Looking to relocate to Florida - boating advice please!
 

Tossing this one out there looking for some advice from Florida for-mites...

We are looking to relocate to Florida from Massachusetts. My wife and I are tired of the long cold winters here, and could definitely be up for boating all year! Also home prices up here are out of control. We just got back from vacation down there in the Orlando area, and had a great time visiting with some of her family that lives in the area.

We are looking for 2 primary things - I need to be able to find work in the telecommunications / computer networking field, and we are looking to be as close to the coast as possible, if not on it. We are in our 30's, and would be looking to start a family at some point in the not too distant future. As well as boating, we are pretty socially active, so some fun things to do for people our age is important (restaurants, fun hangouts, bars, etc). So we are not looking for a retirement-type community, which seem to be plentiful in Florida!

One area that her family suggested was the Melbourne area, because it is on the coast. It also has some technology / telecommunications jobs which is important because I will need to get a decent paying job in that field. We took a drive one day from Coco Beach down to Viero Beach, including Melbourne to get a quick look at the area. Melbourne seemed O.K. from a glance, but we didn't get a good idea as to the social scene. At least it is only about an hour from Orlando which obviously has plenty to do. I spent a day in Ft. Lauderdale a couple years ago, and had a decent time there, so that is another place we are thinking of. Maybe Boca? Clearwater?

Sorry for the long message, but we are very serious about making this move, and could definitely use some friendly advice here. So please let us know your thoughts.

Thanks in advance!

Melbourne probably isn't the best place if you want a decent "socially active" scene. Further south, west palm, ft. lauderdale, miami are tops.

Also, on the gulf coast, Clearwater. st. pete, tampa and sarasota have a lot to offer. There is quite a bit of technology work in Tampa, so that might help.

Melbourne is "quaint" little town.
Reminds the wife and I of the Jersey shore which is where we're originally from.

Work in your field would be limited, I believe, to Kennedy Space Center, Patrick AFB, and Harris Corp.
Much of the housing in Cocoa, Cocoa Beach, Merritt Island and Melbourne is from the space race era. I'm sure there are new communities sprouting up but have now knowledge of them.
Orlando has much, much more to offer for work. You could commute as a lot of people do. My boss included. She carpools from Cocoa area to Orlando every day.
Social life in Cocoa-Melbourne areas is very limited.

Orlando is an ever changing place. Night life abounds. Restaurants, clubs, dancing, movies, sports bars, sporting events, etc., are everywhere and there's always something going on. And don't forget the theme parks. The only problem is the tourists, several million a year. Everywhere you go, you'll run into them. They choke the highways, stores and restaurants. We locals have to compete with them every day. :hothead:

School quality varies from county to county and even school to school. Check them out carefully and pay close attention to the school zoning. You could buy a home with a school down the street but wind up with your child bussed half way cross town. Don't laugh, it happens here all the time. And right now it's a real hot topic.

Hope you decide to come down.

Your age group would definitely fit in very well in the Palm Beach to Miami coastal areas.
Countless waterfront places to hang out, restaurants, bars, beaches, marinas, etc...
Waterfront homes start in the high 400's (inland a bit with fixed bridges) to well into the millions.
Jobs are plentiful and pay is far above what you will make in northenr Florida.
St Pete/Tampa/Clearwater areas have most all of the above, with somewhat more reasonable housing prices, but lower wages.

Miami has to be the CENTER of all prepaid phone card and VoIP companies. The largest being Radiant Holdings in North Miami.

Getting a telecom networking job in south FLA should be the easy part.

there are more than a few telco jobs in orlando as well... I know of a telco subcontractor that is looking for help in the Orlando area as well. MYCOM international... they commision cell sites for companys to make them a turn key operation to the carrier... From what I understand not that bad of a job, but there is travel involved.

Yep,
A bit farther south may keep you happy. I'd suggest Palm Beach.
Decent jobs and property is not as painfully expensive as Ft.Laud/Miami.

Delray Beach is great. The girlfreind and I loved there last year. Lots of fun, not too far from Ft.Laud or Palm Beach. Boat ramp down town...

FYI- We live in Hallandale, near Hollywood.
We looked at a house last week.
Not on the water.
Near the bar/resturant district
Built in 1935
1550 Sq ft.
It just sold for $355k!:crazy:

DAMN DUDE,

You need a new realtor!!!!

Just Joking, Where was it?? in Hallandale??

Like Tim said, you can save a little $$$ in Palm Beach, if you Hunt for the house, and dont need to be too close to anything. Bought ny house in West Boca last year(small 3/2/1) for $142,000, but hurry, my realtor called the other day and asked if I wanted to sell for $180,000, problem is to upgrade a little is going to cost me $220,000+ for a slightly larger pool home in the same area.

Homes on the West Coast are less $$$$, but so are salaries in most cases.

Thanks for the posts so far. Keep 'em coming! I will look at the Tampa and Palm Beach areas as well now.

14 years in Fort Lauderdale and I couldn't wait to move once the kids came. Do your future offspring a favor and say out of South Florida. It's a great place to visit... but...The crime is awful, the people suck and you'll be ranked by Mercedes Class. Your friends will screw you, companies will dik you and nobody cares about anything but themselves.

Finally had to go when a lady was shot in the head by a 16 year old in our grocery store parking lot, because the little punk tried to snatch a 35 year old mom's purse and she didn't let go. BANG! Right in the head....dead! Stay out of FLORIDA! Get a rental or a timeshare in the Carolinas instead. Or visit the extended family more often.