I don't live in Florida, but I live nearby in SC.

Just be prepared for the heat and giant arachnids and you'll be fine.

we have some pretty big spiders in PA. at least in my area. Then again, I do live near a nuclear power plant.

Perhaps. Dolomedes is pretty big and ranges far north. But, you guys don't have Nephila clavipes up there. :)

Beats having desert tarantulas. I saw one cross my path on my way to the mailbox that looked ready to box with a bus. I could see it on the ground from 20 feet away.

I like tarantulas.

Our largest spiders in the southeast hang from trees and are the size of the palm of your hand.

And Florida also has huntsmen spiders (I wish I did :( )

where in florida will you be?

I dont know what these things were, but they looked like all the normal little 1/2 inch black spiders that we have running around where I live now, but where my grandmom had her house right across the river from the power plant, these things were about 6 inches long. We use to shoot them with BB guns.

replied to the wrong post, oh well, I'm an idiot.

Urgh, I'm sorry to hear about your money woes too, Roxi hon. *offers up gentle squeezes*

It seems like it's rough anywhere....I say if your pops can get you a job, you should take it. >.>;;;

Jobs are plentiful in florida depending on where you are. if you'll be moving to one of the bigger places like Tampa, Fort Myers, Orlando(obviously) or such, you'll have little trouble finding a fur culture and a job. If it's a smaller town, you might have a tough time finding fur groups and/or a job. If your father is offering you a job, that's one of two down and it might not be a bad thing to consider.

anyplace that attracts tourists are usually ripe for job opportunities... though usually during the summer... aside from that, I'd probably check around the areas you may be staying in Florida for potential places you could apply in, it wouldn't hurt to talk to locals about anyplace they may recommend that's within your abilities as well

Move i need real friends down here in FL but also which part

Florida... is.... hot.... x_x

If you decide to go, prepare for the humidity!

Well if you move..Take it easy down there

Yah, heat, sure, but honestly, you should also be worried about hurricanes, that what. By the time you get down here/there, it should be cooling down slowly.

... um, otherwise, the cost of living would probably be lower there, yah, so, the sooner you go, the further your savings will stretch.

I agree with Shoof. as the tourist seasons winds down the cost of living will drop dramatically.

the heat and humidity are killers, compared to PA anyway. but I think you'll get used to it before next summer.
I cannot handle heat, so I moved from GA to Wisconsin. but then again I love the cold so *shrugs*

be vary carful of large spiders and the year long summer.

It's warm down here D:

I wish I were staying at a place of my own, I'd happily offer you a room :c at the very least, if you're ever in the Melbourne area, let us know! :)

Look me up if you end up here! :3

Sometimes you've just gotta do what's best for you.
For instance, I took off halfway around the world for a teaching job for a year, because the stress and irritation from my old job was literally making me ill. There was nothing available locally, so I had to look elsewhere.
Now the place I used to work at is closed, and I'm teaching online, doing what I have to do in order to make ends meet.

Do what you need to do in order to get by now, and later on you can try to be happy.

Oh man! Have you ever visited where you'd be living? I'd hate to see you move all the way down there just to be miserable with your surroundings. Have you checked around for local job postings or just left it to one agency? I've got my resume listed with at least a dozen temp recruiters and have only landed one gig through all of them combined.

I have visited where I'd be working which would suck. I should try more temp places. Gah, I have wasted years not doing this.

If you have a few weeks before you have to make a decision, you could still find something in PA if you hit the internet and phone book hard!

What a coincidence. I moved down to Florida from Pennsylvania also. Well, back in 2002 anyway. Despite what the others have said, the job situation isn't really that much better in SW Florida than it is anywhere else. But hey, who knows?

I've come this far since moving down here. I'm sure you can too! And who knows, if you happen to move near enough to my hometown, perhaps we can meet! ^_^

To me, with my medical issues, a move to FL would be out of the question. The humidity and heat would make me very, very sick.

Do whats best for you though, of course, and best of luck!

It sounds like you've put some thought into this, and continue to weigh the pros and cons. You might wish to put it into the format of a "Do" and "Don't" list, with all the reasons for the move on one side and all the reasons against on the other, just to see how they stack up against each other. Such items as 'would have a potential job' would have to balance against "will the condo actually sell and can I find a reasonable apartment." Think of it as a visual way to weight out your options.

Just a thought!

It's a life changer, and I can understand why you are asking.

I have never heard a story about what a pleasant surprise Florida was when someone moved there.

It was like that for me, and still is every day. :P I don't get all the FL hate. It's HEAVEN here.

Mostly the stories seem to be from people who expected tropical paradise and got rusted out pickup-truck on cinderblocks style southern redneck nightmare.

That's mostly in upper FL. Central is super nice. Almost every state has rednecks, but not many states have palm trees, unique nature and wildlife, and ocean surrounding you on all sides :) It IS a tropical paradise, and I can say that confidently as I've lived in 3 different parts of Florida the past few years.

I'd be near Tampa almost 3 hours from Melbourne.

You could become a Bucs fan. XD

This is a bad time to be without a job. Take what you can get.

whatever makes life easier and not so depressing and stressful is a dandy thang i say.

Florida has been refferred to as the retirement home state

I think you should defiately look more where you are before you pick up and move. Especially since it souds like you'd still be paying for the place in PA.

Hmm.. though it would be nice if you stayed here in PA for abit... probly finding a nice couple of jobs, but Flordia sounds like you'll make better with getting work and the like... And the cost of living would be abit cheaper. I wound't say keeping your hopes on the Florida job if the trial period goes out and you didn't make the cut... but I know 6 months is better then nothing. ^ ^;.. All I can really say is good luck Man.

....if your in northern Florada and need a roomate, I'll offer myself. I'm actually looking for an apartment right now, preferably with high speed cable internet. -nod nod-

If you can take the heat, then it's fine. I just had to deal with everything down there trying to eat me in one way or another.

H'm. Might wanna ask  robcat's opinion; he moved from PHL->FLA and isn't liking it much.

Well, if yer old man is offering help, take it. It's better to get help and make sure you can live than not take help and wonder WTF you're going to do the next day.

If the real estate thing doesn't work out you could try getting a job in insurance. Everybody has to buy at least one type of insurance so it's fairly recession-proof.

If it's a good job and there don't seem to be any other options, I would consider it. If you do make the move though, do a bit of research into the area you'd be moving to.

If I think of any advice, I'll let you know.

Since this isn't an easy or happy sort of decision for you I don't want to go, "Yay! He'll be closer!" But I would like to offer any help I can should it come to that. I have friends in the area and know lots of people with strong arms, plus I have a shoulder you can vent on if need be. Please don't hesitate to call on me.

Tough choice dude, in my opinion jobs are hard everywere, Florida is a tourist based economy so be prepared for that! Disney is always hiring as well as all the other parks around it, so if you stay in PA well good luck, but if you move to FL well, Welcome to The extremly humid most random weather you ever saw State! We'll be happy to have ya! =) i've lived in central Florida for 12 years! Just give it your all dude that's all you can do and we'll be happy to have ya!

Only question I can ask is, do you have a plan to make such a move work out for you? Because unless some solid income is developing over the horizon, we're all be expecting you to do the smart thing and move to Florida to take part in your dad's business. Good luck with the move, and I hope things will work out for you.

Get your ass down here, roxi!

Florida can be a wonderful place. A lot will depend on where you move to, though. For example, the Panhandle (Pensacola, Panama City, ect) is a sauna in the summer - but does have a month or so of 'winter' each year. Orlando and central Florida is much less humid in the summer, with winds from both coasts keeping things under control, but you will have NO real 'winter' to speak of. Be aware that central Florida is also very tourist-driven, so if tourism takes a hit jobs can and will become scarce. But having lived in SC for a few years now, I can honestly say I'd move back in a heartbeat. No matter what you choose, best of luck to you!

well, I'd give my opinion, but I'm a little biased (lived in FL all my life ^^; )

The humidity is what I hear gets a lot of people, the heat isn't so bad, it's th ehumidity that makes you feel like you're in a sauna every now and then. Also weather wise we get the odd hurricane and such, but that doesn't happen too often *fingers crossed*

If the weather isn't an issue, then otherwise I woudl say living in FL would probably be about like living anywhere else, again, I've only visited other regions, so yeah >_>;;;

I think it's a last resort call to move, as it's a huge undertaking, not just physically but you're resetting all your information, your social circle will change a bit, and who knows what else.

It also sounds like you wouldn't really like the job so perhaps it isn't the right thing for you?

flordia is a good place to live and the jobs down here are plentiful depending on ther area. i myself work at disney and if you are gonna be near the orlando area i might be able to help you get a job there.

Roxi...from the bottom of my heart, I hate to say it, but...do it.

Real estate is a wonderful thing to get into, and it DOES payoff if you're patient and know what is going on around you. Sounds like a wonderful opportunity, and your father would obviously love to show you the ropes. It's not really assistance from him; it's a chance to learn from him even more. I hope you do it, and you know you have our support. ^^

I'm in FL, and I'm just wondering what are you'd be moving to. Its nice but you might miss the seasons and hate the heat... though the winter is fabulous :)

There are a ton of furs here who would welcome you with open arms and help you with anything you need.

As a journalist, I pretty much have to practice a "live where you work" thing. Much as it may suck to leave Philly, if you've got a job opportunity, take it.

I'm going to be deadly honest here, at the risk of hurting feelings / insulting / etc.

You have property in PA, and unless you find a way to sell it quickly, it's an ongoing expense. Plus, the place was bought when the housing market was high, and selling it now would more than likely result in a net loss - and a very big one. Sure, you can move to FL and hope that the money issues go away, but that's an awfully big risk to take on a job that you don't seem too keen on. Unless the job offered is salaried, and has good benefits and high pay, it very likely will not be worth the expenses to pack up and move down to an unfamiliar area, and trying to short-sale your condo.

Hate me for saying this or not, but the issue for you is (and has always been) too much expenses with little to no income. Sure, it's really fun going to all those furry cons, but it gets incredibly expensive. Between the cons in Europe, California, and other areas requiring airfare, along with food and hotel costs? You're dropping thousands of dollars every year on vacations. Add in costs of living, food, games purchased, cell phones, etc? You're living a lifestyle that someone with a $60k+ job would have a hard time affording and staying afloat.

What you really need to do, in my honest opinion? Look for a job locally or semi-locally, cut back any and all expenses that you don't absolutely need, and look for a new roommate in the meantime. When you're unemployed, but a lot of expenses, no job should be below you. If that means working at Wal-Mart to pay the bills, until you can find a better job? That's what needs to be done. Some money is better than no money, after all. You're a smart guy, I'm sure you can find something a little better than retail or fast food if you put your mind to it, but it's going to take more than throwing one resume out there, and will require you to take something in the meantime to pay the bills, like retail or fast food.

I've never been one to sugar coat things too much, so sorry for being so blunt... but the issue here isn't location or misfortune. You really need to tighten the proverbial belt, cut out the expenses and vacations, and find a stable job to get some money rolling in. Use a retail job as a stepping stone while you try to find something more career oriented. Take my advice or leave it, it's your choice. If you want to call me an asshole for pointing this stuff out, that's fine too. Wish you the best of luck, whatever you choose.

My dad will be offering a salary based on my living expenses. He basically wants a secretary to help him for the few years he has left. He has a cane and spends most of his time in a chair. I would definitely be taking over his business before too long from the look of things.

The reason that his offer looks good is because he is my dad offering me a handout.

I need to tell you, John, Zerohour3k has hit a perfect bullseye. Blunt and honest -- it took a lot of courage to say it the way he did, courage that your local friends never quite had, though we should have. We have been trying to tell you the same things for a long time but have never quite been brave enough to come out and say it this clearly.

Please take it to heart. What you are proposing is, in our collective opinion, not at all a good idea.

Depending on the area, you might find yourself having a little bit of disappointment. Having lived there, I can tell you that the cost of living of Florida is high, and a lot of the more popular areas are where old people go to die. But again, this just depends on the area.

It's funny you mention this. I was considering moving down to FL (after I get my graphic design certification) because my family's down there now. They're a great support system for me and I'd be closer to them. Plus I speak Spanish, and there are many Spanish speaking communities there. I've lived here in PA all my life, and I think it's time for a change.

Now, regarding what you said, if you choose to do this, research two things first: a. the cost of living there and b. what types of jobs are available based on your skills. If you can't find a job or have to take one below your standards, you most likely have to give up some of your luxuries in order to make ends meet. For example, I know you love video games, but you'll have to cut back on buying all the newer games even though it can be tempting. Rent them if possible, or borrow from friends. Make the best of what you already own. Don't eat out so much or go to the movies, either. Oh, and you'll have to stay away from the furry cons for a while. Only attend local ones and stay for one day rather than spend money on a room if you don't need to.

I've read some of the other posts, and it seems like a lot of folks are giving you good advice. Good luck with whatever you choose to do. If we both move there at least we'll each have a friend in our social circles!

Thank you. That's some really good advice.

Whatever you choose to do, let me know. It'd be nice to get to know you again.

I live in florida, relocated to portland for a year and had to move back.. I do sort of like it here but being nocturnal helps. Im in SoFLA and the heat during the day is staggering but overall its not very bad really. The job market sucks but as you allready have one in line your set! Welcome to the land of old people, heat and misquotes!!!

wow sounds like youll have lots of friends in florida Roxi and i would say go for it

Your cost of living should certainly be lower, depending on where you wind up in FL.

I finally decided to move back to TN, after being in PA for nearly 4 years. Found a job in less than 2 weeks (awesome thing about being a pet groomer). Food is cheaper. Gas is a hell of a lot cheaper (averaging 30¢ a gallon less). Everything is cheaper in general in the South, even though TN's state sales tax is higher then PA.

So, yeah, if you have the chance, I'd honestly take it. Could save money in the long run. I don't think FL is as cheap as TN, but it's still cheaper than PA.

I guess things couldn't be worse in FL then it is in PA, except the heat, humidity, and the bugs. ;)

i don't have any advice, but times is tough and sometimes you have to do what you really don't want to do.
hopefully this will only be temporary, and perhaps you'll find something better in florida :)

If you want info on florida, my biggest advice would be to hop onto mIRC, and get on the Anthrochat server. There's a HUGE floriida furs channel, with most of us in the Tampa / Orlando region. If you need advice on where to move, what areas are nice, which furries to avoid like the plague, et al, go there. Incidentally, about 80% of the furs you saw at Elliot's and Megaplex are on there.

Its kinda nice that your moving closer. Maybe I could stop by after you get settled.

Well, the two big issues are of course, Employment and Family. The job market is poor everywhere, but If you have a job waiting that is a big plus. Also, how close are you and your father? Would living and working near him be a good or bad thing? If he really does have "only a few years left" then being near him (*IF* you get along) might be the most valuable thing imaginable.

As for the state itself:

Heat-stroke hot in the summer, drenched with sweat hot in spring and fall, and only uncomfortably hot in the winter (with a few cold snaps that will kill your outdoor plants).

Hurricanes (I've lived through about half a dozen in my lifetime - half of them in 2004).

Bugs. Lots of bugs. Most of them are big enough that you can actually ear them rustling over the carpet if the house is really quiet!

Reptiles. There's a gator in every lake, and a snake in every yard. Seriously. However, they are surprisingly harmless as long as you leave them alone.

Lots of mega-churches. (In my opinion, this one element is worse than all the rest put together. Your milage may vary).

Thunderstorms. You will buy an UPS (uninterruptable power supply) and surge protector for every piece of electronic equipment you own, or youu won't own it for long.

Tourist surges. In Daytona, its Race Weeks and Bike Weeks. In Tampa its Gasparilla Festival. Other communities have their own special events. Don't try to go shopping or get to your job/school during these events. Just stay home and watch TV.

On the plus side, we have lots of Renaissance Festivals (all held during the winter, of course). Also, if you like water sports (the non-X-rated kind) you are never more than a few minutes from a boat ramp, and even in the very center of the state you are within ninety miles of salt water.

Wow, thank you for all this info! I have phobias concerning bugs, but it's never been a problem that running away in sheer terror hasn't solved.

I've visited Florida a lot for several different times of the year. I can say that I'm not a fan of the heat and humidity, but cold affects me much more.

It rained nearly non-stop during my recent visit. Not a fan of that either, but it wasn't a cold rain. The thought of the hurricanes scares me, but I can see it's possible to survive them. I wouldn't be close enough to the shore to be in mortal danger.

There's pretty big churches in the area of PA I live in too. Luckily, it hasn't really affected me.

The Ren Faires sound fun too!

Moving down there would be a huge change and I know I wouldn't really like it for a while. I'm listing Pros and Cons of going down there.

Fear of bugs can be a difficult phobia to have in Florida, but if you're lucky enough to live in a house with someone who does not share the same fears, all is well. I hate spiders, but my wife comes to my rescue. She hates palmetto bugs, and I save her from them.

As for Ren Faires, we have almost a dozen!http://www.faires.com/location.php

Bless you for saying 'palmetto bug' instead of 'cockroach'.