Moving to florida

Hi john,

welcome to Expat.com!

I have moved your topic on Florida forum for better visibility.

Do not hesitate to check out other threads on Florida forum.

All the best,
Christine

Hi John
W have relocated to the states twice once to Texas then due to the London bombings back to UK as we as we were both employed (I still am) by scotland yard my husband in k9 bomb detection and myself in counter terrorism. we relocated back to Florida mainly due to the children, and logistics for our company.  Moving out here and finding a job is impossible under the vias available.  You will eith have to buy a business or invest. Unless you have a large global company that you work for and theynhave the argument that they need your expertise in us as opposed to an American.  Unfortunately the us is in a worse finachial situation than the UK and wants jobs for their own people first. Your wife being a nurse unfortunatly again will not provide her with a visa to work.   They would rather employ their own citizens first.  Have a look visas before you do anything else.  This is a long and costly process the minimum you would have to  invest is £100,000  in a business either franchise or a business for sale. You are looking at  a time frame of 2 years from start of application to approval You would not be able to get a mortgage for at least three years or more as you would not have tax returns or a green card which banks recognize here. Private investors do loan hard money for property but the interest rates are at a premium of 12%. Dr Phillips not one of my favorite areas too close to Orlando and all the tourists  try looking further north lake Mary heathrow long wood winter springs much nicer. And better value house in good areas can start form around $500,000
Schools are all AAA in these area's.  Visas For e2 visa's usually last for three years and are then either renewed or transferred to another status. E2  which is the most common visa requirements are £100,000 investment employing 3 Americans and showing a significant profit over the three years, in other words you can't just sit back.   We had a business in the UK  which we worked at between policing for five years to enable us to have enough money and evidence for the embassy.  We then started it up over here and it's been very difficult this is not a holiday.  It's a scammers city here and everyone is out to make money as it is tight.  If your serious you will succeed but don't think that you can just pack your bags and get a job.  Standing in line at the American embassy watching so many people being turned down is the scariest thing when you want it most in the world, but having enough evidence and knowing your stuff before hand we had the most amazing lawyer in the UK he was and still is like a headmaster making sure that we do it right. As he said we have children and it's not something to play at. A lot of Brits come for the three years and treat it like an extended holiday it's not.  Make sure that you know about how different American living is before you invest all that time and money, try and stay in residential areas hope this helps any questions please feel free to contact me I'm on FB and you can see pics of where we live as well, on th eup side we picked up a short sale for $700,000 it was on the market for 1
$1.5 so there are bargains but again not as many now and the stress of a short sale is hell we were almost squatters in our house so that we didn't loose it against 11 other bidders and it took 14 months to get we were cash buyers but it made no difference.  Hope you achieve all that you want.

Hi John,
I sure agree with Pennie. Her comments are scary, but true.  I am cuban, and that helped me get everything sorted out quickly and easy. That is why, I was not in her position or yours. However, there are always two sides of a situation ( good and bad). Just plan for the bad. Research properly. This country is far from perfect, a difficult capitalist system. She forgot to mention about health insurance, car insurance: absolute hell. And the comment that everyone is out to make money, no matter what, is so true. Just plan very well, taking into account you have children. The best of luck to you. Oh, I live in Miami and it is terribly crowded ( bought here, no hope in selling now) I really prefer when I go to Orlando, less people everywhere, and they are more polite on the road. For the rest: great beaches, really hot, it rains a lot, good museums, good theaters, great ballet functions, great food.Once again, good luck.

hi pennie

Many thanks for taking the time to reply, we really appreciate it, I never realised it would be so difficult.
We may have to reconsider, I am gutted, but it's better to be realistic.
We would love to add you on face book and see the pics, they may  inspire us, I hope so.
We are really hardworking, so we are prepared to put the effort in.
I have tried stacks of companies for employment opportunities; I found there is quite a few advertising, none that would employ outside the US.
We will keep plugging away, see what turns up
Thanks again for the advice
Hope to speak to you soon
All the best
John & Marie

Hi John don't give up it's too easy to do it is hard but it can be done. Don't waste your time on trying to get employment out here it will NOT happen immigration will stop it even if you are offered a job, because they will ask questions of the company employing you as to why you are so special and they can't employ a citizen.  An E2 visa is the only way to get here in a reaivly short time, depending  on finances as I said before minimum investment is around £150,000 that's savings they want to know where it came from they normally don't like you to use your house sale money as they like it to be a buffer whilst you get going here. There are lots and lots of lawyers on the Internet be careful if you are serious then I'll put you in touch with one in London.  There are lots of websites offering E2 franchises that they say will tick all the e2 boxes again be careful and be guided by a lawyer. Ask yourselves what you want to do it's no good moving here and being miserable the grass isn't greener it's just a different shade of green and still needs cutting a phase that was regularly used when trying to think why we were working so hard. We work twice as hard as we did in the UK, but I wouldn't change it for the world yes electricity is $475.00 month property tax $950.00 and then as mentioned before all the insurances home owner fees etc our out goings here are twice as expensive as UK and bread to give you an idea is $3.25 a loaf. Most people convert it when working it all out DON'T it's relative when you live here you are not paid in sterling anymore but dollars so all that I put above is the same value as pounds.  It still makes us laugh when we have friends come over and stand in shops saying look thats so cheap....yes if you dividing it by 1.62 but my dollar = $1. Hope thats not too confusing.  The up sides happy well rounded children who have the best life, we have lived UK London Canterbury then Texas then back to USA so have known it back and forth and there is no comparison. No gangs no street violence palm trees and sunshine all year round. My Facebook page is Pennie Payne I only have British friends ...lol as the Americans don't understand British sense of humor especially police officers. If you have trouble contact me at [email protected] it will come direct to my office and I'll pick it up there.  Don't just accept a Franchaise of a bakers of pool cleaning biz just to get here you will be miserable within 6 months and want to go back, as you will already be homesick. Again contact me and I'll be able to give you all the other lawyers stuff and maybe inspire you with some photos. We came here with 8 cases two children and a dog our house sale fell though the day we boarded the plane and we arrived with $30 in our pocket a months rent on an apartment and a car we had already bought.  Two years on you wouldn't recognize us  Believe don't look over your shoulder thinking what if .....

Hi john fitz,
I hope you are settled in Florida and adjustment  comfortable but you have any problem in Legal process related so please you will ask me.
Thanks
quicklaw

John,

Why Florida?   The Winters are fantastic but the Summers are hot and humid.  If anyone in your family has a respiratory problem, it may be exasperated by the climate in the Summer.

Nurses are in demand all over the U.S.  The pay in Florida is not that great for a nurse and, with this new health care system, God only knows what will happen.

I am not trying to discourage you.  I have been to Florida many times because my elderly mother owns property on the Gulf Coast.  Florida has a lot of what are called "Snow Birds".  These are people who only spend Winters there.  Summers can be brutal.

There are many place in America that have climates that vary in every shape and form.  Personally, I would not live in Florida.

Ed

John
You may not be looking anymore by now, but here is some information that might be helpful.

I am a S.R. Construction Manager from the Tampa Florida area. Bottom line is work in Florida is very bad for PM's. I have over 27 year in commercial construction, as well as a BS in Construction Management from one of the top Construction Universitys in the USA. I am also a licensed General Contractor in the State of Florida, which allows me to permit & build unlimited in the state. I have worked for General Contractors & Developers over the years as well as run my own G.C. business. At my last company I was the Senior V.P/Director of Construction.

All that being said I have been looking for work for the last two years, after the company closed down due to losing their funding for the four large hotel project we were working on.

Florida is one of the worst markets in the US for construction right now. It so bad that I am in talks to take a PM job in Saudia Arabia right now.

Sorry to sound so negitive, but that the way it is right now here.

My suggestion is if you think you must go to the States try some where else to start, there are other areas that are starting to recover. After you are here, you can then keep looking. As things improve you may be able to find someing in the future.

Good luck.

Hi Bonjour !

I just created a facebook page the name is Les Français de Floride, i hope to see you soon on this page !

And i hope Expat.com allow me to do this also

Hi lilietjessie!

But don't forget that gatherings can be done on Expat.com itself.

Regards
Armand

Hi

Many thanks for that, I think we have resided ourselves to the fact that a move to Florida, will not be happening.

We have a relatively good lifestyle in the uk own home two cars my salary is £50,000 I have been thinking of working in Saudi, looking at the salaries in some circumstance they pay double what you can make in the UK,

I could work for 3 years maybe pay off my mortgage, see where it leads?

Are you on linked in, my name is john Fitzpatrick you could add me on that, did you move to Saudi?

Keep in touch and good luck in Saudi

Good Luck with your future move John this really isn't for the faint hearted, and I'm glad that you have looked into it seriously, rather than just falling in love with the idea and sunshine.  We work harder now than we have ever worked its certainly not a retirement, but I wouldn't give it up for the world as I'm sire you will find your perfect place and feel the same about that.
Good Luck keep us all posted
Pennie

Hi,

I have face booked you pennie, I hope you don't mind ...just we are wanting to move to florida I am just fact finding getting my spreadsheet together on costs that will be necessary to get out to florida in 24 months time . ... Bit concerned to but a business I'm looking at £150k minimum....my costs are already running into 10k to get us out there, deposit and first months rental of house, rental of car, insurances, flights etc...etc..so I would love to hear more how you got out there so cheaply and what you are doing now business wise.

I really want this more than anything so have to make it work, my older son is currently in canada as he can't find outdoor work in the UK my other son is again looking to move abroad as he can not find work, so as my husband and I have vacationed in orlando for 14 years with our boys we feel hopefully we could get a family run business out there towards the gulf coast area's.

I have sent you a message on face book if you get time maybe we could catch up ..thank you :-)

hello john.  Moving is always an exciting event. from my experience I can say, the first move is very scary. When you skip the second or third time, it's already an experience. Moves of my family are connected with  our  work. I and my husband realized that before moving we need to go to the next city for a week and see it.  The second step is the organization of the relocate and the collection of things. there are companies that help this. Furniture Disassemble and Reassemble.  The main thing is your mood for moving and calmness