More snow in Northeast....makes you appreciate FLA (Miami, Tampa: insurance, big house)

[Spring Hillian]

Good for you! Sounds like you were a civil servant. Tell me about your taxes, what percentage is the state income tax? Live in NYC? How much is the city income tax percentage? Live outside the city - how's your property taxes?

Originally Posted by Huascar

I'll take the snow up north along with the much higher wages there; wages that allowed me to retire at 55 and come down to Florida in the winter and return to civilization for the rest of the year.

[Tampa Bay FL]

Originally Posted by Sunny-Days90

No responses.

After spending almost my entire life in video two it is time to enjoy life and spend time doing and enjoying life in video one.

I do not like fall, winter or even spring. I like the summer, June, July and August but do not like the rest of those months.

I can always get cooled down but it is getting old shivering, sliding and bundling up like some stinking snowman just to take the kids to school, go to the grocery etc.

I cannot understand why people move from the north to Florida and then move back just to bash Florida. Why the heck did you move to Florida to begin with? You left the north for a reason but wont share that with us.

I have a rod and two wires holding my elbow together from the ice and snow storms of last year. My DH has an rebuilt ankle that he broke a few years ago sliding in the driveway.

I did respond with video. My wife pretty much made the decision to come here. I've only been here a month and I'm not liking it. I miss playing ice hockey outside or riding a snowmobile. I'll also miss being able to jump into the many freshwater lakes of Michigan and not have to worry about being eaten by an alligator.

Originally Posted by Spring Hillian

Good for you! Sounds like you were a civil servant. Tell me about your taxes, what percentage is the state income tax? Live in NYC? How much is the city income tax percentage? Live outside the city - how's your property taxes?

My property taxes in Michigan were a lot lower than Florida. Tell me about your homeowners insurance? Mine in Michigan was about 60% less. Hell homeowners insurance in Florida is more than my property taxes in Michigan. Yes I did pay 4.5% personal income taxes but that was less than the higher property tax and insurance I'll be paying in Florida not too mention I'll need to get my house spayed every few months for bugs.

[Spring Hillian]

You really don't need to worry about alligators eating you. Just stay away from areas they inhabit which you probably wouldn't want to swim at anyway. Instead of snowmobiling try a jet ski. Same idea, different terrain. Can't help you with ice hockey. Not a very Florida sport. Golf is very popular in FL and there are man courses available. Perhaps a change in sport activity is in line?

My home owners insurance this year was $1750. Taxes were $900. I don't think that is bad.

You don't need to get your house sprayed unless you live like a slob.
If there is no food source and no water source (i.e. leaking pipes), you won't have bugs. If you want, go to a DIY pest control store and ask them for a household bug control. Cheap, easy to spray. Works good. I recommend "DEMON".

You've been here a short time and certainly may require adjustment to a new lifestyle. Sit out on the deck, pour a cool drink and enjoy. FL has a lot of activities besides ice hockey and snowmobiles to get into. You just need to kick back and check it all out.

Originally Posted by Tampa Bay FL

I did respond with video. My wife pretty much made the decision to come here. I've only been here a month and I'm not liking it. I miss playing ice hockey outside or riding a snowmobile. I'll also miss being able to jump into the many freshwater lakes of Michigan and not have to worry about being eaten by an alligator.

My property taxes in Michigan were a lot lower than Florida. Tell me about your homeowners insurance? Mine in Michigan was about 60% less. Hell homeowners insurance in Florida is more than my property taxes in Michigan. Yes I did pay 4.5% personal income taxes but that was less than the higher property tax and insurance I'll be paying in Florida not too mention I'll need to get my house spayed every few months for bugs.

[Tampa Bay FL]

Originally Posted by Spring Hillian

You really don't need to worry about alligators eating you. Just stay away from areas they inhabit which you probably wouldn't want to swim at anyway. Instead of snowmobiling try a jet ski. Same idea, different terrain. Can't help you with ice hockey. Not a very Florida sport. Golf is very popular in FL and there are man courses available. Perhaps a change in sport activity is in line?

My home owners insurance this year was $1750. Taxes were $900. I don't think that is bad.

You don't need to get your house sprayed unless you live like a slob.
If there is no food source and no water source (i.e. leaking pipes), you won't have bugs. If you want, go to a DIY pest control store and ask them for a household bug control. Cheap, easy to spray. Works good. I recommend "DEMON".

You've been here a short time and certainly may require adjustment to a new lifestyle. Sit out on the deck, pour a cool drink and enjoy. FL has a lot of activities besides ice hockey and snowmobiles to get into. You just need to kick back and check it all out.

My taxes in Michigan were $1900 and my homeowners insurance was $600. To get the same house in South Tampa (Which is equivalent to the neighborhood I left) I would have to pay over $300,000 and still need to fix it up a little and taxes according to Hillsbourough county records were at least $4000 a year with homestead exemptions, but mostly $5000. I figure at least $2000 a year in insurance so my housing expenses are $6000 at least vs $2500 in Michigan and I didn't even get a raise for coming down here.

My wife is originally from Miami. I own a boat and jet skiis. She wanted to move to Miami and I hate Miami so I comprised and chose Tampa because of the bay. My concern is that 4-6 months out of the year, it'll be too hot to be sitting on my boat. In Michigan you really had only 3 months to boat. We unofficially consider summer from Memorial day to Labor Day. May and September can either be warm enough for boating or too cold. In Florida I'm guess June through September is going to be too hot for boating. I guess in the end I get a couple more months where I can be on the water but is it worth an extra $3500 a year?

My gas bill in the winter is about $80 a month from December through February. I also reinsulated and installed all new windows throughout my house. In the summer gas bill is usually around $30. Water bill was roughly $30 a month. I'm fairly certain electric bills in Florida will exceed $80 a month.

[Alacran]

Why do southerners act like it snows 24/7?

IT can go for weeks without a trace of snow.

Cold does not equal snow.

[noonka43]

Originally Posted by Tampa Bay FL

My taxes in Michigan were $1900 and my homeowners insurance was $600. To get the same house in South Tampa (Which is equivalent to the neighborhood I left) I would have to pay over $300,000 and still need to fix it up a little and taxes according to Hillsbourough county records were at least $4000 a year with homestead exemptions, but mostly $5000. I figure at least $2000 a year in insurance so my housing expenses are $6000 at least vs $2500 in Michigan and I didn't even get a raise for coming down here.

My wife is originally from Miami. I own a boat and jet skiis. She wanted to move to Miami and I hate Miami so I comprised and chose Tampa because of the bay. My concern is that 4-6 months out of the year, it'll be too hot to be sitting on my boat. In Michigan you really had only 3 months to boat. We unofficially consider summer from Memorial day to Labor Day. May and September can either be warm enough for boating or too cold. In Florida I'm guess June through September is going to be too hot for boating. I guess in the end I get a couple more months where I can be on the water but is it worth an extra $3500 a year?

My gas bill in the winter is about $80 a month from December through February. I also reinsulated and installed all new windows throughout my house. In the summer gas bill is usually around $30. Water bill was roughly $30 a month. I'm fairly certain electric bills in Florida will exceed $80 a month.

if you dislike florida! just convince your wife to move back to michigan.

[BucFan]

Originally Posted by Alacran

Why do southerners act like it snows 24/7?

IT can go for weeks without a trace of snow.

Cold does not equal snow.

When the national news (CBS, NBC, ABC) all lead off with news about your weather - over and over - with all the power outages, flight cancellations, people being stranded in their cars for hours - then it seems like there's a problem.

[Mike1306]

Originally Posted by Tampa Bay FL

My property taxes in Michigan were a lot lower than Florida. Tell me about your homeowners insurance? Mine in Michigan was about 60% less. Hell homeowners insurance in Florida is more than my property taxes in Michigan. Yes I did pay 4.5% personal income taxes but that was less than the higher property tax and insurance I'll be paying in Florida not too mention I'll need to get my house spayed every few months for bugs.

On average Michigan property taxes run about $12.36 per $1000 of value, Florida runs about $7.89 per $1000 of value. That puts MI about 14th highest out of all states and Florida about 28th. Did you buy a more expensive home in Florida?

I just renewed my insurance and it was $1500 for $300,000 of coverage and my taxes are $2500.

Lets say you made $50,000 a year up there, that would equal $2250 at the 4.5% you mentioned. That $2250 would be a huge chunk of my home owners insurance and property taxes.

Not to mention I get a jug of bug spray which usually lasts at least a year and I spray every 6 months and never have bugs. Costs me about $20 and takes maybe an hour at the most.

[kbrkr]

So all the Mid-westerners and North easterners who trash Tampa on this forum who moved back North, you can now brace yourselves for another major Blizzard; this one will dump up to 24 inches of snow and it will probably set a RECORD for the most snowfalls over 15" in one season.

I'll take Tampa and all it's warts and farts any day over that!

[Alacran]

Originally Posted by BucFan

When the national news (CBS, NBC, ABC) all lead off with news about your weather - over and over - with all the power outages, flight cancellations, people being stranded in their cars for hours - then it seems like there's a problem.

Maybe because it happens at different cities and different times?

You guys keep yapping about that storm in nyc when it didn't affect us at all. We are oblivious to it.

So no. It wasn't a problem.