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Hello all.
Not intending to start an internet arguement here (there is a bad joke about it which is true that I shall not repeat) but I am really curious why it is that there are so many negative replies to people interested in moving to the PC/N.Port/Punta area? My wife and I are moving to the area very shortly and it cracks me up to see so many posts that say "there is nothing to do","job market sucks","not good for families", etc. etc....
Did the county put out a memo to residents that says let's keep people out? I understand that the best places only stay that way if growth is regulated but discouraging everyone who is interested can do just as much damage.
Just for fun I'll give my story and experience to see if anyone has anything good to say.......
My wife, myself and our two children currently live in a smallish town outside of Indianapolis. It was a quiet place 15 years ago when we moved here but has grown exponentially and become a Heroin mecca over the years. We have reached our limit and decided it's time to get out.
When we decided to get out we started looking at where we wanted to be and decided that since we would likely retire to Florida anyway (original, I know), we should just go now while we are young enough to REALLY enjoy it. Not saying older folks don't but we hurt less after a night of drinking and dancing than we will 10 years from now. Anyway....we have family in the PC area and after a visit have decied that is where we want to be.
We'll be moving with a few thousand in the bank and family to stay with while we find a suitable rental home and gainful employment (read below before commenting on the employment).
Observations that helped us decide.....
Brick and mortar schools are decent, online option is terrific
Ammenities of life (stores, restaurants) are populous and plentiful
Ammenities of fun (beaches, bars, clubs activities) are within an hour in any direction
Jobs are available... and in high demand if you are a service based worker which we both are. Yes, jobs are available if you are actually willing to work. Service based businesses in the area are actually understaffed because of the number of retirees who are done working and "entitled" 20 somethings that won't take a job that is below them.
There is no snow.....EVER!
Cost of living is almost exactly the same as what we are used to.
There is no snow.......EVER!
Crime rate is lower than where we live now.
After comparing everything here to there we cannot find any disadvantage to relocating, other than the people who post here that unless you have a ton of money and a job waiting you shouldn't move here.
So, is there something I am missing about the area that would make it somewhere to stay away from or is it just that the 80% of people who are there that came from somewhere else want the fact that it an ideal location to stay their little secret?
It's our little secret and our little paradise - LOL. We moved here from Syracuse, NY and will never go back. Don't miss the snow one bit. We originally moved to North Port and have since moved to Port Charlotte. We enjoy the area because it is convenient to everything we need and want and your are right, it is less than an hour if you want to go to Ft Myers or Sarasota. This area is a small city and is not overcrowded like some of the others. It has lower crime than the larger cities. The schools are decent, not like NY, but decent. I was a teacher in both Sarasota and Charlotte County schools. Jobs are hard to find, that is usually the major issue. But there are job opportunities if you get out there and look. Wages are lower, so be prepared for that. If you have family living in Port Charlotte and have visited the area, then you have a good idea if it is somewhere you would want to live. I moved here because my family was here and I have never regretted it. Best of luck to you!
Thanks for the reply.
We are prepared that the wage for the same job may be slightly lower than it is here. It's part of why we are paying off our cars to eliminate monthly expenditure and have already told the kids it's basic cable if any at all (it's Florida....go outside! ). We also figure there will be a slight offset in our favor since you don't pay state income tax there. Hardest part we figure is finding a job that will allow more than 29 hours/week. Thanks Obama.....
Thanks for the reply.
We are prepared that the wage for the same job may be slightly lower than it is here. It's part of why we are paying off our cars to eliminate monthly expenditure and have already told the kids it's basic cable if any at all (it's Florida....go outside! ). We also figure there will be a slight offset in our favor since you don't pay state income tax there. Hardest part we figure is finding a job that will allow more than 29 hours/week. Thanks Obama.....
"have already told the kids it's basic cable if any at all"
You can get ABC, NBC, CBS and FOX as well as others with an old fashioned antennae or even rabbit ear type antennae in this area. You would need a modern digital type TV or a converter to do this. But that could save you a few bucks a month till things come together.
I haven't seen the negativity that you refer to. However, I for one dislike the snowbirds only because of the congestion and the fact that they are here to have fun and tend to be a bit disrespectful. That said however, I was one once and they are certainly a necessary element to this economy so they are more than welcome.
I don't know about your area there but I will tell you than this is not an inexpensive place to live by any means. There is no income tax but that is more than offset by the high property taxes (reflected in rent also) and high assessments. Necessities are equally high, utilities are very high and it will cost you a good sum to party it up.
I don't know what a service based worker is but you will need a good income to get by comfortably, especially with two kids.
Indianapolis is always a good place to get away from ...
There are a few people on here that are simply negative about every aspect of life and want to bring others down with them. Do not feed these trolls.
However, we also get a lot of people coming on here with their minds already made up that they're moving to FL with NO jobs lined up, NO money to live on, and think they're going to be just fine down here in their delusional La-ti-da minds. That's where a lot of the "negativity" you speak of is coming from. There are WAY too many people already being supported by the corrupt welfare system, and we don't need to add even more entitlement losers to that list. Believe it or not, there have even been folks come on here, admitting that they are on public assistance, and wondering how hard it is to transfer their welfare to FL, get housing assistance, etc... all because "we don't have to work and hate the cold". Those a$$hats get a lashing from posters, as you can imagine.
People are very helpful on here with information, but we also try to be realistic and make people see that it's not all sunshine and martinis (unless you're retired with a good nest egg). Some only want to hear the positive and get upset when people respond with realism. Most of us on here come from different states. We've all made the move to FL at some point. Some make it, some don't. We're simply offering advice based on REAL experiences. Some people are so "out there" that they only see the rainbows & roses. They will fall hardest when their endeavor fails.
I haven't seen the negativity that you refer to. However, I for one dislike the snowbirds only because of the congestion and the fact that they are here to have fun and tend to be a bit disrespectful. That said however, I was one once and they are certainly a necessary element to this economy so they are more than welcome.
I don't know about your area there but I will tell you than this is not an inexpensive place to live by any means. There is no income tax but that is more than offset by the high property taxes (reflected in rent also) and high assessments. Necessities are equally high, utilities are very high and it will cost you a good sum to party it up.
I don't know what a service based worker is but you will need a good income to get by comfortably, especially with two kids.
Indianapolis is always a good place to get away from ...
I've just seen a lot of posts of people considering relocation and almost every one has someone or several saying the job market stinks, don't come here without a job or the schools are horrible, not good for families. That type of thing.
Snowbird traffic, boy oh boy I can agree on that. When we were there I told my wife that she better brush up on her defensive driving skills.
Housing expenses we found to be surprisingly low compared to Indy. An identical type house that rents for 800/mo. in the PC area would run about 1100/mo.here. I suspect we'll gain in some areas and lose in others.
Service based workers, basically any retail, food service or location sales such as car or furniture sales. As opposed to manufacturing or professional.
There are a few people on here that are simply negative about every aspect of life and want to bring others down with them. Do not feed these trolls.
However, we also get a lot of people coming on here with their minds already made up that they're moving to FL with NO jobs lined up, NO money to live on, and think they're going to be just fine down here in their delusional La-ti-da minds. That's where a lot of the "negativity" you speak of is coming from. There are WAY too many people already being supported by the corrupt welfare system, and we don't need to add even more entitlement losers to that list. Believe it or not, there have even been folks come on here, admitting that they are on public assistance, and wondering how hard it is to transfer their welfare to FL, get housing assistance, etc... all because "we don't have to work and hate the cold". Those a$$hats get a lashing from posters, as you can imagine.
People are very helpful on here with information, but we also try to be realistic and make people see that it's not all sunshine and martinis (unless you're retired with a good nest egg). Some only want to hear the positive and get upset when people respond with realism. Most of us on here come from different states. We've all made the move to FL at some point. Some make it, some don't. We're simply offering advice based on REAL experiences. Some people are so "out there" that they only see the rainbows & roses. They will fall hardest when their endeavor fails.
Hoped that is what I was seeing and not the full concensus. We have a pretty good grasp on reality fortunately. We aren't afraid of work or starting at the bottom and very few things are below us if it means keeping a roof and food on the table. We've got starting money from the sale of our home and are pretty simple people in that we don't need a new car every other year or a giant house to clean.
The way I see things is that I still have to do all the things of life I do now, I just get to do them in a prettier place.
I don't know about your area there but I will tell you than this is not an inexpensive place to live by any means. There is no income tax but that is more than offset by the high property taxes (reflected in rent also) and high assessments. Necessities are equally high, utilities are very high and it will cost you a good sum to party it up.
I find it much less expensive than living in NJ, my taxes and electric are 50 percent lower here and I don't enjoy the homestead exemption because I'm not a full time resident yet so it will only get cheaper. Add in no state income tax and I would have to say the living here is pretty cheap!
I haven't seen the negativity that you refer to. However, I for one dislike the snowbirds only because of the congestion and the fact that they are here to have fun and tend to be a bit disrespectful. That said however, I was one once and they are certainly a necessary element to this economy so they are more than welcome.
I don't know about your area there but I will tell you than this is not an inexpensive place to live by any means. There is no income tax but that is more than offset by the high property taxes (reflected in rent also) and high assessments. Necessities are equally high, utilities are very high and it will cost you a good sum to party it up.
I don't know what a service based worker is but you will need a good income to get by comfortably, especially with two kids.
Indianapolis is always a good place to get away from ...
I can't say it's a dislike for snowbirds in general, after all, they bring their money and spend it here, business owners love it, and it's good for the local economy. Besides I think most of us know snowbirds who are good folks we're happy to have as neighbors, friends, and acquaintances, even just for part of the year they're in this neck of the woods. It might be more of a love-hate thing with the snowbirds- general reference to the masses that come to spend the winter here ( not really hate, but just providing the contrasts) as snowbirds increase the traffic on the roads, make it impossible to get into local restaurants without long waits, glut emergency medical services when they come ( try to make a doctor's appointment during the season-or go to an urgent care center). That said, I've found most snowbirds polite folks, but there are others who come here with the same sense of entitlement that they live with in NY, who visibly hold the locals in disdain as they look down on anyone who wasn't born, raised and educated in the northeast. They tend to be rude. And IMO those folks can take their money and go elsewhere.
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