WOW, im shocked at TAMPA comments (Miami, Orlando: spring break, rent, condo)

[Everett]

Originally Posted by vtec525

wow, see now this is what i wanted to hear... something positive... i was the guy watching florida on TV shows and saying 'dam, i wish i lived there'...

finally an opportunity strikes, and i begin to dig deep only to see so many people frown on living there.. that hit below the belt..

my family, along with my uncle, wish to move to tampa burbs and to get more house for our money. that is what i saw on realtor. he is on a 15yr mortgage but i will tell him to do 30yr. my home is like 1800sf, with $2200 mortgate. To me that is painful.. I need to drop it to $1500 month max. I saw on realtor its possible, unless the site lies.

so theres no type of mortgage where i pay interest last?

are there a lot of ghettos there?

Everett, why talk so highly of tampa and move out?

I left Tampa to go to School in Atlanta, then wound up staying for first one reason then another. I live at Lake Oconee now and it has charms of its own. But, I plan on buying a condo in Tampa soon.

Tampa has a wide range of homes and prices, like any other large city. You will find what you want. The first week you are there you will know immediately that you made the right choice. If you move down there in January, you will think you are in heaven.

The main issue is work. If you work in the service industry, you will find a job, but that will be your biggest problem. You will never regret the move.

Tampa has no ghettos in the traditional sense; there are enclaves of Jews, Cubans, Spanish, African-Americans, affluents, middle-class, lower income, singles, retirees, etc.
I don't know if you've spent any time there, but go to Ybor City on a Saturday night--when they have closed down the streets and there are thousands of people walking around between the live bands and restaurants; between the shops and bars. It is better than the French Quarter in New Orleans.

You will sit in an open bar on a January evening, sipping a cold beer and watching the people from all over the world walk by. You will feel the warm sub-tropical breeze and smell the sandy soil and palm fronds--the mixture of cigar smoke and salty air from the bay. You will smile and feel sympathy for everyone hugging their heaters up north. You will hug yourself for having had the good sense to come south.

[kelly3120]

Originally Posted by vtec525

are there a lot of ghettos there?

the ghetto ...our "ghetto" is not horrible, actually they have been trying to spruce up the ghettos around the Tampa ARea.
In Tarpon Spring they built beautiful homes for underprivileged families and but lamp post at every corner(pretty iron ones) .
In Downtown Tampa, they are sprucing up the historic district w/ awesome townhomes and working their way to north boulevard and what-not(so says the grapevine)
St. Pete, historic district is improved
Lutz stays pretty farm-y, big lots sizes and a mix of old and young homes, but the town square is cute as are the parades.

...that's all I know really. i know they are adding in developments all over 41. I miss the open land, but the developments do look gorgeous.

[Playball40]

Minimum wage in Fla is $6.67. Jobs aren't as plentiful as they were 10 years ago, but that is all over the country. We have great diversity in industry in Tampa so that actually offers protection from down times. Home prices are dropping and the governor is working hard on insurance and tax reform. I don't see RE taxes on residential homestead properties too bad. There is no state sales tax so revenue must be generated somewhere.

Personally, I'm tired of Florida *lived in Miami for 30 years and Tampa for 12* I want seasons and open spaces, stars and quiet. But that is just me. We are thinking Virginia in a couple years.

[vtec525]

okay the seasons get real boring when in the winter u can no longer go out.. i like to play sports, but for 6 months i hybernate and gain weight..

[Suncoaster]

Originally Posted by vtec525

okay the seasons get real boring when in the winter u can no longer go out.. i like to play sports, but for 6 months i hybernate and gain weight..

That's the whole problem up north - 6 months of gloom. The two miserable years I spent up north were in northern Virginia - I can't even look at pictures of the place, so bad are the memories.

The "change of seasons" in my opinion is grossly overrated. As you say, up north you hibernate during the long cold (and dark!) seasons. Here, some people say that we hibernate during the summer - some do, but many of us certainly don't. I've been outdoors enjoying our brilliant sun every weekend this summer.

The days seem longer here. If you are one who dislikes the short days of winter, the Tampa Bay area will be a welcome contrast. The days are bright and flowers bloom year-round in our nearly tropical climate. There is a feeling of vibrant life all year - so different from winter's gloom and bone-chilling cold.

[stpeteguy]

I've read that Florida has 3 seasons. warm, hot and very hot. Most of the time, I believe that to be true.
Florida is best in the winter time. When temps are mild. In the heat of summer, when most folks come down. It's just too hot to do anything. You go out in the yard and your sweating your butt off by 7:00AM. The humidity can be a real killjoy.
Now, i'm not trying to talk Florida down, I love it here. But, it's not a "climate utopia". Some summer days, i'd love to go out and work in the yard, but it's so hot, I don't bother. I just stay in, keep the AC cranked and watch TV.
So in a way, that's sort of like up north, when it's too cold to go out and do something.
And, let's not forget the rainy season in the summer, when you have cloud to ground lightening strikes about every 100 yards. Wait till you get caught out in one of those.
All in all though, I will admit I enjoy the warmth more than the cold. But there are days, when I miss cool weather.

[vtec525]

well being extra hot is not exactly like the winter when you cannot go out... u see, when the sun sets, it gets EXTRA cold in winters.. but when the sun sets for you, it does not get extra hot.. im sure with the rain, there are days its cool enough to go out for a walk..

what is the reason for not having basements in Florida??

[stpeteguy]

Originally Posted by vtec525

what is the reason for not having basements in Florida??

The water table is too high in most places, since we are so close to sea level. That's the explanation I was told anyway.

[gypsychic]

Originally Posted by vtec525

well being extra hot is not exactly like the winter when you cannot go out... u see, when the sun sets, it gets EXTRA cold in winters.. but when the sun sets for you, it does not get extra hot.. im sure with the rain, there are days its cool enough to go out for a walk..

what is the reason for not having basements in Florida??

Elevation - water table is too high for basements. However, we live in Lakeland, and central Florida is up 145 - 200' and more, and several homes have basements in the sloping areas.

I could never live in an area with months of gloom and cold. I do like crisp temps, and we love our house in Asheville, NC, where winters are not too long or too cold most of the time. But depending where you live in Fla. summers can be more tolerable - we have a microclimate living high up and near lakes where there is a cool breeze a lot of the time. I love to be outside, and will work in the yard even on the hottest days. I will only come inside if mosquitoes are bad, but here in the city, they are much better than when I lived in the country in Pasco County.

Bottom line, we all have different tolerances and preferences, and since almost no place has a 100% perfect climate, people choose where it suits them MOST of the time. Florida is mostly warm and hot, so if someone likes crisp and cool, this isn't the place. But I think the weather here is gorgeous for at least 6 months out of the year., at least here in central and north Florida.

[Oobie119]

We're from the midwest where my husband made 75K and I was a stay at home mom. We gave it all up and moved here where my husband took a 60% paycut (he lacks a degree and here, that matters!) Im teaching and he's a carpenter doing well. We figured it out on paper and while the homes are cheaper (you really can get more for your money depending on what areas you go towards), the hurricane and health insurance are killer. However, the property taxes are a lot cheaper than back home as is, gas, food and just general living. So, while it seems like it's a hassle, it really evens itself out. Florida isnt really that much cheaper. It depends what you want out of life. We had to get out of the winters and decided we'd rather raise our daughter (6 months when we moved) here than in Chicago. We wouldn't go back to save our lives and we have to say the only thing we miss about Chicago is the food!