Where do people get the money? (Tampa: renting, student loans, home)

[bavariantransplant]

Originally Posted by PhotoProIP

Actually its not that black and white. Some people, myself included, could not finish a certain degree due to a predatory school who decided to double the fees come 2nd year. So, I will continue to complain about it because I feel robbed right now! And also damned if I do damned if I don't. I had a friend who was an A student with a GPA well over 4 and who was not able to continue her studies due to cost. Some people are just not made out of money. Education is expensive.

It is that black and white. Education is not a requirement for success, many times its a hindrance.

Fact is, you either wake up to be successful or you do not, despite the hand your dealt. I know this from personal experience and from learning from others.

[fiege1224]

If you brought back prisons for people that don't pay there bills in Florida over half of the people living in Florida would be in jail today. I am dealing with one of them know. I bought a lot from a bank on the water and the bank didn't foreclose the right way and due to the BS laws in Florida for dead beat people it is almost impossible for me to get ownership. This guy didn't pay his mortgage or taxes on the lot for 5 years. He even let me pay the taxes for three on it. It wasn't till I went to sell the lot that I found out the banks misstate. They mailed 2 notices of foreclosure regular mail instead of certifying the notices. So of coarse he said he never got them. Know he wants the lot back for free and pay him 5,000 and lawyer fees to settle. Plus let my title company pay me off for my loss. I know have 2 lawyers , a bank and title company trying to get my lot back. Believe it or not I think the dead beats lawyer is going to win. Florida is one of the most corrupt states in the US. It starts at the top office and works its way down.

[sean1the1]

People will always find a way to dis credit the facts that plenty of people here do actually have good jobs...

[BucFan]

Originally Posted by bavariantransplant

It is that black and white. Education is not a requirement for success, many times its a hindrance.

Fact is, you either wake up to be successful or you do not, despite the hand your dealt. I know this from personal experience and from learning from others.

Earnings and unemployment rates by educational attainment

[fiege1224]

Originally Posted by sean1the1

People will always find a way to dis credit the facts that plenty of people here do actually have good jobs...

Know if you could just get them to pay for what they sign for everything would be much better in Florida.

[floridagirl777]

I love the graph BucFan provided. I know a degree is not everything, but clearly it DOES help.

I worked high school guidance in Hernando County for a while and I'll tell you … I know plenty of high school grads up there who did not do anything with themselves beyond high school. Many of them are still working at Panera or Sweet Frog and living with their parents. Others got married shortly after high school and they and their spouses are now working at places like Wal-Mart or Target and are on some form of government assistance. The kids who went to PHCC for nursing, medical tech field, etc are faring much better.

I found that many of the parents who were struggling to get by did not have any idea how to help their children go beyond a high school diploma. I find this to be a complete tragedy, and it points to an unfortunate difference in economic class. It was a shock to me in guidance meetings when I began to talk about college with these parents and they'd look so clueless. I took for granted that every adult knew what to do to help their children escape low paying jobs and government assistance.

[Spring Hillian]

I never could figure out what the problem is with the "disenchanted" here on CD.
Living in FL is no different than living any where else, except we do have some nice benefits by living here. No matter where you live, you have to work, at least most people do. That is how it works. Wherever I've been I found there to be people going to work every day, doing their jobs, collecting their paychecks. In most places you have those who earn high salaries, those who are in the middle and then we have the low income folks and the poor.

It seems to me that everyone who moves to FL expects to be handed a $150k year job and a corner office just because they are here. Ridiculous, isnt it?

If you want to earn a decent salary in this country you need to be able to provide value to an employer. Many jobs can be filled by people with little skill or knowledge, but most jobs require those skills, knowledge and experience in the field they want to work in.

If the pay was so great where you came from, why did you leave it? Those folks who earn lower than average earnings simple have lower than average skills and knowledge. If operating a cash register is the limits of your skill set, don't expect to earn more than $10 an hour. If you have experience in your field of expertise, then you know what you are worth and you will be paid accordingly. Otherwise you take a job and when a better one comes along you take that.

All this chatter about "Fortune 500" companies is a bunch of malarkey. How many of you have the necessary skills, knowledge and expertise to work for a "Fortune 500" company?
How many of you have a trade? Electrician, plumber, carpenter, certified auto mechanic, certified at anything?

I have found a lot of people who are in low wage jobs and relocate to FL wind up in low wage jobs here just like they did at "home". Yes, FL wages for the most part are lower than a lot of places. No state or city income taxes is a strong reason behind that. So are other lower costs of living. This affects the salary.

So, instead complaining about what has been for decades, get off your butts and go to a place that you can get the money you so desperately want. There are trade offs everywhere. In NYC $100k is nothing and most people there don't earn that. Rents for a 1 bedroom apartment in an 80 year old apartment building will run you $1,200 to $4,000 a month depending the borough and neighborhood you choose to live in. I wont even go into the State and city tax rates on income. Want to live in a house? You better be ready to spend $300k-infinity, again depending on where you want to live. On Long Island figure about $600k average single family home with a $12k a year tax bill.

Salary for a guy in Long Island working for the city collecting trash a job requires that high-school diploma or a G.E.D.starts at $27,842 and peak, after five years, at $44,44151,978. A NYC cop after twenty years on the force gets $54,978, unless you get promoted to sergeant ($59,299), lieutenant ($68,067), or captain ($83,543). Then there's the chief of department, one notch below police commissioner, who makes $122,000.

Some of you are using comparisons based on what a magazine says. Some of you are basing it on nothing but desire.

Also are you all single? 2 people making $12 an hour will yield about $50k a year. Can't live on 50k a year here? Then you have a problem.

What do some of you expect here? AND WHY.


and the most important thing: If you don't like it in FL, you are free to leave and go where you can go on CD and chatter about how great it is there. Instead, I will stay here and enjoy the quality of life FL offers me.

[Spring Hillian]

Some good points. Bottom line: What you get out of life is totally dependent on what you put into life.

Originally Posted by floridagirl777

I love the graph BucFan provided. I know a degree is not everything, but clearly it DOES help.

I worked high school guidance in Hernando County for a while and I'll tell you … I know plenty of high school grads up there who did not do anything with themselves beyond high school. Many of them are still working at Panera or Sweet Frog and living with their parents. Others got married shortly after high school and they and their spouses are now working at places like Wal-Mart or Target and are on some form of government assistance. The kids who went to PHCC for nursing, medical tech field, etc are faring much better.

I found that many of the parents who were struggling to get by did not have any idea how to help their children go beyond a high school diploma. I find this to be a complete tragedy, and it points to an unfortunate difference in economic class. It was a shock to me in guidance meetings when I began to talk about college with these parents and they'd look so clueless. I took for granted that every adult knew what to do to help their children escape low paying jobs and government assistance.

[floridagirl777]

Originally Posted by Spring Hillian

Some good points. Bottom line: What you get out of life is totally dependent on what you put into life.

Exactly! Though I will say I've learned that some people aren't sure how to go about making their lives or the lives of their children better. I literally had to walk some parents through the process of helping their child go through the application process for life beyond high school. Many never knew they were supposed to be touring college campuses and beginning the process early on in high school. Those who had the drive to grab onto the help I was offering were able to secure better futures for their children. Those who did not … well … their kids are the ones working dead end jobs now and struggling to meet their bills.

I have a sister who does not have a college degree. She is a single mom and does not live extravagantly. Many times she has had to work 2 jobs to make ends meet. Well, she lost her job here in Florida, and she was pretty depressed about it for several months. Rather than complain about things, she picked herself up, found a way to secure some loans and scholarships, and is now putting herself through school to become a paralegal while working part-time. She is almost finished and has already made enough connections through school and her professors to land a decent job.

Most people CAN better their lives if they so desire and know where to go for help. Know what drives your local economy and find a field that will profit well there. If you don't like your job situation in Florida, DO something to change it. I busted my tail to get through college and grad school, as did my husband. We just recently paid off our student loans and, after a lot of discipline and hard work, we are able to enjoy some financial success.

[Trigger-f]

Originally Posted by TXRyan23

LoL Someone has their panties in a bunch...

Actually, that extra $5k average per year is a lot of money when you also consider that our cost of living is also one of the lowest in the country.

I'm not really sure what the refineries and beaches have to do with income, but hey, those refinery jobs pay much more than the Florida average, so I guess that's something..

Yes, that someone is you. $5K is a lot of $? Hope you're a home owner, otherwise if you're renting, you're spending the extra $5K on that. Refineries are unsightly. If I go to the beach, I don't want to look at this (that's Galveston)....

http://stateimpact.npr.org/texas/fil...2/IMG_0887.jpg

Consumer Prices in Houston, TX are 3.71% lower than in Tampa, FL Consumer Prices Including Rent in Houston, TX are 8.51% higher than in Tampa, FL Rent Prices in Houston, TX are 39.27% higher than in Tampa, FL Restaurant Prices in Houston, TX are 1.50% higher than in Tampa, FL Groceries Prices in Houston, TX are 0.42% lower than in Tampa, FL Local Purchasing Power in Houston, TX is 2.99% lower than in Tampa, FL