[Rwarky]

Native Floridians and Transplants, do you consider Florida a good or great place for a vacation or to visit, yet a bad place to live year-round?

[seeriously]

It's a tremendous place to live year round. It just takes some time to grow into. It's been three years for us, coming from Massachusetts, and finally this is home. We love it! If I can say this in August then imagine January and February.

[Nomadicus]

I hear a lot of complaints but why is it growing by leaps and bounds? There are things I really hate here and things I really love here. Isn't that true of most anywhere you want to go? The only opinion that will ever really count is not mine but those that choose to live here and pay the taxes that keep FL afloat. While FL is a living paradise for some and it can be and is a living hell for others. It's a personal thing that can't be decided by an election. I don't know how else to explain it.

[mom2justynsarah]

As New York transplants, my husband & I have been living in S. Florida for almost 12 years. Our children were born here and are being raised here. I think Florida is definetly a great place to vacation/visit. But it's also a great place to raise a family! What's so bad about year round sunshine and never running out of things to do with the kids? I think S. Florida is very kid friendly and I am thrilled not to have to deal with snow/ice.

Originally Posted by Rwarky

Native Floridians and Transplants, do you consider Florida a good or great place for a vacation or to visit, yet a bad place to live year-round?

[jschulst]

I have family down there and they seem to enjoy it and don't want to come back north (except for my mother for summer months). No snow, and they would even turn down higher pay job opportunity from cold states. Why spend most of you life in miserable winters up north and wait till you retire to move to florida? By then you may not get the chance.

I am relocating to florida right now, my sis tells me it take about 3 yrs to adjust to florida heat, she's been there for 17yrs now and no plans to move back north. Yr round activities are one plus I like about the state, not seasonal.

[TriMT7]

I think ideally I would like the snowbird lifestyle.... but if I never get to do that, I'm more than happy to live here.

Sure it's a bit weirder and hotter than most places.... but Florida, like the US, is a big state with an infinite different ways to live. It's problems can be found in many/most other states as well.

[TXRyan23]

As a native Floridian, Florida is the worst place I've lived. I was glad to leave.

People always talk about how great the weather is, If you like 100 degrees and 90-100% humidity then it's the place for you.

If you like violent thunderstorms EVERY day during the spring, summer, and fall, it's the place for you.

If you like paying $1200 a month for rent and want to make $8 an hour IF you can find work, it's the place for you.

If you like paying thousands in homeowners insurance, auto insurance, and property taxes, it's the place for you.

If you like high crime, rude, and old people, it's the place for you.

That's just the start...

[TXRyan23]

Originally Posted by TriMT7

It's problems can be found in many/most other states as well.

I've noticed that current Florida residents like to say to themselves and others that most of the problems today, high insurance costs, high rent costs, crime, poor economy, ect, ect, ect exist in other states too.

Yes, those things are in almost every other state, HOWEVER... they are nowhere near the scale that they are in Florida.

Even California pays higher wages then Florida.

[TANaples]

Originally Posted by Nomadicus

I hear a lot of complaints but why is it growing by leaps and bounds? There are things I really hate here and things I really love here. Isn't that true of most anywhere you want to go? The only opinion that will ever really count is not mine but those that choose to live here and pay the taxes that keep FL afloat. While FL is a living paradise for some and it can be and is a living hell for others. It's a personal thing that can't be decided by an election. I don't know how else to explain it.

North Carolina IS. For as many people who come to Florida, as many LEAVE.

[gypsychic]

Originally Posted by TNRyan23

I've noticed that current Florida residents like to say to themselves and others that most of the problems today, high insurance costs, high rent costs, crime, poor economy, ect, ect, ect exist in other states too.

Yes, those things are in almost every other state, HOWEVER... they are nowhere near the scale that they are in Florida.

Even California pays higher wages then Florida.

Guess, what - go look on those forums where wages are supposedly "higher" - the residents admit they are but a starter home costs a mil or more! And gas, and everything else costs more in California.

Anyhow, I'm a native, my husband was born in the midwest, grew up in Belgium and has traveled all over the world and there is no place he would rather live than right here. Not saying everything is perfect here because it's not, it's not perfect anywhere. But for overall quality of life, for us it can't be beat.