How bad is southwest Florida? (Sarasota, Port Charlotte: unemployment, buy, place to live)

[justNancy]

Have you considered a move to AZ? It's very sunny there and a lot closer.

[tooyoungtodie]

I moved down here 8 years ago from Los Angeles/New York to be closer to my family. I'm not that old, a young 50. What a mistake, I wanted to rent and the realtor convinced me to buy a house on the water with gulf access. I'm used to the culture, good food, GREAT food, art, activities that a big city delivers. Though hopping in the boat and catching a beautiful sunset and maybe a dolphin or two with your honey isn't so bad. I can do that while on vacation some where. If you want to get some food down here, basically it all SUCKS!!! Unless, you spend a fortune then it isn't so bad. It's not a bad place to live, but if your from up north I guarantee you you'll soon be questioning if you made the right decision. I suggest renting something at first and see if it's a place you can live in. As for me, I'm a creative. And this place is a creative vacuum, a media mediocrity. This place is so far behind the times they think they are leading the pack, but it's not a bad place to come to die.

I can only sum it like this. "If a man were to come down here and say he had an idea for an animated mouse....... they'd put him in jail down here. And one of us from up north would have to go and bail "Walt Disney" (rest his soul) out.

Lost in Florida

(New York here I come)

[kroeran]

yeah, if you place more value on creative and fictional representations of things and events, more than actual personal experience and adventure, and the wanna-be hangers-on culture that attaches itself to the so-called creative community, and the idolatry of fame, then SWF is not for that.

[RMD3819]

Drummer-

Now that we know more about your situation we can give more specific advice.

I agree with the others and rent first. You'll do fine. I do think the heat will be a problem for you.

It sounds like you'll be leaving every spring and summer so a house would entail extra expenses when you are not there. You have to pay someone to mow the lawn, watch the place, etc. A condo has someone else take care of that, although you'll pay through the fees.

Consider renting seasonally the first year. You'll pay more per month but you can look around and if it is not for you you can just leave.

[chaotix]

Originally Posted by tooyoungtodie

I moved down here 8 years ago from Los Angeles/New York to be closer to my family. I'm not that old, a young 50. What a mistake, I wanted to rent and the realtor convinced me to buy a house on the water with gulf access. I'm used to the culture, good food, GREAT food, art, activities that a big city delivers. Though hopping in the boat and catching a beautiful sunset and maybe a dolphin or two with your honey isn't so bad. I can do that while on vacation some where. If you want to get some food down here, basically it all SUCKS!!! Unless, you spend a fortune then it isn't so bad. It's not a bad place to live, but if your from up north I guarantee you you'll soon be questioning if you made the right decision. I suggest renting something at first and see if it's a place you can live in. As for me, I'm a creative. And this place is a creative vacuum, a media mediocrity. This place is so far behind the times they think they are leading the pack, but it's not a bad place to come to die.

I can only sum it like this. "If a man were to come down here and say he had an idea for an animated mouse....... they'd put him in jail down here. And one of us from up north would have to go and bail "Walt Disney" (rest his soul) out.

Lost in Florida

(New York here I come)

. . . . . . . . . .LOL

[chaotix]

Originally Posted by kroeran

yeah, if you place more value on creative and fictional representations of things and events, more than actual personal experience and adventure, and the wanna-be hangers-on culture that attaches itself to the so-called creative community, and the idolatry of fame, then SWF is not for that.

I agree with kroeran..... philliesfan78, life is what you make it. In spite of crime, high unemployment, foreclsures etc, Florida is number 3 with happy people according to a recent Poll by the CDC, we choose when and where we want to be happy within our circumstances, bec some situations are beyond one's control, so you deal with it and make the best of it. However, there are others that are just not happy, so it doesn't matter where they go, it will be the same for them thus find fault in everything/everyone else. Go figure.

[vernon00738]

Thanks....... Seems a bit like the government... controlling and restrictive....

vernon

[Gulfcoastbesthomebuyer]

It could be Worse there is no soup lines yet..
South West Florida shortsale,LEE COUNTY
But jobs are far and Short, Southwest Florida's unemployment surged to 12.7 percent last month.


Collectively, Manatee, Sarasota and Charlotte counties posted a November jobless rate that was nearly a half-percentage point higher than the previous month.
Employers continued to shed jobs even as the holiday season approached and after the region's jobless rate had dropped from 12.5 percent in September to 12.3 percent in October.
But there also were some signs of hope: Initial claims for unemployment dropped in all three counties to their lowest level of 2009.

[mrcoolmrcool28]

Originally Posted by chaotix

I agree with kroeran..... philliesfan78, life is what you make it. In spite of crime, high unemployment, foreclsures etc, Florida is number 3 with happy people according to a recent Poll by the CDC, we choose when and where we want to be happy within our circumstances, bec some situations are beyond one's control, so you deal with it and make the best of it. However, there are others that are just not happy, so it doesn't matter where they go, it will be the same for them thus find fault in everything/everyone else. Go figure.

Don't forget Port Charlotte was named "The number one place in America to retire" last year!!

[Guardian of The Gulf]

I can pretty much tell right of the bat, whether people will enjoy Southwest Florida or not based on their self-description and what they are looking for in a community.

It is a great place in my opinon, but no it's not for everyone so maybe instead of moving blindly you should visit and see if you enjoy it first, before you make a life changing decision.