Is Gulf Shore a good place to live or just visit? (Birmingham: insurance, military)

[Nancy262]

I'm disabled, in my 40's, on Social Security, I want to move down from Northern Minnesota. I want a warm clean sandy beach area, but not the hustle and bustle of a big city. With lower cost of living. Is Alabama Coast line the place?

[Brad Martin]

Yes, I think that Gulf Shores would be good for what you are looking for. You are not to far away from the hustle bustle in case you do want to be in it a couple of times a year but not too close either.

[Keeper]

Do you want to live right on the beach or just be close to it? There are a lot of small towns all around Gulf Shores that would be perfect.

If you plan to live on the beach, remember you will have to leave if a hurricane is headed towards the area. POI is going to be expensive the closer you are to the gulf.

[RedEagle]

Check insurance prices if you decide to move to the south end of the counties. You might want to check out Foley, Fairhope, Elberta, Magnolia Springs, etc; all only minutes from the beaches and places I'd love to live. Gulf Shores is a beautiful place but having weathered a few hurricanes, I'd rather be at peace with my mind when summer rolls around.

[Keeper]

I agree totally.. hurricanes can ruin your day..Fairhope is an artsy town on Mobile Bay, Magnolia Springs is on a small river, beautiful area, Foley's main road is busy during the summer, but still nice. Then you have Summerdale, Silverhill, Robertsdale and Loxely. Condo's on the beach are expensive and then add the HOI to your mortage payment. You can get so much more a little further inland.

[7spider]

Best thing to do is take a trip down and check out all the areas mentioned above. We are in the same position, have about a year before we'll be ready, so we take some road trips, research the areas and keep up with the multiple lisings of home sales. Also get great information from the people on this forum.

[southernnaturelover]

Spring break season is a headache. People come from all over the eastern half of the country and the roads can't handle it.

[JenniJ32]

My parents have been living in Gulf Shores for a few years now, and my mother says she'd never live anywhere else. It's very laid back, and generally quiet (except for Spring Break), and as long as you're not living on the beach, the housing if pretty reasonable. There is a small (but nice)hospital a few miles up the highway, and the winters are very mild. My mom actually walks on the beach every day that it's not raining, and she said it rarely gets below 50 degrees. I live in the Birmingham area, and I've found that gas is actually cheaper down there than it is here. Hurricanes are a pain in the rear, but even with all the horrible winds and rains of Hurricane Ivan, the biggest headache was having to evacuate north. The homes built a few miles inland didn't really receive much damage at all, and that's where I'm assuming you'd want to live anyway (since it's less expensive). The biggest pain in the butt is getting home owner's insurance, and it can be very pricey if you don't shop around.

Good luck!

[finditforu]

I lived in GS for about 6 years and loved it, there is an apartment complex with some townhomes that is about 2 miles down Ft Morgan road, that is done by income if you are looking to rent. There are homes in the Foley and Elberta Lillian area that are resonable. Living in GS is great but during the summer you have to deal with traffic on weekends and holidays....then during the winter, there are snow birds, they are pretty nice folks...the beachs are beautiful and white, If you are looking for a larger area, Pensacola is fine, there is a military base and some good hospitals, with small towns all around that are nice too....just a thought.....

GS has a library, a zoo and water park and such...so unless you want a really small town I would look near by....and visit often....good luck