What would you guys do? (Long)

[MATREDGT]

I have an oppurtunity/situation that I wanted your guys/gals opinions on.

I have an opportunity to move to Florida from Michigan to work for a company that is helping out FPL doing utility work from the hurricanes. Now my job is not that stable. Meaning we could be moved at a moments notice to another part of the state or even another state. Now most people that are doing this work right now are living in campers and can easily move about with ease. I have some baggage that won't really allow me to do that. Now my baggage would be my girlfriend, dog, and cat. If I made the move down there my girlfriend would also move down with me so she can continue her schooling to become a vet tech. She can take all of her classes online so she really doesn't need to be close to one of the campuses to go to class, but she can't be moving all the time and be able to keep a job. Now I also have my dog and cat that obviously can't be left alone all day long, so they either have to be with me or where my girlfriend can come and let me dog out etc.... Now my dog also weighs 100lbs. so finding an apartment that will allow him is going to be pretty hard. My girlfriend also has a couple birds that I'm sure will only make finding a place even harder.

My first thought was just to rent an apartment and accept the risk that my job might move elsewhere. I could buy a camper if we did move and live in that during the week and come home on the weekends.

My second thought was to buy a house/condo and do pretty much the same as I would if I got an apartment. The only problem with a house would be all of the upkeep and maintenence. I would be working approx. 72+ hours per week so I really wouldn't want to spend my time off mowing the lawn etc.... So I was thinking a condo/apartment would be the best bet.

So what would you guy/gals do? Any other opinions on how I could make the living arrangments work? Should I go for this or not even bother at all?

Sorry for being so long winded

 

[mattmcdan]

You better make sure that the job itself is stable, I live in south FL, and in my area 100% of the repair work has been done for several months. But whatever you choose to do, goodluck <3

 

[MATREDGT]

I actually did some work in Okeechobee. We stayed in Ft. Pierce and our yard was in Port St. Lucie. That was only from Dec. to the middle of Jan. Then we went on down to the Miami/Fort Lauderdale area, and they are still there now. I came home at the beginning of April.

We really didn't do to much storm work though. A lot of what we were doing was running the wire and hooking up new houses. Also alot of our work is trying to prepare the electric lines for upcoming storms. So I know there is still work all over that state.

 

[poneypower89]

Wow, by moment notice do you mean.. you could go move down there and be moved two weeks later? if so, there is no way I would put my name on a lease for anything longer than 2 months at a time.. if that kind of rental is possible.

 

[Bad92GT]

hell i'd buy a RV.. you can keep the pup and cat.. as well as the girlfriend.. it would come down to wether you could support you and her.. as well as pay for the RV and all the maintenance on it.. that job seems to be one not for a permanent home.. i wouldnt even do it if i couldnt stay in one spot or run with an RV

 

[MATREDGT]

I have already been working down there for four months. I only came home because I was getting tired of the guys I was living with. I had to live with them and then work with them for 12 hours a day. So I decided to come home and give it a break. Problem is up here in Michigan the economy is pretty bad and there is not much of anything for work for me up here.

By a moments notice, I mean just that. When we moved the first time we only had a two day notice to get some of our crews moved down to the Miami/Ft. Lauderdale area.