Postpone till Summer 2012 (Tampa, Brandon: for sale, rent, houses)

[lilacmama32]

Looks like we won't be making the move until summer of next year due to some changes with work. I have put off the house searching and job searching (for my husband) for the moment and will pick it back up in the spring.

I still have my mixed feelings of should we just stay in MI or should we go to FL (worried about DH finding a good job, missing family and the overall change in crime/feeling safe since we live in a small town that I have lived in all my life). I really want to live closer to the gulf where the beaches are a shorter drive (maybe Parrish area) and maybe a smaller town with less congestion but my work is in the Brandon area right off the highway and I think the commute might suck. It's around 30 miles but I don't know how 301 or 75 is on an average work day at rush hour time. It's such a buyers market that I think it would be best to buy closer to where we want to retire some day than where it is 'convenient to work'. We will rent at first but I hate to bump the kids around from school to school so I was thinking of renting where we might buy eventually.

Are there other people with school age kids struggling like I am with trying to make the choice of do I move to what I think is my desired location so that I do not have to bump our kids around to different schools or do I move to a city that is convenient to work? What did you do or what are you looking for?

I still have lots of time to look but it's annoying doing it from so far away.

[phonelady61]

I would not move without having a job lined up down in florida the economy down there is in the toliet . My cousin lives down there still but she works for the state and she has a paid off house .

[lilacmama32]

Originally Posted by phonelady61

I would not move without having a job lined up down in florida the economy down there is in the toliet . My cousin lives down there still but she works for the state and she has a paid off house .

I have the job and DH will need one before we move. We will not move unless he has one.

[FloridaKash]

I think you have way too many "what ifs" and "buts" for this move.

You need to make a list. With Pro's on one side and Cons on the other side. Fill out the list according if you moved to Florida. Which list is larger? Which list has more items that are the most important? Just a suggestion.

[tilli]

How important are those lilacs to you, lilacmama? Lilacs will not survive Tampa - just so's ya know. You'd have to become a nightbloomingjasminemama or something!

I would wait until you know where you are both going to be working before you settle on a place to live, the commutes here can be easey peasey or horrific, depending on where you live & work, and it would be best if you can split the difference.

Regarding living where you want to retire versus the needs of your school-aged children, you can't have it both ways. Retirement areas generally have terrible school systems, because retirees don't want to support school systems when their kids are already grown. Conversely, areas that have great schools have less amenities for retirees. If I had kids, they would be my highest priority and I would consider the school district above any other consideration and move to a better area for retirement after they graduate and move on.

[gypsychic]

Originally Posted by lilacmama32

Looks like we won't be making the move until summer of next year due to some changes with work. I have put off the house searching and job searching (for my husband) for the moment and will pick it back up in the spring.

I still have my mixed feelings of should we just stay in MI or should we go to FL (worried about DH finding a good job, missing family and the overall change in crime/feeling safe since we live in a small town that I have lived in all my life). I really want to live closer to the gulf where the beaches are a shorter drive (maybe Parrish area) and maybe a smaller town with less congestion but my work is in the Brandon area right off the highway and I think the commute might suck. It's around 30 miles but I don't know how 301 or 75 is on an average work day at rush hour time. It's such a buyers market that I think it would be best to buy closer to where we want to retire some day than where it is 'convenient to work'. We will rent at first but I hate to bump the kids around from school to school so I was thinking of renting where we might buy eventually.

Are there other people with school age kids struggling like I am with trying to make the choice of do I move to what I think is my desired location so that I do not have to bump our kids around to different schools or do I move to a city that is convenient to work? What did you do or what are you looking for?

I still have lots of time to look but it's annoying doing it from so far away.

Since you are so undecided, I think you should wait until the kids are out of school to make a move. Florida will still be here when you retire, or "semi-retire." It's been my experience from reading these forums that when people who are considering moving have too many doubts but move anyway, they are almost ALWAYS unhappy and regret their decision.

I would just wait until you feel more sure that "the time is right."

Hope this helps!

[HughMcs]

The fact that it is a "buyers market" shouldn't be the primary reason to relocate. I am of the school that the "devil you know is better than the devil you don't know". Depending on your employment situation in MI your family may be better off staying there if you both have guaranteed employment. Moving to FL in this economy without both of you having secure employment is a pretty big risk to take.

[allisonkbye]

I feel your pain. We don't have kids, but we have also been trying since May to relocate from PA and have had no luck. Well, I had one offer. But it was a pay cut that we couldn't afford at the time, because my husband would have still been jobless. 2 decent salaries to one, okay salary, wasn't feasible.

I honestly feel like we are stuck in purgatory right now. Our jobs are 2.5 hours apart. So we live in the middle, and commute that each day. The money is good, but it just sucks. We are ready to buy our own home and have no desire to do so in the area that we live in, or the area I work in (Pittsburgh) or where he works. Above all, I know we have it good right now, and would hate to sacrifice this all for a new life, but still might miss our family and the seasons. I look on zillow at all the houses for sale that we could so easily afford with our salaries now, but we obviously can't just buy unless we BOTH secure decent employment. And at that, I'm 95% sure we would both take close to a 30% paycut, which would leave us living a different life than we are used to.

Sorry I'm kind of ranting on, but like I said, I feel your pain and can relate, although I'm sure yours is worse because you have more than just the two of you to worry about. Wish you all the best

[lilacmama32]

I have wondered if my "what if's" are normal anxiety or not. I think I would be scared no matter where it was. If I said I was moving to California I'd be scared of earhtquakes. If it was Boston, I would be afraid I would miss my family so much and not be able to afford the lifestyle. I tend to over think things and worry about the what if's.

For instance...I read an article on HIV/AIDS and there was a map of known cases and Florida was covered in red where Michigan only had a couple specks. REALLY? Am I going to let this be a factor in moving? Geesh...and on the news all these missing people are out of FLORIDA. I think it's kind of like once you buy a red car you always notice the red cars on the highway.

As for the jobs, we do have it really good here and I am scared about leaving my husbands job. My job is the same company, same title, same salary so no risk for me but my husband will need to start over and I am very cautious about that. Like I have stated before, we will not relocate without him having a job. Now that we are pushed back to August, he really can't apply for anything until closer to spring and I know the market sucks. I am sure I sound like a broken record on this board but it's what I think about alot and this is where I feel I need to talk about it.

Yes I like lilacs but they only last a couple weeks so it isn't a deal breaker :-)

Allisonkbye - We are in the same situation with the salaries. Both make good money but not willing to go down to 1 salary or even 1 1/2 of what we make now. I need to find something comparable as I do not want to change our lifestyle. I imagine it will actually cost more to live in FL than here in MI. :-(

[Tampa Homes]

Originally Posted by lilacmama32

I still have lots of time to look but it's annoying doing it from so far away.

More time to worry, right?