[jenrein]

Such as where did you move from and to?
Moved from small town in NY to Marion Oaks (Ocala) FL

Did you make the right choice of towns?
Yes and No. The area and houses are decent. Now that we changed the kisd schools to the Villages the commute for everyone is more than we would like. We will be relocating closer next year.

Would you do it again? Wish you did it sooner? Wish you wouldnt have ever done it?
I would do it again, wish I had done it sooner. It was a dream of ours for years.

Did you research the town you moved to?
Yes. I used this site for stats and talked with people - esp myhomeisinocala.

Are you happy? unhappy?
I am extremely happy. My kids are just adjusting but overall we are great.

What about cost of living compared to your former state?
Cheaper here! My car insurance is a third of what it was. Cable and cell are cheaper, gas and utilities are also cheaper.

Did you get excited to move and are you still excited to be there or not?
The time leading up to the move was really exciting. And I love being in FL and love that our family gets to "vacation" to visit.

Just some general idea of what you think, both the good and the bad.
I'm not big on the whole housing is horrendous, taxes, and all that stuff everyone loves to complain about. I am here to be here and loving it.

Did City Data info/post help you in your choice?
Absolutely!

[bcfarmlady]

I have been in Florida since 1991 from Massachusetts. I moved because of my job. I just want to agree with everything that GiddyUp and KarlKing have said... every place has it's ups/downs and good/bad and of course every person has their own list of what they want / need in their lives.

When I moved here with two young children, Central Florida was my choice over Atlanta Georgia. Although my kids did not do good in schools here, I still think I made the right choice at that time for overall quality of life. The housing was less expensive as was the cost of living.

As conditions change, we change, our lives change. Now, my kids have left the home, although I am raising a grandchild. I no longer work at the same location, I work from home. I divorced and remarried and moved....My new husband works at Kennedy Space Center and we live on the east coast. He commutes, 55 miles each way, on a very busy and unsafe highway (I-95).

Being "midlife" babyboomers... we are ready to leave. We long for a less congested lifestyle in a rural community. It's been nice here, the weather is good most of the year... it's HOT in summer. We don't do boating/golf/tennis or any of the activities found in the "big city life".

So depending on where you need to work, if you have kids, what kinds of activities and culture you are looking for and how much you have to buy a house...... many places are great, do your homework and take your best shot... and if you decide you need a 4BD/2BTH house in NW Palm Bay... give me a shout

[moving123456]

Moved to Florida in 2007. Leaving Florida in 2008.

Too many reasons to list.

[Liberty911]

Such as where did you move from and to?
Moved from Newport Beach, CA in (April 2006) to Tequesta after a short stay in WPB. I had never been to Florida, but packed up a uhaul and my F150 and made the drive with my fiance. Driving south on I95 I was shocked when we hit Blue Heron only to find the same built up mess we left in So Cal. We were planning on Miami, but decided against it. I hope to one day have the money to be in a nice Miami area.

Did you make the right choice of towns?
I love it. My wife hates living in a village. She needs stores and entertainment near by. Me, I prefer the trees, the river, pickup trucks, uncrowded beach, no traffic, quiet, and no zero lot line homes.

Would you do it again? Wish you did it sooner? Wish you wouldnt have ever done it?
I would do it again but wish I did it sooner. My neighbors are able to have the same house and large boats for the same amount I am paying on a mortgage. Coming here in 2006 means I have to work harder than most only to have less. It is still better cost of living wise than So Cal.

Did you research the town you moved to?
No. I researched the counties. I had never heard of the town we now live in.

Are you happy? unhappy?
I am extremely happy with Florida, hate my job, but plan on opening up my own soon. My wife hates living in a village and would prefer Miami. I would too I we could afford the Gables. The food in restaurants here is very very bad, with very few exceptions. You can find good southern food, but I would kill for a good carne asada taco. And what is with this tex-mex junk? People in Florida will buy and eat anything.


What about cost of living compared to your former state?
The monopoly of Publix is hard to believe. Grocery store prices on vegetables and fruit is ridiculous compared to So Cal. Housing is much cheaper, yes cheaper, even at the inflated rate. Gas is cheaper. Utilities are the same, but water is much higher.

Did you get excited to move and are you still excited to be there or not?
Yes, I was very excited. I was hoping it would be warmer in winter. I would prefer the June-August heat and humidity all year, seriously. 60 degrees at night is just too cold!

Just some general idea of what you think, both the good and the bad.
Politicians and government waste is unbelievable in FL. I can't believe the same corrupt public officials are elected time and time again.

Did City Data info/post help you in your choice?
To some extent. The negativity almost made me reconsider, but I knew most of the opinions came from people who expected their vacation to last forever. When we arrived we had not even heard of "Jupiter", what's that a planet? Now, it is one of the most beautiful places I have seen. the light house area is surreal. We found jupiter and Tequesta by accident.

[bob dabalina]

Such as where did you move from and to?
NC to Orlando, FL

Did you make the right choice of towns?
Yes and No. Am I glad to be back in Florida? yes. Would I move to Orlando again? NO way.

Would you do it again? Wish you did it sooner? Wish you wouldnt have ever done it?
Look at answer up above. Kinda answers the question.

Did you research the town you moved to?
Not a lot, no. Have family here though, and got a lot of information from them. Now some of them are looking to get out.

Are you happy? unhappy?
I am happy because I have great family here and close by. If not, I would probably move back to NC or SC. The ppl are just a lot friendlier, the jobs pay the same, and the cost of living is much less. Also, driving seems to be an issue here in Orlando too. Bad drivers definitely.
What about cost of living compared to your former state?
More expensive in Orlando.

Did you get excited to move and are you still excited to be there or not?
Overall, my wife and I love spending time with the family we have here, and close by, but we are disappointed with this area overall. When you live in NC for a while, you get used to people just being nice and friendly. We dont seem to have a lot of that in Orlando.

Just some general idea of what you think, both the good and the bad. Good - entertainment, shopping for my wife, and most importantly, family. The bad - traffic, congestion, crime, road rage, unfriendly ppl, a lot of ppl that do not speak english but speak spanish very well, housing (at the moment), tolls, lack of community feeling, I am not a jets fan, patriots fan, red sox fan, or mets fan really. it would be nice to go to a sports bar, and watch the bucs game in the main seating area, not on the 9" monitor by the bathroom. turn off the jets game and turn on the bucs game please.

Did City Data info/post help you in your choice? No

[nicolepsy]

love it in general though the cost of living is higher than in ohio.
NO REGRETS!

[hgebel]

Originally Posted by Floridabound09

Such as where did you move from and to?

From Newark, Delaware to Orange County between Orlando and Ocoee.

Did you make the right choice of towns?

I think it's pretty good, it's almost right on Colonial Dr so it's pretty ideal.

Would you do it again? Wish you did it sooner? Wish you wouldnt have ever done it?

Wish I had never left Florida after my first time here in '89 - '90. Glad to be back.

Did you research the town you moved to?

Not until after we picked it, where we were moving was already decided for us by proximity to my brother-in-law's cousin.

Are you happy? unhappy?

Very very happy. About a week after I moved I saw a bloodmobile and stopped in to give blood, but it was just a formality since the bloodmobiles in Delaware always turned me down the last couple years for blood pressure. To my surprise, my blood pressure was normal. It's still normal. Whether it's the less stressful job or not having to spend the whole year worrying about whether it will snow when winter comes I don't know.

What about cost of living compared to your former state?

Probably a little higher. Rent is definitely lower, and I'm pretty sure electricity will be significantly lower over the year than my electricity/oil bill in Newark. Food and gas are more expensive. I think it comes out pretty close with Florida slightly higher.

Did you get excited to move and are you still excited to be there or not?

I was pretty exited to move, but I'm pretty happy and relaxed now.

Just some general idea of what you think, both the good and the bad.

I'm looking at my weather gadget on my sidebar that always displays the temp in Orlando and Newark, and I see that it's 40 degrees there and 67 degrees here. I think that says everything that needs to be said about the weather; Florida wins hands down. Another advantage of Florida is that the trees pretty much still look green and healthy, back home they are going to be bare and ugly (and possibly covered with snow) pretty soon (more high blood pressure if I still lived there).

I wish wages were higher here. I'm working at the Magic Kingdom making 7.30/hr; I left a job making 15/hour (with guaranteed overtime that raised the effective pay to 17/hr) to come here, and it's been a challenge to say the least making ends meet on less than half the money. On the other hand, it showed me how much money I was wasting. I turned down a 16/hr job here in Florida last week, so I can't say that I'm unhappy with my work. Most weeks there is plenty of overtime available at WDW, so that helps too.

My other complaint has been driving, specifically other people's. I was expecting traffic to be bad, but there is hardly any traffic here at all. Nevertheless, everyone drives like they are in heavy traffic and have to be somewhere in two minutes. I've seen more close calls here in five months than in the six years I lived in Newark. And that's not even counting I-4, which does have bad traffic on top of the bad drivers.

Did City Data info/post help you in your choice?

I had pretty much made up my mind before I found City Data, but it was definitely helpful with providing me with info about what was coming.

-Harry

[cocos mom]

my hubby and i cannot wait to get out of florida. i am from central new york and he is a florida native. we bought a home in wilson north carolina... the crime here is awful!!!
and its way too hot. home sales are awful here too

[Floridabound09]

Originally Posted by cocos mom

my hubby and i cannot wait to get out of florida. i am from central new york and he is a florida native. we bought a home in wilson north carolina... the crime here is awful!!!
and its way too hot. home sales are awful here too

Can you name the town in Florida you live?

Specifics on the crime(s) you say is awful?

Home sales are horrible everywhere, not just Florida.

Moving to Wilson NC to get away from crime? Better not spend to much time in Raleigh or Durham. I have had my luggage stolen right out of my rental car in Durham.

[Floridabound09]

Originally Posted by moving123456

Moved to Florida in 2007. Leaving Florida in 2008.

Too many reasons to list.

Wow, did you research moving there before you did?

What town in Florida do you live?

Where did you move from to Florida and where are you moving to?