Moving down in Feb (Cape Coral, Fort Myers: sales, for rent, car insurance)

[jodeyt22]

Hello, I plan on moving to the region of SW Florida and am very open to where I end up. I really like Estero and Bonita Springs. I just graduated today with my Bachelors in Healthcare Administration and am looking for a job in that region. Any tips on how to get my resume to the top, since I am an out of state applicant with a out of state phone number. I have read a lot of post about unemployment, is it going to be too hard for me to get a job in healthcare? Healthcare is booming and is about to make some major changes in the coming years, and Florida is a state that is in need of healthcare professionals. I also noticed Cape Coral does not have a University, yet it is the largest city in the region, why has no one put a University there yet? Sounds like it would be of great benefit to a lot of people. Is car insurance rates there higher than normal, and are there any other cost I need to research that I would have up here in Ohio? Oh, and I also work at Carrabba's Italian Grill here in Toledo, so I would be able to transfer with a job! Any sort of comments and tips will be greatly appreciated, and who knows, maybe we'll be doing business together on day. Thanks!

[Billythepokerkid]

Originally Posted by jodeyt22

Hello, I plan on moving to the region of SW Florida and am very open to where I end up. I really like Estero and Bonita Springs. I just graduated today with my Bachelors in Healthcare Administration and am looking for a job in that region. Any tips on how to get my resume to the top, since I am an out of state applicant with a out of state phone number. I have read a lot of post about unemployment, is it going to be too hard for me to get a job in healthcare? Healthcare is booming and is about to make some major changes in the coming years, and Florida is a state that is in need of healthcare professionals. I also noticed Cape Coral does not have a University, yet it is the largest city in the region, why has no one put a University there yet? Sounds like it would be of great benefit to a lot of people. Is car insurance rates there higher than normal, and are there any other cost I need to research that I would have up here in Ohio? Oh, and I also work at Carrabba's Italian Grill here in Toledo, so I would be able to transfer with a job! Any sort of comments and tips will be greatly appreciated, and who knows, maybe we'll be doing business together on day. Thanks!

1. Experience will get your resume to the top, out of state credentials will move it to the bottom.
2. The unemployment rate is high and Feb is not a very good time to be job hunting since most places will already have done their hiring for the year.
3. There is always a need for healthcare professionals, unfortunately for you the administration side is highly saturated with other people looking for work.
4. There is no university in Cape Coral, but there are a few in Fort Myers which is not fair away. Edison State College, Florida Gulf Coast U, Heritage, Keiser, Southwest Florida College, Hodges, and Nova. There are also a few other tech type schools in the area as well.
5. Car insurance will most definitely be more in Florida, as will taxes and home owners/flood insurance if you buy, higher water/sewage bills, higher electric bills, etc, especially compared to the Toledo area.
6. What do you do at Carrabbas? I will tell you right now, that although you may be able to transfer, you will be getting here towards the end of our season and I can almost guarantee you will get part time at best until next winter. I would not put all my eggs in the Carrabbas basket and move here solely based on the potential income from that job.

Have you ever visited this area before? As stated by nearly every person on this board numerous times, a visit is always recommended, especially in the summer, so you can see what you will be getting yourself into for 5 months out of the year.

[rikoshaprl]

I disagree with Billy. My car insurance was not higher than NY, actually it was $100/year cheaper. Taxes are much lower. No state income tax, lower property tax and lower sales tax than I had in NY. I'm not sure exactly what you pay in Ohio. Utility bills also are less when you consider much lower heat bills, even though AC is much higher.. Water is higher, insurance is slightly higher. But I guess you will be renting and rents are cheap. If you can have a local address on your resume that might help. You will save on clothes too. Good luck!

[cfbs2691]

Isn't coming from NY different than coming from Ohio, as far as insurance costs?

[Billythepokerkid]

Originally Posted by cfbs2691

Isn't coming from NY different than coming from Ohio, as far as insurance costs?

HUUUGEE difference. My insurance is higher here in Florida than any of the other states I have had insurance, including Ohio, California, Montana, Oregon, Connecticut, New York, Illinois, Indiana, Nevada, and Mass. My electric bills are also higher, even considering the added cost of heat. Taxes are higher here than they are in Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Montana, Oregon, and Nevada. Ohio has some of the lowest taxes in the country. Florida is by far and away the highest for home owners and flood insurance for comparable homes.

[Billythepokerkid]

Originally Posted by rikoshaprl

I disagree with Billy. My car insurance was not higher than NY, actually it was $100/year cheaper. Taxes are much lower. No state income tax, lower property tax and lower sales tax than I had in NY. I'm not sure exactly what you pay in Ohio. Utility bills also are less when you consider much lower heat bills, even though AC is much higher.. Water is higher, insurance is slightly higher. But I guess you will be renting and rents are cheap. If you can have a local address on your resume that might help. You will save on clothes too. Good luck!

They area the OP is coming from has 3 bedroom homes for rent for $300 a month. The rent isn't even close to comparable.

[rikoshaprl]

Originally Posted by cfbs2691

Isn't coming from NY different than coming from Ohio, as far as insurance costs?

As I said in my post, I don't know what she pays in Ohio. In general this area has a low cost of living. That is one of the biggest draws to folks from up north.

[nhkev]

i have a car in mass and in florida , my mass insurance is $300 a year higher than in florida. my electric bill in mass is also higher than in florida.

[Billythepokerkid]

Originally Posted by nhkev

i have a car in mass and in florida , my mass insurance is $300 a year higher than in florida. my electric bill in mass is also higher than in florida.

I have 4 houses and a condo in Mass and 7 houses,4 duplexes, and 4 condos in Southwest Florida. For comparable square footage, my electric bills in Florida from April through October are a lot higher than any I have in the Northeast. They may and I say may slightly even themselves out in the winter the last few years with rising cost of oil, but it would be close. The old clunker car I have up there for liability only is $45 a month, the every day beater I have here in Florida is just under double for the same coverage. Clean driving record. So I guess it is all subjective.

The cost of living is lower in Florida than the Northeast and places like Chicago, it is however not lower than most of Ohio, Michigan, etc, which is where the OP is from. The low cost of living is just an added bonus, the draw to this area is the weather, beaches, fishing, boating, etc, etc. If it was all about cost of living we would all be living in Flint, Michigan and Youngstown, Ohio.

[stahltkd]

Originally Posted by Billythepokerkid

I have 4 houses and a condo in Mass and 7 houses,4 duplexes, and 4 condos in Southwest Florida. For comparable square footage, my electric bills in Florida from April through October are a lot higher than any I have in the Northeast. They may and I say may slightly even themselves out in the winter the last few years with rising cost of oil, but it would be close. The old clunker car I have up there for liability only is $45 a month, the every day beater I have here in Florida is just under double for the same coverage. Clean driving record. So I guess it is all subjective.

The cost of living is lower in Florida than the Northeast and places like Chicago, it is however not lower than most of Ohio, Michigan, etc, which is where the OP is from. The low cost of living is just an added bonus, the draw to this area is the weather, beaches, fishing, boating, etc, etc. If it was all about cost of living we would all be living in Flint, Michigan and Youngstown, Ohio.

Coming from the Youngstown / NE Ohio area... I'd say cost of living is comparable to each other. Groceries (especially meat) are a bit higher. NY strip down here at 7.99 on sale can be bought in Ohio for 3.99/lb.

Your comparison of April - October is Florida's prime electrical use. Ohio during that time uses a lot less electric. I remember my parents complaining about 100's of dollars in electric bills during the summer with central air. Even more so in the winter with trying to heat a 1920's home. I have a 4bd 3 ba house down here - our highest bill down here was 208 in the summer. November's bill was 87.

My auto insurance is about the same (within a few dollars of each other) compared to Ohio.

There are too many variables to predict one's cost of living comparison. We can go around and around peeing in each other's Cherrio's - but it would accomplish nothing. One would probably be best using online calculators to get a general idea - but ultimately it's all based on each individual's use.