Moving to Fort Lauderdale (Jacksonville, Sunrise: fit in, real estate, foreclosure)

[doggiebus]

Originally Posted by dmacosta

Hi:
I am planning to apply for a CBP Agriculture Specialist position in Fort Lauderdale. I will started with an income of aproximately 35,000. I have an 11 yrs old son and I am a single mother. My questions: Is the income enough to live in a good place in Fort Lauderdale? Is there a good public middle high? and, Is Fort Lauderdale a good place to raise children?

Thank You

35,000 is nothing in South Florida. This isn't enough to live in a decent area and enjoy life on your own. I would suggest getting a roomate if you plan on moving here on that salary.

[2007rollinsband]

Honestly, $35,000 income as a single parent in South Florida is inadequate, even with the 28% rule. It may have been ok 6 or 7 years ago, but prices here for everything have gone through the roof. My husband and I have a combined six figure income, and we can only afford a comfortable middle class life here in a modest, but safe neighborhood. Even renting, property taxes are so high that the landlords have to charge substantially higher as well. in 2002 I was paying $800.00 per month for a modest 1 bedroom with no view in a good neighborhood (The Waves in Plantation)....now that same apartment probably rents for around $1200.00. Just to give you a figure. Then the cost of gas, car repairs, food, entertainment, health care, etc. is disproportionately higher than the rest of the state. You can get kids' clothes really cheap here, though...especially at Sawgrass Mall.

As for children...although I love Fort Lauderdale it is NOT a good place to raise kids (great place for them to visit, though!). The public schools are horrible....even in West Broward (Davie, Sunrise, Coral Springs), which is supposed to be more family oriented, there is a huge "white suburban kids" gang influence. The private schools are okay, but very expensive, and there's a lot of social posturing that goes on.

Regardless of what people say...ALL of South Florida is extremely expensive. It's a beautiful city with a lot to offer, but BY FAR not the best place for a single parent trying to raise a child on $35,000 per year. It's too much income for you to qualify for state aid, but not enough to live a reasonable lifestyle here. I know it's disappointing information, but I'm just being truthful. My husband and I decided that we love it here as long as we don't have kids, but if we do we'll move north to St. Augustine or West to Naples or Estero (still expensive, but a more family friendly atmosphere).

[rogerbacon]

Originally Posted by fort lauderdale

Absolutely not. 38k will get you nothing here, except in Fort Lauderdale itself, which is a horrible place to raise children. There are good public middle and high schools around, but you need more income to get into those districts.Fort Lauderdale schools are not very good.

And he's the optimist around here on Ft. Lauderdale. He's right though. Still, I'm sure you can find a place in Broward that you can get by for that price but it won't be a good place to raise children and you won't be happy. Of course, that will put you squarely in the same lot with most people down here.

[compelled to reply]

Originally Posted by 2007rollinsband

The public schools are horrible....even in West Broward (Davie, Sunrise, Coral Springs), which is supposed to be more family oriented, there is a huge "white suburban kids" gang influence. The private schools are okay, but very expensive, and there's a lot of social posturing that goes on.

I agree, but there aren't that many White kids in Sunrise. I have heard good things about the schools from people who transplanted from the NE and moved to Weston, Cooper City, Davie and Parkland. Everything else really is crap. Even the Coral Springs school start to sag at the HS levels now.

[BornAndRaised]

Lauderdale is fine just get your kid in a magnet program if you're concerned at all about their education

[tallrick]

Let's put it this way, your quality of life will be non-exiatant. I know exactly now bad it is, last year I only pulled in 36,000 and it's such a tiny amount of money it's disgusting. Perhaps in a middle-class city it would be OK, but in Latin America (south Florida) you don't stand a chance. Our inflation rate has been over 10% a year, and 10,000 of my income goes to property taxes. Then there are utilities. Expect 200.00 a month for a home or 100.00 for an apartment. You will do a lot of driving as jobs and homes are deliberately separated to make you burn more gas. Food is not as cheap as it once was so expect 300-600.00 a month for that. Have car payments? Just remember that South Florida car insurance is one of the highest in the nation, and your chances of having an accident, especially hit and run are high here.

Schools are full of problems, and the low quality of life is reflected in the attitudes of students and teachers. Do yourself a favor and move to an American city where the cost of housing is no more than 3 times your income. So for 35,000.00 find a city/suburb where a median home is 105,000. If you cannot do that don't waste your life in that place.

[BrowardResident]

As far as your income, it will be difficult to live on that $. Can you negotiate for a higher salary?

There is so much negativity on these boards about everything in FL. Most of which is based on hearsay, not personal experience.

I have 3 children in public schools (Coral Springs) and they're getting a good education. They've have had excellent teachers. My son is starting his 2nd yr. of high school (10th grader). Last year, he had 2 teachers that I was not impressed with. As for gang problems, it's all about how a parent is raising his/her child/children. That isn't something that I worry about with my kids. I don't know anyone that has such serious problems with their children.

Good luck to you in your quest.

[compelled to reply]

Originally Posted by BrowardResident

Last year, he had 2 teachers that I was not impressed with.

That's it? That's not bad in this time and age.

[BrowardResident]

Originally Posted by fort lauderdale

That's it? That's not bad in this time and age.

That's the point I'm trying to make.

[Jon F Moss]

We live in Sunrise Golf Village, and have recently noticed "gang-style" tags spray-painted on the streets. LW is a social worker and said it could be the real thing moving in or just taggers having fun.

Gangland is no place for a family with little ones