Shall I move back (Orlando, Kissimmee: insurance, new home, buyer)

[Ken2zz]

Hello, Im Ken and i use to live in Orlando about 2 and a half years ago for about 3 years so i know the area. My question is im currently in school to become a Nuclear Med Tech / Diagnostic imaging / Etc;I would like to know if these Job pay enough to warrant moning back and being able to live good. My wife is a teacher so there will be 2 incomes and we also have 2 children.

Here in valdosta ga its nice but being originally from Chicago the country is starting to get to me currently i have a new home in a sub division thats 3010 sqft total and 2200 heated on .90acres for $199k. Now i know that i wont get that in the orlando area but as for sqft i dont want to go smaller and i wont want to be able to smell the people next door if you get what i mean.

I hear the prices have shot up and the insurance is out of this world. will this job along with my wife salary afford us to live and save $$$

The reason we moved was because we were not prepared to move there and struggled and at the rate we were going we would have never been able to afford a house of any size and type

[blueoktober]

I sold my house that I had built in 2003 for nearly 3 times what it cost in 2006. 2600 sq ft, in St. Cloud sold for 470k. So I couldnt move back and afford it and my household income was well over 100k a year.

You might can get a house for 300k that size in Kissimmee, but I doubt it. You're looking at at least 600k in the city for that kind of house.

[pianogal]

Ken, I would suggest you go to some of the area builder's websites and you can see what kind of new homes are available in the area and what the price is. Some area builders are:

Ryland - Clifton Park in Oveido (closer in than most new subdivisions and in a good area)

Lennar - Bella Vida in the Waterford Lakes area (excellent area) or Warwick at Vista Lakes (these are around the corner from my home still on the east side near Lake Nona)

Toll Brothers - Bristol Estates also in the Waterford area.

Engle Homes - Avon at Vista Lakes and Live Oak Reserve in Oviedo

These are the new developments that are closer in to Orlando. You can probably get a little better prices if you are willing to move further out. You can view their other communities when you are on their website.

You will definitely NOT get 1 acre of land here unless you have $$$$ to spend. I have had experience or know people with experience in all these builders except Ryland. Lennar, Toll Brothers and Engle have all been positive - however, I would be careful about Ryland. I think their product looks cheaper although they build in some of the more upscale communities (i.e. Vista Lakes, Avalon Park). Also, they were one of the builders that had ALOT of water damage issues during the canes of '04. We were building a Lennar home at that time and not one home in our community had any damage at all -not even a missing shingle. We were quite impressed.

You can also find some good deals in preowned homes at this time - it is definitely a buyer's market. You can buy preowned homes that have never been lived in - that may be a way to go. You can research this at realtor.com. I would suggest looking at zip codes for Oviedo (32765), far east Orlando (32829, 32828, 32827), Winter Park (32789 or 32792), Maitland (32751) and Lake Mary (32746). There are many other areas as well: Ocoee, Windermere, Heathrow, etc. They are mostly on the west side of the greater Orlando area - I am on the east side and more familiar with this area thus my suggestions.

You will definitely find it is much more expensive here than in Georgia. I don't know if the jobs pay more in your field. It really depends on what kind of lifestyle you want and can afford.

Good luck!

[Lafferty Daniel]

Did you move back?