Irish Husband/NYC Mom moving with 6yr old to Miami - help! (Hialeah: home, neighborhoods)

[Urbanize32]

Caveat: Miami hispanics are different than Boston hispanics (in a good way).

[Dr_Rico]

Originally Posted by twho62

What does PM mean? I am new to Forum.

"pm" is netspeak for "personal message". Most bulletin board software provides an opportunity for board members to write to one another, in private, within the site. If you click on my name, there will be a few options to choose from. One option will be for sending a direct message to me. Feel free to holler and I'll tell you about my adventures in realty and spill the beans abut offices, agents, mortgage brokers and suchlike. All anecdotal, all likely to be of only limited value, but you are welcome to my choice nuggets.

Good luck!

DR

[12buttons]

Originally Posted by Dr_Rico

Hmm, how old are the kids? Since your intention is to rent first (good idea!), something that isn't perfect won't kill you and then you will have the time to scout out the area and the commute. To get started, don't live near the airport...so looks like yer guy needs to drive. While 826 and 836 are somewhat brutal, that is likely to be part of the plan. I wouldn't suggest SW 27th as the traffic won't be better anyway and it sounds like you are seeking a more suburban experence.

South Miami, the Dadeland area of east Kendall and some of Coral Gables near the Palmetto (826) should be a good start. Try looking from SW104th and US1 (near the ramp for the Palmetto), west to Galloway (SW 87th Ave), north to Bird Road (SW 40th street...how's your Spanish?), then east again to about Red Road (SW 57th Ave). This is an area of mixed single family homes, duplexes and some apartment buildings. Plenty of shopping, parks, decent schools (depends on the age of your kids and how smart they are and how disciplined they are...the magnet prgrams rock, but your kids need to be "talented" to get in...etc).

When I moved the family down here, we rented a house in South Miami near Miller (SW 56th St) and Ludlum (SW 69th Ave). We lived down the street from a couple good elementary/middle schools (at least their magnet programs were good) and only left because the kids were preschool aged and I wanted them to be in a barefoot hippy school in the Dadeland area, so we bought a house down there and they could walk to and from the school and home and there was a nice park across the street from the house. Later, they tested into the academic magnet program at Ludlum elementry in the neighborhood we first occupied and had to be bused or toted up there. Then to South Miami Middle (one in the music magent program and the other in the visual arts magnet program) right back where we started. Then to Coral Reef high school (music magnets)...by bus...pretty far south of the house.

So its a moving target depending on the kids, you know. If you plan to put down roots, follow your plan to rent, scout the neighborhoods, talk to other parents and to teachers and principles in the schools, and enjoy your subtropical home!

DR

this isn't totally related but as a respected member of this forum I wanted to ask you - what's the deal with the termites and a home purchase?
Is tenting mandatory on a purchase? I worry about the poison used - heard eveything from carcinogeic to agent orange type horror stories twenty years after exposure..Terminex won't say it's 100% safe..necessary evil at best..the alternative treatments are not as effective for the flying kind...I used the rods in CA but got a swarm attack ..on average if you own a house ten years, how many times would it have been "bombed"?

I counld not imagine leaving furniture or clothes in a house about to be tented..is that weird?

I figure if it can kill a termite, it can't be too good for me..lol

thanks..loved your "love story" good writing....12buttons

[EnjoyTheSilence]

How would an Irish person be even remotely happy in Miami-Dade? Miami is about as un-Irish as you can get!

[joshywoshy305]

Originally Posted by dadeguy

welcome,

miami is about as atypical a town as one will find in an otherwise homogenous united states. there are great communities near where your husband will work. miami springs immediately comes to mind followed closely by virginia gardens. both have great schools and are family oriented towns. miami springs has some nice places to relax and enjoy an evening or saturday PM outing. your are also quite handy to just about anywhere of interest in both dade and broward counties.

don't allow the naysayers to frieghten you miami is a great town, I wouldn't live anywhere else.

I was basically going to say that! he hit it right there with Miami Springs/Virginia Gardens! The only thing he forgot to mention was the great activities they have fot kids such as summer camps and sports and etc... lol But yeah thats a place i think you should check out! Feel free to ask me if you have any questions

[Mrs.Kim]

Originally Posted by BCreass

How would an Irish person be even remotely happy in Miami-Dade? Miami is about as un-Irish as you can get!

Have you been to the Playwright on SoBe recently? During the 6 nations matches the place is packed full of Irish. Why would you assume an Irish person would be unhappy living somewhere un-Irish. If that were the case we would have moved to Boston or just stayed in Cork.

[Dr_Rico]

Originally Posted by 12buttons

- what's the deal with the termites and a home purchase?
Is tenting mandatory on a purchase? I worry about the poison used - heard eveything from carcinogeic to agent orange type horror stories twenty years after exposure..Terminex won't say it's 100% safe..necessary evil at best..the alternative treatments are not as effective for the flying kind...I used the rods in CA but got a swarm attack ..on average if you own a house ten years, how many times would it have been "bombed"?

I counld not imagine leaving furniture or clothes in a house about to be tented..is that weird?

I figure if it can kill a termite, it can't be too good for me..lol

Hello,

Miami has many dry-wood termites and fewer subterranean termites (that is a major problem in northern parts of the state and into the SE states).

When I purchased my home, it had previously been treated for dry-wood termites years earlier and had been under a maintenance contract ever after. I kept the contract, had yearly inspections and - twice - spot applications to control small infestations. The home was made of solid Dade County pine (tough stuff...) and cement blocks with lath and a floater coat of cement. I kept the ground away from the wood, managed the landscape to keep termite food away from the house, and was pretty worry free.

I was NOT required to tent by the bank. Its a good idea to inquire about specific terms of any agreememnt, but that was not part of my contract, at least.

RE: safety of tenting. Methyl bromide is pretty bad, but it has been phased out in preference for sulfuryl fluoide, a gas that leaves no residue and will be cleared out of the house within 6-12 hours. An additional "warning gas" is often mixed in and this gas is noxious (its like tear gas). Its intent is to flush animals (including people!) out of the house to prevent death.

My primary objections to tenting are that it is not as effective as many think, it only takes care of dry-wood termites, it is a greenhuse gas with an estimated half-life measured in DECADES, and is mostly turned over as a pollutant of the oceans. I hope it is used only sparingly. The spot treatments are very effective and preventitive maintenance should be the rule.

HTH.

DR

[kevinkagy]

Since your husband will be working near MIA, Miami Springs is a really good option that offers a suburban community very close to MIA that's safe and quiet. It also has little traffic. Coral Gables is an obvious great choice. You really can't go wrong, as every corner of Coral Gables is very nice and historic, but tends to be kind of pricey. The Gables is also pretty close to MIA, but traffic could be pretty rough at rush hour.

Another possible option could be Doral, which is a new suburban community just west of MIA. It has good schools and is mostly family and business oriented. It's a nice community but I much prefer Miami Springs and Coral Gables than Doral just because Doral is newer, and I'm a sucker for older homes with mature trees and all that jazz lol. The area just east of FIU in West Miami, south of Coral Way towards Coral Gables is good too.

[IrishinMiami]

Hi There, we are an Irish Family, we have 3 kids, 10, 9 and 6 and I may, if the offer is right be working in the Doral area, need to know the an area with good Catholic schools and housing....would appreciate your views. I would hope to move in March an the family would follow in July. My best. Marcus

[Pear Martini]

I don't know about Catholic schools, but solid areas to live in are a start:

Aventura

Coral Gables

Sunny Isles Beach



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