Channel Mark - you bet. Nice place to hang by the water - decent food too. Ft. Myers is the best spot for the younger (I'm 36 - if you can still call that young) crowd in SW Florida. Where in Ohio is your town??

I've got a feeling were all gonna have to meet up on Putin' Bay for the 4th of July. Man, what a party! :evilb:

The water down here is awesome. But like I say down here - "you gotta pay a price to live in paradise". Everything costs more and the homes are much smaller than you might be accustomed to up North. But you get to live outdoors on the lanai (screened porch) a lot. If you can secure a good job first - go for it. If not, come down for the winters.

As for the folks down here - well, um, I'm an Ohio boy. Half the folks seem to be from the New York area. I certainly do not want to offend the fine people on OSO from that area, but let's just say Europe was less of a culture shock. But it's the white trash and immigrants you need to watch out for. I recall a quote - "folks in Florida are either running from something or running to something". A lot of bad people flee to Florida and you must live in the nicer areas - which is not cheap.

Mark, I have always traveled to the Lauderdale area and know more about over there. I have friends in the Ft Myers area and I want to experience what it has to offer. Any suggestions or what not to do would be appreciated. I have been through there but never had time to stop. With the economy hurting there I just thought it might be an opportunity for a cheaper time to get in.

Ft. Lauderdale is great. But I chose this coast because it is far safer in my opinion. As for Ft. Myers - you want to be in the South West portion of the Fort. Cape Coral is a real value and tons of reasonable priced gulf access property. Also - you want to be in the South West portion of the Cape - but the North West will be excellent in a few years. Definitely a great time to get in cheap. I'm a Realtor here. I would be happy to show you around if you come down before I move back to Ohio. If you want to be on water, find the right property and buy it. If offwater - wait till the middle of next year. Same with condos. Check out our web site: www.sagerealtor.com - it is packed with tons of info.

That is the most honest, true and well put statement I have ever heard.....HOORAY FOR YOU

Have ya ever worked in a machine shop???

We are looking for machine operators, but usually require some experience. The pay isnt all that great, but the company is very stable. We are a Medical Device manufacturer. We make Knee, Hip, Spine and Dental implants, in my shop we only do the dental stuff, but we are knocking down walls, and receiving new machines daily, we are even moving machines out of NJ, and Indiana, and picking up production in South FL.

You might want to consider the Ormond area. Close enough to everything, but far enough to stay out of the FL cliche. (hour from Jax and 3.5 to S. Florida, 2 hours to Tampa) There is plenty of waterfront property and the market is dropping low enough to make it semi-affordable. If your not looking to be right on the water and within less than a mile, lots of affordability.

I worked in a automotive machine shop years ago. I have some knowledge of the business as a friend of mine owns a industrial repair machine shop and I have several friends that work in them. If its operating a machine I would see no problem. I know how to read mics and know I could learn most anything. As far as pay I really don't know what it would cost to live there but I do not require much to live on. I only want to get paid an honest wage for what I am worth. What types of equipment are you talking about? What materials do you work with? Thanks

dwtinc.. Thanks.... that boat is to old and an "F" :)


Mark any nice lots around Ft Myers to build on??

If there's one thing I can't stand, it's intolerance.

I'm from Jersey, and I agree with you. :D

where did that 96 top gun end up ?

True Story
 

Ok guys this is a true story that happened to me in Ft Lauderdale at Shooters one Sunday. Sitting at the bar Sunday afternoon watching the Daytona 500. I get up to go to the restroom after having a few Planters Punches. Coming back a ladies purse next to us is sitting on the chair next to mine. I happened to knock the purse over and on to the floor. Now I know you think I was drunk I wasn't it was crowded that Sunday at the bar. I bent down and started to pick it up like a gentlemen is supposed to do and this lady from the upper East Coast with the whiny accent starts yelling at me for knocking over her purse. So, I bent down and picked up her purse and put all the things back in her purse. I said lady if you don't like it I will just leave it laying down there for you to pick it up. My Mother brought me up to respect women and I was just doing the right thing in this circumstance.
I agreed with everyones comments in their post the people on the east coast are rude. I only go there for the boat show and the eye candy outside of that I will stay over on the West Coast.
A couple years after this happened we were going to buy a place down in Florida and I wanted to buy in Lauderdale because of the night life and boating activity. My wife won't let me buy there as she wants to be over on the West Coast. She already made appointments with a realtor in Cape Coral. She had whittled down from a possiblity of 15 to 5 from condo's, townhouses and houses. We eventually bought in Cape Coral on a canal 10 minutes from the river and about twenty minutes to Sanibel Bridge. The first year there I thought she had me trapped in old folks land but after moving around and talking to people I found where the night life is and I am a happy camper now. In fact the guy that owns Leaping Lizard's is from Northern Ky. Then I find out that there are about 10 other guys from up home there also. So in the end it was the best thing to happen. For the most part all the people in the Cape and the Ft Myer's area are from the Midwest. People there are friendly and the traffic is less. As far as boating is concerned we have one of the best boat clubs in the Ft Myer's Offshore. They have just completed two runs. One at Thanksgiving and just one last weekend an overnighter at South Seas Plantation. I got more townhouse for half the money then I would have spent in Lauderdale. Plus I am on a canal. Last but not least i am still married as the wife said if we would have bought in Lauderdale we would have been divorced by now and that would have cost me millions.

The problem with living this long around rude people is you become conditioned to it and expect it. I had fueled-up in Ft. Myers and was pulling out onto Rt.41 when a guy stopped to let me in. I couldn't believe it!!

where u from bouyhunter....i'm in somerset

I'm from Ohio. I'm in NY, Boston & FL at least a dozen times a year. The people there always seem nicer than those around here. Drivers in Miami and Orlando are tough- it's like they're all from Michigan ;)

Ed- you're right about the courtesy thing. I'm in KY & TN about once or twice a month. What would get you a brawl or shot at here gets you an apology there. I've had more people apologize to me when I was the one in the wrong than I can count.

I spent a few days in Nashville, TN a few years ago. The people there were so nice! If I could make a living there, that's where I'd be.

We may not have the best water here on the Texas coast, but we do have friendly people and a healthy business environment.

Quote....Last but not least i am still married as the wife said if we would have bought in Lauderdale we would have been divorced by now and that would have cost me millions.

I lived in Boca, Divorced in Boca.
SE Florida is the only place I asked for directions, (gas stations etc) and I get totaly ingored, or they live a block awayand have no clue where it Wallmart.
A few years ago I was asking for directions to the post office at a gas station. Needles to say,...hardly any English no clue of the locations. As I pulled out of the station (in the rear) I noticed the post office in the same shopping center. It is true however, that you get somehow used to the rudness and coldness. It took a year in the west coast for me to smile again.
In the Midwest and other pars of the country. (Texas,, yesss, CA. Loto, Tn Al. etc.) friendliness is common.
When some one ask for directions from me,, I just say... "follow me". YOu never get that in SE Fla.
And I am thinking about the Ft. Myers area. I have to check into the homes..:ernaehrung004:

and you have a good football team with the cowboys

I have done that alot, follow me its easier:D. I would like to go to the west coast my parents friend live there in venice, and naples its been 15yrs since I have visited there, love the keys though:D

Lots are dirt cheap now. I rarely deal with lots in Ft. Myers, but do in Cape Coral. I have seen lot values fall 60% to 80%.

East of Ft. Myers is Lehigh Acres. Tons of cheap lots - and the worst crime in the area along with North Ft. Myers. As I said in another post, stay to the South West in both the Fort and the Cape.

Keep something in mind - you can buy a new or nearly new home around here for less than it will cost you to build a brand new home - and without the year wait. Homes in the Cape are cheaper than the Fort and there are limited gulf access properties in the Fort as where they are plentiful in the Cape. The Fort does have many more ammenities though. Overall, Cape Coral is the best bang for the buck in all of SW Florida. Homes on Marco Island are literally twice the cost (apples for apples) and even more in Naples.

Tim, I will call you this afternoon. If you want to contact me first I can be reached at [email protected]. Thanks

Thanks Mark,, Since I am a GC, I am looking to buy a lot and build a hurricane proof, home for my self and possibly market the design. IT isn't any more costly then a std Concerte block home. Just a better design. Most home builders are not accustomed for specialty construction. I am since I do mostly commercial work.

It's interesting to read the various dissatisfactions folks have with their living surroundings. Seems that the Midwest continues to get fairly high marks.

After 20 years in SoCal, I sold everything last year, packed up and moved back to the Midwest. Wife and kids love it. Convenience, cost of living, schools, etc. Have a comfortable place here in KC, and another at LOTO.

Unfortunately, the division of the company that I joined and was running -- is being disbanded, and I'm having to look for another position....which is tough in this part of the country for what I do.

Despite that challenge, and the financial impact it has and will have - we're staying put here in the MW.

I2D

Sunny place for Shady people, remember!!

So hows the St. Augustine area. Went to Commache Cove there once and loved it.

One day...........when I retire I will be moving to Florida. What are the "best spots"

I do love Miami:D, defiently would not move their with wife and kids only solo (wife says if I keep buying, building and selling boats this may not be far off) . Fun place to visit though.

OSO, Ed always has words of wisdom and says them with a way that anyone can understand. I find his posts educational and entertaining

me too, in fact he sold me my very first offshore boat.

I live in the same place as Ed, I am agreeing with his comments.

I'll stick with Norcal. It would be great if people would stop moving here.

No problem. I used to be Custom Home Builder myself - and designed everything I ever built. I would be very interested to see your plans. I've come up with a few decent sketches for a Cat. 4-5 home too. If you're gonna build, it's the way to go. Just don't open a model for about 3 years. More builders have gone under than survived lately. :eek: I'm sure you Commercial guys have some neat tricks in your tool pouch - I'd like to learn a few new ones. :D

Feel free to shoot me an e-mail at [email protected]
Put "OSO Buddy" on the subject line. Then give me some criteria and price range. I'll put together a sample of gulf access lots in the better parts of the Cape. I can search what is in Ft. Myers also - but they will be much more $ than in the Cape.

Mark

yea...in Miami for a weading and the cashier at a quickie corner store didn't speak english...all i needed were rubbers and shaving cream....

Rubbers and shaving cream. I am not going to ask.

Hey Tim G I went to call you and your tread is gone. I should of wrote your number down earlier but didn't think about it. I can imagine why you took it off. You can reach me at [email protected] Thanks and I am looking forward to talking with you.

Thanks Mark. I will drop you an E-mail..soon..

Giiees,,.. Thank gowd spelling doesn't count here. (I just read my own post) :angry-smiley-038:

dwtinc,

I've lived here in Ft Myers for six years now and can honestly say, that after having grown up in the south (Miss,Alabama,and Tennessee) which are known for their hospitality and friendliness, this is as friendly a place to live as any.

My business has locations on the east coast (West Palm) as well as the west coast (Ft Myers) and the guys that work on the east coat can't believe how much nicer the people are over here. I do believe, as some others have stated, that this is due to the mid-west influence here compared to the northeast influence on the east side.

Our boat club here is awesome (check out regional forum FMO) and the boating is year round. Yes, the economy has slowed down, but it's a hell of a time to buy property. I live in south FM, because I keep my boat at a marina at Ft Myers Beach, but you can't go wrong in the SW Cape.

If you get down here, look me up. Cell 239-220-9410. I'll show you what all this area has to offer.
Tom

Thanks Tom I will keep that in mind. You don't know of any employment opportunities do you.

No, that's not to far. Do you already have a home there, or are you buying? If you're in the country, any chance you have a barn with space for a 24 Pantera for the rest of the winter - I need to get some more work done so she's ready for paint in the spring. Maybe we could work something out?

I was born down in St. Pete beach, and always wanted to get back down there. But I grew up in Toledo, and yes, the winters were miserable. I started working in Construction at 18, eventually had my own Co., can't believe today that I managed to work outside those winters up there.

Thanks for asking about Riley, unfortunately I had to put have him put down a week after my wife started that thread. If you feel like crying http://www.offshoreonly.com/forums/s...&highlight=dog


I'm in Hebron - you're not far at all. I've been boatless for the past 5 years, and just picked up the Pantera late last summer. Got some projects going on.
What are you running?

Funny, but true story.
My wife and I got married on the beach in St. Pete 4 years ago. We were at a convention in Orlando for the weekend, and had already arranged to have the Notary and everything to do the service on Monday. Had to get the license 24 hrs. before the service. Went to the courthouse in Orlando, and after filling out all the paperwork and paying the fee, they handed us a gift pack.
It included trial size shampoo, soap, maybe a candle, AND rubbers and shave cream.

Sorry to be taking this thread so many different directions dw.

You are not bothering me Bouy and in fact I find it all interesting

Star and Citizen Swiss Screw Machines, we machine mostly Medical Grade Titanium, Stainless steel, and some Ti-gold alloy. We also do some plastics, remember these are tiny parts, they gotta fit in yer mouth, most inspection is done under a microscope, and with magnified computer controlled vision systems.