Watch out for the speed traps in the area, e.g. Waldo and Lawtey, Florida.
One of the benefits is likely to be the ability to take courses at the
University at no charge. Bus rides are free on Gainesville's RTS with a
staff ID, which means you may be able to convert from a two car household
to a one car household (for example). There's affordable preschool ("Baby
Gator"). Staff can use all the UFL facilities (e.g. library, tennis courts,
etc.) generally free of charge. UFL pays for a certain number of children
of employees to attend free of charge.
Property taxes tend to be low in Florida, although that might mean a
challenge finding good schools. (I'm not sure about the area around UFL.)
Florida has a homestead exemption which is quite interesting and which
still offers some protection in bankruptcy (O.J. Simpson is familiar).
Florida was hit very hard in the mortgage/financial crisis and hasn't
really recovered, so some parts of the state offer very affordable real
estate. Employment at UFL is likely to be fairly stable, and working hours
are likely to be reasonable. As mentioned there's no state income tax, and
the sales tax rate in and around Gainesville is 6%. The local job market is
not terribly strong, so you'll probably want to be prepared to move again
if you leave UFL for other employment.
Gainesville has an airport (GNV) which American, Delta, United, and U.S.
Airways serve to/from their hub cities in the region. The city's elevation
is high by Florida standards (151 feet), and it's inland so not too badly
affected by hurricanes. Local flooding could still be a problem. Tornados
are possible, but that's true in much of the U.S. A weather radio and a
storm shelter are recommended. Ice storms sometimes occur in the winter,
and its gets hot and humid in the summer.
If you're looking for a position I'd seriously investigate that one. It
looks fairly compelling.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Timothy Sipples
GMU VCT Architect Executive (Based in Singapore)
E-Mail: [email protected]
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