[janedoe1972]

Originally Posted by Arcenal352

You don't particularly need to be "well-to-do" to buy a 300k home. A proper saving plan and good credit will make your mortgage payment quite affordable. We bought our $200k home 7 years ago when our combined income was only about $60k. That's 25k for one and 35k for the other. FAR from well-to-do.

Then we must be ****-poor, because our combined income after taxes is maybe $34K. YOU WOULD BE SURPRISED at how much a $200K mortgage is out of reach for many people. You are upper-middle class, my friend. We are Archie Bunker blue-collar.

[aewan68]

Originally Posted by janedoe1972

Then we must be ****-poor, because our combined income after taxes is maybe $34K. YOU WOULD BE SURPRISED at how much a $200K mortgage is out of reach for many people. You are upper-middle class, my friend. We are Archie Bunker blue-collar.

If you are planning on moving to SoFla, I would say cancel those plans until you win the Lotto, unless you're okay with living near Lake O which often equates a high crime area with lot's of poverty and lack of jobs.

Panhandle and Northern FL would be feasible as would other areas of the state.

[aewan68]

Originally Posted by Spring Hillian

People who spent their days in metropolitan areas of FL will never understand that is not the real FL.

Just like the Five Boroughs isn't "Real New York"? That's malarkey!

[Spring Hillian]

Originally Posted by aewan68

Just like the Five Boroughs isn't "Real New York"? That's malarkey!

The 5 boroughs is certainly the real New York City for sure but it's nothing like the rest of the state.

In kind, Miami, Orlando, Tampa, Daytona Beach do not represent the remainder of Florida.

[aewan68]

Originally Posted by Spring Hillian

The 5 boroughs is certainly the real New York City for sure but it's nothing like the rest of the state.

In kind, Miami, Orlando, Tampa, Daytona Beach do not represent the remainder of Florida.

Not my point, this is what you stated:

Originally Posted by Spring Hillian

People who spent their days in metropolitan areas of FL will never understand that is not the real FL.

What is "real FL"?

I don't see your point, every State I lived in, which is four as of now, had different aspects in and out of the metro areas. When I lived in FL, I lived in a Metro Area, but I traveled to other parts of the state and don't see one or the other as real or not representing the state, much of what's noted in FL is due to what exists all over. Aside when you look at the man made landscaping/eye candy that prevails in SoFla and well Orlando is it's own entity or tourism overload.

[Spring Hillian]

Originally Posted by aewan68

Not my point, this is what you stated:
What is "real FL"?

I don't see your point, every State I lived in, which is four as of now, had different aspects in and out of the metro areas. When I lived in FL, I lived in a Metro Area, but I traveled to other parts of the state and don't see one or the other as real or not representing the state, much of what's noted in FL is due to what exists all over. Aside when you look at the man made landscaping/eye candy that prevails in SoFla and well Orlando is it's own entity or tourism overload.

Yes, different aspects. Florida's population went from 13 million to 18 million between 1990 and 2010. Most of that growth was in the metro areas of Orlando, Tampa, Miami/Dade.

Those metro areas underwent change that basically removed what was and replaced with what is.

The "real Florida" is where traffic is not a problem, where people know their neighbors, where agriculture out weighs office complexes. It is a place where hearing a car horn is uncommon. It is a place where the economy is mainly locally based and is not dependent and, for the most past, dominated by large corporate entities. It is a place where it is possible to launch a boat on a river or lake and not see another person around for hours. It is a place where you can go to a small farm to pick stawberries and other crops or buy them directly from the grower and not be dependent on the supermarket for farm fresh foods. It is a place where you can grab a rifle and go out to hunt small game to feed to your family. It is a place where the County Fair is one of the biggest events of the year. It is a place where people are less plastic and pretensiuous.

Those types of things are not found in large metro areas.

When I came to Orlando is 1988 places like Geneva, Claremont, Christmas, Apopka, along with other areas was where you could find the "real Florida". Those places still exist and are easily found when you are away the metros and the "real Florida" can still be experienced.

That is my point.

[PDF]

Originally Posted by Spring Hillian

The "real Florida" is where traffic is not a problem, where people know their neighbors, where agriculture out weighs office complexes. It is a place where hearing a car horn is uncommon. It is a place where the economy is mainly locally based and is not dependent and, for the most past, dominated by large corporate entities. It is a place where it is possible to launch a boat on a river or lake and not see another person around for hours. It is a place where you can go to a small farm to pick stawberries and other crops or buy them directly from the grower and not be dependent on the supermarket for farm fresh foods. It is a place where you can grab a rifle and go out to hunt small game to feed to your family. It is a place where the County Fair is one of the biggest events of the year. It is a place where people are less plastic and pretensiuous.

Those types of things are not found in large metro areas.

When I came to Orlando is 1988 places like Geneva, Claremont, Christmas, Apopka, along with other areas was where you could find the "real Florida". Those places still exist and are easily found when you are away the metros and the "real Florida" can still be experienced.

That is my point.

But who lives in these places? Don't most people live in large metro areas? What choice do you have, unless you're retired or have some other special circumstance?

[Spring Hillian]

Originally Posted by PDF

But who lives in these places? Don't most people live in large metro areas? What choice do you have, unless you're retired or have some other special circumstance?

Miami/Dade - 2.5 m

Broward County - 1.8 m

Palm Beach County - 1.5 M

Hillsborough County - 1.3 m

Orange County - 1.2 m

That's about 7 million out of 20 million people. Pinellas County has over 900k, Duval County 923k but that is about it for high populations.

I can assure you the other 10 million or so arent retired or living on trust funds.

There are a lot of choices when you broaden your view beyond driving a desk.

[OTownKnight]

Originally Posted by Spring Hillian

Miami/Dade - 2.5 m

Broward County - 1.8 m

Palm Beach County - 1.5 M

Hillsborough County - 1.3 m

Orange County - 1.2 m

That's about 7 million out of 20 million people. Pinellas County has over 900k, Duval County 923k but that is about it for high populations.

I can assure you the other 10 million or so arent retired or living on trust funds.

There are a lot of choices when you broaden your view beyond driving a desk.

Those are extremely inaccurate representations of populations when referring to metro areas. Orange County is only one part of the Orlando MSA. Sanford and Kissimmee are both still in the Orlando MSA, yet they are each in separate counties. Not to mention Clermont which is in Lake County.

I would use the MSA populations to make accurate representations of the population of the big metro areas.

Then you have metro areas like The Villages or Naples where the majority of the population is retired or seasonal. So I'd say there's probably less than 4 million people in Florida who don't live in a big metro area that are not retired.

[Spring Hillian]

Originally Posted by OTownKnight

Those are extremely inaccurate representations of populations when referring to metro areas. Orange County is only one part of the Orlando MSA. Sanford and Kissimmee are both still in the Orlando MSA, yet they are each in separate counties. Not to mention Clermont which is in Lake County.

I would use the MSA populations to make accurate representations of the population of the big metro areas.

Then you have metro areas like The Villages or Naples where the majority of the population is retired or seasonal. So I'd say there's probably less than 4 million people in Florida who don't live in a big metro area that are not retired.

I'll buy into that