[goldnote]

Couldn't have found a better site to get opinions!
My question is where in FL would you move to if you were me? I'm currently 30 mins south of Atlanta, Ga. I'm a 33 year old single male with no kids. Heating and Air Conditioning (HVAC) is my line of work for the past 14 years. Just got back from Afghanistan as an HVAC Contractor doing work on the Military Bases.



Wanting to move to FL for a couple reasons.
First reason is the weather, for comfort and my career (the warmer the better for year around work in HVAC). Here in Ga HVAC is to seasonal, I sit home some months 2-3 days a week with no work. This happens when working for the bigger companies in ATL with advertising and all, no Mom & Pop outfits.


The other reasons would be for a change, no state taxes, beaches, etc.
I'm finding HVAC jobs all over the state and have sent my Resume but no responses. Since I have the experience/certifications and all I'm thinking it's because I'm not local and they rather not bother with someone out of state.


After going to Afghanistan I have the money to move anywhere in FL and pay 6-12 months up front for an apartment. Then once I'm actually living there maybe I will get some responses. Not sure where the best place in FL would be for me to go.


I would appreciate any feedback you have.

[Crane's Rooster]

HVAC can be somewhat seasonal here as well as parts of north Florida really don't differ too much from GA weather wise. That being said, the further south you go the better. I would suggest a coastal community as snow birds coming down tend to come back and may need work on their homes at a time when year round residents work may slow down a little. East Coast, Brevard County south, I hear the Vero Beach to Ft. Pierce stretch is fairly nice and not outrageously priced. On the west coast, anything south of Tampa Bay would be fine.

[blueherons]

Originally Posted by goldnote

Couldn't have found a better site to get opinions!
My question is where in FL would you move to if you were me? I'm currently 30 mins south of Atlanta, Ga. I'm a 33 year old single male with no kids. Heating and Air Conditioning (HVAC) is my line of work for the past 14 years. Just got back from Afghanistan as an HVAC Contractor doing work on the Military Bases.



Wanting to move to FL for a couple reasons.
First reason is the weather, for comfort and my career (the warmer the better for year around work in HVAC). Here in Ga HVAC is to seasonal, I sit home some months 2-3 days a week with no work. This happens when working for the bigger companies in ATL with advertising and all, no Mom & Pop outfits.


The other reasons would be for a change, no state taxes, beaches, etc.
I'm finding HVAC jobs all over the state and have sent my Resume but no responses. Since I have the experience/certifications and all I'm thinking it's because I'm not local and they rather not bother with someone out of state.


After going to Afghanistan I have the money to move anywhere in FL and pay 6-12 months up front for an apartment. Then once I'm actually living there maybe I will get some responses. Not sure where the best place in FL would be for me to go.


I would appreciate any feedback you have.

Fort Lauderdale!! It has a fairly young, professional population, and lots of rich people with big houses that have a lot of sf under air.

I would probably skip Miami.

Good luck!

And yes, you are correct, people will not call you back because you are out of state.

[goldnote]

I visited Miami on one of my R&Rs and that's not a place I would want to live. Did spend a few days in Plantation/Ft. Lauderdale and was pretty nice. Been reading for hours on here and Ft. Lauderdale seems like a good option. Not sure about the cost of living there though. Another place I'm thinking about is Sarasota.

Thanks for the responses!

[goldnote]

What month would you say it starts getting really hot in S. Fl, would guess this would be when they start really hiring for HVAC Techs.
Also how much would an efficiency or 1 bedroom apartment be near Ft. Lauderdale? Wouldn't mind if it was inland up to 20-30 mins from the beach.

[blueherons]

Originally Posted by goldnote

What month would you say it starts getting really hot in S. Fl, would guess this would be when they start really hiring for HVAC Techs.
Also how much would an efficiency or 1 bedroom apartment be near Ft. Lauderdale? Wouldn't mind if it was inland up to 20-30 mins from the beach.

I'd live downtown. We run our AC all year long.

[kyle19125]

Originally Posted by goldnote

What month would you say it starts getting really hot in S. Fl, would guess this would be when they start really hiring for HVAC Techs.
Also how much would an efficiency or 1 bedroom apartment be near Ft. Lauderdale? Wouldn't mind if it was inland up to 20-30 mins from the beach.

Usually around April is when it starts getting routinely hot enough to run the A/C and in March when people who keep up on maintenance start having their systems checked out for the long summer. The Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood area would be a good choice for you. For $700-$750 a month you'll find a good selection of decent to nice apartments in areas such as Hollywood, Oakland Park, Pompano Beach and Deerfield Beach. As a rule the more established/less seedy sections are east of US1 or west of I-95 though with some exceptions. Hollywood in particular would be a good choice for you because it would allow for employment with companies that do business in both Miami-Dade County and Broward County (Ft Lauderdale metro) because of it's central location.

[goldnote]

What would you say the monthly bills would run...water,trash,electricty,cable on top of the $750 for rent? Heard car insurance is really high also.
The only bills I currently have is
Truck-$295
Cell Phone-$80
Vehicle insurance-$65
Student Loan-$110 (paid ahead and payment not due until 5/5/2017. So could skip a few months if needed)

Thinking if I net $2000 minimum a month I'll be fine. How much income would one need in your opinion? Buddy of mine said he lived in Hollywood for a little while, going to go talk to him also.

Thank You for the responses, they've been very helpful.

[kyle19125]

Water and trash are typically included in rent. Electricity will vary widely due to thermostat setting, quality of construction/insulation, quality of equipment and type of equipment (some small older rental buildings still have window units). You can probably count on $100 per month if you keep a typical one bedroom apartment comfortable in the summer months. Cable varies and can be had at a decent price when coming in as a new customer. I have DirecTV and pay less than cable ($55 a month for the base package, $64 for expanded) with better reception/service. Not all rental properties are set up for it though, but worth checking into. Lastly insurance is high because of all of the uninsured motorists here and when you hear traffic reports with all of the "hit and run accidents" you'll understand why. Keep that in mind when getting insurance and don't skimp on quality of coverage. I would count on your insurance cost basically doubling from what it is now. Find an independent agent that can shop and write from multiple companies which will allow you the best deal. I used to use Smith, Watson and Parker who was very good with shopping for different rates that best fit my needs. Auto Insurance Home - Smith Watson Parker Insurance

[sware2cod]

decide if you want a place with highrise condos that can have the AC condensors on the roof...or if you want to target areas with more single family homes.

Ft Lauderdale/Miami has many highrise condos, especially near the coast. Smaller cities will have fewer highrises though some beach cities are loaded with condos and hotels directly on the beach.

Orlando has year round residents and vacationers year round. Lots of homes and AC weather 9 months of the year.

Depends what kind of lifestyle you are looking for ...larger city/suburb or smaller town.

there is a start of another building boom with new contruction starting to move at a fast pace again.