A bit of everything
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6/13/2006
The beaches, water views, restaurants, malls, year-round sports and quality of life have been wonderful. As a single woman I have had success in having decent relationships but have had a difficult time meeting good friends. Schools aren't that great but if you stay involved and find an "A" rated public school then your child should be fine.
If you are from a major city I have found that you may likely find that our traffic is not as bad as what you currenty have. As a Realtor I deal with relocations often and find my clients think our traffic is decent. I was raised in New York City and also lived in Denver for 6 years and find that I really enjoy living here - 9 years now. Disclaimer: Being a business owner and having flexible work hours I don't have to deal with rush hour or low wages. I don’t think I’d be happy living here (or anywhere else) if I lived on an hourly wage.
Property taxes are high but you have to realize that there is no state income tax. There is an annual cap on how high the property taxes can go up once you have purchased. If buying a home is an issue because of cost, there are programs once can apply for to receive down payment assistance that each county provides. As of May, homes cost an average of $283K and between now and this time last year sales of homes have decreased by 27% but appreciation is up by 23%. It's a great time to be a buyer because of the surplus of homes and ability to negotiate!
Michelle | Westchase, FL