[tallrick]

A good friend of mine moved to Tennessee two years ago, He has a family now (met female there) and a home, something he only could dream of before. His job pays more, and he actually prefers the weather! They get together with friends at the bowling alley, and in the summer do more outdoor activities. All I hear is how beautiful it is there. "You should move here Rick" I have never been to that state but if people are moving there from Florida I think I will pass. But I did look at the forum as well as that of other states and it does look encouraging. Good luck with your move, and please tell us how it goes!

[Buttafucco]

Tennessee's great for those who like cruising the backwoods in their El Camino looking for ho-downs. Kiss the beach and the palms and the beach babes adios. Thanks but I'll stick with the sunshine state.

[tallrick]

What's so great about the beach? It's hot, sandy and there are very few attractive people there anyway. Miami beach is the worst, Daytona is the best. They won't let you bring even an umbrella to Miami beach, only the beach patrol can run you over. No thanks, I would rather cruise the backwoods in a 4 x 4 than sit on a boring beach full of cops , tourists, refugees and old fossils. We don't have beaches in the keys either. Hey I liked it here till it just got too expensive. At least we have boats and go out in the ocean, something they don't do much in Miami anymore unless rich.

[cdeneve]

Tennessee's great for those who like cruising the backwoods in their El Camino looking for ho-downs

Sorry, I drive a Toyota and don't particularly care for country music. There are many other excellent reasons to transplant to Nashville... and the statement you just made reminds me again how much I can't wait to leave Florida behind.

Again, you won't find those kind of snide comments on the Tennessee page.

[watsont3]

cdnevde and others-
I guess I wasn't as clear as I thought when I posted about the negativity of message boards. I was not referring to this specific board but rather making a general observation about my experience with all kinds of message boards. Most message boards contain a lot of negative comments about a myriad of subjects. My gut feeling is that people who have a negative opinion about a subject are more likely to post about it than someone who is content with the subject'
I usually read both the negative comments and the positive comments and file them away with the rest of my research. They are just more information.
As someone who will probably moving to Florida in the very near future, it is a little dismaying to hear that people from the Northeast are really not welcome as shown on a number of Florida threads.
If you think the prices have gone out of sight in Fla., try Long Island. My $30,000 ranch on less than a quarter acre that we bought in the mid 70s and sold for $122,000 in 1999 is now selling for over $400,000. Taxes have gone totally out of sight. I don't know how my son and his family can still make it there.
In Lancaster, housing prices are in the $300 to $400 thousand dollar range for any decent sized house. Taxes here are also going up fast. Townhouses probably average $250,000.
In my research, it appears that any place where people want to live is getting more expensive. I am retired and would love to buy a house for $50,000 but I haven't seen a compelling reason to move to an area like that.
For a retiree, Florida has great weather so we can get away from the snows of winter and the tax situation is favorable to retirees. If I was still working, I would have stayed in New York where it is extremely expensive but the salaries are much higher than in most other areas. But after 45 years + of working, I don't have to anymore.

[Teressah]

I want out of FL because of the fire ants. Yeah, that's it!

We were back up in Ohio visiting relatives, and to play with my son in the cool weather in the fall leaves was one of the best times I've ever had with him!!

Plus, I don't look that hot in a bikini anymore!

Any suggestions on a good city up north? I have been checking out NC, and boy, if it is not Asheville, it seems full of hillbillies!! Northern Ohio is out of the picture as I don't need 7 months of snow anymore.
Also, the crime is really bad in NC. I am in Naples now and feel safe, I want to keep that feeling...

[Teressah]

Originally Posted by bunnywabbit!

I don't think it could get any more rude than Miami! Every worker here (the grocery clerks, bus drivers, plumbers, a/c repair, etc.) is so unlikeable and unfriendly and ghetto. It's so bad, that I'm considering fixing stuff myself.

Don't know my neighbors - everyone speaks non-English (and are RUDE on top of that!) or talks to a cell phone. And I walk a lot, go to the mall, take the bus,... have yet to make a friend here.

The only people who are friendly are the tourists. That's why I can't wait to leave this town!

Are other cities this rotten?

Yes, I moved from WPB last year, don't move there unless you are a drug dealing or hooker! Palm Beach is cool if you have the money.

Anywhere north of WPB is nice, like the treasure coast....from what I have heard. But never would I live on the east coast again...I have a child to think about, which is why I moved to the west coast.

[tallrick]

And to think that WPB was extremely affordable when I was lookiing for a home there in 1993. Hang in there, when interest rates hit 10% things will get very affordable..LOL!

[Need_affordable_home]

Originally Posted by tallrick

And to think that WPB was extremely affordable when I was lookiing for a home there in 1993. Hang in there, when interest rates hit 10% things will get very affordable..LOL!

Only if you have a large or 100% downpayment. I am not sure if interest rates will ever be 10% again, the economy will just die! The feds are holding steady at 5.25% and theres speculation they will lower it next year as decreasing house costs weaken the economy

[LauraC]

Originally Posted by watsont3

I have found that people who post on message boards of almost all kinds tend to be more negative. I don't know why but maybe those who are content with their life do not feel the urge to post their experience as much as those who are unhappy.

People who post to forums like this are for the most part, relocating. The "leaving" people are bound to be negative and the "coming" people are bound to be hopeful. What is unusual (to me anyway) are the sheer number of people posting in other state forums who are leaving Florida or are hoping to leave Florida, soon. I don't think the image that most people have of Florida, is one of a leaving kind of state. You know, Florida is supposed to be paradise, the final destination, so when you see all of these posts from can't-get-away-fast-enough Floridians in other forums, you have to go hmmmmm. These aren't old snowbirds looking for a second home, either, or Floridians who are moving due to some great job offer. The other surprising thing is just about none of them name hurricanes, the reason other-staters would suspect, as the primary reason for leaving. It's cost, overdevelopment, bad schools and traffic.

I'm thinking if you are retired, you don't have kids in schools and you don't commute to work. You probably live in your own little community apart from those outside of it, and except for when you might go out to eat or shopping, or vote down a school budget, you don't go far from home on a regular daily basis to feel the pain of overdevelopment, crime, bad schools and bad traffic. I'm also thinking, the cost issue isn't that troubling to many of you who live mortgage-free after selling your homes up north to move to Florida. No, the people that are screaming for sanctuary in the other state forums are Florida families and young couples.

There are too many of them to label as "negative" for no good reason. Pretty soon Florida is going to be just like those cities you fled when you moved. It's going to be affluent and poor with no in-between, with all of the overcrowding, crime, and other problems that go with that kind of mix.