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First I'd like to say I did take the time to read alot of topic's about Florida. I live in Scranton PA, been living here my whole life. As much as I love it, all my family members are no longer with me. As the winter is coming upon us once again here, I keep thinking of making a move to somewhere alot warmer.
I know alot of people from not only around me but from NY & NJ that made the move, and are very happy they did. Im 28, years old and just got married a few months ago. Right not im renting a 2 bedroom apartment for 550.00 a month. Crime isnt to bad here but on the rise. Before I buy a home here in good old PA, I want to see what the jobs and cost of living in florida is, before I make any big moves??
My wife work's in health care, and I run a small landscaping, biz. I do pretty good in the summer months with my job but as anyone would know. Im out of work now because of the snow.
I'm not looking for the big city life, but I dont mind it. I guess a nice area that would not cost alot to get a new start in life and perhaps build my biz, up down there. But at the same time an area where people have alot of landscaping, needs and they dont mind paying for work to be done?
Maybe im asking alot but, any info I would be very thankful..
As the winter is coming upon us once again here, I keep thinking of making a move to somewhere alot warmer.
There's more to life than warmer winters, trust me. I'm from PA and I can't wait to get back home. Stay in PA or at the very least wait until things get better. I miss the quality of life that I once enjoyed in Pennsylvania.
Living here is very different than vacationing here.
Before I buy a home here in good old PA, I want to see what the jobs and cost of living in florida is, before I make any big moves??
JOBS- The economy here is in horrible shape Florida's unemployment rate highest in 15 years - Bay News 9 (http://www.baynews9.com/content/36/2008/11/21/406032.html - broken link) and it's just getting worse by the day.
This is also a right to work state so you can be fired for any reason or no reason at all. It's quite a different work environment than in PA.
COL- The only thing cheaper in Florida is cigarettes (for now). Everything else is either the same or much higher but jobs pay much lower.
Quote:
Originally Posted by John From Scranton
My wife work's in health care, and I run a small landscaping, biz. I do pretty good in the summer months with my job but as anyone would know. Im out of work now because of the snow.
Your wife will have an easier time finding work than you will imho.
There's so many people down here willing to do cheap (I mean CHEAP) landscaping that your chances of making it are probably slim to none. I don't even know how they make money down here by the low prices that they charge. This is not the place to try to make money. $10-$20 will get me a lot of landscaping work done here.
Lakeland, Thanks for all the info! I didnt know it was that bad there.. I keep hearing all the good things people say around here. I never would of thought what it would be really like to live there. Not saying I hate the snow. But it does make it hard for me to make money in the winter. It really not me soo much that want's to move but more so the wife. I will have her read over your post and see if she still thinks the same.
Landscaping is popular down here because you can do it year round. It is also very easy to start a business. All you need is a lawnmower and a trailer. There is a lot of competition. The other thing to remember is there is an endless supply of illegal, cheap labor here to compete with.
What specifically does your wife do?
In general, Florida is not a "start over" place unless you are retired or have a wad of cash.
LY is right-Vacationing here is totally different than living here. Do not be lured by the weather. Sunshine doesn't pay the bills.
If you decide to move here DO NOT, DO NOT, DO NOT move to Florida without jobs and a place to stay.
This is the perfect time for you to try Florida......your business is slowing down...and your wife's trade is in high demand in Florida...what she should do is start mailing out her Resume to different hospitals in the area......my neighbor's wife is a nurse and several hospitals in the Fort Lauderdale area set up interviews with her and two of them flew her down for a few days......they have since moved down...more than 2 years ago...and they love the winters now...
Lakeland, Thanks for all the info! I didnt know it was that bad there.. I keep hearing all the good things people say around here. I never would of thought what it would be really like to live there. Not saying I hate the snow. But it does make it hard for me to make money in the winter. It really not me soo much that want's to move but more so the wife. I will have her read over your post and see if she still thinks the same.
Thanks again!!
John
John,
When I read your post, I was thinking that maybe we shared similar traits (beyond living in Pa. and wanting to be in Florida for the winter). As luck would have it, we are on near opposite sides of the age and financial spectrum. I am/was looking at drawing a comfortable pension within the next few years, with my paid benefits until age 66, and buying a Florida home that is somewhere within walking distance of the ocean.
One of my best friends left his secure Pa. job for the Florida sunshine and opportunity 30 years ago (when there were truly solid opportunities then). His training and job experience in HVAC was a viable trade, but working in the Florida heat proved to be too much. His job as a postal carrier lasted a very short time (for similar reasons), as well. He has raised a family (and has been job displaced a dozen or so times), moving 2-3 times from Lauderdale region now near Orlando, always trying to attain job security with a livable wage. His pension is his ever-decreasing home equity, and he readily admits that his current job within the auto related industry could end tomorrow, and his wife's job at a local supermarket will need to sustain his family (a very good Florida job paying about $9.50 per hour).
Are you a gambling man? There will be the huge true cost of living adjustments that you will need to make. You will be moving to a state with a reported unemployment rate nearing 8%. You will pay "through the nose" for any housing (Your $550/month in Scranton may not even find you a home in a nearby ghetto in Florida). Bottom line, you are moving to a state without a desirable trade, in a right to work environment that does not value your "skills". It sounds to me that you have a losing hand before you even enter the Florida job market.
I did the opposite of what you are looking to do. I grew up in FL, lived there for 35 years, and moved to PA in 2006 because I could no longer afford to live in FL. Most jobs simply do not pay a living wage in FL. Over the last several years, the cost of living increased dramatically, while salaries stayed the same. I do not know how people in Florida afford to live on $9-$12/hour (typical FL wage). I work in healthcare and make about $10k a year more up here than I ever did in FL, and find the cost of living much lower...even with the high PA taxes. You will NEVER find a decent 2-bedroom to rent in FL for $550 a month, more like $900. Also, crime may be on the rise in Scranton, but places like Orlando and Miami are much worse and will continue to get worse. I have a friend in Orlando that had his house broken into twice within the last 3 years.
As a landscaper, even if you find work, are you prepared to work outdoors all day in the FL heat and humidity? You may be looking for warmer weather, but are you sure you can handle 7 months straight of 90+ degree weather with high humidity? You may visit Florida and think the heat isn't that bad, but try to imagine it unrelenting for months and months. What I find funny is that a lot of people on the Pittsburgh forum say the summers here are so "hot and humid". I just have to laugh, Pittsburgh summers are wonderful! That tells me that a lot of northerners would never be able to handle the FL weather.
As someone mentioned above, Florida is NOT the place to start over. You can have a good life down there IF you are getting a job transfer that allows you to keep your northern salary, or you already made your money and have a wad of cash in the bank and want to retire to the beach. For someone young like yourself looking for new employment, I'd recommend just about ANY other state.
Give me a friggin break most of that entails probably Miami and the greater area... I've lived here over 20 years.. never been robbed, mugged, threatened, raped etc. My entire highschool years I never even locked my car doors and had no prob leaving the windows open while I went to a store. I don't do it now cause I have a much nicer car with more expensive things in it but point being I wasn't robbed whenever I did do it. Sometimes I couldn't sleep at night and would take a walk at 2 am.. Never bothered once..
Oh and I don't speak spanish.. get along just fine.
Try SWFL its very affordable now, homes at an all time low and you can find homes even under 100,000 with the market being flooded with foreclosures and bank owned properties. For $150,000 and above you can EASILY live within a couple miles of the beach.
Its safe.. we have some crime but nothing you're going to find in Miami or Tampa.. I'd stick to Naples, Bonita and Estero if thats where u wanna try..
We have quite a few hospitals. My cousin works for the main building NCH. Law enforcement is hiring for 911 dispatchers and secretaries, as are some other gov't departments and the school was hiring for some secretaries. My husband and I live very comfortably on 1 income so I have to roll my eyes when I hear this you can't make here B.S . You certainly can and were proof. You have to live within your means is all. We don't live like poor people, we don't have any supplemental income from the goverment and we both drive nice cars and can buy things we need at anytime so we're not poor at all.
Rent is higher here then there it seems but you probably get more.. I paid over $800 (cheapest we could find for where we live so imo rent isn't cheaper but whatever) up north and my apt didn't come with a washer, dryer, dishwasher, a/c or tub.. just shower. That was for a 1 bed, 1 bath if you can even call it that.. The bathroom was converted from a closet .
Here I pay $795 I have a 2 bed 2 full baths, porch, a/c ALL appliances and 15 ft cathedrial cellings throughout and my guest bedroom is lake view. You get WAY more for your money. My apt up north for over $800 no joke was a view of a graveyard..
Start putting in applications if your serious. See what u get.. This time a couple years ago I was miserable shoveling and freezing and sitting around cause it was just too cold to ski or do anything and now I have my windows open, in a light sweater and sunshine with leaves on the trees and flowers on the plants.. No more grey miserable days of leafless dead trees for months on end. Don't listen to the endless summer B.S either.. Its 58 right now at 10 in the am.. I havn't had my a/c on since right around Halloween and I bet ya I won't be putting it on till probably March.. Never fails happens every year... Its been into the 30's here within the past weeks and a couple of the days haven't gotten out of the 60's so weather is PERFECT. It is Hot in the summer yes.. But which would you rather, hot summer where you can go to the beach, or pool.. Or freezing winter shoveling snow, sliding on ice and not really having much to do other than skiing or ice skating.
Theme parks here are empty during some months and give discounts to Fla residents. They're about 2 hours drive from SWFL or hop on alligator alley and go to Miami or South Beach for day..
We have tons of things to do bowling, movies, shopping , a small zoo/botanical garden, lots of camping, parks, concerts esp in the summer free jazz concerts and more during the holidays, we have ice cream socials and wine tasting, swamp buggy racing, seafood festivals, fruit festivals, fairs, festival of lights, edison parade, bicylcling year round, boating, fishing, dog beach.. I'm never bored
It all starts with getting that job and it'll all fall into place from there
Last edited by Bronx_bomber123; 11-22-2008 at 08:16 AM..
Give me a friggin break most of that entails probably Miami and the greater area... I've lived here over 20 years.. never been robbed, mugged, threatened, raped etc. My entire highschool years I never even locked my car doors and had no prob leaving the windows open while I went to a store. I don't do it now cause I have a much nicer car with more expensive things in it but point being I wasn't robbed whenever I did do it. Sometimes I couldn't sleep at night and would take a walk at 2 am.. Never bothered once..
Oh and I don't speak spanish.. get along just fine.
Try SWFL its very affordable now, homes at an all time low and you can find homes even under 100,000 with the market being flooded with foreclosures and bank owned properties. For $150,000 and above you can EASILY live within a couple miles of the beach.
Its safe.. we have some crime but nothing you're going to find in Miami or Tampa.. I'd stick to Naples, Bonita and Estero if thats where u wanna try..
We have quite a few hospitals. My cousin works for the main building NCH. Law enforcement is hiring for 911 dispatchers and secretaries, as are some other gov't departments and the school was hiring for some secretaries. My husband and I live very comfortably on 1 income so I have to roll my eyes when I hear this you can't make here B.S . You certainly can and were proof. You have to live within your means is all. We don't live like poor people, we don't have any supplemental income from the goverment and we both drive nice cars and can buy things we need at anytime so we're not poor at all.
Rent is higher here then there it seems but you probably get more.. I paid over $800 (cheapest we could find for where we live so imo rent isn't cheaper but whatever) up north and my apt didn't come with a washer, dryer, dishwasher, a/c or tub.. just shower. That was for a 1 bed, 1 bath if you can even call it that.. The bathroom was converted from a closet .
Here I pay $795 I have a 2 bed 2 full baths, porch, a/c ALL appliances and 15 ft cathedrial cellings throughout and my guest bedroom is lake view. You get WAY more for your money. My apt up north for over $800 no joke was a view of a graveyard..
Start putting in applications if your serious. See what u get.. This time a couple years ago I was miserable shoveling and freezing and sitting around cause it was just too cold to ski or do anything and now I have my windows open, in a light sweater and sunshine with leaves on the trees and flowers on the plants.. No more grey miserable days of leafless dead trees for months on end.
It all starts with getting that job and it'll all fall into place from there
I mostly agree with this post - especially the "getting the job" part - that is key.
To the OP - you are YOUNG - that is a biggy on your side. Landscaping is big here, go somewhere where there are still wealthy people, like Sarasota - prices there are dropping, you can live well for less these days. Your wife should put in applications to the hospitals there, there always seems to be a need for good health care workers, since there are so many retirees here!
Also, you could probably easily set up a small landscaping business - my father did it when he was elderly - he had all the accounts he could handle right in his own neighborhood. While in some cases I would be agreeing with some of the naysayers about this not being a place to "start over" due to unemployment, I think you have a good chance of making it here just fine.
Good luck to you and your wife!
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You won't like my answers but.......
Now's the Time 2 Try!!
...they have since moved down...more than 2 years ago...and they love the winters now...
most of that entails probably Miami and the greater area... I've lived here over 20 years.. never been robbed, mugged, threatened, raped etc. My entire highschool years I never even locked my car doors and had no prob leaving the windows open while I went to a store. I don't do it now cause I have a much nicer car with more expensive things in it but point being I wasn't robbed whenever I did do it. Sometimes I couldn't sleep at night and would take a walk at 2 am.. Never bothered once.. 
