Northeast to Florida - Happy with your decision? (Sarasota, Nokomis: amusement park, HOA)

[mikeandaija2009]

Originally Posted by boston904

Take it from your name, you might be from Boston. One thing I really miss and I didn't think I would are not only my teams, Patriots, Sox, Celtics, Bruins, but I miss hearing about them. Sure there's NFL Ticket and MLB Ticket, but that's just the game. Miss all the talk leading up to and after the games, radio and TV. Up in New England we lived and breathed our teams. New Yorkers can identify with us as they have their teams too. Professional sports down here is a has no tradition or history. I can't believe they can't even sell out a NFL game. Up North, tickets are gone within hours.

[kiggy]

Originally Posted by mikeandaija2009

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.

I assume you did this BEFORE you came to FL? Did you visit FL before hand, or was this a mandatory transfer from your company?

[Obrero]

Originally Posted by kidyankee764

Uh - these are statistics given by the FBI.



At least you can admit (or I THINK you're admitting) that Florida's public school systems are terrible. And it's mindsets like this that are the reason for the steadiness in your public school's low performance. Stop making excuses and giving the "howevers" and "buts" and start recognizing the problem. That's the first step toward recovery.

College bound seniors for Connecticut: 88%

What are the stats for Florida?



7 months a year? What? You clearly aren't anything close to a meteorologist. It's October and is 75 and humid out right now. It begins to get cold in late November, and starts to warm up in March. That's about 3.5 months. After that 3.5 months, we see temps in the 60s and it steadily rises through August, then back down through October. So, the dramatic claim of 7 months is...pretty funny, actually.

Enjoy your air conditioning.

Do you actually have kids in the public schools in CT? I'm curious because I used to buy into all the stats that NJ (where we lived) schools were oh-so-great...like getting a private education in other states but quickly found out it's all BS. And we lived in a school district always ranked in the top 10.

[Ken E]

Originally Posted by boston904

You must really hate Belmont.

[Avalon08]

Wow, I'm just catching up on today's bickering...I mean, posting. I am so confused....who's on first, at this point.

One thing I really miss and I didn't think I would are not only my teams, Patriots, Sox, Celtics, Bruins, but I miss hearing about them. Sure there's NFL Ticket and MLB Ticket, but that's just the game. Miss all the talk leading up to and after the games, radio and TV. Up in New England we lived and breathed our teams. New Yorkers can identify with us as they have their teams too. Professional sports down here is a has no tradition or history. I can't believe they can't even sell out a NFL game. Up North, tickets are gone within hours.

Anyhow, this is how I felt when I lived in Southern CA. I am a huge Eagles fan and knew the folks out there were Rams/Raiders (they didn't even have a team at that point) but what surprised me was the complete lack of interest in the NFL at all. No wonder they don't have a team. In Florida, it's definitely not as bad because of Tampa having the Bucs and the Bucs being in the NFC. So there's a chance of seeing my Eagles. Also, Tampa has an awesome group of Eagles fans called Tampadelphia, who get together every game at a local hotel. Is there nothing similar for the Boston fans down there? You'll never get that same passionate East Coast sports-town spirit in an area of transients like CA, FL, AZ, etc.

[gettinoutofjersey]

if you live in the northeast and jot down all your expenses there vs here and come up the same you had better re add or check the batteries in your calculator.

taxes - less
car insurance - less
electric by KW - less
fuel for winter heat - less
out to eat - less
cost for things to do - less
cost of house - less

it amazes me that someone will come on a forum like this and base their decision on where to live based on what others post. you are only going to get the ones that really hate it or really love it. most are going to just read it and move on.

[kidyankee764]

Originally Posted by Rushmore

You and I will never see eye to eye. You strike me as aggressive and condescending, so I don't feel like engaging you anymore.

And for the record, the 2004 statistics you linked are for Florida in general, not Sarasota in particular. I have never once said anything about Florida in general. I can only comment on the places I have lived in Florida, which are Tampa, St. Pete, and Sarasota.

You didn't engage in any kind of discussion - you just eye rolled and mocked while ignoring the issues at hand.

And no, the statistics were from 2010 for the city of Sarasota. Look it up: //www.city-data.com/city/Sarasota-Florida.html

Originally Posted by Obrero

Do you actually have kids in the public schools in CT? I'm curious because I used to buy into all the stats that NJ (where we lived) schools were oh-so-great...like getting a private education in other states but quickly found out it's all BS. And we lived in a school district always ranked in the top 10.

Yes.

It comes down to a few things: teacher/student ratio, AP courses/TAG programs, percent of teachers with PhD, and efficiency of counselors. Most districts in CT also have a rigorous curriculum. In our middle school, students are required to submit a quarterly portfolio, which is a 20 page project gathered over the months outlining what they learned. They also have midterms, and finals.

All of this leads to a lower dropout rate, higher graduation rate, and higher rate of students off to college. So it's not BS, it's very much a positive statistic.

[mikeandaija2009]

Originally Posted by gettinoutofjersey

if you live in the northeast and jot down all your expenses there vs here and come up the same you had better re add or check the batteries in your calculator.

taxes - less
car insurance - less
electric by KW - less
fuel for winter heat - less
out to eat - less
cost for things to do - less
cost of house - less

it amazes me that someone will come on a forum like this and base their decision on where to live based on what others post. you are only going to get the ones that really hate it or really love it. most are going to just read it and move on.

It really depends on where you live. If you live in a condo, mobile home, or community home where you can stick your arm out the bathroom window and shake your neighbors hand as he does the same, yes your costs are less. Since we have kids, we wanted a little more space and no HOA restrictions. My taxes in Florida are $1800 a year less than CT. Homeowners in CT was $800 yr, here is $1400. Car insurance, unless you carry the minimum and I wouldn't do that here, is more. Electric is less but if you have a large home with a pool, our summer bills with A/C average about $250 mnth. Food at grocery store is the same. If your able to hit all the early bird specials, I guess out to eat is cheaper but if your a working family, it's tough to do that. Applebees, Outback, Ruby Tuesday, and all the other million chains here have the same menu and prices as anywhere else in the country. State parks are free up North and free here, amusement parks and fairs are equal admission prices. Golfing is cheaper here but I don't have time with 2 small kids. The things I never figured on are:

Exterminator cost every 3 months
Water treatment cost
A/C should be replaced every 10 years, roof only lasts 10-15 yrs
Have to cut your grass seems every week during rainy season
Grass is beautiful, lush, and green but your kids cant play in it or they get eaten by fire ants
Have to constantly pressure wash everything, house, lawn furniture, because it starts to get moldy

If you are not a family and live in a condo or small home in a HOA, are retired or self-employed, Florida makes huge financial sense for you. My Mom lives here, for 15 years, is on a fixed income, lives in a condo, pays very little for electirc and HOA fees. If she lived up North, she probably couldn't survive. My wifes friend just retired with a big pension and moved into a condo in Nokomis. She can't believe how much she saves every month from her home up north to here. For a family like us, with a decent sized home on a large lot with a pool, the cost savings of the Northeast vs here combined with the disparity in pay........there is no,or very little savings in living here. Florida is still a difficult place for working middle-income families

[kidyankee764]

Originally Posted by gettinoutofjersey

if you live in the northeast and jot down all your expenses there vs here and come up the same you had better re add or check the batteries in your calculator.

taxes - less
car insurance - less
electric by KW - less
fuel for winter heat - less
out to eat - less
cost for things to do - less
cost of house - less

it amazes me that someone will come on a forum like this and base their decision on where to live based on what others post. you are only going to get the ones that really hate it or really love it. most are going to just read it and move on.

This is true (with the exception of out to eat - menu prices are similar anywhere you go - it's about quality of food). HOWEVER - this does not mean a better quality of life, as statistics show.

[boston904]

Originally Posted by Ken E

You must really hate Belmont.

I'm not sure what that means but if I did I wouldn't be on CD crying about it for years