Considering moving from Norway to Tampa Bay Area (Clearwater, Largo: sales, health insurance)

[NorwegianButterfly]

My family is considering moving from Norway to the Tampa Bay Area. We have two children, ages 12 and 7.

I plan to attend school, which is located on Busch Blvd in Tampa. School hours will be from 9:30 to 13:30. Seminole, Largo, Safety Harbor, Clearwater and St. Pete are all areas that we've looked into. Are these considered to be ok areas for familys, and are the elementary schools there ok?
My husband will be gone some of the time, travelling to Norway for work. Some mornings, I will have to drop our kids off at school, before driving to Tampa. Does most elementary schools start around 8:30 in the morning? If so, I would have about an hour to get to my school on Busch Blvd in Tampa. Would this be sufficient time?

My husbands income is around $110,000 a year. We are willing to spend up to $250,000 on a home, without getting a loan. We have no clue on how the taxes etc in Florida is, nor average income. Will my husbands income be high enough to support our family, considering we have no mortgage? We are considering both townhomes and single family homes.

Your help is highly appreciated!

[craigm1841]

Originally Posted by NorwegianButterfly

My family is considering moving from Norway to the Tampa Bay Area. We have two children, ages 12 and 7.

I plan to attend school, which is located on Busch Blvd in Tampa. School hours will be from 9:30 to 13:30. Seminole, Largo, Safety Harbor, Clearwater and St. Pete are all areas that we've looked into. Are these considered to be ok areas for familys, and are the elementary schools there ok?
My husband will be gone some of the time, travelling to Norway for work. Some mornings, I will have to drop our kids off at school, before driving to Tampa. Does most elementary schools start around 8:30 in the morning? If so, I would have about an hour to get to my school on Busch Blvd in Tampa. Would this be sufficient time?

My husbands income is around $110,000 a year. We are willing to spend up to $250,000 on a home, without getting a loan. We have no clue on how the taxes etc in Florida is, nor average income. Will my husbands income be high enough to support our family, considering we have no mortgage? We are considering both townhomes and single family homes.

Your help is highly appreciated!

$110,000 is quite sufficient to support a family, even if you were making a mortgage payment. People support families of 4 on half of that in Tampa, if not less. There is a federal income tax in the US, no state income tax in florida. I am a single guy in the same tax bracket as your family (income wise) so I pay a lot in federal taxes, about 25%-30%. Because your husband has three dependants (you as a student, and your two children) he wont be taxed anywhere near has hard. Your family should have a net income of about $6700 a month after taxes- which is pretty awesome!

That income, with no mortgage will allow you to live very comfortably and enjoy everything Florida has to offer. Because you will not have a mortgage payment- I would say you will be living a good upper-middle class lifestyle. In your situation, I would consider putting your children in private schools rather than public schools. You will be able to easily afford it. I dont know much about the suburbs as I am more a city person. I live in Tampa and stay out of the 'burbs.

Good luck on the move!

[NorwegianButterfly]

Thanks so much craigm1841!

Forgot to mention, that my husband would have to pay Norwegian income tax, which is 38%. I think Norway has a tax agreement with the US, and that my husband will pay taxes to Norway, and not the US. Because of his travelling to Norway for work, he could in fact stay in the US on a tourist visa. But I think we will apply for a F2 visa for him, as well as for our kids. We will definately have to check up on the rules for this, though...

Since you recommend private schools, are the public schools not considered good in these areas?

[ferret111]

The areas you mentioned have mostly good schools. St. Pete is the only one where the schools can really vary in quality. The only problems with those cities would be the commute to Busch Boulevard in Tampa. Traffic can back up, especially from the airport to Downtown Tampa. I'm sure somebody will be able to give you an estimated commute time, since I've never had to do that drive during rush hour. Elementary and high schools usually start earlier than 8:30, usually around 7:30. Some middle schools have a later start time, somewhere around 9.

[rezfreak]

110k enough? Most people would only imagine such income.

[NorwegianButterfly]

Thanks ferret111, for your help!
Hopefully someone can help out with the commute time...

[NorwegianButterfly]

Originally Posted by rezfreak

110k enough? Most people would only imagine such income.

I know it's a nice income, but we are not familiar with the different types of taxes etc in the US, and the cost of living in general. Insurance is another issue, since this is very different from the country where we live. For instance, you do not need a health insurance in Norway. This is public, everyone is covered through our tax system. From my understanding, insurance is considered fairly expensive in the US?

Seems though, that we will be able to live in beautiful Florida for a few years. We absolutely love both the state and the people living there!

[craigm1841]

Originally Posted by NorwegianButterfly

Thanks so much craigm1841!

Forgot to mention, that my husband would have to pay Norwegian income tax, which is 38%. I think Norway has a tax agreement with the US, and that my husband will pay taxes to Norway, and not the US. Because of his travelling to Norway for work, he could in fact stay in the US on a tourist visa. But I think we will apply for a F2 visa for him, as well as for our kids. We will definately have to check up on the rules for this, though...

Since you recommend private schools, are the public schools not considered good in these areas?

The public schools are fine. it varies from place to place. Public schools are run by the county and recieve state and federal funding, based on a multitude of factors. One school can be great and a school 5 miles down the road could be just 'alright' and which one your kids go to depend on your address. Private schools usually offer a better education, better programs, smaller class size, because the schools arent hurting for funding, as it is funded by the people who attend it. I know a few people that have lived in different places around the world, or even around the US and usually keep their kids in private schools because it almost ensures they receive the best education possible. Public schools vary too much. I know someone that moved from texas to georgia and go into a lower grade because the texas school hadnt prepared them for the georgia cirriculum. If you plan on moving back to Norway, or not staying in Tampa, a private school might be a better option for your kids, and you have the income for it.

All of that said- public schools arent bad- just not consistant. Education in the US was just ranked slightly better than Norway in a Newsweek study, I would imagine your children would assimilate well into our school system, but it is hard to say how good the schools are unless you narrow down your neighborhood.

I always felt private schools were better for people who might be considered more transient- as it prepares them as best as they can be prepared rather then prepared to a 'standard'.

[craigm1841]

Originally Posted by NorwegianButterfly

I know it's a nice income, but we are not familiar with the different types of taxes etc in the US, and the cost of living in general. Insurance is another issue, since this is very different from the country where we live. For instance, you do not need a health insurance in Norway. This is public, everyone is covered through our tax system. From my understanding, insurance is considered fairly expensive in the US?

Seems though, that we will be able to live in beautiful Florida for a few years. We absolutely love both the state and the people living there!

You may have to purchase seperate health insurance. My company provides me with health insurance, I pay about $60 a month for a premium plan. While, as most everyone who watches the news knows- the healthcare system in the US is broken, if you have health insurance, it is an incredible health care system. See if your husband can get your company to purchase the healthcare, much like an American company does. If they have employees that are US based, I am sure this is already something that is being done. They will have a healthcare insurance company like "Aetna" or "Blue Cross" that will let you elect which program you have. Doctors and dentist visits have a small co-pay, usually few bucks to a few hundred, depending on procedure. Most prescription medications are $10 with insurance. Healthcare is only bad in the US for those who cant afford or dont have insurance.

I dont know much about property tax and insurance in FL- I dont own a home here, but the only other tax you would have to deal with is a 7% sales tax.

[NorwegianButterfly]

Originally Posted by craigm1841

The public schools are fine. it varies from place to place. Public schools are run by the county and recieve state and federal funding, based on a multitude of factors. One school can be great and a school 5 miles down the road could be just 'alright' and which one your kids go to depend on your address. Private schools usually offer a better education, better programs, smaller class size, because the schools arent hurting for funding, as it is funded by the people who attend it. I know a few people that have lived in different places around the world, or even around the US and usually keep their kids in private schools because it almost ensures they receive the best education possible. Public schools vary too much. I know someone that moved from texas to georgia and go into a lower grade because the texas school hadnt prepared them for the georgia cirriculum. If you plan on moving back to Norway, or not staying in Tampa, a private school might be a better option for your kids, and you have the income for it.

All of that said- public schools arent bad- just not consistant. Education in the US was just ranked slightly better than Norway in a Newsweek study, I would imagine your children would assimilate well into our school system, but it is hard to say how good the schools are unless you narrow down your neighborhood.

I always felt private schools were better for people who might be considered more transient- as it prepares them as best as they can be prepared rather then prepared to a 'standard'.

You are so helpful, thank you for this! Our children are pretty strong students, so hopefully they will do ok in an American school. We will definately look into this, our childrens education is of course a big thing.