Is there anyone who move to the Ft. Lauderdale area and is actually happy they did... (Miami: homes, salary)

[Shoegal1075]

Momma from Westchester huh, can I ask you something and please don't take offense for me asking, because the truth is it doesn't matter, but I will ask anyway...are you african american? I ask only cuz you called yourself momma and that typically is a southern thing. My boys call me momma and I'm spanish, but they don't call me Mama, like typical spanish they call me Momma and when other women (mainly black women) hear them call me that they ask if I'm from the south - LOL. I'm sorry that had nothing to do with anything you have mentioned to me, but I figured I'd ask. Okay now to the subject at hand which is the school and area to live in. My boys go to Catholic school here (where I can afford it), when you say the schools are bad what do you mean by that? Weston was actually a place I considered because there schools are so highly regarded. Please tell me what you dislike about the public schools. That for me is a very big issue and as with you I'm sure. That is a make it or break it for me. I refuse to have my children turn out to be...further to what you were saying about your husband paying in the 50's, I could live on that there (kind of). I mean to be perfectly honest with you, I make 85K here and I'm on the higher end. I know that I will never make that in Florida even with my experience. I have been doing this for 12 years, maybe a little longer. I'm versed in most parts of the law being that I was a floater for several years. I'm not leaving until June, so I hope that the job situation will be a little better.

[Momma_bear]

Originally Posted by Chelsa1075

Momma from Westchester huh, can I ask you something and please don't take offense for me asking, because the truth is it doesn't matter, but I will ask anyway...are you african american?

I'm not offended and I am not black. I am a short, Jewish mother of 3 sons. Age 43, overweight and really really white.

Originally Posted by Chelsa1075

Okay now to the subject at hand which is the school and area to live in. My boys go to Catholic school here (where I can afford it), when you say the schools are bad what do you mean by that? Weston was actually a place I considered because there schools are so highly regarded. Please tell me what you dislike about the public schools.

The schools in Weston are better than other public schools in Florida. My son went to Buchanan-Verplanck Elementary school in Montrose, NY for kindergarden. There were 20 kids in his class. When he attended 1st grade here in FL there were 33 kids in his class. His school in NY had around 500 kids. His school here had around 1500 kids. His teacher in NY paid attention to every child at some time. His teacher here had no time for the kids who were advanced.

The schools here focus almost exclusively on the kids doing well on the state tests. They learn nearly nothing that is not on the state tests.

Originally Posted by Chelsa1075

...further to what you were saying about your husband paying in the 50's, I could live on that there (kind of). I mean to be perfectly honest with you, I make 85K here and I'm on the higher end. I know that I will never make that in Florida even with my experience. I have been doing this for 12 years, maybe a little longer. I'm versed in most parts of the law being that I was a floater for several years. I'm not leaving until June, so I hope that the job situation will be a little better.

My husband is a partner in a small intellectual property law firm. They specialize in patents, copyrights, and trademarks. The assistants they hire that are paid in the 50s are very experienced in the IP field. The newer legal assistants are paid less. I do not know what other firms pay for less specialized skills but there is a market for GOOD legal assistants here in FL.

I caution all posters here that although the cost of living here is lower than it is in NY, it is not THAT MUCH lower. You need to take into account certain expenses that will be higher here.

Insurance of all sorts is expensive here. My car insurance is the same as it was in NY, my property insurance is six times what it was in NY.

Food is the same.

You trade high heat bills in the winter for high cooling bills in the summer. The cooling season here is longer than the heating season up north.

If you live in NYC you may not own a car, or you might only have one car. You will need a car and insurance for each driver in the family here.

If you are living in a house with a ton of storage you can forget that here. There are no basements and many homes have little storage space so you may have a monthly storage bill.

You have to do your landscaping all year round here so if you pay someone only in the summer to cut your lawn you will have that expense all year here.

I really like living here, but I always caution people who are coming from NY that while it is less expensive to live here it is not dirt cheap. Wages are very low here in some fields.

[Shoegal1075]

I'm so glad you didn't get offended, you never knowin writing how someone may perceive what you are saying. Funny that that is what your husband works in because with because thatis exactly what I do IP and Labor employment (very similar to litigation). As I said before though, I am familiar with all areas of the law. I make a pretty good salary, but have had to make the tough decision between kids education or a home. Most of the things you mentioned that are needed in Florida, I already have here. I have 2 cars and a motorcycle, so I pay insurance for all that. I essentially live a florida life style, so to speak, I use my car to go every where, yes even to the corner store. what I will miss the availability of being able to walk to the store if I so desired. You can't have everything I guess. My only reservation at this point is the job situation. If I were lucky enough to find a good, decent paying job, I would go.

[Moderate Guy]

Originally Posted by Chelsa1075

I'm so glad you didn't get offended, you never knowin writing how someone may perceive what you are saying. Funny that that is what your husband works in because with because thatis exactly what I do IP and Labor employment (very similar to litigation). As I said before though, I am familiar with all areas of the law. I make a pretty good salary, but have had to make the tough decision between kids education or a home. Most of the things you mentioned that are needed in Florida, I already have here. I have 2 cars and a motorcycle, so I pay insurance for all that. I essentially live a florida life style, so to speak, I use my car to go every where, yes even to the corner store. what I will miss the availability of being able to walk to the store if I so desired. You can't have everything I guess. My only reservation at this point is the job situation. If I were lucky enough to find a good, decent paying job, I would go.

As much as I LOVE Florida, based on a review of your posts I'd be a bit hesitant to go without a job or adequate savings. That's why I'm still in NYC - Manhattan - and will have to settle for Forest Hills and pray that someday I can make it down there either full time or part year.

Good luck again and I see that you're asking a lot of good questions in the various threads. Take it all in and in the final analysis, realize that everyone is different.

Best!

[tankev]

Chelsa1075,
In the above post you mentioned you like the idea of walking to the corner store. In Weston you should be able to do that also. In and around the developments there are shopping centers strategically placed so we can do just that. There are side walks everywhere to get you where you want to go on bike or foot. There is the main shopping Area at the beginning of Weston which stretches north and south of the town. Then farther in the town (west) there are several shopping centers that are walkable. The main Shopping Area (Weston Rd) is walkable to some developments also. Check out this site www.westonfl.org and and maybe pull up maps of the various areas you are thinking of. Also use Google Earth. You can get an idea of what the areas look like.

[Shoegal1075]

I'm Liking Weston more and more, that was really the one thing I found very bizarre about SF - no sidewalks. At least in most areas. I had kind of figured on moving to Coral Springs, but it sounds like I may like Weston a little more. Thank you all for your input - and thank you Tankev, I really appreciate it. The deciding factor will be whether I get a job in Miami or Boca. I have to search that out first. But at least I know now that Weston is a great place to live.

[Shoegal1075]

Thanks Miles, you really are a wealth of information. I'm surprised at the people who kind of just close their eyes and hope for the best. I might have done that if I were single, but I have a family to consider and would never put my boys through that. The decision of going down is only being made difficult because of the jobsituation. if someone were to call me today and say Chelsa I have a job paying 60 right now I would go.

[Elvi03]

Originally Posted by fauve

Wow...$85K! And, that doesn't even include what your husband makes. Why are you renting a 2 bedroom in Woodside and washing your clothes at a laundromat? Why not move to a rental in a good school district in NJ or Westchester? You'd save on tuition,, and keep your high salary, and I know the athetic programs in these areas would be terrific.

And, with that kind of income, I'm sure you could find a nice rent-to-own deal in this market.

85k in Westchester, depending where you live, is not a livable salary. Real estate values are still very high, and taxes are insane.

[Wild Style]

Originally Posted by Chelsa1075

I'm so glad you didn't get offended, you never knowin writing how someone may perceive what you are saying. Funny that that is what your husband works in because with because thatis exactly what I do IP and Labor employment (very similar to litigation). As I said before though, I am familiar with all areas of the law. I make a pretty good salary, but have had to make the tough decision between kids education or a home. Most of the things you mentioned that are needed in Florida, I already have here. I have 2 cars and a motorcycle, so I pay insurance for all that. I essentially live a florida life style, so to speak, I use my car to go every where, yes even to the corner store. what I will miss the availability of being able to walk to the store if I so desired. You can't have everything I guess. My only reservation at this point is the job situation. If I were lucky enough to find a good, decent paying job, I would go.

You can walk to the corner store in Florida (depending on where you live) but it wont be like NYC. As far as proximity and weather. When it starts to get warm again down here you wont want to. it will be far to humid for that.

[Shoegal1075]

Elvi - that is exactly what I'm saying 85K is not really a great salary here - I come home with a little more than half of that and if you really think about it that isn't much. As far as humidity goes, I do realize that Florida does have a lot more of the hot humid days than NY, however, it is just as hot and humid here. I work in the city and in the summer it is really really nasty here too. sometimes my skin feels like it is going to melt off my bones. You guys have 5 months of really hot weather, we have 5 months of cold and colder weather, guess it all depends on what you prefer the hot or cold weather. I can't say that I love the cold weather, so I hope I like the hot.