O/T Questions for you florida guys

I know this is horribly off topic, but i thought this would be a pretty good place to get opinions from.

I'm thinking about relocating to Florida and was looking to see what you guys who live in Florida think of the state, and what the benefits of living there are and downside, pertaining to and not pertaining to the automotive life down there.

Thanks in advance and sorry for the off topic post.

Brian

 

Okay, I was born and raised in the Sarasota-Bradenton area. Lived there 35 years (except for 1 year in atlanta and 1 in utah.) The weather is gorgeous, but hot and sticky for a good part of the year. Jobs are so-so, wages pretty low. Schools rank pretty low (I think like 40th this year.) Crime is probably average, higher in places like tampa and orlando. Real estate is all out of whack, just like most other places, and still tend to be overly inflated, but if you're moving from Boston it's all relative. Florida's okay. If you are looking for the "florida" that used to be....it's gone. Florida is waaay overdeveloped and will eventually be one big city. You can already go from tampa to past Venice without noticing a change, feels like one big suburb. Oh yeah, did I mention I justmoved to Asheville, NC?

 

Just moved back to Ga. after three years. You need a second job to afford house insurance. Hot as hell in the lower 1/2 in summer, winters are great.

 

What is Florida like varies from one part to another. Can you narrow it down? Some areas have very high propery values, others, mainly inland in the northern part isn't too bad. Insurance can be a problem. Quality of public schools vary widely. Wages tend to be lower because of all the retirees willing to work for less to have something to do. Hot & muggy in Summer, mild in Winter with some cold snaps.

 

James, I am moving basically from Boston. I'm not familiar with "the Florida that used to be", as I am 20. But I'm thinking about moving down there because I'm looking for something new, and the hot summer will be a welcome break from the icy winters I'm used to.

Chopped what part of Florida did you live in that the insurance was very expensive?

 

George, I'm not sure what section quite yet. Either Tallahassee or Hollywood area. I do collision repair so I don't think I have to look out for the old timers taking my jobs. And I have no plans of having kids for at least 5 to 8 years, so the schools don't matter all that much.

 

i live in West Palm Beach.plenty of work here! wages are pretty decent.depends on what you want to do for a living.
property taxes are thru the roof and tough to get home insurance..
not sure if you are renting or buying..
car stuff near here is pretty good.we have Moroso Motorsports park.we are close to Daytona and Orlando, and Miami is only and hour 15mins.away.
for someone your age the chicks are everywhere and the nite life is good.
you can always call the local police dept info line(not911)and find out where they suggest the areas you should stay away from.ie; crime rates.i did that when i moved here i looked up local crime rates and schools.
i have to admit i came to Florida 13 years ago with 2 kids wife and 600 bucks to our name,and in those years we have managed to buy a very nice house and have great jobs and we still go to college...
i know i am rambling but it can be done here and anywhere you end up just have a good plan....My 2 cents,Good Luck!

 

Cocoa Beach on the east coast is cool......but I'm moving home to Dayton, Ohio this May, for many reasons but #1 is the high insurance costs. The costs on homes, auto, business, are out of hand....not to mention the taxes. My cars cost 3 times as much to insure here.
Now if you wanted to rent, there are apartments for 600-800 per month and houses 800-1200 per month, ACROSS THE STREET FROM THE BEACH !!! It is a renters paradise! Try living close to the ocean if you can, the breeze keeps the heat in check during the summer.
Sounds like your young, go for it and have fun.

 

There is no state income tax. There is plenty of area that is undevelped. You can buy resonable. Insurance is not as bad as it is made out to be . There is no personal tax on cars either, just registration.You dont need a second job to survive! What kind of shop are you looking for? High end or just Joe blow auto body? There is more money in the So Fla area thus there are more high end cars needing repair . Remember this, schools are only as good as the parents raising the kids, its not a daycare , if your involved with your kids education they will get a good one . If you take the hands off approach then itll be a SHITTY EDUCATION. As for the heat, its not Arizona! It actually gets hotter in NYC and Boston, here everyone has AC! You can get into the water year round, not like up there were its 65 degree water temp in August. Pm me for more detals on specific areas as I have lived here for a while now, and travel a bunch

 

Get a degree then come down here, not a good place to be considered "unskilled."

 

[QUOTE
Chopped what part of Florida did you live in that the insurance was very expensive?[/QUOTE] Panacea, south of Tally on the coast . then between Ocala and Daytona. This was a mobile on a lake, still $1000.00 for every $10.000 of coverage was killer. The house in Panacea was two blocks off the water , it was less but still high.

 

Hollywood & southern Fla. are bustling & busy. Should be lots of work for a body man. Tallahassee isn't so big in comparison. Areas east & southeast are some of the less developed sections that are more affordable, but less work. Just depends on how big a pond you want into!

 

I lived there for 7 years. They have two seasons--Summer and Hell. I lived in the middle of the state, so I never really got the nice coastal breazes I always heard about...but while in West Palm Beach, on the east coast, for a show the last weekend in February, they took 4 people away for heat stroke that weekend. (Like, real heat stroke--puking, couldn't sweat any more, incoherent/half passed out). While down there, I got sick from the heat several times.
If you get a house, you'll have to mow the lawn twice a week in the summer.
They don't have state income taxes, but they nail you anyway in a million different ways.
It seemed like there was a lot more lower class/white trash than Ohio, Michigan and Wisconsin where I grew up, and a lot more than Georgia where I live now.
Bugs are a problem down there--Where you are now, if someone's house is being tented in the neighborhood for termites or roaches, it's the gossip of the neighborhood. In Florida, it's just another day. Roaches are everywhere, as are carpenter ants and fire ants. I won't mention mosquittos, silver fish, no-see-ums, and gnats...but "Love Bug" season is something you won't believe. The air is thick with these things, and while you drive they plaster your car. On really hot days, the stink of the baking/rotting bugs on big trucks will turn your stomach.

You asked...I'm not a fan. Neither is my wife, who was born and raised there, nor her sister. We moved to Georgia almost four years ago, and love every bit of it. Her sister just moved to N. Carolina.

There's only one way I'd ever move back to Florida...Kicking and Screaming.

Brad

 

well i moved here in 1990,..port richey fl,its just north of tampa..i love it!! me and my dad have a auto repair shop here and have been in bussness since 1991...if you do body work you will never run out of work...the pay is just as good as up there..i think so anyway.i send body work away every week..i have the state trooper acc.here in pasco county and they keep me going all the time..this time of the year the snow birds are here and spending there northern money and we keep taking it.....house $$ IS AVERAGE and the summer is hott but i like it.........always something to do with the hott rods and car shows ..................good luck rooster

 

toolman,i've lived in Fl for 52 years,gainesville area.
property is high,taxes are high,traffic is bad,its getting worst.
i have a nice house and shop on 5 acres with a pool.3000sf shop,1800sf home,motorhome barn with a 4'x24'x6'deep pit.
i'm moving to ga to get away from here (i'm 5th generation in this area) my house is for sale only $425,000 .
i'm moving to bainbridge ga,40 miles north of tallahassee.
Randy

 

you'll be warm, just you'll be swimming in tanned New Yorkers tellin you how much better NY is. It's all the same as anywhere else. Moved here with family when was a little kid and have no wishes living anywhere else.

 

I have been in Ocala, Florida since 1994 (moved from P.A.). Tried to live in Enfield, C.T. and, you just can't beat Fla. Naturaly more money in the cities, but I am 1 hour north of Orlando, 45 minutes to Gainesville, and 10 minutes from Garlits museum.... By the way, ever work in an AIR CONDITIONED garage?????

 

I have yet to work in an air conditioned garage, I can only imagine it to be nice.

 

I live in the Englewood area, south of Sarasota. It's laid back here and the prices are reasonable. Insurance is a little high. Living here is like anywhere else, it's what you make it.
Butch

 

No, I havent....the assholes that built my house didnt duct it in the bastards....welding sucks in teh summer....its alright though, I've been in j-ville for 5 years....tis time to move...

 

I have lived in FL all my life. I was born and raised in the Palm Beach area, moved at 15 to Daytona, then on to Ocala in at 25. I've been in Ocala for 3 years now.

So many crazy statements made by people in this thread...

Heat stroke? - it is humid, you sweat - drink water!
It is a tropical climate - that means humidity, bugs, etc. My house and shop has no bug problems. You get a pest control service to handle that - $200 a year.

No state income tax. Property Tax is relative to location. Here in Central FL, very cheap, but like anywhere else, rising. Auto tax is cheap. Property insurance depends on your risk of wind/flood damage. Try to be 10-15 miles form the coast if you are buying, 30-40miles would be better.

The wages are lower, because the labor market is willing to work for less. People WANT to live here, so they are willing to accept lower wages. Skilled labor and white collar professionals earn about the same as anywhere else, as those type of the people are NOT willing to work for lower wages. They are chasing the dollar/career development.

All in all, I like where I live. Every time I travel, and I travel a lot, I always come to that realization.

 

Born and raised down here in the west central part. Have been all over the US and have no desire to move any where else.
As stated above, it is what you make it.

 

I have lived in Jacksonville continiously since 1989 (retired from Navy here) and was in and out back to 1973. Great place but I no longer work and my money goes farther in small town USA, so for what I can do on $60K a year here costs me $38K in Clinton, SC but God bless you should need to work in Clinton. I have nice house here for sale <hint, hint>

 

if your 20. move to south florida, learn to speak spanish, i lived in miami 2 years and Ft Lauderdale 11 yrs. there is always something to do. dont kid yourself about the heat, in the summer its frigging hot. i got tired of it. i live in north georgia now. i wouldnt move back but i dont regret the time i spent there.

 

I have lived in Tallahassee for over 3 years, moved from PA for grad school. House prices and rent are all over the place, depends where you want to be. I say 3 seasons in north Florida: hell, nice, and cold. Like the others said, no state income tax, which is nice. No vehicle inspection, so you can run no fenders and lake pipes, but don't expect the '73 Chevy pick up behind you to have great brakes either.

Tallahassee would be a cow town if not for the capitol and the 3 colleges. You can drive 15 minutes from downtown and be in the sticks. We have the reddest of rednecks and the most tan douche bag frat boys from south Florida. But since you're 20, you will appreciate all the hot chicks from south Florida. Plenty of college bars for you to hit up on the weekends.

I think there is a collision repair/auto place about every mile; whether than means lots of work or no work, I don't know.

As for a "traditional" car scene here, there isn't one. I sometimes hang out with the Camaro/Mustang guys. I have been to a few shows/cruises but I see the same cars I have been seeing for 3 years. For the best shows, you need to head to central Florida (~4 hours).

Just my thoughts, feel free to contact me with any questions about Tally-town. FWIW, I will be moving back north when I finish up in 6 months.

-Duck

 

I like it here. The Orlando area is nice, but getting more crowded. Cost of living was not too bad until the 2005 real estate runup. Median price of a home here is now ~$250k. Better deals are found in outlying small towns, but property prices and property taxes are killing newcomers all over the state. Prices have eased a bit this year, but still three times higher than when I moved here. That makes rents higher too.

The good parts? No state income tax. Auto tags cost me less than $40 a year. 6.5% sales tax. Very low unemployment rate - lots of good jobs, lots of shitty jobs, but anyone who wants work can work, skilled and unskilled. The weather can't be beat. We had winter last week when the temps plunged into the 40's. Winter is over. Today is 75 and sunny.

Bugs? I don't seem to have an issue. I had more flys, ants, termites, and mosquitoes in Iowa than I have here. Yeah, it's humid and hot. But so is Des Moines, DC, and NY in July. Most days in August it's hotter in NYC than here.

It's tropical. Damn near every day in summer, it rains. Plays hell with owning a roadster. And I have to cut grass all year long.

The beach is close, I can watch the shuttle launches from my front porch, and there is a ton of stuff to do. The car scene is year round.

Freshwater and saltwater fishing everywhere. I don't own a boat cuz I have lots of friends that do. No helmet laws (but I wear one).

 

Hey Brian,
I live in Weeki Wachee, on the Gulf Coast side, known as the Nature Coast.....lookup Springhill,Fl. so you know where I'm talking about. I live about 20 minutes North of Dave (RoosterRatRod) a mile from the Weeki Wachee 'Mermaid Park'.
I did alot of research of Floridia every time I came here to work to find the right spot. I've been here since '99, and I LOVE IT !
We have a natural breeze off the Gulf most all of the time, it never get's hotter than 89-90 degrees in the dead of summer, and most of the time it's around 82-86 during those times. It's 74 degrees right now ! It's always a TON nicer here next to the Gulf than anywhere else.
I have 3 sons, 19,23,25 that all are making it just fine on there own. If you have body work talent, you will find lot's of work here.
The housing costs are reasonable, no state tax, no luxury or personal property tax......lot's of beautiful babes too!
'Tommychop"(Tommy) here on the HAMB owns "Tommy's Elite Rides" which does beautiful Top-Class body and paint work, SEMA quality cars! He is local to me, infact he is doing a Metalflake paint on my '60's style A-Sedan right now.
'Wylecoyote' (John) here on the HAMB lives here, runs his own HotRod shop and is doing very well, he is covered up with work to do.
'Skip-o-matic' (Skip) here on the HAMB lives here, he works at a Top-Notch Corvette resteration shop, the place does Bloomington Gold class cars.
You should PM these guys and have a chat with them.

You will like it here in our area, we do !

AND, we have 4 HotRod Crusie-Ins a week, all year round, and swap-meets everymonth, and TONS of HotRods, Customs, Muscle Cars, you name it.

And YES, my shop has A/C too !!!!!!!!!

 

I don't live in Florida (South Texas ) but I was there in the 70s. It was great back then and if you're only 20..I say save your money... about enough to survive on for 6 months and go for it. I will say this..it's hot down here. If your living in Mass. now your in for a big surprise. Alot of people come down here and have to move back because they can't take the heat. All the clothes you have now you can toss out. You won't need all that cold weather gear anymore. And be prepared to wear lots of sun screen..the sun is hell on your skin, I started with skin cancer at the age of 28 here. Three operations later, I'm OK. The work ethic down here is different, if it gets done today OK..if not, manana. That drives alot of northerners crazy too. Have you ever been there? Maybe you should take a trip or two there to see if you like it but, at 20..I think you'll be able to adapt and overcome. Good luck!

 

I live around the corner from ahotrod and concur;this is a great area to live and work. I heard the old wheeze about "hotter than hell and humid and huge bugs" for years. Yeah, it can be hot and humid but no worse than when I lived in Northern Virginia and don't forget to add the air pollution indexes on the news every night in Virginia. Nice breeze here from the gulf. In fact, one day we went to Webster swap and it was absolutely miserable over there and back here felt 10 degrees cooler. Ok, ya' cut the grass once a week. Big deal. If you want a nice looking property ya' have to. There are a lot of auto body shops around (with all the geezers,there has to be). haha
Best thing to do is come down here and hook up with some of the folks on here and check it out. This is a great area to live. Mike

 

I lived in Central Florida on and off for 25 years. I dont miss it and I will never go back. I'm in the desert now and I never realized how really uncomfortable humidity made you feel. It's a swamp and you never stop sweating. Everything is always wet. It rains all summer and the winter has the cold dew.


But it is the best place in the world for watersports.