Run to the sun!?!?

tdschafer said:
Shaun,

I don't know what you do for a living but I am a physical therapist by trade. I did a clinical rotation in Fort Myers for 6 weeks in 1998. It was Jan-Feb. I stayed with a buddy who lived in a 5 bedroom house ,on sailboat access canal, in Cape Coral with a 37 Silverton Convertable out back. He also had a pool, hot tub and outdoor kitchen under his lanai. All I can say is that I love it down there that time of year. I had a job offer at the Healthsouth facility I interned at and was going to take it. I then started dating my now wife about 3 months before the move. She wouldn't go with me so I stayed here, got married and have 3 beautuiful children. Whether or not I made the right call is open to debate (j/k) but, if not for her I would have been there in a heartbeat. The pay was better than I got here out of college and there is no state income tax. As far as the other expenses go, gas was cheaper (but just about everywhere is cheaper than my sh!tty state) and food was more expensive. That's about all I was involved in purchasing there. Good luck with your choice.
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Thanks for your input. I am a funeral director and as I said in my previous post my wife is a RN. I believe we will both be able to find work there.


Shaun
Sent from my iPhone
 
Not to be an A$$hole at all, You and your wife should have NO PROBLEM finding jobs in the retirement capital of the USA Shaun!!!

I'm in the DME Business (Durable Medical Equipment) and I wish I would have rethought reopening here in New Orleans after Katrina. But oh well woulda, coulda, shoulda. I'll eventually make it down there...
 
Kreole Kid said:
Not to be an A$$hole at all, You and your wife should have NO PROBLEM finding jobs in the retirement capital of the USA Shaun!!!

I'm in the DME Business (Durable Medical Equipment) and I wish I would have rethought reopening here in New Orleans after Katrina. But oh well woulda, coulda, shoulda. I'll eventually make it down there...
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Yeah, probably when you are a blue haired retiree!! LOL
Just kidding man!!


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Obviously, we live live in an area of the USA which is not considered a great climate by many people. We have many friends who go to Florida to escape winter. Having said this, we love Michigan and have put down roots here for the past 34 years. We have lived in the mid-west for 68 years. My thought on retirement locations is to retire where you live and where your lifetime friends live. We like snow and winter sports having learned to do winter activities over the years. We just leave for a while during certain times of the year to catch a few rays, and then return home. Our fireplace always has a good fire laid so we can stoke it up and warm things up. A few breaks during winter and spring is here before you know it. There is also a huge financial benefit to not moving. Our home is protected from tax increases until we sell it to the next poor sucker who wants to live on a lake. The mortgage was paid off years ago. Makes 21 degrees and snow look pretty good. We can fly first class to any sunny spot in the US in four hours or less and still be money ahead. Having just spent a month on the west coast, and with our lake just starting to freeze over, we are looking at a quick trip to Canada on the Snow Train. Too much of anything is boring.
 
tdschafer said:
Yeah, probably when you are a blue haired retiree!! LOL
Just kidding man!!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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Todd, I'll take Blue, Brown, Black, Grey or any hair for that matter. I'm losing it by the day!!! My hair is thinning so much that you can see what I'm thinking :smt089
 
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Go for it Shaun!
I spent my first 22 years in Ohio and my last 30 here. I can't say I've ever regretted it. Sometimes when I'm back visiting family in the summer I get homesick. Who doesn't like it being nice (and light) out at 9:45pm. But then I just remind myself about the endless overcast days and when it gets dark at 4:30 in the winter!
Florida does have some negatives. Yes, wages are generally lower (although probably not for your and your wife's occupations.) Prices are a little higher for some things. And yes, July and August are HOT and HUMID!!! But there is that thing called air conditioning.
But the positives are many. We have the sun. We have great weather 10 months a year. We boat 12 months a year. We have great boating destinations, Keys, Bahamas, Tortugas, Tampa bay, St John's River, and tons more. If you guys love boating and the outdoors, there are few places any better.
I was on the boat two days ago, will be on the jet ski later today, and am riding the Harley to Orlando on Friday to meet some riding buddies. This is January in case you forgot!!! I think I recall you mentioning a two wheeler. The same all applies to that hobby as well!
As far as your boat, I would bring it. You like and you know what you have. You may decide you want a bigger (or smaller) one once your here, but that's a perfect starting point for now. Not sure I would go to the expense of closed cooling unless you're sure you will keep it long term. Good flushing habits will avoid saltwater problems for many years.
That's my $.02
Would be proud to have as my neighbor,
Lee
 
My Grandparents and Aunt lived in Naples. Nice area but not cheap. We were just in Tampa this past summer and it was nice. Scuba Diving in the Gulf is not the Keys and it is shallow in general. I do like Jacksonville, FL and the Atlantic!
 
moparlvr4406 said:
sorry took so long to respond ....
In 1999 my wife at the time and I moved from Bloomington IN to Lakeland FL
Sold nearly everything and picked up and moved.
Did all the research into all aspects of comparison , cost of living, wages, realestate pricing, schools....all of it.
I was a dealer mechanic and the wife had degrees in business and office management.
Lakeland was nearly a mirror image of Bloomington in all aspects.
but...
I ended up working about 30% more hours to clear the same money I did in the north.... at the same flat rate hourly pay.
the wife couldn't find a decent job in her field due to all of the retired folk willing to work for near nothing or $$$ under the table
just to have someting to do and suppliment their social security checks.
fuel prices were ludicrous due to the state taxes on them
car insurance is crazy due to it being a no fault state... but plates are dirt cheap.
everything is a bit expensive due to the tourism ...restaurants averaged 20-30% higher price than the same chains in the north.
seafood is cheap but beef is expensive...the cows look like cambodian children there.
the sales tax rates were determined by county so the tourist areas could get up to 12% sales tax on anything...Polk county where I lived was 6%.
the roads EAT tires on your car as they are made from sand on the sides of the road and contain ground seashells.
Hurricanes are a looming issue always and the farther south you go everything wierd that walks, crawls, or flys gets bigger and lives forever
because it never gets cold to kill them or stunt thier growth.
it rains at 5 o'clock....everyday and the lizards love that.....ever see a palmetto bug ???
don't get me wrong I really DID like it there but nearly went broke in a year and was quite fortunate in the sale of my house there at a good profit
to come back to Indiana at a barely break even situation.
They say Florida is the land of the newly wed and nearly dead......I was one and felt like the other by the time I came home again.
but in your line of work it COULD be a great place Shaun :lol:

I guess what I am saying is do your research and believe about half of the results.
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This is why we picked coastal South Carolina over Florida. I am a big fan of the Low Country between and including Charleston, SC and Savannah, GA. The winters are a little cooler than mid-upper FL, but still good for year round boating (just had my 175 Sport out for a run in Beaufort, SC earlier this week).
 
What's with all the "blue hair" comments? LOL. You guys are well behind the curve, have lived on the west coast for years and have never seen a true "blue hair" for years either. We are comprised of a mix of ages but have many northern and European "baby boombers" looking for a mainly crime free lifestyle in the sun on the cultural coast of FL with everything that our great climate has to offer. Sarasota, in particular, has many folk from all over the world who can afford to live anywhere they want to, but they choose it because of it's beauty, culture, climate and lifestyle. Plus the hurricane track record for this part of FL has been much better to date than most other areas, which is a REALLY big thing to consider when moving to anywhere in the US, particularly the east coast.
 
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I'm from outside of Chicago but have been in Florida since 1983. I'll never live up north again. Took the boat to the yacht club for NY Eve and we had 76 degree's and sunshine on Monday. You can't beat shorts and a short sleeve shirt in late December. Naples is a little more expensive then if you headed north to Ft. Myers, Sarasota St. PEtersburg area. Nice boating anywhere you go. C'mon down, you won't regret it!
 
OK guys and gals, I know this is a serious decision to make and we are really thinking hard about it. Because I truly value all of your opinions I need some thoughts. Besides my friends and family, which the thought of leaving them is hard enough, there is my boss. I have an amazing boss at the funeral home and we are the only two directors here. We have a very close, family like relationship and I have been dealing the the thoughts of guilt from potentially leaving him high and dry. Well, to add insult to injury he just informed me today he is giving me a substantial raise this month along with taking over mine and Heathers phone bill since I use my phone for work. How do I say "thanks for the raise, I quit"!? This voice in my head screaming Florida has been there forever and is not going away. However, the thought of disappointing and letting those who I care about down makes me want to throw up as I am notoriously a people pleaser. Should I let this dissuade me from moving forward or just say "F" it when it comes to disappointing people and keep pursuing my dream? I really am sick about this right now and welcome any advise.
 
when the decision is made for sure I would explain to him the reasoning for the move and show him the gratitude
he earned from you.
no one would hold hard feelings and stand in the way of someone attempting to live out their dreams.
 
Talk to your boss and see what he thinks. If you are that close and have a family type relationship he will understand and be happy with your final decision either way.
 
Bucit said:
Talk to your boss and see what he thinks. If you are that close and have a family type relationship he will understand and be happy with your final decision either way.
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That was my gut instinct as well. Heather has been wanting to keep things quiet and not talk to anyone about until we decide whether or not we're going just so we don't have everyone asking about it. I mostly agree but I feel like I need to talk to him about it before I make the final decision. I know what my heart is telling me. My head just makes me worry a lot and like I said, I really don't like disappointing people. I was supposed to buy the funeral home from him when he's ready to retire and he's pretty comfortable with that decision so for him it's going to be kinda like starting over, which makes me feel guilty as well...
 
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Lucky's said:
OK guys and gals, I know this is a serious decision to make and we are really thinking hard about it. Because I truly value all of your opinions I need some thoughts. Besides my friends and family, which the thought of leaving them is hard enough, there is my boss. I have an amazing boss at the funeral home and we are the only two directors here. We have a very close, family like relationship and I have been dealing the the thoughts of guilt from potentially leaving him high and dry. Well, to add insult to injury he just informed me today he is giving me a substantial raise this month along with taking over mine and Heathers phone bill since I use my phone for work. How do I say "thanks for the raise, I quit"!? This voice in my head screaming Florida has been there forever and is not going away. However, the thought of disappointing and letting those who I care about down makes me want to throw up as I am notoriously a people pleaser. Should I let this dissuade me from moving forward or just say "F" it when it comes to disappointing people and keep pursuing my dream? I really am sick about this right now and welcome any advise.
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This is a tough call, however your issue is going to this, if you don't follow the dream of living in the sunshine with perfect boating (wherever you end up) you are always and I mean always going to be saying to yourself "what if I had moved, wonder what I/we would be doing now". With regard to leaving friends and family, it's not easy and we moved much further than you BUT guess what, they visit you! In fact, most folk who live here are inundated with visitors, so much so the saying here goes, "visitors are just like fish after three days...." You will undoubtedly meet new friends too.
Another advantage to living in FL is your health, believe me aches and pains (I have arthritis very badly) are not so bad here either. I once heard that living in the sunshine adds quite a few years to your life too, but not sure how true or even how they measured that one:)

There is no doubt whatsoever that your boss is going to be very disapointed. I know I am an employer and good staff (even in this economy are like hen's teeth). However, it's not what you say it's how you say it and if you explain your gratitude for all he's done for you but this is something you have wanted to do for years, how you are wrestling with your decision but that if you don't do it now you never will, he's more than likely to be understanding. Can you stay awhile until he finds your replacement? That would really help him out. Remember, life it not a rehearsal which I am sure from your career you know only too well:) Don't forget to invite him to visit you if you do take the plunge!

In the end you need to make that proverbial "For and Against" list on paper (it looks better written down) be honest about it and make your decision upon what you and your partner REALLY want, not anyone else. GOOD LUCK, keep us posted on what you decide!
 
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Shaun,

Tara and I did the opposite a couple of years ago. We decided after A LOT of decision making to leave my family, and our friends in Virginia (not Florida, but much warmer than here) and move to Wisconsin to be near her family. I had to sell my dental practice, disappoint a wonderful staff and patients, find a practice up here to buy, sell our house (at a huge loss) and made the move. I think I said "if it's meant to happen, it will" over a thousand times. I had to get licensed in Wi, which used to be retaking the boards, but in 2010 Wi became a license by reciprocity state. That was pretty much step 1. Step 2 was to find a practice that would be similar in style to the way I like to work.
My inlaws are great people. If they weren't the type of people they are, this wouldn't have been worth it. It is a LOT to switch jobs mid-career. Banks didn't want to give me a home loan since I hadn't been in this job at least 2 years despite being a dentist 14 years. Leaving my family wasn't too bad. Even though we lived about 50 miles away, I saw my parents a few times a year anyway. They aren't into the grandparenting thing like Tara's parents are. The guy who bought my practice in Va ended up being very difficult to deal with. In the end, I did the opposite of what you are planning.
PRO's: good family, much more involved in my 17 year-old daughter's life (she now lives closer since we moved), much more involved in this community
CON's: less boating. But, we have supplemented with winter weather sports. Maybe because it's so new, I love riding snowmobiles, hunting, etc. that I was never involved in. Maybe it would have been a cheaper midlife crisis to but a 'Vette and get a girlfriend :lol:. My advice: you only live once. If your hearts are into it, go for it. The rest is small stuff. Family will enjoy an excuse to travel and see you.
My 2 cents. Mike
 
Shaun, I was in your position before I opened my business. I worked at a local mom and pop drugstore and I ran the DME side of the business that was located in another warehouse about 4 miles away from the retail drugstore. When the wife finally made up my mind for me:grin:, I called Johnny and told him I needed to talk to him, whenever he was available. Funny thing was, He said he'd been meaning to come see me as well.

Sooooooo we met at a restaurant not far from the warehouse. We sat and ate then talked. I let him talk first to see what was on his mind. Well, he said and I quote, "Bruce I need you in the field doing some marketing for me and you're getting a 30% raise immediately along with a take home car, oh I know you love Toyota's, so stop by xyz dealership and pick out a new vehicle."

:smt021:smt021:smt021 AW DAMN

I immediately told him of my intentions to leave him and go start my own DME business, not to compete against him, but to scoop up the crumbs that were out there. He didn't believe in a marketing staff for fear of them taking advantage of him. (Marketers work 4-6 hours a day) He knew he could trust me. He always referred to me to his family as the "Son he never had". I assured him I wasn't going after ANY of his contracts that he had in place, but if they approached me, then I believe that was fair game, he agreed. I also assured him I wasn't taking or recruiting ANY of his employees to come and work for me.

The Man stood up, grabbed me around the shoulders, and gave me the biggest bear hug I have EVER encountered, and He said to me, You have my blessing Son, I'm happy for you and your family. If you need anything at all, I want you to call me cause I want to help you get started. He also said to me, If I needed to borrow some beds, wheelchairs, oxygen equipment, or even some cash, consider it done!!! I said thank you sir for your kindness, we really appreciate it. I told him I had some cash saved and I also had a couple of lines of credit to get me started.

He then asked me, "Are getting in over your head Son?" I replied "Absolutely, but I'm gonna figure it out."

The moral of my story is, TELL YOUR BOSS IMMEDIATELY!!! He's gonna understand Shaun.
 
Shaun, if you are committed to this change then sit with your boss and first tell the story building up to how this is the right decision for you. Then jointly work out a transition plan with your boss that is mutually beneficial for both of you. You may end up staying a little longer due to the "terms" of that transition plan, but you will have kept a good relationship going.
 
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