My Florida/Hernando County Experience (Miami, Tampa: high crime, home, neighborhoods)

[Dguy]

Imagine that, In my search to find homeowners insurance from which I was dropped, I got to this site.
As a newer resident in Hernando County, I read Liz's post and the more I read,the more I found myself agreeing with most of her observations.
My wife and I moved from "up north" -Minnesota -over 1 1/2 years ago .
We ended up in Spring Hill because at the time(late 2005),a buyer could get more home for the $ here than in Pasco or further south. Luckily I was moved here for my job.
Little did I know..........
Here we go....
-Health care, I don't know what you all are used to down here but we have been very disappointed. I won't elaborate as I could go on and on. Needless to say,it does not compare to service and quality of care "up north"

-Shopping, basically ,there is none other than a Walmart every 5 miles Oh excuse me,we do have a Starbucks now.....WOW!

-Transportation,again,poor, 3 main freeways in the entire southern half of FL.
I95,I75,I4,If you are lucky to get on one of these congested messes,good luck! Other than that ,stick it out on roads with a stoplight every mile
-Taxes,Whoa!!! don't you know Florida has no income tax! ya right!
property Taxes
I bought my home and it is valued at the same as my neighbors,I pay $4K,he pays $2K, What is that crap ? Fair? Equitable?
-Insurance, My first year policy was $2K,not bad considering I paid $800 in MN. Of course, I was dropped the next year and went with citizens.Now at $3000 and climbing every year. I hope the voters have the sense to pass the super exemption in Jan 08. I'll believe it when I see it.
-Business? What business? Where the h*** do people work here?
There is nothing! No manufacturing ,no (very few) large companies
Other than Colonic clinics and Dr's offices,there is not one credible business that employs over 100 people IN THE WHOLE COUNTY!
-Local government-Hernando county, I thought I have seen rednecks in Alabama and North Florida, wow! What a bunch of hunyucks.
Needless to say, as soon as my wife is done with her schooling,we are outa here,I will gladly take 4 seasons and some snow instead of living here.

I am asked all the time,How do you like FLorida? My honest response is, It's a nice place to visit, but I would never want to live there.
Enough said, Sorry for the rant, I thought I was the only one who felt this way,I am glad I am not alone.

Thanks Liz,I appreciate your keen observations.See you on I 75 on the way outa here!

[Songbird42]

I sat here with a smile reading your rant, how true, how true, nothing has changed in over twenty years, and it will get worst before it gets better.
No one cares, if they did, things would change, instead of talking about it,
get people together and get the commission to listen, true there is very little industry in the county, nearly every business is home related, landscapers,
irrigation, plumbers, electrical, pool services, sod, and now that the real estate market is nearly dead, these people are hurting, like a domino effect, once it starts going down, everyone is affected. Local teens that need jobs
after graduation, what have they to choose from: Walmart, Target, shops over on 50, starting at 6.85 how in G*ds name are they to pay rent, pay gas
insurance and eat with 20 hrs a week, and no benefits.

Naturally if you bought at the height of the buying boom your home was assessed at $$$ and your insurance is as such, and in Sept. when you renew your Citizens remember they are not providing SINKHOLE coverage, if you want it you will pay extra for it, only in Hernando and Pasco Cty. The average person is being pushed out slowly, those of us on fixed incomes well
the day will come when we too will have to say good-bye and head North
because of rising prices in taxes and insurance.

I have said this over and over, I don't think this is the place for young people to be, you can't make a decent living unless you travel, I know people who have second and third jobs to make ends meet. This area is lousey for teens
they need someplace to call there own, so they can stay out of harms way or peer pressure, its not easy, pick up the paper and read the poor choices these kids make, breaks my heart. I could also go on and on.

Maybe I'll pass you on 95 going North and I'll wave......believe me I won't shed no tears when I leave.

[Blue717]

Well I sorta liked Liz's post. I'm not originally from NY.. I'm from Jersey! And why is everyone getting in such a huff, because the woman simply posted what she felt to be her opinion! I've taught my children that no one can tell you what to think or to feel.! I agree, I have the rudest neighbors around, I've lived here in Spring Hill for over 5 years and dont know one person! The one walks in his house when he sees you. I also find this area backwards, slow and find business people to be dishonest! I'm not saying everyone, but they are sure out there more than I saw up north! Medical care sucks! You better have a good knowledge of whats going on with your body! Dont take their word for granted! And why is it that this area has the biggest population of non American doctors I have ever seen! Go to Oakhill Hospital and read the physican board. You will think you are in Pakistan! I'm sorry I am middle class America! I speak english and want to go to a doctor that I understand and has the same sanitary values that I do! I went with a friend to a walk in clinic, and a man was in the doctors office spraying for roaches!!!!!! Our government here sucks, and I also believe they are less than honest! I was having an addition put on my home, the contractor scammed me left the job, and took the money. Luckily I was able to get it back thru BBB. But the government said he did nothing wrong, even though he left the job,being a big hole in my yard for over 18 months. The jobs are service jobs, no one can make a real living without going to Tampa. Do I love Florida, yeah I really do, I just cant go back to snow and cold. But I will always miss the North for Medical, where I could trust my doctors, miss being able to call someone for repair services and feel I am not being taken advantage of! And shopping do I miss the malls!!!!!! PLus I just cant afford to go back home! Good Luck to ya Liz!!! Give my regards to Broadway!!!

[gypsychic]

Originally Posted by Blue717

Well I sorta liked Liz's post. I'm not originally from NY.. I'm from Jersey! And why is everyone getting in such a huff, because the woman simply posted what she felt to be her opinion! I've taught my children that no one can tell you what to think or to feel.! I agree, I have the rudest neighbors around, I've lived here in Spring Hill for over 5 years and dont know one person! The one walks in his house when he sees you. I also find this area backwards, slow and find business people to be dishonest! I'm not saying everyone, but they are sure out there more than I saw up north! Medical care sucks! You better have a good knowledge of whats going on with your body! Dont take their word for granted! And why is it that this area has the biggest population of non American doctors I have ever seen! Go to Oakhill Hospital and read the physican board. You will think you are in Pakistan! I'm sorry I am middle class America! I speak english and want to go to a doctor that I understand and has the same sanitary values that I do! I went with a friend to a walk in clinic, and a man was in the doctors office spraying for roaches!!!!!! Our government here sucks, and I also believe they are less than honest! I was having an addition put on my home, the contractor scammed me left the job, and took the money. Luckily I was able to get it back thru BBB. But the government said he did nothing wrong, even though he left the job,being a big hole in my yard for over 18 months. The jobs are service jobs, no one can make a real living without going to Tampa. Do I love Florida, yeah I really do, I just cant go back to snow and cold. But I will always miss the North for Medical, where I could trust my doctors, miss being able to call someone for repair services and feel I am not being taken advantage of! And shopping do I miss the malls!!!!!! PLus I just cant afford to go back home! Good Luck to ya Liz!!! Give my regards to Broadway!!!

Posts like yours and Liz' do NOTHING to make residents here endear you to them - sure, you are entitled to your opinion but maybe you should leave it off the message boards so we don't feel worse about some of the "yankees" invading our state than we already do.

I know plenty of people who have transplanted here from the north, midwest or OTHER COUNTRIES and they fit in just fine and have few complaints. I have no words for your nasty comments about the foreign doctors. Maybe you and Liz should go back north and make room for people who will appreciate what we have to offer here.

It also might help to remember that you "get as good as you give."

JMO

[House4Sale]

I have news for you, every hospital USA has immigrant doctors, nurses and staff working there. I had medical treatment at Oak Hill Hospital and it was some of the best I've ever received. There were English speaking whites working there as was Oriental and Arab and Muslim. All of them were great to me. The Oriental and white male nurses (can't remember their names) were the sweetest! I have no complaints about Oak Hill Hospital or the care I got there!

[Blue717]

To each their own! I have no problem with immigrant medical personnel. My grandson was delivered by a Japanese doctor who was the most gifted I had ever seen! He was born up north! And I'm glad that you have had good experiences at the local hospitals. Unfortunately I, or my family hasnt. My daughter has permanant damage to her spine because of misdiagnosis at a local hospital, due to an auto accident, they even xrayed the wrong leg. I was told I had a heart attack when in fact I only had high blood pressure. But then was given statins, when blood tests showed I had liver problems. My mother was put on the wrong meds which put her into diabetic shock! theres generally a reason why we have the opinions that we do!
I dont apologize for my feelings about Arab doctors, remember the bombing in England was involving doctors and they had applied for residence in the US. I simply dont trust them. No its true that all of them are not bad, but do you know what ones are the terrorists.?? But to answer GYphysic.. dont wish the Northerns to go home. If we do we take our money with us!!!!
I know this is not going to be a popular post, but most opinions come from life experience, mine started with losing a family member in 9/11. And I'm sorry but I do feel that dishonesty in business here is more common, we see it everyday in the papers how some homeowner has lost everything due to a builders that was dishonest. Just look at impact fees that went from 2000 to 10000, thats nothing but greed! I love Florida, the beaches and palm trees, the weather, and the theme parks, I just try to stay in my own element.

[Songbird42]

Unfortunately not everyone is in love with FL. or Spring Hill, I bet that if you could take a poll of people in Spring Hill, you would see that there are alot of unhappy people here, for many reasons. I can understand about the medical
care here, the office that I go to, has had 10 different doctors in there in the last two years, either the doctors thought they were going to make mega bucks and left, or we got one right out of medical school who loved to greet you with "Hey man, how ya doing" and "yea, man" not very profession to say the least. I have been lucky I don't need medical care as far as hospitals, I have used a surgeon for a arm problem that was excellent, follow up care was great.

I hear everyday that people are fed up with insurance, taxes, schools
and believe me, SH twenty years ago, was much different, the taxes were cheap/insurance was low and the schools I think were better. But then the building boom came and we needed more schools, taxes went through the roof and still people bought (they knew that taxes were going to be high and
insurance high) still they bought and now they complain, well if you buy beyond your means and get that bigger house, naturally your going to pay more tax, higher insurance, I don't feel for these people, they want to come and enjoy the weather, the beaches, and everything else that FL has to offer well, it doesn't come cheap and just like up North where they were paying $6,000+ and complaining, they thought they'd come here and live the good life, well folks, here's reality, taxes, insurance and overcrowded schools.

Everyone is entitled to their opinion, I have mine, you have yours and sometimes their not that far apart. I have had my share of good times in SH and I have had the worst of times, I have met some of the nicest people in the world and I have met some of the worst. Through trial and error I have some of the best trades people that do work for me, but it took years to find the ones that are honest and can be trusted. I also know that there are some people out there that will take you for every dime you have. And as I say Buyer Beware, when dealing with any business in SH or FL for that matter.

[Blue717]

By the way, I also live in one of those sink hole homes and mine is having problems, my back porch is now about 8 inches lower than the other side of the porch! My kitchen floor has a sloop to it and is hollow underneath.

[House4Sale]

We lost our home of 15+ years because of unruly neighbors who were doing all sorts of illegal things and not the HOA, police or councilman would help us so we had to move. I am merely trying to get over that unfortunate situation by not putting the good with the bad and it is hard for there are some great immigrants and many not so. That is why many neighborhoods are going downhill. I also have a loved one who has suffered hearing loss from an immigrant ER doctor and that was in Boca Raton so I guess there are good and bad docs in every hospital and medical clinic. Not fair but there it is.

[Blue717]

Agreed! It just seems, House4sale, that I have never had the misfortunes that I had encountered since being here. I think in this area you just have to be more careful! Unfortunately I have adapted the policy of trust no one!