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Thank you KittyKat for your reply (I didn't know how to refer to you!) Lower income and higher cost of living is less than appealing for me as well. That is the monkey wrench in all of this If I can't earn a decent living in Florida, I will have to look elsewhere and perhaps retire there when the time comes. I will be contacting attorneys in Sarasota and then take it from there. Thanks again!
I have a couple names of places that I wanted to run by people on here. I was wondering if anyone knows anything about Beneva Place, The Palms, or Huntington Apts? I have come to realize that I am going to have to up my budget that I originally listed to find something in Sarasota, but keep in mind I can't budge on having a dog. I am actually trying to find more of a private renter then a big apartment complex. Is there any advantage to that? I was previous chastised for using Craiglist, is there another site that locals use to find private rentals or other classified items?
I have a couple names of places that I wanted to run by people on here. I was wondering if anyone knows anything about Beneva Place, The Palms, or Huntington Apts? I have come to realize that I am going to have to up my budget that I originally listed to find something in Sarasota, but keep in mind I can't budge on having a dog. I am actually trying to find more of a private renter then a big apartment complex. Is there any advantage to that? I was previous chastised for using Craiglist, is there another site that locals use to find private rentals or other classified items?
Gotta run to the east coast for mother's day but I'll give you my opinion when I return.
1. Do you have a job?
2. Think "gas cost" ...if you're working downtown SRQ or Longboat you do not want to live more than 10 miles from work...gas is going up & anyone commuting will feel it...I just felt pain gasing up for my trip...$50 for a full tank. more later gotta run!
Thank you KittyKat for your reply (I didn't know how to refer to you!) Lower income and higher cost of living is less than appealing for me as well.
That's very understandable. It turned my grown son and his SO off completely.
Quote:
That is the monkey wrench in all of this If I can't earn a decent living in Florida, I will have to look elsewhere and perhaps retire there when the time comes. I will be contacting attorneys in Sarasota and then take it from there. Thanks again!
Unless you are very well off, you may not look to FL to retire due to the cost of living there. To live comfortably there you would have to have not only your SS but investments and a nice savings account. Or maybe a nice inheritance. When we started doing research on retiring there we had a very rude awakening. You will learn much reading this Forum and looking at homes on Find Real Estate Listings, School and Neighborhood Information and More - Realtor.com®. The internet is a goldmine of information. I'm glad I had that year to really look into moving there before we packed up and headed down......
Gotta run to the east coast for mother's day but I'll give you my opinion when I return.
1. Do you have a job?
2. Think "gas cost" ...if you're working downtown SRQ or Longboat you do not want to live more than 10 miles from work...gas is going up & anyone commuting will feel it...I just felt pain gasing up for my trip...$50 for a full tank. more later gotta run!
I don't have a job lined up. More like a safety net if I need it. I have the option of transferring with my current company if I wanted to but I'm not really interested in doing that. When I come down I was going to look for a bartender/serving position or possibly a dining room manager position. I have 15 years hospitality experience and 5 years current restaurant management experience so I don't anticipate finding something within the first month to be too much of a challenge (hopefully). That's why I was hoping to find a neighborhood very near a "dining district". I've heard good things about you ladywithafan, so any advice you can offer would be awesome! I actually wanted to touch base with you and see if you may have a list of realtors who work with rentals. I am coming in October to look at some areas.
I came down from Maine in Aug 2009. I had spent dec's down here for about 4 years. My parents retired in central Florida. I am now getting close to wrapping up year 2. Still not sure if I will stay.
Some of the things to keep in mind:
1. No income tax down here. Coming from Maine that is around a $3300 in savings a year.
2. No inspection on your car. $12-20 savings (more if your car needs work that can wait)
3. Car registration. Around $50 a year in Florida......same car in Maine it cost $150 a year. Beware....1st time car registration from out of state is $400. But one time fee.
4. Lower pay down here. I have not been able to make the same amount of money down here...I am about $8000 lower in Florida than Maine. But the lack of income tax's help close this gap.
5. Depending on your job.....bartender??......unemployment can be high....but then again it's hard in Maine as well.
6. Rentals are higher down here. I paid around $650a month with heat included in Maine.....in Sarasota I am paying $888 a month in a decent complex. Utilities are higher.....but not crazy. If you paid for your own heat in Maine, it might be lower.
7. Driving. You will drive....nothing is close by. I drove alot in Maine....but traffic is lighter up North. What should only take 10 mins driving to....can take 20 mins. When the snowbirds are down here....even worse. Gas prices appear to be similar to Portland/Bangor areas.
8. HOT!! My first summer was brutal. It was sooo hot. All I wanted to do was stay inside. It takes a couple of years to acclimate to the heat. I am now becoming more sensitive to the cold. Basically, Florida summer to me is as bad as Maine winter......but the plus side is you will never have to clean your car of snow!
9. Car insurance will go up. I paid about $60 a month in Maine. In Florida, I am paying about $95 a month for the same coverage.
10. Crime. The crime is bad. Maine in general you have the same type of crime just not as much. Watching the news down here makes me a lose a little faith in humanity.
Comparing Florida to Maine or New England in general is like comparing apples to oranges. The lack of income tax, low car registration can cancel out the lower pay and higher rentals. It took my parents about 3 years to get use to Florida. I am still on the fence if I will stay or not.
Give it a shot......if your renting....the worst thing is that you decide to move back North. Maine will always be there. Well.....unless Quimby buys the state and turns it into a state park! Or Lepage turns into a Mardens!
I came down from Maine in Aug 2009. I had spent dec's down here for about 4 years. My parents retired in central Florida. I am now getting close to wrapping up year 2. Still not sure if I will stay.
Some of the things to keep in mind:
1. No income tax down here. Coming from Maine that is around a $3300 in savings a year.
2. No inspection on your car. $12-20 savings (more if your car needs work that can wait)
3. Car registration. Around $50 a year in Florida......same car in Maine it cost $150 a year. Beware....1st time car registration from out of state is $400. But one time fee.
4. Lower pay down here. I have not been able to make the same amount of money down here...I am about $8000 lower in Florida than Maine. But the lack of income tax's help close this gap.
5. Depending on your job.....bartender??......unemployment can be high....but then again it's hard in Maine as well.
6. Rentals are higher down here. I paid around $650a month with heat included in Maine.....in Sarasota I am paying $888 a month in a decent complex. Utilities are higher.....but not crazy. If you paid for your own heat in Maine, it might be lower.
7. Driving. You will drive....nothing is close by. I drove alot in Maine....but traffic is lighter up North. What should only take 10 mins driving to....can take 20 mins. When the snowbirds are down here....even worse. Gas prices appear to be similar to Portland/Bangor areas.
8. HOT!! My first summer was brutal. It was sooo hot. All I wanted to do was stay inside. It takes a couple of years to acclimate to the heat. I am now becoming more sensitive to the cold. Basically, Florida summer to me is as bad as Maine winter......but the plus side is you will never have to clean your car of snow!
9. Car insurance will go up. I paid about $60 a month in Maine. In Florida, I am paying about $95 a month for the same coverage.
10. Crime. The crime is bad. Maine in general you have the same type of crime just not as much. Watching the news down here makes me a lose a little faith in humanity.
Comparing Florida to Maine or New England in general is like comparing apples to oranges. The lack of income tax, low car registration can cancel out the lower pay and higher rentals. It took my parents about 3 years to get use to Florida. I am still on the fence if I will stay or not.
Give it a shot......if your renting....the worst thing is that you decide to move back North. Maine will always be there. Well.....unless Quimby buys the state and turns it into a state park! Or Lepage turns into a Mardens!
The thing missing from this post is any discussion of quality of life.
Deciding where to live is not always something that can be done on a calculator.
I came down from Maine in Aug 2009. I had spent dec's down here for about 4 years. My parents retired in central Florida. I am now getting close to wrapping up year 2. Still not sure if I will stay.
Some of the things to keep in mind:
1. No income tax down here. Coming from Maine that is around a $3300 in savings a year.
2. No inspection on your car. $12-20 savings (more if your car needs work that can wait)
3. Car registration. Around $50 a year in Florida......same car in Maine it cost $150 a year. Beware....1st time car registration from out of state is $400. But one time fee.
4. Lower pay down here. I have not been able to make the same amount of money down here...I am about $8000 lower in Florida than Maine. But the lack of income tax's help close this gap.
5. Depending on your job.....bartender??......unemployment can be high....but then again it's hard in Maine as well.
6. Rentals are higher down here. I paid around $650a month with heat included in Maine.....in Sarasota I am paying $888 a month in a decent complex. Utilities are higher.....but not crazy. If you paid for your own heat in Maine, it might be lower.
7. Driving. You will drive....nothing is close by. I drove alot in Maine....but traffic is lighter up North. What should only take 10 mins driving to....can take 20 mins. When the snowbirds are down here....even worse. Gas prices appear to be similar to Portland/Bangor areas.
8. HOT!! My first summer was brutal. It was sooo hot. All I wanted to do was stay inside. It takes a couple of years to acclimate to the heat. I am now becoming more sensitive to the cold. Basically, Florida summer to me is as bad as Maine winter......but the plus side is you will never have to clean your car of snow!
9. Car insurance will go up. I paid about $60 a month in Maine. In Florida, I am paying about $95 a month for the same coverage.
10. Crime. The crime is bad. Maine in general you have the same type of crime just not as much. Watching the news down here makes me a lose a little faith in humanity.
Comparing Florida to Maine or New England in general is like comparing apples to oranges. The lack of income tax, low car registration can cancel out the lower pay and higher rentals. It took my parents about 3 years to get use to Florida. I am still on the fence if I will stay or not.
Give it a shot......if your renting....the worst thing is that you decide to move back North. Maine will always be there. Well.....unless Quimby buys the state and turns it into a state park! Or Lepage turns into a Mardens!
Thanks so much Hartastic! Especially about the car insurance. One thing I was wondering about the car insurance was: first, Do you have to get Florida insurance? (I'm still on a policy with my family) and secondly, is it like Maine that if you owe money on your car you have to get full coverage, not just liability?
If you don't mind me asking, where in Maine were you from? What age range, and what makes you unsure whether you want to stay or not? I am curious to get your take on Sarasota.
Oh...fyi, COMPLETELY agree about LePage, what a bigoted moron!
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If I can't earn a decent living in Florida, I will have to look elsewhere and perhaps retire there when the time comes. I will be contacting attorneys in Sarasota and then take it from there. Thanks again! 
