Posted by michaela-ATL on April 12, 2004 at 12:01:33:
It seems, things could have been even worse 
Michaela
whys is florida the best place to invest? - Posted by james
Posted by james on April 08, 2004 at 16:40:10:
ok ive been studying up on this investing and am very excited about it. im from denver colorado and ive heard people say that florida is where the most money can be made. why is this? can anyone give me a simple reason in english why its better and if it makes any sense to relocate to start a career in florida? is appreciate it a lot thanks
Population Explosion - Posted by Mike
Posted by Mike on April 11, 2004 at 14:58:02:
I only invest in Florida and I live in Oregon. I have yet to find any market outside of Florida that offers the same opportunities. I buy and sell land on a regular basis that doubles in value over the course of weeks.
Florida is the 3rd fastest growing state in the country. You have baby boomers moving down in droves and buying property with cash so interest rates are going to be less of an issue when the rest of the country’s markets slow down when rates rise.
Get this, Florida has net job insourcing from foreign owned companies! Overall the state has a very healthy economy compared to almost any other state in the country. Follow the jobs.
I definitely suggest you check into it further.
Re: whys is florida the best place to invest? - Posted by Blane (MI)
Posted by Blane (MI) on April 09, 2004 at 14:05:52:
James,
I agree with Doug, look where you’re at, especially Colorado. I’m in Detroit, and if my kids were grown I’d move to Colorado in a minute and gladly take my chances there.
Blane
Re: whys is florida the best place to invest? - Posted by Doug Pretorius
Posted by Doug Pretorius on April 08, 2004 at 23:04:55:
Your post is a classic example of ‘stepping over dollars to pick up dimes’. Look out your window, how much is the real estate you see worth? Out of my window I can see about $3 million worth of houses.
You don’t need to find other places to invest. You need to learn how to take advantage of the opportunities that are right outside your door.
Re: whys is florida the best place to invest? - Posted by Alvin Teaba Williams
Posted by Alvin Teaba Williams on April 08, 2004 at 19:30:24:
Shouldn’t you be asking the people that told you that.
Re: whys is florida the best place to invest? - Posted by John V
Posted by John V on April 08, 2004 at 18:42:14:
Keep in mind most of the coastal markets have a large number of baby boomer retirees who cashed in their chips from up north the past few years and have nothing to do these days but chase real estate deals down here. Much more of a working class population in Jacksonvillo and Orlando though. Great weather if you can stand the 6 months of summer which just started today with humidity and high 80’s temps in south Florida. I just wonder what happens when the building boom stops in many smaller markets like Port Charlotte and Port St Lucie where most jobs are in real estate, construction and lending. Would create a whole new set of opportunities with motivated sellers I guess.
Re: Its not - Posted by Rich Hyams
Posted by Rich Hyams on April 08, 2004 at 18:41:17:
Its way to competitive, each intersection has three or four bandit signs on it already, every three hundred foot a Homevestor or someone else’s billboard, four oor five hundred people at the REI meeting just looking to feed off of newbies…then there is the weather. Its 90 something degrees here every day from April to December. No one speaks English and the cops beat people, especially real estate investors pretty regularly.
I would stay away from Florida.
Re: whys is florida the best place to invest? - Posted by Rob FL
Posted by Rob FL on April 08, 2004 at 18:03:02:
Weather is nice, demand is high, prices are cheaper than other areas, no individual income taxes. Just to name a few things.
Re: whys is florida the best place to invest? - Posted by David
Posted by David on April 08, 2004 at 16:58:35:
Just about anywhere on the East Coast is good right now. Lots of people moving there, especially to Florida. In Hillsborough County (Tampa), the population will increase 125% over the next 20 years. That means lots of people looking for rentals and houses. I have no problem filling multi-family units or re-selling houses I fix up. There is more demand than inventory right now down here.
Pizza, bagels and chinese food… - Posted by Hank FL
Posted by Hank FL on April 10, 2004 at 07:33:39:
…all s_ck down here, so stay where you are and eat your own lousy versions of those foods.
Well, unless you’re from NY.
And if you are from NY, you’re in for a shock when you first bite into this bread-like cardboard with sh_t on top. 
Sorry, just had to vent about the food down here. I periodically have to get this out of my system.
OK OK, the pressed Cubans aren’t bad down here.
Re: Its not - Posted by RichV(FL)
Posted by RichV(FL) on April 09, 2004 at 11:11:54:
No one speaks English and the cops beat people, especially real estate investors pretty regularly.
LOL…that was a good one Rich. I enjoyed that.
Re: Its not - Posted by kGrant
Posted by kGrant on April 09, 2004 at 24:25:20:
Yea, you are right…in Jacksonville it is a horrible place to invest. I spent a couple hours driving around the city, 3-4 signs on major corners, large bill boards, we buy ug houses… you call people and there is so much competition that the prices are held high. I am getting out of rehabs. Not worth the aggrivation.
KGrant
You talking about AZ? - Posted by rehab4life
Posted by rehab4life on April 08, 2004 at 21:03:29:
Everything you said is Phoenix Az, minus the humidity, plus about 30 more degrees in overall temperature.
This place is like free sandwich day at Subway, everyone wants in!
you forgot the humidity - Posted by Jim (MD)
Posted by Jim (MD) on April 08, 2004 at 20:53:53:
90 or something degrees every day wouldn’t be near as bad if it weren’t for that stifiling humidity.
Re: Its not - Posted by John V
Posted by John V on April 08, 2004 at 18:46:03:
I only find spanish speaking dominating in most of Miami, parts of south Broward and Kissimmee away from the resorts.
You guys forgot the fireants - Posted by Hank FL
Posted by Hank FL on April 10, 2004 at 07:25:40:
It’s special when you’re wearing jeans and pounding bandits in the ground at 4:00AM and those guys start climbing up your leg (and biting) while your driving away from the “scene of the crime”.
Good times.
Re: Its not - Posted by Paul
Posted by Paul on April 09, 2004 at 17:19:27:
Jacksonville. You are in Ron LeGrand and his deciples territory aren’t you? That would be a rough market to try and get going in.
It may be 121 degrees outside in June. . . - Posted by Robin AZ
Posted by Robin AZ on April 08, 2004 at 23:07:42:
. . . but I havent had to shovel snow since 1994!!!
Robin(Phoenix)AZ
Re: you forgot the humidity - Posted by Paul -Maine
Posted by Paul -Maine on April 08, 2004 at 23:06:14:
Don’t forget the 10 minutes of downpour every day and running from the air conditioned car to your a/c house. Going to the mailbox and needing a shower
I lived in Hollywood about 10 years ago for a couple of years. It was flat, hot and violent. I did have some fun and met some good people, but no one is from there anyway. Everyone is from the north east.
As far as the spanish, I was running the board in a busy kitchen and no one spoke english! A few of us did but they were stoners and just as useless.
I liked everyone, we had haitian,cuban,black,white,canadian…it was interesting and sometimes fun. Has anyone ever been to a Flanigan’s Bar and Grill. One of those franchise chain restaurants, but the ribs and wings are great.
Anyway, I realized how much I missed Maine and went back to home. I now am in real estate here and the market is just as hot in new england.
I do think about it when I hear a Jimmy Buffet song. Don’t miss it though.