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Tampa Bay booming, Florida’s rapid growth, Tampa metro, poor infrastructure and growing pains, old homes, new condos, cheaper cost of living, job salaries
Palm, it's one thing FL does right. It is despicable to have tax on basic food stuffs like bread, milk and the other basics of life. I think on the service counter items like a roast chicken or sushi, there is tax but those aren't basic necessities. I think I posted the original comment on that and I may have mentioned that in AL, certain areas anyway, we paid 9% on food just like anything else and salaries were worse than here although rents were much better.
It really does add up at the grocery store and since we actually have some really big rollers in the state, they can get it from sales of other goods cause those people are going to go to Neiman Marcus no matter what.
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Originally Posted by PalmTreeLover99
Gypsychic- It is terribly hot in Texas...like as in so miserable you just want to die even sitting by the pool hot. When I was there summer of 06' we had over a month where it was 100+ (usually about 105) with humidity at 100%. You walk to your car from your house/apt and you are drenched. I know for me soaking through clothes in 10 seconds isn't what I call a good time. I have a friend who lives in Tampa and he said that it's no way near as hot as TX and he would know as he has spent time in TX. And you are right about the property taxes. One of the things I heard while down there was that one year Cedar Park didn't charge enough in property taxes by accident so then sent out more bills like 6 months later! Can you believe that?? And yes, air conditioning costs a fortune and you have to run it or else you'll melt. In my opinion a $225 bill for an apt isn't a good thing. And with Texas too you have to remember that they get a lot of rain...I mean a lot of rain. And it's not a nice rain in the afternoon type of thing..it's downpours that then bring along floods. I was so depressed when I was down there..rain, heat, rain, heat. The winter did not make up for it either! We had a major ice storm and lost power. Ugh....better stop now...drudging up bad memories. And yes, the economy is funky, but that's everywhere, not just Tampa. Personally as a massage therapist I am finding all kinds of available jobs online so yes, it's all about having the credentials and education, etc.
And one last thing. I keep reading about the property taxes and HMO in Florida....you guys don't have a state tax...and your sales tax is low. The state has to get money from somewhere. As I have been looking up info on hurricanes etc and the sheer amount of money the damage costs it's no wonder the taxes are high. That makes sense to me and something my husband and I are prepared for. And did I read it right do you guys not have tax on food?? If that's true that would be lovely! It amazes me how much tax adds up when you go to the grocery store.
Florida is not "booming" like Phoenix....I was going to move out to AZ as my children reside in Tucson, family there said, forget it, don't come due to the crime, smog, driving situations...etc....I've been out west before, and yeah, it might be a change for a while...but, after living here, in paradise (for the most part) for the past 16 years.....guess what, I'm addicted at the moment to what I know & what I can expect.
We are in a recession, if you haven't heard....Nowhere is any better than anywhere else and yes, there are places worse than Florida to be stuck in with either no or a low paying position...
With the news last week, of home equity loans being frozen, you can only guess the backlash that's going to cause...many people have been living off their equity loans, not a good idea but with bankruptcy, foreclosures & such not eveing hitting their worst yet, you can only imagine what's to come.
Times are tough & if you're coming to Florida without a job whatsoever, you better be prepared to get in line. If you are transfering, you already know that's a whole different ball game...
I just want to say a little something here about Texas being so cheap...it's not by any means. Everyone told me and my husband how affordable it was and how we were gonna love it. That couldn't have been further from the truth. Fact is Texas actually hurt us financially! And we were only renting. Imagine our surprise when my husband registered his car..$400 out the window...then there was the deposit for our electric..another $360...then the costant $225 electric bills every month.
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Originally Posted by gypsychic
I'm glad you posted your experience here, PalmTreeLover. Seems like there are a few people who come to this forum and tout Texas as a great cheap place to live. The truth is Texas has the SECOND HIGHEST property tax rate in the country, second only to Wisonsin, and from what I have read, they are reassessed every year and don't think there are any special caps or exemptions. True the houses are cheaper, but they get you in the taxes. Everyone who has lived there says it is MUCH hotter than in Florida, so AC bills will be lots worse.
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Originally Posted by PalmTreeLover99
Gypsychic- It is terribly hot in Texas...like as in so miserable you just want to die even sitting by the pool hot. When I was there summer of 06' we had over a month where it was 100+ (usually about 105) with humidity at 100%. You walk to your car from your house/apt and you are drenched. I know for me soaking through clothes in 10 seconds isn't what I call a good time. I have a friend who lives in Tampa and he said that it's no way near as hot as TX and he would know as he has spent time in TX. And you are right about the property taxes. One of the things I heard while down there was that one year Cedar Park didn't charge enough in property taxes by accident so then sent out more bills like 6 months later! Can you believe that?? And yes, air conditioning costs a fortune and you have to run it or else you'll melt. In my opinion a $225 bill for an apt isn't a good thing. And with Texas too you have to remember that they get a lot of rain...I mean a lot of rain. And it's not a nice rain in the afternoon type of thing..it's downpours that then bring along floods. I was so depressed when I was down there..rain, heat, rain, heat. The winter did not make up for it either! We had a major ice storm and lost power. Ugh....better stop now...drudging up bad memories. And yes, the economy is funky, but that's everywhere, not just Tampa. Personally as a massage therapist I am finding all kinds of available jobs online so yes, it's all about having the credentials and education, etc.
And one last thing. I keep reading about the property taxes and HMO in Florida....you guys don't have a state tax...and your sales tax is low. The state has to get money from somewhere. As I have been looking up info on hurricanes etc and the sheer amount of money the damage costs it's no wonder the taxes are high. That makes sense to me and something my husband and I are prepared for. And did I read it right do you guys not have tax on food?? If that's true that would be lovely! It amazes me how much tax adds up when you go to the grocery store.
Just as an FYI, I did live in Texas in 04 and 05. Our property taxes in Katy, TX was $1,200 a year for a 4 bedroom, 3 bath 3,500 square foot house.
Our electricity bill never topped $200, We didn't have gas.
Car registration was $70 for an 04 Ford Ranger and my TAVIS ( vehicle inspection ) was $30 and trucks, to my understanding have a higher registration fee then cars anyway, Whoever you know that paid $400 either drives a 100k car or they lied.
Houston is a funny city, With no zoning it's not un-common to see a single family home next to a sky scraper. Property taxes range by the location of your house. I know some people just on my block that paid $1200 while others paid upwards of $5000. It's all about doing your research before buying.
I'll give you this much, It's hotter than hell and it does rain alot but it's really no diffrent from the inland counties of Florida, I remember one summer living in LaBelle ( near Ft. Myers ) It was so hot I thought I was going to die.
Some areas of Florida are very nice in the way of beaches and while Galveston isn't really that beautiful ( atleast the water ) It's still a beach and for what it's worth, I'd trade any beach in Florida for Padre Island.
It is what it is, everyone is entitled to their opinion, I do know one thing for a fact, Houston does offer way more jobs then Tampa at higher salaries and one thing I've noticed is that if you look for apartments in the Tampa area, You have to go as far out as Bartow to find a 3 bedroom for under $1000 a month. Houston currently has 93 apartment buildings just in Harris County with 3 bedrooms for under $800. To me, that's more affordable, Groceries are more affordable, Gas is more affordable, The only thing I saw that was astronomically high was tobacco products, roughly $45 for a carton of Marlboro, Luckily, I don't smoke.
Personally, I wanted to give the Bay Area another chance, but It looks like I'm headed back to Texas.
Our electricity bill never topped $200, We didn't have gas
We didn't have gas either...it was straight electric. People I talked to easily paid $300 or more for electric on their houses. We were just in an apt and no we didn't keep it freezing all summer. People would actually laugh when I expressed my concern over our high electric bill! They would say "Honey, that's cheap compared to what we pay."
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Whoever you know that paid $400 either drives a 100k car or they lied.[
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Being that it was MY husband that paid the $400 I guess they weren't lying. He has a 2000 Altima and a Harley and registration for both was $400. I couldn't believe it. And the car insurance was ridiculously high.
As far as not being able to find an apt in Tampa for under $1,000 I'm not sure where you're looking. I am finding homes for rent in gated communities for $1,000-1,100. I'm not trying to argue about Texas or anything else...just thought I would give a heads up to people out there who are thinking life will be so cheap when they get there. I wish we would have known otherwise we would have just stayed in TN. And I guess what they say about TX is true you either love it or hate it. For me if I even have a layover anywhere in the state I get the heebee jeebies.
Snipped...As far as not being able to find an apt in Tampa for under $1,000 I'm not sure where you're looking. I am finding homes for rent in gated communities for $1,000-1,100.
Please let us know the communities where these rental homes are located. Thx.
I remember reading somewhere that people moving out versus people moving in that we had a net 400 increase per day, but I CAN'T FIND IT NOW!!! Geez. Anyone else have it?
Being that it was MY husband that paid the $400 I guess they weren't lying. He has a 2000 Altima and a Harley and registration for both was $400.
Okay, You didn't say that he registered TWO vehicles, Texas, like Florida has a " New Resident " impact fee of around $100. That could also be why you had to pay as much as you did for a one time deal.
Please let us know the communities where these rental homes are located. Thx.
I just saw a couple in Wesley Chapel, there are always ones in Spring Hill, and I think I saw a couple over the past week or so in Land O' Lakes. I do not know about gated communities in Tampa proper since my family is not looking to live right in the city limits.
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Okay, You didn't say that he registered TWO vehicles, Texas, like Florida has a " New Resident " impact fee of around $100. That could also be why you had to pay as much as you did for a one time deal.
I mentioned in another thread that he registered a 200 model vehicle and a bike. I believe it was your thread where you were asking if you could keep your TN tags, etc. I assumed you would have read the posts on the thread you started. I get that states have a one time fee..I really do understand. But $400 for 2 vehicles one of which isn't a car is ridiculous. Trust me I will have no problem paying my $100 to Florida.
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Yeah, I'd love to hear that too...
Why such scarcasm to a fellow Nashvillian? (If you're not being sarcastic sorry...hard to tell over the internet) I was stating what I have found to be true as far as rent goes. Personally I find it way more reasonable than Nashville even. There is no way I would be able to rent a decent sized house in a part of town I would want to live in here, but I can in the tampa suburbs. I literally search every listing I know of every single day to get estimates so I know what our expenses will be when we move. I didn't do much research when we moved to Austin, much to my own detriment, and only took the word of others. I plan to be prepared this time. As far as apartment rent goes I did a search tonight on Apartments for Rent and Resources for Finding Apartment Rentals Nationwide - ForRent.com and also Apartments for rent: Apartment Guide, your free apartment finder and found tons of 3 bedroom apartments for under $900. That is what I put in for the max rent and also to search Tampa and within a 10 mile radius. These things are out there we just have to put in a lot of legwork to get the best deals. Now, I will say this again. I am not trying to argue with you about Texas, Tampa, or anything else. We are all in this relocating thing together..meaning we all have opinions, even if they're different, on issues regarding places, etc. If we feel that offering our 'story' would be helpful to others than we should share it. That goes for the good and the bad.
Now, to the poster who started this thread...I apologize that this thread has turned into a disagreement about TEXAS! You asked a question and I hope you received the answer you were looking for. Good luck
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US Census: Florida Population
