Seriously considering moving out of Florida

[Mirorgate 0]

Colorado sounds nice!! I've always wanted to visit there. I'm not sure if it's cheaper to live there than Florida though, which is what we really want to find in order to move.

Well to be honest the Alabama idea isn't 100% sure for us, but like I said we are seriously considering it.

StevieP!!!

yeah.. CO is a cool state, lots of things to do... but because of the big IT boom/bust in 00-02 housing went sky high. a starter house (decent) are around 200K here in D area... if you want something below 100K ... yer livin in Kansas and drivin 5 hrs to work 1 way. eesh... wife actually thinkin of goin to FL.. but am trying to get her to maybe think elsewhere

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

Colorado sounds nice!! I've always wanted to visit there. I'm not sure if it's cheaper to live there than Florida though, which is what we really want to find in order to move.

I lived in Boulder for 4 years. CO is not cheaper than Florida if you live along the Denver/Boulder corridor. You could live far away from civilization... but what's the point? CO has a state income tax.. Florida doesn't.

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

I know some people who live around Huntsville, Alabamae. A good amount of IT work to be found in that region, I'm told. And a good number of Yankee transplants, too, which is also very good!

Good luck with what you decide.

[Michele&Omer 0]

A strong Southern accent does not hurt my ears. I just cant make some of them out.

I am from the North, and people here can pick that accent out soon as I open my mouth.

I am from the North as well and have lived in rural Georgia almost 12 years, I do not beleive I have picked up a southern accent but when I go back home my daughters like to tease me that I do. (maybe a few southern phrases that I used to think sounded funny)

When I talk to people who do not know me (in Georgia) they tend to ask where I am from so I really do not think the southern accent has been acquired yet, although I not trying to catch it either.

[JoelAndAnalyn 0]

Prescott, Arizona. Smaller town feel, up in the mountains, about 8-10 degrees cooler than Phoenix. No accents here in Arizona but lots of cars disappearing and also northerners (snowbirds). If you really want mountain and forest, try show low, Arizona or Payson, Arizona. Absolutely beautiful.

I want to move to Colorado though might be too much snow for you. I moved away from Michigan. Hot, humid summers and long, cold, long, cold, grey, dreary winters. Colorado is much more sunny and the snow melts away faster and more often as opposed to Michigan where the snow stays on the ground the whole winter. So depressing...

Check out the "best places to live" articles like from Money magazine and others. I think Forbes does one also. You can also use the neighborhood comparison tools online. MSN used to have one but I couldn't find it last time I looked. They compare cost of living, schools, pollution, doctors per 1000, crime, etc.

Edited September 26, 2006 by JoelAndAnalyn

[chri'stina 190]

Colorado sounds nice!! I've always wanted to visit there. I'm not sure if it's cheaper to live there than Florida though, which is what we really want to find in order to move.

Well to be honest the Alabama idea isn't 100% sure for us, but like I said we are seriously considering it.

StevieP!!!

yeah.. CO is a cool state, lots of things to do... but because of the big IT boom/bust in 00-02 housing went sky high. a starter house (decent) are around 200K here in D area... if you want something below 100K ... yer livin in Kansas and drivin 5 hrs to work 1 way. eesh... wife actually thinkin of goin to FL.. but am trying to get her to maybe think elsewhere

Florida will be under water in 50 years, so don't waste your time going there. j/k But that's what some reports say, not sure I really believe them...but...

Colorado sounds nice!! I've always wanted to visit there. I'm not sure if it's cheaper to live there than Florida though, which is what we really want to find in order to move.

I lived in Boulder for 4 years. CO is not cheaper than Florida if you live along the Denver/Boulder corridor. You could live far away from civilization... but what's the point? CO has a state income tax.. Florida doesn't.

True.

I know some people who live around Huntsville, Alabamae. A good amount of IT work to be found in that region, I'm told. And a good number of Yankee transplants, too, which is also very good!

Good luck with what you decide.

Good to hear positive IT info about the Huntsville area.

A strong Southern accent does not hurt my ears. I just cant make some of them out.

I am from the North, and people here can pick that accent out soon as I open my mouth.

I am from the North as well and have lived in rural Georgia almost 12 years, I do not beleive I have picked up a southern accent but when I go back home my daughters like to tease me that I do. (maybe a few southern phrases that I used to think sounded funny)

When I talk to people who do not know me (in Georgia) they tend to ask where I am from so I really do not think the southern accent has been acquired yet, although I not trying to catch it either.

Yeah I definitely don't have a NY accent or any Northern accent. Yet I don't have a southern accent. I don't know what you call my accent. I talk like the people on TV do? I just know I'll never say "ya'll", I just can't.

Prescott, Arizona. Smaller town feel, up in the mountains, about 8-10 degrees cooler than Phoenix. No accents here in Arizona but lots of cars disappearing and also northerners (snowbirds). If you really want mountain and forest, try show low, Arizona or Payson, Arizona. Absolutely beautiful.

I want to move to Colorado though might be too much snow for you. I moved away from Michigan. Hot, humid summers and long, cold, long, cold, grey, dreary winters. Colorado is much more sunny and the snow melts away faster and more often as opposed to Michigan where the snow stays on the ground the whole winter. So depressing...

Check out the "best places to live" articles like from Money magazine and others. I think Forbes does one also. You can also use the neighborhood comparison tools online. MSN used to have one but I couldn't find it last time I looked. They compare cost of living, schools, pollution, doctors per 1000, crime, etc.

I have looked up best places/worst places to live. Yet I don't want to live in any of those places. It is good to compare where we do want to live with the best cities though.

Arizona sounds nice, but we're not looking to go that far west. All of my family are east coasters so it'd be difficult getting together for holidays if we moved so far west.

[homesick_american 1]

Yep. Well, there are a few good reasons. Home owner's insurance rates are going up too fast. Good friends of mine bought a little house in 2002 for $62,000, a great deal! Now, only 4 years later they could sell their house for $140,000. They had a low monthly payment for a long time. Their home owner's insurance was maybe $1000/year back then. This year it jumped up to $3000 a year. My house which is bigger than theirs, home owners insurance policy is only about $1500/year, but I am sure next year it'll jump. And then the taxes too...

I know compared to NY/NJ, etc this all must sound cheap. But in the beginning of 2005, it seems the housing boom began here in FL, as in other places too. The house we bought for $134,000, we could have gotten for probably $70,000 two years earlier. Yet the income has hardly risen for this area....which=much more expensive to live here than it was 2 years ago. And Sujeet makes pretty good money compared to most people we know. And if it's going to get hard for us, imagine how hard for everyone else we know who makes half Sujeet's income. Actually lots of people in Florida are thinking of moving out of state for the reasons we are thinking of it too.

There are certain things about Florida I like, but I am tired of hot weather almost all year long. I'm tired of being somewhere where there are no mountains near by. I hardly go to the beach so I doubt I'd miss it much.

We are looking into Northeast Alabama, and also thought about southeastern Tennessee. Also some of my family and friends are considering doing the same. I have friends in Gadsden, Alabama, and I have visited there a couples times. (about an hour northeast of Birmingham)

The houses are adorable, the scenery is beautiful with rolling hills and foothills of the smoky mountains. The houses are cheap, property tax is cheap, and so is homeowner's insurance. The pay in Birmingham for IT stuff, if Sujeet had to get a job there and commute, from what I've seen is comparable to Tampa. Yet the expense of living in that area is way less than in Tampa and in our area.

The things that scare me:

~Moving to the real south by moving to Alabama---Florida is not very southern, I am mostly around Northerners who moved here from NY. And I like that. I'm not sure how I'll feel there.

~Getting a southern accent---yes it's silly but I do not want a southern accent! And my future kids...my future cute mixed babies may get southern accents.

~There is more of a chance of tornadoes in that area than in Florida (I know, it's silly)

~What if we hate it?

~Alabama is associated with lots of things that make me feel creeped out, like how it handled the civil rights movement and the racism. But I know that was a long time ago and in my friend's town, it's very artsy fartsy, which I like, and is getting more cultural these days.

Things that make me happy:

~Near mountains

~They actually have seasons compared to Florida, yet do not have very cold winters like up north

~I know people that live there that are awesome

~It's close to several cities. It's within 2 hours drive to Atlanta, about an hour to an hour and a half to Birmingham or Chattanooga

~Living in a cute house instead of an ugly Florida house and how cheap they are---I guess growing up in FL I am just sick of these style houses.

~Lower cost of living

But just thinking of moving is scary to me. I've been in Florida since I was 4. I'm sure those who moved from another country to be with their SO will not feel sympathy after having to leave your life behind. I know I shouldn't be a baby about moving.

Anyone on here living in Alabama and liking it? Hating it? Ahhh I can't believe I am actually talking about this leaving Florida business....

The last thing the south needs is another carpetbagger coming down for the low cost of living and opportunities but complaining about the atmosphere. I'm only HALF kidding here.

As someone who grew up in Texas, who has a mild southern accent and who has been in tornados...I gotta say I'm more than a little offended by your list of cons. It demonstrates a fair bit of ignorance of the south, its values, and the fact that it is the year 2006 everywhere, not just in Florida or in New York City.

If you have such an attitude about it now, I don't think you'll be happy there.

[Nizzy 1]

I think we'd end up somewhere in themountains - NC, VA or WVa

Hubby and I finally decided to move to Va.! The houses are pretty expensive but we are looking for a fixer upper that isn't gonna put us in debt. We think it's a nice place to settle down and raise the little on that is on the way...

[homesick_american 1]

I think we'd end up somewhere in themountains - NC, VA or WVa

Hubby and I finally decided to move to Va.! The houses are pretty expensive but we are looking for a fixer upper that isn't gonna put us in debt. We think it's a nice place to settle down and raise the little on that is on the way...

I hear Virginia's gorgeous but expensive. Good luck!

[chri'stina 190]

Yep. Well, there are a few good reasons. Home owner's insurance rates are going up too fast. Good friends of mine bought a little house in 2002 for $62,000, a great deal! Now, only 4 years later they could sell their house for $140,000. They had a low monthly payment for a long time. Their home owner's insurance was maybe $1000/year back then. This year it jumped up to $3000 a year. My house which is bigger than theirs, home owners insurance policy is only about $1500/year, but I am sure next year it'll jump. And then the taxes too...

I know compared to NY/NJ, etc this all must sound cheap. But in the beginning of 2005, it seems the housing boom began here in FL, as in other places too. The house we bought for $134,000, we could have gotten for probably $70,000 two years earlier. Yet the income has hardly risen for this area....which=much more expensive to live here than it was 2 years ago. And Sujeet makes pretty good money compared to most people we know. And if it's going to get hard for us, imagine how hard for everyone else we know who makes half Sujeet's income. Actually lots of people in Florida are thinking of moving out of state for the reasons we are thinking of it too.

There are certain things about Florida I like, but I am tired of hot weather almost all year long. I'm tired of being somewhere where there are no mountains near by. I hardly go to the beach so I doubt I'd miss it much.

We are looking into Northeast Alabama, and also thought about southeastern Tennessee. Also some of my family and friends are considering doing the same. I have friends in Gadsden, Alabama, and I have visited there a couples times. (about an hour northeast of Birmingham)

The houses are adorable, the scenery is beautiful with rolling hills and foothills of the smoky mountains. The houses are cheap, property tax is cheap, and so is homeowner's insurance. The pay in Birmingham for IT stuff, if Sujeet had to get a job there and commute, from what I've seen is comparable to Tampa. Yet the expense of living in that area is way less than in Tampa and in our area.

The things that scare me:

~Moving to the real south by moving to Alabama---Florida is not very southern, I am mostly around Northerners who moved here from NY. And I like that. I'm not sure how I'll feel there.

~Getting a southern accent---yes it's silly but I do not want a southern accent! And my future kids...my future cute mixed babies may get southern accents.

~There is more of a chance of tornadoes in that area than in Florida (I know, it's silly)

~What if we hate it?

~Alabama is associated with lots of things that make me feel creeped out, like how it handled the civil rights movement and the racism. But I know that was a long time ago and in my friend's town, it's very artsy fartsy, which I like, and is getting more cultural these days.

Things that make me happy:

~Near mountains

~They actually have seasons compared to Florida, yet do not have very cold winters like up north

~I know people that live there that are awesome

~It's close to several cities. It's within 2 hours drive to Atlanta, about an hour to an hour and a half to Birmingham or Chattanooga

~Living in a cute house instead of an ugly Florida house and how cheap they are---I guess growing up in FL I am just sick of these style houses.

~Lower cost of living

But just thinking of moving is scary to me. I've been in Florida since I was 4. I'm sure those who moved from another country to be with their SO will not feel sympathy after having to leave your life behind. I know I shouldn't be a baby about moving.

Anyone on here living in Alabama and liking it? Hating it? Ahhh I can't believe I am actually talking about this leaving Florida business....

The last thing the south needs is another carpetbagger coming down for the low cost of living and opportunities but complaining about the atmosphere. I'm only HALF kidding here.

As someone who grew up in Texas, who has a mild southern accent and who has been in tornados...I gotta say I'm more than a little offended by your list of cons. It demonstrates a fair bit of ignorance of the south, its values, and the fact that it is the year 2006 everywhere, not just in Florida or in New York City.

If you have such an attitude about it now, I don't think you'll be happy there.

I wouldn't consider moving there at all if I thought it was so horrible. I don't think it's horrible, but just not what I am used to. It's not like I've never been around southerners. You drive 15 minutes east from here and it's a very southern little town. I don't have to like everything about somewhere to move there for a better life.

I think we'd end up somewhere in themountains - NC, VA or WVa

Hubby and I finally decided to move to Va.! The houses are pretty expensive but we are looking for a fixer upper that isn't gonna put us in debt. We think it's a nice place to settle down and raise the little on that is on the way...

nice

[homesick_american 1]

I wouldn't consider moving there at all if I thought it was so horrible. I don't think it's horrible, but just not what I am used to. It's not like I've never been around southerners. You drive 15 minutes east from here and it's a very southern little town. I don't have to like everything about somewhere to move there for a better life.

No, you don't; but after reading what you wrote, I'm not sure you'll fit in. You're willing to take advantage of the opportunities in the south (though Alabama would be one of the last places I'd think of moving to) and the low cost of living but are still blasting it as inferior as you look down your nose at southern accents and the history of the civil rights movement.

If you raise your kids in Alabama, there is a better-than-decent chance they will end up sounding local. If it bothers you so much to have blood relations with southern accents, please don't move to the deep south. We get enough attitude when we travel from people who think we're stupid, backwards, and racist; we don't need to be looked down upon in our own homes.

Nothing personal.

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

The force is strong within this one.

[chri'stina 190]

I wouldn't consider moving there at all if I thought it was so horrible. I don't think it's horrible, but just not what I am used to. It's not like I've never been around southerners. You drive 15 minutes east from here and it's a very southern little town. I don't have to like everything about somewhere to move there for a better life.

No, you don't; but after reading what you wrote, I'm not sure you'll fit in. You're willing to take advantage of the opportunities in the south (though Alabama would be one of the last places I'd think of moving to) and the low cost of living but are still blasting it as inferior as you look down your nose at southern accents and the history of the civil rights movement.

If you raise your kids in Alabama, there is a better-than-decent chance they will end up sounding local. If it bothers you so much to have blood relations with southern accents, please don't move to the deep south. We get enough attitude when we travel from people who think we're stupid, backwards, and racist; we don't need to be looked down upon in our own homes.

Nothing personal.

Well I have friends there who are not southern and have liked living there for 4 years now.

I honestly wrote my pros/cons. I think you are a bit defensive, but that's fine.

The force is strong within this one.

[Ban Hammer 12,838]

I wouldn't consider moving there at all if I thought it was so horrible. I don't think it's horrible, but just not what I am used to. It's not like I've never been around southerners. You drive 15 minutes east from here and it's a very southern little town. I don't have to like everything about somewhere to move there for a better life.

No, you don't; but after reading what you wrote, I'm not sure you'll fit in. You're willing to take advantage of the opportunities in the south (though Alabama would be one of the last places I'd think of moving to) and the low cost of living but are still blasting it as inferior as you look down your nose at southern accents and the history of the civil rights movement.

If you raise your kids in Alabama, there is a better-than-decent chance they will end up sounding local. If it bothers you so much to have blood relations with southern accents, please don't move to the deep south. We get enough attitude when we travel from people who think we're stupid, backwards, and racist; we don't need to be looked down upon in our own homes.

Nothing personal.

Well I have friends there who are not southern and have liked living there for 4 years now.

I honestly wrote my pros/cons. I think you are a bit defensive, but that's fine.

The force is strong within this one.

perhaps a week or two vacation in the area you have in mind will be best, stina.

[Nizzy 1]

I think we'd end up somewhere in themountains - NC, VA or WVa

Hubby and I finally decided to move to Va.! The houses are pretty expensive but we are looking for a fixer upper that isn't gonna put us in debt. We think it's a nice place to settle down and raise the little on that is on the way...

I hear Virginia's gorgeous but expensive. Good luck!

Oh yes it is pretty and what you hear about it being expensive is true too. Hopefully when can find something not so lavish and affordable. We're not looking for anything big.

Stina: As long as you and Sujeet have come to a mutual decision then I think things will work out fine. I know it took us a while to figure out what we wanted and this is the only decision where we both agreed. I think that's what matters because then you'll have eachothers support to get you through. The houses sound soooo cheap, it made me wanna call hubby and tell him that Virginia isn't where I wanna go after all! See what you did!?! lol Good luck with whatever you do!