Relocation help from Florida folks

[insomniac101]

I'll try to keep this as brief as possible!

I've noticed that several members here live in Florida. My hubby and I are thinking about relocating to a warmer climate, and would like to get some input from people who live and work in Florida.

This kind of piggy-backs on Rich's thread about the weather in Florida - I can handle it! I'm in Michigan, and it's about 9 degrees right now. The biggest issue we have right now is that I'm here in Michigan, and my hubby is living in Illinois. The company he works for closed their facility here, and he had to go to Illinois if he wanted to keep his job. I can't sell my house because of the depressed Detroit housing market, and I don't want to trash my credit by just walking away.

Anyway, the company he works for, fortunately, has offices and plants all over the country. My Mom is in Arizona, and we thought about going there, but having lived in the Great Lake state all my life, I would miss the water so much!

So, I guess my questions have to do with how you folks like living in Florida. I know there is no Utopia, and there are problems everywhere, but if he can transfer to one of the Florida branches, at least we could be together, and out of these horrible winters up here. I suppose I could rent out my house, which I don't really want to do, but we've been apart for almost two years, and it's not working out.

Sorry this was so long, and I would greatly appreciate any info you guys can share.

Thanks,

Kathy

 

[RobbiesCornField]

I LOVE Florida. Short, sweet, and to the point. LOL. There are times when I may complain about it (job market, the stupid drivers/old people), but really, I do love it. It's not really a place I'd recommend if you have issues with bugs, though. Especially during the spring/summer months. And if you don't like humidity, you might want to find another state. Haha!

 

[insomniac101]

Thanks! I'm sure the bug thing will take some getting used to. We have a lot of insects here in the summer, but everything dies in late autumn. We have lots of stupid drivers up here too, and we're old people, so we'll fit right in!

Kathy

 

[ratsncorns]

One downside is there are no real seasons in Florida. I miss that terribly! I loved seeing the aspens turn in Colorado. I didnt realize how much I would miss the snow and seasons until after I moved here. I would move back west in a heartbeat.

 

[snakemom1961]

One downside is there are no real seasons in Florida. I miss that terribly! I loved seeing the aspens turn in Colorado. I didnt realize how much I would miss the snow and seasons until after I moved here. I would move back west in a heartbeat.

That is exactly why I could never live down south. I live in western Michigan and yes it is dang cold right now. But, I love the lake and most of all the seasons. I know I would miss autumn and spring the most. I need my fall colors and cool, crisp, fresh smelling air of autumn.

 

[Nanci]

I love Florida. I lived in Minnesota for 40 years. I would never go back.

My salary took a 25% cut moving down here. It took me five years to catch back up. I don't want to know what I would be making up north.

My county, Alachua, has the lowest unemployment rate in the state. However, it has higher taxes, especially gas and property. But several other counties surrounding it have lower taxes and are still well within commuting distance.

This far north, we still get freezes. The worst it gets in the summer is 100 or so, but mid-90's are common. One thing that I still have trouble getting used to is spring is short. Summer starts early and lasts a long time. I am a cold person but I can barely make it through May without turning on the AC. And I have to keep it on through October for the snakes. I can't grow citrus this far north. (Gainesville). Cities closer to the coast stay warmer, I think, but also have a higher threat of hurricanes. By the time anything passes over here its strength is greatly reduced.

No state income tax is amazing.

It's no more humid here than MN, and there are WAY less ticks and mosquitoes. You WILL have insects in your home. I get these stupid flying Asian roaches- about 3/4" long. They are attracted to light. I very rarely get a huge roach- they freak me out. The pest control guy says they do not want to be in the house as much as you don't want them to be in the house. There are all kinds of super-stingy ants outside. Fleas are a problem nearly year-round. Ants get in the house more than up north. I pay $26 for monthly pest control, for just around the house, including termite prevention.

Land is amazingly cheap. Florida is a lot more rural than you'd think. There are tons of nice paved rails-to-trails. There isn't as much water as you'd think. I was used to not being able to throw a stone without hitting a lake. Not so much down here. And what water there is has alligators in it. You can't just hop in and go swimming any old place.

There are no basements here. Not so many garages. Lots of houses made out of cinder block. Tin roofs, which look weird at first, till you find out they last forever. Not so many two story houses. Fences are black, not white. Pine trees have round tops, not pointy. The air is very clean. You will actually see armadillos and possums. Frequently. The deer and bears and squirrels and panthers are small and scrawny.

 

[Lucille]

I am getting fed up with hurricanes and am daydreaming about Wisconsin. Have even looked at other northeast cities.
I forecast a trend in the next few years- younger people with come south for jobs, and older people may go north and scoop up some of the depressed housing for retirement.

As far as current housing in depressed areas, people buy for a lot of reasons. Some people who have been in the south and have had careers are going north to help their aging parents or be with the family they came from.

Think about listing your home, a realtor will usually come over and give you an estimated selling price and show you what other homes have bbeen selling for in the area. Here, it costs nothing to list your home with a realtor unless it sells. Just an idea.

 

[RobbiesCornField]

Thanks! I'm sure the bug thing will take some getting used to. We have a lot of insects here in the summer, but everything dies in late autumn. We have lots of stupid drivers up here too, and we're old people, so we'll fit right in!

Kathy

I was in Michigan the first week in June a couple years ago, and the humidity and heat were pretty comparable to parts of Florida where I grew up. And I grew up in South West Florida! That's like the humidity capital of the state! LOL. And unless you're 70+, you'll stick out like a sore thumb. :roflmao: At least in Naples you would!

 

[insomniac101]

Thanks for the replies, everyone; this is what we need to hear. There is a website called city-data.com, which lists all kinds of stuff about a city or town, but not what people really think about living there. Check it out: www.city-data.com

Nanci, your info was especially helpful. As Robbie said too, it looks like we're going to have to deal with lots of bugs. Oh well, that's what exterminators are for! I'm sure I would miss the distinct seasons we have here, but as I get older, the winters are killin' me. I have arthritis and a herniated disc in my spine, so it's getting too painful to shovel snow, and we get tons! Oh, why are the fences black instead of white?

Thanks, everyone!

Kathy

 

[Dinah]

One downside is there are no real seasons in Florida.

Hey thats not true, we do have seasons, we have the wet season and the not as wet season LOL. We also have hurricane season, and snowbird season(the people not the birds) LOL

I LOVE Florida. Short, sweet, and to the point. LOL. There are times when I may complain about it (job market, the stupid drivers/old people), but really, I do love it. It's not really a place I'd recommend if you have issues with bugs, though. Especially during the spring/summer months. And if you don't like humidity, you might want to find another state. Haha!

I agree with Robbie, I really like it here in FL. There are cons to FL but overall it is a nice state in terms of weather and location (anywhere in FL is still close enough to the coast that you can take a day trip to the beach).

 

[Hypancistrus]

That is exactly why I could never live down south. I live in western Michigan and yes it is dang cold right now. But, I love the lake and most of all the seasons. I know I would miss autumn and spring the most. I need my fall colors and cool, crisp, fresh smelling air of autumn.

Agreed. I like my seasons, and I hate heat and humidity. But if it was the only way I could be with Tara, I'd do it....

 

[kathylove]

Yes - how could anyone say we don't have seasons here? We have hurricane season and fire season, lol!

I grew up in Wisconsin, never really liked it, and escaped when I was 23. I lived in San Antonio, Tx, for a while, and then moved to Florida in my late 20s. I have visited Az a lot, and will probably retire there eventually. I really like it there. But Florida is one of the better places to live in the US, in my opinion.

Although I really dislike the heat and humidity, I sure do love the winters here! It is better to have to endure rainy season than snow shoveling season, haha!

I really like the lack of state income tax, and our sales tax isn't any worse than most - around 6% in most counties (some are slightly more). And we have a homestead exemption that only allows an annual max. of 3% increase in the valuation of homes for property tax purposes. Not a problem right now in this depressed market! But this is a great time to buy at the bottom of the market - sales are just starting to pick up again in our area this past year. And EVENTUALLY, when the real estate market is strong again (after all, we are making more people, but not new land!), you will be happy to have that homestead exemption. It also exempts the first 25 - 50K value of the property from taxes.

An important factor is also that we have so many herpers in this state. So even with the big Burm scare in the 'Glades, we have SO FAR been able to regulate instead of ban, even with venomous and giant snakes. The more herpers we have, the better our chances of continuing to be heard. And of course, we have lots of reptile shows, some herp societies, and lots of herps in the wild to see here. So Florida is a great choice for herpers right now!

Besides heat and bugs (that can be controlled, indoors, at least), the main problems are hurricanes / insurance and a depressed job market. But if you already have a job, just check to make sure you buy or build a house that will qualify for the best insurance rates, and you have yourself a perfect place to live.

What parts of Florida does the employer have as options? We could use more active members of our local herp society in SW Florida!!

 

[Susan]

I grew up in the Catskill Mountains in New York and then spent about 4 years in southern Louisiana, commuting to Florida during the college breaks during the last 3 of those years. I've lived in the Nature Coast of Florida full time for the past 29 years. I have also visited most of the other portions of Florida. Depending upon what part of the state you live in, you'll be able to find enough variation in weather and landscape to suit most tastes.

Yes, we don't get snow (unless you count the one Christmas in 1989 when we did get snow where I live - it made a blanket about 1/4 inch deep and lasted a couple of hours before melting) and the seasons are not quite what you're used to up north in both duration and appearance (I do have one tree of unknown species that turns an awesome dark red in the fall before the leaves dry up and fall off and have seen "fall colors" in some areas of Florida, albeit for a much shorter time than up north), but you get compensated in other ways.

We have both the Gulf and the Atlantic as well as plenty of fresh water lakes (Land o' Lakes didn't get it's name "just because") and rivers, we have Disney, Universal Studios, Sea World, Busch Gardens, etc, we have big cities and small rural towns, there are swamps, islands, scrub land, and forests. You can go swimming for most of the year, horseback riding, scuba diving, caving, hiking, camping, hunting, boating, salt and fresh water fishing, you name it. And if you like wildlife, we have bald eagles, Florida panthers, bears, alligators and crocodiles, wood storks, manatees, fox squirrels, and corn snakes!

 

[whippet]

Agreed. I like my seasons, and I hate heat and humidity. But if it was the only way I could be with Tara, I'd do it....

Awwwwww I love you too baby! *warm fuzzies*

 

[Lucille]

I grew up in Wisconsin, never really liked it

I don't think I've ever read one post you have written that did not have value. I wish you'd expand on this opinion a little. Most people, when they say they do not like Wisconsin, just mention the cold. Is there more for you than that, that made it less than ideal?

 

[kathylove]

Why, thank you, Lucille!

It is mostly the climate and geography. I always wanted to live someplace where you could AT LEAST grow orange trees - and preferably lots of other tropical plants, too.

I was born in Tx., but after birth lived in northeastern Indiana until I was in 5th grade. Then a family crisis forced my father to move us to his mom's home in Wisconsin. So I had to move to Wisconsin under less than ideal circumstances, and certainly did not want to leave my friends and all I had known all my life. In retrospect, southeastern Wisconsin appeals to me MUCH more than where I lived, almost in Chicago, during my early memories.

Wisconsin is certainly a pretty state - in the summer. But then, LOTS of states are gorgeous in the summer! The winters are just miserable. Lots of ice and cold, but not even all that much snow if you are into winter sports (I am not!). Cars don't start, they slide around on the ice - yuck!!

It is a fairly high tax state - great if you use what they supply with the taxes, I guess. If you don't have kids, I think you lose out, tax - wise.

It is far from the ocean, and far from any real mountains. I love mountains - that is one of the main reasons I want to retire to Az, and will be willing to leave Fl.

So, in my opinion, Wisconsin doesn't offer much that you can't find in many other states - pretty in summer - and has plenty to detract from it. I am glad that most (not all, unfortunately) of my relatives finally left so I don't have much reason to go there anymore.

Just not my cup of tea.

 

[ZoologyGirl]

Just not my cup of tea.

Wisconsin is not my cup of tea either...but that is probably because I grew up here and easily get bored of places (I think I have a natural tendency to explore, and there is just nothing left in my area to explore). I wouldn't mind moving back to the Madison area, or down by Milwaukee near the lakeshore, or the Western more 'mountainous' (hilly) area near the MN border by the Twin Cities, or even to the Wausau area...but I'd rather just get out of Wisconsin all together. I basically only stay here because of the bf's job, but I live in hopes that some day he will be offered some sort of transfer/better job in another state.

 

[Lucille]

Hmmm, if everyone's trying to leave Wisconsin, perhaps it's time to reconsider....

 

[kathylove]

I guess I would like to ask...

Why do you want to move TO Wisconsin?

 

[Cflaguy]

The main season in Florida...

is football season.

The only con I see is the economy coming on the horizon. The state is requiring schools and expensive permits for just about everything to generate revenue.
When I renewed my drivers license in years past I did over the internet for $15. Now I'll need to take a day off from work and go to the DMV with my old license, social security card, and original birth certificate.
A venomous reptile license was $5 a year. Now it s $100 and 1000 hrs of experience.
It's only gonna get worse.