[Angelrocks]

Originally Posted by bmurphy

Why WOULD it be cheap? It's got a warm climate, beaches, things to do, etc. There's no reason logically for it to be cheap. Simple supply and demand. People WANT to live there. Prices are higher...it's not hard to figure out...

California is easily more expensive than Florida, and I'm not sure where you got off thinking California was cheaper; maybe in the desert regions of California or something?

They pay much less in property taxes. That has something to do with it.

Some people in S.Florida pay more money in property taxes and insurance than their mortgage.

I was check checking out a few 2,500 square foot homes in Aventura. I believe they wanted about 700k. Seriously! Even I was tripping out. The day a 2,500 square foot home goes for 700k in Florida is the day even I say...that certain parts of Cali is really cheaper than Florida. I will find these homes and show you...your gonna trip! And in Parkland,beause a 2 thousand square foot home is on an acre of land....that makes it a million dollar home. Seriously. I gotta find it. Your gonna trip!

And wait till you check out property taxes. Property taxes on that 700k home in Aventura is much more than taxes on a 700k home in Southern Cali.

By the way, Rancho Cucamonga is cheaper. I saw some really beautiful homes out there. But, I have to wonder why? Is it on the fault line, or what is the reason why it's cheaper. I am sure the Rancho homes are cheaper than the Aventura or Parkland homes. When I went on a mini-tour of Ca last year I remember passing through Rancho. The mountains behind the mall was beautiful. Is it a nice place to live?

[luvthatmouse]

We live in Orlando I am from NY my husband is from MA (North of Boston.) We have friends here from CA (LA area), CT, NJ, NY, MA, CO, etc.. all of them agree the cost of living is higher here and the pay is much less!

[tallrick]

We should have a part of Florida called "Rancho Cucaracha" to compete with California!

[doggiebus]

Lol

[dreamofmonterey]

Originally Posted by luvthatmouse

We live in Orlando I am from NY my husband is from MA (North of Boston.) We have friends here from CA (LA area), CT, NJ, NY, MA, CO, etc.. all of them agree the cost of living is higher here and the pay is much less!

You cant even compare Mass. or NY to Florida---there is NO comparison. If you are in NY or the northeast, you probably have a career.

If you are retired, Florida is great. But don't be so quick to leave your 60k (or more) job up there, and think you will make the same in Florida. Will never happen.

sunny

[tallrick]

My understanding is that in CA they pay 1% of value as property tax. Here it's more than double that. And yes, those Northeast people have better paying carreers. Here in Florida our whole economy is based on drug dealing and real estate.

[Jonah1979]

I lived in Florida most of my life and moved to L.A. about two years ago. IMO you can't even compare Florida and California. I'll give some examples...

In the areas where you would want to live (LA, san diego, SF area) the average house costs about 650k and up. Don't forget 1% of 700k is a lot! Oh BTW disney gave me an whoppin 10% "COLA" when I moved out here. I live in Pasadena 10 mins outside of downtown L.A. and my 2 bedroom apartment cost me $1650/month.

Gas prices: we're paying 3.30/gal for regular

Car registration: $220 yearly! I only paid like $60 in florida.

Groceries: The unions rule out here and when you go into a Vons or Ralphs store, look at their badges...it's common to see 25 or 30 years of service. The reason...they are making $30/hour working a cash register. This of course drives the price you pay for food through the roof!

Buying a Car out here: They mark up EVERYTHING! It's a joke...you definitely pay alot less for a vehicle in Florida.

Parking: You pay for parking everywhere you go, parking garages, beaches, you name it, you pay to park. I could go on and on...I'm looking to transfer back to Orlando within the next 2 years.

[tallrick]

But is LA all of California? That's like comparing south beach to all of Florida. The beaurocracy and energy prices, along with a lack of water is my main complaint about CA. Then again give Florida time, they will develop the same bad habits. The Californicators will see to that!

[dreamofmonterey]

Originally Posted by tallrick

My understanding is that in CA they pay 1% of value as property tax. Here it's more than double that. And yes, those Northeast people have better paying carreers. Here in Florida our whole economy is based on drug dealing and real estate.

Even my friend in Boca is a real estate broker/having a hard time right now. Florida is NOT like any other state. I always envision 25 year olds moving down there thinking they will get a decent job. It will never happen.

[Fodder]

While it may be true that certain pockets are of Florida are more expensive than certain pockets of California, the comparison certainly would not be apples to apples. The expensive areas of Florida would offer an upscale, luxurious lifestyle that the corresponding cost area of California simply could not compete with. When performing a comparison, you must compare apples to apples when discussing which area is more expensive. A 2000+ square foot home near the coast simply cannot be found for much less than a million - an equivalent home in Florida tops out at around $750K - a substantial difference.
A note about taxes and insurance, while property taxes are indeed set at 1% of assessed value, many cities charge supplemental taxes, voters have approved additional taxes and other additions to the base value that make the total tax bill much higher than the 1%; the effective tax rate on my home was 2.3%!!! The insurance bills may not be as disparate as you think either; because the value of the home is higher in California, the insurance cost basis is higher. For example, my California policy was about $1300 a year, only a little less than the $1500 that we are paying in Florida. Also recognize that the base property insurance policy in California does not include earthquake coverage - an earthquake policy is separate and very expensive.