Daphne, Fairhope or Foley? Relocating (Birmingham, Mobile: credit, real estate, insurance)

[Mestizo]

Originally Posted by Dixie

Hi!
I have family in Baldwin County and visit there often. I have heard the school system in that area is great! Spanish Fort is a very nice area filled with many nice people. Fairhope is also nice but seems to be geared more towards being a retirement community. Daphne is nice also.....of the 3 I would choose Spanish Fort. Visit the area - talk to the locals- make a wise and informed decision. That area is booming with construction and such and in close proximity to Mobile- Gulf Shores and of course Florida. I'm sure you will find many people with different opinions...this is just my honest opinion.(JMO) Good Luck and I hope you enjoy where ever you decide to move. :-)

spanish fort sucks the school is ran by a bunch of idiots and the people here are all mean and snobby.
i would definity choose anywhere to live over spanish fort.

[wildchildboutique]

I have been in Spanish Fort for 3 years, everyone here loves the public schools, Elementary especially Rockwell is top-notch. Everyone here loves the principle and staff there. I would rather my child go to the schools here in SF than Daphne or Fairhope

Oh and as far as snobby goes, Fairhope is really the only time I"ve had that problem. Look beneath the surface and you will see some insecure people that are hugely in debt.

[Jes]

Daphne is great ,lots of new money in Spanish Fort people less friendly.
Wherever you choose good luck ,hot and humid already here .

[jgarrett0218]

Is Spanish Fort small and do they have certain things like a movie theater, etc?

[Keeper]

Check out http://www.city-data.com/city/Spanish-Fort-Alabama.html on this website.

I think the main issue around Spanish Fort is the traffic as it is on the main hwy to get to the interstate and Mobile. There are lots of restaurants and shopping nearby.

[wildchildboutique]

Well I enjoy living in Spanish Fort, the schools here are excellent, I've only run across a few people that send their kids to private school, NEVER heard a bad word about the Spanish Fort Schools. We have been very impressed with Rockwell Elementary.

The area is growing with our new outdoor mall, it is pretty pricey though. There are a lot of people with money here and can be viewed as snobby, but I've only had a few people I've run into that way here. It's pretty expensive to live here and honestly I'm not sure how that many do as there are a ton of single income families here.

I recommend Spanish Fort over Daphne

[wildchildboutique]

As far as things to do in Spanish Fort, well right now it's pretty much the mall with several stores and restaurants. You will go to Daphne for a lot of things, but it's about 10 minutes to drive there. The movies and more shopping are there.

[hersbear]

I've only visited Fairhope but found it quite lovely. It is expensive, though, and seems to be experiencing some growing pains. It's also really small, but if that is your cup of tea, it seems like a nice place to kick back. Moderator cut: URL removed

[rogcol]

Husband and I are considering a move from Central Fla to the Mobile,AL vicinity, in particular, we are interested in Daphne, Spanish Fort, Fair Hope, etc.
I was reading alot of these posts sayign the construction industry offers a great deal of employment and the housing industry is booming, etc.
Well those comments came from mostly last summer! (June-Sept 2006)
Can anyone tell me if this is still the case?
My husband is in construction, in particular screen and patio enclosures, aluminum and vinyl siding, etc. and I am a stay at home mom of a 7 mo old but will be looking for something PT. Maybe office/clerical or hospitality.
What kind of job market is out here?? We are moving from a non-existent job market and a community that has no growth and we are actually going to let our home be foreclosed on b/c we honestly have no other option, the market went down here in central FLA and our home is valued at about 45k less than what we paid for it and still owe.
what is going on is this part of alabama? i like the idea of it b/c it is close to mobile, pensacola, biloxi, etc. all major thoroughfares.
I feel there has got to be jobs if all these somewhat large areas are around, right?
what about cost of living? we will rent for awhile of course but what is the general cost of buying a "decent" home in a "decent" area?
how about the crime situation? i have heard nearby mobile is kind of bad.
also, another reason we have considered this area is b/c it is close proximity to the devastation of katrina in waveland and biloxi,ms and just the other night on larry king live we saw a special on that area and anderson cooper stated the work is there but they have no laborers. is this true?? whats out there? help! Also, can someone send me a local classified if I provided my address? that would be great! the internet is just not as good as an old fashioned newspaper! thanks everyone!

[Keeper]

Check out al.com: Best Local Jobs.. You can look up jobs there. The Mobile Press Register would also be a good place to look also.
Most larger newspapers have their classified ads listed online.
I also saw on the news yesterday how people around Biloxi can't get anyone to work on their homes. Maybe someone here or on the MS forum can tell you more.