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We want to know an unbiased opinion concerning a few areas.
That will probably be very difficult. I think that would be true of any location, not just Florida. Personal experiences, preferences and bias will influence opinions. It's human nature.
About the best one can hope for is to weight the true facts as best as you can and make your best judgment call, keeping your fingers crossed.
Florida has a lot of positives. Can several million people who live here all be unhappy? Of course not!
The problem is many people move to Florida with unrealistic expectations. Vacationing here and living here are very, very different. Life in Florida is not necessarily bad, but it is not like it is on the postcards.
I saw your other post about Palm Bay. If you are moving with a job (and know your salary), housing, understand the realistic cost of living, and no mortgage you will probably love Florida. Many people move here on a whim or at the first snow with only a fantasy about living here. That is one source of some of the unhappy posts.
Last edited by RMD3819; 10-25-2008 at 07:24 AM..
Reason: Additional info
Florida has a lot of positives. Can several million people who live here all be unhappy? Of course not!
The problem is many people move to Florida with unrealistic expectations. Vacationing here and living here are very, very different. Life in Florida is not necessarily bad, but it is not like it is on the postcards.
I saw your other post about Palm Bay. If you are moving with a job (and know your salary), housing, understand the realistic cost of living, and no mortgage you will probably love Florida. Many people move here on a whim or at the first snow with only a fantasy about living here. That is one source of some of the unhappy posts.
your so correct. We have our "heads on straight" concerning this move. We have looked at doing this for years. Its a great time to buy a home in Florida. My husband can work from anywhere. I would have to find a job. I clean houses for a living. We completely understand that I will not find the best paying job.
Life in Florida will not be like the postcards. Your right. Nothing is. thanks for the advice.
I think many people still have that memory as a child of what Florida was like when they came down on vacation, and they have the mind set that when you get older, you retire in Florida. So when they reach that time in their life when they can finally move to Florida, they move here. In the mean time, years have past and Florida has changed a lot, from when their parent retired here, or they vacationed here as a child. This is why there are so many half backs as they are called in the Carolinas and Tennessee.
Just like any place, you will be able to find people that love or hate it. It really depends on the person. As a native Floridian, Florida wouldn't be my first choice as a place to retire. But many still do. I wonder if the under 40 generations will retire to Florida as the older generation today are. My guess would be no, as the Carolinas on the East Coast may be the place the younger generations (Midwest and East coast states) will flock too.
I have lived here 20 years and now as I am older I find the heat more oppressive each year probably because of AC,years ago in CT we did not have anything more than windows and fans.Economically due to SOH we are better off than anywhere else,also motor vehicle registration.I gave up on aquireing homeowners ins..If this house sells,our doublewide which we have owned for over a year has very reasonable costing full covereage thru AARP.Not paradise because of growth and change of attitude in people.The new generation seems to be me and greed.
I don't mind living in Florida. This is the place I am raising my children. The people who don't like Florida can leave. What part of the state are you looking to move to? Why are you looking to move to Florida? If you like to live in a place with year round sunshine, and can handle the hurricane season, come on down.
Quote:
Originally Posted by floridaorbust
I have been reading so many threads on how people do not like Florida.
We are planning on moving to the sunshine state. Just curious if anyone out there likes living in Florida? Because so many do not. I have read all the negatives, any positives I have not found an area that is total Utopia. But, we would like to call Florida home
My family and I moved from Philadelphia to Florida and we love it here. You have to do your research, plain and simple. I made sure that we could afford the area we moved to, had a job in place, made sure there were good schools, and that the area was family-oriented/low crime. Then I visited extensively whenever I could to get a "feel" for the area. I posted on another thread that when I started the process of having a house built, I found city-data and read some of the awful posts and naturally got scared. I also read about the "half-backs" going to Tennessee, so I checked that out too. I found by spending time in Tennessee, that the area is beautiful with its mountains and rural feel and that the people are friendly, but it would never be for us. My children begged me not to consider it. While it was nice, Tennessee seemed to have more of a "run-down" feel to it and the winters there are still too cold for my taste. I went around the east Tennessee area. Just like some say about Florida, it was a nice place to visit, but not for me to live. Everyone is different, with different tastes and needs. Research and you'll know when a place is right for you. Good luck.
I have lived in Sarasota and Naples. FL is great but loooong summers (like 6 months). I love FL and have a desire somehow to be a snow-bird and get the best of both worlds. Where in FL are you thinking about moving to? Sarasota is great. I just miss seasons and history- FL does not have a lot of historical places. I would like to move around, but might always come back here. If it's SW FL I can answer a lot of questions! Good luck!
I would move to that area if I were to go back down to FL. I like that area(Melbourne/Palm Bay) I lived there for 5 years of my 15 in FL. I don't care what anyone thinks of Palm Bay/Melbourne/Sebastian/Grant I felt at home there, and really wanted to go back there, but ended up moving back up to my home state(MA). I just moved away from Southwest Florida a few weeks back, that is an area to avoid right now, the economy is horrible there. Yes it is bad everywhere, but Lee and Collier counties are not doing good as far as jobs, unemployment is out of control, foreclosures are the highest in the state. If I go back to FL I will go back to the Melbourne area. I lived in Rockledge too, and liked it there, just stay away from Cocoa, not Cocoa Beach, it's nice beachside, just Cocoa..It's a ghetto. I lived in Orlando(I liked the first year or 2 of it there). I would not go back to Orlando now. I lived in the Daytona area for 2 years(no thanks). I lived in Vero Beach and still like Vero, always will. I lived in Bradenton, it was ok there, I would have liked it better if I lived in Sarasota(Sarasota is great). I lived in Lake Wales for a short time, nice and countryish, but in the middle of nowhere, and has nothing. I also lived in Naples(can't stand it there), and Cape Coral(not bad).
As much as I may have complained about Florida, I do like parts of it, and things about it. I will be back there some day, but in the east central, or north part of it.
Good luck in your ventures, if you choose the Palm Bay area, you will like it.
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Originally Posted by floridaorbust
We are looking at the Brevard County area. Also, Port St.Lucie and Sebastian. We are not in a hurry. Not a retirement situation. We are in our 40's. Friends live in Palm Bay. My husband travels to Florida several times a year. We have both been in the area many times. Winter and summer. We want to know an unbiased opinion concerning a few areas. I have been reading so many negatives. And wonder why they still reside in Florida?
I do agree, if we were living there...Would not be in front of the computer complaining about it. Today it was 48 degrees and we were still outside bbq'ing. Still love Ohio. Still love our home. Just ready to make a new beginning. As I have stated we are not looking for Utopia.
Thanks to all that are writing. You have given us so much information. And pretty much on how we believe.
*The area we want to move to is Brevard County. Maybe Indian River County, or as the locals call it , IRC. Thanks for the info on Cocoa. We were looking at homes in that area.
*Time is on our side. We do not have to move. Not a floreclosure type situation. My husband works all around the USA. The south is a big piece of the area. He has a bunch of Gov. contracts in Florida. Every Spring he spends at least two months in the state. I meet him for a few weeks. Then off and on he is back in the area for business.
We have looked, also, in the TN area. He mentioned the half-backs too. Never knew what the meaning was until he told me. Also, Charlotte NC looked interesting. But, it didn't feel like home. When we spend time in FL it has the feel. It just feels right. Like when we left Western PA for Central Ohio. We still love Ohio. Its just the time is right.
*I know there some negatives. You will have that everywhere. We do in Ohio. But the midwest attitude is nice. Yes, we have found some attitudes in Ohio and Florida that we do not like. Hey, such is life. I know the "grass is not always greener on the other side". Both my husband have been down that road.
*I guess I don't understand how people can live in an area that they do not like. Acutally hate it My answer is, well, leaveWe cannot handle complacent people. the ones who complain but do nothing. Oh, well, I'm off my soap box.
Thanks again to you all. Please keep the information coming. And the areas that are not the greatest.
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