[skip0358]

I moved here from Long Island and find it cheaper in TV then LI. Yes I had to get the new title etc, but my Insurance is cheaper, my utilites are cheaper and if you go to CC's for meals or certain other resteraunts I find it to be cheaper.Happy hours are way cheaper. My house on LI was smaller then my present TV home. My electric bills on LI were more then 200 per month off season to 300 per month with AC on, oil for heating was nuts, taxes over 6K.I had no sewers or sidewalks. My pension is going further here then it did on LI where I had to get another job after i retired.I'm not working here. I cared for my yard on LI, I have it done here. Yea there's a bond but when I add that to my home price I'm still ahead of the game. I guess it just depends on where you were and what you had compared to the same things here. My lifestyle on LI was killing me TV is by far a happier, friendly great way of life for us.

[mgm4444]

Thank you all for your honesty. Some of the points made here I haven't even thought about when forecasting my life in TV. I would have never thought car insurance would be more expensive in FL vs NY. Home insurance, yes - but not car insurance. Another eye opener was medical insurance. And, other.... $14.00/hr is making a good living? Holy Cannoli !!! -I'm thinking maybe I should stay put, buy in TV then rent it out for a while.

[Russ_Boston]

Remember it all depends what you are doing for a job. Yes the same job down here may be substantial less than your basic urban area up north. But some jobs are only slightly less. If you're trying to compare salaries in TV to the same job in Boston (my area) or NY or DC it's not going to work. If you compare the wage to that of Rochester NY then the difference isn't much.

For example: my profession is RN. TVRH wages average 22 - 30 per hour based on experience. Boston would be 28-40 (more for specialties) while Rochester is around TV numbers. Just like real estate: location, location, location!

[redwitch]

I was a legal secretary for 30+ years. When I moved here, I expected lower wages. However, I also expected living wages. I literally burst out laughing when an appellate law firm (my specialty) in Ocala offered me $12.50/hr with no OT or benefits. The hysterical/sad part was that I would have been the highest paid secretary in the office. I gave up looking after that.

RNs may have a more or less equitable salary, but administrative positions most definitely do not.

[otherbruddaDarrell]

minimum wage or a little above that is the norm here. Seniors are willing to work part time for less money and the younger folks can't find enough work to support a family............employers know they don't have to pay much and take advantage of it. IMHO

[Russ_Boston]

I agree with Red and Darrell - When my wife was thinking of also working for a few years and then looked at what she could make. We've decided that I'll work but she'll take a long deserved retirement!

Note: I chose to be an RN just for my move to TV. I did some research and found it to be at least a livable wage for FLA standards.

[Kelsie52]

I have to agree with Skip --Cost of living is all relative to where you are now ----We have visited twice and found supermarkets and Gas prices not much different from where we live (Long Island NY) but thats where it ends for us. Looking into the price of homes and what you get --cheaper
Car insurance !!! about 50% less --Utilities on a whole includuing water a little less, Real Estate including a designer bond on a golf course again over 50% savings by moving ---and then add the 0% tax on my anticipated pension its a no brainer for us...Happy hours much better --more fun and things to do --------------so just do your homework

good luck

[Vinny]

Originally Posted by mgm4444

I took the Lifestyle visit in October and like everyone else, I'm hooked ! - I can't wait to come back.

For my 2nd visit, I can only stay a long weekend, maybe 5 days. I see, from TOTV, alot of people come back time and time again. Where do most people stay if they're not coming for a month at a time? The hotel near LSL? Does the hotel rent golfcarts? Since I can't do the LSV again, can I get passes for the rec center, pools, katie belle's, etc? I'm not ready to buy yet, but I do like to go house hunting to get a feel of the neighborhoods. Are there many Open Houses on weekends? One more very important question I don't see alot about on TOTV. Jobs. I would be looking for a full-time position (possibly data analyst or exec. secy position). For the full-time professionals, where do you work? I know the jobless rate in Florida and I know it's pretty terrible - however I'm sure a good amount of people are employed full-time, as well. Is Ocala the "big city" there? Do you know many people who telecommute?

Thanks in advance ...comin' to a Village near you SOON!

Mary

Telecommuting is allowing many people to move to places like the Villages when they semi-retire instead of having to live near big cities where the jobs are. Telecommuting has no impact on the community as it is not like running a business. It is just one person on their computer working on another computer in a different state. No signs, no business visitors, no inventory, etc. . In fact, the telecommuter remains indoors and uses less of the community resources leaving more tee times for the rest.