[walthamstow]

Hi everyone,

I need your advice

I am a 42 years old divorced mother of a 6 years old girl living in London, UK. I have a fairly decent job as a sales manager earning around $ 80000 per year. I own a house in London worth about $400000. Before moving to London 15 years ago, I lived in Paris, Copenhagen and Tokyo.

Last year I met and fall in love with an American guy from Florida. 3 months ago he asked me to marry him and I said yes. Everything would be perfect if he lived in London, he lives in Florida.

We have been debating the pros and cons of London vs. Florida and we are leaning toward Florida mostly because of the weather and the outdoor lifestyle it offers. My fiancé cannot stand our weather here and I cannot blame him. He lives Tampa but he is happy to relocate anywhere in Florida. He needs sun, sea and open road to ride his bike. As for me I would prefer small community, relatively safe and with good schools. I have not been in America since 1996 and I am VERY apprehensive about the move. This is going to be a massive change for me and my child and I would appreciate your advice.

There is few more info: We want to try for baby ASAP, before I become a geriatric. My career will most likely take a back side for a while. My fiancé travels intensively for his work, an average of 14 nights away per month, he is not office based. A friendly small town/city would be very desirable for my daughter and I to make friends and become part of the community.

My fiancé earns $126000 per year. Can we make an acceptable living on his wages? He has no property, he currently rent his flat. We would want to buy a house. Can we offer something decent?

I would prefer to keep my London house for my daughter, I would sell if necessary. Lastly, we are a mixed race family.

Any suggestions? Towns I can look into?

Thank you for your help

[bbronston]

I think you could be very happy in the Sarasota/Bradenton/Lakewood Ranch area and not because I am an agent here. Everything on your checklist can be found here (good schools, lots of fellow cyclists, convenient airports, lots of other Brits, relatively familiar surroundings, housing and lifestyle suitable to income, etc.)

[jambo101]

I'd suggest renting somewhere in Florida for a year before locking yourself into a house,just in case it turns out you dont like Florida..As for all of a sudden having a need to have a baby at 42yrs old is this your idea or his? and i agree with the hurry up..
Suggestion? do some research on Dunedin.
Welcome to the forum


As a side note and a bit of personal nostalgia i spent my first 11 years growing up near Walthamstow a place called Leyton,we lived on Peterborough rd and had the Whipps Cross medical hospital abutting our backyard, i remember my Grandad taking me to a local pub on Lea Bridge rd. The Chestnut and many trips to Epping Forest....

[mr&mrssunshine]

we relocated from Kent so not far from you. $126k is more than sufficient for a good lifestyle.
if schooling is important Sarasota County is well talked about (not Charlotte) for public schools. of course if you think private then thats different. Bob B makes a good call for LWR for a community, but renting and doing some scouting round is also a very good suggestion until you decide - near the ocean or not, near a big town/city or not, country living or not.....

Now the key things....investigate the fiancee visa v spouse, it can make a difference to your entry timescale, next your daughter, you will need the fathers permission to move countries,in short you cant just 'up sticks' and move. also consider where you want your new child born, in the US it will be very expensive (good medical insurance is a MUST) but the newbie will be a US citizen automatically, this can have advantages but also disadvantages if things didnt work out and you went back to the UK. Not trying to be a doom and gloom merchant just practical.

good luck anyway

[bbronston]

I read the other comments and, for whatever it is worth, I absolutely agree that renting is a very good idea. The most obvious reason is that it will give you time to explore and get to know the area before getting in too deep but also because we are seeing a number of new construction developments again (if you prefer making your own design choices and having a warranty on the whole thing) so the perfect place for you may not exist yet. It's stressful enough to get married, have a baby, move across an ocean, etc. At least by renting, you'll have a chance to calm things down a bit before making yet another BIG decision.

[NowSoFlorida]

Home prices are lower now, but since it's a hurricane prone state the insurance on the houses are higher than other areas. I would suggest you lease/rent a place for 6 months to see if you like the area before moving there. Tampa is a large metropolitan area and you have Clearwater nearby. Yes you can have a comfortable living on your fiance's wages. Most people, especially the intelligent ones won't care that you are a mixed race couple or family. It doesn't turn heads like it did 40 years ago.

[JMark72]

I moved here from London 10 years ago. I'm in Naples and love it. My children are at school and even though Florida gets a bad rap on schools. I can tell you that they are a lot better than the Private schools in London. They have cousin still living in London and the difference in education is noticeable. Also it's safe, I have never felt safer and I know my English wife feels the same. It's a fantastic way of life for young children and I'm so happy that I can say that my children have had an amazing childhood and that's mainly due to living where we do. Of course everyone’s experiences are different, but mine have all been positive. PM if you want any more info

[BBC11]

I would say London is a better place to grow up but for you Florida would probably be more relaxing. I would let my kids stay in London and defiantly keep a house or some sort of connection to London and try and visit regularly just because Florida is so different. Personally I would stay in London I think it's one of the best cities in the world and Florida is a better place to be over the summer but not to live permanently but I can understand if you feel differently.

[magemom]

I agree with the person who recommended Naples. It is small, easy to learn and easy to navigate. The schools are also small, safe and easy to navigate. There are so many people from so many different places in Naples. It's an easy trip to the airport (easey compared to Newark!) so travelling isn't as dreadful.
The ides to have a baby at 42--go for it! No one ever regrets having a child. There will never be a better time for it but you must get to business now.
Good luck to you and your family. Keep us posted!

Maggie