Anyone move to Sarasota from New York area (not retirees)? (Osprey: crime, home)

[Tommygphotos]

Originally Posted by leavingqueens

Wow! Thank you everyone for the many, helpful replies! Just to clarify -- I am not anti-retiree -- I just put that in my headline because I wanted to hear from working folks with a family like me. I can't wait to visit Sarasota. I LOVE warm weather -- and I LOVE the beach. I've looked around at real estate on Realtor.com -- it looks like there's way more housing stock down there than here in Millburn (where I live now). I could afford up to $400,000 but would prefer lower -- renting might be a good option, too -- though around here renting a house is more than a mortgage! Our school district is rated one of the top 20 in the country -- one of the reasons I moved here -- but now I realize it's because they give a billion hours of homework a night, make kids compete to get into AP classes, and everyone has tutors! It's a pretty rich, competitive town -- I do know some really wonderful people here -- but I just can't keep up -- I don't want to keep up! I do have to say I am really nervous about leaving family behind -- maybe the money I save in mortgage/taxes I can use on airfare! Sorry for the rant -- thanks again! You folks who left this area behind sounds like you did the right thing!

Millburn? We were neighbors. We were in Union right by The Springfield/Millburn/Union border near CVS

[03bluecoupe]

Well, I'm from New York (40 years worth) and moved to SW Florida.... but I'm retired so I guess my views don't count.

Good luck with whatever you do.

[gkygrl]

My partner and I moved from Saratoga Springs to Sarasota in May 2014. We were finally able to get my Mom's house sold - so she is on her way and we are selling our Villa in Glen Oaks Manor and buying a larger place a bit south of here.

We love it here! NY (Upstate or down) is extremely expensive. We are non-retirees (in age at least) and living in Sarasota has been a breath of fresh air. We understand the pain of expenses! There are a lot of options for you.

Best of luck!!!

[Lizbethnewbe]

I'm from NJ too and while I love Sarasota--less traffic, beautiful winters, the beaches etc., I would say that if I had school age children, I would not move here. Compared to NJ which has among the top two or three school systems in the country, this would be a disappointment for me. You have to judge based on you children's needs and interests. I know people here always mention one school for the gifted that is outstanding, but a majority of students do not fall in that category. It's a different way of life and I find the people, while lovely, are far less sophisticated. I'm not a snob, I'm glad I can enjoy the slower pace and friendly neighborhors,but I also get a little tired of people saying " oh, you must be from NY" when they hear me speak. Things go a lot slower and I do get impatient at times with the round about conversational patterns.

I have a child who graduated from USF and got a great job. However, he felt that it was a breeze compared to high school in NJ. He's happy and living in Florida, but I think he's got somethings of an edge due to his early experiences.You know your children best. I don't mean to discourage you, but I wanted to give you the other side of the situation.

One more thing I am frequently surprised by is the amount of crime. I live in a lovely gated community and there are burglaries a few times a year. Also, there are a lot more guns around.

[swaptrex]

Funny, I'm considering moving from Sarasota to Manhattan.

[leavingqueens]

Oh, dear, 03Bluecoupe! I am so sorry -- that headline of mine does read kind of snotty! I apologize. I'd definitely value your opinion ...

Thank you, Lizbethnewbe, for your honest feedback. Frankly, everyone I know who's moved to Florida from here has either moved back or gotten divorced ... don't know why!

[Sunshine Rules]

I think I can shed some light on the moving back.

Most of the people I've met that have relocated from somewhere else and are happy here in Sarasota and/or Bradenton made the move because (a) they already had family here, (b) they had been coming here a number of years on vacations/spending the winters here or (c) they did extensive research accompanied by multiple visits to the area before moving so were also familiar with the pluses and minuses before making the move.

The warm winters, sunshine and white sand beaches often lure people into moving here that haven't really thought out the reality of leaving all of their family members and friends "back north" to start a new life in Florida. Some people cope well with that many changes, some do not. The "do nots" generally end up moving "back home" within a year or two.

[Travelassie]

Originally Posted by Nancy in Nokomis

Yes, when I mentioned restaurants closing at 8 PM - I meant Venice/Nokomis area - better make that 6 PM - LOL

We try to take advantage of what Florida has to offer but unlike Luby162 we cant afford to take many "weekend getaways" and mostly go to our local beaches and events - and many events cost money to get in - so bring a lot of money if you want to go to all the events. And we cant afford to join a boat club even though my husband makes a good salary.

Taxes are very low but watch out for insurance - you will need homeowners insurance AND wind insurance and MAYBE flood insurance. My insurance up North was around $600 a year but now it is in the thousands.

Just a quick question here. Does your homeowner's insurance there exclude windstorm coverage, requiring you to purchase separate windstorm coverage for your house/property? I am asking because that is the impression I got from your post, and that is what we had to do for our house in Miami, due to its location ( east of US 1 in southern Dade County). The homeowners insurance companies would not write policies that included windstorm coverage from about 1995 or so on for homes in more coastal locations in Dade county, and I think in other counties on the southeast coast too, but I was not aware that they did the same thing on the Florida Gulf coast as well. The insurance on our current house ( waterfront on the Peace River), does include windstorm, but maybe it is considered more inland.

[joeyddog]

I am from NJ (originally from Bergen County) but I am retired (sorry) but I'd like to stick my 2 cents in. My friend's daughter worked in Millburn schools so I know about the competitive nature you referred to. There are some decent school districts here that you should definitely research. When I first moved to NJ, I sat in on classes in each school I was interested in and interviewed the principals. That's not realistic if you haven't narrowed down the area but maybe pick a typical school and see if that would work for your kids.Also there are some decent private schools here such as Out of Door Academy. One of my friend's daughters just moved here from Australia and is very happy with it. There are also charter schools here, part of the public school system that depending on your kids' interests might work. There are others here but I don't know the names. There is a large home schooled culture here that was a shock to me coming from NJ. As far as costs go, my taxes went from around $13,000 to under $2000. Car insurance is higher. You need to factor in serious flood insurance if you're in a flood zone. It's very easy to return to NJ with Tampa and Sarasota airport connections to EWR or Trenton. Good luck with your search

[Shabotnik]

leavingqueens:

From what you've described with your love of the beach and warm weather, you will not be sorry if you join your husband here. You will be sorry you didn't do it sooner.