On Wed, 24 Oct 2007 16:48:37 -0400, wrote:

On Wed, 24 Oct 2007 13:43:17 -0500, Vic Smith
wrote:

in Cook
county. RE tax last year was 4K, for a 1200 sq ft house

Then the taxes shouldn't shock you. I wonder why all the snow birds
have their panties in such a bunch. They make it sound like they are
getting robbed. I guess they are just ****ed that we cap tax hikes to
3% for homesteaded residents. 3% a year still adds up pretty fast and
they reset the assessment if you move to whatever you paid so you
could buy a smaller house and end up with higher taxes.

Maybe the squawkers came from low tax areas, maybe they're
just plain squawkers. Taxes aren't cheap here, but it's a decent area
with good schools, which always eat most of the taxes.
My home insurance cost is low, about 500.
BTW, 1200 sq ft here is different than in Florida, because there's
another 1200 sq ft of basement. But then a bungalow style house like
I have has small rooms compared to a 2000 sq ft house in Florida.
But I will miss my basement, and maybe my detached garage.
Nice retreats.
Anyway, I'm thinking about going at least 20 miles inland from the
gulf, probably north of Tampa, but not really sure.
The housing price/insurance difference by staying away from the salt
will buy a nice boat and years of marina space. And no way I could
get the wife - or myself really - to move where there's a possibility
of tidal surge taking the house unless I was wealthier than I am.
I really need to get down there for a few weeks just "investigating"
instead of "vacationing."
I've got some work to do on the house up here too, if I want
to rent or sell it, so I'm looking at 2009 for the move, and who knows
what changes will happen before then.
But hey, at least this has got me putting down some plans.
I mentioned before planning a short stay at a relative's inland home
during this vacation to give my wife a view of something other than
the waterfront condos and resorts we always go to.
Though I enjoyed the visit and learned a lot too, it was done mostly
to turn my wife into considering Florida. It worked.
I love it when a plan comes together!

--Vic

Vic Smith wrote:
On Wed, 24 Oct 2007 16:48:37 -0400, wrote:

On Wed, 24 Oct 2007 13:43:17 -0500, Vic Smith
wrote:

in Cook
county. RE tax last year was 4K, for a 1200 sq ft house
Then the taxes shouldn't shock you. I wonder why all the snow birds
have their panties in such a bunch. They make it sound like they are
getting robbed. I guess they are just ****ed that we cap tax hikes to
3% for homesteaded residents. 3% a year still adds up pretty fast and
they reset the assessment if you move to whatever you paid so you
could buy a smaller house and end up with higher taxes.

Maybe the squawkers came from low tax areas, maybe they're
just plain squawkers. Taxes aren't cheap here, but it's a decent area
with good schools, which always eat most of the taxes.
My home insurance cost is low, about 500.
BTW, 1200 sq ft here is different than in Florida, because there's
another 1200 sq ft of basement. But then a bungalow style house like
I have has small rooms compared to a 2000 sq ft house in Florida.
But I will miss my basement, and maybe my detached garage.
Nice retreats.
Anyway, I'm thinking about going at least 20 miles inland from the
gulf, probably north of Tampa, but not really sure.
The housing price/insurance difference by staying away from the salt
will buy a nice boat and years of marina space. And no way I could
get the wife - or myself really - to move where there's a possibility
of tidal surge taking the house unless I was wealthier than I am.
I really need to get down there for a few weeks just "investigating"
instead of "vacationing."
I've got some work to do on the house up here too, if I want
to rent or sell it, so I'm looking at 2009 for the move, and who knows
what changes will happen before then.
But hey, at least this has got me putting down some plans.
I mentioned before planning a short stay at a relative's inland home
during this vacation to give my wife a view of something other than
the waterfront condos and resorts we always go to.
Though I enjoyed the visit and learned a lot too, it was done mostly
to turn my wife into considering Florida. It worked.
I love it when a plan comes together!

--Vic



Might I suggest you investigate the area from Tallahassee south to the
gulf, via Route 319. The terrain is hilly, a lot different than most of
California, Tallahassee is an interesting small city, there's a big
national forest along the way, and when you get down to Panacea, there's
good boating and fishing.

On Wed, 24 Oct 2007 19:11:04 -0400, HK wrote:


Might I suggest you investigate the area from Tallahassee south to the
gulf, via Route 319. The terrain is hilly, a lot different than most of
California, Tallahassee is an interesting small city, there's a big
national forest along the way, and when you get down to Panacea, there's
good boating and fishing.

Thanks. I'll check it out. BTW, where I visited about 40 miles west
of Ocala was a bit hilly too. In fact, it was called Beverly Hills
(-:
I'm not averse to going farther north, and can certainly take all the
"cold" Florida can throw at me. I remember you saying there are
actual seasons north, and the one thing I don't like about Florida
is lack of distinct seasons - at least as I know them.

--Vic

Vic Smith wrote:
On Wed, 24 Oct 2007 19:11:04 -0400, HK wrote:


Might I suggest you investigate the area from Tallahassee south to the
gulf, via Route 319. The terrain is hilly, a lot different than most of
California, Tallahassee is an interesting small city, there's a big
national forest along the way, and when you get down to Panacea, there's
good boating and fishing.

Thanks. I'll check it out. BTW, where I visited about 40 miles west
of Ocala was a bit hilly too. In fact, it was called Beverly Hills
(-:
I'm not averse to going farther north, and can certainly take all the
"cold" Florida can throw at me. I remember you saying there are
actual seasons north, and the one thing I don't like about Florida
is lack of distinct seasons - at least as I know them.

--Vic


Much nicer flora in North Florida, too.

On Thu, 25 Oct 2007 00:22:00 -0400, wrote:

On Wed, 24 Oct 2007 18:00:57 -0500, Vic Smith
wrote:

BTW, 1200 sq ft here is different than in Florida, because there's
another 1200 sq ft of basement.


The difference is I also have 2200 sq/ft screen cage that I can use
for living space 11 months a year, 12 if you are willing to wear
clothes. ;-)
I only have 1315 sq/ft "under air" and another 356 in a "Florida
room", 448 sq/ft of my screen cage is open under a roof, according to
the tax collector and they have better pictures of my house than I do.

I pay $1489 but without the "homestead" it would be $3777

I agree on the garage (aka detached shop), I couldn't live without it.
I also have a 12x16 masonry shed

Yeah, I would need a shed if my wife won't change her storage habits.
Here it's common for people to have a portion of the basement loaded
with various junk. Mine is walled as 2/3 rec room and 1/3
shop/storage.
Two 8' workbenches I built back there and the other wall stacked with
cardboard boxes full of "stuff." Now being converted to plastic
containers of "stuff" because I demanded we do that. Must have 300
bucks in plastic containers by now.
Christmas stuff, Halloween stuff, kid's old school stuff, kid's old
toys stuff, wife's extra clothes and linens stuff.
Since I don't care for wood work any more, and built a work bench in
the garage, I don't really need that part of the basement, but I know
I'll need a shed because my wife will want a place for some "stuff."
I've noted, and so has she, that we'll have much more open living
space in a Florida home, but not as much storage area for "stuff"
in the house.

--Vic

"Vic Smith" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 25 Oct 2007 00:22:00 -0400, wrote:

On Wed, 24 Oct 2007 18:00:57 -0500, Vic Smith
wrote:

BTW, 1200 sq ft here is different than in Florida, because there's
another 1200 sq ft of basement.


The difference is I also have 2200 sq/ft screen cage that I can use
for living space 11 months a year, 12 if you are willing to wear
clothes. ;-)
I only have 1315 sq/ft "under air" and another 356 in a "Florida
room", 448 sq/ft of my screen cage is open under a roof, according to
the tax collector and they have better pictures of my house than I do.

I pay $1489 but without the "homestead" it would be $3777

I agree on the garage (aka detached shop), I couldn't live without it.
I also have a 12x16 masonry shed

Yeah, I would need a shed if my wife won't change her storage habits.
Here it's common for people to have a portion of the basement loaded
with various junk. Mine is walled as 2/3 rec room and 1/3
shop/storage.
Two 8' workbenches I built back there and the other wall stacked with
cardboard boxes full of "stuff." Now being converted to plastic
containers of "stuff" because I demanded we do that. Must have 300
bucks in plastic containers by now.
Christmas stuff, Halloween stuff, kid's old school stuff, kid's old
toys stuff, wife's extra clothes and linens stuff.
Since I don't care for wood work any more, and built a work bench in
the garage, I don't really need that part of the basement, but I know
I'll need a shed because my wife will want a place for some "stuff."
I've noted, and so has she, that we'll have much more open living
space in a Florida home, but not as much storage area for "stuff"
in the house.

--Vic

Hee hee...it doesn't get any better...besides my stuff...I'm storing my
mom's possessions as she is now in a nursing home ward (waiting for a
private room), my oldest son's stuff..he's out in Vancouver, and my youngest
son's stuff, who moved in temporarily 15 months ago.
I may have to build another wing onto the house as a storage warehouse.

On Thu, 25 Oct 2007 10:44:33 -0300, "Don White"
wrote:

Hee hee...it doesn't get any better...besides my stuff...I'm storing my
mom's possessions as she is now in a nursing home ward (waiting for a
private room), my oldest son's stuff..he's out in Vancouver, and my youngest
son's stuff, who moved in temporarily 15 months ago.
I may have to build another wing onto the house as a storage warehouse.

Why were garage and yard sales invented?
To collect stuff or get rid of it?

--Vic

Don White wrote:


Hee hee...it doesn't get any better...besides my stuff...I'm storing my
mom's possessions as she is now in a nursing home ward (waiting for a
private room), my oldest son's stuff..he's out in Vancouver, and my youngest
son's stuff, who moved in temporarily 15 months ago.
I may have to build another wing onto the house as a storage warehouse.



Is the job market that tough there? 15 months?

"Dan" intrceptor@gmaildotcom wrote in message
...
Don White wrote:


Hee hee...it doesn't get any better...besides my stuff...I'm storing my
mom's possessions as she is now in a nursing home ward (waiting for a
private room), my oldest son's stuff..he's out in Vancouver, and my
youngest son's stuff, who moved in temporarily 15 months ago.
I may have to build another wing onto the house as a storage warehouse.

Is the job market that tough there? 15 months?

He has a job numbnuts and is starting a new one on Monday.
Guess he likes my company...unlike your kids who probably can't wait to get
away from you.

Don White wrote:
"Dan" intrceptor@gmaildotcom wrote in message
...
Don White wrote:

Hee hee...it doesn't get any better...besides my stuff...I'm storing my
mom's possessions as she is now in a nursing home ward (waiting for a
private room), my oldest son's stuff..he's out in Vancouver, and my
youngest son's stuff, who moved in temporarily 15 months ago.
I may have to build another wing onto the house as a storage warehouse.
Is the job market that tough there? 15 months?

He has a job numbnuts and is starting a new one on Monday.
Guess he likes my company...unlike your kids who probably can't wait to get
away from you.



Keep telling yourself that, Don.