So we're thinking of moving to Florida

[Orlando Eric]

I have traveled the state and lived in S Florida (1981-1996) Central Florida (1996-2003) and now here which is kinda central east coast.

I aggree with mostly all the points made on the former postings. For Techno Jobs I definitley would look at Central Florida, the Melbourne areas all the way up to Cocoa Beach. Their is a great number of Highly technical companies there and the areas are nice to live in without the real estate getting unbearable yet. If you used Orlando as your starting point and drew a line to Mims and another to Melbourne I think you will have the best chance of real estate to job market. (This would include the burbs of Orlando.)

Good luck to you and your venture. I want to start a commitee. The Greater Florida Interstate Resident Exchange Commission. For instance.. you being a Diver and a professionally skilled worker would move to Florida and the G.F.I.R.E.C. would then send Five non-lifestyle aligned people from Florida to CT.

The G.F.I.R.E.C. first order of buisness would be to commission a Naval Armada to make trips from S Florida to New York for forced reintergration. Learn to Dive, Drive, Smile and Laugh... then you can come back.

 

[S. Cal 2 SE FL]

Scrips is Moving to North Palm Beach County in south east Florida (near some of the best Florida diving) and many jobs are expected to be created. You may want to watch for opertunities there. The surrounding area is growing quickly as are housing costs so you may not want to wait too long to make the move.

In any case good luck to you.

http://www.scripps.edu

 

[Fishermark]

Greetings from Florida!
I was born in Tampa (1959) and lived for 13 years in Ft. Lauderdale, (1985 - 1998), Have lived in SW Florida now for over 6 years. So far as the diving goes, Southeast Florida wins hands down. The lifestyle and "laid back" atmosphere here in Port Charlotte is a nice changr however. As others have mentioned, the real estate market has boomed in recent years. It appears people have started to discover this little area of SW Florida. When I moved here six years ago, people were literally giving lots away just for the back taxes. You could pick up lots for $2,000 - $2,500. Those same lots are selling for $25,000 plus today. Having said that, you can still buy a nice home in the Sarasota / North Port / Pt Charlotte area for $250,000.

Send me a personal message if and when you are seriously considering moving. My wife is a Real Estate Agent and I am getting my license soon! We would be glad to help.

-Fishermark

 

[100days-a-year]

Jax and NE fla have a few tech jobs with CITI,Merrill Lynch,Blue Cross,MODIS and other med service support and benefits administration companies here.Salaries range from lo entry level to good(over 100K)of course administrators will make more than techs.I am a big fan of the idea that what you can talk out of your employer is what you are worth.
Housing costs here are very lo,utilities are among the lowest in the country,gas is inexpensive due to the influence of Georgia nearby. Jax is very diverse culturally with large Asian,Arab,Black,Eastern European,Latino populations.250K will get you anywhere from waterfront in a cheesy nieghboorhood to a gated community with amenities.Normal prices are about $100 a sq.ft.
The diving runs from undoable during nor'easters with WTs offshore from lo 60s to lo 70s in winter to mid to upper 80s and flat seas in summer.Vis can be 10' to 15' inshore to 50' or better and offshore vis can get phenominal.A 20' or bigger would suffice. There are hundreds of artificial reefs and even more areas of ledge and natural bottom.
2 accredited nursing schools and UF Shands has a hospital here as well as Mayo.StVincents,St Lukes,Baptist,Methodist and Memorial are other jax hospitals.We have several nurses in our neighboorhood from cath lab to ER and chamber operators.All make better than $20 an hour and have benefits and several are near double that.
I have lived from Miami to the Panhandle,own my own buisness and can afford to live anywhere in Florida,I chose here because of the diving/spearfishing,the friendly relaxed atmosphere and the scenic beauty and natural history.We do get 2 months of winter here tho occaionally even freezes,but that helps keep the mosquitos under control.

 

[suthnbelle]

The over- abundance of trial lawyers in the state of Florida.....

Hmmm....now that could be a good thing for me. I'm a paralegal and have been debating a move to Florida for the past year now. It would definitely depend on what a paralegal job paid down there.

Also, if you didn't want to head all the way to Florida, the research triangle part (Raleigh-Durham) of NC has lots of computer companies. We're only two hours from the coast as well.

 

[PaulChristenson]

I also am going to do the same, relocate and hopefully work part time. But wanted to live in Sarasota. My search revealed that there is no land available for a single family homes and you must get in a lottery and just get lucky to have the opportunity to buy a new home, (off I-75, price) prices 300 to 400k . Then I went to Ft Lauderdale, another price shocker. I even drove to Everglades City south of Naples, where the mesquotos eat humans for lunch. A small trailer park lot on a gulf channel was $140,000. Maybe north FLA prices are less but as far as I can see the southern part of FLA will soon be like southern Calfornia. Buy now and save, because prices can olny go up!

A couple of more Hurricane seasons like last year...and those house prices will drop abit as Northerners suddenly decide to be someplace else...

Three years at Mayport NS, upon rotating out I sold my 1400 sqft house in Atlantic Beach for $65,000 before the Duval County real estate explosion... :-(
but then again, it was never hit by a Hurricane

Paul in VT

 

[lowedaph]

Real estate appreciation has been strong in many parts of Florida over the past several years. The folks who have been living here awhile are incredulous. To the legions migrating in (at a rate ~1000 per day) its still a bargain. On Florida's west coast, you can get a nice canal front home for 350k. Florida's east cost is reasonably priced until you reach the tricounty area. The Keys are not a sensible choice. There are sewage issues, 'cane evac problems, potential water shortages, electrical outages on a regular basis. Its geographically and attitudinally insular. The politics are straight out of Mayberry... Avoid the Keys unless you're willing to live there at any cost. On a $/sqft basis, Key West is among the most expensive in the country, the rest of Monroe county is slightly less, but you'll still spend a lot and get a little. That aforementioned 350k will get you a decent singlewide on a dry lot. Now if you're selling your Chelsea coop, you can get slightly less modest canal front digs. Still interested? Then come down and join the others working just hard nuff to support their lifestyle in paradise. Be warned, you might get hooked: the first time I visited the Keys, I bought a house; on my second visit I came moving van in tow.

 

[ReefGuy]

That's honestly what I was hoping. Didn't happen. Real estate prices have gone through the roof since the hurricanes. It seems like the snowbirds came with a vengance this year. More of them and earlier. It's almost like the hurricanes did nothing but put us on the map.

A couple of more Hurricane seasons like last year...and those house prices will drop abit as Northerners suddenly decide to be someplace else...

 

[Bob3]

Just an observation; I'd lived in FL for almost a year before meeting anyone who was actually born there.
Cheaper land, better diving than the Tampa area can be had up in the Panhandle, but watch out, I had to scrape my windshield there more than once. The pace is way less hectic & slower paced than the Tampa area, where the "traffic situation" can sometimes rival that of Boston or L.A.
Not sure of the job market, it couldn't hurt to look into things up there. Be prepared for pay scales that may be considerably lower than what you're used to.
For boats, look at the open fisherman style, 22' - 24' will take you quite a ways, we sometimes run 20+ miles out in one.

 

[Windminstrel]

Thanks for all the input, folks -- just goes to show that you Floridians are a durned sight nicer than New Englanders!

I woke this morning to 6 inches of snow in my 200' driveway, with another 4 inches or so on the way. Once I managed to get into work I checked on weather.com and sure enough, there was no snow in Tampa.

If I didn't have a big prepayment penalty on my mortgage I'd move today!