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Fairycakedelight Nov 30th 2010 1:30 am

Last minute nerves moving to Florida
 
Hi All my husband and I have been very fortunate to have visas approved so he can go over and start his business.

We just returned from a pre-move visit to Orlando where we would be based and I am slightly disillusioned/ nervous.

My husband will have his own business with his partner but I won't be able to work until I have applied for my work visa once I am over there which we were informed takes up to 90 days. Given that I don't know anyone I am nervous about the move. Has anyone had any issues settling there? I would be willing to go out my way to meet people but not sure how easy this is.

I also have a phobia of snakes/lizards (lizards being the more bearable!) and have bad mosquito reactions. Will this be a huge issue in settling there?? We have a Labrador we will be taking and I don't want him to be bitten.

Final question!! We will be renting for first 12 months with view to buy afterwards. Unfortunately the realtor we worked with cancelled our appointment on the day we were due to look. We had another realtor who was excellent but due to the rush the quality wasn't as great as it could have been. We have submitted application for lovely home in Conway area/just outside winter park with outdoor pool but no cover. The house is backed onto main road in nice cul de sac with little shrubbery - do you think this would be an issue with mosquitoes/ snakes and if so can anyone give advice on best way to find a home before we move? My husbands office is winter park so would need to be close to there/ city centre for me to get a job. MANY Thanks in advance!!!:D

meauxna Nov 30th 2010 1:39 am

Re: Last minute nerves moving to Florida
 
Hi there, welcome!

Why do you feel disillusioned? Nervous is ok, to be expected really, but disillusioned before you even go?

I'm afraid to answer you about the bugs, but you will get used to them! :)

This is one place to do some DIY house searching: http://orlando.craigslist.org/apa/

Mummy in the foothills Nov 30th 2010 1:49 am

Re: Last minute nerves moving to Florida
 
Aww good luck on the move, sorry you aren't feeling to great about it.
Make sure the windows have bug screens on and yell at anyone leaving the doors open, it works for me :o I hate bugs too, we see and occasional lizard but only teenie ones round here and I've only seen a handful snakes in 17 years. I don't go looking for them.

N1cky Nov 30th 2010 1:59 am

Re: Last minute nerves moving to Florida
 

Originally Posted by Fairycakedelight (Post 9011629)
Hi All my husband and I have been very fortunate to have visas approved so he can go over and start his business.

We just returned from a pre-move visit to Orlando where we would be based and I am slightly disillusioned/ nervous.

My husband will have his own business with his partner but I won't be able to work until I have applied for my work visa once I am over there which we were informed takes up to 90 days. Given that I don't know anyone I am nervous about the move. Has anyone had any issues settling there? I would be willing to go out my way to meet people but not sure how easy this is.

I also have a phobia of snakes/lizards (lizards being the more bearable!) and have bad mosquito reactions. Will this be a huge issue in settling there?? We have a Labrador we will be taking and I don't want him to be bitten.

Final question!! We will be renting for first 12 months with view to buy afterwards. Unfortunately the realtor we worked with cancelled our appointment on the day we were due to look. We had another realtor who was excellent but due to the rush the quality wasn't as great as it could have been. We have submitted application for lovely home in Conway area/just outside winter park with outdoor pool but no cover. The house is backed onto main road in nice cul de sac with little shrubbery - do you think this would be an issue with mosquitoes/ snakes and if so can anyone give advice on best way to find a home before we move? My husbands office is winter park so would need to be close to there/ city centre for me to get a job. MANY Thanks in advance!!!:D

We were on holiday in Florida in September, I would highly recommend getting a outdoor pool with a cover. There were lots of insects and they are drawn to the pool if its not covered. All of us were bitten at one point or another by mosquitos so if you have a reaction you need to do something about it.

There were lots of lizards around, but all small and they ran off when you went near them.

I think anyone who tells you they didn't have any issues with settling in is kidding themselves. It is a big change, the more you prepare yourself for this the easier it will probably be.

Good luck

penguinsix Nov 30th 2010 2:13 am

Re: Last minute nerves moving to Florida
 
Get a bug zapper for the pool area. Your kids will relish in the hours of fun as stupid bugs fly "into the light" to meet their maker.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bug_zapper

As for snakes they are generally more scared of you than you are of them. Keep your lawn trimmed low (they like the cover of tall grass so they can get out of the hot sun) and cover your pool. Snakes are drawn to food sources so if your place has a lot of trash out or chicken wings sitting in the dumpster then the mice and rats will come, and with their presence the snakes will follow. Keep it tidy and clean and don't worry too much about it.

Everybody over here has screens on their windows and you'll start to learn to close the door fast at night to keep out the flying things. Minimize the outdoor lighting and you won't attract as many.

Good luck.

Jerseygirl Nov 30th 2010 2:51 am

Re: Last minute nerves moving to Florida
 

Originally Posted by Fairycakedelight (Post 9011629)
Hi All my husband and I have been very fortunate to have visas approved so he can go over and start his business.

We just returned from a pre-move visit to Orlando where we would be based and I am slightly disillusioned/ nervous.

My husband will have his own business with his partner but I won't be able to work until I have applied for my work visa once I am over there which we were informed takes up to 90 days. Given that I don't know anyone I am nervous about the move. Has anyone had any issues settling there? I would be willing to go out my way to meet people but not sure how easy this is.

I also have a phobia of snakes/lizards (lizards being the more bearable!) and have bad mosquito reactions. Will this be a huge issue in settling there?? We have a Labrador we will be taking and I don't want him to be bitten.

Final question!! We will be renting for first 12 months with view to buy afterwards. Unfortunately the realtor we worked with cancelled our appointment on the day we were due to look. We had another realtor who was excellent but due to the rush the quality wasn't as great as it could have been. We have submitted application for lovely home in Conway area/just outside winter park with outdoor pool but no cover. The house is backed onto main road in nice cul de sac with little shrubbery - do you think this would be an issue with mosquitoes/ snakes and if so can anyone give advice on best way to find a home before we move? My husbands office is winter park so would need to be close to there/ city centre for me to get a job. MANY Thanks in advance!!!:D

Hi there...welcome to BE.

Some prestige areas spray to keep the bugs away...so you don't need netting to cover the pool area. It's the bugs and reptiles that put me off living in Florida...but there again I'm bug and reptile phobic. :eek:

tonrob Nov 30th 2010 11:55 am

Re: Last minute nerves moving to Florida
 
I'm staying with my parents in Florida at the minute. They have a netted area around their pool which pretty much keeps 99% of the bugs and lizards out. I saw just one lizard inside since I got here - a tiny thing. Mrs tonrob was a bit freaked out so I tried to catch it in a cup to put it outside the mesh. I failed though - the poor thing was so scared of me I couldn't get anywhere near it. I highly doubt that one would approach you. Even when we're out walking if we ever spot one it's running away, and fast.

On the plus side while I was sat in the hot tub yesterday I got to see a raccoon run past and then a sand crane touched down and hung around nearby for a while. I liked seeing them (and yes, I know raccoons can be a pest but this one was cute, ok?)

I live in New England and I've found more snakes on my property over the last five years than my parents have on theirs (two, versus their one), but don't you get snakes in Britain too? These were harmless little garden snakes, which we eventually (I'm looking at you, Mrs tonrob) found cute once we realized they wouldn't harm us. I bundled them up safely and took them away after a while (on my bike, to a conservation area a mile or so away). I think the main thing to know here is that yes, stuff will turn up to visit you once in a blue moon but it doesn't happen often at all and it's never as scary as you think it will be. Just take the common sense precautions that everyone else does as part of their normal way of life and you'll be fine.

Nutmegger Nov 30th 2010 1:51 pm

Re: Last minute nerves moving to Florida
 

Originally Posted by Fairycakedelight (Post 9011629)
We have a Labrador we will be taking and I don't want him to be bitten.

One of your first moves should be to sign on with a veterinarian and get your Lab on a heartworm preventative medication -- heartworm is spread by mosquitoes and you aren't going to be able to avoid contact with them in FL. You will also need a flea and tick preventative, like Frontline. Hopefully he is all set up with his rabies vaccinations.

If you like animals, volunteering at a local animal shelter would be a nice way to start meeting people with a similar interest. Otherwise, you can volunteer in whatever field you are interested in to get you out of the house.

Awesome Welles Nov 30th 2010 2:56 pm

Re: Last minute nerves moving to Florida
 
A couple of observations - I have lived in the area you mention for quite some time.
Conway is a few miles away from Winter Park - i.e. downtown Orlando is between the two communities.
The areas around the lake chain (big and little Lake Conway) are subject to some environmental issues - the main one being aircraft noise. The subdivisions between Conway Road and Semoran Boulevard to the north of OIA are directly underneath the flight path - not so bad when flights are in-coming from the north, but noisy as hell if they're departing to the north.
I live on the west shore of the lower pool and can see, but thankfully only vaguely hear departing aircraft. OIA is a VERY busy airport, so unless you are deaf, this should be a consideration.
The further east you locate, the more hispanic the communities become. The trade-off being that property is considerably cheaper east of Goldenrod.
The lakes are spring fed, crystal clear and very clean. Great fishing, skiing and leisure boating, but with a healthy gator population also.
Unless you have either a solar or heat-pump pool heater, a caged pool will be significantly cooler than an open one. Hurricane Charlie removed my pool cage and the water temps rose by around 15deg post-storm. I now have a roof mounted solar system and can use my pool from March to October.

Re creepy crawlies: being very close to the water, we get a lot of bugs and critters visiting. Some of the snakes can get quite large, but they are (with one or two rare exceptions) timid and fearful of humans/dogs/cats etc. The most common is the black snake (black racer) which likes to sunbathe, but will flee if you approach. You will encounter billions of lizards - but all are harmless and your dog will have hours of amusement chasing them.
Mosquitos are a pain in the arse - and part of life in wet sub-tropical environments. Our community sprays and we have no open ditches in our neighborhood. Dawn and dusk are when they are at their most active - you'll have to get used to the smell of deet. All of your windows will have screens on them - though now is the only time of year that you would have them open anyway - it's way too hot otherwise.
The most troublesome bugs are termites (which eat your house), fire-ants and wasps which bite and sting - but the ants/wasps do that in England, so you'll be used to it.
It's probably best if I just gloss over the spiders....
I would be more concerned about the loony drivers, the coffin dodging loony drivers and the tourist loony drivers.

Being close to the city center is not advantageous for seeking work, unless you absolutely must work in a bank or a lawyers office - and most of the communities surrounding downtown are unpleasant or downright dangerous.

Good advice re protecting your dog from heartworm, but it will also need rabies inoculation and flea/tick treatment. Technically, you are not allowed to let your dog off leash in public places, so the chances of infection/infestation are small, but dogs are quite susceptible to a parasitic mite called a 'chigger', so don't skimp on the bug treatments.

We brought our 120lb German Shepherd with us and she took a long time to aclimate to the high daytime temps - we ended up shaving her, which made her a lot more comfortable.

If you want specific info on particular neighborhoods, feel free to send me a private message and I'll help if I can. My daughter is with the Sheriffs Dept., so has the lowdown on what's right and wrong with most Orlando communities.

Good luck with your business enterprise - tough times here right now.

Awesome Welles Nov 30th 2010 3:10 pm

Re: Last minute nerves moving to Florida
 

Originally Posted by Fairycakedelight (Post 9011629)
but I won't be able to work until I have applied for my work visa once I am over there which we were informed takes up to 90 days.

What do you mean by this? What is your husband's visa status? I'm guessing you mean Employment Authorization Document (EAD) rather than 'work visa', right?

Rete Nov 30th 2010 3:22 pm

Re: Last minute nerves moving to Florida
 
You said your husband will be 1/2 owner of a business in Florida and that you are entitled to apply for an employment visa. How does that work? What visa is your husband coming in with? Or is your husband a USC? What employment visa are you qualified for? And which one only takes 90 days? Unless you mean employment authorization card which is 90 days but you have nothing on which to base that petition.

meauxna Nov 30th 2010 3:50 pm

Re: Last minute nerves moving to Florida
 

Originally Posted by Rete (Post 9012825)
You said your husband will be 1/2 owner of a business in Florida and that you are entitled to apply for an employment visa. How does that work? What visa is your husband coming in with? Or is your husband a USC? What employment visa are you qualified for? And which one only takes 90 days? Unless you mean employment authorization card which is 90 days but you have nothing on which to base that petition.

E-2 + E-2 spouse EAD?

Hovik Dec 1st 2010 4:33 am

Re: Last minute nerves moving to Florida
 
You generally do not need a realtor looking for a place to rent, but it'll often be more efficient than contacting potential rentals yourself. I used http://hotpads.com quite a bit when looking for a place to rent. Hotpads is great for an overview and general pricing, then use craigslist when you have narrowed down your area of interest.

Fairycakedelight Dec 14th 2010 3:26 pm

Re: Last minute nerves moving to Florida
 

Originally Posted by Hovik (Post 9014015)
You generally do not need a realtor looking for a place to rent, but it'll often be more efficient than contacting potential rentals yourself. I used http://hotpads.com quite a bit when looking for a place to rent. Hotpads is great for an overview and general pricing, then use craigslist when you have narrowed down your area of interest.

Hi all

Sorry for the delay I was stuck in Scotland in the snow without wifi access!!

Thank you very veery much for all your advice and replies - what lovely people you all are!!

I typed my message rather jet lagged so what I meant to say was is I would qualify for the work visa as the spouse on the e2 visa as per meauxna's response!!

Well after finally recovering from jet lag I started to look into all the activities in Florida which would help me meet people and hopefully settle in. Unfortunately we received some bad news that my mother in law is ill so we don't want to make the move until she has received treatment and given the all clear so won't be moving for a year now. I am going to use the time though to plan for ways to settle and potential companies to apply to. Any tips you can all give would be much appreciated having reassured me about the snakes!!!

Thank you very much everyone again for all the advice!!

Fairycakedelight Dec 14th 2010 3:28 pm

Re: Last minute nerves moving to Florida
 
Ps Thanks for the hot pads and craigs list tip - really good sites!!


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