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Old 03-28-2010, 09:25 AM
 
2 posts, read 3,406 times
Reputation: 10

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Hello there,

I know there are many threads with people wanting info/recommendations as to moving to the Orlando area, but am hoping some people may be willing to respond to another.

My wife and I went on vacation two years in a row (2008 + 2009) to Orlando and I can't get that place outta my brain! Even though we mainly hit the Universal Theme parks, and drove down to Clearwater, it just felt like home to me...

We have both lived in Illinois, the Chicago suburbs for our whole lives. We have no kids, but 3 dogs, 2 cats, and a snake. She works as a secretary, and I work as a veterinary technician.

We are entertaining the thought of a move to one of the Orlando suburbs- up to maybe 50 miles away...

Wondering:

1. Are there any good HOME (not apartment/condo) rental properties anywhere? Looking for rent to be about $1000/month or less.

2. Are there any (state or city) dog breed restrictions?

3. Are there small-ish towns that I could go on a walk with the dogs at night and not be afraid of being harassed, mugged, etc...?

4. How bad are the taxes?

5. Is the job market good?

6. Am I suffering from vacation-itis? Not really seeing what is there but what my awestruck eyes wanted to see?

We are planning a longer trip in October to view average houses/neighborhoods etc., looking to move early next year…
Any info and opinions would be great!
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Old 03-28-2010, 09:34 AM
 
26,585 posts, read 61,803,875 times
Reputation: 13161
Don't even think about it until you come down and spend some time here that isn't in the theme parks or on the beach.

I see ads for jobs for experienced vet techs on a pretty regular basis, but many are only p/t or offer no benefits. They also only pay $8-12 an hour.

Secretary jobs are almost impossible to find around here right now, and when you do find one, you're looking at $8-10 an hour. To get a better paying secretarial job you need a degree and the right connections.

There are breed restrictions in a lot of areas, and I think you'll ahve an incredibly difficult time finding a rental home with your pets--especially with the caveats of it being in a good area and under $1000.

There are plenty of small towns where you can walk safely at night. But finding jobs is the first step, because this area is very spread out.

There is no state income taxes, property taxes are ridiculous unless you've lived here for a long time in which case everyone else is subsidizing you. Once all the old people who are living in $500K homes and paying $800 a year in property taxes pass on, things should even out a bit.

We have officially 12.2% unemployment. Unofficially it's probably closer to 25% due to the people who were working under the table or are illegal and not counted or who can't collect because they quit their last job without cause.
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Old 03-28-2010, 09:42 AM
 
2,563 posts, read 6,027,640 times
Reputation: 879
1. Are there any good HOME (not apartment/condo) rental properties anywhere? Looking for rent to be about $1000/month or less.
Hmm, I don't know this one but I'd guess it would be tough to find based on the rates I know apartments around here are. A quick search on Houses for Rent in Apartments for Rent in Homes Condos shows that there are some under the 1k mark.

2. Are there any (state or city) dog breed restrictions?
At this time there are no breed specific legislation in the State. There is currently a bill that would make it possible to have Breed Specific Legislation. For more info this is the current laws:
Florida Dog Bite and Dangerous Dog Laws

this is a brief and slightly biased article about the new bill:
A good bill for bad dogs – Orlando Opinionators – Orlando Sentinel

3. Are there small-ish towns that I could go on a walk with the dogs at night and not be afraid of being harassed, mugged, etc...?
Hundreds meet this description.

4. How bad are the taxes?
Better than some, worse than others. I think from Chicago it should be an improvement...

5. Is the job market good?
The job market isn't "good" anywhere. I don't think its as bad as a place founded on an auto-industry but its hardly what anyone would call good.

6. Am I suffering from vacation-itis? Not really seeing what is there but what my awestruck eyes wanted to see?
You didn't say what you liked about it so its a bit hard to say. But if you're looking for a quiet community, warmer weather, and a good place for dogs I could see it being just as good as you believed it to be.

We are planning a longer trip in October to view average houses/neighborhoods etc., looking to move early next year…
Any info and opinions would be great![/quote]
50 miles is a huge radius. Give us more info on what type of work you're looking at, what you like to do, what you liked about the little part you did see and then maybe we could offer you a few ideas for areas that have those things.
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Old 03-28-2010, 10:36 AM
 
Location: Asheville, NC
12,626 posts, read 31,898,363 times
Reputation: 5419
Yes there are places you can rent in good areas for under $1000. For ex, I live in the Lake Mary area and you can get a decent place, not too fancy, for that in a safe and convenient area. As for breed restricitons, you need to check with the landlord.

We used to vacation here before we moved here. I just want to give you a heads up, it's not like when you vacation when you live here. It's not a bad thing, but you really don't do the touristy stuff once you move here. In the begining you may, but it wears off.

With that being said, there is plenty to do here. Plenty of sunshine and not cold gray days. It does get hot here for several months, but it sure beats the winters up north.
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Old 04-11-2010, 08:29 AM
 
2 posts, read 3,406 times
Reputation: 10
Thanks to everyone for the feedback, never expected to get so much info.

In October, we are heading down for 7-10 days and plan on not only heading towards the touristy spots but also looking around the 'regular neighborhoods.'

I understand that it's a nice place to visit, heard from others it's a nice place to live... hope it works out.
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