Lenny,

First off, congrats on your job...must have been quite an offer to persuade you to move out of SoCal...love it there...sister lives in Mission Viejo, neice goes to San Diego State. Just magnificent!

As for FL...born and raised here...35 years now. While I don't like hurricanes (or TS for that matter)...it's just a part of life here...much like the earthquakes in CA...here though, you have time to prepare, always! While these past couple of years we've seen more action that usual, typically, 10 months outta the year it's absolute paradise (if you don't mind the heat & humidity)

Anywhere now in SoFLA is crowded...I used to live out west in Ft. Lauderdale and now live east in Deerfield Beach. Pembroke Pines is a really nice area. The city does a great job of keeping it clean and fresh looking. Things to consider when moving here....if you live WEST of I-95...your homeowners insurance (if you can find someone willing to provide it to you) will include winstorm "hurricane" coverage as part of the policy (the deductible is separate from other losses such as fire or theft) and is pretty steep. EAST of I-95 you have to purchase separate windstorm coverage and it's not cheap (may require another loan just to pay for it!) Where in Miami will you work...if it's with a Yachting Co...I'm guessing it's east....traffic in SoFLA (especially Miami) is horrible (not quite as bad as the 405 though) going from west to east and north to south would not be my first choice...you may want to consider that, maybe get more "in-line" with your commute such as just having to go north/south or west/east but not both! You'll be a raving lunatic by summer's end and then "season" will come (with the snow birds) and traffic increases significantly until they leave again in the late spring.

Just thoughts to consider.

As for Pembroke Pines though...it's a beautiful city with great schools. You have easy access to where ever you may want to be....Ft. Lauderdale via I-595 East, Miami via I-75 South, Naples/Ft. Myers (only an hour & a half drive) I-75 North, or Palm Beach County via Sawgrass East or Turnpike North. It's a wonderfully centrally located city with lots to offer!