Family considering relocation (Orlando, Pine Hills, Bithlo: fit in, rent, houses)

[shelby84]

thank you xx2o11xx, i will start looking in that area.

[annerk]

Originally Posted by shelby84

i don't know i haven't been there....as of now i'm going off the rentals i see online....i am planning a visit but that not until next year. i know nothing about kissimmee, orlando, or anywhere else in florida. I am now starting my research on areas in florida but i know how online can show you something but when you get there it is something completely different. Thats why i am on here asking because i do not know.

Stop looking at Kissimmee. It sucks.

What is your monthly budget, and is taht with or without utilities?

Also where will you be working? There's no sense even looking until you can answer that question--this area is very speared out, and you wouldn't want to live in Maitland if you were working in Davenport for example..

[GAtoFL]

Maybe you should start by saying you are considering moving to florida but have no idea where you want to move.

1. Your job and husband's job will be located at _________
2. Your budget is ___________
3. You are looking to rent or buy? How large a house/apartment do you want?
4. Price range _______
5. What are you thinking of moving to florida for? Disneyworld? Work? Sunshine? Beaches? Family?
6. ....

Otherwise your situation is just too vague for anyone to really help.

[shelby84]

budget is up to 1000 without utilities but i can get it with utilities it would be great... i wanna rent for a year at least to get a feel for the area,,, not in rush to buy a house when i know nothing about the area. looking to move for a change in scenery... new area...dont really care to be too close to disneyworld but would love to be near a beach but not a the coast... and a family friendly area is at the top of the house. I want to rent a house.. my husband and i have 3 kids with 1 on the way... my husband and i will be looking for work with we get there...we are moving their on savings with another income of 2100 a month without us working.....

[annerk]

Originally Posted by shelby84

budget is up to 1000 without utilities but i can get it with utilities it would be great... i wanna rent for a year at least to get a feel for the area,,, not in rush to buy a house when i know nothing about the area. looking to move for a change in scenery... new area...dont really care to be too close to disneyworld but would love to be near a beach but not a the coast... and a family friendly area is at the top of the house. I want to rent a house.. my husband and i have 3 kids with 1 on the way... my husband and i will be looking for work with we get there...we are moving their on savings with another income of 2100 a month without us working.....

Have you ever been here? Why Orlando? If you want to be near the beach there are much better places to look.

[EditorJul]

I'm guessing that since you'll have four kids shortly after you get down here, you'll either be looking for child care or one of you will become a stay-at-home parent. For whichever one of you is likely to be in the workforce, what sort of job will you be looking for? That will largely drive the area where you'd want to settle down.

I'm not sure if I read your post correctly about who the "their" is that you're living off of the savings from, but if it is your kids' savings that you're cannibalizing for the move, recognize that you probably will not be able to build it back up on wages down here (unless you have experience in the middle-senior level IT or medical fields). Unless you're looking for a minimum wage job or have some very specialized tech skills, figure it will take 4-6 weeks per $10,000 worth of salary for a job. So if you're looking for a modest $50,000 salary, it may take 5-7 months to secure a job down here. Do you have enough in savings to provide for that or is the $2100/month above and beyond the savings that you have access to?

The other cost to consider will be the hospital fees for giving birth to your new bundle of joy… even if you have insurance, the hospital fees can be pretty pricey. (And if you don't have insurance, you might as well sign one of your kids over to the debt collectors now. )

Long story short, finding a house capable of holding six people in a family friendly neighborhood for $1000/month is going to be very difficult in the Orlando metro area. If your employment options permit it, you might look in more rural areas that have lower cost of living.

[annerk]

Shelby,

I keep coming back to your last post.

I mean all of this with no disrespect, but I need to make sure you realize some cold, hard facts about your intended move.

I don't believe you've ever been to this area. If you have, I'm guessing you went straight to Disney and/or Universal and never saw anything but. Like many, you might have gotten the warm fuzzies as a tourist. Unfortunately the reality is that life here is the same as life anywhere. You will still have all the same daily struggles. Bills to pay, perhaps a job you don't really like. You will also be working through this in an area with no safety net. No family or friends you have know forever who will be there to help in a pinch. No business network to help provide leads on jobs.

Additionally you seem to be throwing darts at a map as far as where to live. It seems you haven't really researched various areas, or even looked at a map by asking about Kissimmee and then stating you'd like to be near a beach--the closest beach to Kissimmee is probably Indialantic, which is over 90 minutes from Poinciana.

If you were a young, childless couple with savings, I'd say go for it. Come with no jobs, live frugally, and see what happens--making sure to set aside enough money to get home if things don't work out.

But you've got four children to worry about. Food, diapers, school clothes, etc. aren't cheap. What will you do if neither of you can find a decent paying job? You haven't mentioned what type of work you have the education and experience for. That will make a big difference. As Jules mentioned, if you are in I/T or medical, jobs are usually fairly easy to find. There are also jobs for CNC operators, diesel mechanics, certified welders, and other skilled labor--although they aren't in the area you are looking.

Savings never last as long as you hope they will. You mentioned being pregnant, COBRA is very expensive and you will need insurance to cover the delivery. Even if your husband finds a job immediately, very few companies provide insurance benefits during the first 90 days. COBRA for five people will eat up $1500+ of your budget per month. I don't know where you are coming from, but the cost of moving your belongings alone could be as high as $10K.

I think that you need to step back and really give some thought to what you are planning on doing and why. "Change of scenery" often actually means "trying to get away from problems we have here." The problem is that those problems will follow you wherever you go.

This area isn't as low-cost as many think. I also believe that your budget is not going to get you the space you need for six people--at least not in a nice, family friendly neighborhood with good schools. You'll probably need to adjust that to $1200 minimum, and that will not include utilities. Additionally most landlords will not rent to people who don't have jobs unless they can prove unearned income that is 3-4 times the monthly rent.

All that aside, if you are intent on making the move, please give us some more information. What type of work will you be looking for? Do you both have cars, or will you need to rely on mass transit? How old are your kids? Do you want to try to rent in the same area you might eventually want to buy a home in so the kids don't have to change schools? Do you plan on staying home or will you need day care?

My best advice is to stay put for now. Plan a vacation here next year after the baby is born, and really explore the area. See the good and the very bad. Go to the grocery stores and look at the prices. See what we are paying for gas. Drive through various neighborhoods, look at the school, if you or your husband are union or social/service organization members, visit the locals, the lodges and speak to them. If you attend religious services, visit a couple of houses of worship and see if you connect with one of them. Take your kids to the playground or park in the county you are considering and see if you can speak to other parents. Don't do this blind, it will fail, you'll lose your savings and pride.

[GAtoFL]

i imagine the delivery and healthcare for the kids would be covered under medicaid.

[shelby84]

i am on here here inquiring about the area not for you to worry about my job, not a my kids, not my money...i am doing what i want to do and my healthcare is none of your business you judgmental nothings as people. and for people honestly just lending your thoughts of the orlando area, thank you for your input...and u other people who obviously have nothing good in your life __ ____ _____, fill in the blank ass whips

[GAtoFL]

No offense intended. We need to know about you to recommend an area. If you don't like that then I doubt people will or can help. So it is up to you.