Atlanta Metro News

June 29, 2006 11:49 AM | Link to this

Reminds me of the article I read in the Stuart news in which Carling Technologies out of Connecticut opted not to relocate to the Port St. Lucie area also after previously having firmed up plans to relocate their company south.

Everyone wants to live in paradise, but when they realize that living in paradise now costs money, because everyone else has the same idea, they then decide to vacation here instead.

By zc

June 29, 2006 11:54 AM | Link to this

i think that south florida has screwed itself with real estate prices. i do not blame the company from cincy backing out. who would want to put a burden on your workforce by moving to south florida? its not worth the risk or the price. i am considering the same(along with everyonelse that i talk too). it’s way overpriced and overrated down here.

the average pay is 50k, the average home is 350k. you do the math. it is double what you can afford with basic finance calculations. the realtors, developers, and homeowners have screwed themselves-all out of greed!

June 29, 2006 11:59 AM | Link to this

zc, you’re right in a lot of ways.

But, I always am reminded about how much I love Florida when I go on vacation up north in the wintertime, then return home to lush, green South Florida afterwards. It’s like going from being in a black-and-white older film to Technicolor, you know?

Florida is a beautiful place and for many years it was underappreciated. All of a sudden everyone seems to have realized that there were great real estate deals here and a good quality of life. Florida has a lot to offer.

Unfortunately, now so many people want to be here that the prime properties are expensive and living here is starting to be a privilege. If you want to be here you’re going to have to really want to be here and will have to make savvy choices and educated decisions. Something that this company in Cinncinnatti did not consider before they decided to move here.

By Linda

June 29, 2006 12:04 PM | Link to this

When I moved here, as a single person, in 1983, from the NY/NJ area, I thought I had died and gone to heaven. I was able to transfer with my company at my NY salary. Back then, my car insurance dropped by half and the fact that there was no state tax, was gravy. Fast forward 20+ years. I am single again and can no longer afford to live here.

By "New" Florida Lover

June 29, 2006 12:38 PM | Link to this

I agree completely with the above MCL posting. With the advent of central air conditioning and continuing with the construction of high-end luxury gated communities in Martin and St. Lucie Counties, Florida is only begining to play catch up with the rest of the vacation-oriented places to live. Excludind crowded Miami-Fort L. It is downright CHEAP to live in FL versus California, Hawaii or even Myrtle Beach SC. As Florida upgrades itself of its past “tobacco road” shacks, prices will rise to meet demand. That’s a good thing! It weeds out the riff-raff. If you want to continue a rural deep south “bubba” lifestyle, just move to Alabama or Mississippi.

By Fl resident

June 29, 2006 12:47 PM | Link to this

I completely agree with “New” Florida lover. I am from northern CA and moved to Fl last year.It is much cheaper here. Those who cannot afford the Fl lifestyle anymore should just move out.

June 29, 2006 12:56 PM | Link to this

I think the ohio based company should come to Upstate New York, a town named Corning, NY. We are in need of more companies, the houses are cheap, but there is not alot of work, and wages are low, if you do not work for the Corning, Inc.

I hope for Florida’s sake they do raise the hourly and yearly wages. I moved away from West Palm Beach, in May 2005 (had enough of hurricanes, crime, etc..)But the years prior, I was always praying they would increase the wages. Hopefully they will very very soon.

By Rich R

June 29, 2006 01:41 PM | Link to this

“New” Florida Lover is confussed.

You may have a point, but you will soon wonder who will be teaching your children, who will respond when you call 911, and who’s going to mow your lawn or clean your pool? None of these people can afford to live in So Fla. Get used to it.

I grew up there and HAD to move to Raleigh. Love it here, too the cash from the fool who bought my home and purchased a brand new home on a acre for 1/3 of the sale price of the Florida home.

Too many greedy people flipping homes caused this and now they will crash and burn. Foreclosures are skyrocketing and the fall is coming.

Enjoy the “Paridise”, I got tired of the traffic jams, crime, rude people and the fact that nobody speaks english anymore.

Workforce Housing - What’s That? Just too funny.

By Rich R

June 29, 2006 01:41 PM | Link to this

“New” Florida Lover is confussed.

I grew up there and HAD to move to Raleigh. Love it here, too the cash from the fool who bought my home and purchased a brand new home on a acre for 1/3 of the sale price of the Florida home.

Too many greedy people flipping homes caused this and now they will crash and burn. Foreclosures are skyrocketing and the fall is coming.

Enjoy the “Paridise”, I got tired of the traffic jams, crime, rude people and the fact that nobody speaks english anymore.

Workforce Housing - What’s That? Just too funny.

June 29, 2006 02:01 PM | Link to this

Have you heard of the Habitat for Humanity???? What a joke…do you know where they are building these houses??? Right smack dab in the middle of the ghetto Riviera Beach. Yeah…. I would really want to live there. You will get robbed and shot as well as aproached to buy crack especially if you are white. They should build them in the decent areas and for AMERICANS ONLY NOT HATIANS, OR ANY OTHER FOREIGNERS.

By Brett

June 29, 2006 02:07 PM | Link to this

Good - 300 less people - Glad to be out of WPB “GLAD U LEFT”

By fl native

June 29, 2006 02:42 PM | Link to this

after living in PBC all my life it sickens me how prices have gone up. i love living here and i do not want to live anywhere else. what also sickens me are the transplants who are rude and disrespectful and have no regard for the ecosystem here.

By fl native

June 29, 2006 02:42 PM | Link to this

June 29, 2006 02:43 PM | Link to this

Brett - Yeah me too! You sound like one of the RUDE people RICH R was talking about.

By David

June 29, 2006 02:52 PM | Link to this

25 years ago, my wife and lived in West Palm Beach. I bought a lot in Port St. Lucie for $5,500.00.

20 years ago, when we paid-off the lot, we built a house. $65,000.00. Then we moved to Port St. Lucie. Sincere there were NO jobs in Port St. Lucie, we commuted to West Palm Beach each day.

5 years ago, we paid off the mortgage.

Today, we still commute to West Palm Beach. Still NO jobs in Port St. Lucie and now even Port St. Lucie has gone crazy with house prices. It all started when they built St. Lucie West.

Developers make house prices go up.

Employers do not raise salaries to match house prices because people who buy these over-priced houses are retirees.

Eventually we will have to bus employees into Palm Beach County, like they do in Key West from Miami, just to get workers to come to the jobs here.

I do not think ANY employer even 10 years from now will raise salaries to match the cost of living here.

By Cathy Jackowski

June 29, 2006 02:55 PM | Link to this

I agree with the housing issue. My daughter is a full time nursing student and is working as well, a single Mom, but if she was anyting other than American, she could have low rent, a house built for her and probably be on full assistance along with all the other perks these people get.

By spoons

June 29, 2006 03:25 PM | Link to this

Problem is most employeer think it’s “old” Florida (Pre-1999) when a nice house cost $100k, homeowners insurance was $1200 and gas was $1.25 gal. Fast forward six years and everything is triple the cost, but employers still pay the same salaries as they did in 1999.

By Big Daddy

June 29, 2006 04:19 PM | Link to this

Everyone who has a complaint about the lack of affordable housing in PBC has one place to look—the county commission. It’s their job to look out for all residents—not just the ones who contributed to their campaign. Since 1995, the commission has not taken one action to ensure affordable housing would be available in a county that has at least 30% of its population over the age of 60. The cities and the couty courted dollars for new housing and construction and completely ignored the current residents. The result: Not enough schools (concurrency), not enough consideration of people on fxed incomes, and rampant real estate speculation that artificially inflated the cost of available land. Every development order they granted with only their developer buddies in mind is biting you in the a** right now.

June 29, 2006 04:33 PM | Link to this

I agree with Cathy Jackowski & Big Daddy.

Florida gave all the land away to the developers, pushed all the middle class out. Made all the decent paying jobs in West Palm Beach and south of it.

It seems that Florida is not designed to look out for its current permanent residents. There is no job ethic. The days of retiring with a company are over.

It is a real down dirty shame !!!

I would like to know what they are going to do with all these overpriced new developments and overpriced older homes. WHO THE HELL IS GOING TO LIVE IN THEM??? WHAT KIND OF PEOPLE ARE THEY TRYING TO ATTRACT???

By michael

June 29, 2006 04:36 PM | Link to this

I thought about moving to South Florida from the Wash DC/MD area, but the same $800,000 house would cost about $18,000 more a year. Taxes would be $11,000 more and property insurance would be about $7,000 more. I know there would be no income taxes, but what ever I save would more than be eaten up my RE Taxes and Insurance, plus sales tax is higher in Florida than in Maryland. Plus the schools stink when compared to the schools in Montgomery County, MD. There are half a dozen public high schools rated in the top 100 in the nation here and you would be lucky to find 6 rated A high schools in all of south florida. I will wait until the market crashes and it will and then buy for 30 cents on the dollar.

June 29, 2006 04:42 PM | Link to this

I agree that people need to be held accountable. Which people? The commissioners.

The fact that Addie Green was swayed by a promise (wink wink - let’s call it what it is: A bribe) when it came down to the voting over Scripps is just the tip of the iceberg where some of these people are concerned.

Remember how she said her swing vote was swayed because she wanted jobs for minorities in North County?

Well, where are they going to live, Addie?

Did you know that there is no affordable housing here? Or do you expect Scripps to pay for that also?

The commissioners of this county (Palm Beach County) absolutely show no concern that is equal to or greater than the concern with which they cajoled and wheedled Scripps into staying put here.

If they worked with the same enthusiasm with which they dealt with Scripps then maybe this county would have a chance.

As it is, they ignore the housing issue. Soon the social infrastructure will begin to suffer as more and more health care professionals, teachers, and other people vital to the community leave due to lack of affordable housing.

Shame on Palm Beach county for not dealing with the housing problem.

By Glad to be in SF

June 29, 2006 04:51 PM | Link to this

Big Daddy is on the money. 30% of the cost to build and live in a house in PB is from “Big Daddy” Gov. The cost for approvals and delay in the bureaucracy enormous, impact fee, application and processing fee, mitigation and environmental fees, inspection and taxes.

Glad to be out of WPB and Cathy: Aren’t you glad you are capably of getting by without hand out? Be proud of yourself and stop blaming others. When thing gets tough weak people always find someone to blame.

June 29, 2006 04:53 PM | Link to this

David,

You obviously have no training in economics whatsoever. The developer simply provides a service. Without demand, there would be no development. Your average bank makes much higher profit margins than a developer with half the risk.

By Bocaboy

June 29, 2006 05:02 PM | Link to this

Just moved to SoCal. Things still expensive out here. Oceanfront condos at $1,000 sq. ft. $1mm gets you a 1000 sq. foot condo, built in the 70’s. Alot of sellers have hard time selling below the $1mm mark. I’ll rent and watch the tidal wave of adjustables to wash into shore. 1.7 trillion adjusting in 2007. Where are these mortgages? CA and FL. I’m seeing bids accepted 30-40% below listing price and getting hit. No spec investors out here.

By Ran to Texas

June 29, 2006 05:27 PM | Link to this

What irritates me about that article is the ridiculous comment “It really is a transition into a knowledge-based economy.” Gee, my husband has an MBA in Finance and I have my Master’s and we had to move out of state or face raising a family in a condo. Now we have a house/pool/yard in a good school district and wow, we’ve lived here 2 years and NEVER heard of a carjacking! I can leave stuff on the front porch and it will still be there in the morning! Amazing!

I grew up in WPB and loved it but it’s become a nice place to visit.

By bubba

June 29, 2006 05:28 PM | Link to this

Don’t worry, the prices will drop and the speculators will get burned.

Prices are still over 7% below the 11/05 market peak.

For the first time there was no year to year increase in the median home price in PB County.

Volume is skyrocketing while sales are plummeting.

Foreclosures are increaing at an alarming rate.

Something has to give, and it won’t be buyers acquiring homes at these prices because there are few investors left and most PB Co. residents can’t afford these homes.

So just be patient. When the market bottoms out I’ll get we get to 2004 prices for homes, which is a LOT less than they are now.

By Alien

June 29, 2006 05:44 PM | Link to this

Cathy! Why don’t you just move out of the States, and apply for citizenship somewhere else. And then you come back so you can have low rent, a house built for you and you can try to be on full assistance along with all the other perks these people get.

June 29, 2006 06:09 PM | Link to this

Ran to Texas,

Your right, the cost of living is much better in Dallas, Houston, Atlanta, etc. However these markets will never enjoy the price appreciation that we see here in South Florida.

By T

June 29, 2006 06:27 PM | Link to this

Your right, the cost of living is much better in Dallas, Houston, Atlanta, etc. However these markets will never enjoy the price appreciation that we see here in South Florida.

The Houston and Atlanta markets will enjoy their market NOT crashing like here in south florida.

By Mike Fink

June 29, 2006 06:39 PM | Link to this

Spoons,

You are right on the money with your comment. The problem is not the home prices, its the affordability of those homes. Who cares how much the house costs; if the jobs are here then you can support any median home price.

However, the jobs are not here; the salaries have not come anywhere near keeping up with home prices. This is most obvious in the rental market. How can I rent a 300K condo for 1200 bucks a month? That makes absolutely no economic sense; I am being paid to live here.

The problem is; my landlord CAN’T ask the 2250-2500 a month it should cost to live here because nobody can pay it. If the market was “typical” your rental price should be very close to the carrying cost for a property. The only time it gets out of whack like this is when the housing prices are totally out of touch with the median salary.

I would never say “the housing market is going to collapse”; but something is going to give. Salaries are going to rise to the reflect current housing prices, or the market is going to drop to meet salaries. One or the other must happen or S. Fl will die a slow death as the workers move to other areas of the country.

My job here pays 1/2 of what it would in a major NE city; and the median home price is the same/higher here. Something has to, as will, give.

The other guy blinked! :) We just have to figure out who it was.

By HWOOD

June 29, 2006 06:48 PM | Link to this

Actually read FLorida Trend July 2006 issue…Atlanta is already in allot worse shape than West Palm or Miami and the South Florida market will recover quicker than those markets as well due to positive job creation and 1066 net people per day moving into the state…these are all documents facts.

By reality

June 29, 2006 07:03 PM | Link to this

If employers increase the rate of pay to match the housing costs..it seems that EVERYTHING will become more expensive. They have to pass the costs off to someone…guess who?

By Nazzdeq

June 29, 2006 08:25 PM | Link to this

WPB is cheap, try Southern California.

Someone mentioned the avg. home price is 350k, that won’t even get you into the hood in the OC.

South Florida is a bargain still. A million dollar home in WPB would be about 2 million here in California.

By Peter

June 29, 2006 08:49 PM | Link to this

Job situation sucks here. It is the worst of both worlds, overpriced and underpaid. The north is looking better and better everyday. Leave this place for the migrants and the retirees. This is no place for the working young professional.

By Michael FInk

June 29, 2006 09:31 PM | Link to this

Peter,

You’ve hit it right on the head. Yes, expensive housing sucks; but crazy housing prices coupled with sub-par pay is the worst of both worlds. The problem is that the pay has yet to come close to catching up to the home prices. It will, eventually (or prices will drop) but it will also take some time.

What you mentioned is exactly the problem. If the pay sucks, and the housing is crazy, you will never be able to recruit workers here. For low end employees this is not really a problem (they are already here, and there options stink everywhere). High end is the same story; if your making 200K, you can afford to live nicely here. However, its those people in the 40-100K range that your going to lose (the majority of your professional class). You simply cannot survive without people in the pay range; its your teachers, police, nurses, etc.

If your poor, this is as good a place as any to be; at least its nice outside. If your rich; this is one of the best places in the world to be. However, if you a highly skilled professional employee, you have tons of options; PB County is one of the worst in the country. You will make more most other places, and even if you make less; your 2000 sq ft home will only cost 250K in a good neighborhood.

This is why the housing market cannot sustain itself; if you eliminate the middle and upper middle class your city/county/etc just cannot continue to function.

By A Realist

June 29, 2006 11:44 PM | Link to this

What a bunch of crybabies. It’s the basic law of supply and demand. As long as people moving to Florida demand upgraded higher quality housing and are ready willing and able to pay whatever the market will bear, prices wiull continue to rise. If demand slackens, yes home prices will fall. But Florida is very CHEAP when compared to many other sunny destinations. A typical 2500-3000 sq. ft. home in California starts at $850,000 and in Hawaii at $1,500,000. Sure Ohio is cheap but is it a comparable lifestyle? Get a second job if you have to …or simply move to Texas or elsewhere But if you think prices will fall drastically here..you are so wrong. They will decline somewhat throughout the summer and then rebound once again as demand builds from new blood!

By .

June 30, 2006 12:05 AM | Link to this

Realist, what you don’t understand is that the supply and demand was manipulated by “investors.” The market was artificially inflated by people buying multiple houses the way a few people used to buy all the Cabbage Patch Dolls and the price went up sharply but temporarily.

Houses are not Cabbage Patch Dolls of course but houses are also not for trading like stocks. There are no more greater fools and the market is adjusting. The “investors,” are flooding the market, while bleeding cash each month on homes that can’t rent out for close to what they pay to the bank each month. Boo hoo, you smart, savvy “investors.” You were going to get rich quick because real estate never goes down. LOL

June 30, 2006 06:42 AM | Link to this

^^^ This Poster ^^^

…is absolutely correct.

I’ve lived in Hawaii. When I lived there I wanted to buy an “affordable house.” An “affordable house” back in the late 1980s was classified as a home in the $230,000 range. To buy an “affordable house” that was worth about $450,000 in reality at that time, you had to put your name into a lottery and if they pulled your name you were able to buy that house.

However, my point is that there was NO “affordable housing” ANY other way. None. And Oahu is full of people and people keep moving there!

Now the median home price on Oahu is $650,000 right now. Do you know what that buys you? It buys you an older wood frame 1200 square foot house on a tiny lot, maybe 2 bedrooms.

But, guess what? Those $650,000 homes are gone and gone fast because they’re the cheapest homes out there! Why? BECAUSE PEOPLE WILL ALWAYS WANT TO LIVE IN HAWAII…

AND PEOPLE WILL ALWAYS WANT TO LIVE IN SOUTH FLORIDA, ALSO.

:-)

Personally, I think that Palm Beach commissioners should have a similar deal set up with home builders here in Palm Beach county: You want to build here then you MUST contribute to a fund that provides funding to “affordable housing” within new neighborhoods. Not neighborhoods built in Riviera Beach or Belle Glade, but, for instance, in Abacoa.

So, for instance, out of 200 homes built in Abacoa the builder, DiVosta, would have had to have contributed several hundred thousand to a fund and Palm Beach county would match those funds and buy a few houses in that development and allow someone to buy a home in Abacoa at, say, $300,000 instead of $550,000 see? And the way that people are chosen is through a lottery. You put your name into the lottery and if your name is chosen you’re allowed to buy the house as long as you have financing…

The rule, though, is that you must live in the home, it must be a primary home, and you must live in it for at least 2 years, and you must be a Palm Beach county resident and live and work within the county.

We really do need this.

That way, people can continue to pay whatever prices they want for the supply and demand of prime homes whether they live here or not while Palm Beach county working and middle class residents have another option for affordability.

Someone further up was talking about how the working class and middle class who live and work in Palm Beach cannot afford to live in Palm Beach and will leave. Yes, that is absolutely true.

We had to leave to buy a home ourselves because we could not afford a home for our family of 4 children.

Driving only 10 minutes north into Martin county meant that we bought a brand new 3700 square foot home, CBS construction, 4 bedrooms and 3 baths, Corian countertops throughout, tile floors, gourmet kitchen (with two ovens and flat top stove) beautiful gorgeous home that backs up to a protected wildlife area (beautiful views) for about $430,000. We could never touch that in Palm Beach county. We are 2 minutes from I-95 and 10 minutes from the Palm Beach county line. The schools here are A-rated schools and guess what? Meeting our son’s teachers this year we were pleasantly surprised to see that two of them had come from the school we had just left in north Palm Beach county! They, too, have moved away because of the housing situation.

All I can say is that people do need to face reality and realize that:

Homes will continue to sell in Palm Beach county to people who can afford them…and since those people are usually coming from out-of-state and have $$$ they will probably continue to buy in luxury neighborhoods - that is typically what they want: A luxury home in a luxury neighborhood.
The supply and demand for entry level “affordable” housing (wood frame, small square footage, older homes) is out of whack because too many people are trying to sell a home worth $250,000 for $500,000 just because they think it’s worth that much…and it’s not. So those of you who don’t realize that your cheap wood frame house isn’t what people coming in from out-of-state and wanting a NICE home in a NICE neighborhood want, you will sit on your homes longer and longer.
A lot of people complaining here about the home prices in Palm Beach county need to realize that the area is just catching up with the other luxury markets in the rest of the country - just Googled them:

Oahu, Hawaii median home price: $650,000

Los Angeles median home price: $534,000

San Diego median home price: $569,900

Seattle/Redmond median home price: $550,000

Boston median home price: $430,900

Long Island median home price: $470,000 (Nassau) and $396,800 (Suffolk)

Manhattan median apartment price: $775,000

So, you see, if you cannnot afford then you need to move (we did) and you need to realize that there will always be a market for the luxury and custom homes in luxury neighborhoods.

The people complaining the most seem to be the ones that cannot afford to buy a nice home in Palm Beach county and the ones who are sitting on wood frame houses that they want $500,000 for because that’s what they think they’re home is worth.

We would rather move out of the county and buy new solid CBS construction than buy a cheap wood frame home in an average neighborhood and I have a feeling that a lot of other people feel the same way.

Good luck to everyone and have a great 4th of July weekend!

By Brandon

June 30, 2006 07:35 AM | Link to this

There’s the old adage….if you don’t like it, leave! The complaining is amazing! The was a national real estate boom, we were fortunate enough to be in a hotter market than some others, because real estate was so undervalued. We are starting to hear about the market correcting itself….well, it did! The great thing is, if you can’t afford to live hear, you have the ability to move….to places like Dallas where it’s cheap to live, but you have to live there! Those fortunate enough to live here, can appreciate the economical cost of living for the lifestyle that we endure. I have to go to the S. California comparison that everyone was been refering to. I have a relative in Orange County, lives in a 3000 sq. foot home, that is nothing special and comparable homes are selling for slightly under 2 million dollars there. So to those who think the market will crash…..with the influx of biotech companies from markets like S. Cal…..think again, this is cheap to them!

By David S.

June 30, 2006 07:52 AM | Link to this

Most of South Florida is accepted as a resort and retirement haven. Jobs here pay much lower wages than virtually any other state in the U.S. due to the huge influx of retirees who will work for anything (since they don’t need the paycheck) and immigrants who are excited just to have anything and a decent trailer to sleep in with 50 other friends. Those caught in the middle, use help from wealthy retired parents to compensate for the low pay and high cost of living here.

Employers here take full advantage of this and thus pay stultifyingly-low wages. Why should they pay livable wages? There are no unions here and virtually no jobs requiring advanced education, and a high seasonal turnaround.

Home and rental costs fly higher than Superman, because of this situation. This is not a place for average middle-class Americans. South Florida has no cultural landmarks, no appreciation of nature (or else there would be parks and not lots filled with dying scrub brush), and the people who live here don’t seek it out. This is an area for immigrants to move to who will take whatever they can get, retirees who lust after perpetual summer time because their joints ache too much from arthritis, and those foolish enough to sacrifice their futures to be near their dying parents and to believe that “paradise” is a land of perpetual heat, intense humidity, low wages, no culture or diversity, and heart-rending bigotry and segregation.

By David

June 30, 2006 08:22 AM | Link to this

Dear “Martin County Lover”

I live in one of those “cheap wood frame houses, for over 20 years!” My parents lived in Lake Worth for 52 years in one of those “cheap wood frame houses.” My dad built the house they lived in, by hand, on weekends, by himself.

My parents did not build there house to build, sell later. They built is to live in it for their entire lives. Of which they did.

I did not build my house (Maronda Homes built mine) to sell later. I built it to live in my entire life. Of which I am doing.

I am GLAD people up north don’t want my “cheap wood house.” It is not for sale! And my property taxes are very low. Live in your “solid” concrete block house and sell it as soon as it goes up in value.

By Bill Wheeler

June 30, 2006 09:03 AM | Link to this

I have read the comments about leaving So. FL due to the high cost, taxes and rude people. Well, we left because of some of those things but, the real kicker was the total ignorance of the officials, county and city. You voted for ‘em, you got’em. Now love ‘em or leave ‘em.

By Lana

June 30, 2006 09:27 AM | Link to this

Having lived all over the country, as well as in PBC, I can tell you I wouldn’t give you two cents for ANY part of Florida. I sold my home last year to an utter fool who, sadly for him, overpaid big time for it to the point it’s just totally hilarious! Took and money and ran, buying a home in a beautiful suburb of Atlanta that is five times the size and sits on a lot ten times bigger for half the price, with still lotsa’ money left over from the sale of my Florida home. Do I miss Florida? NOPE! I’m so glad to be out of that swampland/hurricane land, and I can tell if you if I won the lottery tomorrow for 300 million, I wouldn’t even visit that gawd-awful state again, much less live in it! Good Riddance Florida!

By bubba

June 30, 2006 10:05 AM | Link to this

The posts about low comparable wages is correct. I’d make about 45% more with my company in Chicago for the same job. The cost of living there is on par or slightly lower than it is here for a good neighborhood (assuming prices here don’t plummet).

And you don’t have to send your kids to a private school up there. The schools here are a disgrace! Martin Co., which is the best in the state, has less than 50% of 10th graders reading at grade level!

We’re seriously considering moving. With the extra money we’d earn/save, we could buy a nice condo in S. Fla. on the water, especially once the condo market tanks.

The only downside is the 7 months of darkness they call winter. But we’re thinking it may be worth it for the extra money. Any advice?

June 30, 2006 10:12 AM | Link to this

The Houston and Atlanta markets will enjoy their market NOT crashing like here in south florida.

Exactly!!! Ever heard the term buy low and sell high? That is what investing is all about.

David S, you were dead on until your comment regarding South Florida’s diversity. Miami has the most diversity of any city in the world.

June 30, 2006 10:21 AM | Link to this

Lana, I’m happy for you. I am from Atlanta and it a great place to live. But I also love Florida. One thing you will be considering real soon. How am I keep my beautiful yard looking so nice when there is an all out watering ban. Atlanta is almost out of water. No place is perfect. It’s really what you make of it.

By Tonya

June 30, 2006 11:12 AM | Link to this

It breaks down to this: Florida companies are not going to pony up the necessary salary increases anytime soon to catch up with the housing market.

If you can’t afford it, do what my husband and I are doing: MOVE. If they don’t need probation officers like my husband….fine. The criminals can do a fine job of monitoring themselves. Because the $36,000 (including a 2,500 supplement for being in a high cost area), the state pays him sure isn’t going to cut it. They don’t need teachers like myself b/c I’m sure plenty of retirees will be happy to do the job.

I am tired of complaining to deaf ears. No one in South Florida cares, and they don’t seem in any rush to help the situation.

By Joan

June 30, 2006 11:52 AM | Link to this

Having lived all over the U.S. Florida is one of the CHEAPEST places to live. We moved here in 2003 from Washington, D.C. suburbs. We are amazed at how CHEAP homes are here. People who think it is expensive here should go live in other big cities for a while. We are glad it is so cheap to live in FL. You can have a good quality of life for little money.

By Denise

June 30, 2006 11:54 AM | Link to this

I can’t afford to live her too. I am thinking about moving to the Atlanta area. I just hope I can sell my villa and find a job in Atlanta with affordable housing.

By Milla

June 30, 2006 12:12 PM | Link to this

South Florida is beatiful place to live and finally it is being recognized as such. There is a high place to pay for beauty and its worth it. If its too expensive, then move elsewhere. South Florida has enough hicks and lazy people that if can’t make ends meet, well then there are other places you can go to…New Orleans, Alabama, etc.

June 30, 2006 12:12 PM | Link to this

How much R U selling your villa for Denise???

Interested in purchasing.

By Tom

June 30, 2006 12:48 PM | Link to this

Speaking of over development. Have you noticed the incredible amount of new housing across from the Boynton Beach Mall on Congress Ave.? Acres and acres of 3 story townhouses. Who of the 60 plus crowd are going to be trudging up those steps? Obviously the next developer to go belly up.

By Katie

June 30, 2006 12:59 PM | Link to this

I think the goal of the commissioners, both county and city, is to drive the lower and middle class from PB County, and they are doing a pretty good job of it.

Take for instance, the flyover for the airport - never in all the years I’ve lived here (25) did I have a problem getting into or out of the airport with the old road system. All the big fancy housing developments cater to the richer clientele, and, for the most part, have been selling…

These changes are made to make this place a big metropolitan area and to attract more high net worth, sophisticated residents. At least that’s my view. It’s obvious they are not considering the welfare of the worker bees.

It has been really sad to see our little cities disappear into an oblivion of development. I hardly recognize the area where I live anymore. All the green space is disappearing…

By Tonya

June 30, 2006 01:04 PM | Link to this

Milla, are police officers lazy people? Are teachers? Construction Workers? The people who oversee the jails or the people who manage the traffic?

These are the people being priced out of the area. They are not lazy and quite a few have higher educations. Please refrain from bashing the very people that make South Florida such ‘a beautiful place to live.’

You want us middle-class riff-raff gone? Consider it done. But remember what they say about burning bridges…….

By Jupiter

June 30, 2006 02:53 PM | Link to this

Do something about it! First of all, there are some smaller affordable homes in Palm Beach County for first time buyers. I see them every day even in Jupiter. The problem is first time buyers do not want a fixer upper or a “beginner home.” They want over 2500 square feet in trendy neighborbod. The older affordable homes are bought up by greedy slum lords who rent them out by the room and bring down the affrodable areas. Maybe its not just the deveopers and flippers who are greedy. Everybody wants to complain about the developers then again everyone wants to buy a brand new beautiful home. Look into some of the older homes and help revitalize the older neighborhoods and find some deals. If the area improves you will most likely make a profit. Lets stop crying and come up with some solutions.

By Jupiter

June 30, 2006 02:54 PM | Link to this

By Tonya

June 30, 2006 03:07 PM | Link to this

I don’t know about other people, but I wouldn’t mind a 1500 sq ft fixer-upper in an older neighborhood. But if the neighborhood is NOT SAFE—-no deal.

In addition, what price range are you speaking of? If you are talking a $100,000 fixer-upper, that’s reasonable. But a $210,000 hole in the wall that needs an additional $20,000 in repairs (which said amount will need to be taken as home equity loan or line of credit)—not gonna happen. For most of us, financially impossible.

I personally believe we have long passed the land of solutions. They should have though about that 3-5 years ago.

By .

June 30, 2006 05:38 PM | Link to this

South Florida is beautiful? Not really. The beaches are nice because the water is clear but the place is just concrete heaven. Even NY has prettier highways. Driving down I95 is mostly disgusting in South Florida. The only places that look “beautiful” are the created landscapes at the golfcourses and in gated communities. Driving around to do my shopping and day to day things, I don’t get to see much beauty.

By .

June 30, 2006 05:40 PM | Link to this

A question to the people who say South Florida is beautiful…have you been to any truly beautiful areas like Hawaii, North Carolina, California coast, Virginia?

By rca

June 30, 2006 06:33 PM | Link to this

i agree! end the flip -floppers. i keep hearing people are moving here, but everyone i talk to wants to leave, unless they have family here. when palm beach county schools are seeing kids leave their schools and growth is slowing. the bubble is burst. my location (apt. - condo, now apt./condo) has drop their price 33% for condos and apt. prices have stop rising. i think if you tell others your experience on your block or at your complex, maybe people will see waht is going on. i guess!

By Steve

June 30, 2006 10:15 PM | Link to this

I see alot of realtwhores working over time on this blog. We live in paradise blah blah blah… South Florida is going down, no doubt about it.

As far as Miami having great diversity. Lol, I think fraud and stupidity would be more descriptive.