Deciding between Fort Lauderdale or Miami (Hollywood, Pembroke Pines: apartment, lease, mortgages)

[Nolefan34]

Originally Posted by Mike10693

He just said how there are very affordable apartments near the beaches and you said that was not possible at first. However, I think you changed your stance on that.

I'm gonna try and be nice and start fresh with you.

To answer your last question- Yes and no. It is possible to get A apartment near the beach for $850. I never denied that. The question is how nice/decent is it? You asked for a safe/decent apartment. You will have a very tough time finding a nice apartment for that cheap. You also have to consider utilities and cable which are extra $150-200/mo. Now everyone's idea of nice/safe/decent is somewhat different.

Hurricaneman1992's assessment was under the assumption that you find a job immediately. What if you can't find a job quickly? As I stated earlier, this is an expensive area and $15,000 doesn't last long. Especially if you're going out often for nightlife.

You also seem to be ignoring the other items that Hurricaneman1992 did not discuss. Car insurance will be more expensive here than in Maine and gas will be about the same.

[Mike10693]

Nah I get all that man. You are right though with your points. Not sure about the car insurance to be exact. So we can't assume that is more expensive in Florida.

[Trail-Walker]

I have lived in SoFlo for nearly 40 years. (Monroe County, Dade County, Broward County and Palm Beach County and worked and stayed in many other counties as a requirement for work). I came down to Florida as a federal drug agent chasing down drug smugglers and illegal aliens. South Florida sounds like such a paradise and so full of great people and at one time it truly was but "Paradise is Lost".

Now let me give you a dose of truth and reality at least as I have witnessed it first hand. The vast majority of people in SoFlo are as plastic and phoney as thry can possibly come especially those that migrated from the NorthEast. Very, very few native Floridians are left in this state. Business is tough here (as in most places) and most managers will think nothing of eating their own young. I will say that the beaches are beautiful and there are more beautiful women to be found in Florida than virtually any state in this country (lot's of gold diggers though).


Beaches are beautiful, water is clear and if you like to golf, scuba dive and deep sea fish then you have found a great place to live. Summers are brutal making you feel like you live in a sauna. Expect mid to upper 90 degree weather throughout the summer and add the humidity to that and you will have a heat index of 102 -115 degrees everyday. Winters are generally beautiful and make living here worthwhile but that only lasts about four months.

Next thing to consider is if you want to settle down and start a family one day. South Florida is truly a melting pot of cultures. And the new arrivals expect you to learn their language and customs, not the other way around. English is quickly becoming a third language and if you are not used to hearing about violent acts of crime on a daily basis where you are from you will have to get used to it here. Personally, I am licensed to carry a concealed weapon here and normally carry two with me whenever I leave my house.

If you want fast paced phoney people in a very busy enviornment, consider Miami-Dade County. Ft. Lauderdale is a smaller city with plenty of night life but just as phoney as everywhere else. Palm Beach County is Better with Martin County being nicer but a far commute from ft. laud or miami.

You wanted a brief assessment and I gave it to you. If you want to be around decent people look to the northern parts of the state or even GA, SC, NC or TENN.

Just being honest with you and offering my .o2. I am sure there are many others that would disagree with me and my attitude of this state but I also find it strange that many of my neighbors are leaving in droves as well. Personally, I am moving out of Florida later this year to a state that still has considerable wilderness and has kind genuine and considerate people that you can actually count on as friends and neighbors.

Again this was my honest assessment and I wish you Good luck no matter where you end up. God Bless.

[Mike10693]

Thank you very much Trail Walker...that is all very useful. I get the feel like South Florida is becoming more of a younger persons place? Not calling you old by any means I am also getting the impression that West Palm may by the best fit for me to start out. Best in terms of rent price for finding a new place. There have to be people who have good jobs down there that are only fluent in English. Am I wrong? I do realize it is a different culture and there is a lot of Spanish speaking down there. Thanks again!

[Trail-Walker]

Yes, I would look in the palm beach county are, that includes, boynton, lake worth, wellington, etc, some nice communities and still not a terribly long haul to miami and ft. laud. Night life is good in South Beach (art deco district), heavy latin flare as in most of Miami. Ft. Lauderdale Las Olas district has some nice clubs and restauants, etc.Closer in PB Country you have the renewal in Delray which is nice and City Place in Downtown Palm Beach/

Florida does have some of the best road conditions I have seen in any state but mostly becuase they do no salt roads here but we do have drivers from every other state so people drive crazy. Lot's of illegal aliens that drive with no insurance at all and crash all over the place.

Lastly, very little in the way of wilderness left in South Florida. It seems as though any spot that is green the builders will pave over it and build a new shopping center or reitirement community.

The best of all worlds is to get a condo on the beach during the worst winter months and then live in a beautiful northern climate state for the summer months.

South Florida is not a great place to raise a family but if you do keep a very close eye on your children at all times. If we could get rid of all the illegal aliens and gangs down here it could be a nice place again but I'm not holding my breathe.

Again, your young so try it for a year or so and if you don't like it then move. I have paid my dues and it is time form me to leave, back to the country with real honest people, where I can hike, camp, ski, hunt and fish again.

Best of luck to you.


PS excuse any poor spelling, don;t have my glasses on at the moment.






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[Nolefan34]

I cannot disagree with Trail-Walker on most of his points. I will say he does paint a hyper-negative picture of South FL. While I agree that there is crime here and it is hot, are you telling me that Jacksonville and Orlando are any better? What about Atlanta? The crime in those other Southern cities is just as bad. The summers in Northern FL are worse than down here as a matter of fact.

It also depends which Northern areas he's talking about. Are you referring to rural areas? Cities? The view that people in Northern FL are superior to people in South FL is also an area of disagreement. Northern FL is a Southern culture and yes, people are nicer there on the surface. THey say hi to you in elevators. But less fake? Not sure about that. IMO people everywhere are fake but in different ways.

If you are white, have a religious/conservative background, and your background is from the Southern states or Midwest states, then you would think the way Trail-Walker thinks. If you are from the Northeastern states, or if you are more liberal-minded and less religious, less socially conservative then you might think the opposite.

[Trail-Walker]

I can assure the readers of my post that I truly meant no disrespect or insult to anyone. If the way I expressed my opinion offended someone then I apologize. As a prior LEO, I have seen the best and worst of all people from different backgrounds and not one group should be characterized negatively except if only in very minor generalities.

My own personal tastes, at least at this time in my life (and I only just turned 50), is to move back to a temperate climate with smaller human populations and larger expansions of wilderness and national forests to explore.

Just one of those people that is more comfortable walking among bears and mountain lions than people in cities.

Again,

Kind regards to all.

[Mike10693]

No offense taken Trail-Walker. Thanks again!

[hurricaneMan1992]

Originally Posted by Nolefan34

I'm gonna try and be nice and start fresh with you.

To answer your last question- Yes and no. It is possible to get A apartment near the beach for $850. I never denied that. The question is how nice/decent is it? You asked for a safe/decent apartment. You will have a very tough time finding a nice apartment for that cheap. You also have to consider utilities and cable which are extra $150-200/mo. Now everyone's idea of nice/safe/decent is somewhat different.

As I said, these places may not work for someone who is used to living in a gated community out in the western suburbs (or in a beachfront high-rise). OP is just out of college and is probably not looking to settle down in the suburbs as of yet. Just because a building is old and in a higher density area doesn't mean it's ghetto! BTW, For ghetto, you'd pay closer to $700/1br.

Hurricaneman1992's assessment was under the assumption that you find a job immediately. What if you can't find a job quickly? As I stated earlier, this is an expensive area and $15,000 doesn't last long. Especially if you're going out often for nightlife.

You also seem to be ignoring the other items that Hurricaneman1992 did not discuss. Car insurance will be more expensive here than in Maine and gas will be about the same.

On the contrary: I said that the OP should NOT expect to come here and get his dream job quickly, and I never assumed he would get a job "immediately!" $15k should give you enough time to get settled in and making some money, though. Sure there is the "what if" factor, but big life decisions usually do come with some risk. Sure you can blow through $15k pretty quick living like a tourist and partying all the time, but I don't think this is what the OP has in mind. For some "nightlife" means valet parking and $200 VIP bottles, while for others $15 worth of beer at Capones or somewhere at the Hard Rock works fine.

Nolefan is right about one thing though: Car insurance is NOT cheap here. Expect to pay $100-200/month for basic coverage, depending on your credit and driving record. Estrella Insurance may be a bit cheaper. May want to keep your Maine insurance and registration for a few months as there are always people visiting here from "up north." Disclaimer: this is NOT legal advice.

[Mike10693]

Damn, up here in Maine you only pay car insurance once every 6 months (twice a year). Comes to like $500 a month I believe.