What is Florida like as a place to live?

[prahaboheme]

^ for real. Unless of course he is refering to all the midwestern tourists... I don't know anyone from the midwest in Orlando, mainly natives, the Northeast, other parts of the South, or Puerto Rico.

[whiteeclipse]

Thanks for the replies and the welcome! KendallKid -- wow, that doesn't sound a lot cheaper than San Diego -- although it's getting totally absurd here. I saw an 800 square foot house (about 1/2 mile from the water) listed for $550,000... and I'd say it's tough to find a new 2,000 square foot home for under $700,000 unless you go WAY inland.

Is there a big difference between different parts of the Miami/Fort Lauderdale/West Palm Beach area, or are prices pretty consistent?

What part of Florida is experiencing the best job situation -- I know Orlando is growing fast, but is there a lot of growth in jobs other than in tourism??

It seems like South Florida, being sub-tropical, would be better for allergies than Northern Florida -- what is predominant vegetation like in the various parts of the state? I presume northern Florida is heavily forested with pines, similar to Alabama, Georgia, etc.. what is the rest of the state like?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

$550,000 for 800sf is not bad, try $600,000 for 665sf in Donald Trump condo tower in Sunny Isles beach in Miami

http://www.realtor.com/FindHome/HomeListin...d=04D01B129ADCC

And I recommend either Fort Lauderdale or North Miami like Aventura and if your rich then Golden Beach in Miami.

[RiversideGator]

I was refering to historic and current migration trends according to the US Census and other sources. I was not saying that the midwest prarie has been recreated in Tampa. What a moronic argument that was.

Traditionally, people from the NE US have moved to SE FL. People from the midwest have moved the SW FL and people from the South have moved to N FL. Add to this Puerto Rican or internation immigration which occurs throughout the state. This is not to say that there are no New Yorkers in Jacksonville or Californians in FT Lauderdale, etc. Of course you can find exceptions and this is a generalization of the migration patterns, but it is true. I am sorry if you dont like it or refuse to accept it.

As to Orlando, perhaps I should not have included this in the west coast migration patterns. Orlando is a different situation (although one of the major downtown developers is from Chicago).

[Lady Celeste]

Sorry to piggyback off your post Blue......

I am a real estate agent currently in Atlanta and I was thinking about broadening my market base. I have always been fond of Boca Raton. My question to Floridians is, if you had a sister who was a real estate agent, which market would you advise her to sell in? I will continue selling homes in Atlanta so I can only do one metro area of Florida. Eventually Florida may be a homebase or at least a second home so I would like to do my best in whatever venue I choose.

Thanks for your serious input.

[Viper]

Sorry to piggyback off your post Blue......

I am a real estate agent currently in Atlanta and I was thinking about broadening my market base. I have always been fond of Boca Raton. My question to Floridians is, if you had a sister who was a real estate agent, which market would you advise her to sell in? I will continue selling homes in Atlanta so I can only do  one metro area of Florida. Eventually Florida may be a homebase or at least a second home so I would like to do my best in whatever venue I choose.

Thanks for your serious input.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The whole state. Residential in Florida is way up. Jacksonville is a great market because prices are still lower than Fl average but are increasing very quickly. Miami and Orlando metros are just sucking people in by the thousands daily.

Your best bet would be to find a centralized location that is most similar to the type of market you are familiar with in Atl.

My overall point? There isn't a broke real estate agent in the whole state.

[depechecureguyorl]

Your best bet would be to find a centralized location that is most similar to the type of market you are familiar with in Atl.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Looks like Orlando might be your best choice, Lady Celeste! BTW, Welcome to the forum and good luck in FLA!

[Lady Celeste]

Looks like Orlando might be your best choice, Lady Celeste! BTW, Welcome to the forum and good luck in FLA!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Thank you very much. I have heard of Orlando's explosive real estate growth. I have been told constantly about the Windermere area. I have never explored Orlando but I have a trip coming up to the greater Miami are in August. Perhaps I will swing through Orlando as well.

Also Mr Viper thank you immensely for your response as well. I have a dear friend from Jacksonville who lives here with her family in suburban Atlanta. She is trying to get back to Jacksonville to be closer to her parents. Perhaps she will be my first Floridian sale. Once she moves back....if she does.....then I will have several good friends in the Jacksonville area. I will have many more reason to visit then.

[Viper]

Sounds like a plan.

Flagler county is the fastest growing county in America. Also in the top 10 is St. Johns county at number 9. Flagler county is in the between Jacksonville and Orlando with St. Johns county being one county north of Flagler.

This map should help.

[depechecureguyorl]

Windermere is a very nice little town w/a lot of charm, as a result, the townspeople are VERY vocal about growth in their community. The outskirts of Windermere town limits are another factor, because they are in unincorporated Orange County and are a little more grandiose in design. Most of the developments outside of town are the ones w/the million dollar homes. Whatever you do, if you drive in Windermere, GO THE SPEED LIMIT. The cops in the that town will stop anyone for going over 1 mile the speed limit, or even w/a broken ID light on your license plate.

In any case, hope you have a safe trip!

[Brickell]

Sorry to open this topic once again.. but another quick question...

The tax situation seems too good to be true in Florida, with no income tax. Is there something I'm missing... some other tax (besides sales tax) that exists or is unusually high? How high are property taxes?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Too good to be true? Depends on your politcal leanings. I'm not a tax expert but gas and property taxes seem to be average and will be different in different cities/counties. The only thing missing is the service. In my opinion Florida could use a little more cash to upgrade it's schools, roads, tranist and enviromental protection, but many Floridians will dissagree with this.

No income tax and a homestead exemption are two overlooked things that keep Florida real estate booming. Attracting rich Americans to our state is a growth industry down here.

[Brickell]

Ps. As a agent in atlanta, you'd probably do well to sell 2nd and vacation homes to Atlantans. Where do they like to go? My guess would be someplace close and on the water. Jacksonville/NE Florida probably fits best. For someplace warmer, Vero Beach and the areas just north of Palm Beach are booming and relatively cheap still. They also have a southern feel to them that is missing for the most post further south. Don't overlook panhandle farmland either. That's where Ted Turner went afterall.

[Blue]

Thanks again for all the replies! The more I hear about Florida, the more I like what I hear. Personally, I think my preference right now would be for something in South Florida, and the main reason for that is simple -- the pollen counts seem significantly lower there than Tampa Bay or Orlando areas, and I think Jacksonville would present a lot of allergy issues. However, I am open to all ideas at this point, and the lower cost of Tampa Bay and Orlando kind of evens it out a bit.

Impact fees.. how are they assessed? Out here in California, we have something called Mello-Roos -- basically, impact fees that cover the development for new roads, schools, etc., since property tax assessments are frozen at the purchase price as long as that person owns the house because of a proposition in the late 1970s. In other words, let's say someone bought a 1,500-square foot home in La Jolla for $200,000 in 1980, and it's now worth $1.5 million, with the property tax assessed at $10 per $1,000. That person would still only pay $2,000 per year in taxes.. but if they sold it to someone else for $1.5 million, that person would pay $15,000 per year for as long as they own the house (providing the assessment rate doesn't change).

Sorry for the long description.. but to make up for this, new houses can have a pretty hefty Mello-Roos running well into the thousands. When my parents bought their present house, they were fortunate enough to move into an established neighborhood with limited new development, so they were one of the lucky few to avoid the Mello-Roos on new construction.

Is this similar at all to the impact fees in Florida?

A couple of other things to toss out -- since everyone's been so patient with me... the first is pretty light-hearted, but I'm a die-hard sports fan... will I find others like me in Florida? :-)

Also... how does the state's smoking ban work? I'm not looking to start a controversy or anything.. but being allergic to smoke, I try to avoid places with smoke. I'm not a big club-goer... I'll go down to a sports bar, but more of a Friday's or Bennigan's-style place... my understanding is these places are non-smoking, even in the bar areas, unless they get less than 10% of their revenue from food? Also.. what about workplaces, coffee houses, arenas, etc... are they covered by the ban?

One more question if it's okay... everyone warns me about bugs in Florida... how bad are they? Are mosquitos everywhere, as in parts of the Upper Midwest? Are cockroaches common in newer development?

Thank you very much once again!

[Aessotariq]

Great questions...

Impact fees.. how are they assessed?

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but impact fees are assessed on the developers during new-home construction. I don't think the owner/buyer pays these directly.

Property taxes are capped once you buy a property and your assessed value can't go up more than 3% per year. Of course, when the property is sold, the new owner pays taxes based on market value. In Miami-Dade or Broward counties you can expect to pay anywhere from $20-28 per $1,000 of assessed value.

but I'm a die-hard sports fan... will I find others like me in Florida? :-)

Certainly... this state has at least two of every major league franchise and then some.

Also... how does the state's smoking ban work? I'm not looking to start a controversy or anything.. but being allergic to smoke, I try to avoid places with smoke. I'm not a big club-goer... I'll go down to a sports bar, but more of a Friday's or Bennigan's-style place... my understanding is these places are non-smoking, even in the bar areas, unless they get less than 10% of their revenue from food? Also.. what about workplaces, coffee houses, arenas, etc... are they covered by the ban?

Florida's public smoking ban is very far-reaching. No smoking in restaurants, including ones that have a bar. So places like Bennigans, Chili's, etc., are smoke-free.

Only standalone bars whose food sales are less than 10% are exempt from the ban. I have been in bars that prohibited smoking while the kitchen was open and then started passing out the ashtrays when the kitchen closed at midnight.

All public buildings, workplaces, etc. are smoke-free.

One more question if it's okay... everyone warns me about bugs in Florida... how bad are they? Are mosquitos everywhere, as in parts of the Upper Midwest? Are cockroaches common in newer development?

Mosquitos like wet areas, so they harbor around standing water. After it rains, they lay their eggs in undisrupted puddles, so it's best to stay away from those and get rid of standing water in your yard and stuff.

If you're going to be outside for a while and you'll be in an area with a lot of bushes and foliage, I suggest some bug repellent...

The thing about bugs is that they're around year-round, so one has to keep them in check all year. If you're buying a house, get a good exterminator to help with the potential roaches, and then use basic common sense on cleanliness, etc. Also make sure the house is fairly well sealed.

[Brickell]

bugs and termites are just a way of life in florida. you'll see many of them year round. mosquitoes aren't too bad in urban areas, but get worse the further out into the suburbs and country you get.

I grew up here, so maybe i'm just used to it, but I've never thought of the bugs as a problem, unless you're allergic or have some kind of phobia.

[GRS328]

^ for real.  Unless of course he is refering to all the midwestern tourists...  I don't know anyone from the midwest in Orlando, mainly natives, the Northeast, other parts of the South, or Puerto Rico.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hey wait a minute... native Chicagoan in Orlando here and for the record, Central FL is nothing like the midwest.

[afh]

Thanks again for all the replies! The more I hear about Florida, the more I like what I hear. Personally, I think my preference right now would be for something in South Florida, and the main reason for that is simple -- the pollen counts seem significantly lower there than Tampa Bay or Orlando areas, and I think Jacksonville would present a lot of allergy issues. However, I am open to all ideas at this point, and the lower cost of Tampa Bay and Orlando kind of evens it out a bit.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I think that if you have allergies they will flare up no matter what part of the state you live in. At least that is my experience having lived in So Fl and Jacksonville.

A couple of other things to toss out -- since everyone's been so patient with me... the first is pretty light-hearted, but I'm a die-hard sports fan... will I find others like me in Florida? :-)

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Floridians are very die-hard college football and pro football fans. You have the University of Miami (booo), University of Florida (boooo), and Florida State (yeah) that have good football programs as you know and good fan followings. U of M fans don't fill the stadium up like the U of F or FSU fans but they try. Tampa Bay Bucs and Miami Dolphins have a good following and the Jacksonville Jags have a okay following but will have less of one when Fred Taylor gets hurt before the half-way point of the season, but I digress! You guys in Cali are pretty laid back about your psorts aren't you? Unless you have a winner like Southern Cal and the bandwagon begins to tip over.

One more question if it's okay... everyone warns me about bugs in Florida... how bad are they? Are mosquitos everywhere, as in parts of the Upper Midwest? Are cockroaches common in newer development?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Mosquitos are everywhere so you won't be able to escape them. There are all types of wierd bugs that you will see. You certainly don't won't to leave you doors or windows open unless you have a screen door and screens on your windows. As far as the roaches are concerned, they're in all types of developments. You main thing you have to worry about is the large, flying roaches. They come into your place by flying in from the outside. Let me tell, these things are huge. You won't believe your eyes when you see one.

[Topher1]

As far as allergies are concerned, my experience was that my allergies completely disappeared when I moved to S. Florida. I grew up in SC, and was never really able to breath fully through my nose (at least one nostril was always stopped up). I never really paid it that much attention (it was just normal to me) until I moved to Miami. Suddenly my nostrils/sinuses were completely clear, and I was able to breathe like a normal person. My allergies still flare up whenever I leave Florida.

The allergy situation in Orlando is worse than Miami, but still vastly better than SC. I usually get stopped up at night, but after showering in the morning, I'm fine for the rest of the day.

[Blue]

Thanks for all the info! As far as bugs... mosquitos don't really intimidate me, but cockroaches... first of all, it's just the idea of them... secondly, I found out it's one of my worst allergies when I took my last allergy tests. I didn't even realize you could be allergic to cockroaches, but apparently I am.... so that is a bit of a concern I guess. Of course, when I lived in Minnesota, it wasn't rare to find mice in the house... not good for allergies either, but neither is Minnesota as a whole.

SoCal sports fans are pretty laid back when it comes to being a die-hard fan, but they do seem to enjoy fighting -- I have seen more fights at games here the past 3 years than everywhere else I've lived combined. You certainly don't find any Red Sox or Yankees die-hard type fans though -- and even those who claim to be die-hard (such as many Raiders and Dodgers fans) tend not to be real good fans -- they often couldn't name anyone on the other team!

[thehappysmith]

Ah, yes, well, the cockroaches. You won't be able to get away from the cockroaches. Hire a good exterminator and try not to think about it. For the most part, if you keep up with regular extermination, you'll see a roach only very rarely.

Every now and then at my folks' house in Jax a palmetto bug will appear out of nowhere on the porch. Fortunately, their cat loves to chase the things and usually kills them. The palmetto bug is a giant aromatic cockroach, though I'm not sure it's actually in the same family as the german cockroaches you see outside the South. They might even be the same thing, I don't really know (we do grow 'em bigger down South). But the point is, they're here.

Now, that being said, since I've moved to an 8th floor condominium, I haven't seen a cockroach once. And I don't have an exterminator at all. This makes me very happy.

Of course, I do have ants. The moral of the story is, you cannot escape the order Insecta. Certainly not in Florida.

(Tangent: I've always found that the mosquitos are much worse in northern Michigan during the late summer than they are here in Florida.)

[prahaboheme]

Dont worry about bug/rodent problems in Florida. Speaking from experience, I've had more problems in Boston with cockroaches, mice and rats, and I live on the fifth floor of a building. In Florida, just spray around your house (including your plants because they love them, and palm trees) and you'll be fine. Racoons are a different story...

[Brickell]

Every now and then at my folks' house in Jax a palmetto bug will appear out of nowhere on the porch.  Fortunately, their cat loves to chase the things and usually kills them.  The palmetto bug is a giant aromatic cockroach, though I'm not sure it's actually in the same family as the german cockroaches you see outside the South.  They might even be the same thing, I don't really know (we do grow 'em bigger down South).  But the point is, they're here. 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

What we call the "Palmetto Bug" is just the American cockroach. I think they call them waterbugs up north. They are the largest species of roach found in the US and they fly!

They are found through the US but are more visible in Florida's warm, humid climate. Up north they're more likely to be found in basements, sewers and other warm places, while down south they just kind of walk around like they own the place. They're happy inside, outside, in your car, and pretty much everywhere.

They can be bad at times, but keep a clean house and spray occasionaly and it won't be a problem.

[Blue]

The palmetto bugs or cockroaches don't excite me too much yet, I have to admit! :-) Apparently, they are an allergy issue (which completely surprised me!), and allergists always tell me to avoid the use of pesticides, particularly indoors, so that might be a bit of an issue. Without sounding paranoid... are roaches something you'll see daily moving around town, or are they something you see once in a while?

[Viper]

Moving around town? Like outside? Maybe near a garbage bin but not just strolling down the sidewalk.

[Dale]

On a lighter note, we have all four of North America's poisonous snakes in Florida - Rattler, Cottonmouth, Copperhead, Coral.

[Showtime24]

well it depends on what part you live in i used to be a miami-dade transit project manager until i moved to Bay Area CA <love it here)

downtown and south beach are were the meanest people are

but if you live in the outskirts of miami people are very kind and willing to help you

orlando is the best people are the kindest they can be because of tourism

If you still live in Socal you should NoCAL

people are caring in the san jose area but there all ***hole in the freeways hahahaha well the weather here is sunny and cloudy so i love it here bearly no allergies