Thinking about picking up and moving to Florida

[gassy]

Does anyone know anyone who has done this? were they happy? My wife and I have two small boys; 3 and 1. We just flew down and checked out the Melbourne/Palm Bay area, the houses are so cheap right now it's shocking what you can get. The economy is shit down there and there are few jobs but we both can transfer and make the same money that we make in the NE. We would be leaving all our friends and family, but the idea of living 10 minutes from a beach you can use year round and being 60 min from disney is so appealing, plus there is no traffic! Everyone has thought about it in the winter but I'd like to hear someone else's opinion and experience with this. Thank you in advance.

 

[HUTCH]

Does anyone know anyone who has done this? were they happy? My wife and I have two small boys; 3 and 1. We just flew down and checked out the Melbourne/Palm Bay area, the houses are so cheap right now it's shocking what you can get. The economy is shit down there and there are few jobs but we both can transfer and make the same money that we make in the NE. We would be leaving all our friends and family, but the idea of living 10 minutes from a beach you can use year round and being 60 min from disney is so appealing, plus there is no traffic! Everyone has thought about it in the winter but I'd like to hear someone else's opinion and experience with this. Thank you in advance.

Holy Smokes...I use to live in Palm Bay during my junior high years...GREAT place man...10 minutes from Coco Beach, and a ton of fun stuff to do...I would definetly encourage you to do it as long as your job situation is in order, and it sounds like it is...I havent been back there in like 10 years but Im sure it is still great...I would choose Palm Bay over Melbourne...Palm Bay to me is much nicer and less city like, like a suburb i guess...Good luck in whatever you choose man...ill be interested to see what you decide...

 

[aeliop]

I am in the Orlando area

I am in the Orlando area if you decide to move here welcome. Let me know if I can help you in anyway. My wife is in Real estate and she can help you pick up one of those properties that you speak of.

 

[Dave_19]

I dropped an incredible life to start a new one. Why? I'm not sure, I guess I just have trouble staying entertained and happy. I dropped my business every one and every thing I knew decided to move from Detroit to CA. It has been a long roller coaster of events, but I don't regret it. I love it here but it has its cons. too much $, no family... enough said. Some times changes i good though, to me it just helped me get stronger. I know this "world" is nothing to me, I will get by any place any where any time I'll figure out a way, and in do time I"ll find a way to be happy as well. Mental strength you cannot put a value on.

 

[Stump]

Second, if you don't like Mexicans then stay where you are.

WTF!

 

[Chuckblonde]

real-estate in southwest florida is fucked up right now. should be a buyers market soon though

 

[diesel158]

I went down 2 years ago but came back. I should've stayed, I lived in Clermont and liked it but my wife was dragging her feet on selling the house so I went back. I'm thinking of going back down again though.

 

[cpesloco]

Im in Florida and love it. There are a lot of Yanks here that made your same type of decision and have been here for years now. Good luck

 

[Pekkerwood]

Some great advice here. I think this one was especially good "For the most part, if you are happy where you are, you will be happy here".

I have never lived in FLA full time but have owned second homes their. No state income tax, big advantage. Inexpensive car registration versus where I live. We do see a good bit of retirees leaving Florida and buying in the North Georgia and North Carolina mountains these last few years. Rising insurance costs rising real estate costs (no more) have seem to be the drivers.

For the most part I have found that people who move to the south, Atlanta, Florida etc tend to stay. I don't speak with a lot of folks who are dying to get out of here and move north. Just my observation. For some, in Florida, the lack of a real change of seasons takes some adjustment.


Pekkerwood

 

[tflexxin]

We moved from the Midwest 5 years ago. The housing was much more expensive for us, and the cost of living is much higher. Our auto insurance is nearly double, and our home owners insurance is roughly 8x higher (and going up every year) and our house is smaller!!

The job market is also pretty weak, with one of the highest unemployment rates in the country.

Pros? right now there are tons of houses, much cheaper than a few years ago. And of course, weather. 8 months of some of the most beautiful weather available. Summer is like winter for us, everybody stays inside, but you can always hit the pool, beach, etc. No can do for the winters up north!

It all depends on what you value most. we are looking to return to the midwest next summer. We want to return to a somewhat slower lifestyle, bigger home and all 4 seasons.

 

[cpesloco]

I keep hearing about high unemployment rate but everyone I know has a job. You just have to look and not be lazy.

 

[tkav1980]

hey if you go ill go...lol, i live in jersey now and cant stand it here. i mean i love my job and im pretty happy i just hate the area especially the cold winters. my fiancee moved to miami for 6 years then came back and since she has been here for the past 4 years she cant wait to graduate and go back to fla.

 

[kandaandm]

Yes it can be hot this time of the year. I was just walking outside from my car and it's probably about 90 degree's, but at least it's not like Vegas heat.

 

[Sassy]

My cousin (we were like sisters growing up) and her husband lived in Atlanta, and one day they just sold their condo and picked up and moved to Tampa, FL. They stayed there for a couple of months and then found a house in Cape Coral and they love it. They have been there ever since... 8 yrs now.

My former boss was relocated to Ft Lauderdale by his former company. Then about a year later they laid him off. He started working for the company that I work for as my boss. He decided that he liked FL too much too leave, so he didn't relocated to where we are located. Eventually our boss held that against him and when he fired him. He and his wife love it there and it fits their personalities great.

If you like Florida, go ahead and move there and make the best of it.

 

[NuTsOe]

Ive dont just tha back in 02 left in 03,i did it for all the wrong reasons i had a g/f enough said it didnt last,i lived in the gainesville area then we moved to orlando,the jobs are shit unless you have a set career you should be ok,ny advice think long & hard about the move you have 2 boys to think of do you want them growing up away from relatives & growing up to become floridians im sure got juice will chime in as he lives out that way...best of luck

btw thehumidity sucks & growing up in l.a where i currently reside i love it way better spend every weekend at the beach (newport) & imo the beaches out here are way better

 

[W8killa]

I have lived on the west coast of FL (Cape Coral) and currently live in palm beach county. I have lived in FL my whole life. I lived in broward for a while also. I personally like the west coast better. clean, upper class, nice place, low crime. If you like more of an international style fast paced life go for south florida. It almost feels like a different country at times. there are a lot of place down here where people speak more spanish than english. I have been to places like subway and they dont speak english at all. Way more crime over here and it's questionable on the value of living here. overall, I like the lifestyle here but the west coast is better. Where you are talking about is really nice. Palm bay is nice. Buy a longboard to hit up those hurricane swells. Also, went to college in Tallahassee. It feels like georgia there and the winter weather is nice. GO NOLES!

 

[tomuchgear]

i grew up in jax. moved up to ohio years ago to get to know my biological mom. miss florida all the time. i took a job in orlando a couple years ago for a bit. i loved it downside is there are alot of mexicans. before any one says what the heck. you need to speak some spanish. thats all i am saying for me it was fine but a good friend of mine speaks japenese, and said that was the only other language he was learning. he had a hell of a time ordering a beer a few times. the weather is nice. as some one stated you will forget about the beach though. the beach is nice to relax but you do kinda start to think of it as eh been there.

 

[MattyFSU]

FLORIDA IS THE S**T!!!!!!!!!

I lived here all my life and have traveled throughout this country and you couldnt pay me any amount to leave this beautiful state!!!

I LOVE IT!!!!

 

[bigdfk]

Florida has a "shit economy" huh? - kinda harsh... I'd hate to see you come down here and take advantage of us poor Floridians with your small pox and your mechanical horses.

 

[STEVO 47]

I don't care what anyone says, all my relatives and friends that moved there
never came back and glade they did. Cousin has lived in hollywood for
over 30 years and still loves it. I go to Disney world twice a year, ya
expensive but it keeps out the punks and trouble makers and I have a geat time with my
six year old.. I don't know since I live in the good old over taxed, over
populated, corupt state of Maryland anywhere else could be considered
paradise.