Daphne, Fairhope or Foley? Relocating (Mobile, Spanish Fort: real estate, housing, rent)

[Briee07]

We are looking to moving to the Daphne/Fairhope/Spanish Fort area next summer. After looking at the message boards, it seems they have pretty good schools. What about private schools? Any recommendations? We liveon the west coast and our air is pretty dry, I was wondering how bad the humidity is ? Are the people very friendly? Where we live, everybody is friendly and waves hello even if they don't know you. Is it hard to find homes with acreage? Sorry for all the questions, but this is a HUGE move for us.

Thanks,

[ladyjuliek]

I live in Foley and work at resorts in Orange Beach, AL. The beaches are pretty... but as a resident, I'm afraid to ever go in them, and on choppy days they are neat to look at, but pretty much every day, they're a little boring. Flat with no waves. It's actually the prettiest on stormy days or - heaven forbid - a hurricane passes us by in the Gulf. Otherwise it's about as flat as your bathtub. Sometimes the emerald green is there to see, other days it's dark and foreboding. The clarity is a real problem because of the old river etc., dumping into the bays and the activity. Usually by the afternoon you cannot see through the water at all. That wouldn't be as big of a problem, if you didn't have to worry about the sharks, jelly fish, sting rays, and other scary things potentially swimming around you. Also, these beaches have a very high salt content. Go jetskiing, and it will appear that someone poured a salt shaker over your head. It gets in your hair, your eyebrows, it sticks to your skin. It's really nasty and uncomfortable.

We have a lot of pools for those of us afraid of our ocean, (my family and I!), but a lot of them are switching to salt systems, (again with the salt water in the mouth), and I get tired of chlorine all the time as well. There are rivers and bays, but instead of sharks and jellyfish infestations, you have alligators and snakes, and again with the lack of clarity in the water.

All of this might be better to enjoy and deal with, if it weren't for the stagnant real estate and job market. Be ware, this is a hospitality town. That means for 4 months of the year, the town, and traffic brims to life. But everyone knows that it's only as good as it's season, and that another hurricane could ruin everything. I should know, my husband was let go from his IT position because of IVAN, post-Ivan. The rental company couldn't predict how many people would come to vacation, because no one books ahead of time anymore. (They can't be sure a hurricane won't come in and ruin their trip.) Because of this, the rental company slashed a ton of jobs, just because they weren't sure what the season would look like.

When it's not summer time, the place pretty much dries up. When everyone needed extra people, such as receptionists, now they don't. Temporary and seasonal help is typical, but not really long term. The area is pretty much tourism-based. There is no real market for anyone in technology, or anything that doesn't have to do with building condos, cleaning condos, selling condos (and that's not doing well right now), building homes, selling homes (not doing well), or serving food at restaurants. Even someone like me with much secretary experience is hard pressed to find work around here. Because of that, income is low. Unbelievably below market. A friend of mine left his position last week because it turned from Help Desk, to wire our new construction building - at the same rate of nine dollars per hour. Nine dollars for construction work.

Because of the lack of jobs and competition, benefits are few. You can't really get vacation time around here, or most perks, like getting to use the gyms where you work. They don't have to give them to you, so they don't. The attitude of the employers are "be grateful you have a job." They promise you 90 day reviews and raises/promotions, and after a few weeks, they promote you. But the review doesn't happen, and neither does the raise - although I have lost the commission I had been receiving before, as a result of my position change. I've actually gone backwards.

Another company I worked for got itself a new name, and a new policy. Set everyone's vacation days to 5, with no negotiations. The negotation was simply... "Do you want to work here?"

That is the depressing attitude regarding employment.

Here are more perks to consider... the Foley Beach Express tollbridge. Everyday to work is $2-3, and then another $2-3 on the way home. If it's tourists they want to charge, fine. Unbelievable that residents have to pay the same toll. Not to mention, it now costs $55 per year to have the card that gives you a one dollar discount. Not to mention, it just went up, again, and they appear to have no qualms about increasing it again in the future. Oh, that $55 does not include your card. That's another $6. Oh, and in order to even GET to the Sales Office to GET your card, you will have to pay the maximum toll fee; as there is no entrance way to the sales office until after you've paid the toll. (I almost want to laugh.)

To those of you looking to buy houses here, I have lived here almost 4 years. Be wary. I have not seen a house sell in the past year. Every where there are houses and condos for sale - real estate agents I know have not had one single closing in almost a year. It will be easy to buy your house, but you may be stuck with it, or have to rent it out. However, they continue to mass produce huge blocks of new subdivisions, that are pretty much empty. (Because no one is buying houses.)

The other thing I want to add is that the area was looking into becoming something great, and we were all excited. All in all, living here is very boring. We didn't even have a movie theatre for a year. (We have a few now.) During the non-summer season, there's not much to do unless you drive to Pensacola and Mobile. (And even then, twenty bucks to go to the museum in Mobile??) Also beware, there is a big lack of major restaurants here. No Olive Garden, no Red Lobster, etc. We have Applebee's and then a slew of fried food fish houses. (My husband is vegetarian and there is literally only 2 restaurants he goes to now in our area.)

As an added bonus, we did finally just now open up our first sushi place in the area. (The popular restaurants have what they call "sushi" but it doesn't taste authentic, and it's usually priced at 7-8 dollars PER ROLL.)

There are some good restaurants in the area, if you want to drive the 20 plus minutes to Orange Beach (taking the trollbridge of course), and if you can afford it. At least it gets cheap offseason. But then, when it's not summertime, the restaurants only open for a few hours per day.

Anyway, back to our hopes for the area, and the lack of anything to do here, especially on the off-season... there were two huge new developments coming, Riverwalk and the Wharf. Riverwalk (now called Bama Bayou), was going to have Swim-with-the-dolphins and a Gulf World (a small Sea World.) Between these two developments, there would have been nothing left out, in terms of a night life. Except... something went wrong. Bama Bayou has been virtually undeveloped in more than two years, and of what went in the Wharf, very little has actually been finished. There went the actual-living-here hopes for any reason to live here at all...

I came to this message board looking for towns to move into. I'm quite surprised anyone would consider coming to live HERE. This is a nice town to vacation to, and I would think if you were in a position to Snow Bird, it's also acceptable. But living here will mean a lot of boredom, a ton of heat, and real unpleasant work conditions. (Did I mention the competition from illegal workers in the lawn care and construction fields? I don't blame them, they are very talented and hardworking. I blame their employers!)

Bottom-line... visit Orange Beach for a few weeks out of the year, or snow bird. I wouldn't recommend living here, if you like museums to go to, cultural things, good economies and markets, reliable livelihoods, and a decent return on real estate investments.

If you're a city person reading this: Make using the tollbridge 50 cents for area residents. Get The Wharf and Bama Bayou/Riverwalk going already. Set decent employment minimums. And allow restaurants and other developments back into Orange Beach. You can't get a table at all in July!!! And bring actual companies and jobs here, not just high-rises.

[Briee07]

Thanks for all the info. At first I thought you were trying to scare us away. A lot of great info. I do appreciate it.

I have to say though, we think it would be a welcome change. You want to talk about nothing to do? We are 20 min. from the nearest gas station and even at that, it closes at 7:00 pm and doesn't accept credit cards at the pump. The nearest major grocery stores and restaurants are about an hour and a half away. So when you talked about what there is to do down in Alabama, it seemed like the "big city" LOL. I am from Seattle area originally and then settled out in the county and I do love it, but the miles on the car and the time in the car is getting to be too much. The snow is a big minus where we live and my husbands arthritis starts acting up come fall.

I will say I am nervous about swimming in the bay/ocean, even when visiting family in Pensacola area I don't go out there, so I do appreciate the info on that as well. I do know a pool is a big necessity for us.

Thanks

[Keeper]

You don't have to take the Foley express to get to the beaches but you will be going through towns and various speed limits not to mention stop lights.
I go to Foley area to visit family and the traffic is bad especially during the summer weekends on Friday and Sunday. Shark attacks are rare in the Gulf if you consider the number of people who go swimming there every year but do happen. Don't swim early in the AM or during early evening or wear jewelry. There are good things about each area it just depends what fits your needs.

If you have any questions just post them here. You will get answers about the good and the bad.

[Briee07]

Thanks for the info. We really are excited about moving down to theat area. Do you know very much about the schools? Private Schools? school standards? etc....

[Keeper]

About all I can tell you is my sister has kids in school in Foley and they all have done well. She also has had foster children in school there with no complaints about the school system. I have read on this forum Daphne has some good schools also. I am sure others can tell you more. You might consider asking about schools in the area as a new topic.

[leew]

I grew up in Fairhope and loved every minute of it! The eastern shore is a great area and with the retirement community, your lawn service should do well. Schools are good and people are very friendly. Lots of things to do, shopping and resturants. Housing prices close to the bay are high, but there is also affordable housing.

[Keeper]

I have a soft spot for Fairhope as my mother and grandmother both lived there for years. Maybe you can tell us if there is an area for young families. Are more young families moving there? I ask because it has been said here that it is mostly retired folks.

[Bravo35223]

I live in Birmingham and have vacationed in Orange Beach/Gulf Shores for years. I'd tend to agree with ladyjuliek's description of the area.

There is indeed no traditional 'industry in this part (South/Beach) of Baldwin County. It's ALL built on tourism in the summer and snowbirds from Michigan, Minnesota and Ontario in the winter. There are no major employers in the area and as with any tourist town, wages are low.

I managed all of Florida for a healthcare company for ten years. I had business units in Pensacola, Tampa, Jacksonville, Orlando and Ft. Lauderdale/Miami.

Ya know which community had the lowest wages overall?

Orlando. Yup shiny Orlando...filled with hundreds of thousands of hourly wage earners....working for minium wage or close to it. Disney, Universal Studios, hotels and restaurants. A big employment meat factory.

Most beach communities in the U.S. are like this. Real estate costs are high because of tourism...as a result, little or no industrial or high tech employers locate there...wages stay low and it cycles on itself....add in a few hurricanes which have increased Homeowner's insurance rates by 300% and you have a condo glut....driving down demand and prices....

It's all economics folks and is the same situation in Pensacola, Ft. Walton and Destin....

Baldwin County Alabama overall however, has a thriving economy and is well managed. There's just not much in the way of good, high paying employment on the beach....

[Keeper]

I don't know where some of the people work but there are some McMansions in the Foley area. Everytime I drive by one.. I have to ask.. 'where do these ppl work'?
You are right Bravo about Orlando, even in Tampa many jobs start at $10.00 an hour and these are technical jobs.