"You're crazy! It's too hot to live in FL"

[2disneywego]

Thanks for the information. I live in CT, and those costs don't come anywhere near the difference I pay in property tax alone when compared to what I would pay in FL.

I have family who live in Bethel, CT and I think I passed out for awhile when he told me their taxes!

The cost of living in Vermont is actually quite high. It's a gorgeous state to visit, but even after 19 years, I never felt welcomed. The phrase I heard most often was "You wouldn't understand, you're not from here", usually accompanied by a sneer.

I lived there 19 years, always had a pretty good job, got involved in charity work, and supported my town. And nothing changed.
Too often I was referred to as "the stuck-up city *#tch from Montreal", or just "that Canadian". After a few years of that I stopped trying to fit in. I refused to change everything about myself just to fit in, I wasn't in grade school anymore.

There are many nice people and things in Vermont. The crime rate is pretty darn low, plenty of skiing. If you like that, hurtling down the side of a mountain with 2 sticks strapped to my feet is not so appealing to me. And Autumn is beautiful beyond words.

As to the cost of living..... There are about 650,000 people in the entire state. It's not the biggest state in size, but big enough. The majority of jobs are in Chittenden county, where Burlington is located. Generally the shortest commute is 30 minutes.

Jobs are very scarce, wages are low, housing and taxes are high compared to wages. Property taxes are high, not like CT, but high considering I lived in the country with no services. Unless you count the snow plow taking out my mailbox every year. The taxes on my house in Vermont increased 45% since I left on New Year's Eve 2014.

It's a trade-off. We lived on 12 acres in the country, so it was beautifully quiet, except for the owls and coyotes. The stars at night are amazing, never tired of watching them. I can see the stars here since it's partially rural, in the middle of a cattle ranch. However I'm still figuring them out as the stars are not in the right spots in the sky.

I love my house. It's not over-the-top, one story, 3 bedrooms, about 2500 sqft. My insurance is 44% more expensive than in Vermont, but housing is so much more affordable.

And the biggest factor in my decision to move....no winter!!! After that bad accident in January 2012, I have severe PTSD for winter driving and suffer horrible panic attacks. No snow, no worries.

My mom spent this past winter with me, and she is now a total convert to Florida winters! She'll be back in December for next winter.

It has its own faults, but I'm thrilled with my move. I'm not far from anything, especially after Vermont. Close to Disney is a huge bonus. Mostly, it's not having 6 months of drab, depressing grey winter.
It was the right choice for me.

Please feel free to ask me questions. You can private chat if it's a question you don't want posted.

 

[Elle23]

We hit 115 yesterday, due to be 119 today.....but it's a dry heat

Are you in Arizona?

I was in Phoenix in March and thought I was going to die.

 

[FINFAN]

 

[Meriweather]

Are you in Arizona?

I was in Phoenix in March and thought I was going to die.

yep......extra hot right now.
been here for 10 years now and like it except the heat for 3-4 months..........but winter is great!