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Dear Jim,

Later this year I’ll move to south Florida from Kansas for a one year position. I am used to cities under 100,000 and wide open spaces. As a result, I am feeling a bit lost while trying to find a suitable, affordable, and safe apartment. I will be working just north of Biscayne National Park (PalmettoBay area), but I’ve been told that I might try looking for apartments in the Kendall area. I would appreciate any help you could offer me in finding a one bedroom place. Thank you very much!

Sincerely, A Bit Lost in Biscayne

Dear A Bit,

Thank you for your note this morning regarding your upcoming move to South Florida. Indeed, you will definitely enjoy the opportunities to photograph the wildlife here. Egrets are common near the many lakes. Key Biscayne is home to outstanding large iguanas. Manatees can be seen occasionally at Key Biscayne, more reliably in the Plantation Key area to the south, and in the Everglades. The 'Glades are also home to panthers and alligators.

Apartments and neighborhoods
My recommendation is that you look into Kendall, but do not expect a small-town atmosphere and wide-open spaces, as it is a highly built-up urban area. However, it is very convenient to Dadeland and Dadeland Station shopping malls as well as major brand retailers such as Home Depot, Office Depot, COmpUSA, BrandSmart and Best Buy that are great resources for new residents. So it's a good area to get to know.

You will find more of a small-town atmosphere in Cutler Ridge, which is closer to Biscayne National Park, and even more so in Homestead or Naranja. They are both on US 1 south of Palmetto Bay, 8 and 10 miles respectively south of Cutler Ridge. The Naranja area is still largely agricultural — orange groves and palm tree nurseries abound in this district. Although Homestead has been built up through its proximity to a military base, I believe you will find the right "ambience" in that direction rather than Kendall. There is also a small Village of Palmetto Bay which is worth exploring but is short on apartment availability.

My recommendation for finding the right apartment fast and from a distance is rent.com.

They have a large inventory listed within a few miles of Palmetto Bay, the service is free, and there's a $100 rebate if you use their service and report back to them after renting. Several of the properties are also advertising $50 move in specials. After setting up your account, you can search on Homestead, Naranja, Princeton or Cutler Ridge, as well as Kendall, and there is an excellent set of 1BR apartments available at affordable monthly rates.

If you have any other questions, be sure to drop me an email. Until then, good luck on your upcoming move!

Sincerely,

Jim Lane
jlane@i-movingguide.com

Dear Jim,

I am in need of help. I recently accepted a teaching position in Opa Locka, Florida (north of Miami), and so need to move from Green Bay, WI to the area. I'm looking for a place that is safe, affordable, about $650-800/month, and within a 30 minute commute. Also, any practical information about moving the area would be greatly appreciated.

Sincerely, Looking, but Lost

Dear Looking,

Congratulations on your upcoming move to South Florida!

I put together some notes regarding Miami for you. There are maps, descriptions, articles and links, including a Moving Checklist.

There's more information always appearing on the site, so visit http://www.imovingguide.com from time to time, and also register for my Moving Guide Newsletter which will cover Florida in more depth this summer. http://www.imovingguide.com/internal.php?ed=00530&lang=00001&link=04128

Sincerely,

Jim Lane
jlane@i-movingguide.com

------ General Notes

The City of Miami
Here's a good article from Wikipedia to get you started, written and edited by hundreds of people collaboratively who know the city well. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miami

Picking the right neighborhood
Wherever you choose to live, make sure you do not have to be on the I-95 freeway especially moving through downtown during rush hours, as there is a notorious bottleneck just south of the downtown area.

I am not sure if you are teaching at St. Thomas, which is in the Opa Locka area, but in any case you will have a wide selection of places to live. The commute can be up to 9 miles and still reliably be under 30 minutes, and that gives you the choice of anywhere from Miramar in the north to downtown in the south, and from the Everglades in the west to the Biscayne Bay shoreline.

My recommendation for finding the right apartment fast and from a distance is rent.com. They have about 18 buildings listed within 9 miles of Opa Locka, the service is free, and there's a $100 rebate if you use their service and report back to them after renting. Several of the properties are also advertising $50 move in specials.

To visit the Miami inventory, follow this link: http://www.rent.com/enter/apartments/florida/miami-and-vicinity/source=41705 and follow the links for the neighborhoods you are interested in after you have registered.

Here are some current listings to give you some ideas:

Holly Ridge

"Ranch Style/Single Story Living...High Speed Internet Access Available..."
City:
Pembroke Park
Address: 3215 South West 52Nd. Ave.#2, Pembroke Park, FL
Rent Range: $645-$825 /mo
Unit Type: 1-2 Bed 1-2 Bath
Pets: Cat OK, Dog OK

Saratoga Springs Apartments
City: Miami Springs
Address: 400 North Royal Poinciana Blvd, Miami Springs, FL
Rent Range: $665-$800 /mo
Unit Type: 1-2 Bed 1 Bath
Pets: Cat OK, Dog OK

Pembroke Bay
"Quiet, secluded community... Pembroke Lakes Mall just minutes away... Beautiful lakefront views"
City: Pembroke Pines
Address: 10650 WASHINGTON ST, PEMBROKE PINES, FL
Rent Range: $770-$1110 /mo
Unit Type: 1-2 Bed 1-2 Bath
Pets: Cat OK, Dog OK

Fairway Apartments
"Central Location-Close To Airport...Great Schools...Residential Community..."
City: Miami Springs
Address: 75 Fairway Drive, Miami Springs, FL
Rent Range: $670-$785 /mo
Unit Type: 1-2 Bed 1 Bath
Pets: No Cats, No Dogs

Airport Villas Apartments
"Furnished Apartments ..Clean, Cozy....European-Style Kitchens."
City: Miami
Address: 4325 NW 18 Street, Miami, FL
Rent Range: $680-$1600 /mo
Unit Type: 1-2 Bed 1-2 Bath
Pets: Call for Pet Policy

Bonita Bay Apartments
"Water front Living...Blocks from Public and Central Locations...Gorgeous Views, Lovely Landscaped Courtyards..."
City: Miami Beach
Address: 7000 Bonita Dr, Miami Beach, FL
Rent Range: $595-$795 /mo
Unit Type: Studio-1 Bed 1 Bath
Pets: No Cats, No Dogs

Island House
"Walk to the ocean! 10 minute drive to South Beach Nightlife, Ocean Drive & Lincoln Rd. Walk to Parks and School. 5 minutes to public golf and tennis courts."
City: Miami Beach
Address: 715 82nd Street, Miami Beach, FL
Rent Range: $700-$1365 /mo
Unit Type: 1-3 Bed 1-2 Bath
Pets: Cat OK, No Dogs

Palm Court Apartments
"Scenic North Miami Neighborhood... Easy Access to Major Interstates... Resort-Style Living at An Affordable Price..."
City: Miami
Neighborhood: Aventura, Bal Harbor
Address: 15205 NE 6TH AVE, MIAMI, FL
Rent Range: $730-$970 /mo
Unit Type: 1-2 Bed 1-2 Bath
Pets: No Cats, No Dogs

Walden Pond Villas
"Close to Pembroke Mall...Between Broward County & Dade County..."
City: Miami
Address: 20880 NW 7th Avenue, Miami, FL
Rent Range: $744 /mo
Unit Type: 3 Bed 2 Bath
Pets: Cat OK, Dog OK

Monticello I (Marbella Club)
"Walking Distance to Restaurants and Shops, Minutes to the Beach... Near all Major Expressways...Excellent Service and Amenities..."
City: Miami
Address: 7050 NW 179th Street, Miami, FL
Rent Range: $779-$1018 /mo
Unit Type: 1-2 Bed 1-2 Bath
Pets: Cat OK, Dog OK

Forest Place
"Convenient Location To Beaches, Mall, I-95...Convenient To Johnson & Wales University, FIU, & Barry University..."
City: North Miami
Address: 1600 NE 135th Street, North Miami, FL
Rent Range: $765-$1750 /mo
Unit Type: Loft-2 Bed 1-3 Bath
Pets: Cat OK, Dog OK

Courtyard at the Park
"Clean, quiet North Miami location... Relax in the lovely private sauna... Fabulous beaches and shopping malls nearby"
City: North Miami
Address: 1595 NE 135TH ST, NORTH MIAMI, FL
Rent Range: $785-$1089 /mo
Unit Type: 1-2 Bed 1-2 Bath
Pets: Cat OK, Dog OK

Moving
There are three basic move options: full service moving, self-move such as U-Haul, or self-pack. For a great combination of low-cost and convenience, I recommend self-pack, in which case the mover drops off a large container (e.g. 10x10x10) in your driveway or parking lot, picks it up after you have packed, moves it to your new home, and picks up the container after you have unpacked it. If you are feeling like doing some lifting or do not have too many heavy items at the moment, that will save you a lot of money and you don't have to drive a U-Haul.

If you do go with the U-Haul option, I suggest you take interstate I-43/94 to Chicago, then I-65 south to Birmingham, I-20 east to Atlanta, then I-75 south to the Florida Turnpike which you pick up just south of Ocala. This way, you avoid the worst of the mountain driving. If you are simply bringing you car south, the fastest route is to take I-65 to Indianapolis, then east to Cincinnati on I-74, then south on I-75 through Atlanta until you reach the Florida Turnpike.

For a very small move (15 items or less), think about http://www.transitsystems.com/ or 800-749-0485.

For fast, competitive moving quotes, I suggest apartmentstores.com because they have the fastest turnaround in terms of identifying long-distance movers. http://www.apartmentstores.com/moving-services/i-moving/moving-estimate.html will get you started.

Travel (including your research trip)
There's no direct flight service between Green Bay and Miami (as I am sure you have discovered), but if O'Hare is of course a good connecting point, as American and United fly the Green Bay-Miami route several times per day connecting through O'Hare.

Moving Supplies
I recommend the following box/tape companies. Neither website wins any design awards but these are definitely the best prices I know of, customer satisfaction has been high, and ordering online is definitely the way to go.

BoxBundles.com (a/k/a/ MoveOut.com)
http://www.dpbolvw.net/click-1169143-5676387 or 1-866-BOXES40
UBoxIt — http://www.u-boxit.com/index.html or 1-800-469.1167

There are a number of other box/supply companies listed in my directory at http://imovingguide.com/resources/links1

General advice
The further south you go from the Broward County border, the more you will benefit from some command of Spanish. Broward County, such as Miramar, will feel much more familiar to you if you do not have a lot of experience with the Latin culture or the language, however it is a critical component of Miami culture and gives the city it's spice and identity. If you are open to it, you'll find the Latin culture well worth exploring, and the people friendly and neighborly. Most Latinos in Miami are at least partially bi-lingual and you will be able to get along just fine with English only.

Phone service. My suggestion these days if you are on a budget is to go with Vonage.com for voice-over-internet, Skype.com (also voice over internet), or simply get two mobile phones and buy the minutes as you need them. Utilities. Your apartment building manager will have this info, but in Miami you are working with Florida Power & Light (www.fpl.com), which is not bad as utility companies go. No discounts, but see below for some energy conservation tips.

Car/Drive info. You will have 10 days to get your license changed over to Florida. Here's a short article including a links for your license and also car registration. http://imovingguide.com/internal.php?ed=00049&lang=00001&link=00010

Moving Checklist. Here's my Best Moving Checklist in the World. http://i-movingguide.com/checklist.html
The 7 Biggest Moving Mistakes. Here's a one-page article worth reading. http://i-movingguide.com/7mistakes.html
10 Tips for Holding a Yard Sale. http://i-movingguide.com/10tipsyardsales.html
10 Tips for Keeping Florida Electric Bills lower. http://www.fpl.com/home/energy_advisor/top_10_tips/contents/top_10_tips.shtml

Dear Jim,

I am writing on behalf of my mother. Recently my father passed away. We would like to find an apartment in Dubuque in a nice area of Dubuque so we don't have to worry about her. She is making about $1200 a month. We also plan on moving her into a house hopefully in a year or two. So we would like to know if there are any 1 BR or 2 BR apartments that range from about $300-$425. Are there places like that? Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,
Concerned in Des Moines

Dear Concerned,

I have good news to share.

There is a very good assortment of apartments available in your price range, in a variety of locations, including on the desirable west side. Here are three places for you to follow up for more information on specific properties:

Schulz Properties: 556-3648
Access Dubuque
Executive Management, Ltd.

I have been able to determine that your mother qualifies for Section 8 assistance through the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and as such there are going to be apartments available in your desired rent range through this assistance program. I have enquired with the city of Dubuque for an electronic copy of the list of apartments that are currently available.

Once I have a copy of the list, it will be possible to identify the nicest properties and locations that are available through the Section 8 program.

I look forward to forwarding that information to you as soon as I have a response from the city, along with the application forms and other information you will want to have. If you are interested in the Section 8 program, it can substantially reduce your mother's expenditure on rent.

Regards,

Jim Lane
jlane@i-movingguide.com

Dear Jim,

My family and myself will be relocating to the Savannah area within the next couple of months. What areas could you recommend for a family of 6 my husband and myself are early 30's. He is a Nurse going back to school and I will be going to school for Real Estate. I want a good school of course for my kids ranging from 12 years old to 4 years old. Please help me I am at my wits end looking.

I would like Skidaway Island Georgia but can't seem to find any rental homes there. We want to rent for the 1st year to make sure we are in the area we want to be in before buying. My husband and myself will be driving up there this weekend looking around the towns but from what I have seen online I am having a major problem moving there at this point. It's so beautiful there I want to move there so bad but of course my family comes first. Please help me!!

Wits End in Georgia

Dear Georgia,

There are some great neighborhoods throughout Savannah which I am sure your family will find appealing.

Skidaway Island is essentially a private development dominated by The Landings, so it has fewer rental possibilities. I have two recommendations to make, as alternatives to Skidaway or Savannah proper.

One is Tybee Island and the other is Bluffton, SC, about 20 miles north of Savannah and adjacent to Hilton Head Island. The mainland area west of Hilton Head has seen astonishing growth in the past 10 years and there are plenty of nice homes there, great schools, and a warm community atmosphere for young families. Plus, it's a great place to make contacts for a career in real estate.

Back to Georgia for a moment. My recommendation for apartment inventory in the Savannah area is Rent.com, which has an excellent track record, plus a $100 cash rebate if you rent through them.

Here is the Savannah apartmebnts link and they do have rental houses available, several on the southside (the general direction of Skidaway).

May I also suggest Thunderbolt, which is between downtown Savannah and Tybee Island.

Also Tybee Island itself which is quite beautiful and has more access to coastal breezes during the warm, humid summer. There are several nice properties available on Tybee at affordable rates. Here is a link:

The Georgia school system has its ups and downs. Chatham County School District will have a complete map of which schools would service your children in each potential neighborhood. Their number is (912) 201-5600.

Good luck with your visit this weekend! River Street in Savannah offers lots of options for meals and entertainment.

Regards,

Jim Lane
jlane@i-movingguide.com

Dear Jim,

My husband has been accepted into Florida law school, and we will be moving from Milwaukee to Jacksonville.

I would like to know if there is a complete checklist of everything I need so I won't forget anything. I am trying to find the best rates, times, places, coupons, savings, etc.

Would you be able to help me?

Sincerely,
Moving from Milwaukee

Dear Moving,

Congratulations on your upcoming move to Florida.

I put together some notes regarding Jacksonville for you. There are
maps, descriptions, articles and links, including a Moving Checklist.

I hope you two have real joy in Jacksonville. It is a great city, and the
people are very friendly and combine urban sophistication with
coastal Southern hospitality. When you have a chance, explore some of
the coast to the north from Amelia Island to Charleston is filled
with great places such as Jekyll Island that will not cost an arm and
a leg.

There's more information always appearing on the site, so visit
http://www.imovingguide.com from time to time, and also register for
my free Moving Newsletter which will cover Florida in more depth
this summer.

If you are looking to buy real estate, let me know and I will put you
on the right track with a buyer's broker to represent you.

Regards,

Jim Lane
jlane@i-movingguide.com

General Notes

The City
The City of Jacksonville.
Here's a good article from Wikipedia to get you started, written and
edited by hundreds of people collaboratively who know the city well.

Picking the right neighborhood
Wherever you choose to live, make sure you do not have to be on the
I-95 freeway especially moving through downtown during rush hours, as
there is a notorious bottleneck just south of the downtown area.

I am not sure if your husband has been accepted at the University of
Jacksonville or the University of North Florida, so I have made some
notes for both possibilities. Typically, law school time is a rental
home/apartment situation, and my recommendation for finding the right
apartment fast and from a distance is rent.com.

They have 114 rental buildings in Jacksonville in inventory right
now, is free, and there's a $100 rebate if you use their service and
report back to them after renting.

UNF: Mandarin and Southside are the places to look — plenty of
building in inventory and convenient to the University. A swimming
pool is a good idea if you are planning to stay through the summer,
as Jax gets mighty hot. UNF is convenient to Jacksonville Beach and
Ponte Vedra which is an exquisite beach area.

Jacksonville University: Arlington is the area just south of there
and convenient to downtown via the expressway.

Job hunting
Monica, You may find yourself job-hunting after arrival. The state
agency is Worksource. Look for occasional articles on careers
in the Jacksonville Times-Union by Candace Moody. She's excellent.

Moving
There's full service moving, self-move through U-Haul, or self-pack.
For a great combination of low-cost and convenience, I recommend self-
pack, in which case the mover drops off a large container (e.g.
10x10x10) in your driveway or parking lot, picks it up after you have
packed, moves it to your new home, and picks up the container after
you have unpacked it. If you are feeling like doing some lifting or
do not have too many heavy items at the moment, that will save you a
lot of money and you don't have to drive a U-Haul.

If you do go with the U-Haul option, I suggest you take interstate 65
south from Chicago and turn east at Mobile to avoid the worst of the
mountain driving. Otherwise, I-75 is very convenient for a 2 day
drive either through Atlanta (faster) or connecting to I-81, I-26 and
I-985, which allows a stop in Asheville overnight and that is a very
pretty town.

For a very small move (15 items or less), think about Transit Systems. Call 800-749-0485.

For fast, competitive moving quotes, I suggest apartmentstores.com
because they have the fastest turnaround in terms of identifying long-
distance movers.

Travel
There's no direct flight service between Jacksonville and Milwaukee
(as I am sure you have discovered), but if O'Hare is not too
inconvenient there are non-stop flights on United and American and of
course connecting flights, so I suggest you might want to switch your
traveling to those airlines to build up as many miles as possible.
Southwest has non-stop service between Jacksonville and Chicago-
Midway for astonishingly low fares but does not serve Milwaukee or
Madison.

Moving Supplies
I recommend the following box/tape companies. Neither website wins
any design awards but these are definitely the best prices I know of,
customer satisfaction has been high, and ordering online is
definitely the way to go.

BoxBundles.com (a/k/a/ MoveOut.com) 1-866-BOXES40
UBoxIt 1-800-469.1167

There are a number of other box/supply companies listed in my
Resource directory.

General advice
Speed traps are a well-known hazard of Jacksonville life, especially
around Ponte Vedra, so drive with an eye on the speedometer.

Phone service.
My suggestion these days if you are on a budget is to
go with Vonage.com for voice-over-internet, Skype.com (also voice
over internet), or simply get two mobile phones and buy the minutes
as you need them.

Utilities.
Your apartment building manager will have this info, but
typically in Jacksonville you are working with JEA (www.jea.com),
which is not bad as utility companies go. No discounts, but see below
for some energy conservation tips.

Car/Drive info.
You will have 10 days to get your license changed
over to Florida. Here's a short article or car registration including a link for your
license and also car registration.

Moving Checklist.
Here's my Best Moving Checklist in the World.

One page artcles worth reading
The 7 Biggest Moving Mistakes.
10 Tips for Holding a Yard Sale.
10 Tips for Keeping Florida Electric Bills lower.