Winter has come to Cental Florida

[MUDSHARK]

It is now 38 degrees in Cocoa and breezy. The 24 hour drop has been over 40 degrees. This may not seem like much to our hearty northern friends but is one cold day by our standards.

On the bright side the temps should return to the seventies by Sunday for the Bucs Giants game which I may be able to attend.

 

[mazersteven]

Someone bring me some dame firewood for the fireplace. Hurry.

 

[Rickster71]

Oh no, don't say that.
I've been trying to talk my wife into moving to Florida for several years now.
Was hoping some of you Floridian Audioholics could offer some pointers?
We vacation there about once a year, so I'm wearing her down.

 

[Gasman]

No problem there Rick, we only see the 30s once every 3 to 5 years.
The average Christmas day is 75 to 77 (this year was pretty typical at 82 for my area), and the last time I saw snow was over 25 years ago
(and that was in New York).

EDIT::
Granted I saw some sleet, when I visited Georgia about 10 years ago.

 

[mazersteven]

Oh no, don't say that.
I've been trying to talk my wife into moving to Florida for several years now.
Was hoping some of you Floridian Audioholics could offer some pointers?
We vacation there about once a year, so I'm wearing her down.

I don't know where you live in New Jersey. Or what your financial status is. But let me say that this state is not cheap anymore. In fact IMO the cost of living is just as high as New York (Long Island). And the pay scale here is not even half of what the pay scale in New York is.


Plus I miss the snow, and I miss the leaves changing colors. I MISS NEW YORK

 

[Gasman]

Agreed, this is for the most part a retirement state.

The pace down here is just darn-awful slow, compared to when I visited NY about 9 years ago.
The only place slower was certain areas of TN and GA, and that was in pretty hick areas.

 

[aberkowitz]

I don't know where you live in New Jersey. Or what your financial status is. But let me say that this state is not cheap anymore. In fact IMO the cost of living is just as high as New York (Long Island). And the pay scale here is not even half of what the pay scale in New York is.


Plus I miss the snow, and I miss the leaves changing colors. I MISS NEW YORK

Would you like me to send a little NYC love your way??? Unfortunately its below 20 degrees here tonight!!!!

 

[MUDSHARK]

Not me. Only thing I miss is being able to go to Yankee Stadium.

From a bumper sticker:

If you love New York

Follow Wickam road west
Turn right on 95


While it is true that income is lower in Florida, housing is still far more expensive in Ny by all accounts as well as the oppressive taxation up there. I think Steven misses the classy Italian restaurants.

 

[mazersteven]

While it is true that income is lower in Florida, housing is still far more expensive in Ny by all accounts as well as the oppressive taxation up there. I think Steven misses the classy Italian restaurants.

LOL

Mud I will have to disagree with you.

Have you been to the newer developing areas lately? Viera? A normal single family house is over $400,000K, and taxes are between $4000K-$15,000K depending on house and land size. I know my house insurance is higher, and I have some bullsh!t company because Nationwide dropped me.

Those days of the $100K-$200K mansions are over. Yes the market is down right now, but it's down everywhere else too. The housing market will only go up again.

And milk is $4.50 a gallon here.


And yes the restaurants are awesome there compared to the chain, and franchise joints we have here.

 

[gus6464]

My wife's aunt has been trying to sell her house in Boca for a year now with no luck. She and her husband want to move to Austin but the housing market is just horrible down there right now she says. She says she is tired of having to pay $20 for a sandwich and drink where she lives.

My dad lives near Orlando around Lake Mary and even though it is not as expensive as down south the cost of living is still up there compared when we used to live in New York and North Jersey.

 

[mazersteven]

She says she is tired of having to pay $20 for a sandwich and drink where she lives.

And for that $20 sandwich they don't just slap on the meat. They use weight control proportions. You get about 3 slices on a hero (oops Hoagie)

And you have to go to a supermarket to get it. There are no deli's.

 

[MUDSHARK]

Link to median Melbourne price of 157K
http://www.eppraisal.com/LocalPages/Florida/MELBOURNE.aspx

Link to Long Island town of Hicksville for comparison
http://www.eppraisal.com/LocalPages/New York/HICKSVILLE.aspx

Comparing an upscale area like Viera or even your own area to s similar Ny community would likely yield prices in excess of 900K

The houses are being bought by people from the north who sell their home, buy a better home here for 400k AND POCKET 500K FOR RETIREMENT. As long as the former house was the principal residence for two of the last five years the gain is largely or totally tax-exempt.

Now if your point is how can a couple with joint earnings of 80K afford a 300k home or even 175K then I, of course agree with you that it has gotten out of hand. We can thank the investment banks with their sub-prime fiasco for articially inflating all the home prices. It is near impossible for young couples to afford a home and now nigh impossible to qualify for a mortgage without at least 15k in savings.

 

[mazersteven]

Link to median Melbourne price of 157K
http://www.eppraisal.com/LocalPages/Florida/MELBOURNE.aspx

Link to Long Island town of Hicksville for comparison
http://www.eppraisal.com/LocalPages/New York/HICKSVILLE.aspx

Comparing an upscale area like Viera or even your own area to s similar Ny community would likely yield prices in excess of 900K

Those Melbourne numbers include the Palm Bay area. You can't compare Melbourne to Hicksville.

My brother-in-law lives in Bohemia Long Island. Considered upper middle class. Houses in that area are between $300K-$700K unless your on the water. Viera considered an upper middle class area is between $250K-$1mill+

But in Suffolk a police officer makes $100K+. In Viera the sheriff might make $35K. Who is affording to live better?

A electrician might make $15 bucks an hour here. A union local 3 electrician makes what, $38-$100 an hour.

 

[Halon451]

This morning temp: 29 degrees F. Location: Tampa, FL.

I just took Christmas vacation in PA with my wife, I think we brought the cold back down with us.

I remember when the hard freeze nearly knocked out the whole orange industry in this state several years back. It happens once in a while, but not that often.

 

[aberkowitz]

This morning temp: 29 degrees F. Location: Tampa, FL.

I just took Christmas vacation in PA with my wife, I think we brought the cold back down with us.

I remember when the hard freeze nearly knocked out the whole orange industry in this state several years back. It happens once in a while, but not that often.

Morning Temp in Central Park: 14 degrees F, Windchill: -1 degrees F... sorry, I have no sympathy!!!!

 

[Halon451]

Hey come on Abe - give us Florida folk a break would ya? I mean, this is basically a crisis situation down here for us. We even had a few power outages.

LOL - nah, no sympathy required. I lived in upstate NY (Saratoga Springs area) for about three years, so I got a taste of what cold is really like. For Florida though, this is indeed pretty chilly.

 

[mazersteven]

Morning Temp in Central Park: 14 degrees F, Windchill: -1 degrees F... sorry, I have no sympathy!!!!

It's totally different. When I first moved here the heat was unbelievable. I worked at a wholesale florist, and would eat my lunch in the flower coolers. They are kept at 36*-38*.

Now when the temp drops under 50*. I am freezing.

I went for a swim in my parents pool that year on New Years day. Now I wouldn't even put my big toe into the water. Even if the temperature was 70 outside.


I was yelling at the dog this morning. Hurry up and Sh!t please!!!

It is COLD outside.

 

[highfihoney]

Its -3 degree's in Detroit right now with the wind chill & were swamped with about a foot of snow ,winter sucks no matter where you are

 

[Rickster71]

I don't know where you live in New Jersey. Or what your financial status is. But let me say that this state is not cheap anymore. In fact IMO the cost of living is just as high as New York (Long Island). And the pay scale here is not even half of what the pay scale in New York is.

I'm right in the middle of NJ, forty minutes from Philadelphia, and 1 hour south of NYC.

Ten years ago, my plan was to sell my house here and move down there. With the proceeds, pay off the FL. house and have no mortgage; and still have money left over. Now it would just cover the cost of a house. I've obviously missed the boat.

We have friends in FL. Homosassa, and Auburndale; they see many transplants from NY and NJ.
Someone mentioned it earlier, that seems to be what drove the cost of living up in FL.

It's almost like there is nowhere to go anymore....

 

[mazersteven]

It's almost like there is nowhere to go anymore....

North Carolina has been the hot spot. Texas, Kentucky, Tennessee are others.