Tracym

I'm sure there are.

I don't live in the city of Chicago, nor would I.

drew&venna

Dammit! FORD was my second choice!!!

Either way I would never live down there, I would pass through and enjoy the scenery maybe, but you better believe I would be scared.

Ray

We just have Gators ..

Tracym

That'll eliminate a few of the bit bulls

Mallory

I lived in N Florida for several years. Can't remember ever seeing a pit bull. Saw a few Alsations though.

Snobbish stereotypes don't work with me Tracy.

I have been to quite a few northern states, including Illinois, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Indiana, etc. I have never seen anything that would make me move to up north. Sorry.

I do like California though!

Tracym

To each their own. California isn't for me either, for different reasons.

You may not like "snobbish stereotypes" - I don't like judgemental.

Mallory

It was 70 degrees and sunny here over the weekend, and looks like it will be again today. It makes one very happy. What is it where you live? 16 degrees! Oh well, we can't have everything.

Tracym

True. I loved that about Arizona.

Let's compare in mid-July or August though

danfan

Scott, I see most things have been covered. I'm self employed so can give my experience of healthcare insurance since you'll be self employed also, so can get a basic idea. It varies a lot though.

For 2 parents, 2 kids, we pay around $500 per month with a $1500 deductible and 10% co pay (that is, after paying the first 1500, we pay 10% of everything else). We pay $50 per prescription for brand meds and $10 for generic. Doctors won't give you more than 1 month at a time on a Rx though like they do in UK.

It's a NO frills coverage that we have - no maternity coverage if we have an "accident", no birth control coverage (haha), no dental and our hospital choices are fairly limited.

It's a must though because if you get sick and don't have insurance, you can go bankrupt quite easily. My daughter broke her arm once and we had no insurance. Simple break, set in 15 minutes, set in a cast, 2 check ups of 10 minutes each. Bill was nearly $4k.

If self employed (not incorporated) you can write off all your insurance payments though when you file taxes, plus any out-of-pocket expenses including mileage to the doctors.
If you incorporated, you cannot do that unless they account for more than 7.5% of your income.

Haldaman

The Walmart pharmacy at their Supercenter here has a long list of generic drugs for which they only charge $4 per scrip. But occasionally they are dearer so it pays to find out charges from other pharmacies first.
Three stays of 3, 4 and 7 days in the hospital here, for pneumonia (they kept kicking me out before getting rid of the bugs) totalled bills for $42k, plus separate bills from the ER, the ER doctor, my GP, Xrays, a specialist doctor, and laboratory work.
Each GP visit costs a minimum of $75, they wanted to charge me $30 at first to put my finger in an oxymeter for 10 seconds until I complained. The GP told me they have to charge inflated prices because the insurance companies only pay them a proportion of what they bill.
Our 5 yr old granddaughter is in her first year in kinderfarten and gets free breakfast, lunches at $2 a day, free bus transport and just as good education as my children did in England at public and state schools at this age. But later on there will be big holes in her knowledge of geography, world history, and mental arithmetic, judging from the 25yr old college graduate in this house............But she knows all about Britney Spears' problems, all the latest movies, Amy Whitehouse, and all the rappers.
A decent animal hotel would be appreciated here, we once put a cat in the only one we could find nearby and it sat in a metal wire cage with no exercise space for 2 weeks.
There are places in the USA with better weather i.e. no hurricanes, less heatwaves, no snow, just enough rain, than Florida. I found one but I'm blowed if I am going to tell everyone about it, the people are too nice to be diluted with moaning furriners!!

Thydney

Why don't you tell him Morehead City, N Carolina?

Haldaman

Ok I'll tell him but only if he buys our house!

Bob

Was that proper healthcare coverage or basically a travel coverage? Because usually they won't cover long term illnesses and would try to send you back home to blighty etc...definitely check the small print with a fine comb.

MargaretMary

Do you have to move to Florida? We have a home down here as well as one in Massachusetts. I would never send my kids to school in Florida - the schools are underfunded. The teachers are underpaid & the standards are low. For example, after a huge debate & with only a 4-3 majority the school board has just this week allowed the word 'evolution' to be used in science lessons! (and then only if it's preceeded by the words "the scientific theory of . . "
Don't be fooled by the "Gifted & Talented" programs - they give parents & kids a false sense of superiority. When students from Florida's "G & T" program come to our schools in Massachusetts they are way behind their peers. My daughter went to college in Florida (to row crew with the dolphins!) and she said the kids who came from the "G & T" programs really struggled to keep up.
The best education is available in the North East - Massachusetts, Connecticut,, Rhode Island. Sure it's a bit cold & snowy up there in the winter but we have great summers - summer in Florida is very hot & humid. Your AC bill will be as much as your heating bill in the NE

chicagojlo

Everyone in my elevator laughed out loud this morning when that bit about Florida and evolution popped up on the news screen this morning!