Looks like I'm goin' to Florida!

Soooo.... for those who haven't been following my story of this past year:

Got a job offer last year (at this exact time) to run a Trans Am TA2 team here in Texas. I took the offer, drove out to Texas, prepped the cars over the winter break and eventually moved the family out. Things didn't turn out in my favor due to a "Craigslist hire to drive the truck" kid that I didn't get along with. I ended up leaving the team, letting this E36 M3 of a drag racing turd to run the team into the ground. Since then, I have made myself available to other teams, out of spite, which has turn in my favor! Since leaving the team, I have had 9 job offers, from World Challenge to Porsche Cup, ALMS/Grand Am, a a historic Formula Atlantic and a slew of other Trans Am teams.

So, we pick the story up last night. As most of you are aware, I received an AWESOME job offer last week and would still like to pursue it. But this new offer I received last night would relocate me almost immediately. The guy who is offering me this new job rented one of our cars last season and became good friends with him. It's a 4 car TA2 team. Two Mustangs and two Camaros. 3 seats have been filled full time for the season and the fourth will be an open rental/back up car. Shop is based in Tampa, new shop, new rig.

I have to come up with a salary requirement for him today. Anybody know of the cost of living for the Tampa area?

congrats

From what I know of Tampa, it can vary wildly. South Tampa is high rent, as is anything on the water. Like most places though, the further inland you go, the cheaper it gets.

In general, no state personal income tax here, so that's a plus. The counter to that is relatively high property taxes, as the state has to get the money from somewhere. Gas prices are pretty high too.

The are a few GRMers in Tampa who can offer more precise details. Regardless, it would be great to have you in the area!!

I have no idea what the COL is down in the land of humidity and bath salt. I can however, with indelible conviction and absolute confidence, congratulate you, and affirm youre doing it right...WOOOOOOOT!

For cost of living comparison, I like the Budweiser scale.
In a typical bar, how much do they charge for a Budweiser verses where you are now?

So, the Camaros that kept getting wrecked, that job fell apart due to a goober? Shame.

Tampa St-Pete used to be one of the highly desirable retirement areas. I don't know if it still is. That's all I gots.

JohnRW1621 wrote: For cost of living comparison, I like the Budweiser scale. In a typical bar, how much do they charge for a Budweiser verses where you are now?

What is the Budwater you speak of?

To Duke, I'd use on of the on line cost of living comparison sites for your current ZIP code and where your moving too. That plus Zillow as a guide to property prices (but not an absolute). Oh and BTW Congrats.

Where in Tampa? I love it here, you just got to be careful where you live because you could get stuck with some traffic/nothing to do.

For JohnRW ,A Budweiser draft at Skippers Smokehouse will run you $1.75, $1.5 at happy hour.

Feel free to shoot me an email with questions.

P.S. Can you actually make a living running a Historic Formula Atlantic for someone else? Wow, I could see it working on a stable of historic F1 cars, but I didn't realize something like a one car Atlantic team could provide a living wage for a guy. Any chance you could write a separate post on what you know of the costs to run in various series please? After going to the F1 race at COTA I told the guy I was with while watching the historic cars that was my lotto winning dream, to run a historic F1, Indy, Group C car (YEs I know there were no historic F1 cars at COTA that weekend) and not run in the Ferrari demo derby. I have never seen the Ferrari challenge run without millions of $$'s in damages. I’d love your perspective on the options for a 'gentleman' racer.

Try CNN Money's Cost of Living Calculator: http://money.cnn.com/calculator/pf/cost-of-living/

So I just moved from TN to Fort Myers, about 2 hours south of Tampa, my findings so far. In comparison, housing can be about the same at about $105 per sqf if you stay away form the beach or water, property taxes are more expensive, but can go down if get the homestead rebate after being there a year.

Food is more expensive, all over, groceries, eating out, it's just all a little more, and the beef is a joke down here.

Gas is about 20-30 cents higher and fluctuates more here, so right now it's about $3.45 a gallon.

No state tax (didn't have one in TN either) unprepared food is exempt, and other stuff is 6%.

Electricity is a little cheaper, and I don't know about water since I'm now on a well.

So hope this helps and congrats!

t25torx wrote: beef is a joke down here.

He speaks the truth. For some reason a good steak is hard to find in Florida-- even at "fine" dining restaurants.

On the upside..... I'm wearing a T-shirt today, and could have ridden my motorcycle to work....without a jacket if I wanted to. We've had 80 degree days all week while the rest of the country is covered in snow and ice. Sure August is hot, but I'll take a bit of heat over having my feet wet and frozen all Winter.

Congrats, it sounds like an exciting opportunity! I have lived in the Tampa area since I was a kid, and I think of it as being an interesting and relatively inexpensive place to live. Being a port city brings industry to support rail, ship and truck transport. USF, the major university, brings lots of high-tech engineering and medical firms. Plus you have Sebring and Daytona nearby, not to mention PBIR, and Homestead to the south. Of course there is the Kingdom of the Mouse just about 80 miles up the road. (And our two favorite car magazines are headquartered only another 50 miles or so up I-4!) Like Joe, I am wearing a T-shirt today. While many of our northern friends are storing their sports cars for the winter, this is OUR season to drive with the top down! Check out any of the online cost-of-living tools. When you get here, visit Bern's Steak House for as fine a steak as you will find anywhere!

Danny

Thanks guys. Trying to gauge how much everything is (getting a good idea from you guys) so I can come up with a Salary Requirement.

I hate to leave Texas as I like it other than the neighborhood I live in and the summer heat. I look forward to being close to a beach again so I can knock the rust off my surfing skills

In reply to DukeOfUndersteer:

You'll have to travel to the other side of the state to do any surfing. The gulf is "usually" pretty mild.

In reply to bravenrace:

Yea, that's what I've always been told/read in surfing magazines. Cocoa Beach isn't too far is it?

In reply to DukeOfUndersteer:

Or you could just wait for a hurricane.

http://www.tampabaymiatas.net/forum/index.php

These guys might be able to help with a more hands/eyes on location idea of costs/area's to avoid.

Cocoa isn't a crazy drive, especially if you are heading over early. Many West coasters do day surfing trips to the Easy coast so you can almost always find a crew to go with.

I've been in the Tampa area my whole life so if you need area recommendations for housing, food, etc. drop me a note.

This entire area is heavy with retirees but Tampa does tend to be younger than Clearwater/St Pete. Driving around you will swear you have never seen so many old people in your life. Depending on what you are looking for there are some cool places/towns to live in around the area. I live in (and really like) Dunedin but the commute to Tampa can be a PITA depending on where you go. Dunedin, Hyde Park, Seminole Heights and old NE St Pete are some cool areas and also have the better feel of a smaller town than other places though costs are a little higher.

Let us know if you take this gig and we'll welcome you to the area with some good micro-brews.

Hey duke, I think your post had a typo

DukeOfUndersteer wrote: I look forward to being close to GRM HQ again so I wont have an excuse not to attend the challenge with a car I made out of leftover Trans-Am parts

There, I fixt it

hobiercr wrote: Cocoa isn't a crazy drive, especially if you are heading over early. Many West coasters do day surfing trips to the Easy coast so you can almost always find a crew to go with. I've been in the Tampa area my whole life so if you need area recommendations for housing, food, etc. drop me a note. This entire area is heavy with retirees but Tampa does tend to be younger than Clearwater/St Pete. Driving around you will swear you have never seen so many old people in your life. Depending on what you are looking for there are some cool places/towns to live in around the area. I live in (and really like) Dunedin but the commute to Tampa can be a PITA depending on where you go. Dunedin, Hyde Park, Seminole Heights and old NE St Pete are some cool areas and also have the better feel of a smaller town than other places though costs are a little higher. Let us know if you take this gig and we'll welcome you to the area with some good micro-brews.

QFT Did a tech day with the above miata club down there a few weeks ago in the seminole heights area, once you got off the main drag it was very small town feel, and went from looking a little rough to not so bad. People I talked to in the area seemed pretty cool as well. I miss Tampa. I sincerly hope SWMBO get's the job with USF she's applying for, even though she wants to go NORTH when she finishes her masters next year. If she get's it, Seminole heights is the area we're looking at homes in.

In reply to hobiercr:

Awesome. Appreciate the info.

Oh and if you do move.. I'll help with unpacking if you convince them to hire me on to the team.

t25torx wrote: Oh and if you do move.. I'll help with unpacking if you convince them to hire me on to the team.

I'm game for this strategy as well!