[Happiness-is-close]

Originally Posted by RedneckRebel

just imagine how much better it will get once TRUMP's policies get through! Florida has been booming with one hand tied behind our back because of OBAMA!

I find it interesting that your name is 'Happiness-is-close' instead of 'Happiness-is-HERE!' since you seem so bitter all the time, and hating on Florida so much, maybe you should move to a state that more resembles your values...

I really should change my name. Actually i'm doing quite well and have no intention of leaving my home state. Florida is the best state in the country.

Trump is fine with me. He isn't the bible thumper type. That is the only type of Republican that ever bothered me. Bible thumpers are the worst. That is why I like Florida. There aren't that many of those here.

[Happiness-is-close]

I'm actually one of the bigger boasters of Florida on this forum. That lie said above just wasn't even true in the slightest.

But yeah, our U6 unemployment rate is still one of the highest in the country. It has been in double digits (which is generally called recession level) for nearly 10 years. It is something worth talking about. I'm doing pretty good but I know a lot of people who aren't and they shouldn't be swept under the rug because of someones (like Redneck Rebels) political twist.

[Happiness-is-close]

Originally Posted by RedneckRebel

just imagine how much better it will get once TRUMP's policies get through! Florida has been booming with one hand tied behind our back because of OBAMA!

I find it interesting that your name is 'Happiness-is-close' instead of 'Happiness-is-HERE!' since you seem so bitter all the time, and hating on Florida so much, maybe you should move to a state that more resembles your values...

Bahahaha. Look at your posting history. Political nonsense everywhere. I don't even want to think about what must rock around in your brain. Spare me.

[OpinionInOcala]

Jobs does not necessarily equate with quality thereof. Couple that with the loosened purses of retiring boomers looking to extend every hard-earned penny and it's not difficult to understand why Florida is the #1 relocation destination. I don't understand why there's such a fervent debate over this. It simply is what it is.

[bale002]

Originally Posted by tomadwood86

Yea, this is exactly what sparked my curiosity.

These high home sales are definitely not being driven by any low-paid service workers.

Clearly, something else is going on.

Since the days of Henry Flagler, Florida's growth has been mainly balance-sheet driven rather than income-statement driven, and this trend has intensified over the past 25 years or so: in other words, people already with significant quantities of money move here - northerners because of weather and taxes, nowadays foreigners because of political stability - and buy real estate and basic services.

So, at least to a certain extent, it explains both: higher real estate prices and rental rates, and expansion in basic service-sector jobs.

Sustainable?

Life is a series of short-runs. Ask Dick.

At some point, basic services turn into sophisticated services.


By the way, the political theater and other forms of cheap entertainment forum is here ...

Good Luck!

[tomadwood86]

Originally Posted by bale002

Since the days of Henry Flagler, Florida's growth has been mainly balance-sheet driven rather than income-statement driven, and this trend has intensified over the past 25 years or so: in other words, people already with significant quantities of money move here - northerners because of weather and taxes, nowadays foreigners because of political stability - and buy real estate and basic services.

So, at least to a certain extent, it explains both: higher real estate prices and rental rates, and expansion in basic service-sector jobs.

Sustainable?

Life is a series of short-runs. Ask Dick.

At some point, basic services turn into sophisticated services.


By the way, the political theater and other forms of cheap entertainment forum is here ...

Good Luck!

best answer i've heard on the topic so far, thanks.

hate when people respond just to spout off their political agenda. they're not interested in answering the question. they just want to vent and feel justified in their resentment. ain't got time for that bs.

[OTownKnight]

Originally Posted by 071402

Interesting and...... I almost wonder how the office space/rentals are doing since so many of us work from home much of the time. Some of us all of the time.

Actually very well still believe it or not. I work in commercial real estate in Orlando and the office vacancy rates for the downtown CBD here are at the lowest they've been since 2006. Occupancy rates for Class A office space (most office towers/skyscrapers) is above 95% last I saw. Supply is low and they're having to construct a few new office towers to keep up with demand.

http://www.bizjournals.com/orlando/b...-to-start.html

Highwoods is also marketing space for a new tower near Rosalind and Church.

[cfbs2691]

Originally Posted by OTownKnight

Actually very well still believe it or not. I work in commercial real estate in Orlando and the office vacancy rates for the downtown CBD here are at the lowest they've been since 2006.

South Florida still has way too much, vacant, eye sore commercial real estate and office parks.

[Spring Hillian]

Originally Posted by bmw335xi

Exactly, people who work minimum wage tend to think the only jobs available are minimum wage. I'm friends with a few realtors here and there are a lot of buyers right now (not retirees). Not to mention, there is so much being built from houses, shopping centers, attractions etc. Median household incomes are up again as well.

The problem with the people who believe that FL is the land of low paying jobs is that there is nothing that supports the claims that so many people wok for minimum wage.

Here are the FL statistics according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics - the data is from 2013

Florida
4.5% of hourly workers earned wages at or below $7.25.
Under minimum wage: 142,000
At minimum wage: 39,000
At or below minimum wage: 181,000
Total hourly employment:4,058,00

Under minimum wage earners are tipped employees. Their wages vary greatly.

Here is the BLS Report for 2014.

https://www.bls.gov/opub/reports/min...rkers-2014.pdf

The percentage of people working at minimum wage is small.

The FL minimum wage is higher than most of the U.S. http://minimum-wage.insidegov.com/l/10/Florida

"Wells Fargo & Co (NYSE: WFC) announced it is lifting its minimum wage base range to $13.50 to $17 per hour for entry-level positions. That increase marks a 12% increase from March 2016 and a 19% increase from December 2013. The San Francisco-based bank most recently paid entry-level employees $12 to $16 per hour."

If someone is earning minimum wage it simply reflects the ability of that person and without taking steps to improve their abilities they will never earn minimum wage.

[kyle19125]

Originally Posted by Spring Hillian

The problem with the people who believe that FL is the land of low paying jobs is that there is nothing that supports the claims that so many people wok for minimum wage.

It's not a claim of minimum wage as most anywhere in the country jobs no longer pay that low. The concern is over a living wage job where one can not have to scrape the change cup in the car every month trying to make rent or buy food. It's been documented that in the larger cities in Florida that the living wage is in the neighborhood of $11.50 an hour full-time for an individual which amounts to roughly $23,950 per year pre-tax. The median income in Orlando for example is around $29,750 which means a lot of people are well below. In fact 25% of those in Orlando make less than 20K per year, and 40% are paid less than 25K according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.

http://livingwage.mit.edu/counties/12095