Alligators everywhere! Please tell me you're kidding! (Miami, Tampa: live, gardens)

[Huckleberry3911948]

sounds scary.
we have gators of a sort here
cell phone tail gators.
one tore up back of my car
last month.

[jessiesma]

met one of them last year. fortunately they don't like German food hehheh but I don't know how fast he was going, all I know is the brakes squealed for 10-15 secs. before he hit and there was a mitsubishi suv inbetween us.
That saved me a LOT of pain.

Originally Posted by Bunky39

sounds scary.
we have gators of a sort here
cell phone tail gators.
one tore up back of my car
last month.

[rusty78]

Originally Posted by sbjbart

Thank you to all who answered my post. I guess I will have to think seriously about how important a water view is to me. Does anyone know where you can buy a home on wooded natural terrain lots that would still be close to shopping. That would be my second choice for the kind of environment I'd like to live in. We have 300k to 400K budgeted for a house. Thanks for taking the time to help me out.

You can buy a really nice house/home inland for what you are looking to spend....if you have an idea of where you would like to go...try this site REALTOR.com - Real Estate Listings & Homes For Sale you can enter the area, type of house, $ range, etc.... and get an idea of what houses are going for.....however, before you do anything, stop off at the town assessor's office to determine what your home owners taxes will be....I believe it starts out at 2.4% of the purchase price of your home....your second stop should be at the local insurance agents office, for I have been told that it is not unusual for home owners/ flood/ hurricane and of course vehicle insurance to run in excess of $6,000 a year... so that starts out at $1,000 plus a month before you buy food......

[RMD3819]

Originally Posted by sbjbart

Thank you to all who answered my post. I guess I will have to think seriously about how important a water view is to me. Does anyone know where you can buy a home on wooded natural terrain lots that would still be close to shopping. That would be my second choice for the kind of environment I'd like to live in. We have 300k to 400K budgeted for a house. Thanks for taking the time to help me out.

I live on a canal. One day, when I wasn't home, a baby gator came into my yard. My fearless wife lassoed it and drug it back to the water.

I'm also a paramedic and when we have a car into a canal a sheriff deputy stands watch with a rifle while the divers are in the water. The only human/gator encounter I've heard of is a woman who lived in the Everglades in a house with no running water. She dipped a bucket into the canal out back and one day a gator took her arm completely off. She lived.

I would not let a fear of gators detract me from buying a house on the water.

Your house budget could get you a nice place in most of Florida.

[MD_IS_NORTH]

Originally Posted by ediebs

Gators also taste like chicken

THAT IS NASTY! MAYBE I'M TO CITY TO UNDERSTAND WHY SOUTHERNERS EAT GATORS,THE THOUGHT MAKES ME PUKE,EWWW IS THE MEAT GREEN? LOL

[jessiesma]

very NOT kosher

Originally Posted by MD_IS_NORTH

THAT IS NASTY! MAYBE I'M TO CITY TO UNDERSTAND WHY SOUTHERNERS EAT GATORS,THE THOUGHT MAKES ME PUKE,EWWW IS THE MEAT GREEN? LOL

[MD_IS_NORTH]

Originally Posted by jessiesma

very NOT kosher

FUNNY THING IS I LOVE UNUSUAL MEATS THAT ARENT COMMON IN AMERICAN GROCERIES SUCH AS DEER,HOWEVER EATING AN ALLIGATOR?? THATS ALMOST LIKE DINOSAUR MEAT LOL

[TampaKaren]

I live on a cypress head that's kept alive by surrounding lakes. In 20+ years, I've never seen a gator anywhere near our property. We do have a link-type fence that we can see through. I have seen gators in and around the man-made lakes at office buildings. If they get to a certain size (maybe 5-6 feet) then an expert comes and moves the gator to a safer place.

I used to work at Saddlebrook in Wesley Chapel on a regular basis. One year, after a golf game, the players said they were at one hole and noticed a rabbit near the bushes. A gator lunged out of the bushes and nabbed the rabbit. We were all surprised!

There is no infestation of gators in the residential areas. But, like with any other wild animal, we just use precaution that we all can live here safely.

[CJFlorida]

Originally Posted by TampaKaren

I live on a cypress head that's kept alive by surrounding lakes. In 20+ years, I've never seen a gator anywhere near our property. We do have a link-type fence that we can see through. I have seen gators in and around the man-made lakes at office buildings. If they get to a certain size (maybe 5-6 feet) then an expert comes and moves the gator to a safer place.

I used to work at Saddlebrook in Wesley Chapel on a regular basis. One year, after a golf game, the players said they were at one hole and noticed a rabbit near the bushes. A gator lunged out of the bushes and nabbed the rabbit. We were all surprised!

There is no infestation of gators in the residential areas. But, like with any other wild animal, we just use precaution that we all can live here safely.

Good realistic post. I always have to laugh that in a country with huge health issues, obesity, smoking, heart disease, gun violence, not exercising, etc.... that people actually worry about a one in 500 million chance that they will get killed by an alligator!

[jessiesma]

and the fact you might survive maimed. Some of the things you mention are also horrible but some of them seem like fun while you're doing them.
Death by alligator is pretty slow and you know it's happening. It's really dying by being tortured. So while the chances are slim, it's sure not a way I want to go.

Originally Posted by CJFlorida

Good realistic post. I always have to laugh that in a country with huge health issues, obesity, smoking, heart disease, gun violence, not exercising, etc.... that people actually worry about a one in 500 million chance that they will get killed by an alligator!