How much money before move? - Puerto Rico to South Florida (Miami: real estate market, apartment)
Fort Lauderdale areaBroward County
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I want to move this year. I am currently living in Puerto Rico. I would like to know how much money should I have before hand to make a good move. And how much money should I be making to live comfortably in an "ok" apartment. I will be sharing the apartment with another person who makes 10 dollars per hour, and will pay half of the apparent rent (The person already lives in South Florida).
My profession is Graphic Design, and I already graduated a few years ago with a Bachelor degree in graphic design. I can expect a salary from 10 to 20 dollars per hour over there as a designer. Boca Raton is the area which seem to pay higher (up to 30 dollars), but they comes with more requirements. I know I won't land a graphic design position right away, so I am expecting to have a lower pay job first.
I will need to buy a car also, since I will be depending of someone else for transportation until I can get a car over there. That will have me limited for a while.
My questions are:
How much money should I have before hand to make a good move?
I am taking with me a desktop computer, a keyboard(piano), a few other electronics, books, clothes, etc. Not furniture or anything excessively big.
How much money should I be making to live comfortably in an "ok" apartment?
"Ok" would be an apartment that is not in bad conditions. It is in a quiet and not dangerous place.
What are the best areas to check?
How much money do you spend in a month in your needs? (Excluding entertainment)
Food, electricity, water, gas, private internet, phone, etc. I do an extensive use of electricity to give a total of over 100 dollars, but not more than 200.
Is it there anything I am forgetting about moving?
I appreciate any information anybody can offer me!
How much money should I have before hand to make a good move?
That's a tough and kind of subjective question. But I believe that something like a few thousand dollars up to $10k-25k (recommended without job in hand) total. I'm considering, besides the move itself, a few months of steady supply of money so you can pay all bills and stuff here for a few months or more (try to be as thrifty as possible as it will help a lot on that).
How much money should I be making to live comfortably in an "ok" apartment?
Something like approx. $27-30k per year will be enough to live decently and comfortably, but being thrifty. Something like $40-50k+/year for living pretty well.
What are the best areas to check?
That would depend on the location of your future job. But generally, Fort Lauderdale (the eastern bits of the area), Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, Hallandale Bch. and Hollywood (on the beach or east of US-1) and Boca Raton.
If on a more lower or mid-to-lower end budget, North Lauderdale and Tamarac and Sunrise (all in the western bits), Pembroke Pines, Delray Beach (it's just north of Boca - but I recommend researching the Palm Beach forum as Delray has some bad areas), Fort Lauderdale (the bits near Port Everglades and the Airport), Imperial Point and Deerfield Beach.
All are good and safe places.
How much money do you spend in a month in your needs? (Excluding entertainment)
Would be basically nearly the same - a bit less - as what I said on the 2nd question.
Is it there anything I am forgetting about moving?
I'd recommend applying to tons of places here before - a few weeks before - moving. If possible, try to come with a job in hand already - or already nearly in hand (vis-Ã -vis with a job interview scheduled), as the unemployment rate is still high down here.
Also, you'll definitely need a car in Broward. Public transport is shoddy and even dangerous in some areas.
Coming from Puerto Rico, I think you may already have enough money saving skills that you will be fine in south Florida.
If you don't already have an apartment lined up, try to get one near tri-rail. Using it can save you from having to get a car - insurance rates are sky high in the area, and you might be better off simply renting a car for a day if you have little ongoing use. Otherwise, consider sharing car cost. It adds up quickly.
IIRC, the design district is more in Miami, and you may find work easier to get there than in Broward or West Palm. Your key will likely be in making friends quickly and using their network to find a spot. Good luck.
I would not move anywhere unless I had at least 6 months living expenses. No one else should either. People need to learn how to live on a tight budget and save and stop buying everything they want.
I would not move anywhere unless I had at least 6 months living expenses. No one else should either. People need to learn how to live on a tight budget and save and stop buying everything they want.
Some people can't make six months of living expenses where they are living. Would you have had the Irish during the potato famine stay in Ireland because they couldn't gather six months of living expenses? Please... rethink making global statements.
Some people can't make six months of living expenses where they are living. Would you have had the Irish during the potato famine stay in Ireland because they couldn't gather six months of living expenses? Please... rethink making global statements.
First of all I said "I". If you can't make ends meet where you are why are you going to move to another place when the act of moving itself is so expensive? Your Irish famine analogy is asinine.
Since i have been in the business of hiring graphic designers, let me give you a few suggestions:
1. Make sure you have a killer website
2. Make sure your portfolio is varied and shows a broad range of skills
3. Know how to design a website
4. Understand that you will not make it here as just a graphic designer unless you represent the extremely gifted few
5. Know how to market yourself
6. Leave your ego at the door
7. Research, research the companies that are hiring and start sending your resume with a link to your website. Since you already know someone here that means you can also use their address while you line up interviews.
Just remember you are in a highly comptetive profession. Good luck to you!!
First of all I said "I". If you can't make ends meet where you are why are you going to move to another place when the act of moving itself is so expensive? Your Irish famine analogy is asinine.
The act of moving is not always expensive. I had to move out of Vermont years back because I couldn't find a job in my field(s), and eventually couldn't stand the constant dark and cold that was taking a toll on my health. Having spent as much time as I could job searching there, and spending down my cash, I had to pack my cat and myself into a tiny Datsun and drive south. My other options were not pretty. What other items I had were stored or sold, and I moved into a roommate situation which was cheaper than where I had been staying. At the time of the move I was in debt, to the point that one of the gas credit cards had just written me off. No way did I have "six months of living expenses". Not only did I survive, but paid back the credit card (much to the surprise of the representative) and eventually was able to buy a house.
If you feel that the six month figure is your personal comfort zone, fine. However your next statement: "No one else should either. People need to learn how to live on a tight budget and save and stop buying everything they want. " is judgmental, rigid, classist, and condescending. Just what great otherwise unknown revelation is that statement making? On a basic level, most folks I know are aware that spending money means having less money around. The original poster seems more aware that others about that, by considering going into a shared apartment situation and not having a lot of personal items. Did you miss that, or were you not able to get out of some self-enforced stereotype before typing?
As for my Irish famine analogy being "asinine", here is a clue, Sparkie. I wouldn't be here if someone hadn't done that a few generations back. If you want to debate that you are the sole judge of when people can move, based on your limited criteria, I might suggest that you have three or four jobs lined up before moving yourself, because a lot of employers boot employees with such rigid thinking as you expressed out the door.
The act of moving is not always expensive. I had to move out of Vermont years back because I couldn't find a job in my field(s), and eventually couldn't stand the constant dark and cold that was taking a toll on my health. Having spent as much time as I could job searching there, and spending down my cash, I had to pack my cat and myself into a tiny Datsun and drive south. My other options were not pretty. What other items I had were stored or sold, and I moved into a roommate situation which was cheaper than where I had been staying. At the time of the move I was in debt, to the point that one of the gas credit cards had just written me off. No way did I have "six months of living expenses". Not only did I survive, but paid back the credit card (much to the surprise of the representative) and eventually was able to buy a house.
If you feel that the six month figure is your personal comfort zone, fine. However your next statement: "No one else should either. People need to learn how to live on a tight budget and save and stop buying everything they want. " is judgmental, rigid, classist, and condescending. Just what great otherwise unknown revelation is that statement making? On a basic level, most folks I know are aware that spending money means having less money around. The original poster seems more aware that others about that, by considering going into a shared apartment situation and not having a lot of personal items. Did you miss that, or were you not able to get out of some self-enforced stereotype before typing?
As for my Irish famine analogy being "asinine", here is a clue, Sparkie. I wouldn't be here if someone hadn't done that a few generations back. If you want to debate that you are the sole judge of when people can move, based on your limited criteria, I might suggest that you have three or four jobs lined up before moving yourself, because a lot of employers boot employees with such rigid thinking as you expressed out the door.
Listen ChaCha, the person didn't say there were in dire straights. If you are and there is no food where you are like Kinnison said " you live in an f'in desert, go to where the food is". If you can't save up, move but don't be surprise to find yourself away from friends or family to just end up jobless and homeless. Ideally you want to save up 6 months living expenses.
[SIZE=3]Last November I move to Deerfield Beach, FL (close to Boca Raton)from Puerto Rico with my husband and 1 toddler. We were planning the relocation since 2009, but I got pregnant, my mom was diagnosed with Cancer, etc. so we put our plans on hold. But in January 2012 we took our original plans back, and sold our home in just 3 weeks, a miracle in this real estate market and we sold everything; cars, furniture etc. we came here with over 25K in savings. [/SIZE] [SIZE=3]How much money should I have before hand to make a good move?[/SIZE]
[SIZE=3]I only pay about $400 for moving costs, wich includes 10 boxes, 1 crib and 1 dresser, with La Rosa del Monte, they are the best, cheaper and faster than La Flor de Mayo, Pan-American Moving etc. only took 3 weeks for the delivery.
How much money should I be making to live comfortably in an "ok" apartment?
It depends on your living standards and spending habits, in a good area you will be paying about $1,000 monthly for a 1/1 apartment. I think $3,500 $4,000 would be ok.
What are the best areas to check?[/SIZE] [SIZE=3] [/SIZE] [SIZE=3]The best areas are Parkland, Coral Springs, Boca Raton it depends for what you are looking for, family oriented neighborhood, single oriented with good nightlife etc.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=3]How much money do you spend in a month in your needs? (Excluding entertainment)
Actually we pay $1250.00 for a 2/2 apartment, electricity bill is about $85.00 and I have Washer / Dryer, it’s not that bad compared to PR in summer the bill was about $250 - $275 and we only were at home after 6pm and only turn on our bedroom a/c and use the washer dryer only in weekends. Water bill is $35 fixed, Food is cheaper compared to PR. We only spend $40 on gas a week, we have 1 car and work 10-15 minutes from home. [/SIZE]
Is it there anything I am forgetting about moving?
If you are going to buy a car remember the initial cost of the license plate, we pay about $500 and pay for car insurance $150 monthly. I think the insurance cost is pricey but our Florida’s driver’s license is new, so we don’t have previous driver record here.
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