Northeast to Florida - Happy with your decision? (Sarasota, University: transplants, insurance)

[gomet]

If you are of working age and dependent on a job - that is what is going to come down to, whether you stay or go back!

In my opinion everything else is manageable! Unfortunately jobs are not manageable!

We are also from Connecticut - looking forward to that day that we can also do the jump - however at the end of the day it's going to come down to the money!

Good luck!

[kiggy]

Originally Posted by mikeandaija2009

I think you made my point. I assume since you are a 50/50 resident your retired? Florida would be awesome if my wife and I didn't have to work. When the heat hits, we could go and enjoy the Northeast summer and fall. I would be giving Florida a million thumbs up!!! My point is if the person asking the question in the original post is a middle-class family, leaving a job and home up north for Florida paradise so many retirees enjoy, forget it and stay put. Earn a good wage up north, work for a good company, send your kids to good schools, and retire here with your pension. You'll love it then!

Not retired, but we have our own business that we can work from anywhere.

[mikeandaija2009]

Originally Posted by CTMom23

Thank you all for your input. Every thread I have started have been so helpful to my husband & I. We truly appreciate you taking the time to help us out. We are going to put our house on the market in two weeks. If it sells, we will then make our final decision. Sarasota is the area. Our kids LOVED Riverview High School. Very impressive compared to what we have here in our town in Fairfield County! Our public schools have very little to offer kids. over crowded classrooms, not enough books, a wild environment...(which is why our high school aged daughter is in Catholic school). Keeping our fingers crossed as we would really like to give it a try.
We are NOT winter people, we are boaters and love our summer's....our very short, hot, summer's. We were just in FL last week and it was breezier and cooler than it is here in our hometown. The leaves are already turning here and starting to fall off...it's so depressing.
What are the season's like in Florida? Do you notice a difference besides the change in temperature?
Thanks again everyone!

Fairfield County public schools compared to Florida public schools???!!! I guess I would ask you where in Fairfield county. If you are comparing Bridgeport to Sarasota, I would guess Sarasota might have the slight edge, but not by much. If you are comparing Sarasota to Westport or Darien, trust me, keep your kids in Connecticut. My wife and I are summer people too....that's a big reason we moved down here. We had a nice boat in CT and spent many weekends on the go. Since we have been here, our jobs pay so much less than up north, we can't afford a boat, at least not the prices they want. We work a lot more here it seems, especially me, and when I get home at night after being out in the heat all day....I'm dead tired. Weekends are hard because of crowded beaches and traffic. Snow bird season...forget it. I don't live in Sarasota but work there everyday and sometimes the traffic is terrible. As bad as New York City at times.

[Rushmore]

Originally Posted by mikeandaija2009

Fairfield County public schools compared to Florida public schools???!!! I guess I would ask you where in Fairfield county. If you are comparing Bridgeport to Sarasota, I would guess Sarasota might have the slight edge, but not by much. If you are comparing Sarasota to Westport or Darien, trust me, keep your kids in Connecticut. My wife and I are summer people too....that's a big reason we moved down here. We had a nice boat in CT and spent many weekends on the go. Since we have been here, our jobs pay so much less than up north, we can't afford a boat, at least not the prices they want. We work a lot more here it seems, especially me, and when I get home at night after being out in the heat all day....I'm dead tired. Weekends are hard because of crowded beaches and traffic. Snow bird season...forget it. I don't live in Sarasota but work there everyday and sometimes the traffic is terrible. As bad as New York City at times.

I really don't mean any harm, but why do you stay?

I mean, I had a house in Fairfield and an office in Stamford for years, and the whole time I was there all I did was ask myself why I didn't leave, so I left.

I just didn't feel the urge to let the people of the area know how much I hated it.

[mikeandaija2009]

Originally Posted by Rushmore

I really don't mean any harm, but why do you stay?

I mean, I had a house in Fairfield and an office in Stamford for years, and the whole time I was there all I did was ask myself why I didn't leave, so I left.

I just didn't feel the urge to let the people of the area know how much I hated it.

It's no harm and I don't want to be a nay-sayer but I guess these post are for people giving info and I just want to tell my side and my experience. Before we left CT, I researched a lot, papers. web, blogs, posts.friends, family, etc. It seemed there was no in between as I see it now. Meaning people where either "it's wonderful, a true paradise" or "it's a living hell". I always wondered about the haters, seems like they would hate anything. I'm not a hater, just someone who says "it's really not that great". Very expensive move, expensive set-up. In CT, I was always told how cheap! everything was here. Not really so. Gas a few cents, food not at all (more expensive, poor quality meats), insurance higher. The only thing cheaper is booze and cigarettes. We don't want to stay but the chase of paradise has pretty much eaten away our nest egg and we are left with a house we HOPE we can sell, even though there's 3 more like it down the street. I just wan't someone to hear the middle of the road opinion before they blow it like we did.

[joeyddog]

Coming from NJ, taxes are much lower in Sarasota(12,000 vs 2300), housing is much lower (except the insurance costs). Salaries are much lower so it's probably a wash except for those who can telecommute.There is no-where the kind of traffic as NYC (I ought to know having up to a 2 hr commute over the Geo Wash Bridge every day for 20 yrs). It makes me laugh when I hear people complaining about traffic during snow bird season. I have learned to bypass a lot of traffic with the many parallel roads in Sarasota.Yes, beaches are crowded, but so were the the beaches on Long Island (Jones Beach parking lots usually closed up very early in the AM). It's true that life is different when you are retired and/or snowbirding (I am) but that's true in Ct or NJ or anywhere for that matter. If I were still working, I'd still enjoy being able to walk at night or eat outdoors after work in warm weather. I can understand it if you are homesick, perhaps under water on your home. Fl is not for everyone. Good luck with your move back up north.

[blueherons]

Originally Posted by mikeandaija2009

For a middle-aged, working middle-class family, Florida is a difficult place to live.

I don't understand this part of your post. My husband and I are definitely a working class family. We moved here for a promotion from him (Myrtle Beach, SC), and I was unemployed. I found a job immediately bartending and waiting tables making a lot of money. I have a degree and a pretty strong background in sales, marketing, and management. When the snowbirds went home and the restaurant started falling off, I started my own business.

While I'm growing my business, I'm also job hunting in my field. I have an interview this afternoon and two more this week that are both for professional, high paying jobs.

My point is, I haven't found the tough job market people complain about nor are the jobs I'm finding low paying.

No offense but to me it seems like you just don't really like the heat all year long and that's fine. I am just not finding the job market nor the pay to be so abysmal.

[kellyodell]

I too am contemplating moving to Florida. I live in upstate NY and my son is considering college in FL. We are actually leaving this weekend for the week to go visit UT USF & the Art Inst of Tampa...ironic but he didnt plan to pick all in Tampa!

I have a great job @ SUNY Oneonta and really dont want to leave it but as a single mom the expense of winter and hating the cold I need a change. Florida is calling my name.

I get on here to look at all the post of Florida-ty for sharing!

[mikeandaija2009]

Originally Posted by blueherons

I don't understand this part of your post. My husband and I are definitely a working class family. We moved here for a promotion from him (Myrtle Beach, SC), and I was unemployed. I found a job immediately bartending and waiting tables making a lot of money. I have a degree and a pretty strong background in sales, marketing, and management. When the snowbirds went home and the restaurant started falling off, I started my own business.

While I'm growing my business, I'm also job hunting in my field. I have an interview this afternoon and two more this week that are both for professional, high paying jobs.

My point is, I haven't found the tough job market people complain about nor are the jobs I'm finding low paying.

No offense but to me it seems like you just don't really like the heat all year long and that's fine. I am just not finding the job market nor the pay to be so abysmal.

The heat? I'm sorry but your post doesn't make sense to me. You have a degree and you were happy to come here and wait tables and bartend? I think it is an admirable thing starting your own business but if it is growing, I assume it is somewhat successful. Then why are you looking for another job? I had several interviews and offers when I came down but the choice between bad pay and worse pay was hard to make. Luckily, my wife makes good money or not sure how we would make it. I have friends in CT who have worked for the same company for 25 or 30 years. My uncle worked for the same company for 46 years in the Northeast. I haven't heard of anything close to that here. I think the worst of it all was on my first day I had to sign a paper stating "Florida is a right to work state, therefore you may be immediately released from your job without notice or just cause". I never heard of anything like that in my life! Welcome to your new job but just so you know we can fire you whenever we want for whatever? It makes me sleep well at night, all that job security.

[mikeandaija2009]

Originally Posted by kellyodell

I too am contemplating moving to Florida. I live in upstate NY and my son is considering college in FL. We are actually leaving this weekend for the week to go visit UT USF & the Art Inst of Tampa...ironic but he didnt plan to pick all in Tampa!

I have a great job @ SUNY Oneonta and really dont want to leave it but as a single mom the expense of winter and hating the cold I need a change. Florida is calling my name.

I get on here to look at all the post of Florida-ty for sharing!

If you have a good, secure job up north, DO NOT LEAVE IT!!!! If you decide it is really best to do so, make sure you are coming to a good, secure job here. Research everything at the new employer in Florida. Put your feelings about the weather and cold aside. Compare pay, health insurance plans and costs, vacation and sick time, retirement plans, etc. Don't fall for the old "so much cheaper" routine. When EVERY expense you have in your life is put on the table, you'll find there's not a lot of difference.