Moving to Florida

[lilimike]

I live in Quebec Canada, I've seen 50 winters and i can not get used to it, I hate the cold, the snow, I hate to be forced bylaw to have snow tires on my car for the winter, I hate the cost of Hydro during the winter.

I am right here shoveling snow and I have a mortgage to pay however my wife and I have a fully paid house in Miami where her mom lives.

I am seriously thinking of selling everything here and moving to Miami or Palm Beach.

Any comments? good or bad, I am building a list of pros and cons that will help in this decision.

Mike

 

[edman222]

I hear you!... I got tired of the B.C. rain and moved to sunny California...
I think you should, you will be happier ( i know i am ). (but I hope you have a job all lined up, otherwise it might by tough )

 

[mvs sarma]

Though I am not from America, I suppose Miami is also troublesome by frequent storms, if not Palm Beach. another sort of inconvenience. Perhaps that is better than suffering heaps of snow etc, really a moderate tropical climate at Florida.

 

[Rbeckett]

North Central Florida around the Gainesville, Ocala, Orlando area is nice. Low property tax and readilly accessable to medical and other services. Come on down, the sunshine state is waiting.
Bob

 

[killivolt]

I live in Quebec Canada, I've seen 50 winters and i can not get used to it, I hate the cold, the snow, I hate to be forced bylaw to have snow tires on my car for the winter, I hate the cost of Hydro during the winter.

I am right here shoveling snow and I have a mortgage to pay however my wife and I have a fully paid house in Miami where her mom lives.

I am seriously thinking of selling everything here and moving to Miami or Palm Beach.

Any comments? good or bad, I am building a list of pros and cons that will help in this decision.

Mike

Rent the Miami house and use the Sale to pay down on North Central Florida around the Gainesville, Ocala, Orlando area. Once that's paid for you will have additional retirement income.

 

[transistor495]

Don't let audioguru alone there..

 

[HarveyH42]

I'd stay away from Orange County (Orlando), seem like a high crime area... I moved to Florida in 1986, it has been too bad, only snowed twice around this part. Seldom get a killing freeze either. Gets a little hot in the summer, but not unlivable, although I have read that it's going to get much hotter, maybe 0.6 degrees or so, over the next few decades ...

I came down from Oregon, and miss the mountains, trees, and rivers. It's pretty much flat land here, not much in changing seasons either. Might want to keep your dog on a leash down by the lakes and canals, some pretty nasty reptiles... The storms aren't all that bad, survived many hurricanes, with only minor damage and clean up, yet to see a tornado.

Don't no much about Canadian economy (have enough trouble with American), about the same for health care and retirement as well. Our President is all about 'Change, you can believe in...', but have some serious doubt, maybe I don't understand him correctly. You'd figure he was selling good changes, but doesn't look like it though, two more years...

 

[lilimike]

In a couple of weeks we are driving to Washington DC, a 9 to 10 hours drive and then we put the car on a train (Amtrak Auto-train) a 17 hours train ride with meals included. we are getting off the train near Orlando and will spend a couple of days in Disney World and then drive to Miami to see mom in-law and do some minor home renovations. During this trip my mind will be set 75% on evaluating the possibility of living around there. It is a fact that Miami is a little tough for me, a Canadian Quebecer softy.
I had in mind Palm beach or maybe on the West coast, there are some nice places in Cape Coral or Fort Myers.
About the economy well I think there are issues everywhere, here in Quebec the issues are well disguised, we get free medical and this and that but we pay lots of taxes and if you break a leg and end up in the emergency room, you are in for a 10 to 20 hours wait, as a matter of fact, private clinics are building up and people are starting to pay for medical help.
I am willing to deal with a couple of days hurricane once every few years, it's better than shoveling snow for 6 months every year, believe it or not on each side of my driveway the snow is 7 foot high, I don't even have the strength to throw the snow on top of the snow bank anymore and we still have 1 month and a half of winter. That's crazy.

Mike

 

[BrownOut]

Oh man I dream of living in Florida. My most frequent vacation destination is Pensacola, and I spent the Christmas holidays in Sarasota. I never want to leave when it's time to go back.

 

[HarveyH42]

Winter is basically over here, see a lot of buds an new growth around. Still gets a little chilly (mid 60s right now). I live in the middle of the state, so storms are a little tired by the time the reach us. Most of them look a lot worse than they really were, on TV. You might want to try living in Florida for a year, before going all in. See how America really measures up, and get a feeling of how things are going. We really are sitting on the brink of some huge changes, our new health care law does fully go into effect until 2014, which is mandatory insurance, could be about the same as another tax, depending on how you look at it. Should be a good time to buy a house though, prices are really low.

Another good thing about Florida, is that it does rain constantly for days. Usually about an hour, once or twice a day, and really not that often.

 

[killivolt]

Another good thing about Florida, is that it does rain constantly for days. Usually about an hour, once or twice a day, and really not that often.

I would want to be in Florida but.......
This one got me, Wha.

Please explain to this mid westerner.

Edit: I'm sure it's just a be there and know thing

 

[SPDCHK]

Funny how people get sick of their climate.

I live in "Sunny" South Africa, but I cannot handle the heat. If I had my way I’d move to Vancouver tomorrow. I know it rains a lot there, but then again, here in the Gauteng Province where I live, we’ve had about 300mm rain each month for the last three months.

If you’re cold, you put on a jacket, still cold, put on another.
If you’re hot, you can only strip down to your skin, but believe me, it STILL stays HOT

 

[HarveyH42]

I would want to be in Florida but.......
This one got me, Wha.

Please explain to this mid westerner.

Edit: I'm sure it's just a be there and know thing

I grew up in Oregon (northwestern United States), and it rained, it rain for days, you could easily see where the bible comes up with '...40 days and 40 nights...', but here in Florida it only rains non-stop like that when we have a major storm, and even then its only a day or two, and we usually get some breaks in the down pour. Might have been that Oregon has a lot of mountains, but from what I've seen of Canada, it's got a lot of the same trees and plant life, so likely gets a lot of rain as well.

 

[killivolt]

I grew up in Oregon (northwestern United States), and it rained, it rain for days, you could easily see where the bible comes up with '...40 days and 40 nights...', but here in Florida it only rains non-stop like that when we have a major storm, and even then its only a day or two, and we usually get some breaks in the down pour. Might have been that Oregon has a lot of mountains, but from what I've seen of Canada, it's got a lot of the same trees and plant life, so likely gets a lot of rain as well.

I'm in the Desert. Here we get both but, always infinite Dry winter and sometimes dry summer. I have asthma so, I can handle this climate.

SPCHK, I have no idea how long I would last there.

Harvey42, I don't like the Northern Midwest to live. Primarily, because my family who I visit have a compass to navigate near Seattle Washington. Actually, without it. I don't think I would have made my way round.

I still like to visit though. I like the Victoria Island area, so cool I want to go back.

kv

 

[lilimike]

Funny how people get sick of their climate.

I live in "Sunny" South Africa, but I cannot handle the heat. If I had my way I’d move to Vancouver tomorrow. I know it rains a lot there, but then again, here in the Gauteng Province where I live, we’ve had about 300mm rain each month for the last three months.

If you’re cold, you put on a jacket, still cold, put on another.
If you’re hot, you can only strip down to your skin, but believe me, it STILL stays HOT

It's not about how cold it gets, it is everything around it.
A typical winter day here would be like this:
I get up at 6:30AM, it is pitch dark outside, listen to the traffic news to figure out which road I will take to drive to work. I go outside to start the car (hoping it will start), scrape the ice off the windshield, side and rear windows, if we had a snow fall I have to shovel the snow bank for the car to go out of the driveway, (a 6 inches of snow fall makes a 2 feet high snow bank) come back inside while the car warms up, 15 minutes later head for work knowing it will take between 1 to 2 hours and with the stress I might end up in the ditch due to slippery roads although I had to spend $800 for snow tires. after a day's work I go through the same thing over, get home and shovel the rest of the snow, have a late supper and stress out thinking about the next winter day.

A typical summer day:
I get up at 6:30AM, the sun is shining, the birds are signing, I sit on the back porch with a coffee and my laptop, read the news and the latest posts on ETO, then drive to work (20 minutes drive). After work I drive back home, get the bar-B-Q ready and cook while I sip my wine, if it is really hot I would just have a beer.

Did I miss anything?
Sounds like the choice is simple to make.

Mike

 

[SPDCHK]

It's not about how cold it gets, it is everything around it.
A typical winter day here would be like this:
I get up at 6:30AM, it is pitch dark outside, listen to the traffic news to figure out which road I will take to drive to work. I go outside to start the car (hoping it will start), scrape the ice off the windshield, side and rear windows, if we had a snow fall I have to shovel the snow bank for the car to go out of the driveway, (a 6 inches of snow fall makes a 2 feet high snow bank) come back inside while the car warms up, 15 minutes later head for work knowing it will take between 1 to 2 hours and with the stress I might end up in the ditch due to slippery roads although I had to spend $800 for snow tires. after a day's work I go through the same thing over, get home and shovel the rest of the snow, have a late supper and stress out thinking about the next winter day.

Did I miss anything?
Sounds like the choice is simple to make.

Mike

I hear you. We don't get snow here (perhaps 5mm in 10 years). I was told that Vancouver is the only place in CA that does not get THAT much snow. I don't like the heat, but I definitely don't think I'll enjoy the pain you go through in the winter with the snow.

How does the saying go? “The grass is greener on the other side because ...”

My brother lives in Frt. Lauderdale Florida. He’s been there since 2000. He say’s he will never be able to come back to RSA because he’s acclimatized to Florida and he say’s the winters in RSA is just too cold to handle. Even our summers is too cold for him.

 

[HiTech]

Well in Miami Florida you'll be seeking the cool indoors during summer and seeking the indoors all year long from lawless Cuban criminals that plague that city's heightened crime rate. I visited Miami once... just long enough to board a pleasure cruise ship, return days later and quickly board a jet home.

 

[lilimike]

Well in Miami Florida you'll be seeking the cool indoors during summer and seeking the indoors all year long from lawless Cuban criminals that plague that city's heightened crime rate. I visited Miami once... just long enough to board a pleasure cruise ship, return days later and quickly board a jet home.

Hitech you've just given me one more reason to move to Miami...
I've gone on 3 cruises so far and cruising is my vacation of choice by far. Living where I am now I have to reserve in advance and pay more but I've heard if you just show up with your luggage on the day of a cruise departure, if there is room available you can get as low as $200/person and that would be awesome!

Mike

 

[BrownOut]

Maimi is 7th on the list of most dangeours cities, according to US News and World Report. More dangerous than Maimi ( in order ) are St. Louis, Atlanta, Brimingham, Orlando ( tie ), Detroit and Memphis. link

Rounding out the list are Baltimore, Kansas City, Minneapolis and Cleavland ( sorry Reload Ron )

 

[Frankfla]

Think long and hard and spend some time here before you make the mistake/move. I have been in florida since 85. Lived in WPB for 15 years and here in Boca Raton for 10. Do you speak spanish? If not better learn it in Miami and it is spreading. Went to an area just south of WPB a month ago, hadn't been there for about 10 years. All the bilboards and store signs are in spanish. All the stores have bars on the window. The Hatian and Spanish gangs hang out in all the strip malls. High schools have a 30% drop out rate. Guess what those kids are up to. We have about the highest uemployment rate in the country. Taxes and insurance are sky high and keep going up. On a house that is worth 200k, down from probally 500-600k five years ago taxes will be about $3000 a year. Insurance will be about $2-3000 a year depending on where it is. Then we have these things called hurricanes. I didn't think they were much until I went through 3 in two years. Not a great thing plus the people are so mean and nasty down here afterwards is worse than the storm. The charm is gone most people I know here we all talk about where we want to go when we leave.
The heat doesn't bother me but in the summer highs may only be in the mid 90s but it only goes down to the high 80s at night.
The west coast may be better. Hear the people are more civil there but the age is in the 70's. I am late 40s and usually the youngest person when out.
Do a search for forbes most miserible cities. Miami #2 West Palm #8
Best of luck whatevery you decide!
Frank