Anonymous wrote:OP here. I should add that I don't think Florida is a great place for retirees, either. Even with a lot of money, you're dealing with traffic and more and more rude people.

LOL

Florida is a very large state with many cities.

Clearly you know little about FL especially if you think DC is better.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Odd post. My husband and I moved to DC from NYC and I was unhappy for 8 years. We moved to Florida in November, both work from home and are extremely happy. Maybe don't make blanket statements about a whole state when you lived in one area. Or work on getting a guy.

You have only lived in Florida since November. Check back after missing all four seasons.

Different poster. I've lived in Florida for five years. We also both work from home. Summer is terrible here - but it was awful in DC, too, and at least it cools down at night in Florida unlike in DC. Would MUCH rather be here than DC - and I liked DC well enough.

Though COVID is challenging my love for this state....

How afraid do you feel in your daily life? Grocery shopping and all right now?

We can do an s/o if you want. Basically, it is pretty scary right now! My husband and I both work from home, and don't have kids, so we are able to navigate this more easily than many other people (knock wood a million times). But we don't go shopping at the big grocery stores. We don't go to Target. I usually shop at a small, uncrowded gourmet market once a week to pick up some bread and vegetabies, but most food we get from Instacart. We do takeout, we don't eat at restaurants. A couple of times, we had friends in our backyard for open-air dinner - but now that the numbers are back up again, we aren't doing that.

I got out for about two hours of walks a day, even in the heat of summer. That helps keep me feeling sane. But life is very limited right now. Luckily we have a comfortable home and like each other, and have Netflix. I won't get to come up north anytime soon, and won't be seeing my elderly parents or (soon to be) newborn niece or beloved nephew this year, I imagine. That is very hard. But like everyone, I am trying to keep my head steady and remind myself this (hopefully) isn't forever.

I live in a very blue city so there are Biden signs all over the place, which probably makes me feel more reassured that at least we could have political change soon.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Coming back to MD is a dumb idea. You’ll be going from a state with NO income taxes, to a state with some of the highest.

Believe it or not, some people don’t live their lives according to tax burden

Yeah, I find this a strange priority. Lower taxes means fewer services and worse education and, in the age of Covid, stupid, science-denying governors. No thanks.

agree 100% with PP. SO glad I don't live in a southern state right now.

That makes both of us!

Please keep out of the South. We don’t want you here.

Anonymous wrote:In mid 2016 I was forced to job hunt as my job was being eliminated 12-31-2017. I have a wife and three kids and was 54 and wife 52.
I worked in NYC and wife and I life long NY people who never thought we would move.

My two job offers was DMV area or Florida. Both place were paying a relocation package and both paid for wife and kids to come visit and an afternoon with realtor.

Florida was August in a heat wave and a flight, it really empties out in summer. But we saw some nice houses. My wife saw a 850k house she liked. But Florida the heat and fact of laid off how would I find another job.

We visited DC, much shorter trip, company paid for Acela and we stayed in Foggy Bottom. Wife picked out an area around Bethesda/Potomac. She could not stomach VA as too much traffic and too Southern.

Now she is a bit used to it and VA or more south she would be ok.

Guess what after three years and two months did get laid off in DC and guess what did manage to find a new job. In Florida no way.

Please keep out of SC.

It’s full. No room here for NY’ers

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do you want a cookie OP?

more likely a Ben’s Chili Dog

Yuck.

Got tired of Ben’s by 1997

In mid 2016 I was forced to job hunt as my job was being eliminated 12-31-2017. I have a wife and three kids and was 54 and wife 52.
I worked in NYC and wife and I life long NY people who never thought we would move.

My two job offers was DMV area or Florida. Both place were paying a relocation package and both paid for wife and kids to come visit and an afternoon with realtor.

Florida was August in a heat wave and a flight, it really empties out in summer. But we saw some nice houses. My wife saw a 850k house she liked. But Florida the heat and fact of laid off how would I find another job.

We visited DC, much shorter trip, company paid for Acela and we stayed in Foggy Bottom. Wife picked out an area around Bethesda/Potomac. She could not stomach VA as too much traffic and too Southern.

Now she is a bit used to it and VA or more south she would be ok.

Guess what after three years and two months did get laid off in DC and guess what did manage to find a new job. In Florida no way.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Where did you say you are in Florida? I think Naples is a great easy retire town. Expensive. I am thinking about buy a small place in Naples to have a summer place for grandkids to come and have a nice time. I could not live in Naples year around. I would never see myself here all the time. In Colorado, is where I will retire from the dmv.

I don't think Florida is a great vacation destination in the summer. It's just too hot outside to enjoy summer activities. I would reverse that, and spend winters in Naples and summers in Colorado.

Not a bad suggestion! Very good one indeed! I grew up in Europe where we went to the beach in the summer, hence my reasoning. I like hot weather, but for sure escaping snow and the cold when you are old has merit.Thanks!

Anonymous wrote:Where did you say you are in Florida? I think Naples is a great easy retire town. Expensive. I am thinking about buy a small place in Naples to have a summer place for grandkids to come and have a nice time. I could not live in Naples year around. I would never see myself here all the time. In Colorado, is where I will retire from the dmv.

I don't think Florida is a great vacation destination in the summer. It's just too hot outside to enjoy summer activities. I would reverse that, and spend winters in Naples and summers in Colorado.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Odd post. My husband and I moved to DC from NYC and I was unhappy for 8 years. We moved to Florida in November, both work from home and are extremely happy. Maybe don't make blanket statements about a whole state when you lived in one area. Or work on getting a guy.

You have only lived in Florida since November. Check back after missing all four seasons.

Different poster. I've lived in Florida for five years. We also both work from home. Summer is terrible here - but it was awful in DC, too, and at least it cools down at night in Florida unlike in DC. Would MUCH rather be here than DC - and I liked DC well enough.

Though COVID is challenging my love for this state....

How afraid do you feel in your daily life? Grocery shopping and all right now?

I'm not afraid of COVID here. I wear a mask myself to follow the mask mandates. I started using InstaCart for grocery delivery back in March. I've been sheltering in place for a while.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Odd post. My husband and I moved to DC from NYC and I was unhappy for 8 years. We moved to Florida in November, both work from home and are extremely happy. Maybe don't make blanket statements about a whole state when you lived in one area. Or work on getting a guy.

You have only lived in Florida since November. Check back after missing all four seasons.

Different poster. I've lived in Florida for five years. We also both work from home. Summer is terrible here - but it was awful in DC, too, and at least it cools down at night in Florida unlike in DC. Would MUCH rather be here than DC - and I liked DC well enough.

Though COVID is challenging my love for this state....

How afraid do you feel in your daily life? Grocery shopping and all right now?

Where did you say you are in Florida? I think Naples is a great easy retire town. Expensive. I am thinking about buy a small place in Naples to have a summer place for grandkids to come and have a nice time. I could not live in Naples year around. I would never see myself here all the time. In Colorado, is where I will retire from the dmv.

My friend feels similar to you OP. They moved from NJ, house on the beach!!! to Florida to have a lower cost of living. They made some unfortunate financial decisions. She is origianly8 from Europe and her DH from NJ. She now says she never would have moved if she knew how terrible Florida weather is. With the virus, she wear a shield and a mask to protect her life as people do not wear masks.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Coming back to MD is a dumb idea. You’ll be going from a state with NO income taxes, to a state with some of the highest.

Believe it or not, some people don’t live their lives according to tax burden

Yeah, I find this a strange priority. Lower taxes means fewer services and worse education and, in the age of Covid, stupid, science-denying governors. No thanks.

agree 100% with PP. SO glad I don't live in a southern state right now.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Odd post. My husband and I moved to DC from NYC and I was unhappy for 8 years. We moved to Florida in November, both work from home and are extremely happy. Maybe don't make blanket statements about a whole state when you lived in one area. Or work on getting a guy.

You have only lived in Florida since November. Check back after missing all four seasons.

Different poster. I've lived in Florida for five years. We also both work from home. Summer is terrible here - but it was awful in DC, too, and at least it cools down at night in Florida unlike in DC. Would MUCH rather be here than DC - and I liked DC well enough.

Though COVID is challenging my love for this state....

^ And also, I get that not every place is good for everyone at every time! Go where you'll be happier, or just move if you need a change. Lord knows I've done that, too. Good luck, OP.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Odd post. My husband and I moved to DC from NYC and I was unhappy for 8 years. We moved to Florida in November, both work from home and are extremely happy. Maybe don't make blanket statements about a whole state when you lived in one area. Or work on getting a guy.

You have only lived in Florida since November. Check back after missing all four seasons.

Different poster. I've lived in Florida for five years. We also both work from home. Summer is terrible here - but it was awful in DC, too, and at least it cools down at night in Florida unlike in DC. Would MUCH rather be here than DC - and I liked DC well enough.

Though COVID is challenging my love for this state....