[lee]

Hi to everyone in Florida,

We are Lee and Sharon ond we will be emigrating to Florida in the not too distant future.

It is taking us 12 years to get our green card because it is my brother who is sponsoring us as he is an American citizen by birth, so as you can imagine we can't wait to get to the U>S> to start our new life.

We are planning on setteling in the Naples, Bonita Springs, Estero area, I have a couple of questions and I would be extremly grateful if anyone out there could help.

1) We are planning on buying our home outright so we wont have a mortgage and we are hoping to spend around 200k to 300k.
After reading lots of reports on the site regarding the outragous cost of hurricane insurancewe are considering not taking out this cover, do you think financialy this is a good idea or do you think the risk is not worth it.
I am a painter and decorator by trade and I have run my own company in the UK for the past 20 years and I find that I can turn my hand to most trades
( except electrics ) so I would be able to carry out any repairs myself barring a complete rebuild !

2) When we come to Florida I was hoping to go into a new field completely regarding my job due to the fact that I have been involved in the decorating industry since I was 16 and I am now 50, but on reading some of the articles on the site it seems like Florida has a chronic shortage of well trained professional tradesmen and I wondered if I would not be better off staying with my trade or even possibly starting my own business?

Would anyone have any idea what wage rates decorators recieve in the Naples area or what kind of rates decorators charge in this aera.

Also could anyone recomend any reputable, professional painting companies in this area that may be interested in recieving a cv.

3) One of the jobs that I would like to apply for is that of a postman but I have been told that these jobs are very difficult to get, is this the case?

Well thanks for reading my post (sorry if it's a bit long winded) and in closing
just a few words for people who are unsettled in Florida remember that England property tax may be slightly lower BUT .........................

Gas is $8.00 a gallon
A similar house is 3 times the price.
Income tax is around 40% (unless you are in a poorly paid job).
Cars are twice the price.
And in conclusion the weather's terrible.

Florida does'nt seem so bad now does it?

[Cougar31]

don't forget to add:
100 UK Pounds = 200 US Dollars
so for those who buy a house in the UK for about 200K (Pounds) will be able to buy a 400k (Dollars) in the US.

[crystalblue]

ummm, i would def think youd want the insurance.

just take a look at the pics of punta gorda. hard to rebuild from that!

[urbandeco]

I would also recommend insurance. With the new governor, it seems as though prices may be going down. I got money back.

[mainship]

All of the other trades favorite things to say is the painter will fix it. Stick to what you are an expert at, great market for decorators and even better after a hurricane.
Good luck on your move, I did it 60 yrs ago, never looked back. Once you understand the language you shouldn't have any problems, that far south, now it will be Spanish. You will definitely need it if you plan on hiring laborers to work for you.

[john1963]

i would have the insurance for atleast the next few years as it seems we are at the peak of a hurricane cycle...then play it by ear after that. Except for Andrew, there was no major hurricanes for 40 years i think.
Or maybe you could get half the coverage or something with a very high deductible.

[Sueilp]

Definately get insurance - what would you do if a hurricane blew it all away??????? How would you rebuild and with what??? Our insurance thanks to the governer has just gone down $600 from our quote 2 weeks ago - although we are still paying $400 more than last year - we will take whatever we can!

We moved over from the UK about 19 months ago and have absolutely no desire to go back to the UK - even struggling with the idea of going for vacation in July - but desperately want to see family & friends I havent seen since I left - but the thought of the being in the UK with the pound doing so bad to the $ it doesnt seem worth it!!

Congrats by the way on the Green Card and good luck with the move.

[lee]

Many thanks for the speedy feedback.

Looks like the hurricane insurance is a must have.

Thanks once again everyone.

Lee

[madmumof2]

Just a side note, what does hurricane insurance get you? From the minimum policy to the max? Will it actually pay the value of the house if it destroys it? And any possessions?

Also, don't forget about no car tax, mot, and no tv licence lol I'm sure there's more still!

[Lisa_from_Debary]

Wow, I don't even know you and I am excited for you...I LOVED Naples, very posh and clean...not wild for all the old folks that are there for the winter and of course the wonderful beaches, San Marco island...its a very nice place.