Trying to decide between moving to Vegas or Florida (Las Vegas: apartment, rent)
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Florida has massive, aggressive spiders by the millions too. Basically, if you want to be drenched in sweat 24/7, and have thousands of flying insects stuck to said sweat, Florida is the place for you.
If daily, sudden and severe storms are your thing, try Florida.
If the thought of one day having a surprise skylight, and surprise pool, Florida is the place for you.
I'd do Florida. 50+ here is tough to find a job...
Being over 50 it's tough to find a new job anywhere, I think, especially if you want to try something different than what you've been working in.
I have a friend who has been working in insurance claims for many years, got let go from his job, and is has been working a temp assignment in claims for a few months. He's been interviewing for permanent jobs, but has gotten no offers. I think many companies are reluctant to hire people over 50 because often they can find younger people to do the same work for less money, and younger people are less likely to have health issues that might require time off from work than older employees.
I'm a NY's who lived in Vegas for the past 3 years. I'm back in NYC for 6 months now but am also considering the exact moves you are at the end of this year. Florida or back to Vegas. I also lived in LA for 7 years. I'm not a fan of the winter here and the cost of living is extremely high. I just find living out west to offer a better quality of life.
I liked Vegas a lot but it's not for everyone. Summers are brutally hot and winters can get pretty cold. Nothing like NY though. but it does get cold into the 30's. Vegas is a transient city and I found that most people kept to themselves.
It was a bit difficult meeting people and many were only there for a year or two before moving on.
A lot of LA's people move there to save and then go back.
I will tell you that the cost of living is dirt cheap compared to NY.
You can rent a nice place for under $1,000 no problem. No state tax. No snow.
You can carry a concealed gun if you get a carry permit.
You must have a car living in Vegas. Public transportation isn't very accommodating and you don't want to be waiting for a bus in 110 degree weather.
I am self employed so I can't tell you personally how the job market is. Friends of mine from NY who recently moved there for the very reasons you want to are having a very tough time finding employment after 6 months there. They are living with family until they can get settled. That doesn't mean you won't have better luck at finding a job but I am hearing it can be tough.
Also I'm not sure you'll easily be able to get an apartment without verifiable income from a job. Maybe if you prepay 6 months in advance. You'll have to look into that.
I'm not sure I'd move there with just one years worth of money. Like I said if you have to shell out 6 months rent in advance your cash will be depleted quickly unless you land a job quickly.
I also think employers are a bit reluctant to hire someone from out of town Vs. a local. They are concerned you might not stick around. Showing residency will be a big plus in my opinion.
as for Florida... I think there are lot of similar comparisons Vs. Vegas as far as cost of living but the lifestyle is very different. Florida has hot humid and muggy weather. It rains a lot where it almost never rains in Vegas. You have the beaches in Florida and the dry desert in Vegas. Florida is green and Vegas is brown. Florida is flat and Vegas has mountains. The Vegas night life and entertainment scene for me was great. That town is rocking 24/7. I think Tampa would be a lot more subdued.
It really boils down to what kind of lifestyle would you enjoy more? Does it matter having NY closer to where you are?
Vegas feels so far away compared to Florida.
It's a tough choice but having as much money as possible will make all the difference no matter which state you choose.
I'm a NY's who lived in Vegas for the past 3 years. I'm back in NYC for 6 months now but am also considering the exact moves you are at the end of this year. Florida or back to Vegas. I also lived in LA for 7 years. I'm not a fan of the winter here and the cost of living is extremely high. I just find living out west to offer a better quality of life.
I liked Vegas a lot but it's not for everyone. Summers are brutally hot and winters can get pretty cold. Nothing like NY though. but it does get cold into the 30's. Vegas is a transient city and I found that most people kept to themselves.
It was a bit difficult meeting people and many were only there for a year or two before moving on.
A lot of LA's people move there to save and then go back.
I will tell you that the cost of living is dirt cheap compared to NY.
You can rent a nice place for under $1,000 no problem. No state tax. No snow.
You can carry a concealed gun if you get a carry permit.
You must have a car living in Vegas. Public transportation isn't very accommodating and you don't want to be waiting for a bus in 110 degree weather.
I am self employed so I can't tell you personally how the job market is. Friends of mine from NY who recently moved there for the very reasons you want to are having a very tough time finding employment after 6 months there. They are living with family until they can get settled. That doesn't mean you won't have better luck at finding a job but I am hearing it can be tough.
Also I'm not sure you'll easily be able to get an apartment without verifiable income from a job. Maybe if you prepay 6 months in advance. You'll have to look into that.
I'm not sure I'd move there with just one years worth of money. Like I said if you have to shell out 6 months rent in advance your cash will be depleted quickly unless you land a job quickly.
I also think employers are a bit reluctant to hire someone from out of town Vs. a local. They are concerned you might not stick around. Showing residency will be a big plus in my opinion.
as for Florida... I think there are lot of similar comparisons Vs. Vegas as far as cost of living but the lifestyle is very different. Florida has hot humid and muggy weather. It rains a lot where it almost never rains in Vegas. You have the beaches in Florida and the dry desert in Vegas. Florida is green and Vegas is brown. Florida is flat and Vegas has mountains. The Vegas night life and entertainment scene for me was great. That town is rocking 24/7. I think Tampa would be a lot more subdued.
It really boils down to what kind of lifestyle would you enjoy more? Does it matter having NY closer to where you are?
Vegas feels so far away compared to Florida.
It's a tough choice but having as much money as possible will make all the difference no matter which state you choose.
Either way it's a new adventure.
Good luck
Thanks for the long response and your thoughts on both places.
Let me answer a few of the points you made...
If you don't like the winter here in NY, and find the cost of living here too high, why did you come back here from Vegas?
I have done a little looking online for apartments for rent and coops and condos for sale, and have found quite a few in my price range. Of course, what looks good online may not necessarily be great when you see it in person, but there does seem to be a lot of housing options to choose from in Vegas, and maybe to a slightly lesser extent, around Tampa. I did think about your point about it might being difficult to rent without a job, and thought that if I showed a landlord a bank statement showing that I had enough cash reserves to pay at least a year's rent, that might be sufficient, though I haven't contacted any apartments directly yet. I said that I have enough cash to sustain myself for a year because that is the period of time that most people on here seem to save/prepare for. I could go longer than that, but honestly I would not want to spend down that much of my savings being unemployed and looking for a job. I'd have to get some sort of part-time work or do some sort of self-employment before going that long without bringing in some sort of income. I wouldn't be comfortable seeing all of that money going out and not having anything coming in.
As far as lifestyle is concerned, I'm really not that much of a nightlife type of guy. First off, I'm working most nights of the week (Saturday included), so when I do have a night off, I really don't mind having some quiet time at home to catch up on my tv shows or see a movie. I'm not really a gambler; I've been to Atlantic City twice in my entire life. I do enjoy music/concerts, so being able to see live music, whether indoors or out, would be nice. I also like going to street fairs and festivals, car shows (both new and classic), and enjoy hiking and biking (I do much more bicycling than hiking, and could probably give up hiking if I had to). Wherever I go, I want to be in a safe place. I've heard (or read) that Vegas does have a fair amount of drunk driving incidents and car accidents, and that does concern me some. My sister was killed in a car accident a few years ago, and I wouldn't want to end up the same way.
Being close to NY isn't so important to me anymore. I really don't have any family around here that I bother with anymore (just an Aunt and her two grown kids), one of my close friends may leave NY also in a few years to relocate to either Vegas or SoCal, and my only brother lives near Denver. I've never been a fan of NYC and only go there when I'm working. So not much really for me to return to in NY.
1. Better people in Florida. Vegas is the land of nut cases. People are selfish here.
2. Florida closer to NY. You can drive it in 2 days, easily. Vegas, you have to fly and its a long flight vs. easy flight to and from Florida.
3. LA is a great draw for Vegas, but in Florida, you are close to many other cities to visit.
4. I can go on and on...but I would say the stability of Florida is the biggest draw. I honestly feel like I wasted my best years in Vegas (much regret) because I surrounded myself with too many self centered people, a common personality type in this part of the country because of the 24/7 gambling/drinking/sex industry.
Good luck. And smart move reading on here. I wish I had this site 20 years ago!
Perhaps you should move to Florida, I'll help you pack.
God do not pick Florida. Id go to Reno before Vegas. More overall moderate Climate. It is more miserable here in the Summer than the high heat of Vegas. In my opinion look into Boise, Reno or Spokane.. 50+here as well looking to get outta here. Boise being the safest by far. Vegas has many jobs currently, and creates more(go to a current job site to monitor this). as well as a whole more than the other cities. If you go to Vegas go soon to get used to the weather before it gets really hot. Just my two cents. I however probably have to go to Atlanta before I go out west. Peace. Jim. PS send a DM if you wish to discuss more.
Thanks for the long response and your thoughts on both places.
Let me answer a few of the points you made...
If you don't like the winter here in NY, and find the cost of living here too high, why did you come back here from Vegas?
I have done a little looking online for apartments for rent and coops and condos for sale, and have found quite a few in my price range. Of course, what looks good online may not necessarily be great when you see it in person, but there does seem to be a lot of housing options to choose from in Vegas, and maybe to a slightly lesser extent, around Tampa. I did think about your point about it might being difficult to rent without a job, and thought that if I showed a landlord a bank statement showing that I had enough cash reserves to pay at least a year's rent, that might be sufficient, though I haven't contacted any apartments directly yet. I said that I have enough cash to sustain myself for a year because that is the period of time that most people on here seem to save/prepare for. I could go longer than that, but honestly I would not want to spend down that much of my savings being unemployed and looking for a job. I'd have to get some sort of part-time work or do some sort of self-employment before going that long without bringing in some sort of income. I wouldn't be comfortable seeing all of that money going out and not having anything coming in.
As far as lifestyle is concerned, I'm really not that much of a nightlife type of guy. First off, I'm working most nights of the week (Saturday included), so when I do have a night off, I really don't mind having some quiet time at home to catch up on my tv shows or see a movie. I'm not really a gambler; I've been to Atlantic City twice in my entire life. I do enjoy music/concerts, so being able to see live music, whether indoors or out, would be nice. I also like going to street fairs and festivals, car shows (both new and classic), and enjoy hiking and biking (I do much more bicycling than hiking, and could probably give up hiking if I had to). Wherever I go, I want to be in a safe place. I've heard (or read) that Vegas does have a fair amount of drunk driving incidents and car accidents, and that does concern me some. My sister was killed in a car accident a few years ago, and I wouldn't want to end up the same way.
Being close to NY isn't so important to me anymore. I really don't have any family around here that I bother with anymore (just an Aunt and her two grown kids), one of my close friends may leave NY also in a few years to relocate to either Vegas or SoCal, and my only brother lives near Denver. I've never been a fan of NYC and only go there when I'm working. So not much really for me to return to in NY.
Thanks again for the reply.
This will probably only work if you prepay the year. Simple reason being you have the money NOW, but who is to say you will have still have it next month?
I had a friend move here who is a musician. He ended up prepaying a year to rent a house, as he hadn't booked any shows yet when he got here. He ended up getting his own show on the strip shortly thereafter, but he also could have easily blown all of his money prior to that.
Regarding FL vs NV, I would go with NV, personally, as I am not a fan of rain, nor humidity. Plus, I find the landscape in the West preferable to Florida's landscape. All personal preference, of course.
God do not pick Florida. Id go to Reno before Vegas. More overall moderate Climate. It is more miserable here in the Summer than the high heat of Vegas. In my opinion look into Boise, Reno or Spokane.. 50+here as well looking to get outta here. Boise being the safest by far. Vegas has many jobs currently, and creates more(go to a current job site to monitor this). as well as a whole more than the other cities. If you go to Vegas go soon to get used to the weather before it gets really hot. Just my two cents. I however probably have to go to Atlanta before I go out west. Peace. Jim. PS send a DM if you wish to discuss more.
Hmmm.... The only other Western cities that I had been considering (briefly) were SLC and Seattle, and that was only because of specific job opportunities in those places. Not crazy about the weather in either of those places (too cold and snowy in one, too cloudy and wet in the other). Reno is colder and snowier than Vegas, if I'm not mistaken. I am much more familiar with Eastern cities than Western, as I haven't been to many places in the Western US. Perhaps if I relocated to Vegas I could use it as a jumping off point to explore other areas out that way.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Raiderman
This will probably only work if you prepay the year. Simple reason being you have the money NOW, but who is to say you will have still have it next month?
I had a friend move here who is a musician. He ended up prepaying a year to rent a house, as he hadn't booked any shows yet when he got here. He ended up getting his own show on the strip shortly thereafter, but he also could have easily blown all of his money prior to that.
Regarding FL vs NV, I would go with NV, personally, as I am not a fan of rain, nor humidity. Plus, I find the landscape in the West preferable to Florida's landscape. All personal preference, of course.
I'm a little amused by that comment. Is the thinking by landlords that I might blow through all of the money at the casinos in a few weeks and not have money to pay the rent? I don't see any way that I could lose that much money in a month, unless some hacker or identity thief emptied my bank accounts. I'm very conservative when it comes to spending money. But, I will definitely make some phone calls to apartments I am interested in before moving anywhere to see if this will be a problem.
You may want to consider Phoenix too. I moved out here from NY last summer and absolutely love it. I have been to Vegas since moving out here but only to the Strip so I can't speak about living there. The desert climate is very similar to Vegas (it's warmer in Phoenix) but I suspect there are more jobs here and the cost of living is about the same from what I gather - dirt cheap compared to NYC. Good luck with whatever you decide!
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I don't see any way that I could lose that much money in a month, unless some hacker or identity thief emptied my bank accounts. I'm very conservative when it comes to spending money. But, I will definitely make some phone calls to apartments I am interested in before moving anywhere to see if this will be a problem.
