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Yes & No - Manhattan is a county and there are different neighborhoods - Grammercy - Tribeca - Chinatown, LES, UES, UWS, etc. all of which have different income levels and apartment opportunities at different rates. So, isn't that the same as Coral Gables, Brickell, Kendall? I think the people you are referring to are people who may not know much about the Miami area geographically. I sure don't, I admit that - I didn't know the difference between Brickell and downtown Miami - here is the thing - you guys know your neighborhoods better so, you can give the low down and your opinion obviously speaks volumes.
Wild I can tell you the Bronx (NICE PARTS) are not cheap. I looked on craig's list today and an apartment in Riverdale is 2000$ - however, I can get a studio in Mott Haven for 950$ - that is no deal to me. Let's discuss places people really want to live. I mean I wouldn't come on here and say "hey guys tell me how is Carrol City (no offense to anyone, I have heard it is pretty bad), I can get an apartment there for 600$ a month. Is Mott Haven terrible maybe not to some, but it certainly isn't considered a desirable area. Let's not even discuss Brooklyn as they have spiraled into fantasy land, but guess what they get the rediculous rents because you have people who litteraly sleep on top of eachother to make the rent. This is what I mean by quality of life.
This is not about hating on NYC - I don't hate NY, it just doesn't serve my purpose any longer. I have kids now and the more time I have to spend at home the more I become resentful that I pay 1600 for a 900sqft 2 bedroom apartment. Yes, I pay for convenience, I'm 6 blocks from the train and 40 minutes from work, I could get a bigger apartment in Cambria Heights (not a great neighborhood and travel 2 hours to work I'll pay maybe 100$ less or I could live in Bayside - nice area and pay 1900$ and travel 2 hours to work.
Taxes can kill you here - I make 3440 every 2 weeks - I bring home 1900 - I don't get crazy taxes back about 2500 if I'm lucky - I actually owed money last year.
*sigh*
It is hard to have conversations like this when you do not live here and hve limited understanding of how Miami dade works/is setup.
Neighborhoods are in every city I don't care if it is in NYC or Miami. Cities are Cities. Miami Dade has MANY cities and with in them there are neighborhoods just like anywhere else on the planet. It is NOT comparable the way they did this.
Last edited by Wild Style; 01-29-2010 at 10:26 AM..
Actually mister more and more apartments are equipped so you pay your own heat so, that theory is out the window - and the pint is I want my own property, it is what is glint to make me and my family happy. I think it is hard for you to understand your parents own homes so you had the luxury of living like you owned without actually puttin in the work - I think it is great that you had that opportunity - if my parents could have afforded me an opportunity like that I gladly would have taken it - but they couldn't.
Stay put - you said yourself you wouldn't raise your kids here - how can you tell me to stay in a place that you wouldn't choose to come to?
You were doing just fine in Florida. Reading the type of person I am, do you not I can be successful there?
Chelz,
Take no offense. I understand where you're coming from. You want better for your kids and family. I got that. It's not hard for me to understand your plight, I myself would not want to raise my young kids in "The City" at the moment, because I have the choice not to. You also have the choice not to, but you may have to make sacrifices that I didn't have to make. You are looking for work, and maybe your husband is too. And seemingly it's not what you really want, or care to take the risk and lose the "comfort" you have in NYC.
Now, the reality and what you want, are two entirely different things. I think you realize that things may not be as rosey as you want them to be, hence you being cautious and staying put.
So what does a sensible person, like you do, when they're employed, can make ends meet where they don't want to live? They stay put, which is what you are doing. I applaud you for that . You are seemingly listening to the advice most are giving you and weighing things out.
Again, props to you. But at the same time, as Wild stated in the other thread (that got locked, for no reason ), you seem to want to hear that all will be well. I hope for your sake, all works out for you. I honestly do.
Do you think I'd make the GA move without much consideration of its pros and cons? I calculate risk. That's what my business is about.
Again, I hope you take no offense, but at this point, looking at your situation, it may not be wise to move (I think you know it too ). A beautiful house with a pool is nothing, if you can't afford live in it comfortably, and be happy.
Once it's a burden, you may be in the long line of complainers on City-Data. My dislike for here has nothing to do with me not making ends meet. It's just not for me. I feel you Chelz, but again, listen to some voices of reason. I hope you succeed.
And yes, Thank God, my parents were good investors and timed things well. I timed things well myself. I sold here when everyone was going crazy buying the same properties I got for half of what they paid. We seem to have a knack for good timing and wise investments.
Quote:
Originally Posted by TriMT7
Why would you think that insurance WOULDN'T be less expensive in the middle of a state, far removed from the ocean? The water is what makes Miami and South Florida interesting.
Interesting to you. Not me. I can do without. If I went to the beach twice a year, that was excessive. So.....
Quote:
Do you then go on to compare income taxes paid? I may pay 50% more in property taxes than someone in Georgia, but I save about 6,000/year or more in income taxes. Georgia still has a sales tax too.
True. Dully noted.
Quote:
Actually, I just ran a "property tax calculator" for a house purchased at the same price in Atlanta as my home in Palm Beach County.... the difference in taxes is 1k more in PBC.
Doesn't this statement and the one above kind of contradict themselves? How can $1k be 50%, unless you're talking about a ~$200k house? How many of those aren't rat holes down here? . I'm just trying to see how these two statements make sense from the same person. Just curious. Take no offense.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Chelsa1075
This is not about hating on NYC - I don't hate NY, it just doesn't serve my purpose any longer. I have kids now and the more time I have to spend at home the more I become resentful that I pay 1600 for a 900sqft 2 bedroom apartment. Yes, I pay for convenience, I'm 6 blocks from the train and 40 minutes from work, I could get a bigger apartment in Cambria Heights (not a great neighborhood and travel 2 hours to work I'll pay maybe 100$ less or I could live in Bayside - nice area and pay 1900$ and travel 2 hours to work.
Taxes can kill you here - I make 3440 every 2 weeks - I bring home 1900 - I don't get crazy taxes back about 2500 if I'm lucky - I actually owed money last year.
Again, I understand you. But if you can't make it in NYC with what you and hubby make, there may be a deeper problem. I'm sorry. I see people do more with less in NYC. (Hell I did well for myself with what you bring, when I lived in the city) . (I put my life on the line, I'm not making this up).
If your hubby is making the same or very close to it, and you guys bring home let's say $7k-$8k a month after taxes, without school loans, credit card debts, or liens against you...there is a big problem. I don't know what else to say.
That list is a little crazy. They are comparing MANHATTAN, to ALL of Miami dade, sorta stupid if you ask me. How many cities comprise Miami Dade? Now if they would have compare the City of Miami to Manhattan that would have been a better fit. You can live in the Bronx and pay a HECK of a lot less than you would if you lived in CERTAIN parts of Manhattan. Sameway I can live in sweet water miami and pay a HECK of a lot less than I would if I lived in Brickell or S. Beach for example. So those complaining about this silly list are VERY justified.
Wild Style,
You are correct that this only uses Manhattan. Manhattan and the Bronx are coextensive and share the same boundaries, but I do not know that Bronx information is included. I will add that lower Manhattan is MUCH more expensive than upper Manhattan (near the Bronx and almost the same cost).So that's also misleading as the cost of living is undoubtedly lower in upper Manhattan. However Queens and Brooklyn are separate. The rankings are based upon the cost of living index by ACCRA (ACCRA Cost Of Living Index). If the rankings were broken out by urban areas the top ten would be as follows:
1. Manhattan, NY 214
2. Brooklyn, NY 177
3. Honolulu, HI 166
4. San Francisco, CA 162
5. Queens, NY 156
6. San Jose, CA 153
7. Orange County, CA 146
8. Nassau County, NY 144
9. Truckee-Nevada County, CA 144
10. Stamford, CT 143
Miami-Dade County, Fl at 106 would be much lower than 17. But since a lot of these urban areas are synonymous to many people they omitted them and just focused on the 39 largest MSA and Metropolitan divisions in an effort to compare well known cities.
But now you have an accurate representation of Miami-Dade County, New York County (Manhattan), Kings County (Brooklyn) and Queens County (Queens).
"It is hard to have conversations like this when you do not live here and hve limited understanding of how Miami dade works/is setup.
Neighborhoods are in every city I don't care if it is in NYC or Miami. Cities are Cities. Miami Dade has MANY cities and with in them there are neighborhoods just like anywhere else on the planet. It is NOT comparable the way they did this. "
"Miami-Dade County has twenty cities, six towns and nine villages. No apparent differences in government structure or population exist between these three categories, however."
Miami has about 400,000 residents, Hialeah has over 200,000 residents, Miami gardens has over 100,000 residents and Miami Beach has just under 100,000 residents. The rest of these "cities, towns and villages" have an average of less than 20,000 residents. And all these communities are only minutes apart. Why would you need to break the cost of living out for Aventura, Coral Gables, Hialeah, etc. when you can simply live in any one you want and work in another. How is this not different from any other areas on the list. Take Columbus, Ohio (ranked 29). It includes information for the city of Dublin, Bexely, etc. Dublin is a lot more expensive than Columbus. So if you have a job there simply live in Columbus and drive. Because just like Miami, Columbus is a car dependent city.
If this is NOT a logical way to compare these areas then how come NO ONE breaks out the cities of Miami-Dade when reporting ANYTHING. Why is it that every single peace of data that does compare cities is ALWAYS wrong when it comes to Miami. Are all of these reputable sources incompetent?
Do you have anything that compares Miami to another city that would in your opinion give an accurate representation to a non resident about the actual cost of living?
Do you have anything that compares Miami to another city that would in your opinion give an accurate representation to a non resident about the actual cost of living?
In my opinion housing. You can always eat Ramen, shop at the dollar store, drive a crappy car and work around other expenses but not housing. Not only you get a smaller lot here but homes in many Middle Class neighborhoods are still unaffordable. Who lives there now? People that will eventually get their homes foreclosed if they bought during the real state bubble and people that bought their homes for less than $200k in the 90's or before that.
Doesn't this statement and the one above kind of contradict themselves? How can $1k be 50%, unless you're talking about a ~$200k house? How many of those aren't rat holes down here? . I'm just trying to see how these two statements make sense from the same person. Just curious. Take no offense.
The median sales price in PBC is $169k. $200k is not a dump in PBC. Since you haven't been in the market to buy a house lately maybe you haven't yet adjusted to the new housing prices is SE florida.
As a side note Atlanta (metro area) is 36% larger than Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm beach County combined (Miami metro area). If you were to look at JUST the city of Atlanta and JUST the city of Miami you would see that the median home sales prices are:
Atlanta $218,000
Miami $195,000
Both metro areas have the same number of people (about 5.5 million). However, the metro Atlanta area is spread out over a much larger area with more counties. These outlying counties in Atlanta are where the housing cost is much lower than the counties in the Miami metro area because they are not as far out.
It is hard to have conversations like this when you do not live here and hve limited understanding of how Miami dade works/is setup.
Neighborhoods are in every city I don't care if it is in NYC or Miami. Cities are Cities. Miami Dade has MANY cities and with in them there are neighborhoods just like anywhere else on the planet. It is NOT comparable the way they did this.
Sigh - your a crab (;-)) - Wild - I'm trying to understand and your not helping me - the same could be said to you - you don't live here, therefore have no understanding.
Last edited by Shoegal1075; 01-29-2010 at 01:09 PM..
The median sales price in PBC is $169k. $200k is not a dump in PBC. Since you haven't been in the market to buy a house lately maybe you haven't yet adjusted to the new housing prices is SE florida.
As a side note Atlanta (metro area) is 36% larger than Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm beach County combined (Miami metro area). If you were to look at JUST the city of Atlanta and JUST the city of Miami you would see that the median home sales prices are:
Atlanta $218,000
Miami $195,000
I can't speak for PBC because I'm not familiar with its neighborhoods. Commute time from Miami to PBC takes at least 1 1/2 hours without traffic. There is a separate board for that. I am familiar with real estate prices in SW Miami.
$195k is not gonna get you a very nice home down here in Miami Dade. A zero lot home in West Kendall at the most in the less desirable neighborhoods. The most decent homes in West Kendall still cost over $250(assuming they are not foreclosed homes that need to be fixed) and let's not even talk about places like East Kendall or Palmetto Bay.
Take no offense. I understand where you're coming from. You want better for your kids and family. I got that. It's not hard for me to understand your plight, I myself would not want to raise my young kids in "The City" at the moment, because I have the choice not to. You also have the choice not to, but you may have to make sacrifices that I didn't have to make. You are looking for work, and maybe your husband is too. And seemingly it's not what you really want, or care to take the risk and lose the "comfort" you have in NYC.
Now, the reality and what you want, are two entirely different things. I think you realize that things may not be as rosey as you want them to be, hence you being cautious and staying put.
So what does a sensible person, like you do, when they're employed, can make ends meet where they don't want to live? They stay put, which is what you are doing. I applaud you for that . You are seemingly listening to the advice most are giving you and weighing things out.
Again, props to you. But at the same time, as Wild stated in the other thread (that got locked, for no reason ), you seem to want to hear that all will be well. I hope for your sake, all works out for you. I honestly do.
Do you think I'd make the GA move without much consideration of its pros and cons? I calculate risk. That's what my business is about.
Again, I hope you take no offense, but at this point, looking at your situation, it may not be wise to move (I think you know it too ). A beautiful house with a pool is nothing, if you can't afford live in it comfortably, and be happy.
Once it's a burden, you may be in the long line of complainers on City-Data. My dislike for here has nothing to do with me not making ends meet. It's just not for me. I feel you Chelz, but again, listen to some voices of reason. I hope you succeed.
And yes, Thank God, my parents were good investors and timed things well. I timed things well myself. I sold here when everyone was going crazy buying the same properties I got for half of what they paid. We seem to have a knack for good timing and wise investments.
Interesting to you. Not me. I can do without. If I went to the beach twice a year, that was excessive. So.....
True. Dully noted.
Doesn't this statement and the one above kind of contradict themselves? How can $1k be 50%, unless you're talking about a ~$200k house? How many of those aren't rat holes down here? . I'm just trying to see how these two statements make sense from the same person. Just curious. Take no offense.
Again, I understand you. But if you can't make it in NYC with what you and hubby make, there may be a deeper problem. I'm sorry. I see people do more with less in NYC. (Hell I did well for myself with what you bring, when I lived in the city) . (I put my life on the line, I'm not making this up).
If your hubby is making the same or very close to it, and you guys bring home let's say $7k-$8k a month after taxes, without school loans, credit card debts, or liens against you...there is a big problem. I don't know what else to say.
Take no offense.
No offense is taken my friend - we have to car payments and credit cards we pay for - I don't know many people who don't have this in their life. I pay almost 1k for school for the boys too - food is high and the regular stuff.
We make it here - don't get me wrong - I want for nothing, but I can't afford a nicer apartment than I have, because it just isn't available. I'm limited to that I need my garage (pain in the ass), my husband has a motorcycle. I would at this point take a nice apartment in a nice complex that has a pool LOL. I'm glad you understand - it is about space and everything else too.
I really dislike the cold, I think I'm allergic LOL.
Anyway, we could go back and forth about this all day. I am being very cautious, that is why I am still here. Wish me luck in the hopes that I will find something sustainable down there.
I can't speak for PBC because I'm not familiar with its neighborhoods. Commute time from Miami to PBC takes at least 1 1/2 hours without traffic. There is a separate board for that. I am familiar with real estate prices in SW Miami.
$195k is not gonna get you a very nice home down here in Miami Dade. A zero lot home in West Kendall at the most in the less desirable neighborhoods. The most decent homes in West Kendall still cost over $250(assuming they are not foreclosed homes that need to be fixed) and let's not even talk about places like East Kendall or Palmetto Bay.
I do see your point Princess - here is the thing what may seem small to you might be large to me, especially since i have lived in an attached home since i have live in NYC. I looked up a home in Whitestone (equal to cooper city) 400k for a 1500sqft home 1 bath needs TLC (translation needs gutted) the house hasn't been updated since the 50's. It has a very good size yard the one huge plus, but if I have to put 100K into the home YUCK! - So, tell me what you think is better work in florida make 60k live in a home from 225-275 or stay in NYC live in a home for 550-650k and make 85k? What do you think?
In my opinion housing. You can always eat Ramen, shop at the dollar store, drive a crappy car and work around other expenses but not housing. Not only you get a smaller lot here but homes in many Middle Class neighborhoods are still unaffordable. Who lives there now? People that will eventually get their homes foreclosed if they bought during the real state bubble and people that bought their homes for less than $200k in the 90's or before that.
PRINC3Ss,
I understand what your saying but your really not putting it in a frame of reference for me. I know I rubbed you the wrong way in the other thread but please understand that everything you and others are telling me was also once told to me when I moved to NY, then to DC.
So I'm trying to get an accurate representation as a whole and not just ones viewpoint. So someone here says taxes are high, so I check to see if they are higher than where I'm currently at.If they are not, what sense does it make for the person to keep telling me I'll lose all my money to taxes when I already know they are lower than what I'm paying now. Its like people saying "don't come to Miami its to hot". Don't just tell me its hot, tell me it 100 degrees with 30% humidity. Because for all you know I might be moving from a place that is even hotter.
You say that you get a smaller lot in Miami. Where I'm at now we don't have yards at all so that probably wouldn't be an issue for me. In fact that is actually one of the reason I might choose Miami over Boston, DC or NY is because I would actually be able to afford a house that does have a yard and a garage. Where I live at now I only have one parking space and its first come first serve. I found a garage that is free on the weekends so I park my vehicle (I drive a company vehicle day to day) in the garage but I can only take it out on the weekends because I don't wont to pay $240 a month for parking. We had to leave my fiance's car and my motorcycle in Columbus with her parents because we have no place to put them.
So what may seem like a negative to you is actually a positive to me. So I agree Miami is more expensive, has more traffic, has more crime, etc. than the average city. But the problem is everyone may not be coming from the average city.
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. You are seemingly listening to the advice most are giving you and weighing things out.
), you seem to want to hear that all will be well. I hope for your sake, all works out for you. I honestly do. 
. I'm just trying to see how these two statements make sense from the same person. Just curious. Take no offense. 
