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I REALLY have to disagree with you on some of the pros. The cost of living in Florida is low but not necessarily so in or near its largest cities. Sure you can live on a low wage but generally the wages are lower so it does not mean it is easier to live. I know many people struggling to live in Florida because the pay for jobs is just not good.
The weather is hot more than just in the summer. I just talked to someone in FL and they said the tempurature is near 90. It is only April and it is already in the 80's??? I don't call that good weather by any stretch of the imagination.
Construction is not "miles ahead". In fact I would say it is closer to being shoddy. Homes in Florida tend to be built by larger tract builders who cut corners EVERYWHERE they can can. Plus there are a lot of poorly built mobile homes which we do not have much of here in Connecticut. Homes here may be older but that does not mean they are poorly built. In fact they are likely to be better built and certainly have more real character as opposed to the fake character of most homes found in FL.
You are correct the state is fairly flat which to me is pretty boring and just plain ugly. Give me lush tree covered hills and mountains anyday over flat boring sand cover with annemic looking trees and brush. JMHO, Jay
Well, the public infrastructure is much better than it is in CT. The roads in FL are in FAR better condition than in CT.
As for the construction, it's really a mixed bag. The new construction in CT can go either way. Much of it is also cheap looking. Much of it is nice looking. Same with FL. There are MANY new construction homes that have given great attention to quality and detail. Look at Boca Raton, suburbs of Orlando, and northern suburbs of Pinellas County.
But I agree with you that the flat land is not exciting at all. And it generally looks dirty, with sand exposed in the grass and dead palm leaves and brush weeds everywhere. Northern FL, however, looks more appealing and consists mostly of beautiful tall pine trees, with subtle rolling hills. There are many manmade landscapes that are stunning to look at, in wealthy neighborhoods, such as Boca Raton, Naples and Weston.
I also agree with you on the wages vs. housing cost thing. It's not better than living in CT (except maybe FFC), because the wages are significantly lower and certain expenses are higher (insurance, tolls, lower federal tax deductions, higher sales tax, etc.).
Tap water in CT also tastes much better than it does in FL. And the lawn grass in CT is finer and nicer looking IMO. Florida grass is very thick, hard and not pleasant to walk on barefoot.
90F?? Where? It is 75F right now and it's the peak of the day.
I live on $13/hr and have a 1 bedroom NICE condo only 5 miles from Clearwater Beach, FL. My electric bill has yet to exceed $100 even in summer, I have no oil bill. I eat out quite often and have a ton of money to spare. There are NO tolls anywhere near here, the nearest one is $1.25. Some of the homes are junky, but you can find those anywhere... all in all, they are most definitely nicer homes in FL in comparison. You can point to crap areas and I'll point to Hartford, Bridgeport, most of Derby, Waterbury etc
The last point about tap water I would agree with. Connecticut tap water is much better, but then we don't consume tap water down here for that very reason. Gotta love Brita!
90F?? Where? It is 75F right now and it's the peak of the day.
I live on $13/hr and have a 1 bedroom NICE condo only 5 miles from Clearwater Beach, FL. My electric bill has yet to exceed $100 even in summer, I have no oil bill. I eat out quite often and have a ton of money to spare. There are NO tolls anywhere near here, the nearest one is $1.25. Some of the homes are junky, but you can find those anywhere... all in all, they are most definitely nicer homes in FL in comparison. You can point to crap areas and I'll point to Hartford, Bridgeport, most of Derby, Waterbury etc
The last point about tap water I would agree with. Connecticut tap water is much better, but then we don't consume tap water down here for that very reason. Gotta love Brita!
West Palm Beach was in the 80's according to the person I talked to. And I would not call Clearwater a major city. Prices in good areas near major cities like Miami, West Palm and Jacksonville are not cheap. As for nice homes, that is a matter of opinion. I found much of Florida to be mixed with nice homes next to dumpy one which is why so many people live in communities with HOA's to get away from that. And Britia really does not help with the taste of the water that much IMHO. Jay
I grew up in Florida as a kid and honestly found it very on the boring side.
The education was low grade (high school football parties and smoke-out sessions) ...not a very intellectual environment more of
"Yo holla...dats kewl man". And the mega-bass of annoying hiphop dominating every BMW
Lousy chain restaurants
Nowhere to go without mommy and daddy giving you a ride to shopping plaza and back ...no public transport
too hot and muggy to be out most the year
No hills and no rivers and ponds are not for swimming in
And the conservative politics
At first glance it's like ...ahhhhh palm trees . Then you find yourself all friendly to people all over and you will find you are the only one doing all the talking and them all the nodding and shrugging
Then your life adjusts and slows down a bit and then you get bored very quickly ...you realize "why did I move down here again?" It happens to lots of snowbirds except the retirees
I also have my great 2003 story that I can laugh about for life. I was holding up a sign before the Iraq War was started saying "war is not the answer" because I did not feel the war had any connection to 911. I was on a college campus.
A guy bald shaved head snatched my sign, ripped it to shreds and poured a whole thing of ice cream in my face. "He said I was disrespecting the commander in chief and 'get out of my country'
I also have the story of a day I was hungry and got a snack to hold me over. It cost 48 cents. I was short 3 pennies and had 45 cents. The guy refused the cash transaction...and said 48 cents means 48 cents. Otherwise you are 'shoplifting'
I also had many times where someone would show as if deeply interested in starting a philosophical conversation and passing out a DVD and was every time a missionary evangelist recruitment-based reason for chatting with me with the same theme every time...about relationship with god replaced everything in my life man ...
And it appeared to me that any info about the old world times or ancient lands you hear around you will likely be bible preaching
Any time you hear an old song on the radio, only happens during Christmas time
Otherwise it's a movie that is playing in every theatre in America because it's popular everywhere else first
As I mentioned, I know someone that was just in the West Palm Beach area and while there they went looking at real estate. I knew housing in the area was not cheap but they brought back some listings and I have to say I was shocked that the home prices looked to be HIGHER than the prices in and around Hartford. When you add the taxes (municipal and county) and the HOA fees, I was shocked to find it almost as pricey as similar homes here. Anyway, I guess the days of moving to a cheap home in Florida (at least one near anything major) are gone. Jay
As I mentioned, I know someone that was just in the West Palm Beach area and while there they went looking at real estate. I knew housing in the area was not cheap but they brought back some listings and I have to say I was shocked that the home prices looked to be HIGHER than the prices in and around Hartford. When you add the taxes (municipal and county) and the HOA fees, I was shocked to find it almost as pricey as similar homes here. Anyway, I guess the days of moving to a cheap home in Florida (at least one near anything major) are gone. Jay
Florida WAS a popular money-making land of opportunities for decades but no longer.
A lot of this occurred between the years of 2001 and 2005 during the real estate bubble. Interestingly for Florida the real estate price hikes are felt to this day. If you bought a lot of property in Florida in 2001 and sold it in 2008, one could quit have one's job and have had it made. This is was more like a power grab opportunity that is no more. Now there's no power grab opportunity by buying any Florida real estate. No gain in leaving here if the goal is property wealth, though thats not why people would be looking to live in Connecticut anyhow.
I know someone in Pembroke, Florida whose cousin was a high school drop out and never attended college. People did not think much of him until he found himself in brokering mortgages and was lead seller. He then got promotion after promotion. He was shrewd though and didn't just jump for joy and stay complacent.....
He split off from the group and started his own mortgage lending brokerage from the compensation he saved from his first job after high school....in the years between 2003 and 2007 he made about $15 million instant profit .... Then when the economy went down and real estate crashed.... He closed his business... Since all his fortunes was commissions not ownerships he was not hit by the 2009 recession. He bought foreclosed homes, the same ones he brokered.... Now he's selling those and has an even bigger networth
He timed the market perfectly. But now he and anyone else will tell you ...the real estate money making opportunities have run dry. You guys missed the boat. Let's just stay in Connecticut and not get too hung up over it
As I mentioned, I know someone that was just in the West Palm Beach area and while there they went looking at real estate. I knew housing in the area was not cheap but they brought back some listings and I have to say I was shocked that the home prices looked to be HIGHER than the prices in and around Hartford. When you add the taxes (municipal and county) and the HOA fees, I was shocked to find it almost as pricey as similar homes here. Anyway, I guess the days of moving to a cheap home in Florida (at least one near anything major) are gone. Jay
You didn't know that South Florida is expensive? Palm Beach County is very affluent and pricey. Especially cities/towns such as Boca Raton, where the median home value is $360K, and Wellington. In Broward County, homes are very expensive in Coconut Creek, Weston and Fort Lauderdale. South FL is very expensive and the wages are not that great.
Another very expensive area of FL is the Naples area. That's actually the most expensive area of FL. A basic house is like $260K. Yet there are very few employment opportunities.
Orlando also has a few suburbs that are very expensive such as Apopka, Dr. Philips and Windermere.
Orlando area has gone up in price but being away from the coast, not up to the costs of South Florida
Keep in mind I would not call this wealth "affluence". There is a difference between New England old wealth "affluence ..." And
And Florida just being that there is limited supply of houses on the water since the land has been built on.
Palm Beach proper is Florida's only real affluent wealth. That and perhaps the PGA and Ballen Isles communities in Palm Beach Gardens. But not most of the state.
Key West is not affluence (that's all about the water) nor is Miami Beach (that's all about richy living on the water and getting drunk all night ), Boca is snowbird-ville New York retirees eating dinner at Cheesecake Factory at 4pm waiting 2 hours with a pager with table for 20.....then you take 2 more hours goodbyeing and yapping and yapping and then a big table bill for $400 bucks
I wouldn't call this that old world affluent Connecticut town vintage charm...it doesn't exist down there
Orlando area has gone up in price but being away from the coast, not up to the costs of South Florida
Keep in mind I would not call this wealth "affluence". There is a difference between New England old wealth "affluence ..." And
And Florida just being that there is limited supply of houses on the water since the land has been built on.
Palm Beach proper is Florida's only real affluent wealth. That and perhaps the PGA and Ballen Isles communities in Palm Beach Gardens. But not most of the state.
Key West is not affluence (that's all about the water) nor is Miami Beach (that's all about richy living on the water and getting drunk all night ), Boca is snowbird-ville New York retirees eating dinner at Cheesecake Factory at 4pm waiting 2 hours with a pager with table for 20.....then you take 2 more hours goodbyeing and yapping and yapping and then a big table bill for $400 bucks
I wouldn't call this that old world affluent Connecticut town vintage charm...it doesn't exist down there
So wealth has to be OLD in order to qualify as affluence? I can't stand the vibe of old money. Makes me want to gouge my eyes out. I would prefer NEW money, since I'm young.
So wealth has to be OLD in order to qualify as affluence? I can't stand the vibe of old money. Makes me want to gouge my eyes out. I would prefer NEW money, since I'm young.
Not necessarily. The Pacific Northwest offers some affluent new wealth. That is what I call Green energy weaith...European smart car weaith
Solar cars
Anything Organic
That's new weaith affluence
That's not Florida, though Disney's Epcot Theme park pretends to be this in its "Living with the Land" but seriously how much of the land owned by Disney do you really think is going towards living with the land? Versus building and building on swamp ?
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