"Fulfilling the Florida dream"

[floridapete]

In the same current issue of Emigrate America appears the following article which I feel is relevant to recent discussions on here about B2/E2 adjustment of status pathway to immigration.

The story here is incomplete because I have just borrowed it from the E.A. website which only prints part of each story. If I can get the Editor to send me the completing part I will add it later.

However, the reason for posting it here is that I am fed up of seeing these 'rose-tinted' stories published by people who are about to set out, or have only just recently arrived, on their 'dream' and who really have no long term experience on which basis to write such a report - which will only lead others into false hopes and taking the same questionable path as they did.

"In May 2005 we decided we would like to buy a holiday home in Florida. We had never owned a holiday home before so this was all new territory for us. We got in contact with a couple of US companies who sent us information on land and property in Florida and the surrounding areas.

As Emma, our four year old daughter, was still in pre-school we thought it was the perfect time to take some time out and head off to America to buy and furnish our dream home.

My husband, Rob, was granted a six-month sabbatical from work, purely as he had worked so hard throughout the year. We were advised that the normal 90 day visa waiver wouldn’t be enough time for the whole purchase and furnishing of our home. We were also told that it wasn’t just a case of buying the property and then leaving it until we next visited. The house would need to be maintained, as would our lawns and pool if we chose to have one. We were advised that we should seek the services of a property manager.

We listened to representatives from "New Horizons Group" who told us that we should apply for a B-2 visa – which we did.

Once all of the application was complete and sent in it was about eight weeks before we visited the US Embassy in London where we were fortunate to be granted the B-2.

On 24th September 2005 we flew out of Gatwick, outbound for Sanford Airport, Florida. We had arranged to be met at the airport and we were fortunate to be staying with someone.

Once in Florida, it wasn’t long before we were searching for properties in the hope of finding our dream holiday location. We met so many people in both property and business fields that it was then that we were told that we could set up a business here if we wanted. We hadn’t thought about doing this before, but the prospect of it intrigued us. This would mean that we could actually live and work in the USA, rather than just come on holiday for four weeks each year. So now not only were we looking for a home, we were also interested in whatever business possibilities might come our way."

The full story appears in the November/December 2006 edition of Emigrate America.

I have read the complete story in the print edition and, although it is very light on factual information, and doesn't even mention what visa they are eventually striving for (or have by now obtained) I'll bet it is a E2 'change of status' - which means they won't have an actual visa yet !

They also don't say a thing about whatever happened to their place 'back home' after they set out on this 'sabbatical' to buy a vacation home in Florida - then changed their minds and bought a business. Did they sell it or leave it ?

They bought (guess what) a management business ! They bought it (guess who) from another British couple ! They have been there about 9/10 months (allowing for the publishing lead time).

Anyway, I will get back to you when I have the rest of the story to post here.

Susie, you may even want to make contact with them and invite them onto ExpatsVoice ? I will send you their full details by PM.

[Bobby]

I can't see the point of the thread??? Have I missed something?

So far we have two people, that you don't know anything about, set out to buy a vacation home in Florida and ended up buying a business. So what? Where's the story ?

Bobby

[floridapete]

I can't see the point of the thread??? Have I missed something?

So far we have two people, that you don't know anything about, set out to buy a vacation home in Florida and ended up buying a business. So what? Where's the story ?

Bobby

The story (when you do get the full story, Bobby) is the ongoing question of whether the B2/E2 adjustment of status route which is being promoted to naive and gullible potential emigrants is a wise choice of routes given all of the tales of tragedy and woe we have been hearing on here recently.

I have also just read the following on another forum:
http://www.thefloridaforum.us/ > B2 - E2 thread in latest ten threads (bottom of index page)

[chris]

Well at least I got it. I am always dumbfounded by the naivety of people. It tells me a whole lot when they haven't sussed out that grass grows and needs mowing. If they haven't grasped that, then it simply shouts 'scam me or mislead me', which is what appears to have happened. It almost points to the fact that Visa's should come with a Government Health Warning like cigarettes. Using this Visa may seriously damage your wealth or words to that effect!
I don't know whether it is the Disney factor or simply the weather is better, but mention Florida and the Brits switch off their brains.

[Bobby]

....... sorry Chris. I just found it repetitive with no substance or facts to interest anyone. There's nothing new. Brits are arriving daily blindfolded or blinkered.
The American Dream gets it's claws into them and they'll believe anything that gets them here so long as it's positive.
Heaven forbid if someone paints the picture with a dirty brush. They don't want to know. But, of course they soon find out the hard way.

Bobby

[chris]

You're dead right Bobby, but so is Peter. Ifully agree with Peters sentiment about wanting to try and get the message out about 'think it through, etc', and you're right because irrespective of what information you put out there, people will hear and see what they want to hear and see and if their heart is set on sunny Florida, they want to hear good things not bad things.
I'm not even sure whether Peter will get his wish with that magazine, because lets face it, the magazine title is 'Emigrate America', not 'Don't Emigrate America'. They are in business to sell advertising on the back of the American Dream, so it can be argued they are part of the problem , not the solution.

[Susie]

Hi Peter

I would be more than willing to contact the couple in question to see if I can give moral support or any practical help.

Would be interested in reading the full story, if you can post later.

This site is also about educating possible immigrants and expats who are already in the usa. We all need to share as much knowedge as possible in an effort for people who wish to live the dream be more prepared for what immigation issues that may lie ahead. Also what to expect and how to deal not only with the legal side but give practical and moral support to both new and old arrivals in the USA, no matter what country they originate from

Having been in the travel industry for many years,I have seen so many vunerable people purchase properties on speck. In fact this is exactly what my husband and I did way back in 1989

Husband was made redundant so had a nice unexpected cash lump sum. Having three children could never afford to have such an expensive holiday or new car so with this lump sum promised ourseleves both

Booked our first trip to Florida and bought our very first brand new car. Well you guessed it, we were looking at the few shops in Poincianna and next thing were in the realtors office looking at homes to purchase and before we knew it , bingo we were on our way to buy a home

Don't know what it is with people in general, we can be so vunerable, hear what we want to hear, see what we want to see and believe what we want to believe, myself included

So I never judge anyone for their choices or what they do, as I have been there myself. Thankfully after lots of problems, hard work and endless worrying, we turned a very bad situation into our livelyhood. For so many others it is such a different story

[pegasus]

I agree that we should keep repeating the warnings, HOWEVER

from bitter experience I can tell you that 80% (80/20 rule) only want to hear positive things and reinforcement of what they heard from "friends", when you tell it as it is, and that means they, wont have the cash, wont be able to stay as long, or isn't what they heard down the pub, etc etc, they just go to the next person until they get someone to agree with their beliefs. That person is often the dodgy dealer and will simply take their money and run, they then come back to you and complain YOU led them astray by forcing them to find someone else!!!!

Lesson from this is simple, when someone wants something badly they will ignore anything that doesn't fit their belief, recognize this fast, tell them the truth, lay out the facts and then send them on their way, you can do NOTHING to help them. Sad but true

B rgds

Neil

[chris]

You're dead right Bobby, but so is Peter. Ifully agree with Peters sentiment about wanting to try and get the message out about 'think it through, etc', and you're right because irrespective of what information you put out there, people will hear and see what they want to hear and see and if their heart is set on sunny Florida, they want to hear good things not bad things.
I'm not even sure whether Peter will get his wish with that magazine, because lets face it, the magazine title is 'Emigrate America', not 'Don't Emigrate America'. They are in business to sell advertising on the back of the American Dream, so it can be argued they are part of the problem , not the solution.

[Emmalee25]

I agree that we should keep repeating the warnings, HOWEVER

from bitter experience I can tell you that 80% (80/20 rule) only want to hear positive things and reinforcement of what they heard from "friends", when you tell it as it is, and that means they, wont have the cash, wont be able to stay as long, or isn't what they heard down the pub, etc etc, they just go to the next person until they get someone to agree with their beliefs. That person is often the dodgy dealer and will simply take their money and run, they then come back to you and complain YOU led them astray by forcing them to find someone else!!!!

Lesson from this is simple, when someone wants something badly they will ignore anything that doesn't fit their belief, recognize this fast, tell them the truth, lay out the facts and then send them on their way, you can do NOTHING to help them. Sad but true

B rgds

Neil

Completely agree with you here Neil! people just dont belive the crap i am going thru, im sure most people think its "just us" I asked my husband only the other day "if you knew what you know now, would you still have gone for it"? he said yes! if someone had come up to us and started waving crappy facts in our faces we would have thought "jealous" or "bad luck for them" or even "what do they know".
I dont know why but lately all Pete has painted is a bad picture! People WANT to leave the UK and move overe here, and while i agree that we need to offer some insight I do think that we need to focus on helping people and trying to change things than scare mongering and pushing people away!!!

Just my thoughts obviously!
Em x

[Susie]

Yes agree,

I do feel and wish that negatives need to be published in emigrate usa, but at the same time they must also show the positive and give a good fair balanced side

Not all cases have problems, some just sail through with no referrals, very quickly so there are many would are living their dream , had no major problems so it can be done

My eldest son's case was just that, a sail through no hassel case. From start to finish 18 months from L visa to green card in his hand. Maybe because he was the only applicant, not buying a business, small file, so picked up and dealt with quickly.

The USCIS, tele line recorded message says,

To be fair to all our customers, we process cases in strict order in which they were recieved.

I do not believe that statement, I am sure if the officer droped the pile of case files, he/she would pick them up, put them in order of smallest case file to biggest and then start working.

Have know many people apply for green cards after myself yet got them years before me. Even my eldest son applied after my husband yet got approval two years before him

[floridapete]

"I dont know why but lately all Pete has painted is a bad picture! People WANT to leave the UK and move over here, and while I agree that we need to offer some insight I do think that we need to focus on helping people and trying to change things than scare mongering and pushing people away!!!"

Why would you think I was intent on just 'painting a bad picture' Emma ?

Would you want me to join in the chorus of 'everythings coming up roses in Florida (America)' as so many of the crooks do to seperate naive, gullible Brits from their hard-earned ?

Weren't you happy enough that I wrote that article for Emigrate America(because they asked me to do so) to protest about the US Embassy, London, crisis or are you only happy when I write in sympathy with YOUR interests and concerns ?

Would you prefer that I go away and leave you all to your own problems and agendas ?

Isn't it FAR better that people are lead to approach emigration the RIGHT way from the very start, than to be persuaded into doing it the wrong way simply for the benefit of the brokers and attornie's fees, leaving them with the crisis and the tragedy to handle personally further down the line ?

But I agree that it is very difficult to tell some people the truth - all they want to hear is what they want to hear ! It was ever thus with overseas property - and it's just the same with emigration.

Hey ho !

[Emmalee25]

"Weren't you happy enough that I wrote that article for Emigrate America(because they asked me to do so) to protest about the US Embassy, London, crisis or are you only happy when I write in sympathy with YOUR interests and concerns ?"


I dont think you have ever written in sympathy with MY concerns Pete!
As i said before, i do think we need to help people understand what the process entails, bring to light possibilities of denial etc etc,
but you just seem to have an amazing ability to make it sound like the end of the world and come down on certain scenarios very heavily! A little compassion for people and their dreams, would definiately not go amiss sometimes
Em x

[Kriz1]

I've been doing this help people move to the USA thing for 6 years now...my views on the move have gone from come on over everything is wonderful...to my God if I have to face one more problem in this God forsaken country I'll top myself...
But one thing I've learnt is you just can't advise some people about anything...they don't want to hear...and there is nothing you can do about that...but there are a lot of people out there who take advice onboard...stand back take stock and move over knowing all the facts...or stay at home and make a happy life there knowing the move was not for them...and they make it all worth it....all you can do is be honest...tell your stories good or bad....and then leave people to make up their own minds....

[chris]

I think Susie is correct in saying that the information that is given is balanced. That should be as wide spread as possible, not just Emigrate America. I think the major problem is that far too often the move to the USA is painted by some as such a simple thing it's like catching a bus. Sign up for the business, hop on a plane and watch the cash roll in all whilst the sun shines!
Of course we all know that the reality is far, far different and we as folks who are here and been through the ringer a few times need to pass on our knowledge and experiences (s) to others, so that they are aware of the problems, issues and pitfalls. If they choose to ignore them, then that of course is their business not ours.
For anyone coming on vacation to Florida from Blighty, it can't hep but be an eye opener and create a feeling of 'I'd like some of that'. With the greater space and the oft image of lower costs here compared to the UK coupled with the current immigration issues, etc there, it can't help turn people toward getting away at any cost.
Unfortunately, many of the 'successful' visa people can't/won't/don't want to be bothered about Forums becasue they are too busy cranking up their businesses and creating their own American Dream. Often they have an attitude of I did it myself, those b*****s can do it themselves too. So you end up with a less than balanced view by default on many sites. It's a simple fact that disatisfied people tell more people about that than satisfied people do. That's why newspapers report more bad news than good news.
There are many people out there who do need our input and who will be grateful for that help, many have genuine problems, issues and needs. There are others on the otherhand that I would probably term plain stupid, who will ignore all advice as they know it all, don't follow the rules, blindly go down the road and be ripped off by everyone they come across, and then expect wholesale sympathy when they find themselves up to their necks in it.
We can only help some of the people some of the time, not all of the people all of the time.

[Bobby]

rewritten

[Bobby]

[/quote=floridapete]
Edit admin by Susie, personal comments

[Kriz1]

This forum has a lot of traffic nowadays and we really don't want people to think we are a bunch of kids....we could just agree to disagree and not get into any playground stuff...:angel: :angel:

[DavidL]

This forum has a lot of traffic nowadays and we really don't want people to think we are a bunch of kids....we could just agree to disagree and not get into any playground stuff...:angel: :angel:


Nah, keep it comming guys. It makes interesting reading from watching the stockmarket report.:)

[Emmalee25]

Edit by Susie reason personal remarks


This forum does get alot of traffic, id hate for them to think us all a load of synical stiffs!!!

Emma x

[Susie]

This forum has a lot of traffic nowadays and we really don't want people to think we are a bunch of kids....we could just agree to disagree and not get into any playground stuff...:angel: :angel:


Thanks Kriz

I totally agree and am extremley disapointed that some people have to become personal, for that reason I will delete or edit some postings, forum rules apply

If anyone wishes to report a posting that needs removing then please pm Punky, admin , webmaster or myself

[haytonmac]

Okay guys, maybe we don't like the way some people are putting thoughts/information across. BUT lets agree that experience is the best teacher and that this forum is not short of experience.. We can all earn from each other experiences.

Following the dream .... do it with your eyes OPEN

The art of selling ... tell the buyer to go to hell in such a way they look forward to the trip. Welcome to America

AND IN ANY BUSINESS

BUYER BEWARE, WHETER IN THE UK OR USA!

Craig

[mark]

Hi Peter

Can we have the rest of the story please so that we can get back on track to the opening post


Immigration stories good or bad in contents need to be shared and discussed in an open debate and we must not detract. I am concerned that the people who this posting refers to maybe joining our site and will need all the help and support we are able to give without being judemental

[Bobby]

Thanks Kriz

I totally agree and am extremely disappointed that some people have to become personal, for that reason I will delete or edit some postings, forum rules apply

If anyone wishes to report a posting that needs removing then please pm Punky, admin , webmaster or myself


Susie,

I'm quite disappointed that you have deleted my post.

Floridapete merely asked if we should be left to our own problems and agendas.

quote "Would you prefer that I go away and leave you all to your own problems and agendas ? unquote

I was merely responding to his question and from supporting PM's I received following this, others members felt the same way.

There was nothing spiteful in my post, no name calling or personal attack. I merely stated "be our guest"

I can't see what's wrong with answering his question. HE offered.

Whilst I don't want to get away from related topics, and detract from the overall message of the forum, I feel that we should be able to post replies like this without there being a "big deal" made by admin.

If you like, the post was tongue in cheek, and should have been laughed at, probably the way most people reacted to it, but you've blown it up to be more by deleting it. Relax. I have no beef with Floridapete. I even agreed with him yesterday and the band played a fanfare.

Bobby

[Susie]

Hi Bobby,


I am sorry you were disapointed that your post was edited/deleted. Your post was not the only post that was editied or deleted others followed.


Whilst no harm was intended, your post was the start of the thread getting out of hand. As a result I received more than one complaint and why there was a need to take action.

This was not a big deal by admin, but merely as a result of the thread being brought to the attention of admin and myself by three members

[Emmalee25]

And as a result!
I will well and truly shut up! :)

Cheers
Em x

[punky]

Can I just say... Admin/mods may not always keep everyone happy, but we genuinely try and do what's best for the forum, and its future. I hope people here can accept that. We try and let people get away with as much as possible, but we have to draw a line somewhere. Usually that line is drawn when people start to complain, as Susie said. While some may think Susie's edit was too harsh, others thought it was needed. So someone has to be upset.

Moderating is not easy, and at times its not nice, but with us, its never personal.

Also, while standard rules apply (descisions are final, etc), we welcome feedback on our descisions, but I can respectfully ask that it be done privately via PM. The last thing we'd want is long arguments after every moderating descision.

Given the surge in traffic lately, we'll be soon looking for another mod or maybe two, particularly as it took a while for some offensive spam to be removed. Watch this space.

[Ron]

Hi

I feel sorry for the people who are being discussed at the opening thread, they may well join so we should all try to think of ways we can offer them support if they do