Relocating to Miami area from Jupiter, need info (Hollywood, Pembroke Pines: rental, townhome)

[ccrichard7]

My husband just got transfered from Jupiter to Coral Gables with his job and we have to relocate with our two small kids, 2.5 years old and a newborn. We love here in Jupiter and it is the exact kind of community we are looking for. Safe, Clean, community and family oriented with excellent schools. We love Coral Gables itself but, it is shockingly more expensive than Jupiter ( I wouldn't think the difference would be that great, it is Palm Beach county) So we have been considering either Kendall or Pembroke Pines. We are looking for a single family home with 3 to 4 bedrooms and a 2 car garage and a yard. I prefer newer construction since it is safer and easier to maintain. We also want to rent the first year to feel out the community before commiting to buy. We are looking between 1600 to 1900 per month. Help! The area we live in now has tons of young families and has tons to do for kids.

[Rock Newman]

Originally Posted by ccrichard7

My husband just got transfered from Jupiter to Coral Gables with his job and we have to relocate with our two small kids, 2.5 years old and a newborn. We love here in Jupiter and it is the exact kind of community we are looking for. Safe, Clean, community and family oriented with excellent schools. We love Coral Gables itself but, it is shockingly more expensive than Jupiter ( I wouldn't think the difference would be that great, it is Palm Beach county) So we have been considering either Kendall or Pembroke Pines. We are looking for a single family home with 3 to 4 bedrooms and a 2 car garage and a yard. I prefer newer construction since it is safer and easier to maintain. We also want to rent the first year to feel out the community before commiting to buy. We are looking between 1600 to 1900 per month. Help! The area we live in now has tons of young families and has tons to do for kids.

As lovely as Coral Gables is , I would not trade Jupiter for any community in Miami Dade County .... that is a tough call for you . If you look in Kendall make sure it is East Kendall or Pine Crest ... if you look in Pembroke Pines make sure it is west of I-75 and be prepared to brush up on your Spanish some !!

The Jupiter , Palm Beach Gardens , Tequesta areas are some of the nicest in South Florida as they all have that So Cal vibe .. too bad you have to move south !!

[rogerbacon]

Originally Posted by ccrichard7

We are looking for a single family home with 3 to 4 bedrooms and a 2 car garage and a yard. I prefer newer construction since it is safer and easier to maintain.

Newer construction generally doesn't come with a yard. At least not anything most of us would consider a yard. 1/9th of an acre is not a yard; it's a flower garden.
You might be able to find some houses in that price range since a lot of them are sitting empty and owners are renting them out at a loss just to mitigate some of their expenses each month. Western Kendall might be a place to look since that area saw a lot of construction recently but the traffic will be bad.

You are going to miss Jupiter a lot. Miami is not the place for a family. It's more the place for decadent hedonistic, materialistic, self-centered, short-sighted pleasure seekers. Sadly, you've traded "safe, clean, community" for "sleezy swingers clubs and 24 hour nigfhtlife". Good luck with that.

[Rock Newman]

Originally Posted by rogerbacon

Newer construction generally doesn't come with a yard. At least not anything most of us would consider a yard. 1/9th of an acre is not a yard; it's a flower garden.
You might be able to find some houses in that price range since a lot of them are sitting empty and owners are renting them out at a loss just to mitigate some of their expenses each month. Western Kendall might be a place to look since that area saw a lot of construction recently but the traffic will be bad.

You are going to miss Jupiter a lot. Miami is not the place for a family. It's more the place for decadent hedonistic, materialistic, self-centered, short-sighted pleasure seekers. Sadly, you've traded "safe, clean, community" for "sleezy swingers clubs and 24 hour nigfhtlife". Good luck with that.

I think Roberbacon is being a little radical in his assessment of Miami ... but in a strange way I have to agree with him ... great place to vacation , party , see lovely women ... but raise a family ... no way ... your best bet is western broward county and the commute to Miami .

[Cougar Beach]

Originally Posted by rogerbacon

Sadly, you've traded "safe, clean, community" for "sleezy swingers clubs and 24 hour nigfhtlife". Good luck with that.

What part of Miami do you live in? That may be true in South Beach or near the airport, but I don't thing there are a lot of "sleezy [sic.] swingers clubs and 24 hour nigfhtlife" in West Kendall, Pincrest, Coral Gables, or a lot of other places.

In any case, I live on West Ave. in South Beach, and while it's true we have a 24-hour 7-11, CVS, and pizza place nearby, we have no swingers clubs or streetwalkers that I know of.

Originally Posted by Rock Newman

your best bet is western broward county and the commute to Miami .

That could be a very rough commute, if you work normal hours, especially from further up in Broward. It's probably not the best thing for your kids to spend two hours a day commuting.

[ccrichard7]

Yes, I am very depressed to be leaving Jupiter, I love it here but, there is nothing I can do about it. I am just trying to find something that is the best for my family. His job is in Coral Gables, that is where it is now, so I am trying to find what would be the closest thing to what we have now. I am not too worried about a commute for him because he doesn't work bankers hours. We have been told that Pembroke Pines would be about 30 to 40 minutes at off peak times. I am just trying to get a feel for the community. That is important to me. Which is closer to Jupiter, Kendall or Pembroke Pines?

[ConeyIsBabe]

IMHO to make the best of a bad trade........ make every attempt to find a nice rental home in the city of Coral Gables.


To me, the Gables is an oasis - surrounded by stress, high traffic, crowds, crime, rude people, road rage, etc. Why subject your husband to pay for gas and all the time and effort involved in a stressful, tedious commute ?

Save $$$ on other expenditures, and try to live in Coral Gables; it's a much nicer community to raise a family than the alternatives.

[planetsurf]

Originally Posted by ccrichard7

Yes, I am very depressed to be leaving Jupiter, I love it here but, there is nothing I can do about it. I am just trying to find something that is the best for my family. His job is in Coral Gables, that is where it is now, so I am trying to find what would be the closest thing to what we have now. I am not too worried about a commute for him because he doesn't work bankers hours. We have been told that Pembroke Pines would be about 30 to 40 minutes at off peak times. I am just trying to get a feel for the community. That is important to me. Which is closer to Jupiter, Kendall or Pembroke Pines?

C I B is right -- RENT FIRST!

If you can't afford ~$450k (or more) for a home, forget about Gables/S Miami/Pinecrest. (Pinecrest has the best public schools that you don't need a lottery/testing for.) I know a couple with kids that bought in Schenley Park (west of CGables) b/c they could get a home in a safe neighborhood with a yard and CENTRAL to schools and work they go to and love it. BUT they are also open to a pretty hispanic area and are pretty adventurous.
Eastern Kendall isn't bad, schools not bad either, but may not be nice enough to fight the urge to move to Broward.

Pembroke Pines is ok or think about staying east in Broward; there are some nice gated community type places in Hollywood (I know of a townhome place on "Sheridan").
Also, think about Cooper City, but the commute gets worse.

Making no aspersions on you -- one word of advice - Broward OR Miami is NOT Jupiter. If you love Jupiter, you probably won't love it here. That being said, make the most of it. It's not that hard to do something unique and different every weekend and in the end, your kids lives will be richer for it. (Even if you get out as soon as the "sentence" is over.)

Good luck.