The Two Floridas and the Midwest Option

The aging along the Northeast Corridor used to head to Florida for an affordable retirement or less demanding work in a warm climate. And they stayed south. 

Now, as The Wall Street Journal documents, that's only an option for those with significant financial assets. What has emerged is this: the two Floridas:

"Wealthy individuals make up a growing share of people at or near retirement age arriving in Florida from other states, according to U.S. Census Bureau data, while many working-class and middle-class older people who feel priced out are moving elsewhere." 

Or, never coming to Florida.

What's causing this binary split is primarily the expenses associated with keeping a roof over your head. Those include purchase price, insurance premiums and property taxes. Condos are no longer a-way-around. Since the 2021 building collapse the expenses associated with condo safety and financial security have skyrocketed. Another a-way-around used to be renting in a mobile park. Those fees have also surged as corporations bought up those properties. 

No surprise, simultaneously there is another real estate story unfolding. That is the midwest evolving into Paradise Found. The Wall Street Journal documents that former coastals are embracing locations such as Wisconsin, Missouri and Ohio because of extreme affordability. Prime example: Because it provides LCOL (low cost of living), when it comes to both home ownership and rentals the majority relocate to the midwest and keep that shelter expense to one-third of income. 

For example, in the Cambridge Woods residential complex on the side of Toledo, Ohio a 680-square-foot one-bedroom rental goes for $760.

The utilities covered in that monthly nut include:

Water

Sewer 

Trash

Heat

Air-conditioning

Parking.

This kind of deal is not atypical. Nearby complexes price about the same with the same utilities included.

Relocating to Ohio also means liberation from the annual safety and emissions inspections mandated in New York. Registering a vehicle only requires verification of the VIN.

In addition, there are lots of freebies. There is no cost to enter or to park at the world-class Toledo Museum of Art. The Modern Museum of Art in New York charges general admission of $30 and $22 for seniors.

Although the McDonald's discount on coffee for those 55 or older is not nationwide, it is available in Ohio at 75-cents for a small cup.

The state parks, including parking, are free. No need to pony up money for a vacation. Day trips to Geneva on the Lake will do it. 

At the Toledo Humane Society older residents receive a $75 discount on any adoption.

The tragic flaw in much of the Paradise Found living template in the midwest is the winter weather. Some years are worse than others. This year has been among the bad ones. Not only bitter cold. Frequent snow. Side roads can be slippery. 

Meanwhile, it's not only Florida that has reached unaffordability for the middle class. Much of the other warm states are no longer refuges for cheap. 

In Phoenix, Arizona the average expense for a 679-square-foot one bedroom is $1,301. But a separate add-on is billing through third parties for water, sewer and trash. The monthly water bill itself could range from $40 to $80 for one resident in a one-bedroom.

In intuitive career coaching what I am noticing is that those near retirement age are planning to become solopreneurs in a LCOL area. With low fixed expenses they bet they can gross enough from the enterprise to live comfortably without much stress. In New York as well as in Florida that isn't likely.

Success is a mental game. Failure comes from being done in by the “committee” in your head.

Together, we reprogram your thinking. Then we change your story. And, unleash success.

Intuitive Coaching. Special expertise with transitions, becoming a solopreneur and aging. Psychic/tarot readings, upon request. Complimentary consultation with Jane Genova (Text 203-468-8579, janegenova374@gmail.com). Yes, test out the chemistry. Zero risk.

Don’t give up before the miracle.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

America Not Hiring in 2026: Back to Golden Age of Solopreneurs?

 For hiring, 2025 was a brutal year to search for a job. The Wall Street Journal reports that 2026 could be worse: "At a gathering of CEOs in Midtown Manhattan this month organized by the Yale School of Management, 66% of leaders surveyed said they planned to either fire workers or maintain the size of their existing teams next year. Only a third indicated they planned to hire." The WSJ adds that pullback from adding manpower could be temporary. But given shareholders' demand for cost-efficiency and the continual improvements in AI, chronic unemployment could become standard. However, there is a solution. An old-fashioned one. That's becoming a solopreneur, that is setting up your own business without partners or employees. The model dates back to ancient times.  The golden age of the solo business owner in America had been from the late 1800s to about the mid 1920s.  There had been a wave of immigrants, discrimination against them and few jobs. They drove pushcarts ...
Read more

Mr. Paul Weiss Goes to Washington

In college, backgrounders state that Brad Karp, the long-time chair of law firm Paul Weiss, toyed with the idea of a career path in politics. The specific focus was about running for Congress. Instead, though, he accepted admission to Harvard Law School (turned down the one to Yale) and that was that. Now, during the current crisis for law firms, under comprehensive attack by the Trump administration, Karp seems to be showcasing his inner politico. The guy is a smart strategist. Semafor reports that Karp has gone to Washington. There his objective seems to be to create lines of communication with a power force which, as Steve Bannon puts it, wants his firm and other elite firms out of business. Already Paul Weiss has lost one client as a result of an Executive Order. One way he is trying to connect, notes Semafor:  "Karp ... is discussing a particular path back into the administration’s good graces: helping the White House respond to alleged instances of antisemitism that came...
Read more

Skadden's Rachel Cohen, Brave or Reckless? - Meanwhile Heat on CMOs to Position and Package Law Firms' Stances/Silence

Legacy media such as The New York Times, professional anonymous networks like Reddit and social media such as Blue Sky. All have been intense in responding to how law firms have been managing or been silent about what might be thought of as “The Trump Factor.” Of course, that affects the law firms’ brand, which could impact client retention and business development. That means law firms’ CMOs are busy or should be. Last night the frenzy broke out about Paul Weiss’s negotiations with Donald Trump in the oval office. Well, that dealmaking was effective. The Executive Order had been rescinded. However, some perceived the transaction as “groveling” on the part of Paul Weiss. In my Substack column I disagreed. We also have the Rachel Cohen "situation."    A third-year associate at Skadden, Cohen has been an activist in reaching out publicly for law firms, including her own, to condemn the values and actions of the US President. That includes her open letter rallying other asso...
Read more