Thinking of going to Tampa? (Clearwater, Brandon: sales, crime rate, new home)

[Tampa Red]

Originally Posted by chrisboston

You florida people seem like you hate it there, and talk about how expensive it is there. It's insanely cheap compared to Boston. I looked up apartment rental prices in the Tampa/Pasco county area, and they're INSANELY low. You say you don't get paid much? My highest paying job in Boston has been $37k, and I'm sharing a 1 bedroom with another person. I live in a hallway. We pay $1250 a month.Every person I know with a bachelor's degree makes less than $40,000/year, and pays at least $1000 a month for a one bedroom apartment. Our taxes are higher, our traffic is worse, and we have winter. I'm planning on moving to Tampa next month, and I can't wait.

Thanks to everyone who had helpful advice, I hope to run into you sometime when I get down there.

I'm originally from Boston. It's not expensive down here at all, you could live well on 37k if you move near a beach area, (obviously not on the beach ).

Why anyone would want to move here and not be near a beach is a mystery to me, but different strokes for different folks.

You might check into the job situation, though. A bachelors degree means nothing unless you have a specific area of expertise.

Good Luck!

[rioasad]

When my wife and I moved here to Tampa in 1999, we were DINKS in our mid-twenties. It was heaven; we had good jobs in the tech industry, homes were CHEAP (we bought a 3 bedroom townhouse in Clearwater for 70K), the beach rocked, and the clubs in Ybor City couldn't be better.

That was 7 years ago. Now we have one kid, and have another on the way. Housing has gotten ridiculously expensive. We can no longer afford the type of home we want without forking over a major percentage of our paychecks. Taxes are high, and Tampa had the highest increase in crime in the top-50 metros in the US for 2005. Oh, and did I mention the sexual predators? Face it, if you are a sexual pervert, are you gonna live in Chicago (where women dress for winter) or Tampa (where women do not need to wear much at all)?

We have decided to move. We are looking at Kansas City and Raleigh/Durham.

Good luck. Yes, the weather here is great starting October. And there are some great beaches. FLorida is ranked pretty low in education. Good luck with your desicion.

[FedUpInFtMyers]

Go to Tampa or St. Petersburg to live definitely. That is where I moved from to Fort Myers aka Fort Misery. The road raging monster trucks are down here! Ha ha. I have nothing good to say about SW FL and EVERYTHING WONDERFUL to say about West Central Florida. I am returning to Tampa Bay as soon as possible.

[FedUpInFtMyers]

Anyone going to Tampa Bay is making a change for the better. Wish I had stayed. The beaches are just right over the Howard Franklin Bridge. My favorite is the very south end of Gulf Blvd called Pass A Grille though anything along Gulf Blvd other than Clearwater Beach is wonderful. Clw Beach is too busy for me. There is a really best waterfront recreational area in Tampa called Picnic Island. Check it out on the net if you don't know where it is and go are for yourself. It is good for a day when you don't feel like driving from Tampa into the beaches over the bridge.

[Nomoresubways]

Can I ask a really dumb and potentially retarded question here? I haven't been to the gulf in oh maybe 25 years or so. Is there any possibility of boogey boarding in the gulf, or is that strictly Atlantic Ocean turf? I'm used to the ocean off Long Island, so part of me is guessing the Gulf is about as wild, wave-wise, as the Long Island Sound. (That's pretty tame to anyone unfamiliar)

[scamutz]

Originally Posted by Nomoresubways

Can I ask a really dumb and potentially retarded question here? I haven't been to the gulf in oh maybe 25 years or so. Is there any possibility of boogey boarding in the gulf, or is that strictly Atlantic Ocean turf? I'm used to the ocean off Long Island, so part of me is guessing the Gulf is about as wild, wave-wise, as the Long Island Sound. (That's pretty tame to anyone unfamiliar)

Only if you're really really small. You can skim board though! When we want a taste of the real ocean, we head over to St. Augustine Beach, one of the nicest beaches I've ever been to.

[Wings]

NicBeatle,
Can you elaborate on charter schools in Hillsborough? Our kids go to a charter school in Okaloosa county and we love it. We are moving to Tampa though so are looking for something as good.

[UF_john]

Originally Posted by scamutz

This is about the tenth post that I have read about adult, healthy people not being able to afford it living in FL. I seriously have no comprehension. (NOT directed at anyone in particular) What is keeping them from working more, getting a better job, going back to school, etc. etc.?? I am not wealthy. My parents were never wealthy. My father was a full time police officer and drove truck on his days off so that we could afford a nice home.

My wife an I have gotten no special privileges... I joined the Marines at 21, and finished up a BA degree over the course of 12 years with the GI Bill while working full time...my wife got a nursing degree.

Neither of us are in high powered jobs, we haven't won the lottery....we just work hard, watch what we spend, and are able to afford a nice home in Wesley Chapel and our kids go to "A" rated schools and do fine with the FCAT's...no panic attacks, no fears of not doing well. Granted, we work with our three children every night on their homework etc...which I can't help might be another place where people just aren't putting in the time necessary to succeed.

This post may come off as arrogant or accusatory, I apologize...that is not my intention, but I don't know how else to say it. I just can't imagine how people can sit at their computers typing to city-data about how they can't afford to live. Maybe you should be working, or training for a higher paid position instead of surfing the net? We're in our early 30's now, and struggled through our first 6 years or so of marriage, but are just beginning to enjoy the fruits of our labor a little bit, but we're still working hard.

I have younger sister that moved down about 2 years ago. She just had a baby and is a stay at home mom. They purchased a mobile home when they moved down for 85k, and are living on my BIL's income from his warehouse job...and things are definitely tight for them. But it's NOT because Florida is expensive....it's certainly a heck of a lot more affordable than NJ where they moved down from. It's because she isn't working (she needs to be home with the baby), and he lacks the drive to improve his position by training or working more than 40-50 hours a week. But the opportunities are there...he works 12 hours shifts, and could easily be going to school to be an Orderly, Nursing Assistant, LPN, whatever and take advantage of the need for medical staff at all of the Hospitals.

We were even able to purchase a small old farmhouse in N. Florida this year for brief respites from the fray. Believe me, if we can do it, any average person without extraordinary obstacles can do it as well. It's no different from any place in the country...you just have to work for it.

I disagree. You are very optimistic but it seems like you are basing things off a comparison to the Northeast. Florida IS expensive -- the wind insurance, the property taxes, the low wages, etc. You are basically saying in your post that it's better than New Jersey so you just have to deal with it. And people should not be complaining they should be working for $7 an hour. Well, the whole point of this forum is to enlighten, not complain. And things are definitely wrong in Florida so of course I'm going to speak up about it. Well, NJ is a dirty hole. Compare it to something decent where there's no wind insurance going up 33% in January and 55% in March. Look at Nebraska or Iowa. You can buy a house there and pay a good price, get a high paying job, and yeah there's snow, but you'll be living comfortably financially. There are tons of other states like that where moneywise you are better off than in Florida. So it's not just about "yeah, I need to work 3 jobs for minimum wage" to get by in Florida. Florida is low slave-labor salary state for the most part. That's not the way to live. And it's not the only option because it's better than the Northeast. There are other places to live, but the sacrifice is that you will have to give up something (such as the weather, beaches, etc.). It's all on what is important to you.

There are people that could make more money and have a big house living in Illinois but would rather live in Florida and make the dirt wages because they love the beach and the weather.

I'm saying you can't have it all. And for a young person starting out, I don't believe Florida is great. If you are coming down with some equity and some money in the bank, than Florida can be great for you. It's all on what is good for a person's situation and what they are willing to sacrifice.

I'm glad you love Pasco County and have found your niche, but Pasco's low wages, dumb uneducated people, excessive number of retirees, child molesters, and high insurances are definitely not for everyone.

[scamutz]

Originally Posted by UF_john

Well, NJ is a dirty hole.

Wow, that's not very insulting. The home that we lived in in NJ was gorgeous on two acres surrounded by premium horse property. Rolling hills, huge trees and fresh air. You're uninformed and impolite.

[Wings]

If allyou know about NJ is what you see from the highway around NYC and Camden you will have a skewed impression. It is a very diverse state with some very nice and very rich areas.

Regarding Florida cost of living - I don't think it is too bad considering the cost of other Southern beach areas. There is a salary problem though as others have said especially for important professionals like teachers and nurses among others. The attitude seems to be that you are lucky to live here so we can pay you less. I agree that nothing requires anyone to stay where they currently live. There may be obstacles like family ties to an area and moving costs but if the grass is greener elsewhere than try to find a job there and then move. If enough people vote with their feet then salaries will respond. Unfortunately most people are afraid or unwilling to move somewhere new. Of course if you are retired none of that matters which explains why retirees don't have as many complaints. That and so many are here by choice. Not that I am against snowbirds (my parents are among them). I think it is an issue that most vote and maintain residency (at least the ones I know) in their Summer locations and therefore don't affect change as much as they would otherwise. Maybe now that our "intangibles tax" has been rescinded more retirees will establish residency and have a voice in FL issues.

The real problems in FL stem from the fact that when the voters do pass pro-active measures like class-size and public transportation the special interests and the state government do everything they can to avoid implementation. Developers and real estate people are huge contributors in local elections. Too many politicians are bought and paid for which leads to unrestrained and poorly planned sprawl and road congestion.

How's that for compiling several rants into one posting!