Has anyone here relocated to the Orlando area?

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mickster68
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Has anyone here relocated to the Orlando area?

Post by mickster68 » Dec Thu 06, 2012 10:06 am

Hello all! My family and I are finally taking steps to move closer to the magic! Actively searching for employment and homes in the Orlando area. I'm wondering if anyone has moved from another state, and if so, would you mind sharing your experience and thoughts with me? We are hoping to leave PA and head south at the end of this school year. To say we are outrageously excited, but also a bit terrified, would be the understatement of the year! :)
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rdeacon
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Re: Has anyone here relocated to the Orlando area?

Post by rdeacon » Dec Thu 06, 2012 4:11 pm

I just did it in July. Do you have any specific questions???
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rdeacon
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Re: Has anyone here relocated to the Orlando area?

Post by rdeacon » Dec Thu 06, 2012 4:13 pm

I am in chat now (12/6 4:10pm) if you want to talk... :)
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mickster68
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Re: Has anyone here relocated to the Orlando area?

Post by mickster68 » Dec Sat 08, 2012 10:47 am

Hi! Sorry, I just saw your replies...still getting reacquainted with the forums, and have never done chat! I will look you up a little later today. I'd love to hear about your experience. We are still in the research and saving phase. Have set a target date of July of 2013. I see you are in Casselberry. We have been focusing on Seminole County because I have heard great things about the area and schools. Finding a job and a rental while in PA is the catch 22. Need residency to obtain most jobs...need a job to obtain residency, at least I assume! Just wonder if you wouldn't mind sharing how you went about making the big move. I'm back and forth between 'let's go tomorrow!' and 'we can't do this!'.....I KNOW we can :) Thanks so much!!
***Tami

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Re: Has anyone here relocated to the Orlando area?

Post by Amy » Dec Sun 09, 2012 12:28 pm

mickster68 wrote:Hi! Sorry, I just saw your replies...still getting reacquainted with the forums, and have never done chat! I will look you up a little later today. I'd love to hear about your experience. We are still in the research and saving phase. Have set a target date of July of 2013. I see you are in Casselberry. We have been focusing on Seminole County because I have heard great things about the area and schools. Finding a job and a rental while in PA is the catch 22. Need residency to obtain most jobs...need a job to obtain residency, at least I assume! Just wonder if you wouldn't mind sharing how you went about making the big move. I'm back and forth between 'let's go tomorrow!' and 'we can't do this!'.....I KNOW we can :) Thanks so much!!
We are in the same situation, although not as close to a move as you. My Mom has been online looking at Florida real estate for awhile now, but I know I can't move unless I've got a good job secured. She's retired so it isn't as much of a concern for her, although having to move away from the house she built with my Dad is definitely weighing on her mind.
Always good to hear some details on what others have done or are planning. Brings up things you might not have thought of or considered!

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Re: Has anyone here relocated to the Orlando area?

Post by rdeacon » Dec Mon 10, 2012 10:45 am

I am happy to answer any and all questions :)

I will give you some background on what we did, then how we moved. I have to say first its the best thing we ever did, and I wished we moved sooner. Not that everything has been easy, but its been well worth it.

We have been planning the move for over 5 years. We started by scouting out areas when we went on vacation. We we just pick a few towns, and during our off days we would drive through the towns and neighborhoods to get a feel for the area. We did this for several trips then would come home to research the crime and schools. This led us, as it seems you to Seminole County. We focused a few trips in this area and really liked the area. We focused on the Ovideo/Winter Springs area. Its not right on top of the parks and for us is a perfectly placed between the parks and the beach. If we take I4 we can get to Disney in about 40min, 417 in about 1 hour, and the airport in about 20min. So for us its perfectly situated. It has low crime and great schools. We listed our house on the market and waited, and waited. In the meantime we contacted a local realtor down in this area so on future trips we could look at houses, let me know if you want her contact information, so when we came down we could be productive in finding a place to live.

Before our house was listed we took a multi-year approach to cleaning out, packing, and fixing up the house. We share the house with my in-laws. My wife and in-laws have lived in it since the 80's and they/we had/have way tooo much stuff :) We started backing and placing items in storage so we could make the house show ready. During this time I notified my current employer at that time of my move and discussed me working remotely. My job allows me to work remotely from home, which has really helped this process. He was on board with it, for about 6 months then balked on our agreement. So I went out looking for work in FL and NJ area. I used recruiters in both areas, and got a job in NJ that would allow me after 6M to work remotely. We set up the move for that 6M date. The house still wasn't sold, and at that point we had no place to go in FL. We figured it would be best to get an apartment, if the house didn't sell in time we could still move. I have to say that is the hardest thing with the move, was the timing of everything. Its very hard to coordinate when the house will sell and when you can move down. We just pushed the issue. I found an apartment in Casselberry, after much searching and researching. There plenty of apartments down in this area, but not many that will take 2 100lbs+ labs. :) The wife and I, moved July 7th into the apartment that we rented sight unseen. We flew down and stayed at Disney for a few days our stuff could be shipped down. We we pleasantly surprised with the apartment. Its a great fit. it's quiet, clean, and very dog friendly. We shipped our stuff down using ABF. You load the tractor trailer and they drive it down, then you unload it. We found this easier and cheaper then a Uhaul. A few weeks later the in-laws came down, then I flew back to drive the pups down.

We all have adjusted well. Its a bit cramped in the apartment, but its manageable. We have a 2 level apartment so we do get some separation. The house in NJ still hasn't sold. We were lucky that we could float the mortgage and the apartment, and storage units. Then Sandy hit. We were lucky our house didn't have any damage. Since so many people lost their homes we decided to rent the house to a nice couple with dogs who lost everything. We had planned to just be in the apartment a few months, but it looks like we will be here a bit longer. Once the NJ house sells then we will resume the FL house search. Right now Seminole County is a sellers market. There is very little volume, so its best we wait a bit anyway.

I think that covers the move.. well most of it. If you have specific questions regarding moving costs, jobs, utility bills, cost of living down here, etc please feel free to ask. If there is anything I can do to help let me know. I can always drive around and take pics for you, etc.


Rich
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rdeacon
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Re: Has anyone here relocated to the Orlando area?

Post by rdeacon » Dec Mon 10, 2012 10:48 am

Also.. if chat doesn't work I am on AIM, Yahoo, GChat, Facebook.. pretty much everywhere :)
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mickster68
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Re: Has anyone here relocated to the Orlando area?

Post by mickster68 » Dec Tue 11, 2012 10:47 am

Holy WOW Rich!! Thank you so much for sharing your experience! Hi Amy! It's really good to hear from you both. I've dreamt of moving to Florida since I was a kid! Never found ourselves in a position to take the leap, as we do now. Long story, but hoping in the end all good!! Our home is on the market here in PA. We are most definitely looking to rent in FL, at least initially. I think it would be good to have the flexibility until we found 'the place'. We, too, are focusing on Seminole County. We also have the challenge of finding a place who will allow for pets (border collie mix, and 2 cats), and will likely have to secure a place sight unseen, other than online. I've been searching Craigslist daily, as well as Rent.com. There are TONS of properties everywhere! It's overwhelming, really. I can't imagine it would be too hard to find something as you did, Rich, at least temporarily. The kids and I are visiting the last week of January to scope out some areas in person..look at schools, and such. There are SO many things to consider, quite frankly, it's scary! The job market looks very good down there, too. I don't foresee a problem finding employment in the field I'm in, which is direct care. The problem is having residency in order to get hired...kind of a catch 22. Which comes first kind of thing...any thoughts on this matter would be appreciated, Rich!
I've rambled long enough here. Listening to Subsonic is keeping me focused, honestly! I have been back and forth with doubts and fears. If we could just pack up and leave tomorrow it would be so much easier! HAHA
Have been packing and purging our place, too. Hitting it like gangbusters after the new year! It's surreal at times. I think, could this REALLY be happening??
***Tami

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Re: Has anyone here relocated to the Orlando area?

Post by Amy » Dec Tue 11, 2012 12:11 pm

Great info rdeacon! Thanks! So the in-laws moved with you as well then?
As I drove on the icy roads this morning, I wondered why the heck I didn't bring this move up to F1gment about 5 years ago :shock:
We are definitely going to be having to purge a lot o' stuff! I like the idea of renting an apartment and being in the area to house search. That's a great idea.

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Re: Has anyone here relocated to the Orlando area?

Post by rdeacon » Dec Tue 11, 2012 1:43 pm

Yes we lived with them before. We just split the bills. Now that we have moved we are paying for everything so the in-laws can retire. :) We thought that renting was best as it gave us a chance to test out the area, before we settled down.
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Re: Has anyone here relocated to the Orlando area?

Post by BuDz211 » Dec Mon 31, 2012 11:49 am

That was a really interesting read. Thanks for sharing, rdeacon.

I thought about moving down there but the heat is too much. I'm really a cold weather person and feel comfortable running outside in a shirt and shorts in 45 degree weather. Once it hits 90 degrees outside, I'm usually trapped inside my home. I'll just work on building my salary requirements so I can fly down there more often.
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