[Ken E]

It definatly is cheaper to live down there.

[SassySpice]

Chris sorry it didn't work out for ya, hope you'll find happiness in FL. Ya should've emailed me cause the COL in DE is quite reasonable, not cheap but reasonable, but yeah there's not too much getting around those high winter heating bills. It's been a very mild winter so far, the best we've had that I can remember, temps have been in the 40's - 60's. Now what we do since it's only my husband & me in this 3500' house is at night we turn the heat completely off & snuggle under our electric blanket & we sleep quite well (I usually cut my side off before I go to sleep cause it gives me hot flashes but it feels so damn good when you 1st get under the covers), that has cut our heating bill way down, then again it's been a mild winter as well. Last Jan 2011 I saw in my check book we paid a gas & electric bill (our utility bills are combined) for $620.00 for the month!! Last month it was $300.00 so we considered that a big break. Last summer we installed a big window AC in our bedroom (why cool down the whole 3500' when we're confined to our master bedroom at night?), it might look tacky from the outside (I'm sure the neighbors were whispering) but hey it cut our AC bill down from $300.00 to $150.00 by simply turning off the central unit when we go to bed. Of course the trade off is when mid April rolls around thru mid June we don't use the AC or heat. The same is true for mid Sept - to the end of Oct, generally speaking, so we do get our breaks. Real estate taxes here are great, our last home in NJ which was half the size, smaller lot was costing us $4000.00/yr & that was back in 1997!! Our last bill here in DE in Sept for this house was $2500.00. No sales tax here either, guess that's why folks come from MD, PA, & NJ to shop at our malls & DE didn't take such a huge hit in the real estate market compared to other states, we still have about $150,000 in equity. But hey, ya do what ya gotta do, good luck to ya.

[ChrisA70]

3 times Comsense...lol

$1500 per month for a 3 bedroom rental house, $400 monthly for oil, $220 average electric bill, Food is about 20% higher. Veggies are way up there.... Meats are a lot higher. i never registered my car there or it would have been a lot more, insurance is still a lot cheaper there for a car though.

Sunnyskies1 i am in Estero, between Fort Myers and Naples.

[Ken E]

Youre right there. It's definatly not the place for low income. It should be much easier in Florida. Good Luck.

[Jo48]

Originally Posted by Sweetbottoms

It always does this time of year.. Feb is always the worst month for winter and people are growing tired. All those that preached its praises in Dec because they had a white Christmas realize the novelty wears off when the tree is down and there isn't a reason for it to be around anymore. The mass influx will keep till March or April and then the mass leaving will begin around Oct. when fall comes and they want the seasons again....

lately up in the NE, and how much SNOW there has been. This is NOT the year to talk about freezing cold, blizzards, etc. My future daughter-in-law BBQ'd last week. BRRRRRRRRR. It was in the 60s. Of course, FLORIDUH people would be wearing their hats, scarves, parkas, and gloves in the 60s!!!!!!!

[Jo48]

Originally Posted by Ken E

Youre right there. It's definatly not the place for low income. It should be much easier in Florida. Good Luck.

in MISSISSIPPI than in the Ft. Myers/Naples.

[Jo48]

Originally Posted by Mike1306

Welcome back. Might I suggest a stop in some of the more northern coastal areas to check them out, maybe for a future transfer if the property management company has any properties up that way.
You might be able to not hate the weather as much.

Northern Florida definitely is a lot more "temperate" than SW Florida.

[Jo48]

Originally Posted by SassySpice

Chris sorry it didn't work out for ya, hope you'll find happiness in FL. Ya should've emailed me cause the COL in DE is quite reasonable, not cheap but reasonable, but yeah there's not too much getting around those high winter heating bills. It's been a very mild winter so far, the best we've had that I can remember, temps have been in the 40's - 60's. Now what we do since it's only my husband & me in this 3500' house is at night we turn the heat completely off & snuggle under our electric blanket & we sleep quite well (I usually cut my side off before I go to sleep cause it gives me hot flashes but it feels so damn good when you 1st get under the covers), that has cut our heating bill way down, then again it's been a mild winter as well. Last Jan 2011 I saw in my check book we paid a gas & electric bill (our utility bills are combined) for $620.00 for the month!! Last month it was $300.00 so we considered that a big break. Last summer we installed a big window AC in our bedroom (why cool down the whole 3500' when we're confined to our master bedroom at night?), it might look tacky from the outside (I'm sure the neighbors were whispering) but hey it cut our AC bill down from $300.00 to $150.00 by simply turning off the central unit when we go to bed. Of course the trade off is when mid April rolls around thru mid June we don't use the AC or heat. The same is true for mid Sept - to the end of Oct, generally speaking, so we do get our breaks. Real estate taxes here are great, our last home in NJ which was half the size, smaller lot was costing us $4000.00/yr & that was back in 1997!! Our last bill here in DE in Sept for this house was $2500.00. No sales tax here either, guess that's why folks come from MD, PA, & NJ to shop at our malls & DE didn't take such a huge hit in the real estate market compared to other states, we still have about $150,000 in equity. But hey, ya do what ya gotta do, good luck to ya.

I have to agree with you there. The alternative to the NE isn't JUST FLORIDA. It is a very big country out there.

[Sweetbottoms]

Originally Posted by Jo48

lately up in the NE, and how much SNOW there has been. This is NOT the year to talk about freezing cold, blizzards, etc. My future daughter-in-law BBQ'd last week. BRRRRRRRRR. It was in the 60s. Of course, FLORIDUH people would be wearing their hats, scarves, parkas, and gloves in the 60s!!!!!!!

Ok I've not seen fl people wearing scarves and gloves in the 60's but if the did so what? Btw my husbands town in ME got almost 18 inches from the last blizzard not more than a week ago with wind chills in the negative teens .. That more to ur liking? There must be SOME reason ur down here or with all the bashing you do to Naples and FloriDUH as you put it you'd be long gone... Look at the OP's and the prices he's paying yp there between rent taxes heating etc... If that isn't enough reason to move down here with a big ole DUH attached the I dunno what is... Btw us foridians are outside bbqing and enjoying ourselvers in the upper 80s and 90's .. You seem to complain that when it gets that hot that you can't do anything.. Whats up with the New YUCKers and all that moaning? Jeez.....

[gypsychic]

Originally Posted by Sweetbottoms

Ok I've not seen fl people wearing scarves and gloves in the 60's but if the did so what? Btw my husbands town in ME got almost 18 inches from the last blizzard not more than a week ago with wind chills in the negative teens .. That more to ur liking? There must be SOME reason ur down here or with all the bashing you do to Naples and FloriDUH as you put it you'd be long gone... Look at the OP's and the prices he's paying yp there between rent taxes heating etc... If that isn't enough reason to move down here with a big ole DUH attached the I dunno what is... Btw us foridians are outside bbqing and enjoying ourselvers in the upper 80s and 90's .. You seem to complain that when it gets that hot that you can't do anything.. Whats up with the New YUCKers and all that moaning? Jeez.....

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