Quote from lrm21:
This is the scam of Florida since the 1900's
Whenever there is a boom people rush down to buy any sq/ft in Florida thinking its gold or everything is near the water.
I would never buy land in interior Florida, if you are not withing 2 miles of the ocean you are on crap.
The only exception is Northern Florida north of Gainesville, That is a nice area.
Right now there are some amazing condo deals, in Miami. Not bad for a vacation home. Rents suck
But Miami is going through a mini-crime wave and which is going to get worse. There is almost a daily shooting, and we have an armored truck gang that has been killing the drivers in broad daylight in every area of Miami.
Pensacola is nice area and not third-world.
Quote from flytiger:
Winter place. Show up at your "winter place". confused me too for a few years. Everything here is backward. And the crime is really ramping.
The adt guy was going door to door a few days ago. Big burly guy in a beater. I was standing in my garage, and he starts wheeling at me while I'm in the garage. He doesn't know how close he came to being taken out. But we have to be on the lookout for people who don't fit the profile of the neighborhood. Breakins, beatings, swat teams.......... Come on down.
Actually, an ad, btw way, running on the radio, goes like this......
"Now you've got that weapon, and a concealed weapons permit, learn how to use it........"
That's right, a close combat course for the citizenry. They should advertise it for the military. "Join the Marines, and learn skills you can use as a civilian, like, tearing a man's ear off with 12 pounds of pressure......"
I hate to speak of family, and usually don't, but my uncle is a big shot in S.Florida.
I could care less. I only mention this because it lends credence to his credibility, and I rely on his advice before doing anything down there (or anywhere, really).
At any rate, he knows pretty much everything there is to known about Florida RE and also the financial state of the municipalities down there (he retired from a prominent position at New York Life).
After talking to him this morning, and in conjunction my friend who works bankruptcy/commercial workouts for a 550 lawyer firm in Miami, all I have to say is that Florida is very bad, and will get much worse. This is especially true of inland Florida, as someone mentioned, and if people thing coastal properties will be less susceptible, they don't have a clue as to what carrying costs in the form of massive taxes, maintenance association fees and taxes are on waterfront properties (even on the Intercoastal).
The crime wave is already hitting Florida, and in more areas than Miami.
A lot fo these abandoned houses that are less than a year old, and basically exist in ghost town subdivisions are being used as grow houses right now.
If you go down to Florida, and see people with terrible rashes all over, don't assume it's a health problem or genetic. They're getting reactions to the shit needed to grow pot inside enclosed areas.
Also, certain parts of Sacramento, Vegas (and Henderson), Phoenix and Tuscon are looking this horrific - Neutron bomb-esque.