How are the people? (Orlando, Sarasota: foreclosures, renter, employment)

[mrcoolmrcool28]

Originally Posted by MrsTommy

Did you express any concern the many times Tommy and I were attacked by your pals? It didn't feel very good to either of us to be ganged up on, attacked and insulted by your friends. You didn't claim that the threads had gone off course when the pack was attacking us. Actually, the discourse on this thread has been much more civil than THOSE attacks.

One would hope that the posters give "helpful and good information" but, thanks to the research of an astute member, we now find that there are other motivations behind some posts (as Tommy and I have been saying all along).

I think any senior members can remember the posts of several young women seeking to relocate on this forum. We can also remember all the "come on down!!!", "there ARE jobs here!!!" posts we read...and WHO posted them. WHERE are those young women now?

All along, Tommy and I have been talking about how UNETHICAL it is for people to come on this forum and pump the area up to these young families and how we felt a moral obligation to attempt to offer the differing view as a reality check. Our posts ARE read by thousands of people. What if only one or two young families take the advice of the "Ethically Challenged" and "COME ON DOWN!!!" to their certain economic doom? That's all it takes to make the whole situation wrong.

The Chamber of Commerce Crowd petulantly calls us "negative". We just consider it REALITY.

The "REALITY" is Thousands have moved to Florida and LOVE IT, some are retired many are not..there are a lot of people on City-Data that post here as well as other areas, That say it's the best move they have ever made!! Granted there are others like yourselves that have not been successful or didn't do proper veting about a new place that hate Florida. Well life is what you make of it, You are miserable in Florida and by golly you are going to let everyone know that because YOU didn't make it there NOBODY else has a chance either Well, that's been proven wrong over and over!

BTW. the Sunshines didn't call anyone a racist Mr.Cold
PS Great post SoFlGal

[mr&mrssunshine]

so it's this easy.
1.wait for some poor unsuspecting young girl to post a question about how good is florida
2. post back its great -come down
3. when she arrives rent her a house (oh no wait we havent started a business yet so could you hold on six months)
4. make shed loads of cash

bet Don Trump wishes he had thought of that !!!

do you honestly believe people are so naive they would up home lock stock and barrel and move somehwhere they had never even visited or checked out ?
and why would this mysterious syndicate of evil property barons be encouraging this all now and over the past few months when the business isnt even operating ???/ hmmm best call Columbo to solve this one

[HenryHelmhazzard]

The internet (or BBS, as some will recall) community came up with a few acronyms that should inherently preface anything said online:

YMMV*
IMHO*
IANAL* (or equivalent)

If forums like City Data were a paid service, I'd stick a "Caveat Emptor" on anything read as well.

The expectation that everyone in this forum should be unbiased (ha!), fully disclosing of their motivations (ha! squared), fully consistent in their opinions (stalker research fodder!), ethical (by what standard?), and helpful, simultaneously and at all times is unrealistic for folks who are literally volunteering their time and opinions.

I know of many people who volunteer because, in no small part, its a great networking opportunity. Along they way they may feel better about themselves, build business ties, develop personal relationships. Heck, half the rationale for joining the Peace Corps in your 20s was getting nookie and building a resume.

For the most part, the fringe benefits do little to lessen the public benefits of said volunteering.

As far as this forum being recruiting grounds for SWFL, well, if people are naive enough to make possibly the largest personal and financial decision of their lives based on opinions found in an anonymous forum without some serious hands-on independent research ...

While I was writing this, I saw MrsTommy and SoFlGal's posts above pop up. Opinion, motivation, ethics ... that's hard stuff to explain clearly, let alone quantify.

Is it ethical to express a positive opinion of an area if you work in real estate? Well, sure, if that's really your opinion; the second element (your career) doesn't really factor in.

Opinion questions like "are their jobs?" can be very subjective. If I personally know of a company that's hiring, then I might be inclined to say "there are jobs here." Unless we're going to force people to only quote published statistics (and we all know those are never wrong... right?) now?

It's good that someone gives another viewpoint to unabashed cheer leading, though in my experience, when people come onto these forums asking about a topic, they are often looking for support for decisions they've already emotionally made, not necessarily unbiased opinions. Whatever the heck an unbiased opinion is. If you see one, let me know, I need to photograph it and send it into the tabloids.

I like seeing opinion and counter opinion. But I'm always sad to see things degenerate to personal attacks. My least favorite: "Ooh ooh. you're a hypocrite! Caught you! You can't change your mind or say something that contradicts what you said in post #431421!"

FWIW, my overall opinion of SWFL is that it's sort of a crucible; the talented and diligent survive (or import their means from elsewhere, which functionally equates to the same thing), everyone else tends to fail. Not a lot of room here for a having a good life AND slacking at the same time.

It's a harsh, unforgiving place if you're not particularly good at something and can't live within your means. Finding a career/life balance over the last decade and a half I've been here (minus a 3 year stint in Georgia) has been tricky. Which reminds me, I need to bundle up the kids and take them to the beach soon.

HHH says "YMMV. IMHO. LOL."

* For the uninitiated:
YMMV = Your Mileage May Vary
IMHO = In My Humble Opinion
IANAL = I'm retentive. Er, sorry, I Am Not A Lawyer. (or substitute the professional regulated service of your choice here)

[mr&mrssunshine]

great post HHH

ps where can I join the peace corps ????????

[MrsTommy]

I think you yourself have been pretty up front. You are a Real Estate Salesperson and make contacts here on the forum which lead to sales and commissions. You have also been a wealth of information for many.

Tommy and I have been hoping for a long time that both sides of an issue could be aired without name calling and attacks but some seem to lack the maturity to do that. We would love to come on and post our opinions also but every time we do, we get the (as the Colonel so wisely called it) "mature" label of "negative". Not to mention the personal attacks when some fear the value of their investments or their future business plans are threatened.

Tommy and I are quiet, low-key people. We do NOT thrive on conflict or drama. We post here in the hopes of giving an alternative to the rose colored "vacation goggles" view. We would hope others would take the time to do the research on the availability of jobs, the unemployment, foreclosure rates and economy before uprooting their families and relocating in search of sunshine to almost certain economic doom but let's face it, some just lack the skills to do that. Those two young women I spoke of both seemed to be relying almost totally on the opinions in CD to make their decisions.

I don't consider this thread to have gone off course. The question was: "How are the people?" This thread gives a pretty good indication of how the people who live here or hope to live here conduct themselves.

[gypsychic]

Originally Posted by SoFLGal

I said that I didn't feel it was appropriate for anyone to be attacked, you or anyone else. I made this comment when I felt Gypsy was being attacked and I have never met Gypsy. I just feel it's not the right thing to do. Actually, I consider most people on this board to by my friend, you included. Maybe I was making the wrong assumption.

I know much of this goes on over on the Cape Coral section and try not to go over there much for that reason.

As far as what I post on the board. I think I give a pretty accurate view of what's happening in the area but I'm sure someone can dig up something that I've said that after I posted it I wished I had said it in a different way.

I think that this board is one valuable tool that people can use to do their research on an area. I certainly don't think that someone should base whether they move to an area on a few posts, whether the posts are positive or negative. Moving to an area takes a lot of time, research, visits, etc

Again, I think that this thread can still be turned in a positive way. And again, I think your point of view as well as many others on this board balance things out. I'd rather hear positives and negatives about areas instead of about people

Thanks for your nice posts, SoFLGal. I have been on City-Data for over three years now, and I can honestly say you have always been one of the nicest and most balanced posters I have seen. I believe everyone knows you are a realtor, and you don't hide that fact, nor do you push your services on anyone. I have never seen you openly solicit any business or do or say anything inappropriate. In fact, I have always admired how you always seem to manage to stay out of the bickering that can sometimes go on - I try to do that but sometimes let my Spanish temper get the best of me! I am working on it. Your posts are always helpful, and you go the extra mile to provide useful information to those seeking it.

Let me end by saying that as an old saying goes - "I got no dog in this hunt" -I am NOT a realtor, I do not work for the chamber of Commerce, do not have a house to flip, sell or rent, and don't plan on doing so. I am just a simple Florida native who finally found her own personal Nirvana here in Whitfield Estates and if my posts are more happy and positive than not, well I am not going to apologize for that because it's the honest way I feel. I realize my happy place will not be someone else's happy place, but when people ask what I love about my home I am going to tell it as I feel it, from my perspective.

Now, once again, I hope we can all get back on track and stop cutting each other down, I am going to try harder to follow SoFLGal's lead and not get myself caught up in any pettiness. Life is too short and it helps no one.

ETA: This whole thread, including "Dreamy's" assessment of me has made me realize that it is time to get off this place for a good long time. I keep saying I am going to do it, but find myself spending too much time here. Just the catalyst I needed, so THANK YOU Dreamy! Going to get back to enjoying my life without the negativity.

[MrsTommy]

Originally Posted by mrcoolmrcool28

The "REALITY" is Thousands have moved to Florida and LOVE IT, some are retired many are not..there are a lot of people on City-Data that post here as well as other areas, That say it's the best move they have ever made!! Granted there are others like yourselves that have not been successful or didn't do proper veting about a new place that hate Florida. Well life is what you make of it, You are miserable in Florida and by golly you are going to let everyone know that because YOU didn't make it there NOBODY else has a chance either Well, that's been proven wrong over and over!

BTW. the Sunshines didn't call anyone a racist Mr.Cold
PS Great post SoFlGal

I rest my case.

[mrcoolmrcool28]

Originally Posted by gypsychic

Thanks for your nice posts, SoFLGal. I have been on City-Data for over three years now, and I can honestly say you have always been one of the nicest and most balanced posters I have seen. I believe everyone knows you are a realtor, and you don't hide that fact, nor do you push your services on anyone. I have never seen you openly solicit any business or do or say anything inappropriate. In fact, I have always admired how you always seem to manage to stay out of the bickering that can sometimes go on - I try to do that but sometimes let my Spanish temper get the best of me! I am working on it. Your posts are always helpful, and you go the extra mile to provide useful information to those seeking it.

Let me end by saying that as an old saying goes - "I got no dog in this hunt" -I am NOT a realtor, I do not work for the chamber of Commerce, do not have a house to flip, sell or rent, and don't plan on doing so. I am just a simple Florida native who finally found her own personal Nirvana here in Whitfield Estates and if my posts are more happy and positive than not, well I am not going to apologize for that because it's the honest way I feel. I realize my happy place will not be someone else's happy place, but when people ask what I love about my home I am going to tell it as I feel it, from my perspective.

Now, once again, I hope we can all get back on track and stop cutting each other down, I am going to try harder to follow SoFLGal's lead and not get myself caught up in any pettiness. Life is too short and it helps no one.

ETA: This whole thread, including "Dreamy's" assessment of me has made me realize that it is time to get off this place for a good long time. I keep saying I am going to do it, but find myself spending too much time here. Just the catalyst I needed, so THANK YOU Dreamy! Going to get back to enjoying my life without the negativity.

And I rest mine!

[joeyddog]

I'm not down here permanently yet but have followed the boards for about a year. There are tons of info/helpful tips here that might not be found by reading the local paper (which I do daily on-line). I never would have known about Chinese drywall or CDDs prior to scoping out homes if I hadn't been reading these posts. Each person has to decide based on their own interests, priorities,financial circumstances and personalities that dictate where they want to compromise- no place is perfect. I know having looked into Orlando, Ocala, the Villages, Ft Myers, the east coast that these areas didn't appeal to me but are perfectly nice areas for others to livein. The boards should be used as springing off point and resource and not the absolute last word.

[Eastern Roamer]

Originally Posted by canotwaittilportcharlotte

I will be moving to Port Charlotte, FL in June 2010 and will most likely be frequently visiting Venice, Sarasota, and Bradenton. I am very curious though about what to expect from people.

Ever been to Michigan or Ohio? Most people are just like that because they're from there - which is good for the most part. SW Florida is pretty easy going.