Orlando, FL to MA...freaking out over housing costs (Boston: rental, insurance)

[BostonBornMassMade]

This sounds like an ill-advised move if I am being honest.

[SalamanderSmile]

Frankly the overhead costs involved in such a move (getting ready to sell, realtor commission on sell, cost to pack and move, etc.) are not worth it for a four year commitment. In Boston IT is a low paying wage grind, there are a million guys like your husband and they are all competing for the same jobs. We left Boston (worked in IT) and got raises of 20-30k/yr each because we moved to the midwest which is far less saturated with IT.

[ktgrok]

Originally Posted by BostonBornMassMade

This sounds like an ill-advised move if I am being honest.

I'm starting to come to the same conclusion, sadly. Which of course, is why we are researching it now, rather than after accepting a job offer.

[Boston_Burbs]

A place like Groton or Dunstanle sounds like a good choice. Maybe even Princeton if you don't need to go to Burlington very much.

[snatale1]

Originally Posted by ktgrok

So, for various reasons this Florida family is looking to move to New England. Probably not a forever move, but maybe. At least for four years or so, hubby's job is the kind where you often change jobs. Nature of the field. He's in cyber security/information security, with his CISSP certification. He has contacts with Oracle, but there seem to be tech jobs all over the Boston area.

Biggest concern is housing costs. We have 100K in student loan debt (long story) and so that's a big chunk of budget. We are also a mostly single income family, I homeschool the kids, and write romance novels for a major publisher, but it's not a ton of income, and I'll be taking some time off next year as I have a baby due, our 4th, in March.

We will have 4 kids ranging from 17 to infant, plus two dogs and two cats. I don't see a typical apartment working out for a family of that size, maybe I'm wrong?

What we want - near a tech job, commute 1 hour or less, preferably public transportation.

Small town preferable I think, just because I hate the lack of community feel here in the suburbia of Florida. Endless subdivisions that all look the same, etc. Urban maybe, but family size and dogs and cost all seem to say that's not likely to work.

Beauty. I want to be at least NEAR pretty buildings, trees, etc. Orlando is ugly as sin.

Liberal area politically if possible. I mean, I know MA is in general, but I don't want to accidentally end up in one of the pockets of conservative evangelicals. Husband is agnostic, I'm Catholic.

Which means, near a Catholic church.

And within reason to get to Boston for field trips and other homeschool related stuff.

Any thoughts?

Before you make the move compare what his salary will be vs what he's making down there. MA's salaries aren't in line with the cost of living which is why so many people move out. The pay will be much higher than in FL but you still have to look at that unless the move isn't optional for your husband.

Boston VS Orlando

• Groceries 1% more
• Housing 99% more
• Utilities 51% more
• Transportation 8% more
• Health Care 36% more

Once you leave the core ring of burbs around the metro the only real public transit left is the commuter rail, way more money and gets more expensive as you go further from Boston, but it's a nice ride.

As far as churches Catholic is the majority unless your in the hood. Non Denominational Evangelicals (or "Christians" as they like to call themselves) are more of a Southern thing.

For the Liberal thing, don't worry, NO SHORTAGE of people that hate the Constitution and believe that bankrupting the country is the answer to everything so your good there. You won't run into anybody that believes in personal accountability and fiscal responsibility until you hit Central / Western MA.

With a CISSP he's in good shape for many employers, good for him for getting that and not a falling for the Cisco scam.

But all kidding aside, really do the math (again, assuming the move is optional) if your already 100k in the hole make sure the move isn't a death sentence. No shortage of people with high $ degrees and very good paying jobs, but still can't offset the ridiculousness cost of living here.

Good Luck

[ktgrok]

Yeah, it's the housing that's the kicker. We definitely will do the math before making any kind of move. That's kind of what I'm looking at, what areas are doable, if any, etc. He's looking into the salary, I'm looking into the cost of living, then we will compare.

[thenewtexan]

You need to look at Central Mass. BIG difference in housing prices from Boston.

[xo_kizzy_xo]

Originally Posted by SalamanderSmile

In Boston IT is a low paying wage grind, there are a million guys like your husband and they are all competing for the same jobs. We left Boston (worked in IT) and got raises of 20-30k/yr each because we moved to the midwest which is far less saturated with IT.

...which is what happened with us. My husband found his job in the tri-state area and lives down there during the week, comes home on weekends. We may eventually move down there since the job will eventually require my husband to be onsite 50% of the time. But yeah, he never would've gotten this position at the salary he was offered had he kept looking in the Boston area. There's just too much competition.

[sarahmccoy]

What about southern NH? Housing is much more affordable, and there are Park and rides to Boston or the commuter rail

[ktgrok]

Originally Posted by sarahmccoy

What about southern NH? Housing is much more affordable, and there are Park and rides to Boston or the commuter rail

The Nashua area is a definite option. My understanding is that the culture of that part of southern NH is similar to MA, since it's mostly people going back and forth. I think at this point we need to feel out what the job situation is like, more, what salaries are like, then decide.

For instance, on the salary calculator thing I found, it says average in Orlando is 86K for his job, but he makes 100K now, based on experience, skill, etc. So maybe he'd be offered more than the minimums I'm seeing. I just don't know. But he knows people ago ask ,s o we shall see.