I'm done with winter! (Tampa, Port St. Lucie: renters, car insurance, home)

[BuddyPilgrim]

Hi all,

I have a number of friends who have escaped the New England (NE Wisconsin now for me) winters and moved down to Florida. Not an unusual occurrence I know. I'm stuck in Green Bay for the moment and was just given the opportunity to work from home by my company (I'm a call center rep for a large insurance company). I have several friends in the Tampa Bay area and am thinking of moving there.

My question is can a guy (me) make a fair living (renting a 1/1, 1/2 for around $800/month utilities included) in a safe, secure area? If yes, where? I have a friend in Port St Richie, a couple in Dunedin, and a cousin and another friend on the other coast in Port St. Lucie. By the way, I'm single, 61, and make a little over $36k/year.
Thanks in advance for your replies.

[MortonR]

Originally Posted by BuddyPilgrim

Hi all,

I have a number of friends who have escaped the New England (NE Wisconsin now for me) winters and moved down to Florida. Not an unusual occurrence I know. I'm stuck in Green Bay for the moment and was just given the opportunity to work from home by my company (I'm a call center rep for a large insurance company). I have several friends in the Tampa Bay area and am thinking of moving there.

My question is can a guy (me) make a fair living (renting a 1/1, 1/2 for around $800/month utilities included) in a safe, secure area? If yes, where? I have a friend in Port St Richie, a couple in Dunedin, and a cousin and another friend on the other coast in Port St. Lucie. By the way, I'm single, 61, and make a little over $36k/year.
Thanks in advance for your replies.

Short answer, no, probably not. Rents here are absolutely stupid and continue to rise. $800 will get you a 1/1 in a marginal neighborhood, maybe. While we don't have income tax, our expenses for things such as car insurance are significantly higher (maybe 3x or more) than where you currently live.

I'm drawing on direct experience, I might add, as I came here from Sheboygan (Kohler) and later, Port Washington. I still have friends in Port that I speak with regularly, so I'm still in touch with the area.

Unless you're extremely frugal like my former co-workers in Sheboygan (gotta love those Dutch folks!) I think you would be on the ragged edge of survival down here. I especially wouldn't do it unless you have at least 6 months or more of living expenses.

RM

[kmarc]

Originally Posted by BuddyPilgrim

Hi all,

I have a number of friends who have escaped the New England (NE Wisconsin now for me) winters and moved down to Florida. Not an unusual occurrence I know. I'm stuck in Green Bay for the moment and was just given the opportunity to work from home by my company (I'm a call center rep for a large insurance company). I have several friends in the Tampa Bay area and am thinking of moving there.

My question is can a guy (me) make a fair living (renting a 1/1, 1/2 for around $800/month utilities included) in a safe, secure area? If yes, where? I have a friend in Port St Richie, a couple in Dunedin, and a cousin and another friend on the other coast in Port St. Lucie. By the way, I'm single, 61, and make a little over $36k/year.
Thanks in advance for your replies.

You can live relatively inexpensively in the Port Richey/New Port Richey area. Much of it is lower income white population, including retirees. You just have to be careful to avoid the clusters of drug activity. And also areas that flood out. At your age, you should be able to find a modest little rental in one of the 55+ areas, which may be a little more secure.

The other advantage for you is that if you lose your work at home gig, there are some call centers in that area. They don't pay a lot, though, and some are on the scammy side of things, so just be careful if you decide to go that route. Some are more legit than others, is what I heard. Good luck!.

[kmarc]

Originally Posted by MortonR

Short answer, no, probably not. Rents here are absolutely stupid and continue to rise. $800 will get you a 1/1 in a marginal neighborhood, maybe. While we don't have income tax, our expenses for things such as car insurance are significantly higher (maybe 3x or more) than where you currently live.

I'm drawing on direct experience, I might add, as I came here from Sheboygan (Kohler) and later, Port Washington. I still have friends in Port that I speak with regularly, so I'm still in touch with the area.

Unless you're extremely frugal like my former co-workers in Sheboygan (gotta love those Dutch folks!) I think you would be on the ragged edge of survival down here. I especially wouldn't do it unless you have at least 6 months or more of living expenses.

RM

It can be done if he sticks to Port Richey/New Port Richey. Probably one of the few places where that can be achieved, though.

[kmarc]

Should be able to find something in Veterans Villas in New Port Richey.

[BuddyPilgrim]

I'm shelling out about $950 for a 2/1 heat included now. I could ax the cable and just keep internet. Does that number make any difference?

[cfbs2691]

OP you’re aware your car insurance will be double down here and renters insurance will be around 10x as it is up there.
As far as renting, expect nothing to be included, and rentals are significantly smaller here.
You’ll probably have better options if you move down in the summer.

[LKJ1988]

Originally Posted by kmarc

You can live relatively inexpensively in the Port Richey/New Port Richey area. Much of it is lower income white population, including retirees. You just have to be careful to avoid the clusters of drug activity. And also areas that flood out. At your age, you should be able to find a modest little rental in one of the 55+ areas, which may be a little more secure.

The other advantage for you is that if you lose your work at home gig, there are some call centers in that area. They don't pay a lot, though, and some are on the scammy side of things, so just be careful if you decide to go that route. Some are more legit than others, is what I heard. Good luck!.

He can rent a 2bedroom in many of the run down hoods west of US19 in Pasco for around 600 smackers a month. Man behind me pays 520 a month. And if you think winter is bad wait till ya get taste of west Pasco all summer when we are in a reverse west wind flow with solid sunshine and little rain most of the summer while anyone 2 to 20 miles inland gets much more rain. Wake up at 6am and get slapped in the face with a low of 78 to 84 and dew points of 74 to 84f will be a slap in the face for 7+ months. We no longer have falls or springs as the planet has seen a insane ramp up with heating. We no longer have real winters here and the ramp up in heating in just the last 7 years has been unreal neal.

[BuddyPilgrim]

We had wind chills of -27 last week. Thanks for all the info! It's looking like Vegas is cheaper.

[MortonR]

Originally Posted by BuddyPilgrim

We had wind chills of -27 last week. Thanks for all the info! It's looking like Vegas is cheaper.

Vegas isn't much cheaper. The one place you'll save in Nevada is on car insurance. It's hotter in Vegas, however.

To live on that budget here would pretty much require that you live in a hovel or area of marginal safety.

RM