Florida has about 4.5% unemployment right now.  There is some work for shipyard and structural steel welders.
I guess welders top out around $17 per hour, but I have heard of shipyard welders getting up to $23 per hour.  Most welders start out around $12 an hour though, and I have seen people advertise for structural steel flux core welders at only $8 per hour.  I don't know about Tampa.  You should do a Monster.com or Careerbuilder.com job search for Tampa or look online for the Tampa newspaper and do a job search there.  You can also try the Florida state employment service at:
www.unemploymentoffice.net/State_resources/Florida.htm  They have a pretty big database that will give you welding jobs statewide along with the offerd pay grades.  Yes, housing is still pretty affordable here.  Food is pretty low cost too and in the winter, my utilitiy bill is only around $38 a month.  It runs around $100 in the summer with the AC going.  You had better like hot summers.  It gets up to 98 degrees F and is often quite humid.  We have an air condidtioned shop so everyone is quite spoiled here.

Right now the housing market is horrible.  Prices are on the decline...except for in my town.  Go figure!!

What kind of work do you do?  There is about to be quite a few jobs in the Beaumont/ Port Arthur, Texas area for skilled tradesmen.  Big job at the Motiva plant.  The weather down here may be an eye opening experience for you, though.   85 degree nights with 100+ degree days about 7 months of the year could be rough on a canuck. 

i've been in tampa for the last 3 yrs.  pipe welders are getting $18-25/hr, depending on what processes you can certify in.  a lot of work is slow here.  lots of welders looking for work, but not finding it.  it'll probably pick back up in a few months, depending on how badly the banks wanna hold onto their money. 

tampa is growing though.  there are a few new hospitals under construction, Donald Trump is back in business with his towers in downtown, and there are a couple high rises going up in St. Petersburg. 

if you wanted, you could also look into Orlando.  there is ALWAYS something being built there because of Disneyworld.