Just got back from 5 days visiting my sister in Sarasota. Any town with a gun shop sporting a sign touting "All your NFA and Class III Needs!" out front is OK in my book. I've got a few irons in the fire, so couldn't imbibe, but my fiancé nabbed an HK SL8-6 at Gunsmiths Gallery, then continued to feed her HK addiction and put a downpayment on an MR762 at AV Guns/Gunpoint. Stuff you just don't really see up here. Coulda happily spent a lot more time in the vault at AV....  Anyway, was about my 6th visit, and this one was more to prowl around and not do the tourist stuff. Only spent an hour on the beach and my sister's on Siesta Key. Plucked a couple coconuts from the channel out back and made coconut milk. Resisted bringing back some of those "air plants" people pay good money for up here that were just laying all over the place down there (got my checked bags searched when I came back with a bottle full of SK beach sand last trip, so thought it maybe unwise). We don't get roving bands of Mennonites on bikes up here, either.

Definitely not gonna afford anything on Siesta Key, but we're plotting and scheming to work out something in the area....I frickin' love it down there...

Sarasota checking in....
Living the good life...

How's the job market? My parents live there, along with my sister and her hubby and kids, but none of them are really involved in the local business world except as consumers.
I'd love to move down, but have to figure out a job first, then a place to stay that is affordable with that job, and close enough to not be crazy.

In case you can get specific, I'd be looking for something along the lines of safety officer (compliance, training...) or small business IT. Right now I'm wearing both hats and a bunch more, and not getting paid enough for any one of them. With CT's taxes and housing costs... I've just started looking, but it can't be worse than up here. It isn't like I expect to live in old Sarasota or any of the fancy areas, I'm thinking more one of the nearby apartment communities. A little digging showed plenty of places that seem decent for half what you pay here.

Have you been here in August when its 80 degrees at 7am and 10pm with 85% humidity? Its awful. Tomorrows high is 81 already.

The job market seems pretty good, especially right now, this is a busy season, I75 traffic is backed up bad in both directions. Hopefully all the new retirees keep the local economy going during the next recession.

As for Siesta Key, its nice, but it absolutely sucks right now getting on and off, im working there right now (at the beach) and the drive home takes forever on sunny days

I lived in Slidell, LA for a few years, I'm not gonna lie and say I like the gulf in the summer, but these days I like it better than I like New England in the winter.

You're only allowed to move down if you first convince a liberal Yankee to move back north.

Otherwise, sorry, we're full.

I'll throw in a PMag full of M855 to sweeten the pot..

LOL
sorry, not much help there. My folks fit that description, if in a relatively center of the road way, but they like it down there. On the other hand, they do go back north for the summer and my sister and her zoo goes as well for about a month. I honestly have no idea what her politics are, or if she even has any. It's never come up at all, other than blatant comedy stuff where it's funny regardless of your personal politics.

On the other hand, I'm not a retiree, I'm definitely not a liberal, and I bring guns and ammo of my own. :)

Who knows, it may not happen, or it may happen fast. I'm going to do some job hunting and see what I can dig up. If I get a serious bite I can fly down for an interview no sweat and go from there. If I have to I can stay with family while I get sorted out. Depending on the job's hours my sister might very well try to recruit me to stay with them so there's someone there for the kids while she and the hubby fly off for work. They've been using our parents a lot, but there's a definite limit on that and their place has a nice sized spare bedroom. At least to get settled that wouldn't be a bad situation and avoids having to sign a lease before I really know what's what.

I've considered going a different route and setting up a consulting business for the same stuff. It seems like a LOT of small businesses are hopelessly out of compliance out of ignorance and aren't really big enough for even a real part time person in house, but a freelancer who helps get them compliant and stay that way without being a regular drain on the payroll? That might have potential and it's something I could easily do for dozens of clients at once. 90% of the issues are the same and can be fixed by spending a little money on Amazon and having your handyman spend a few hours or days changing/fixing things. Some of it requires real contractors but until I know who's good and who isn't I'll stick to just outlining what needs done and let them use whomever they prefer.

As someone else stated come for a visit in July/August and see how much you like it, there's a reason everyone comes down for the winter and takes off by April.  We always welcome a fellow gun lover, I just don't think people expect how miserable a Florida summer can be.  

As far as jobs and what not, it is season still so you see a lot of "now hiring" signs all over but those are mostly minimum wage type stuff.  I'm not sure how the market is for professional type stuff.  Real estate has been on a quick rise lately and an apartment in a decent area is gonna run you around $1300+ a month for a 2 bedroom.

I'm sure glad I bought when I did. A $600 mortgage is awesome. Can't imagine paying double for renting.

 

Not hard to find a "joe" job, nobody down here likes to work. It is easy to move up though, just show up for work on time every day and you will be the best employee most of these places have ever seen.