Thinking About Moving To Florida. Help please. (1 Viewer)

[The Commish]

What is your price range?
I will post some feedback I have got from other brokers and colleagues so far as well which are as follows with likely more to come (each seperated by different people giving feedback)....

St John's County has some of the top ranked schools & that area is hot right now!

I love Tampa but Orlando has great berbs like Winter Garden, Clermont, and Hamlin…

I live in Viera (Melbourne area). Up and coming area with great schools! We are like 45 min away from Orlando, so close, but not too close and way less congested than Tampa.

Tampa area is fire but school system is hit or miss. I tell a lot of people “buy the less expensive house just outside of the city and the extra money goes to private school”!

St Augustine or Jacksonville suburbs (st. John’s )

south Tampa has amazing schools. Super pricey tho. Westchase, waterchase, Odessa areas have great schools and are more reasonable. Still pricey but much less than south Tampa.

My range is $400,000 - $600,000K on a house. I really like the renting idea to kind of scope out the areas.

If 3 bed, 2 bath is good enough, you have a shot here in Central Florida of getting something "non-fixer-upper" in that range....most around $400K are going to need a good bit of work and count on your home insurance being a minimum of $3-4K IF your roof and hot water heater are relatively new. Otherwise add a couple thousand. You'll be between 2300-2700 square feet on average. Anything bigger or more rooms is going to be out of that range unless you're willing to do a good amount of work.

We have a 4br, 3ba, 2100 sq ft row and my wife wants to down-size, so yeah, a 3br, 2ba would do fine.

BACKSTORY: In 2016, I sold my house and my family (wife and 3 kids) moved in with my MIL for what I thought would be a year before we would buy a house either in New Jersey or the Philly suburbs. About 6 months in my MIL lost her job, had some health issues and could no longer work. So instead of moving, we bought her house, tore it down and rebuilt it from a 2 br, 1ba row, to a 4br, 3ba row home. For the last 18 months, I have been saving up to buy a summer house at the Jersey shore. So my house is new, I have a 7 years left of a 10 year tax abatement, I live in one of the hottest neighborhoods in the city (lots of sports guys lived here Rhys Hoskins, Jason Kelce, Connor Barwin a block down the street from me).

BREAKING NEWS: I have been working from home since COVID started. Our firm allows us to come into the office if we choose. Last week my employer sent an email to a group of us because we haven't been into the office since they went remote. I emailed back asking if remote work would be permanent for our group. Employer replied, at the present, they have no intention of bringing us back to the office, but if I wanted to move to a non-commutable location to touch base with them first (our firm does have others that they have allowed to work remotely from non-commutable locations even before COVID so this isn't unprecedented). My wife is a nurse so she wouldn't have any issue finding new employment if we moved.

MY QUESTION: I'm considering a move to move to Florida. I have one kid who is a sophomore in High School and one who is in 5th grade. So I would like to live in a decent school district. I am also looking to live in a suburban area near a large city (was thinking maybe Tampa area). I just need suggestions of what cities in Florida to look for houses in?

One thing that you didn't mention is why you want to move to Florida. Do you just want to get out of NJ so there are other possibilities?

Florida can be kind of polarizing for a variety of different reasons so I'm always interested in knowing the reasons why Florida is the desired destination for someone. Granted, we have our own considerable problems down here and I get that no place is perfect however are you just substituting one set of challenges for another?

I currently live in Philadelphia. So I'm looking for a suburban area. New Jersey has tax disadvantages that prevent me from moving across the river.

1. Lower tax rate. In Philadelphia, I currently pay $125 a check for Philadelphia city wage tax and about $3000 for state income tax. So I figure I could save around $5000-$6000 a year on income tax. I haven't really dove into the taxes for retirement, I still have probably 20 years before I would retire.

2. Lower crime rates. Philadelphia crime has soared under the current liberal leadership. My car sits out on the street (I live in a row house so I don't have off-street parking). I had my catalytic converter stolen, my tires, my car broken into. Drugs are rampant here, homeless people panhandling on every corner (this is not an exaggeration). I've been a victim of armed robbery. One of my family members was murdered. It's time to leave the city, nice place to visit, not to live.

3. Weather. My dream is to sit out on my pool deck, pop open my laptop and do my work. I figure I could do that for 9 months out of the year in Florida as opposed to 4 months out of the year here in the Northeast.

4. I'm looking for a more slower paced life with the ability to still move fast if I choose. That's why I'm prefer a suburb of a large city.

#s 2 & 4 might not meet your expectations in FLA.

Nor #1. We moved here from SC in 2017 and I was excited because "no state income tax!!!!!". Between my wife and myself, that was about $8K in perceived savings. That money was easily consumed by house insurance and property tax differences. To put in perspective....the house we bought here we financed at 3.65%...it was just under $400K. The house we left behind in SC we had bought for $450K and financed at just under 5%. We are paying $1500 a month more now than we were in SC and this house isn't nearly as nice as the one we left. We don't even live in one of the more desirable school districts....it'd be even higher.

#2 is achievable, but all those things listed as concerns in Philly apply here. This area (just north of Orlando) has more panhandling and homelessness than I have ever seen in any state I've ever lived in. Car issues are the same....especially the catalytic converter thing.

#3 can be had anywhere in this state, but it's more like 11 months out of the year if you're good with 90+ degrees and 90% humidity. People tend to be most active around here during Jan/Feb/March and are inside most of the rest of the year.

#4 I can't speak to really. The only place in this state I've spent any meaningful amount of time in where it'd be comparable to large cities up north in terms of pace is Miami. Tampa may be that way, Orlando and Jax are definitely not.

 

[Snotbubbles]

What is your price range?
I will post some feedback I have got from other brokers and colleagues so far as well which are as follows with likely more to come (each seperated by different people giving feedback)....

St John's County has some of the top ranked schools & that area is hot right now!

I love Tampa but Orlando has great berbs like Winter Garden, Clermont, and Hamlin…

I live in Viera (Melbourne area). Up and coming area with great schools! We are like 45 min away from Orlando, so close, but not too close and way less congested than Tampa.

Tampa area is fire but school system is hit or miss. I tell a lot of people “buy the less expensive house just outside of the city and the extra money goes to private school”!

St Augustine or Jacksonville suburbs (st. John’s )

south Tampa has amazing schools. Super pricey tho. Westchase, waterchase, Odessa areas have great schools and are more reasonable. Still pricey but much less than south Tampa.

My range is $400,000 - $600,000K on a house. I really like the renting idea to kind of scope out the areas.

If 3 bed, 2 bath is good enough, you have a shot here in Central Florida of getting something "non-fixer-upper" in that range....most around $400K are going to need a good bit of work and count on your home insurance being a minimum of $3-4K IF your roof and hot water heater are relatively new. Otherwise add a couple thousand. You'll be between 2300-2700 square feet on average. Anything bigger or more rooms is going to be out of that range unless you're willing to do a good amount of work.

We have a 4br, 3ba, 2100 sq ft row and my wife wants to down-size, so yeah, a 3br, 2ba would do fine.

BACKSTORY: In 2016, I sold my house and my family (wife and 3 kids) moved in with my MIL for what I thought would be a year before we would buy a house either in New Jersey or the Philly suburbs. About 6 months in my MIL lost her job, had some health issues and could no longer work. So instead of moving, we bought her house, tore it down and rebuilt it from a 2 br, 1ba row, to a 4br, 3ba row home. For the last 18 months, I have been saving up to buy a summer house at the Jersey shore. So my house is new, I have a 7 years left of a 10 year tax abatement, I live in one of the hottest neighborhoods in the city (lots of sports guys lived here Rhys Hoskins, Jason Kelce, Connor Barwin a block down the street from me).

BREAKING NEWS: I have been working from home since COVID started. Our firm allows us to come into the office if we choose. Last week my employer sent an email to a group of us because we haven't been into the office since they went remote. I emailed back asking if remote work would be permanent for our group. Employer replied, at the present, they have no intention of bringing us back to the office, but if I wanted to move to a non-commutable location to touch base with them first (our firm does have others that they have allowed to work remotely from non-commutable locations even before COVID so this isn't unprecedented). My wife is a nurse so she wouldn't have any issue finding new employment if we moved.

MY QUESTION: I'm considering a move to move to Florida. I have one kid who is a sophomore in High School and one who is in 5th grade. So I would like to live in a decent school district. I am also looking to live in a suburban area near a large city (was thinking maybe Tampa area). I just need suggestions of what cities in Florida to look for houses in?

One thing that you didn't mention is why you want to move to Florida. Do you just want to get out of NJ so there are other possibilities?

Florida can be kind of polarizing for a variety of different reasons so I'm always interested in knowing the reasons why Florida is the desired destination for someone. Granted, we have our own considerable problems down here and I get that no place is perfect however are you just substituting one set of challenges for another?

I currently live in Philadelphia. So I'm looking for a suburban area. New Jersey has tax disadvantages that prevent me from moving across the river.

1. Lower tax rate. In Philadelphia, I currently pay $125 a check for Philadelphia city wage tax and about $3000 for state income tax. So I figure I could save around $5000-$6000 a year on income tax. I haven't really dove into the taxes for retirement, I still have probably 20 years before I would retire.

2. Lower crime rates. Philadelphia crime has soared under the current liberal leadership. My car sits out on the street (I live in a row house so I don't have off-street parking). I had my catalytic converter stolen, my tires, my car broken into. Drugs are rampant here, homeless people panhandling on every corner (this is not an exaggeration). I've been a victim of armed robbery. One of my family members was murdered. It's time to leave the city, nice place to visit, not to live.

3. Weather. My dream is to sit out on my pool deck, pop open my laptop and do my work. I figure I could do that for 9 months out of the year in Florida as opposed to 4 months out of the year here in the Northeast.

4. I'm looking for a more slower paced life with the ability to still move fast if I choose. That's why I'm prefer a suburb of a large city.

#s 2 & 4 might not meet your expectations in FLA.

Nor #1. We moved here from SC in 2017 and I was excited because "no state income tax!!!!!". Between my wife and myself, that was about $8K in perceived savings. That money was easily consumed by house insurance and property tax differences. To put in perspective....the house we bought here we financed at 3.65%...it was just under $400K. The house we left behind in SC we had bought for $450K and financed at just under 5%. We are paying $1500 a month more now than we were in SC and this house isn't nearly as nice as the one we left. We don't even live in one of the more desirable school districts....it'd be even higher.

#2 is achievable, but all those things listed as concerns in Philly apply here. This area (just north of Orlando) has more panhandling and homelessness than I have ever seen in any state I've ever lived in. Car issues are the same....especially the catalytic converter thing.

#3 can be had anywhere in this state, but it's more like 11 months out of the year if you're good with 90+ degrees and 90% humidity. People tend to be most active around here during Jan/Feb/March and are inside most of the rest of the year.

#4 I can't speak to really. The only place in this state I've spent any meaningful amount of time in where it'd be comparable to large cities up north in terms of pace is Miami. Tampa may be that way, Orlando and Jax are definitely not.

You should come to Philadelphia if you want to see homelessness and panhandling. I don't think it's San Francisco bad, but it's bad. We have homeless camps down the street from my house. EVERY light there is a panhandler. If there is a 4 way stop, there are 4 of them. Go into convenience store, they're at the door begging. I'm so done with the city.

 

[fantasy stud]

What is your price range?
I will post some feedback I have got from other brokers and colleagues so far as well which are as follows with likely more to come (each seperated by different people giving feedback)....

St John's County has some of the top ranked schools & that area is hot right now!

I love Tampa but Orlando has great berbs like Winter Garden, Clermont, and Hamlin…

I live in Viera (Melbourne area). Up and coming area with great schools! We are like 45 min away from Orlando, so close, but not too close and way less congested than Tampa.

Tampa area is fire but school system is hit or miss. I tell a lot of people “buy the less expensive house just outside of the city and the extra money goes to private school”!

St Augustine or Jacksonville suburbs (st. John’s )

south Tampa has amazing schools. Super pricey tho. Westchase, waterchase, Odessa areas have great schools and are more reasonable. Still pricey but much less than south Tampa.

My range is $400,000 - $600,000K on a house. I really like the renting idea to kind of scope out the areas.

If 3 bed, 2 bath is good enough, you have a shot here in Central Florida of getting something "non-fixer-upper" in that range....most around $400K are going to need a good bit of work and count on your home insurance being a minimum of $3-4K IF your roof and hot water heater are relatively new. Otherwise add a couple thousand. You'll be between 2300-2700 square feet on average. Anything bigger or more rooms is going to be out of that range unless you're willing to do a good amount of work.

We have a 4br, 3ba, 2100 sq ft row and my wife wants to down-size, so yeah, a 3br, 2ba would do fine.

BACKSTORY: In 2016, I sold my house and my family (wife and 3 kids) moved in with my MIL for what I thought would be a year before we would buy a house either in New Jersey or the Philly suburbs. About 6 months in my MIL lost her job, had some health issues and could no longer work. So instead of moving, we bought her house, tore it down and rebuilt it from a 2 br, 1ba row, to a 4br, 3ba row home. For the last 18 months, I have been saving up to buy a summer house at the Jersey shore. So my house is new, I have a 7 years left of a 10 year tax abatement, I live in one of the hottest neighborhoods in the city (lots of sports guys lived here Rhys Hoskins, Jason Kelce, Connor Barwin a block down the street from me).

BREAKING NEWS: I have been working from home since COVID started. Our firm allows us to come into the office if we choose. Last week my employer sent an email to a group of us because we haven't been into the office since they went remote. I emailed back asking if remote work would be permanent for our group. Employer replied, at the present, they have no intention of bringing us back to the office, but if I wanted to move to a non-commutable location to touch base with them first (our firm does have others that they have allowed to work remotely from non-commutable locations even before COVID so this isn't unprecedented). My wife is a nurse so she wouldn't have any issue finding new employment if we moved.

MY QUESTION: I'm considering a move to move to Florida. I have one kid who is a sophomore in High School and one who is in 5th grade. So I would like to live in a decent school district. I am also looking to live in a suburban area near a large city (was thinking maybe Tampa area). I just need suggestions of what cities in Florida to look for houses in?

One thing that you didn't mention is why you want to move to Florida. Do you just want to get out of NJ so there are other possibilities?

Florida can be kind of polarizing for a variety of different reasons so I'm always interested in knowing the reasons why Florida is the desired destination for someone. Granted, we have our own considerable problems down here and I get that no place is perfect however are you just substituting one set of challenges for another?

I currently live in Philadelphia. So I'm looking for a suburban area. New Jersey has tax disadvantages that prevent me from moving across the river.

1. Lower tax rate. In Philadelphia, I currently pay $125 a check for Philadelphia city wage tax and about $3000 for state income tax. So I figure I could save around $5000-$6000 a year on income tax. I haven't really dove into the taxes for retirement, I still have probably 20 years before I would retire.

2. Lower crime rates. Philadelphia crime has soared under the current liberal leadership. My car sits out on the street (I live in a row house so I don't have off-street parking). I had my catalytic converter stolen, my tires, my car broken into. Drugs are rampant here, homeless people panhandling on every corner (this is not an exaggeration). I've been a victim of armed robbery. One of my family members was murdered. It's time to leave the city, nice place to visit, not to live.

3. Weather. My dream is to sit out on my pool deck, pop open my laptop and do my work. I figure I could do that for 9 months out of the year in Florida as opposed to 4 months out of the year here in the Northeast.

4. I'm looking for a more slower paced life with the ability to still move fast if I choose. That's why I'm prefer a suburb of a large city.

#s 2 & 4 might not meet your expectations in FLA.

Nor #1. We moved here from SC in 2017 and I was excited because "no state income tax!!!!!". Between my wife and myself, that was about $8K in perceived savings. That money was easily consumed by house insurance and property tax differences. To put in perspective....the house we bought here we financed at 3.65%...it was just under $400K. The house we left behind in SC we had bought for $450K and financed at just under 5%. We are paying $1500 a month more now than we were in SC and this house isn't nearly as nice as the one we left. We don't even live in one of the more desirable school districts....it'd be even higher.

#2 is achievable, but all those things listed as concerns in Philly apply here. This area (just north of Orlando) has more panhandling and homelessness than I have ever seen in any state I've ever lived in. Car issues are the same....especially the catalytic converter thing.

#3 can be had anywhere in this state, but it's more like 11 months out of the year if you're good with 90+ degrees and 90% humidity. People tend to be most active around here during Jan/Feb/March and are inside most of the rest of the year.

#4 I can't speak to really. The only place in this state I've spent any meaningful amount of time in where it'd be comparable to large cities up north in terms of pace is Miami. Tampa may be that way, Orlando and Jax are definitely not.

You should come to Philadelphia if you want to see homelessness and panhandling. I don't think it's San Francisco bad, but it's bad. We have homeless camps down the street from my house. EVERY light there is a panhandler. If there is a 4 way stop, there are 4 of them. Go into convenience store, they're at the door begging. I'm so done with the city.

Sounds like downtown Jacksonville

 

[massraider]

In terms of school district, doesn't matter in FL, you can send your kids wherever you want. Huge plus.

If you don't want to pay extra for school district, you don't have to.

 

[The Commish]

What is your price range?
I will post some feedback I have got from other brokers and colleagues so far as well which are as follows with likely more to come (each seperated by different people giving feedback)....

St John's County has some of the top ranked schools & that area is hot right now!

I love Tampa but Orlando has great berbs like Winter Garden, Clermont, and Hamlin…

I live in Viera (Melbourne area). Up and coming area with great schools! We are like 45 min away from Orlando, so close, but not too close and way less congested than Tampa.

Tampa area is fire but school system is hit or miss. I tell a lot of people “buy the less expensive house just outside of the city and the extra money goes to private school”!

St Augustine or Jacksonville suburbs (st. John’s )

south Tampa has amazing schools. Super pricey tho. Westchase, waterchase, Odessa areas have great schools and are more reasonable. Still pricey but much less than south Tampa.

My range is $400,000 - $600,000K on a house. I really like the renting idea to kind of scope out the areas.

If 3 bed, 2 bath is good enough, you have a shot here in Central Florida of getting something "non-fixer-upper" in that range....most around $400K are going to need a good bit of work and count on your home insurance being a minimum of $3-4K IF your roof and hot water heater are relatively new. Otherwise add a couple thousand. You'll be between 2300-2700 square feet on average. Anything bigger or more rooms is going to be out of that range unless you're willing to do a good amount of work.

We have a 4br, 3ba, 2100 sq ft row and my wife wants to down-size, so yeah, a 3br, 2ba would do fine.

BACKSTORY: In 2016, I sold my house and my family (wife and 3 kids) moved in with my MIL for what I thought would be a year before we would buy a house either in New Jersey or the Philly suburbs. About 6 months in my MIL lost her job, had some health issues and could no longer work. So instead of moving, we bought her house, tore it down and rebuilt it from a 2 br, 1ba row, to a 4br, 3ba row home. For the last 18 months, I have been saving up to buy a summer house at the Jersey shore. So my house is new, I have a 7 years left of a 10 year tax abatement, I live in one of the hottest neighborhoods in the city (lots of sports guys lived here Rhys Hoskins, Jason Kelce, Connor Barwin a block down the street from me).

BREAKING NEWS: I have been working from home since COVID started. Our firm allows us to come into the office if we choose. Last week my employer sent an email to a group of us because we haven't been into the office since they went remote. I emailed back asking if remote work would be permanent for our group. Employer replied, at the present, they have no intention of bringing us back to the office, but if I wanted to move to a non-commutable location to touch base with them first (our firm does have others that they have allowed to work remotely from non-commutable locations even before COVID so this isn't unprecedented). My wife is a nurse so she wouldn't have any issue finding new employment if we moved.

MY QUESTION: I'm considering a move to move to Florida. I have one kid who is a sophomore in High School and one who is in 5th grade. So I would like to live in a decent school district. I am also looking to live in a suburban area near a large city (was thinking maybe Tampa area). I just need suggestions of what cities in Florida to look for houses in?

One thing that you didn't mention is why you want to move to Florida. Do you just want to get out of NJ so there are other possibilities?

Florida can be kind of polarizing for a variety of different reasons so I'm always interested in knowing the reasons why Florida is the desired destination for someone. Granted, we have our own considerable problems down here and I get that no place is perfect however are you just substituting one set of challenges for another?

I currently live in Philadelphia. So I'm looking for a suburban area. New Jersey has tax disadvantages that prevent me from moving across the river.

1. Lower tax rate. In Philadelphia, I currently pay $125 a check for Philadelphia city wage tax and about $3000 for state income tax. So I figure I could save around $5000-$6000 a year on income tax. I haven't really dove into the taxes for retirement, I still have probably 20 years before I would retire.

2. Lower crime rates. Philadelphia crime has soared under the current liberal leadership. My car sits out on the street (I live in a row house so I don't have off-street parking). I had my catalytic converter stolen, my tires, my car broken into. Drugs are rampant here, homeless people panhandling on every corner (this is not an exaggeration). I've been a victim of armed robbery. One of my family members was murdered. It's time to leave the city, nice place to visit, not to live.

3. Weather. My dream is to sit out on my pool deck, pop open my laptop and do my work. I figure I could do that for 9 months out of the year in Florida as opposed to 4 months out of the year here in the Northeast.

4. I'm looking for a more slower paced life with the ability to still move fast if I choose. That's why I'm prefer a suburb of a large city.

#s 2 & 4 might not meet your expectations in FLA.

Nor #1. We moved here from SC in 2017 and I was excited because "no state income tax!!!!!". Between my wife and myself, that was about $8K in perceived savings. That money was easily consumed by house insurance and property tax differences. To put in perspective....the house we bought here we financed at 3.65%...it was just under $400K. The house we left behind in SC we had bought for $450K and financed at just under 5%. We are paying $1500 a month more now than we were in SC and this house isn't nearly as nice as the one we left. We don't even live in one of the more desirable school districts....it'd be even higher.

#2 is achievable, but all those things listed as concerns in Philly apply here. This area (just north of Orlando) has more panhandling and homelessness than I have ever seen in any state I've ever lived in. Car issues are the same....especially the catalytic converter thing.

#3 can be had anywhere in this state, but it's more like 11 months out of the year if you're good with 90+ degrees and 90% humidity. People tend to be most active around here during Jan/Feb/March and are inside most of the rest of the year.

#4 I can't speak to really. The only place in this state I've spent any meaningful amount of time in where it'd be comparable to large cities up north in terms of pace is Miami. Tampa may be that way, Orlando and Jax are definitely not.

You should come to Philadelphia if you want to see homelessness and panhandling. I don't think it's San Francisco bad, but it's bad. We have homeless camps down the street from my house. EVERY light there is a panhandler. If there is a 4 way stop, there are 4 of them. Go into convenience store, they're at the door begging. I'm so done with the city.

Sounds like downtown Jacksonville

Right....Orlando isn't as bad as Jacksonville, but its working on it. We have a stretch of 8-10 miles between two small towns where I live. Every light has not A panhandler, but multiple. Between here and Orlando proper, every off ramp has them. I'm not trying to compare the areas and make arguments for which is worse etc. I've never lived in Philly, but I don't question it's a problem. I'm merely pointing out its a problem here too....a big one.

 

[fantasy stud]

What is your price range?
I will post some feedback I have got from other brokers and colleagues so far as well which are as follows with likely more to come (each seperated by different people giving feedback)....

St John's County has some of the top ranked schools & that area is hot right now!

I love Tampa but Orlando has great berbs like Winter Garden, Clermont, and Hamlin…

I live in Viera (Melbourne area). Up and coming area with great schools! We are like 45 min away from Orlando, so close, but not too close and way less congested than Tampa.

Tampa area is fire but school system is hit or miss. I tell a lot of people “buy the less expensive house just outside of the city and the extra money goes to private school”!

St Augustine or Jacksonville suburbs (st. John’s )

south Tampa has amazing schools. Super pricey tho. Westchase, waterchase, Odessa areas have great schools and are more reasonable. Still pricey but much less than south Tampa.

My range is $400,000 - $600,000K on a house. I really like the renting idea to kind of scope out the areas.

If 3 bed, 2 bath is good enough, you have a shot here in Central Florida of getting something "non-fixer-upper" in that range....most around $400K are going to need a good bit of work and count on your home insurance being a minimum of $3-4K IF your roof and hot water heater are relatively new. Otherwise add a couple thousand. You'll be between 2300-2700 square feet on average. Anything bigger or more rooms is going to be out of that range unless you're willing to do a good amount of work.

We have a 4br, 3ba, 2100 sq ft row and my wife wants to down-size, so yeah, a 3br, 2ba would do fine.

BACKSTORY: In 2016, I sold my house and my family (wife and 3 kids) moved in with my MIL for what I thought would be a year before we would buy a house either in New Jersey or the Philly suburbs. About 6 months in my MIL lost her job, had some health issues and could no longer work. So instead of moving, we bought her house, tore it down and rebuilt it from a 2 br, 1ba row, to a 4br, 3ba row home. For the last 18 months, I have been saving up to buy a summer house at the Jersey shore. So my house is new, I have a 7 years left of a 10 year tax abatement, I live in one of the hottest neighborhoods in the city (lots of sports guys lived here Rhys Hoskins, Jason Kelce, Connor Barwin a block down the street from me).

BREAKING NEWS: I have been working from home since COVID started. Our firm allows us to come into the office if we choose. Last week my employer sent an email to a group of us because we haven't been into the office since they went remote. I emailed back asking if remote work would be permanent for our group. Employer replied, at the present, they have no intention of bringing us back to the office, but if I wanted to move to a non-commutable location to touch base with them first (our firm does have others that they have allowed to work remotely from non-commutable locations even before COVID so this isn't unprecedented). My wife is a nurse so she wouldn't have any issue finding new employment if we moved.

MY QUESTION: I'm considering a move to move to Florida. I have one kid who is a sophomore in High School and one who is in 5th grade. So I would like to live in a decent school district. I am also looking to live in a suburban area near a large city (was thinking maybe Tampa area). I just need suggestions of what cities in Florida to look for houses in?

One thing that you didn't mention is why you want to move to Florida. Do you just want to get out of NJ so there are other possibilities?

Florida can be kind of polarizing for a variety of different reasons so I'm always interested in knowing the reasons why Florida is the desired destination for someone. Granted, we have our own considerable problems down here and I get that no place is perfect however are you just substituting one set of challenges for another?

I currently live in Philadelphia. So I'm looking for a suburban area. New Jersey has tax disadvantages that prevent me from moving across the river.

1. Lower tax rate. In Philadelphia, I currently pay $125 a check for Philadelphia city wage tax and about $3000 for state income tax. So I figure I could save around $5000-$6000 a year on income tax. I haven't really dove into the taxes for retirement, I still have probably 20 years before I would retire.

2. Lower crime rates. Philadelphia crime has soared under the current liberal leadership. My car sits out on the street (I live in a row house so I don't have off-street parking). I had my catalytic converter stolen, my tires, my car broken into. Drugs are rampant here, homeless people panhandling on every corner (this is not an exaggeration). I've been a victim of armed robbery. One of my family members was murdered. It's time to leave the city, nice place to visit, not to live.

3. Weather. My dream is to sit out on my pool deck, pop open my laptop and do my work. I figure I could do that for 9 months out of the year in Florida as opposed to 4 months out of the year here in the Northeast.

4. I'm looking for a more slower paced life with the ability to still move fast if I choose. That's why I'm prefer a suburb of a large city.

#s 2 & 4 might not meet your expectations in FLA.

Nor #1. We moved here from SC in 2017 and I was excited because "no state income tax!!!!!". Between my wife and myself, that was about $8K in perceived savings. That money was easily consumed by house insurance and property tax differences. To put in perspective....the house we bought here we financed at 3.65%...it was just under $400K. The house we left behind in SC we had bought for $450K and financed at just under 5%. We are paying $1500 a month more now than we were in SC and this house isn't nearly as nice as the one we left. We don't even live in one of the more desirable school districts....it'd be even higher.

#2 is achievable, but all those things listed as concerns in Philly apply here. This area (just north of Orlando) has more panhandling and homelessness than I have ever seen in any state I've ever lived in. Car issues are the same....especially the catalytic converter thing.

#3 can be had anywhere in this state, but it's more like 11 months out of the year if you're good with 90+ degrees and 90% humidity. People tend to be most active around here during Jan/Feb/March and are inside most of the rest of the year.

#4 I can't speak to really. The only place in this state I've spent any meaningful amount of time in where it'd be comparable to large cities up north in terms of pace is Miami. Tampa may be that way, Orlando and Jax are definitely not.

You should come to Philadelphia if you want to see homelessness and panhandling. I don't think it's San Francisco bad, but it's bad. We have homeless camps down the street from my house. EVERY light there is a panhandler. If there is a 4 way stop, there are 4 of them. Go into convenience store, they're at the door begging. I'm so done with the city.

Sounds like downtown Jacksonville

Right....Orlando isn't as bad as Jacksonville, but its working on it. We have a stretch of 8-10 miles between two small towns where I live. Every light has not A panhandler, but multiple. Between here and Orlando proper, every off ramp has them. I'm not trying to compare the areas and make arguments for which is worse etc. I've never lived in Philly, but I don't question it's a problem. I'm merely pointing out its a problem here too....a big one.

I suspect it is a problem in every major city in America.

 

[tonysmiles]

Being here in Wesley Chapel for 17 years it has grown but it has been managed well. Coming from a metropolis to a population of 60K people this is not congestion. Schools best schools in the area. My wife taught at a prep/day School in New England before moving here and we landed upon WC due to the curriculum they teach. My wife is in education so we had the luxury of picking and choosing where our child went to school even though they were not available for school choice and it has paid some great financial benefits. Do not drink the Kool-Aid your child cannot go to any school; they can only go to school that is not at capacity. In Wesley Chapel honestly all schools are at capacity. I am grateful for selecting Wesley Chapel over a Riverview or Brandon because area is more in demand so home appreciation is quicker, schools are top rated, and accessibility to Tampa is very easy.

 

[The Commish]

In terms of school district, doesn't matter in FL, you can send your kids wherever you want. Huge plus.

If you don't want to pay extra for school district, you don't have to.

This is sort of true.....they have to have room for your child. This is a new phenomenon too. It remains to be seen how/if this will actually all work out. It's my understanding that zoning still takes precedent when the schools are at capacity.

 

[The Commish]

I suspect it is a problem in every major city in America.

Absolutely. Here in Florida it's also a problem in the small towns. Simply not enough affordable housing to keep up with the population and it's compounded by the lack of action on home insurance reform.

 

[massraider]

In terms of school district, doesn't matter in FL, you can send your kids wherever you want. Huge plus.

If you don't want to pay extra for school district, you don't have to.

This is sort of true.....they have to have room for your child. This is a new phenomenon too. It remains to be seen how/if this will actually all work out. It's my understanding that zoning still takes precedent when the schools are at capacity.

Thanks, I assume it should not come to that. If OP lives in Philly, and is down-sizing, my guess is prices in nice Tampa suburbs aren't scary.

Being able to cast a wide net, and not having a dozen must-haves, he should be able to find something great.

 

[Sand]

Consider Jacksonville or one of the suburbs in Clay County across the St. John's River such as Orange Park. My sister has 4 kids, the ones who were motivated did well in public schools. One is at UF now.

An in-law moved from.Boston to Lithia, into a planned community, Fishhawk Ranch, about 25 miles south and west of Tampa. Their 2 kids are in college, they love the neighborhood.

Near where my family lives:

Fishhawk Ranch Riverview Real Estate - Fishhawk Ranch Riverview Homes For Sale | Zillow

Zillow has 13 homes for sale in Fishhawk Ranch Riverview. View listing photos, review sales history, and use our detailed real estate filters to find the perfect place.

www.zillow.com

699 Charles Pinckney St, Orange Park, FL 32073 | Zillow

699 Charles Pinckney St, Orange Park FL, is a Single Family home that contains 1926 sq ft and was built in 1994.It contains 4 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms.This home last sold for $87,900 in July 1994. The Zestimate for this Single Family is $312,200, which has decreased by $597 in the last 30...

www.zillow.com

3332 Gay Rd, Orange Park, FL 32065 | Zillow

3332 Gay Rd, Orange Park FL, is a Single Family home that contains 2160 sq ft and was built in 2003.It contains 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. The Zestimate for this Single Family is $413,800, which has decreased by $1,710 in the last 30 days.The Rent Zestimate for this Single Family is...

www.zillow.com

Fishhawk is bougie and it's on a failed road.

How does a road fail?

 

[the moops]

Lithia, into a planned community, Fishhawk Ranch, about 25 miles south and west of Tampa.

East

 

[Osaurus]

Consider Jacksonville or one of the suburbs in Clay County across the St. John's River such as Orange Park. My sister has 4 kids, the ones who were motivated did well in public schools. One is at UF now.

An in-law moved from.Boston to Lithia, into a planned community, Fishhawk Ranch, about 25 miles south and west of Tampa. Their 2 kids are in college, they love the neighborhood.

Near where my family lives:

Fishhawk Ranch Riverview Real Estate - Fishhawk Ranch Riverview Homes For Sale | Zillow

Zillow has 13 homes for sale in Fishhawk Ranch Riverview. View listing photos, review sales history, and use our detailed real estate filters to find the perfect place.

www.zillow.com

699 Charles Pinckney St, Orange Park, FL 32073 | Zillow

699 Charles Pinckney St, Orange Park FL, is a Single Family home that contains 1926 sq ft and was built in 1994.It contains 4 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms.This home last sold for $87,900 in July 1994. The Zestimate for this Single Family is $312,200, which has decreased by $597 in the last 30...

www.zillow.com

3332 Gay Rd, Orange Park, FL 32065 | Zillow

3332 Gay Rd, Orange Park FL, is a Single Family home that contains 2160 sq ft and was built in 2003.It contains 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. The Zestimate for this Single Family is $413,800, which has decreased by $1,710 in the last 30 days.The Rent Zestimate for this Single Family is...

www.zillow.com

Fishhawk is bougie and it's on a failed road.

How does a road fail?

Lacks capacity for total number of cars and develops material stress which road crews can’t keep up with.

 

[SWC]

nothing that any of you have said makes florida seem that attractive to live in so why is everyone moving there i dont get it take that to the bank bromigos

 

[Senor Schmutzig]

nothing that any of you have said makes florida seem that attractive to live in so why is everyone moving there i dont get it take that to the bank bromigos

Maybe it says more about where they are coming from versus what Florida offers. Best of the worst?

 

[Terpman22]

nothing that any of you have said makes florida seem that attractive to live in so why is everyone moving there i dont get it take that to the bank bromigos

Good weather, sans dodging hurricanes. No state taxes. Freedom to do a lot of things you normally can't in other states.

 

[The Commish]

In terms of school district, doesn't matter in FL, you can send your kids wherever you want. Huge plus.

If you don't want to pay extra for school district, you don't have to.

This is sort of true.....they have to have room for your child. This is a new phenomenon too. It remains to be seen how/if this will actually all work out. It's my understanding that zoning still takes precedent when the schools are at capacity.

Thanks, I assume it should not come to that. If OP lives in Philly, and is down-sizing, my guess is prices in nice Tampa suburbs aren't scary.

Being able to cast a wide net, and not having a dozen must-haves, he should be able to find something great.

Yeah, I can't speak to the Tampa side of the state, just here in our area of Central Florida and what you'll get around here for that price. No idea about over there. I'm pretty confident in thinking that WPB and south into the keys are likely out of the question too.

 

[greedygoat]

nothing that any of you have said makes florida seem that attractive to live in so why is everyone moving there i dont get it take that to the bank bromigos

Says the brochacho from Wisconsin

 

[The Commish]

nothing that any of you have said makes florida seem that attractive to live in so why is everyone moving there i dont get it take that to the bank bromigos

Good weather, sans dodging hurricanes. No state taxes. Freedom to do a lot of things you normally can't in other states.

The increase in home insurance and property taxes will most likely offset whatever state income tax you're paying elsewhere...not everyone, but I feel like the term "most" applies here. To the freedom comment, that's a double-edged sword. Plenty of things are not allowed here that are allowed elsewhere. I'm actually trying to come up with something that is provided here that isn't provided in a lot of other places. Outside of guns, I'm not coming up with a very big list.

 

[Terpman22]

nothing that any of you have said makes florida seem that attractive to live in so why is everyone moving there i dont get it take that to the bank bromigos

Good weather, sans dodging hurricanes. No state taxes. Freedom to do a lot of things you normally can't in other states.

The increase in home insurance and property taxes will most likely offset whatever state income tax you're paying elsewhere...not everyone, but I feel like the term "most" applies here. To the freedom comment, that's a double-edged sword. Plenty of things are not allowed here that are allowed elsewhere. I'm actually trying to come up with something that is provided here that isn't provided in a lot of other places. Outside of guns, I'm not coming up with a very big list.

Yeah starts with guns, the list isn't that long. And its not stuff I probably should get into on here, but IMO it's bad stuff. Like "stand your ground" laws that allow more freedom to kinda be a jerk.

 

[Desert_Power]

nothing that any of you have said makes florida seem that attractive to live in so why is everyone moving there i dont get it take that to the bank bromigos

People don't like being cold.

 

[Spanky267]

I would recommend against the Brandon, Valrico, Riverview area. I lived there for many years until we moved to Texas in 2016. Have been back several times and my brothers office is in Brandon. The traffic is terrible due to massive growth and transportation infrastructure not being able to keep pace. Osaurus is absolutely correct about Fishhawk Ranch. Lithia Pinecrest road is most likely one of the most congested roads in the county. Fishhawk is nice but if you want to go north from there your routes are limited and Lithia Pinecrest road is the major avenue to go north. I was born and raised in Hillsborough County. Lived there for 43 years and I would not ever consider moving back, voluntarily. The only things I truly miss from Florida are family, friends and the beaches. The beaches in Texas are not to my liking.

But If you do want to consider the move and the Tampa area is your preferred landing spot. Then I would second the North Tampa suburbs of Wesley Chapel and the like. If you want to be a little closer to the city center then perhaps consider the older and original portions of Carrollwood. But you are most likely going to be at the top end of your budget.

 

[Senor Schmutzig]

nothing that any of you have said makes florida seem that attractive to live in so why is everyone moving there i dont get it take that to the bank bromigos

Good weather, sans dodging hurricanes. No state taxes. Freedom to do a lot of things you normally can't in other states.

Like recreational marijuana? Oh yeah, that's not legal in Florida.

Or freedom of speech for journalists to give their opinion about public officials? Nope, can't do that either.

So what about a women's right to choose? Any freedom there? Nope, don't think so.

That's the shortlist but I'm not a fan of where things are going in Florida. It's always been kind of a f*#&edup place to live due to the people that it seems to attract (*see Florida man)

I'm actually second-guessing my son's desire to go to a state-run university in the fall due to these recent changes.

We've lived in Florida for the past 13 years and will probably stay here a while longer based on future job prospects, but we aren't as enamored with staying here as much as we were when we moved down.

 

[Snotbubbles]

Thanks for the tips. Wesley Chapel looks interesting.

 

[Snotbubbles]

Being here in Wesley Chapel for 17 years it has grown but it has been managed well. Coming from a metropolis to a population of 60K people this is not congestion. Schools best schools in the area. My wife taught at a prep/day School in New England before moving here and we landed upon WC due to the curriculum they teach. My wife is in education so we had the luxury of picking and choosing where our child went to school even though they were not available for school choice and it has paid some great financial benefits. Do not drink the Kool-Aid your child cannot go to any school; they can only go to school that is not at capacity. In Wesley Chapel honestly all schools are at capacity. I am grateful for selecting Wesley Chapel over a Riverview or Brandon because area is more in demand so home appreciation is quicker, schools are top rated, and accessibility to Tampa is very easy.

So if I moved to say Wesley Chapel, my kid might not be able to go to school in that district?

 

[rustycolts]

BACKSTORY: In 2016, I sold my house and my family (wife and 3 kids) moved in with my MIL for what I thought would be a year before we would buy a house either in New Jersey or the Philly suburbs. About 6 months in my MIL lost her job, had some health issues and could no longer work. So instead of moving, we bought her house, tore it down and rebuilt it from a 2 br, 1ba row, to a 4br, 3ba row home. For the last 18 months, I have been saving up to buy a summer house at the Jersey shore. So my house is new, I have a 7 years left of a 10 year tax abatement, I live in one of the hottest neighborhoods in the city (lots of sports guys lived here Rhys Hoskins, Jason Kelce, Connor Barwin a block down the street from me).

BREAKING NEWS: I have been working from home since COVID started. Our firm allows us to come into the office if we choose. Last week my employer sent an email to a group of us because we haven't been into the office since they went remote. I emailed back asking if remote work would be permanent for our group. Employer replied, at the present, they have no intention of bringing us back to the office, but if I wanted to move to a non-commutable location to touch base with them first (our firm does have others that they have allowed to work remotely from non-commutable locations even before COVID so this isn't unprecedented). My wife is a nurse so she wouldn't have any issue finding new employment if we moved.

MY QUESTION: I'm considering a move to move to Florida. I have one kid who is a sophomore in High School and one who is in 5th grade. So I would like to live in a decent school district. I am also looking to live in a suburban area near a large city (was thinking maybe Tampa area). I just need suggestions of what cities in Florida to look for houses in?

So I've lived here all my life so I may be a little biased but I would never live anywhere else. I've not noticed all the negatives some of the other transplants have. Sometimes I wonder why they ever moved here.

I'm in Eustis about 40 miles North of Orlando. You can get to either coast in less than 2 hours. Orlando 45 mins to the South. We have a very good school system in Lake county.

Their are 3 very good hospitals within 45 minute drive for your wife to check into. If she doesn't mind commuting a little further there is Shands in Gainsville and Orlando Health system in Orlando.

I've not noticed alot of homeless or panhandling in our area. I pay $ 1400 a year for homeowners insurance but I do have much less house than your looking for. $400000 grand would get you a real nice house in Eustis or anywhere in Lake County area especially if you go really rural like Umatilla for instance.

Homes Sold In Eustis Florida | RE/MAX

View all recently sold Eustis homes. Updated every 15 minutes for accuracy

www.floridaishome.com

 

[The Commish]

nothing that any of you have said makes florida seem that attractive to live in so why is everyone moving there i dont get it take that to the bank bromigos

Good weather, sans dodging hurricanes. No state taxes. Freedom to do a lot of things you normally can't in other states.

The increase in home insurance and property taxes will most likely offset whatever state income tax you're paying elsewhere...not everyone, but I feel like the term "most" applies here. To the freedom comment, that's a double-edged sword. Plenty of things are not allowed here that are allowed elsewhere. I'm actually trying to come up with something that is provided here that isn't provided in a lot of other places. Outside of guns, I'm not coming up with a very big list.

Yeah starts with guns, the list isn't that long. And its not stuff I probably should get into on here, but IMO it's bad stuff. Like "stand your ground" laws that allow more freedom to kinda be a jerk.

Thanks...when you said "a lot of things you normally can't do in other states" it got me thinking. I'd say it's actually the other way around now, after the last 2 years. There's a lot here you can't do that you are allowed to do in other states. It's been a crazy few years since we've been here for sure.

 

[The Commish]

Being here in Wesley Chapel for 17 years it has grown but it has been managed well. Coming from a metropolis to a population of 60K people this is not congestion. Schools best schools in the area. My wife taught at a prep/day School in New England before moving here and we landed upon WC due to the curriculum they teach. My wife is in education so we had the luxury of picking and choosing where our child went to school even though they were not available for school choice and it has paid some great financial benefits. Do not drink the Kool-Aid your child cannot go to any school; they can only go to school that is not at capacity. In Wesley Chapel honestly all schools are at capacity. I am grateful for selecting Wesley Chapel over a Riverview or Brandon because area is more in demand so home appreciation is quicker, schools are top rated, and accessibility to Tampa is very easy.

So if I moved to say Wesley Chapel, my kid might not be able to go to school in that district?

All the districts are different, but MOST of them give precedent to those who live in the district, but not all do. Whoever brought up the voucher point before DID bring it up as a point that you don't have to live in the district your kids go to school in. That's true, but if you don't live in district you'll likely be a lower priority on the list. You'll need to check with each school district to find out how they determine their priorities.

Knowing what I know now, I'd just take "no state income tax" off your list of "pros" for the move because it's likely that you'll end up paying more money out each month to insurance and property taxes than you were paying in state income tax in PA.

 

[Terpman22]

nothing that any of you have said makes florida seem that attractive to live in so why is everyone moving there i dont get it take that to the bank bromigos

Good weather, sans dodging hurricanes. No state taxes. Freedom to do a lot of things you normally can't in other states.

The increase in home insurance and property taxes will most likely offset whatever state income tax you're paying elsewhere...not everyone, but I feel like the term "most" applies here. To the freedom comment, that's a double-edged sword. Plenty of things are not allowed here that are allowed elsewhere. I'm actually trying to come up with something that is provided here that isn't provided in a lot of other places. Outside of guns, I'm not coming up with a very big list.

Yeah starts with guns, the list isn't that long. And its not stuff I probably should get into on here, but IMO it's bad stuff. Like "stand your ground" laws that allow more freedom to kinda be a jerk.

Thanks...when you said "a lot of things you normally can't do in other states" it got me thinking. I'd say it's actually the other way around now, after the last 2 years. There's a lot here you can't do that you are allowed to do in other states. It's been a crazy few years since we've been here for sure.

There are a lot of job opportunities in Florida that you don't see in a lot of places as well. Big tourism industry, people can work as servers, work in hotels, the cruise line industry has a big footprint on the area. Jobs at Disney, otherwise only available out here in California. I have read recently the job opportunities in the agriculture industry are plentiful as well. With lower cost of living in FL than a lot of places, one should be able to get by with a few of these types of jobs.

 

[FreeBaGeL]

nothing that any of you have said makes florida seem that attractive to live in so why is everyone moving there i dont get it take that to the bank bromigos

Honestly the word "Florida" is romanticized in people's minds. I lived in Florida for a long time and no way I would ever go back. Enjoying Utah much more. Although Utah is definitely lacking in the "freedoms" department (so much stuff is illegal or difficult here that is legal/easy in most states).

People also want to avoid the cold and I think don't realize just how brutal Florida heat is. It ain't San Diego weather.

People think of tropical and beaches when they hear the word Florida, but most of the state is muggy swamp and sweating.

ETA: And @The Commish is dead on about the income tax stuff being a red herring. We pay almost $12/yr more on our mortgage in Florida than we do in Utah, for homes with basically the same price and interest rate. That's not to mention the insanely hilarious made-up taxes on our Florida closing statement. It's not like the government isn't going to get their money.

 

[tonysmiles]

Being here in Wesley Chapel for 17 years it has grown but it has been managed well. Coming from a metropolis to a population of 60K people this is not congestion. Schools best schools in the area. My wife taught at a prep/day School in New England before moving here and we landed upon WC due to the curriculum they teach. My wife is in education so we had the luxury of picking and choosing where our child went to school even though they were not available for school choice and it has paid some great financial benefits. Do not drink the Kool-Aid your child cannot go to any school; they can only go to school that is not at capacity. In Wesley Chapel honestly all schools are at capacity. I am grateful for selecting Wesley Chapel over a Riverview or Brandon because area is more in demand so home appreciation is quicker, schools are top rated, and accessibility to Tampa is very easy.

So if I moved to say Wesley Chapel, my kid might not be able to go to school in that district?

Say you buy a home in Wesley Chapel and you are zoned for Wesley Chapel Elementary, Weightman Middle School and Wesley Chapel High School. You will not be able to school choice to say Sand Pine Elementary, John Long Middle School or Wiregrass Ranch HS because they are all at capacity. So be mindful of where you buy in Wesley Chapel although they are all A rated schools

 

[SoBeDad]

I'm actually trying to come up with something that is provided here that isn't provided in a lot of other places.

One biggie in FL is very affordable higher education. The cheapest tuition & fees for 2-year schools is CA which comes in at $1,428 per year. FL is 6th lowest at $3,235. The highest are MA, SD, and OR at over $6,800.

For 4-year public schools, WY & FL are the cheapest at $6,100 and $6,370. The costliest were NH, PA, and NJ at over $15,000+ per year. In addition, FL has the generous Bright Futures scholarships funded by the lottery. At schools like UF, a majority of students have received such scholarships. At FSU, it's closer to 50%. Low student debt at graduation is a major reason FL scores high on metrics used by US News and others. As our population has increased, the quality of students attending has also increased.

Which States Have The Least And Most Expensive Public Colleges?

The states with the lowest published tuition and fees for community college students are California and New Mexico. At four-year public colleges, the lowest in-state tuition is in Wyoming and Florida. Vermont's public colleges charged the highest tuition.

www.forbes.com

 

[pollardsvision]

nothing that any of you have said makes florida seem that attractive to live in so why is everyone moving there i dont get it take that to the bank bromigos

People should do what they want, but I agree with you. In fact, my dream is to retire to your neck of the woods.

I'll take the cold if it means not cutting grass 10 months a year, and having access to fresh water.

 

[The Commish]

nothing that any of you have said makes florida seem that attractive to live in so why is everyone moving there i dont get it take that to the bank bromigos

Good weather, sans dodging hurricanes. No state taxes. Freedom to do a lot of things you normally can't in other states.

The increase in home insurance and property taxes will most likely offset whatever state income tax you're paying elsewhere...not everyone, but I feel like the term "most" applies here. To the freedom comment, that's a double-edged sword. Plenty of things are not allowed here that are allowed elsewhere. I'm actually trying to come up with something that is provided here that isn't provided in a lot of other places. Outside of guns, I'm not coming up with a very big list.

Yeah starts with guns, the list isn't that long. And its not stuff I probably should get into on here, but IMO it's bad stuff. Like "stand your ground" laws that allow more freedom to kinda be a jerk.

Thanks...when you said "a lot of things you normally can't do in other states" it got me thinking. I'd say it's actually the other way around now, after the last 2 years. There's a lot here you can't do that you are allowed to do in other states. It's been a crazy few years since we've been here for sure.

There are a lot of job opportunities in Florida that you don't see in a lot of places as well. Big tourism industry, people can work as servers, work in hotels, the cruise line industry has a big footprint on the area. Jobs at Disney, otherwise only available out here in California. I have read recently the job opportunities in the agriculture industry are plentiful as well. With lower cost of living in FL than a lot of places, one should be able to get by with a few of these types of jobs.

This is REALLY dependent on where you live in the state....if you live in the sticks, yeah, it's a plus, in the somewhat populated and urban areas it's pretty expensive, at least here in Central Florida. Something else that many need to realize (or that I need to qualify better) is that this state really is divided up into 5 different areas...."North", "Panhandle", "Central", "South" and the Keys. So as I speak of Florida, I am speaking of the "Central" part. I don't know much about the panhandle and North....good many family in the south and Keys, but still not all that versed on their economies in those areas.

 

[Snotbubbles]

Being here in Wesley Chapel for 17 years it has grown but it has been managed well. Coming from a metropolis to a population of 60K people this is not congestion. Schools best schools in the area. My wife taught at a prep/day School in New England before moving here and we landed upon WC due to the curriculum they teach. My wife is in education so we had the luxury of picking and choosing where our child went to school even though they were not available for school choice and it has paid some great financial benefits. Do not drink the Kool-Aid your child cannot go to any school; they can only go to school that is not at capacity. In Wesley Chapel honestly all schools are at capacity. I am grateful for selecting Wesley Chapel over a Riverview or Brandon because area is more in demand so home appreciation is quicker, schools are top rated, and accessibility to Tampa is very easy.

So if I moved to say Wesley Chapel, my kid might not be able to go to school in that district?

All the districts are different, but MOST of them give precedent to those who live in the district, but not all do. Whoever brought up the voucher point before DID bring it up as a point that you don't have to live in the district your kids go to school in. That's true, but if you don't live in district you'll likely be a lower priority on the list. You'll need to check with each school district to find out how they determine their priorities.

Knowing what I know now, I'd just take "no state income tax" off your list of "pros" for the move because it's likely that you'll end up paying more money out each month to insurance and property taxes than you were paying in state income tax in PA.

Well I pay about $4000 combined for property tax and insurance in Philadelphia. So not having to pay city wage tax and income tax would give me a cushion to about $10,000 for property tax and insurance in Florida as a break even.

 

[Snotbubbles]

nothing that any of you have said makes florida seem that attractive to live in so why is everyone moving there i dont get it take that to the bank bromigos

Good weather, sans dodging hurricanes. No state taxes. Freedom to do a lot of things you normally can't in other states.

The increase in home insurance and property taxes will most likely offset whatever state income tax you're paying elsewhere...not everyone, but I feel like the term "most" applies here. To the freedom comment, that's a double-edged sword. Plenty of things are not allowed here that are allowed elsewhere. I'm actually trying to come up with something that is provided here that isn't provided in a lot of other places. Outside of guns, I'm not coming up with a very big list.

Yeah starts with guns, the list isn't that long. And its not stuff I probably should get into on here, but IMO it's bad stuff. Like "stand your ground" laws that allow more freedom to kinda be a jerk.

Thanks...when you said "a lot of things you normally can't do in other states" it got me thinking. I'd say it's actually the other way around now, after the last 2 years. There's a lot here you can't do that you are allowed to do in other states. It's been a crazy few years since we've been here for sure.

There are a lot of job opportunities in Florida that you don't see in a lot of places as well. Big tourism industry, people can work as servers, work in hotels, the cruise line industry has a big footprint on the area. Jobs at Disney, otherwise only available out here in California. I have read recently the job opportunities in the agriculture industry are plentiful as well. With lower cost of living in FL than a lot of places, one should be able to get by with a few of these types of jobs.

This is REALLY dependent on where you live in the state....if you live in the sticks, yeah, it's a plus, in the somewhat populated and urban areas it's pretty expensive, at least here in Central Florida. Something else that many need to realize (or that I need to qualify better) is that this state really is divided up into 5 different areas...."North", "Panhandle", "Central", "South" and the Keys. So as I speak of Florida, I am speaking of the "Central" part. I don't know much about the panhandle and North....good many family in the south and Keys, but still not all that versed on their economies in those areas.

Been to the panhandle, hated it. Everything closes at 9pm. If you don't go to a restaurant by 6pm you aren't eating that night unless you go to Whataburger.

 

[The Commish]

Being here in Wesley Chapel for 17 years it has grown but it has been managed well. Coming from a metropolis to a population of 60K people this is not congestion. Schools best schools in the area. My wife taught at a prep/day School in New England before moving here and we landed upon WC due to the curriculum they teach. My wife is in education so we had the luxury of picking and choosing where our child went to school even though they were not available for school choice and it has paid some great financial benefits. Do not drink the Kool-Aid your child cannot go to any school; they can only go to school that is not at capacity. In Wesley Chapel honestly all schools are at capacity. I am grateful for selecting Wesley Chapel over a Riverview or Brandon because area is more in demand so home appreciation is quicker, schools are top rated, and accessibility to Tampa is very easy.

So if I moved to say Wesley Chapel, my kid might not be able to go to school in that district?

All the districts are different, but MOST of them give precedent to those who live in the district, but not all do. Whoever brought up the voucher point before DID bring it up as a point that you don't have to live in the district your kids go to school in. That's true, but if you don't live in district you'll likely be a lower priority on the list. You'll need to check with each school district to find out how they determine their priorities.

Knowing what I know now, I'd just take "no state income tax" off your list of "pros" for the move because it's likely that you'll end up paying more money out each month to insurance and property taxes than you were paying in state income tax in PA.

Well I pay about $4000 combined for property tax and insurance in Philadelphia. So not having to pay city wage tax and income tax would give me a cushion to about $10,000 for property tax and insurance in Florida as a break even.

Right....based on the type of budget you have and the places you'd like to be, your property taxes and home insurance will consume that cushion easily. We live in an area not as sought after as the areas you are looking. We had about the same in combined property taxes and insurance as you. We also "got rid of" about $7000 in state income taxes and we are still paying more all things in than we were before.

 

[SWC]

even the guys trying to sell florida end up by saying things like and there are panhandlers on every corner this is so bizzare take that to the bank brohans

 

[Capella]

Nice place to live weather wise, except for four months. Getting very expensive. You may or may not agree with the political stances the governor is taking, which are pretty…well I guess I should stop. There’s a lot going on here.

We would cash out and move north if not for all my family and friends here, who I value very much.

 

[Snotbubbles]

Nice place to live weather wise, except for four months. Getting very expensive. You may or may not agree with the political stances the governor is taking, which are pretty…well I guess I should stop. There’s a lot going on here.

We would cash out and move north if not for all my family and friends here, who I value very much.

Trying to stay out of politics but my political leanings are more in line with DeSantis than say, PA's Governor, Josh Shapiro.

 

[Osaurus]

Nice place to live weather wise, except for four months. Getting very expensive. You may or may not agree with the political stances the governor is taking, which are pretty…well I guess I should stop. There’s a lot going on here.

We would cash out and move north if not for all my family and friends here, who I value very much.

Looking to move somewhere else in advance of retirement. Now that I work remotely almost 100% of the time, it's truly feasible. It's getting way too expensive in FL

 

[Capella]

Nice place to live weather wise, except for four months. Getting very expensive. You may or may not agree with the political stances the governor is taking, which are pretty…well I guess I should stop. There’s a lot going on here.

We would cash out and move north if not for all my family and friends here, who I value very much.

Trying to stay out of politics but my political leanings are more in line with DeSantis than say, PA's Governor, Josh Shapiro.

Well about 55% of the state is with you so come on down.

 

[SoBeDad]

People have been moving to Florida for decades. With Democrats or Republicans in power. The constant is warm weather, no state income tax, beaches, and tourist attractions. Politics is almost never a primary reason for people to move, especially when one has a family.

Lower cost of living ... not as much anymore.

 

[FreeBaGeL]

Being here in Wesley Chapel for 17 years it has grown but it has been managed well. Coming from a metropolis to a population of 60K people this is not congestion. Schools best schools in the area. My wife taught at a prep/day School in New England before moving here and we landed upon WC due to the curriculum they teach. My wife is in education so we had the luxury of picking and choosing where our child went to school even though they were not available for school choice and it has paid some great financial benefits. Do not drink the Kool-Aid your child cannot go to any school; they can only go to school that is not at capacity. In Wesley Chapel honestly all schools are at capacity. I am grateful for selecting Wesley Chapel over a Riverview or Brandon because area is more in demand so home appreciation is quicker, schools are top rated, and accessibility to Tampa is very easy.

So if I moved to say Wesley Chapel, my kid might not be able to go to school in that district?

All the districts are different, but MOST of them give precedent to those who live in the district, but not all do. Whoever brought up the voucher point before DID bring it up as a point that you don't have to live in the district your kids go to school in. That's true, but if you don't live in district you'll likely be a lower priority on the list. You'll need to check with each school district to find out how they determine their priorities.

Knowing what I know now, I'd just take "no state income tax" off your list of "pros" for the move because it's likely that you'll end up paying more money out each month to insurance and property taxes than you were paying in state income tax in PA.

Well I pay about $4000 combined for property tax and insurance in Philadelphia. So not having to pay city wage tax and income tax would give me a cushion to about $10,000 for property tax and insurance in Florida as a break even.

I just looked at our mortgage. On our $568k home in Florida (just south of Orlando) we pay $17,931/yr in tax/insurance.

That's also noting we haven't been up for renewal on our insurance since hurricane Ian and I've heard rates have gone up quite a bit since then.

That isn't our primary home so no homestead exemption, which would bring down the tax portion a bit.

 

[fantasy stud]

nothing that any of you have said makes florida seem that attractive to live in so why is everyone moving there i dont get it take that to the bank bromigos

Good weather, sans dodging hurricanes. No state taxes. Freedom to do a lot of things you normally can't in other states.

The increase in home insurance and property taxes will most likely offset whatever state income tax you're paying elsewhere...not everyone, but I feel like the term "most" applies here. To the freedom comment, that's a double-edged sword. Plenty of things are not allowed here that are allowed elsewhere. I'm actually trying to come up with something that is provided here that isn't provided in a lot of other places. Outside of guns, I'm not coming up with a very big list.

Yeah starts with guns, the list isn't that long. And its not stuff I probably should get into on here, but IMO it's bad stuff. Like "stand your ground" laws that allow more freedom to kinda be a jerk.

Thanks...when you said "a lot of things you normally can't do in other states" it got me thinking. I'd say it's actually the other way around now, after the last 2 years. There's a lot here you can't do that you are allowed to do in other states. It's been a crazy few years since we've been here for sure.

There are a lot of job opportunities in Florida that you don't see in a lot of places as well. Big tourism industry, people can work as servers, work in hotels, the cruise line industry has a big footprint on the area. Jobs at Disney, otherwise only available out here in California. I have read recently the job opportunities in the agriculture industry are plentiful as well. With lower cost of living in FL than a lot of places, one should be able to get by with a few of these types of jobs.

This is REALLY dependent on where you live in the state....if you live in the sticks, yeah, it's a plus, in the somewhat populated and urban areas it's pretty expensive, at least here in Central Florida. Something else that many need to realize (or that I need to qualify better) is that this state really is divided up into 5 different areas...."North", "Panhandle", "Central", "South" and the Keys. So as I speak of Florida, I am speaking of the "Central" part. I don't know much about the panhandle and North....good many family in the south and Keys, but still not all that versed on their economies in those areas.

Been to the panhandle, hated it. Everything closes at 9pm. If you don't go to a restaurant by 6pm you aren't eating that night unless you go to Whataburger.

It is the state of Florida, a lot of old people. You will find everything closed early in most areas not near the cities.

 

[fantasy stud]

People have been moving to Florida for decades. With Democrats or Republicans in power. The constant is warm weather, no state income tax, beaches, and tourist attractions. Politics is almost never a primary reason for people to move, especially when one has a family.

Lower cost of living ... not as much anymore.

Everyone I know retired to Florida from a more expensive state because it was cheaper. It is getting to the point where I'm going to retire and move out of Florida for cheaper living.

 

[rustycolts]

Being here in Wesley Chapel for 17 years it has grown but it has been managed well. Coming from a metropolis to a population of 60K people this is not congestion. Schools best schools in the area. My wife taught at a prep/day School in New England before moving here and we landed upon WC due to the curriculum they teach. My wife is in education so we had the luxury of picking and choosing where our child went to school even though they were not available for school choice and it has paid some great financial benefits. Do not drink the Kool-Aid your child cannot go to any school; they can only go to school that is not at capacity. In Wesley Chapel honestly all schools are at capacity. I am grateful for selecting Wesley Chapel over a Riverview or Brandon because area is more in demand so home appreciation is quicker, schools are top rated, and accessibility to Tampa is very easy.

So if I moved to say Wesley Chapel, my kid might not be able to go to school in that district?

All the districts are different, but MOST of them give precedent to those who live in the district, but not all do. Whoever brought up the voucher point before DID bring it up as a point that you don't have to live in the district your kids go to school in. That's true, but if you don't live in district you'll likely be a lower priority on the list. You'll need to check with each school district to find out how they determine their priorities.

Knowing what I know now, I'd just take "no state income tax" off your list of "pros" for the move because it's likely that you'll end up paying more money out each month to insurance and property taxes than you were paying in state income tax in PA.

Well I pay about $4000 combined for property tax and insurance in Philadelphia. So not having to pay city wage tax and income tax would give me a cushion to about $10,000 for property tax and insurance in Florida as a break even.

I just looked at our mortgage. On our $568k home in Florida (just south of Orlando) we pay $17,931/yr in tax/insurance.

That's also noting we haven't been up for renewal on our insurance since hurricane Ian and I've heard rates have gone up quite a bit since then.

That isn't our primary home so no homestead exemption, which would bring down the tax portion a bit.

$568k house not our primary house. Damn I forgot about you FBGs congrats.

 

[Grahamburn]

You think you can keep us out of Del Boca Vista… We’re moving in lock stock and barrel. We’re gonna be in the pool, we’re gonna be in the clubhouse, we’re gonna be all over that shuffleboard court! … AND I DARE YOU TO KEEP ME OUT!!!”

 

[tonysmiles]

nothing that any of you have said makes florida seem that attractive to live in so why is everyone moving there i dont get it take that to the bank bromigos

Good weather, sans dodging hurricanes. No state taxes. Freedom to do a lot of things you normally can't in other states.

Like recreational marijuana? Oh yeah, that's not legal in Florida.

Or freedom of speech for journalists to give their opinion about public officials? Nope, can't do that either.

So what about a women's right to choose? Any freedom there? Nope, don't think so.

That's the shortlist but I'm not a fan of where things are going in Florida. It's always been kind of a f*#&edup place to live due to the people that it seems to attract (*see Florida man)

I'm actually second-guessing my son's desire to go to a state-run university in the fall due to these recent changes.

We've lived in Florida for the past 13 years and will probably stay here a while longer based on future job prospects, but we aren't as enamored with staying here as much as we were when we moved down.

If your son is not going to UF/FSU then I would second guess it also due to name recognition outside of the state of FL. UF is a top 5 public university and will continue to be that way. My son just finished his combined bachelor's/Masters program and all 55 participants in his program have got jobs with firms all across the US. He leaves the university with no debt and my all in cost for his education was 55K and his 1st year total compensation if he gets 50% of his bonus) will be 3x my all in cost for his education. I am proud and I feel UF has put him on the path to success which he now controls.

 

[Terpman22]

nothing that any of you have said makes florida seem that attractive to live in so why is everyone moving there i dont get it take that to the bank bromigos

Good weather, sans dodging hurricanes. No state taxes. Freedom to do a lot of things you normally can't in other states.

Like recreational marijuana? Oh yeah, that's not legal in Florida.

Or freedom of speech for journalists to give their opinion about public officials? Nope, can't do that either.

So what about a women's right to choose? Any freedom there? Nope, don't think so.

That's the shortlist but I'm not a fan of where things are going in Florida. It's always been kind of a f*#&edup place to live due to the people that it seems to attract (*see Florida man)

I'm actually second-guessing my son's desire to go to a state-run university in the fall due to these recent changes.

We've lived in Florida for the past 13 years and will probably stay here a while longer based on future job prospects, but we aren't as enamored with staying here as much as we were when we moved down.

If your son is not going to UF/FSU then I would second guess it also due to name recognition outside of the state of FL. UF is a top 5 public university and will continue to be that way. My son just finished his combined bachelor's/Masters program and all 55 participants in his program have got jobs with firms all across the US. He leaves the university with no debt and my all in cost for his education was 55K and his 1st year total compensation if he gets 50% of his bonus) will be 3x my all in cost for his education. I am proud and I feel UF has put him on the path to success which he now controls.

Top 5....like overall in Florida, right?