Edmunds Members - Cars and Conversations

driver100

oldfarmer50 said:

sb55 said:

@driver100
I just saw this article. Are you seeing this happen?
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/quebec-snowbirds-selling-homes-florida-1.7440455?utm_source=firefox-newtab-en-us

That story about snowbirds seems to be more about bashing the current US administration than anything else. From what I hear CBC is basically a propaganda arm of the Trudeau government which almost totally funds it’s operation.

That said, it might make financial sense for a Canadian to sell property in the US and then reap a premium when converted to Loonies. $100,000 US is worth about $144,000 Canadian.

Yes, the Commie Broadcasting Company in Canada is definitely the propaganda arm of our government which gives them $Billions a year. You have your facts right......the government is buying the media....basically Pravda Canada. That is another reason I like being in Florida.
I was talking to an Amazon driver and he is paid by the deliveries he makes, he has to buy and maintain his truck. IIRC he said he could make $100000 a year but he pays for his truck. He was thinking about buying a second truck and hire a driver...he worked from sun up until sun down and later to get everything delivered. So, my guess is he charges the trucks on his time.

driver100

pensfan83 said:

Or it could be due to burgeoning housing costs, a property insurance industry bordering on collapse because it's 3x to 4x the national average (if you can get it at all), property taxes skyrocketing, one of the worst median income to COL ratios in the country, and traffic congestion that is bad and getting worse each passing year.

All true, but it has got lots of great qualities too. It depends on what suits you. Florida is still the most desirable place in the world to buy a second home. Remember, no state tax to pay, and homesteaders pay about 2/3rds or maybe even half of what non-homesteaders pay in property tax. No winter coats, no snow to clear, no ice, no snow tires, lots of sunshine, go for a swim in the winter-outdoors! etc. There are advantages and disadvantages.

pensfan83

We have friends who relocated to the northern Orlando suburbs 2 years ago and visit them 2-3 times/year because it's the family of our oldest son's best friend. We've enjoyed our visits for some of the reasons you've outlined. My counter argument was meant to illustrate that not everything is a political or media conspiracy versus denigrating Florida as a place to reside.

snakeweasel

I saw this about speed cameras and thought that you guys would like it.

https://youtu.be/am3om8AaOds?si=xPIEVbN_6zMuahin

driver100

pensfan83 said:

We have friends who relocated to the northern Orlando suburbs 2 years ago and visit them 2-3 times/year because it's the family of our oldest son's best friend. We've enjoyed our visits for some of the reasons you've outlined. My counter argument was meant to illustrate that not everything is a political or media conspiracy versus denigrating Florida as a place to reside.

I agree 100%. There are some Canadians who think that things like a 25% tariff are not being friendly, and many of them will be selling their Florida homes.
I'll wait and see what happens, as far as everything goes, I am going to wait and see what happens....as long as I can play tennis and pickleball I don't care what the politicians do.

corvette

Back on topic with home appliances: Looks like I’m getting a new sump pump.

explorerx4

@corvette,
Bosch 700 series?

nyccarguy

@corvette said:
Back on topic with home appliances: Looks like I’m getting a new sump pump.

Make sure you support local industry and get a ZOELLER pump - headquartered and manufactured in Louisville, KY.

nyccarguy

@pensfan83 said:
We have friends who relocated to the northern Orlando suburbs 2 years ago and visit them 2-3 times/year because it's the family of our oldest son's best friend. We've enjoyed our visits for some of the reasons you've outlined. My counter argument was meant to illustrate that not everything is a political or media conspiracy versus denigrating Florida as a place to reside.

I have 2 friends my age (late 40s) who live in FL. My best friend moved down just about 2 years ago from Wilton, CT to Boca Raton. Another friend moved down to Naples more than 10 years ago from Framingham, MA. They both LOVE it and LOATHE it for similar reasons. The #1 thing is the weather. Lots of warmth and sunshine! Lots of outdoor activities to do. The high insurance costs definitely eat away (and then some) at the $0 state income tax. Homeowners insurance is sky high and you need to spend thousands to make sure your home is insurable. Car insurance is ridiculous too. Once you put a teen on your policy, watch out.

As far as politics go, one of them loves Desantis and the other can’t stand him

explorerx4

We have friends in central/southern Florida and the humidity is a killer.
They have to put some kind of water absorbtion thing in their closets to prevent mold.
No thanks.

roadburner

nyccarguy said:

@corvette said:

Back on topic with home appliances: Looks like I’m getting a new sump pump.

Make sure you support local industry and get a ZOELLER pump - headquartered and manufactured in Louisville, KY.

Yep!

stickguy

my wife hates when it is overly hot, and really can't deal with humidity. A summer down south would not go well. Q1 as a snowbird could be doable. Given I had to shovel again today and it never is nice out (cold, gray and windy in between snow events!) might be essential (though the new granddaughter will squash that idea.). Not Florida though, maybe someplace in the Carolinas at most.

oldfarmer50

pensfan83 said:

Or it could be due to burgeoning housing costs, a property insurance industry bordering on collapse because it's 3x to 4x the national average (if you can get it at all), property taxes skyrocketing, one of the worst median income to COL ratios in the country, and traffic congestion that is bad and getting worse each passing year.

And the article did examine some of those factors after their political rant. I just thought that they buried the lead to score political points. Both Florida and CA have suffered some of the same problems and have people leaving. I think taxes in CA overall might be causing more people to leave there.

oldfarmer50

pensfan83 said:

We have friends who relocated to the northern Orlando suburbs 2 years ago and visit them 2-3 times/year because it's the family of our oldest son's best friend. We've enjoyed our visits for some of the reasons you've outlined. My counter argument was meant to illustrate that not everything is a political or media conspiracy versus denigrating Florida as a place to reside.

My in-laws relocated to the Orlando area several years ago and seem to be happy. I just got the highest electric bill ever thanks to a faux carbon tax and I’m considering joining them.

jmonroe1

explorerx4 said:

We have friends in central/southern Florida and the humidity is a killer.
They have to put some kind of water absorbtion thing in their closets to prevent mold.
No thanks.

————————————————
If you have a properly operating A/C system you shouldn’t have a humidity problem. Of course that means you have to keep it on, or at least when the thermostat says it should be on. Somewhere below 80 F at least.

FWIW, my late brother lived in Delray Beach for years and never had a humidity problem.

jmonroe

corvette

@nyccarguy said:
Make sure you support local industry and get a ZOELLER pump - headquartered and manufactured in Louisville, KY.

I didn’t ask, but this was on the estimate. I’m kind of torn, I’m also an investor in Wayne Industries because I own some BRK, but this Zoeller pump looks pretty stout.

28firefighter

Investor in Wayne Industries and a bat mobile isn’t on your list to replace the Ariya? Missed opportunity.

driver100

stickguy said:

Not Florida though, maybe someplace in the Carolinas at most.

A lot of people become quarterbacks. They come to Florida from New York, Ohio, Michigan etc., find that the summers are too hot, so they move a quarter of the way back to the Carolinas.

Others keep a small place in the north, to spend the summers in a more reasonable climate. Some have relatives like children they can stay with..........

And a few, start out doing that, find that going back and forth is costly, and they just keep their Florida place and find ways to deal with the heat.

The difference in price between a house in the North and one in Florida, plus with no state tax, you could still manage retirement in Florida for less than in the North, and it is a good place for seniors....you never have to use your turn signal lights.

driver100

jmonroe1 said:

explorerx4 said:

We have friends in central/southern Florida and the humidity is a killer.
They have to put some kind of water absorbtion thing in their closets to prevent mold.
No thanks.

————————————————
If you have a properly operating A/C system you shouldn’t have a humidity problem. Of course that means you have to keep it on, or at least when the thermostat says it should be on. Somewhere below 80 F at least.

FWIW, my late brother lived in Delray Beach for years and never had a humidity problem.

jmonroe

True.....when we are not here we leave the air conditioner set to 82 and everything is fine. Electricity is cheap, with just the fridge left on (better for storing food and I understand it is easier on the fridge if you leave it running) and the A/C set to 84 electricity for 1400 sq ft is less than $20 a month.

sda

driver100 said:

stickguy said:

Not Florida though, maybe someplace in the Carolinas at most.

A lot of people become quarterbacks. They come to Florida from New York, Ohio, Michigan etc., find that the summers are too hot, so they move a quarter of the way back to the Carolinas.

Others keep a small place in the north, to spend the summers in a more reasonable climate. Some have relatives like children they can stay with..........

And a few, start out doing that, find that going back and forth is costly, and they just keep their Florida place and find ways to deal with the heat.

The difference in price between a house in the North and one in Florida, plus with no state tax, you could still manage retirement in Florida for less than in the North, and it is a good place for seniors....you never have to use your turn signal lights.

Around here they are called half backs. From upper north to FL to half way back to the Carolinas.

corvette

driver100 said:

Electricity is cheap, with just the fridge left on (better for storing food and I understand it is easier on the fridge if you leave it running) and the A/C set to 84 electricity for 1400 sq ft is less than $20 a month.

Sadly, the basic service charge where I am is around $15/month. My house is only unoccupied for maybe a week at a time, so it's hard to figure out what it costs when it's "idle."

snakeweasel

@explorerx4 said:
We have friends in central/southern Florida and the humidity is a killer.
They have to put some kind of water absorbtion thing in their closets to prevent mold.
No thanks.

My sister always told me never to move to Florida because the humidity is oppressive. Everytime she told me that I told here I would take it if I never see this again.

nyccarguy

@corvette said:

@nyccarguy said:
Make sure you support local industry and get a ZOELLER pump - headquartered and manufactured in Louisville, KY.

I didn’t ask, but this was on the estimate. I’m kind of torn, I’m also an investor in Wayne Industries because I own some BRK, but this Zoeller pump looks pretty stout.

Stick with the Zoeller. They are a family owned company. Zoeller is the ONLY line of sump pumps I carry. Well built. Comes with a 3 year warranty too. Just make sure it is up off the floor slightly and there is a check valve on the line.

xwesx

corvette said:

I didn’t ask, but this was on the estimate. I’m kind of torn, I’m also an investor in Wayne Industries because I own some BRK, but this Zoeller pump looks pretty stout.

Yes; support Batman!!!

xwesx

snakeweasel said:

My sister always told me never to move to Florida because the humidity is oppressive. Everytime she told me that I told here I would take it if I never see this again.

I don't know. I think the climate here is as close to perfect as it is possible to get (particularly in the "warmer" five months of the year), as neither the temperature nor the humidity are oppressive, but then the mosquitoes agree.... and boy oh boy are they disagreeable! Places like Ohio are tougher to handle humidity-wise, but they basically don't have biting insects (by comparison).

oldfarmer50

xwesx said:

snakeweasel said:

My sister always told me never to move to Florida because the humidity is oppressive. Everytime she told me that I told here I would take it if I never see this again.

I don't know. I think the climate here is as close to perfect as it is possible to get (particularly in the "warmer" five months of the year), as neither the temperature nor the humidity are oppressive, but then the mosquitoes agree.... and boy oh boy are they disagreeable! Places like Ohio are tougher to handle humidity-wise, but they basically don't have biting insects (by comparison).

The only time I was in Florida during summer was a trip to Disneyworld when I was 19. The humidity was tough enough for a young guy back then, I don’t think I could wait an hour in line now. I imagine southerners do in summer what northerners do in winter….stay inside.

driver100

oldfarmer50 said:

xwesx said:

snakeweasel said:

My sister always told me never to move to Florida because the humidity is oppressive. Everytime she told me that I told here I would take it if I never see this again.

I don't know. I think the climate here is as close to perfect as it is possible to get (particularly in the "warmer" five months of the year), as neither the temperature nor the humidity are oppressive, but then the mosquitoes agree.... and boy oh boy are they disagreeable! Places like Ohio are tougher to handle humidity-wise, but they basically don't have biting insects (by comparison).

The only time I was in Florida during summer was a trip to Disneyworld when I was 19. The humidity was tough enough for a young guy back then, I don’t think I could wait an hour in line now. I imagine southerners do in summer what northerners do in winter….stay inside.

Yes, stay inside, sit by the pool or go to the beach....if you have outdoor activities like pickleball, start at 8 a.m. finish by 10. Go to lunch or dinner at a restaurant near the water.
Some people adapt, some can't....they find a place to go in the summer. One guy takes his boat to Maine and stays on his boat for the summer.

sda

If you want humidity and heat, live in New Orleans.

corvette

sda said:

If you want humidity and heat, live in New Orleans.

My favorite city to visit. It's not so bad during the fall/winter.

kyfdx

corvette said:

sda said:

If you want humidity and heat, live in New Orleans.

My favorite city to visit. It's not so bad during the fall/winter.

Come on.. they just had a blizzard.

corvette

Solves the heat/humidity problem. I loved seeing all the pictures and was a little jealous, but I also wouldn't want to be there with so many things, including the airport, closed.

stickguy

I used to spend time in Memphis in August. That was nasty. Typical day seemed to be temps and humid % about the same pushing 100

kyfdx

We visited Memphis one summer, on the way to see my mother in Arkansas. We went to a Memphis Redbirds AAA baseball game, and it was literally 100 degrees.

That night, the A/C in our hotel couldn't keep up. It was about 80 in our room, by morning.

pensfan83

Last year we visited Florida in March, September, and December. September was the worst time to visit, hot and humid and the usual 30 minute afternoon thunderstorm. The other times were perfect. Despite that, we still spent 3 days between EPCOT and Universal Studios, we have annual passes to the latter. There's a lot to do though outside of the parks. St. Augustine is definitely worth a visit and Kennedy Space Center is only an hour away.

As for New Orleans I might be one of the only people that doesn't find it enjoyable.

corvette

pensfan83 said:

As for New Orleans I might be one of the only people that doesn't find it enjoyable.

It's definitely an acquired taste. Charleston has similar architecture, but everything is super clean and the residents seem to have a lot more money.

laurasdada

My parents were typical snowbirds, owned a condo in Boca Raton where they lived ~9 months/year. In summer, they drove up north and rented a place in Southern Vermont or central NH. They could not handle the FL humidity.

When my kids were younger, family trips to Disney in late September. Good weather, yes including some soakers!, lower prices and much smaller crowds.

We travelled to Charleston and Savannah last fall. Both nice, but Savannah was the preference. I'm not sure Nawlins would be my kind of town, as an introverted non-drinker!

pensfan83

corvette said:

pensfan83 said:

As for New Orleans I might be one of the only people that doesn't find it enjoyable.

It's definitely an acquired taste. Charleston has similar architecture, but everything is super clean and the residents seem to have a lot more money.

This is true on all points, though I will say the dining and food in NO is quite diverse and mostly delicious.

Charleston is one of my favorite Southern cities to visit.

stickguy

Never been to NOLA but we did do Charleston a few years ago and loved it.

kyfdx

NOLA has a fantastic WWII museum. (besides the food and alcohol...)

carnaught

I remember when I lived in FL and visited New Orleans in summer. Couldn’t wait to get back to FL where it was “dry”. The higher crime in NO is also a deal breaker for me.

driver100

The hottest most humid place I have been in was Houston, probably in May as that was when we had sales meetings. We were in a hotel and there were 4 lane highways on every side of the hotel. We arrived at the hotel and we didn't want to go outside, nowhere to go if we did go outside.

Michaell

driver100 said:

The hottest most humid place I have been in was Houston, probably in May as that was when we had sales meetings. We were in a hotel and there were 4 lane highways on every side of the hotel. We arrived at the hotel and we didn't want to go outside, nowhere to go if we did go outside.

With all the traveling I did between 1989 and 2003, the most humid place I remember was Cape Girardeau, MO - right on the river, maybe an hour or two south of St. Louis.

I was there with my dad on a business trip to teach the folks at the Fire Department, and the humidity was stifling. We both wore glasses, which constantly fogged up every time we stepped outside.

cdnpinhead

Taiwan takes the cake for me in terms of humidity. When I got out of my air-conditioned (leased) car, my eyeglasses immediately fogged up. I guess it's all relative.

To me, Florida represents humidity, bugs and industrial-grade old people, many with strange driving habits that they developed wherever they came from. Arizona has their/our share of old people, but many of them do things that those in FL don't, involving actually going outdoors.

To those who enjoy, party on.

mjfloyd1

We had a great time in NO - we happened to go when Jazz fest was occurring (we just had some time off and had no idea that it was Jazz fest) and got to see BB King live - just BB King with Lucille his guitar sitting on a chair and playing away.

ab348

One thing I recall was having to visit DeLand, Florida in June on a business trip. We flew into Orlando and stayed there that first night, a bunch of Canadians not used to 90/90 heat and humidity. Stepping outside was like being in a steam bath. All of us had our hotel rooms set to 68 degrees and the local reps who came to see us were freezing. The next day we went to some county govt offices in DeLand and were amazed to see all of the local folks wearing cotton undershirts under their dress shirts which were under their suit jackets. At some point after a day or two one of our group had to ask them why, and were told that the cotton soaked up the perspiration and kept them cooler. We were gobsmacked.

driver100

ab348 said:

The next day we went to some county govt offices in DeLand and were amazed to see all of the local folks wearing cotton undershirts under their dress shirts which were under their suit jackets. d.

You found people in Florida who own a suit jacket?

jmonroe1

driver100 said:

ab348 said:

The next day we went to some county govt offices in DeLand and were amazed to see all of the local folks wearing cotton undershirts under their dress shirts which were under their suit jackets. d.

You found people in Florida who own a suit jacket?

————————————————
They didn’t want to be under-dressed in front of their Canadian guests who must have surely worn sport coats or suits.

Today, “office casual” is acceptable everywhere.

jmonroe

pensfan83

My company has a building in Orlando I've worked out of a few times. Can confirm that some are in shorts and a polo.

venture

I'm not sure where to put this right now so I'll just leave it here.

I saw a Toyota Crown today. The first one I have seen. It looked pretty nice except it looked like they tried to rip the rear drivers side fender off. It was all "unbuckled". You know - the way they are put together now - it was coming apart at the seam.

I probably should have taken a picture, but I guess I didn't care.

corvette

NOLA - I've been told the Jazz Fest and the French Quarter Fest are a lot of fun, but haven't been. I've been once during Carnival. The parades are entertaining. If any of ya'll are ever headed to Chicago, NOLA, Charleston, or Savannah, I have travel guides that (mostly) I've put together because those are cities I plan to revisit in the future.