Florida is hot right now. And I don’t just mean the temperature. Seriously. Ask around. In the last 10 years, 2.7 million new people have moved to Miami. Florida has now hit over 20 Million residents and while the whole state is pretty awesome, everyone knows Miami is where it’s really at. That’s why over 300 people are moving to Miami every single day! If you’re thinking about calling Miami, Florida home, then grab yourself a Cuban coffee, sit back and comencemos (let’s begin)!
As you may already know I am a real estate agent down here in Miami and I have helped dozens of families move and relocate to Miami each year, so I decided to write this blog so I can tell you some of the things you may want to know before moving to Miami so you can better understand Miami.
If you wish to watch a video rather than read this blog, please check out my YouTube video here.
Here are my 10 things you need to know before moving to Miami.
1. English + Spanish = SPANGLISH
Bueno, the first thing you are going to notice when moving here is el lenguaje. In South Florida, and especially in Miami we speak a little something known as Spanglish. It’s like the TexMex of languages. A happy marriage between English and Spanish. And if you’re coming to live in Miami, then you’ll need some practice.
Try these on for size:
“Hola amigo how are you?”
“Donde esta the parking?”
“I was hablando with my abuelo yesterday.”
Did you get them? I know they sound a little weird. And Spanglish can confuse an English and Spanish speaker, when talking to a Spanglish Speaker. Spanglish came about as a way for Spanish Speakers to say words that sound similar to English. Here’s a few examples:
Roof in Spanglish is “Rufof”
Truck in Spanglish is “troka”
Parking in Spanglish is “Parquear”
And so on…But don’t worry, you will get the hang of it. Still, might take a while so keep this in mind and be sure to pay attention, listen carefully or just feel free to ask if you need any help understanding.
2. Bumper Cars!
Sometimes traffic can be bad. Most of the time it can be terrible. But here’s the truth: you are going to find traffic in any big city, including here in Miami. Unless you are planning to move to either an abandoned city or maybe somewhere in the middle of the ocean, you will find bumper to bumper traffic. Rush hour like any other city is going to be really packed with cars.
Try leaving 15 minutes earlier than you normally plan to leave.
3. Miami Public transportation is pretty bad
DISCLAIMER: If you are moving to Miami remember that this city is really big, so public transport can be great or really sucky depending where you live.
For the most part however, you can bet that public transportation is pretty limited. The reason is simple. Nearly everyone has a car. If you need public transportation and don’t have it you’ll probably be saying this four letter word a lot.
No… not that one.
U-B-E-R. It’s a legitimate option. But you should know that if you are going to Uber there is a process.
Step 0.5: Check your budget and be sure you have enough to get there and back!
Step 1: Order an Uber
Step 2: Wait for the driver
Step 3: Pay up
Repeat for the return process.
However you choose to get around, just keep in mind public transportation is not very good, unless of course you live in the more urban neighborhoods like Brickell, Downtown, Edgewater or Miami Beach.
4. Events
Getting bored here is pretty much only for those who want to get bored. There’s a lot of events you can attend. There are events for pretty much everyone!
Here is a small list of the things you can find here:
- Cultural events
- Electronic music
- Family events
- Miami Music Week
- Ultra Music Fesitval
- Winter Music Conference
- Art Basel
- Miami’s Food and Wine festival
- Miami Open Tennis Tournament
There are different activities all year. Take your pick!
5. Broward is not Miami
Broward is the next county over. Different from Miami. This is not to say that Broward is bad. Each county has good and bad things to consider. That said, you shouldn’t move to any of the surrounding counties hoping to get the Miami vibe. As soon as you cross the county line, you can feel how things change such as the people, environment, communities, and jobs.
6. Sports
I mentioned the Miami Open, but there are really so many sports in South Florida. We have the more famous ones like basketball’s Miami Heat, football’s Miami Dolphins, baseball’ Miami Marlins. And we’ve won championships and world titles in all of these. If you like MMA we got representatives of the 305 with the likes of Jorge Masvidal. Boxing fans can watch Harold Calderon continue his undefeated winning streak. The bottom line is this: anything from international to local sporting events can be found all around the city. We even defy nature to get our game on! Think about it: It doesn’t get anywhere close to snowing temperatures in South Florida and we have a legit hockey team.
As of 2020 Miami has added a new soccer team called Inter Miami CF. And if you know me, you know I love Futbol!
7. Neighborhoods are not the same
Where you live is directly going to affect your quality of life. So consider what you want around you before picking a neighborhood. Miami has over 100 neighbors to choose from, and each one is completely different. So here are some things to consider before you set roots in any particular neighborhood.
- Commute time
- Safety
- Schools
- Beach or No Beach
- Community Centers
- Environment
- Parks
- Demographics
- Employment Opportunities
These are a lot of factors, but it’s worth taking the time to consider what you want. Some basic questions I like to ask my clients to help narrow down the search for their dream house are things like: Do you prefer living in a condo? Do you like to have everything close to you? Or are you okey with driving 5-10 minutes to pick up milk? What kind of community vibe do you like? Is the beach a MUST have for you? Or do you prefer a more urban living lifestyle?
Either way, remember that the right neighborhood is out there-you just have to take the time to consider what you want and speak to an expert to help guide you. Here is a video I did on the best neighborhoods in Miami.
8. Jobs pay less
Jobs pay very little compared to other parts of the nation. Since we are on or near the beach the cost of living can also be more expensive. However, you won’t have to worry about state taxes, so that helps to balance any extra cost. Florida has a comparatively low corporate income tax rate, there is no inventory tax, no unitary tax and it has several sales tax exemptions. So even if it might seem you are making less money, you will also be saving on state taxes.
9. Miami Runs On Cuban Coffee
Don’t like being talked to before getting your morning coffee? You are not the only one.
For all my coffee-loving readers FYI cuban coffee is a big deal here. Have you heard the slogan: America Runs on Dunkin? Well, here’s another for you: Miami Runs on Cuban Coffee. It’s really a cool tradition we have here. Don’t be surprised to see friends and coworkers drinking shots of Cuban Coffee in small social circles.
Cuban Coffee is a very strong and really delicious coffee that gives you the energy you need for the rest of the day. It might not be for everyone, but I do recommend you to try it at least once!
10. Miamians are always late
Maybe it’s our Latin roots, but it’s rare that someone arrives on time. The number one excuse: traffic. So if you grew up in an environment where being late is considered rude, here is a public service announcement for you. If you plan a meeting or a get-together at 6:00PM, people will probably start showing up at 7:00PM. So plan for an earlier time, or don’t really expect things to pop off until an hour or two after.
All things considered, Miami is still in my opinion a great place to live! There is so much to do and the right niche is here for you. Those are my 10 things you need to know before moving to Miami. I really hope this helps you make a decision or just get to know a little bit more of what Miami is about. If you are considering moving to Miami then go ahead and call me, email me , text me, Whatsapp me or Dm me so that I can start helping you find your dream home in Miami. It isn’t really some mystery that everyone wants to live in Miami. Honestly I can say I wake up everyday and I am grateful to be living in this city! So if you are interested or have been considering moving down please feel free to reach out anytime and we can set up a zoom call and go over everything in detail. Fill out the contact box below and let’s chat!
Also go check out the pros and cons of living in miami 2022.
