Cost Of Living (Tampa: real estate, loans, new home)

[INeedAChange]

one thing to remember is that the apartments here tend to have swimming pools and other amenities. Even if the apartment is the same cost in New Jersey, it's likely to be a boring box with no amenities beyond the basics

[Jammie]

Originally Posted by INeedAChange

one thing to remember is that the apartments here tend to have swimming pools and other amenities. Even if the apartment is the same cost in New Jersey, it's likely to be a boring box with no amenities beyond the basics

That's a very good point. Your apartments seem to have quite a few more amenities then ours do here. We do have apartments that can run 800 or a bit more, but we also have some that are as low as 300 a month. To live in a nice apartment, the cost is 635 a month. There is a security system and a garage and stackable washer/dryer, etc. That's for a 2/1 and they're well insulated with very low utility bills. BUT of course there are no swimming pools or tennis courts, etc. It just wouldn't be that sensible here since we only use pools 3 months a year. I've noticed that several of yours also pay for water/sewer/garbage and some also pay for cable. I don't believe we have any that pay the cable bill.

Jessie, I hope that you get to go to Atlanta and that your DH is able to find good employment there. It sounds like you're used to a huge city with a lot of services. Our town has grown to 17,000 so I'm really not used to having those things. Of course, we don't even have a bus system here. You basically HAVE to drive and have a vehicle to survive here. I hate driving and think that it'd be great to live where there's public transportation. I know the wages aren't that great down there, but actually they're not that good here either. Up here, it's just a matter of getting employment and sticking with it for years so you can eventually earn a living wage. That works well for us because we both hate change so we just stick with our same old jobs. We have a very low unemployment rate and that didn't seem to be the case down there for a while, but according to stats, yours is getting lower all the time.

As far as buying a house~we have been there and done that. It was nice and it worked well for that period of our lives. We had a huge yard with a garden and a lot of flowers, etc. But it's not something we're interested in anymore. It was basically a shell of a house that was put up and then abandoned due to a divorce and we had gotten it so reasonably, but there was SO much work to do in it and we did a lot of it ourselves. AND it's just not within our financial means to be able to afford a house in Fla. Maybe five years ago, but not the way things have gone down there.

[EB2]

Originally Posted by jessiesma

check out the shop rite circular online, prices are still like they were 4 years ago and fish and produce here is ridiculous.I miss our Garden state truck markets. you're right about the rest tho

I thought food prices were around the same, too.

I've found in some cases you get more for your money up there though (as far as housing, especially [yes, there's taxes, but that's a whole other topic ]).

It seems to be getting as expensive in my neighborhood - without seeing the same pay!

Florida's not a bad state, I'm not going to say. There are things I do like (or even love), and things I dislike a good amount. I just don't think it's the state for me, right now, at least. To each his/her own.

Anyway, I put a good amount of my pay towards living expenses (then again, being a college kid, I don't have a lot of money to begin with )

[AliceT]

It all depends on what you are accustomed to and what you can be comfortable with. The closer you are to Disney, the beach or a downtown area such as Tampa or Orlando, the more you will pay. The bargains are out there, but you won't find them in any rental catalog or through a realtor, you find them by finding a sign in front of the house, duplex or apartment.

I know it's hard to imagine, but there are still a lot of people who have not discovered the Internet. Those people put signs in the window of their homes.

[Jammie]

EB, that's funny. I'm by no means a college student, but money has never been extremely abundant for me either. But having no debts and enough to pay the bills is makes me feel very comfy. I'm not looking for more then that out of life.

Alice, I think I understand what you're saying. When we were down there, we took a few hours and just drove around. Actually, it turned into a few hours cause we got lost again. But we went past one apartment that looked so cute. It wasn't new or luxurious, but was cute and they had a "For Rent" sign on their lawn and the prices. They seemed unbelievably cheap. We didn't stop cause it wasn't time to do something like that yet, but I can't imagine that there was much wrong with them. It was a well kept and neat area.

[Tim W.]

Cost of food is 20% higher than the small town in Michigan where I'm from. Although no "ice melt" to buy, fuel for the snow blower, heavy winter coats, boots, excessive heat bills... guess it balances out. Homes are 75% more here than where I'm from, but there are no JOBS in Michigan.

[jessiesma]

of who your neighbors are. I'm not talking aobut race, etc. but small landlords aren't bound by Equal Housing rules so if they move in someone who disrespects your boundaries, you have no recourse. As an example; I lived in a 3plex and they moved a stripper in next to me. She was not bringing home men or anything but she would talk a constant stream of trash outside where I couldn't help hearing her. In fact she'd barrage me with it if I tried to say hello. This was a very small place. It's not my nature to ignore neighbors. I don't need the intimate details of anyone's sex life especially of the more "adventurous" sort. There was also other disrespecting of my boundaries and when I said something, I became the bad guy and was the one who had to move. In a well managed complex, anyone who violate my boundaries would be warned and if it continued, they'd be the ones who'd be asked to move.
I'm not a prude but this was like living in a non-stop porn movie.

Originally Posted by Jammie

EB, that's funny. I'm by no means a college student, but money has never been extremely abundant for me either. But having no debts and enough to pay the bills is makes me feel very comfy. I'm not looking for more then that out of life.

Alice, I think I understand what you're saying. When we were down there, we took a few hours and just drove around. Actually, it turned into a few hours cause we got lost again. But we went past one apartment that looked so cute. It wasn't new or luxurious, but was cute and they had a "For Rent" sign on their lawn and the prices. They seemed unbelievably cheap. We didn't stop cause it wasn't time to do something like that yet, but I can't imagine that there was much wrong with them. It was a well kept and neat area.

[tooshort]

Is a $110,000 salary a year enough for a family to survive in the Fishhawk area? This is one salary only. My spouse won't be looking for a job until we make the move down there so it will only be my salary supporting us (we have one child) until we both are employed. I know this salary is not enough up in NJ/NYC so just wondering if it would be a good move to come down to Florida with only one of us working for a couple of months. thanks!

[tampaguy03]

A buddy of mine is married with one child and lives in FishHawk, I believe he is pulling in about 85k, and seems to be doing just fine out there.

[tooshort]

Originally Posted by tampaguy03

A buddy of mine is married with one child and lives in FishHawk, I believe he is pulling in about 85k, and seems to be doing just fine out there.

that's good to know. thank you!