get blizzards, tornadoes and storms. There is not one place on this earth that is 100% perfect. With paradise comes drawbacks.

You can get fired from any job, at any time. You get treated the same no matter where you go. What I find is that Florida has a lot of whiners - they fault everyone else. There is still lots of racism - if you are a foreigner or a northerner - the Southerner's don't like you. Read the Ticked off section in the Sentinel - that is all you see - Northerners go back.

I live in a great area (UNINCORPORATED ORANGE COUNTY OF ORLANDO), we don't get Orlando Police - we get Orange County Sherif. We don't have the same mayor as the city - we have our own and our own County Commissioners. So there are two Orlando. City and Unincorporated.

[meltyemi]

I moved out of there after living there 22 years. Crime and gang-ridden schools-can't walk down the street in most neighborhoods! Bad idea! It is becoming like LA.

[angeredsmile]

Has Anyone heard of it and how is the area, we are moving into a new Apartment complex on that Street for my wifes job and was curious what it was like, we are from Iowa/North Carolina