I've had it. My recently received homeowners insurance premium just topped 9k. Coupled with ridiculously high property taxes, it's making it difficult for poor ol' retirees to lavish money on new keyboards and stuff. Although I hate leaving this great (most of the time) Florida weather, we (the wife and I) have purchased a lovely lakefront home up in Roswell, GA. Although it's in a private, gated, country club/golf community with lots of ammenities, my HO insurance is @ $1400. Plus, with all the "elderly" tax breaks, my property tax is less than half of what it is now, here in the Tampa area. More importantly, in Georgia, houses actually have basements, perfect for hosting that "dream" studio, billiard table, and super bar. We close on the house Dec. 1 although we plan to do some minor renovations before we move in. Besides, Fla. winters are nicer than GA winters and we still have to sell our current house.

Miami Mo and other coastal Floridians, how are you guys able to deal with these ridiculous tax and insurance hikes? The music business must be better than I remember it.

Anyhooo...any Synthzone members in the north Atlanta area?

chas

Chas, you will be close enough for us to visit you...I hear the cost of living in georgia is "Peanuts"..Say hello to Jimmy....[Carter}..

cgiles:
Good that you are making that move before we unhappy Californians run out of coastal and desert options (Oregon, Arizona, Nevada). The Southeast is next. Get ready for more CA license plates. And we already speak Spanish.

I pay more to insure my son's old Chevy van each year than you pay for your HO insurance in total. You don't even want to guess what out HO insurance is, with fire and earthquake riders.

Wow, I'm glad we don't have those numbers in Louisiana. I'd have to get a REAL job. Oh, that's right, I have one.
Anyway, best of luck with your move.
It's cold here today by the way, high of only 61. Probably too cool for golf without a sweater.

DonM

Fran, you're talking about one of the people I most admire. I've already been on one "build" (Habitat for Humanity) with him and plan on doing another if health issues don't interfere. I missed the one he just did in Bombay (Mumbai), India because of some health issues. He truly is a "good person" and a great American. I plan to be more like him....as soon as I finish my anger management program. E-A-G-L-E-S.

chas

We do need more Jimmy's...You are right , he has always been a great man..imagine if we can find another poitician like him.

Interesting post. My in laws live in Ocala and my wife and I are considering a move in the future the Ocala area. Mostly because property taxes and auto insurance are much lower than here where we live in RI. I'm assuming your high cost of insurance is due to your proximity to the coast? Good luck in Georgia.



[This message has been edited by Stephenm52 (edited 11-17-2006).]

The reason things got so out of hand in Florida is because the corrupt, inept politicians there, in particular the Insurance Commissioner, allowed the insurance industry to bully them into making a law that the insurance industry only looks at it's Florida losses and profits when setting rates, NOT at it's losses and profits across the whole US. So you get a national insurance company puts a spin-off department in Florida, and if the main company shows a HUGE profit, that doesn't affect the loss in one state, so they can charge MASSIVE amounts for insurance, despite actually making a profit nationally.

A disgrace. Vote the bums out......

YEA! Chas, I go to Atlanta once a month to work with one of my partners on Home Depot projects. I'm about 6 1/2 hours from there!


ROAD TRIP...ROAD TRIP!

Hope to see you early next year!
(Maby we can play some country music together-as long as the country is BRAZIL!).

Russ (Buck) Lay

I live down the road in Charlotte county(100 miles South) and my homeowners and taxes are $1200 each. Probably the difference is that I live in a $200,000 home that is three miles from the ocean.

The homeowners will rise 70% next year though. I am retired(except for playing out), and it is getting harder.