need help in starting the process to move to florida (Miami: to rent, health insurance)

[shrek406]

I am so depressed with england now I want to move to florida. never been but would love to give it a go. you only live once. many things are on my mind though family jobs housing etc. will post more details tomorrow night. anyone care to start me off with what to do? cheers Ian

[Silence Dogood]

Stay where you are. Florida Appears to Be Losing Its Sunny Magnetism - washingtonpost.com

[cfIfan]

Well as someone who is also from the UK originally i would highly recommend it. One thing you will soon realize on these forums is there is a wave of negativity on here from alot of people. I would recomend you have a vacation over here to see for yourself if you like it or not. In terms of jobs and visa's, it is very difficult to come over here as you need a visa, and the majority of people go about it by buying a business over here. That way they can get a visa for them and their family. If you need any further info give us a yell

[Wilshire81182]

The wave of negativity comes from the same 3 or 4 members, so you also have to take that into consideration because there are several positive people in this forum that help objectively with your questions.

[Oobie119]

I moved from Chicago with my family. I know, its not England but the weather is just as gloomy. It's a different way of life to be able to spend so much time outdoors. Everyone is very friendly here and there are MANY people from all over that relocate here. I say go for it, you have suffered long enough in that weather. Take the chance and you wont be sorry. There are some precautions though. You need to come here first, during the summer. Be sure like the warm weather and be aware that it lasts a looong time. Also, set your mind to renting for at least a year. Get to know the areas. We have been here 2 years and are still renting and still learning about all the areas. Research you "landing spot' closely and get a job before you move. This will take a great deal of effort. Phone calls, trips to investigate employers, interview.. Its not fun. The hardest thing Ive ever had to do, was not moving here, but finding jobs. Don't relocate thinking it's paradise. Sure, the weather is great, but insurance isn't the best (medical and home) and the traffic can be difficult in snowbird season. There is a very mixed population here, causing mixed areas to be scattered throughout the state. Come here with an open mind and know the first year is going to be awful.. but it will get easier as it becomes your home.. GOOD LUCK!!

[shrek406]

cfIfan how long have you been in the states? where did you come from in the uk?
I feel so down with the way the uk is going at the moment I can only think about moving myself and family out to start another chapter in our lives. The old saying you only live once eh?
In an ideal world I would love to own my own business in florida, but I feel I might be burdened to greatly with the fact that I would need very good medical insurance. You see I had open heart surgery aged 37 and rely on warfarin every day to keep my blood thin. Last year I had a pacemaker fitted as precaution.. This I feel would hinder me slightly.
The other block I face is one of families . I have 3 children and 2 of them live with there mother and the oldest lives with me and my wife to be julie and her 2 daughters. If I research this carefully and come up with all the right answers they are behind me all the way. the problem would be leaving my 2 youngest here , although they are quite settled at their mothers.
Schooling would be high on the agenda in florida as well as the kids as I write are 17 / 14 / and 12 so to finish education would be a priority.
The Ocala/ gainesville area has always shone up at me or maybe somewhere just outside orlando.
A few thoughts of mine so feel free to comment and advise please
Talk soon
all the best

[lee]

Ian,

Sorry to be the barer of bad news but with your health problems the US is a no go area for you where health insurance is concerned as it would be impossible to get cover and without it you could face financial ruin, so meybe a better option might be the sunny parts of Europe?

Also if you did come over when you children reach the age of 21 I believe they would not be eligible to stay in the US with you.

Lee

[Magnulus]

You won't be able to get health insurance in the US with your health problems, not unless you find an employer that provides it. And even then, it's getting harder and harder... why risk your health over a job and some sunshine? England doesn't look so gloomy after all. At least your government recognizes that everybody needs some level of healthcare.

Florida is not the paradise everybody thinks it is. People are NOT nicer here than some parts of the US. Most Floridians are hustlers at heart, looking to scam somebody. They'd like to be honest but they've got kids to feed, that sort of thing. Me and my family get ripped off all the time, usually small things like an electrician or gardener drumming up work for himself. Or mechanics (thankfully I know how to wrench and call them out on the crap they do). It is an expensive state to live in if you only have dollars and not Euros, too. People here, most people are lower-middle class at best.

I laugh when I see a show like CSI: Miami on TV. Most people in South Florida, first off, are not white, yet most people on the show are. And most don't have any real wealth, unlike the show which is parading around rich people drinking mojitos constantly. Totally unlike the stereotypes and media images. The same is true of the Orlando area. We don't all dance around with a Mickey Mouse hat on. It's a tough, hard boiled area with alot of crime, alot of alienation (lots of bad traffic and hours spent on the road), and alot of dysfunction.

[cfIfan]

Whilst i agree with your point on health insurance, i do not agree on your assessment of Orlando/Florida as a whole and am wondering whether you have actually lived in the UK to even make a comparison. If you had, you would know that we get screwed every which way. Life in the UK is fast paced and expensive, and quite frankly with the high levels which we pay in taxes and many other things, we should get free health care. To compare gas alone, in the UK gas is over $8 a gallon. The tax you pay on yoru car, here in Florida to renew my tags i pay around $45. In the UK its around 400 pounds i heard last time.

Whilst you make some points about Florida not being perfect, you are right, there are pockets of bad areas, just like everywhere else in the world. Alot of people who live here and post these negative remarks do so just because of bad experiences, and i would submit the majority dont have bad experiences.

As a Brit living here in Orlando, in a nice area, whilst i do believe the health insurance would pose you a problem, i wouldnt pay any attention to comments which on the surface seem unqualified. I suggest to the previous poster they go and live in London, so they can see racism first hand. London isnt the capital of England, its the capital of the world, with nationalities from all around the world. You walk down the street, and whites feel in a minority. Oh sorry i forgot that can only be found in Orlando. While at University in Greenwich i lived 15 minutes down the road from a gang of white thugs who killed and tortured a poor intelligent black boy called steven Lauwrence....oh sorry racially motivated crime only occurs in Florida doesnt it......get off the soap box and get into reality. There is bad everywhere and Floridians are not so hard done by as they like to make out. It happens everywhere

[tonrob]

Originally Posted by cfIfan

Whilst i agree with your point on health insurance, i do not agree on your assessment of Orlando/Florida as a whole and am wondering whether you have actually lived in the UK to even make a comparison. If you had, you would know that we get screwed every which way. Life in the UK is fast paced and expensive, and quite frankly with the high levels which we pay in taxes and many other things, we should get free health care. To compare gas alone, in the UK gas is over $8 a gallon. The tax you pay on yoru car, here in Florida to renew my tags i pay around $45. In the UK its around 400 pounds i heard last time.

Whilst you make some points about Florida not being perfect, you are right, there are pockets of bad areas, just like everywhere else in the world. Alot of people who live here and post these negative remarks do so just because of bad experiences, and i would submit the majority dont have bad experiences.

As a Brit living here in Orlando, in a nice area, whilst i do believe the health insurance would pose you a problem, i wouldnt pay any attention to comments which on the surface seem unqualified. I suggest to the previous poster they go and live in London, so they can see racism first hand. London isnt the capital of England, its the capital of the world, with nationalities from all around the world. You walk down the street, and whites feel in a minority. Oh sorry i forgot that can only be found in Orlando. While at University in Greenwich i lived 15 minutes down the road from a gang of white thugs who killed and tortured a poor intelligent black boy called steven Lauwrence....oh sorry racially motivated crime only occurs in Florida doesnt it......get off the soap box and get into reality. There is bad everywhere and Floridians are not so hard done by as they like to make out. It happens everywhere

My word - anyone would think you made a living off selling houses to people who moved to Florida or something!

I don't think his point was to make Orlando seem the armpit of the universe compared to absolutely everywhere else, but rather to point out that many Brits (and others) can quickly develop a rather blinkered view of FL as some kind of paradise based on brief vacation experiences. And - as we all know - it simply isn't. Like everywhere there are just as many crappy things to contend with, it's just that some of those crappy things are different.