[OREGONRAIN]

Just wondering if anyone especially those that live in the western USA have noticed doing research and reading all the posts people place on here, is Fla really any cheaper any more. I mean excluding LA, San Fran, San Diego, Santa Barbara, Orange County, after you add up the insurance, taxes, utilities in Fla, the ridiculous amount of driving, since there is no public transit to speak of, Florida appears to cost more to live in than say Sacramento would. Yes there is no state income tax in florida, but I doubt it would do much to offset the rest of the cost of living there. So for us on the west coast wanting a warmer climate and cheaper living maybe we better rethink about moving to Fla, no offense to the place, but it appears very costly now.

[ellie]

Thank you very much Oregonrain. It's about time someone pointed this out. My feelings are quite pleased by your enlightened point of view.

[bmurphy]

Why WOULD it be cheap? It's got a warm climate, beaches, things to do, etc. There's no reason logically for it to be cheap. Simple supply and demand. People WANT to live there. Prices are higher...it's not hard to figure out...

California is easily more expensive than Florida, and I'm not sure where you got off thinking California was cheaper; maybe in the desert regions of California or something?

[dreamofmonterey]

Originally Posted by OREGONRAIN

Just wondering if anyone especially those that live in the western USA have noticed doing research and reading all the posts people place on here, is Fla really any cheaper any more. I mean excluding LA, San Fran, San Diego, Santa Barbara, Orange County, after you add up the insurance, taxes, utilities in Fla, the ridiculous amount of driving, since there is no public transit to speak of, Florida appears to cost more to live in than say Sacramento would. Yes there is no state income tax in florida, but I doubt it would do much to offset the rest of the cost of living there. So for us on the west coast wanting a warmer climate and cheaper living maybe we better rethink about moving to Fla, no offense to the place, but it appears very costly now.

One thing people fail to realize is the MAJOR issue with public transit (there is none). If a young person moves to Florida and has to commute, for example, they had better have an excellent vehicle. I am originally from NY and was never afraid to drive ANYWHERE, until I had to drive from Boca to a law firm in Western Miami. I would never want to have that experience again.

sunny

[OREGONRAIN]

I said Fla was cheaper meaning at some point as in several years ago, I also said Sacramento, not some place in the desert. And Im sorry but Miami and south fla and a number of other places are a lot more expensive than Sacramento, And Im curious where exactly do u live cause it sure as hell is not Sacramento,

[jhlcomp]

oregonrain - yes, it certainly has gotten expensive and we have surpassed certain regions in the west as you have observed.

While my husband and I enjoy living here, there is no way we could entertain living here if we were new to the area and just buying a home. etc.

If you think Florida is for you, then come for a visit, seek out those areas that aren't as expensive, etc. Your salary expectations may have to change as Florida is not known to be competitive on a national scale.

[daisies76]

Yep I agree with you and the pay wages are less in FL!! The pay scales have not increased with the cost of living increases in the past 5 years, thats for sure. (at least not near enough to compare)

[bale002]

I agree and I will soon leave Florida for the simple reason that, since I have an internet-based business, I can relocate anywhere and with no local business interests and not being a lover of the beach and water sports, I can no longer justify for any reason for me to be in such an expensive region (southeastern Florida).

However, it should be specified that there are certain regions, counties, and towns of Florida that are more expensive than certain of their counterparts in the western states.

By the way, there are states in the west also with no state income tax.

Florida is great for the weather, and it is certainly a plus if one actively pursues water sports (as Tallrick and others have mentioned in the past), but some western states also offer desirable climate, not to mention beautiful landscape.

In short, given one's circumstances and set of preferences, indeed there is now reason to compare certain regions of Florida to western states and decide solely on the basis of cost of living, and there are certain regions of the west that now beat Florida hands down.

Going forward we will learn, based on global comparisons, whether the credit-driven real estate boom in this country, and across certain regions, has really been productive investment or speculative fluff, blown away by wind and flood, both literally and figuratively.

May each one figure it out for himself.

[Angelrocks]

St. Augustine is very inexpensive. My ex-roommate moved there with his girlfriend. They bought a beautiful home for 200k. I believe their mortage payment (taxes and insurance) is $1400 a month, and the house is beautiful.

Since, St. Augustine hasn't received a direct hit, from a hurricane, in over 100 yrs. their homeowners insurance is practically nothing. I believe their property taxes are $3,700 a year. I thought St. Augustine is very much affordable. They are in the western part, so you have to consider the fact that it's more secluded. One benefit of living up there is the air - it's so fresh!

Where they live in St. Augustine it's going to take you 15 or 20 minutes to get to the post office, 30 minutes to the mall etc., however, with all the traffic in South Florida, it actually would take me longer, during rush hr., to drive 1.5 miles to get to the post office and back. Seriously! I thought about St. Augustine, but I still think I want to move to Tennessee. I do like Florida, but I have lived here for over 20 yrs.; I just want a change.

St. Augustine is very inexpensive when compared to Cali. Then again, Broward and Miami-Dade counties are up there with Cali. I love Cali. That's actually a place I would one day consider moving to. I've also driven in LA. I still think the LA traffic isn't quite as congested as S. Florida! I drove 13 mi on Friday and it took me about two hrs. to get home. Every single roadway, including 1-95, Turnpike, 441 & Lyons Rd. was gridlocked most of the way. How can one explain to anybody how in the heck it can take 2 hrs. to drive 13 miles??? I am so glad I work from home.

[gypsychic]

Well, I agree that SOME parts of Florida are right up there with California, cost-wise. But overall, Florida is still much cheaper. Even in super expensive towns like Sarasota, you can still buy a small 1960's Florida ranch in the $200,000s. Sarasota is comparable to Santa Barbara in wealth, but in Santa Barbara this house would cost nearly a mil. I am sure Miami, Palm Beach and other places in SE Florida rival Southern Cali when all costs are factored in.

Overall, however, the cost of living here has risen greatly over the past several years, especially with the homeowner's insurance crisis we have here now. And our infrastructure is suffering greatly with all the added population and I imagine we will be paying for that in the next few years also.

Bottom line, people have to figure out what is important to them in a place, and what they are willing to pay for. Several years ago we wanted to relocate to Central Coastal Cali, less expensive than LA or SF, but still completely out of our price range, so we stayed here in Fla, and bought a modest 2nd home in the NC mountains, where our taxes and insurance are REASONABLE. The little country cottage we still have as our residence in Fla we need to keep until my husband can retire.

Florida and California were once great paradise states, and for some they still are, but they really have a lot of problems now, and I wonder how (or if) they can be fixed in the future.