our big mistake moving to florida

[melanied]

Hi
I don't even know where to start.

I am a flight attendant and fly to Orlando every week. I have visited there nearly every year since I was 13. I love it!

I am now a mother of two children aged 20 months and 3 years.

My husband has recently dissolved his partnership due to a failing business and we have just sold our home to rent it back. Bankruptcy is next. Basically things couldnt be worse financially except for some savings I have.

We would love to move to Orlando and start a new life but want to research it thoroughly so it works out for us all. We are in no rush.

I could keep my job with my airline and commute as I only fly 2 to 3 times a month.

We are willing to look into as many options as possible.

Also what about schooling for the kids eventually? It is possible to keep our home in the u.k and pay rent in fact we would really like to do this.

Cant think of anything else at the moment but any questions welcome. Advice will be much appreciated.
Thankyou[?]

[atush]

Melanie,

From your posts here I can't see you have enough cash. If you did, you would have used your savings to help you keep a hold of your house in the UK.

If you moved to th US, even with one of the airlines if that was allowed, the costs would be too high for you. Esp if you take into acct your helathcare costs and the fact your husbnd might nto be allowed to work.

Your best bet would be subsiised childcare and a part time job for the husband in the UK.

[orlandobabe]

Thanks Elaine for bravely writing your story.

It's a while now-but I hope you are on the upturn.

The Florida Dream can all too quickly become the Florida Nightmare and often we have no control over it.


I owned a villa there for 8.5 years and although I would have loved to have lived there-permanently was not an option. I couldn't bear to leave my adult children behind or my mum or grandkids.

However-again fate intervened and after 3 years of owning-my marriage gradually began to fall apart. I kept on with the villa and it still did well and covered all costs-right up to him leaving 3 years ago.

In its final year it began to struggle. It went from 40 weeks to 20 weeks-I still was covering my costs at this point-but last year for some strange reason I only got 13 weeks-I think it was the universe's way of telling me enough was enough.

I dreaded bills falling on the mat and with the divorce imminent I knew I had to sell-but wanted to sell it too-that sort of stress is just too much-and he had none of it. He never went for those last 3 years.

Luckily it sold in a couple of months-it was in good condiiton-but we let it go very cheaply.

I said 'goodbye' to it in september 2008-and it didn't hurt as much as I feared it might.

I miss it now and then-but the relief of no stress of it more than makes up for it.

I'm glad I did it(buying it)-I learned a lot-and had some good times and met some lovely people-and have some lovely memories-but it was time to part company. Knowing that it was going to go-I made sure I made the most out of it and had 11 holidays there in the last 3 years-totalling 26 weeks altogether.

My staff were amazing-I formed really close bonds with my manager pool and lawn guy and their support was fantastic.

Nothing is ever wasted-and although we don't choose our experiences sometimes we can look back and be proud of how we coped at the time. With everything that was happening in the family at the time-it was a really black period for me-but somehow I got through it.

Life is simpler now. I haven't had an exotic holiday since September 2008 -but I have had lots of little ones with good friends and family. I've also been fortunate in meeting a lovely caring man who wants to go to Florida sometime-so I will be back!

At least I won't be worrying about the jobs that need doing.

Hopefully you too are experiencing calmer, happier times. You seem very family orientated Elaine-just like me-I have the family and grandchildren coming out of my ears.

My ex-husband walked away clutching his little bag of gold from the sale of the villa and our daughter and her soon to be 3 children has not spoken to him since the day he left.

There are some things that money cannot buy-and I know which I would rather have.

Hope some good blessings are coming your way

Good luck-to everyone too in a similar situation

[Osceola]

Why is it part of human nature to always take things just one step too far? You are sitting in your sun lounger next to the pool on a lovely Florida afternoon and suddenly that thought creeps into your head "wouldn't it be brilliant if we could just live here year round". Then it's down the slippery slope starting with (or making worse) the view that life in England is just terrible and before you know it you've convinced yourself that you have to escape this "third world nation" and flee to the bright sunshine of Florida.

What if the E2 process were a breeze? 10 year renewals, a half hour interview and a quick flip through of the company financials and your approved! Does anyone actually think that life in Florida would then be a walk on the sunny side of street?

At my villa, I was stunned to see that the usual hispanic guy was not mowing the lawn but what looked like an older, professional white man. Indeed an engineer with university degree who was made redundant and cannot find employment. In the city he is from in the northern US, unemployment rate is over 20 percent (don't believe what US media says otherwise). No health care, no social safety net, not even an assurance that state unemployment benefits will be available. How do people live like that?

Down the 192 from us, [edited out - this is a family forums]iniums that went for 300,000 USD are now selling for about $27,000! Banks just giving property away because the average American is basically penniless. It'll take years to sort out the economic mess in Florida.

So count your blessings.

[chrizzy100]

You do seem to live in a much blacker America than I do..I have seen my neighbours in FL lose their homes..but I've also seen them move on get different jobs places to live..it does take a lot for them to give up..yes it is scary to lose a job here...but its easier even in hard times to make a new start ...and I know that because we have already done that..

[flyrr100]

I made the move in 1988. Alone! I lived in Texas for a time. I've also lived in Nevada, Ohio, and now Florida.
Yes, life isn't as 'spoon fed' as it was in England. And if that scares you, it should. Without my medical insurance (over $800 a month) we'd be sunk.
I disagree with your third world description of England. If anything Florida is a third world state. Folks come here, as you say, after sitting by their pool watching a sunset, and find themselves broke and living in the back of their Volvo! We have a questionable infra structure. High crime. Especially in Orange county (Orlando).
But I love it here (USA, not necessarily Florida). I've found the American dream I guess. In England I was turned down by the RAF, and British Airways. Here I'm now a senior airline captain. I have a nice house with the obligatory pool. And of course 3 cars!
If you are intent on moving here. Look further afield. We have 50 states. And Florida ranks in the bottom 5 in most areas!

[Sniff]

<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by Osceola
Down the 192 from us, [edited out - this is a family forums]iniums that went for 300,000 USD are now selling for about $27,000!
[/quote]
Ha ha, that made me laugh. The nanny program used on this site really is a bit over the top at times

[steph_goodrum]

Keith
It isn't a mod that has done that it is the automatic filter for words that aren't always appropriate on a family forum. If you fill in the missing letters for yourself you can see the word which has been omitted.

[donny]

Mrsbabypowder, hope you don't mind me asking, how are things now?

[flyrr100]

<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:[i]ople live like that?

Down the 192 from us, [edited out - this is a family forums]iniums that went for 300,000 USD are now selling for about $27,000!
[/quote]

Property isn't that cheap yet! But you can get a condo over at Cocoa or Titasville for a song. NASA is winding down the shuttle program and literally thousands of people are losing their jobs.
My house, 4 bedrooms, corner lot, pool, is now worth around 170k. I bought it for 220k six years ago!
If you are brave, and have some money to invest, now would be a good time to buy a house here!