# Florida relocation advice needed......



## thepads (Jan 27, 2008)

Hi - would be grateful for any advice on choosing a location in florida which ticks most of our boxes, visited a few, which are on the list, but keen to seek some further advice based on localised experience from those already living in florida. we are a family with 3 little boys - 6, 4 and 20 months. we like vero beach area on the gold coast and naples on the gulf, but am thinking that property costs will be prohibitive in naples region.....

good schools are important for us, with a young family community so that we are able to build a social network. I noticed whilst in vero in oct there was a lot of senior citizens in the restaurants, nothing against this (no1 fan of my nan and gran) but would not want to relocate to a location that is primarily this age group locally as we have young lively children to raise. a good mix of all ages including a strong family community is important, as my husband works away, and i will be at home with the children sometimes, needing a good local community network.

any advice on locations, or pointers to where i can gain this kind of info will me much appreciated. thanks x


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## Crawford (Jan 23, 2011)

What visa are you coming into the US with? 

You mention both gold and gulf coasts so are you talking about a rental/vacation property or are you looking to relocate permanently?

You can't do this without the relevant visa.


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## thepads (Jan 27, 2008)

Crawford said:


> What visa are you coming into the US with?
> 
> You mention both gold and gulf coasts so are you talking about a rental/vacation property or are you looking to relocate permanently?
> 
> You can't do this without the relevant visa.


hi - no not rental vacation, we want to relocate permanently, hence the request for info on the locations.


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## Crawford (Jan 23, 2011)

I'm sure people could give you loads of information on Florida places, schools, communities etc, but this is going to be a waste of their time if you don't have a visa to live permanently in the US.

Under what visa are you intending to live permanently in the US?


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## JohnSoCal (Sep 2, 2007)

thepads said:


> hi - no not rental vacation, we want to relocate permanently, hence the request for info on the locations.


We lived in Coral Springs, Florida for 8 years. It is in the metro Fort Lauderdale area. We were going to live by the ocean but there was a big problem with poor schools or none at all as most of the coastal areas are occupied by seniors. Coral Springs is a very family oriented middle-upper middle class city with excellent schools.

We moved back to California which we far prefer.


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## HelloKT (Feb 2, 2011)

Hi thepads,

I know you probably think everyone is being a bit contrary and unhelpful, but it is almost **completely** pointless giving advice about relocation areas if the visa status is unclear.

It is incredibly tricky getting a visa to emigrate to the USA. I don't mean that those of us who've made it over here are super special  - it's more a case of already fitting the criteria.

Are you...
- married to a US citizen?
- directly related to a US citizen?
- able to be transferred to the US by your company, at some cost to the company?
- in possession of skills so specialized/valuable that you're liable to be head-hunted by a US company, at considerable cost to that company?
- wealthy enough to invest a large amount of money in a US business?
- eligible to enter the greencard lottery? (long shot anyway!)

If you're currently deciding where in the world you might like to live, and don't meet these criteria, then see it as a good reason to narrow down your options, because it's likely the US simply won't be possible. Getting into the US is so niche-dependent that it's not really a matter of drive and determination, unless you're talking about very long-term lifeplans (like finding a company who sometimes transfer people, and putting in several years there, or taking care only to fall in love with American citizens...).

Best of luck with your relocation plans


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## thepads (Jan 27, 2008)

Crawford said:


> I'm sure people could give you loads of information on Florida places, schools, communities etc, but this is going to be a waste of their time if you don't have a visa to live permanently in the US.
> 
> Under what visa are you intending to live permanently in the US?


I think its called an H1B.


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## thepads (Jan 27, 2008)

HelloKT said:


> Hi thepads,
> 
> I know you probably think everyone is being a bit contrary and unhelpful, but it is almost **completely** pointless giving advice about relocation areas if the visa status is unclear.
> 
> ...


Hi - thankyou for your response. I believe the visa we will have is called an H1B, which my husbands employers will be supporting this for the relocation, if we choose to take it - hence why we asked the question of advice on here from families already residing there. I think i will need to find an alternative source for the information i require, we wanted to get a shortlist before we go over again for a reccy, as the area is so vast. thanks again.


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## Newyorkaise (Nov 30, 2010)

Inasmuch as good schools are a major concern for you, you may want to look at the FL Dept of Education website (School Accountability Report). They post quite a bit of statistical information on the schools in their "Accountability Report" I believe.

I lived in Boca Raton in the early 90s, which is a lovely area, if a bit pricey. Unfortunately, no one I knew had school-age children, so I can't speak to the quality of the schools (and in the interim, much might have changed). I do think you're right in not wanting to be in an area with too many retirees: many of them (and not only in FL) take the attitude of "why should I pay higher taxes for schools if my kids are grown?" - one understands the problem of living on a fixed income, but still...it seems shortsighted to me.

As a very, very general rule, you'll find more former East Coast folks (New Yorkers in particular) on the east coast of Florida and more Midwesterners on the west coast - as a New Yorker myself, I found that this made the west coast of Florida a bit more laid-back and friendly (again, purely my personal opinion).

And while I'm far from an expert in the housing market, it may be that this is a good time to be looking to move to FL - I suspect the housing market isn't at its best these days (although I'd strongly urge you not to buy until you've spent at least 6 months or so in a neighborhood - I've seeen too many people spend a fortune on houses in a new area and then realize they wish they were elsewhere).

Good luck with the move, and sorry I couldn't offer any solid advice - it sounds as if your choice of community will be especially important if your husband will be traveling for his job.


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## mis-adventure (Jun 30, 2010)

*Hi from Florida*



thepads said:


> Hi - would be grateful for any advice on choosing a location in florida which ticks most of our boxes, visited a few, which are on the list, but keen to seek some further advice based on localised experience from those already living in florida. we are a family with 3 little boys - 6, 4 and 20 months. we like vero beach area on the gold coast and naples on the gulf, but am thinking that property costs will be prohibitive in naples region.....
> 
> good schools are important for us, with a young family community so that we are able to build a social network. I noticed whilst in vero in oct there was a lot of senior citizens in the restaurants, nothing against this (no1 fan of my nan and gran) but would not want to relocate to a location that is primarily this age group locally as we have young lively children to raise. a good mix of all ages including a strong family community is important, as my husband works away, and i will be at home with the children sometimes, needing a good local community network.
> 
> any advice on locations, or pointers to where i can gain this kind of info will me much appreciated. thanks x


I live in Deltona, between Orlando and Daytona. I live here with my 9 year old daughter. I moved to central Florida, thinking I could move up or down when I learned the area. There are lots of great schools in this area, and lots of free or in expensive activities. The property prices are very low, and jobs are almost impossible to find though. I love going to the state parks for fresh water swimming and the beaches are about 30-40 minutes away. New Smyrna is our favorite beach, there is a park, free parking, and TOILETS! available. Not the Florida with the fancy cars that you see on tv, but nice. Lake Mary, Longwood are nice towns. Just my opinion.

As a side note, I am considering moving back to the UK. I miss our friends and the work situation does not seem to be improving, not sure if any better in the UK, but there I can have medical help and other advantages the US does not have.

I have lots of friends in Boy scouts, they have loads of fun...always camping some place.


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## Crawford (Jan 23, 2011)

Where in Florida is your husband going to be employed?

That would narrow down the region for people to give advice on. They could also give advice on commuting times in the area.


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## HelloKT (Feb 2, 2011)

thepads said:


> I believe the visa we will have is called an H1B, which my husbands employers will be supporting this for the relocation, .


That's good to know. Do mention this when posting here or on other expat-in-America forums, as it maximizes your chances of constructive replies and reduces the chance of getting '20 questions' posts like mine!

(I don't know how far back you've read, but there are zillions of posts from people wanting detailed info about moving -- to Florida, in particular -- who either become hostile or just disappear when it transpires there's almost zero chance of them getting a visa.)

I'm glad to see you're already getting some good responses.


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## JohnSoCal (Sep 2, 2007)

Where you choose to live is going to be dependent on where your husbands employer is located unless he can work from home. Vero Beach and Naples are on opposite sides of the state so it wouldn't be feasible to choose between these two if your husband has to commute to work.


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## thepads (Jan 27, 2008)

Newyorkaise said:


> Inasmuch as good schools are a major concern for you, you may want to look at the FL Dept of Education website (School Accountability Report). They post quite a bit of statistical information on the schools in their "Accountability Report" I believe.
> 
> I lived in Boca Raton in the early 90s, which is a lovely area, if a bit pricey. Unfortunately, no one I knew had school-age children, so I can't speak to the quality of the schools (and in the interim, much might have changed). I do think you're right in not wanting to be in an area with too many retirees: many of them (and not only in FL) take the attitude of "why should I pay higher taxes for schools if my kids are grown?" - one understands the problem of living on a fixed income, but still...it seems shortsighted to me.
> 
> ...


thanks for the info, the education website in particular, as this is a key driver for us. cheers.


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## mis-adventure (Jun 30, 2010)

*Agree about the commute*

The roads and commutes are unreal. Roads are often in bad condition and drivers are slow or crazy fast. From central Florida where I am it is 6 hours typically to Miami. Also If you live to close to the attractions, you will have guests (some are very hard to get rid of). But I still prefer Central Florida...



thepads said:


> Hi - would be grateful for any advice on choosing a location in florida which ticks most of our boxes, visited a few, which are on the list, but keen to seek some further advice based on localised experience from those already living in florida. we are a family with 3 little boys - 6, 4 and 20 months. we like vero beach area on the gold coast and naples on the gulf, but am thinking that property costs will be prohibitive in naples region.....
> 
> good schools are important for us, with a young family community so that we are able to build a social network. I noticed whilst in vero in oct there was a lot of senior citizens in the restaurants, nothing against this (no1 fan of my nan and gran) but would not want to relocate to a location that is primarily this age group locally as we have young lively children to raise. a good mix of all ages including a strong family community is important, as my husband works away, and i will be at home with the children sometimes, needing a good local community network.
> 
> any advice on locations, or pointers to where i can gain this kind of info will me much appreciated. thanks x


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## thepads (Jan 27, 2008)

Crawford said:


> Where in Florida is your husband going to be employed?
> 
> That would narrow down the region for people to give advice on. They could also give advice on commuting times in the area.


as long as we have an international aiport we are ok, which i know options are both miami and orlando, so this is not an issue.


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## Crawford (Jan 23, 2011)

thepads said:


> as long as we have an international aiport we are ok, which i know options are both miami and orlando, so this is not an issue.


How does having an international airport available make the location of where your husband works not an issue when you ask for people to give advise regarding places to live in Florida.

The airports are some 230 miles apart, so unless your husband is working at either or both and intends to commute between the two, we still can't offer advise as to good locations for your (apparent) move to the US.

Why am I getting the feeling this is all a waste of time?


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## Newyorkaise (Nov 30, 2010)

Crawford, the inital post by Thepads indicated that her husband worked away from home - perhaps I misunderstood that, but I believe what she meant was that his "home base" for work would be FL but that he would be traveling extensively (he might, for example, be working with the company's Latin or South American operations).

Hence, the family is considering locations that might seem odd to us as being on opposite sides of the state, but which make perfect sense in the context: so long as her husband has reasonable access to an international airport, he will be able to conduct his business affairs easily. That gives them the leeway to look nearly anywhere in the state to settle the family.

Unfortunately, as I posted earlier, I'm not familiar enough with the schools and such to suggest a community where they might feel at home, but no doubt others on this Forum are.


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## thepads (Jan 27, 2008)

Crawford said:


> How does having an international airport available make the location of where your husband works not an issue when you ask for people to give advise regarding places to live in Florida.
> 
> The airports are some 230 miles apart, so unless your husband is working at either or both and intends to commute between the two, we still can't offer advise as to good locations for your (apparent) move to the US.
> 
> Why am I getting the feeling this is all a waste of time?


do you have to be so rude?


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## twostep (Apr 3, 2008)

thepads said:


> do you have to be so rude?


Apparently you have never been stuck in Orlando traffic for a day:>) To get answers you must ask questions. You want details you must give details. What are your expectations, your real needs, your budget, your visa ...


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## jenni80 (Feb 3, 2011)

Hi Thepads-

I grew up in Florida (born in Oregon but lived in Florida for 18+ years). From my personal experience and opinion, stay away from larger cities (Ft Lauderdale, Miami, Orlando, Tampa, etc) Jacksonville isnt to bad of a city and the schools are relatively well. Again keep in mind Florida has one of the worst educational systems in all of the US. I grew up in Stuart, Florida which is a little North of West Palm Beach and on the East Coast of Florida. Some other places to consider are Jupiter, Port St Lucie , Boca Raton (if you can afford the high cost of living), Brandon (which is right out side of Tampa city limits), Gainesville, Ocala. You can go to state website -Tallahassee (capital of Florida) and it will give you crime per capita and also ratings of schools for each city/town if Florida. 

Again in my personal opinion the farther N you go in Florida the better the schools and less of crime excluding major cities. I grew up in Florida and went to school there from grammar to Graduate. Best of Luck and welcome to the USA  Blessings. 
Jenni


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## jenni80 (Feb 3, 2011)

and I also must conject why are people being so rude? She merely asked advice and pointers; if the question or context confuses you or frustrates you- DONT REPLY!! Best of luck ma'am and I am happy to answer any other questions you might have. Just make sure all your paperwork for you and your family is in order before you venture, as with any customs- it can create a big headache etc if paperwork, visa's etc are not in order. Cheers. 
Jenni


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## Crawford (Jan 23, 2011)

thepads said:


> do you have to be so rude?


Sorry, I did not mean to be rude, but most people when asking advise regarding a relocation to the US provide some background as to their visa and employment 
status and where they expect to be situated when in the US.

You provided none of this and your post read as though you were thinking of just moving to the States and settling in - which as most people know cannot be done.

Hence my questions.


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## JohnSoCal (Sep 2, 2007)

I agree with Crawford. We just don't have enough information to give a valid opinion. As far as schools go, Coral Springs had the best schools in Florida period. Both our kids went there. You are reasonably close to both the Fort Lauderdale International airport and the Miami International airport.

The question is where is your husband going to work? Is he going to work at a company site in Florida, at home, away from the state, or where? In other words will he have to commute. If not, then you have a wide choice. If so, then you will be limited in your choices.

Another issue is cost. If schools are your only concern then we can work on that.


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## thepads (Jan 27, 2008)

jenni80 said:


> Hi Thepads-
> 
> I grew up in Florida (born in Oregon but lived in Florida for 18+ years). From my personal experience and opinion, stay away from larger cities (Ft Lauderdale, Miami, Orlando, Tampa, etc) Jacksonville isnt to bad of a city and the schools are relatively well. Again keep in mind Florida has one of the worst educational systems in all of the US. I grew up in Stuart, Florida which is a little North of West Palm Beach and on the East Coast of Florida. Some other places to consider are Jupiter, Port St Lucie , Boca Raton (if you can afford the high cost of living), Brandon (which is right out side of Tampa city limits), Gainesville, Ocala. You can go to state website -Tallahassee (capital of Florida) and it will give you crime per capita and also ratings of schools for each city/town if Florida.
> 
> ...


Thankyou very much, that is exactly the kind of info i'm after, appreciate it. I will check out as you advise x


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## thepads (Jan 27, 2008)

Newyorkaise said:


> Crawford, the inital post by Thepads indicated that her husband worked away from home - perhaps I misunderstood that, but I believe what she meant was that his "home base" for work would be FL but that he would be traveling extensively (he might, for example, be working with the company's Latin or South American operations).
> 
> Hence, the family is considering locations that might seem odd to us as being on opposite sides of the state, but which make perfect sense in the context: so long as her husband has reasonable access to an international airport, he will be able to conduct his business affairs easily. That gives them the leeway to look nearly anywhere in the state to settle the family.
> 
> Unfortunately, as I posted earlier, I'm not familiar enough with the schools and such to suggest a community where they might feel at home, but no doubt others on this Forum are.


thats our situation, i'm glad you have understood this from my posts. I thought I had been clear but as i haven't done this before its not automatically clear what imformation needs to be given as a priority, but i've had some useful responses about the schools/locations and education in fl which has given some food for thought to be working on. we have this rare opportunity which if it were just the 2 of us, we would just go for it, but with our little people now its a whole different ball game to consider, therefore this is our primary priority to ensure that we can get a good family community and a good education. thanks for your advice.


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