Possible move from Boise, will my raise get eaten by cost of living? (Orlando: apartments)

[internallydeluded]

Currently in Boise and may have an opportunity to move to Orlando. Hopefully I would be getting around an $8-$13,000 raise. My wife would still have to find a job, but currently only makes about $25,000/year so hopefully she can at least find something to match or better that. Combined we make about $65,000 now and I assume we would be around $75,000 with the move.

We have two girls ages 5 and 7 so safety and good schools are a priority for me. I'm excited to always be near a beach and have the opportunity to take the kids to Disney and all the stuff in the area I would otherwise not be able to afford to do. But we are also trying to pay off about $100,000 in debt so I'm hoping we will be able to find somewhere affordable to live that's not in a crime-ridden terrible school area.

Currently we pay about $800/per month in rent and average around $250 on utilities. I would be working in Winter Park and am also hoping to have a commute of less than 30 minutes. We could make a 2 bedroom work but would prefer something with 2 bathrooms and a yard.

Any thoughts on finding something like that with a housing budget similar to what we have now? I've seen several ads on Craigslist that look like they would be good, but it's hard to tell if they are in a good area, what the commute time and utilities would look like. I'd be willing to move even if we could break even from where we are at now. Idaho schools are not great and we aren't living in the best location right now so I feel like even a similar situation in Orlando would be a step up. But I'm also worried all the other cost of living increases like insurance and food may make my raise not even matter or make our budget even worse than it is now. Hopefully my wife could make more money in Orlando too, but I can't count on that. She has a degree in healthcare administration, but no real experience other than entry-level and can't seem to move up.

[jwolfer]

Look around Altamonte Springs. I looked into some townhouses and apartments around Eastmonte Park and they were 2/2 for $750/month. There are some neighborhoods with smaller older homes as well. Not brand-new of course. Seminole County schools are better rated than Orange County.

Its real close to Winter Park no need to get on I-4. For your wife, there is Florida Hospital in Altamonte, A Hospital in Longwood on SR 434( I don't remember the name) Adventist Health which runs Florida Hospital and other hospitals nationwide has their national HQ off Maitland Blvd( SR 414 at SR 434) perhaps your wife could get into administration there

[internallydeluded]

What about general cost of living like utilities in comparison to what we are paying now? Can anyone give me an average of what they are paying for a 2 or 3 bedroom house?

[Consigliere]

Originally Posted by internallydeluded

What about general cost of living like utilities in comparison to what we are paying now? Can anyone give me an average of what they are paying for a 2 or 3 bedroom house?

The cost of living in Orlando is only about 4 to 5% higher than Boise. So you would need a household income of about $68,000 to maintain your current standard of living.

[WithDisp]

For a 3 bedroom in a good neighborhood your rent will effectively double.
Utilities will be closer to $150.

Even given an $8000 raise, you'd break even here and be living in a far more exciting place than Boise.

$75K is fine for a family of four here.
Baldwin Park is the neighborhood you'd want for your girls. Close knit, good schools, family oriented.

45 minutes to cocoa beach, 30 minutes to Walt Disney World, 15 minutes to Winter Park.

[kyle19125]

Originally Posted by internallydeluded

What about general cost of living like utilities in comparison to what we are paying now? Can anyone give me an average of what they are paying for a 2 or 3 bedroom house?

Not sure where people are coming up with 3%-5% cost of living differences from Boise since the average rent on a two bedroom rental in the Orlando area sits at $1180 per month, which alone is 30% higher than Boise. I would highly recommend upping your budget as an $800-$900 per month rental here is going to equate to what you would find for $550-$600 a month in Boise, which probably isn't most ideal in terms of surroundings for your children in terms of potential neighbors.

[Crane's Rooster]

Look into Casselberry.

[Luke9686]

Originally Posted by Consigliere

The cost of living in Orlando is only about 4 to 5% higher than Boise. So you would need a household income of about $68,000 to maintain your current standard of living.

Unless they're outdoorsy, can't beat Boise in that regard.

[HokieGCC]

I believe you have a state income tax in Idaho so there is some money saved there. I suspect the biggest thing to guard against for you is the school. FL in general just isn't that good and you really need to plan where you live carefully or do private school. So, start with a location with good school and then go from there.