whats the pros and cons on living in florida??

[plated]

the little lady and i have been talking and i mean just talking about well more like wondering what it would be like to live down in florida? i've been but i was so fucked up i don't remeber much :coo1: i'm not obligated to have to stay in ohio (no parole)my son turns 18 in a couple weeks so it's not like i just up and bailed.i would definetly pre-plan everything months in advance,check on job placement ahead of time.i'm not going on a spurt of the moment thought we have been talking about it and just wanted to get a little info from others?

[mustangjon]

cost of living is more down there for one.

Personally i think florida is full of retiree's and assholes lol. But thats prolly due to family being there and use to go once a year.

[plated]

cost of living is more down there for one.

Personally i think florida is full of retiree's and assholes lol. But thats prolly due to family being there and use to go once a year.
i do remeber seeing alot of old people driving crownvics.looking on craigslist theres double the ads for body men and painters than ohio.but then again no winters for accidents,but it is very populated down there

[8NO4CYL]

At least you will be tan. :D

[winner70ta]

I don't like Florida because it is more hot and humid there than on the worst day here. I know some folks who moved from here to Clear Water several years ago. They thought that it was great the first couple of years there but then started to change their minds. It can get really hot in the middle of the day so pretty much for those hours you better plan on being inside with some good air conditioning.

[95redstang]

No state tax..you don't have to winterize your home or cars. You can wear shorts most of the year. No 10 degree and 2ft of snow. No ice storms. From my understanding pay isn't that great for a lot of jobs. Paint and body guys could be different. I think you could do well once you get your name out down there. You would most likely be the minority depending on where you move to. There are a ton of Cubans and Los Tacos down there.
If your looking to buy a house right now is one hell of a time to do it down there. Houses are dirt cheap in some areas right now. If you do that you have to check into home owners insurance also. That can be costly. I go down about evry 2-3 years with my wife and daughters. Even considered moving there as well. I have a job if I want it. It's in South Beach though driving for a limo company down there.

[Greg Seibert]

I've thought about moving to Florida many times also. Here's my take on the idea.
Flordia has the storms that come around every year, making Insurance rates higher, the East coast is less desirable than the West, you can live inland pretty cheap, and housing right now is selling just about for half price. If you live too far North, the winters can get a little cold sometimes, work that pays descent isn't easy to find, and with tourism off, places like restaurants and bars are closing. Many friends that moved there came back home eventully, saying they missed their homies up here.
If you're into watersports, sun, and fishing, this is the place.There's no harsh winters and no State income tax.
I would move there if you could find a descent place to work.
Someone like you with your skills could find employment, but the pay just isn't that good. Once the economy gets back where it should be, it will be much better.

[fst 5pto]

Property value is declining. Florida is considered unstable and depreciating.

[PonymanfiveO]

I'm in bradenton right now Chris. Its so damn nice, I don't want to come home.

Everyone seems so damn friendly too.

[BigBadStang]

All the times I have been to FL, I have always thought it was a great place to visit, but I wouldn't want to live there. It never gets cold enough to kill the damn bugs off, they just keep getting bigger. Many places away from the tourist areas are shit holes, and in all the places I have traveled to that are typically a warm climate, seems to attract the whack-o's...in masses! Hurricanes, and tropical storms...they are a crap shoot at best.
I think the single biggest PITA is the GD Snow Birds! The old farts that migrate south just before the snow flies in their northern states of residence! They are the ones that poke ass along on the roads and such.
Man, there are pros and cons no matter where you go I guess, just depends on what you can/want to tolerate. I know my ass would be outta there the first time my shit was leveled by a hurricane. It baffles me to see people on T.V. saying "this is the 4th time we've had to rebuild"...WTF!

[blk93notch]

i lived there for over 20 years and im going back this year for good. theres pros and cons to everything. i love the weather and the beach. it seems more relaxed there and theres alot more to do all year around. as for body work...theres plenty. us floridians drive at least 15 over the speed limit and most cant drive in rain so you will be ok. i dont know how you get paid here but there you are almost on a commision based income. one week you can make 1500 and the next 250. just depends on how fast you work and how much. also most body men and painters dont do both things one will only paint and do no body work and vise versa. its unheard of down there that someone can do both.

[blk93notch]

and yes no state sales tax or nearly all the taxes than up here. so say you make 9 an hour here its more like 10.50-11 there but cost of living is more. you will age better too lol just my .02

[Sparky]

My dad moved down to Lorida,FL a few years ago. He lives out in the country, about 30 minutes from Sebring. It's pretty much cow country ...dried out swampland is the landscape for a lot of the state. In the summer its humid as hell and in the mid nineties. Most shops that aren't air conditioned are basically outside under carports. It rains all the time. I dunno, to me everything looks dried up and trashy except for the nicer parts of the cities. My dad wants me to come down,says there are shit tons of body shop jobs because of the old timers hitting each other. I worked with a guy for a while that came up from Orlando. He said that you could quit your job and roll your box across the street to a new shop the same day. Everything is about money down there though, especially in auto shops. Its a sting 'em once and send them down the road attitude because there will always be someone else with money (namely retirees). The place has never really appealed to me. I'd rather go out west to TX,AZ,or Cali.

[NUTTSGT]

I wouldn't want to deal with the slow poke retirees, hurricanes, humidity, high insurance rates, Central American and Caribean refugees.

[ADaughen]

Pros:
No State tax.
Warm weather (location is everything, many places don't get TOO hot)
House prices are coming down.

Cons:
Hurricanes (figure where they usually hit and avoid living there, or plan on an evac location)
Shitty drivers. It isn't just the snow birds or old people. They all drive like they have a death wish.
Job market is going south.


My sister lived in Pensacola for ~5 years and now lives outside Tampa with her husband for the past two years. The few times I visited I have had more close calls than I have all my years driving up here.

[untamed]

I wouldn't want to deal with the slow poke retirees, hurricanes, humidity, high insurance rates, Central American and Caribean refugees.

Oh my god!! Every time we have been down there the old people drive so fast that they will run over you if you don't get out of their way. It is a trip.

[blk93notch]

the drivers are no worse than up here. you know drive like a bat out of hell when it snows and then slower than piss when it rains.

if you ask the same ? about moving here if you were in florida then you would get responses of snow and slow people etc. its all how you deal with it.

for me i love the beach and sick of the snow and cold weather. it will take a few years for your blood to thin out and after that you will be fine. when i came up here from florida in 04 i was wearing a sweatshirt in august. after a while my blood thickened and im fine. i will say you can look at you watch and say when its going to rain. it will rain for an hour each day and dry up like it never happened.

drving is offensive driving. its just how you make it.

[04 Venom]

I lived in Tallahassee for 5 years during the 70s and loved it. IMHO, the best parts of Florida to live is the Panhandle, Gainesville, Sarasota and the Jacksonville-St. Augustine. I don't care for Miami, Orlando or the Tampa area to live.

[PaulFiveOh]

Lots and lots of easy to get strong cheap drugs the closer you get to the coast.
If you have issues with that kind of stuff, I advise you steer clear.

[blk93notch]

the farther you go south in the state the more spanish you were hear. i lived in jacksonville and it wasnt bad. you will hear ever language possible but you get some great authentic food!

[stroked4eyes]

most of your body work will be hail damage...get a lot more of it than up here.

[RIXXX93GT]

Depending on where you move you might have to be bi-lingual.

[leroy93lx]

My uncle did paint and body work for years just north of Orlando and made a very nice living. He retired at 45 and restores his own cars now.