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Old 11-14-2019, 03:13 PM
 
1 posts, read 782 times
Reputation: 10

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So this New Englander has decided to venture down to Florida for the winter. I've always wanted to spend the winter somewhere warm. I did it once years ago, but it was in Central America. Anyways, I am 44 yrs young female and I don't have anything holding me back from this adventure.

Here are my questions:

1. What would be the best part of Florida to head to?

I have been all over the state and love a lot of it. However, that was as a vacationer. My favorite areas are St. Pete/Clearwater, Fort Lauderdale, and Coral Gables.

2. Does anyone have any advice for seasonal jobs?

I know pay may be lacking, but I have some money saved up. I'm very much into fitness and have worked in that field. Also, worked in offices and schools. I have a BA in Psychology.

3. Should I just head down with my vehicle and hope for the best or line up some kind of extended stay beforehand?

I see discounts on airbnb for longer stays.


More info on me: I come from a high seasonal tourist area so I know how that goes. Traffic, people, all that good stuff lol. I was planning on coming down between Thanksgiving and Xmas or right after Xmas. I will be bringing my vehicle. I'm planning to stay at least 3 months. I enjoy people from diverse backgrounds and ages. I'm not a huge party person, but do enjoy nights out. I love the beach and live in walking distance to it now. However, as long as it is less than 90 mins away I'll be okay. Ideally I'd like to spend $500-700/month for rent, but more is fine. I just think $900 or more is too high. Roommates are good.

There you have it. Sorry so long. Any advice is much appreciated!

~Jacquie

Last edited by jaqueeta24; 11-14-2019 at 03:34 PM..
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Old 11-15-2019, 05:22 AM
 
468 posts, read 459,546 times
Reputation: 1122
I live in Venice a few miles from the beach and I don't think you'll come anywhere near your rental cost estimates anywhere near the Gulf. I knew a lady a couple of years ago who rented her mobile home for 3 months at $1800 per month. You might get a shared rental for less. I knew a woman who rented a room in a house for $500 per month but that was in Port Charlotte about 45 minutes from the beach. It was also for a longer time period than 3 months. Winter time is very expensive here. Good luck with your search though.
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Old 11-15-2019, 06:04 AM
 
264 posts, read 334,322 times
Reputation: 282
Under no circumstances should you just jump in your car and roll the dice on finding a rental, especially in your price range. Snowbirds are creatures of habit and many book the same condo year after year. Find an area you want to explore and start looking. You may be SOL for this season.
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Old 11-15-2019, 09:48 AM
 
Location: Northeast US
115 posts, read 318,537 times
Reputation: 181
As a current New Englander and native Floridian, here are just my thoughts. First, I applaud your willingness to just go out and do it! Don't let naysayers talk you out of it... just take some extra time to plan. It would be good to have a backup plan here in the New England area you live if things go sour or an unforeseeable emergency circumstance. For instance having someone's couch to sleep on for a few weeks if you ABSOLUTELY HAD TO drive back north for some reason. I've moved to the other side of the country twice in my life with little to no notice (weeks) and they were some of the best decisions I've ever made. The freedom, the enticement, the friendships, the learning that comes with it. You can't put a price on that.

I have a similar background as you career wise and left Florida for economic reasons.... this was back during the recession though. My #1 concern would be to find a job before you go. It's doable but I highly encourage you to at least put out 50 + applications and have some interviews lined up. Do you have a buddy whom you can put their address on job applications and say your already living there? This would help immensely. I honestly would pick 2 cities not close to each other and put dozens of apps in each area (for instance Cape Coral and St. Pete) .... get an airbnb somewhere in between, and move closer to the area you get hired. Also, if you have some financial background, working for a tax company might be a decent waged seasonal job down there. You'll find a seasonal retail job easy but that also comes with poverty level wages.. trust me. If it's your jam and your physically capable, you may find some good seasonal work delivering packages for the holidays with UPS or Amazon or something. Can you tutor online? I know several people whom do this, such as teaching english to Chinese students or doing virtual secretary work. At least if you only find a part time job down there this could supplement your income. Oh, and I believe larger airports also hire seasonally. Not sure what it's like to work there though. Also, I wonder if jobs exist to help support seniors activity level since you have a background in fitness? Like working at a luxury senior community whom can afford to hire somebody like that. I know if you work in the golf courses they can sometimes pay really well. Lastly, maybe this winter might be a bit financially rough but what about when you go back up north to get a little medical training? For instance phlebotomy? The medical field booms down there.

How set are you on “living” in those specific areas? I ask because although they are gorgeous they are also expensive. As long as you have a car its quick/easy to drive to nearby areas/counties compared to many parts of New England as you know. It's not uncommon to live within an hour's drive of the community/other side of the county you love rather than actually living there, especially seasonally. I love Gypsy's comment that snowbirds are creatures of habit. It's so true. Especially since they don't know the area as well so when they find a fixed routine they stick with it for years/decades, even if they are overpaying. Because of this landlords are used to the snowbird behavior and can either price gouge or become slum lords. Please be careful. Finding roommates might be the best option. It can be harder to find roomates down there imo as people are less used to those situations (and stereotypes!) and work their butt off to avoid it. I remember having 2 jobs during college to keep living solo, and only conceded to roomates when I needed to start paying off student debt afterwards.... it was sad indeed. But this could work to your advantage because I remember many times someone's roomie bounced and the person left had an enormous unpayabe rent on their hands. People get tied down for a full year lease down there and cannot break it the same way for instance I can in Boston. It would be easy for me to find a replacement on Craigslist for our apt if we needed to move next week but down in Florida apt complexes simply do not let you do that. They hold the signers responsible for the full year's rent regardless if they live in the apt or not. This could be your key to finding a roomie?

I got to say, knowing my way around central/east Florida more than the west/south, here is an example of what I would do if I were in your shoes and moving to Fl for a few months (assuming I didn't have family down there I could stay with). I'd look for work in Orlando or Melbourne and live in either Palm Bay, Titusville, St. Cloud, or Apopka depending on which city employed me and where I worked in the city. This is just my example of being willing to commute out a bit to keep cost down enough that you can actually enjoy your stay down there.

Good luck!
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Old 11-15-2019, 06:17 PM
 
Location: Connecticut
332 posts, read 215,062 times
Reputation: 576
Unless you're planning on being in the northern part of Florida (which is a little less expensive), you're not gonna find anything in a safe area in central or south Florida for $500-$700/month. I lived in Orlando about ten years ago when rent didn't used to be as high I was fortunate enough to find a one bedroom apartment only 510 sq feet for $700/month in a somewhat safe area. That very same tiny apartment is now $1,350 in 2019 (I just checked). Florida is the place to be now. Everyone wants to live in Florida, there is a severe housing shortage here and the renters know that and are taking advantage of that.
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Old 11-16-2019, 05:24 AM
 
Location: Free State of Florida
25,420 posts, read 12,537,298 times
Reputation: 19028
Quote:
Originally Posted by ObedientSir View Post
Unless you're planning on being in the northern part of Florida (which is a little less expensive), you're not gonna find anything in a safe area in central or south Florida for $500-$700/month. I lived in Orlando about ten years ago when rent didn't used to be as high I was fortunate enough to find a one bedroom apartment only 510 sq feet for $700/month in a somewhat safe area. That very same tiny apartment is now $1,350 in 2019 (I just checked). Florida is the place to be now. Everyone wants to live in Florida, there is a severe housing shortage here and the renters know that and are taking advantage of that.
An Airbnb room in a private home at least 45 minutes from any beach, and you might be able to find one for $700/month. During this time, get to know people, and look for potential roommates so you can improve your living situation. This will also allow you to move closer to the beach and better retail so you not driving so much. If you are both paying $600, $1,400 for a 2 bedroom maybe 30 minutes to any beach will be doable outside the smaller coastal towns.
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Old 11-16-2019, 09:28 AM
TD*
 
1,695 posts, read 4,125,690 times
Reputation: 754
Check out Tallahassee.
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Old 11-16-2019, 04:13 PM
 
Location: Ormond Beach, FL
1,615 posts, read 2,128,852 times
Reputation: 1686
You may find a short term job in the hospitality industry. Hotels, timeshares, bars and restaurants are busier in winter. The wages in Florida may lower than you are used to.
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