Gulf Breeze-Milton-Pensacola (Jacksonville, Miami, Tampa: relocation, real estate, property taxes)

[MrTudo]

Hi All, we are thinking about looking at real estate up in the Gulf Breeze-Milton-Pensacola area as a possible relocation from SW Fla. Can anyone give us a brief summary of that area and even better, can anyone site comparisons and good parts bad parts for us?

Thank you!
Tom
Port Charlotte

[maryilastmeade]

I am moving to FL from San Diego - chose Milton because of it's proximity to the ocean. My reasearch shows that a category 5 storm surge won't reach where I've purchased (but the whole of downtown Milton will be under water) and my home is in the 500 year flood zone. (I do GIS for a living - if you want a profile on your potential home purchase email me.) In addition, the homes are incredibly inexpensive, as is the insurance and property taxes (about $1,000 a year for each on a $1,200 sq ft brick home). The county admin is easy to work with and very accomodating and provide a fast service (they do perk tests themselves and a full septic inspection for only a couple of hundred dollars). The driver's lic took about 15 minutes to get - no appointment needed. The locals seem like good, honest, down-to-earth folks, with a proportionately higher percentage of Christians than what I've seen in CA. Is it still the Bible Belt down there? Even the used car salesman (Charlie English Auto Sales) was honest!

It's a half hour drive down to Navarre beach and what a beautiful beach! Lots of homes for sale and great prices - I'm looking at buying as much as I can while the prices are still low - before the rest of the baby boomers hear about it. :-)

[zone8Heather]

I have lived in Gulf Breeze for 30 years and it gets my vote. I am familiar with all three towns and Gulf Breeze is the best as far as proximity to the beach (a mile) and things to do. Most everything you need is within a minute or two drive if you live inside the city limits (Gulf Breeze Proper). Go to google earth or even map quest and get a satallite view and you will see it is almost like an island, surrounded by the bay and sound with the gulf not far off. Crime is low, schools are the very best, people are nice and everyone is always outside doing some form of sport or activity. Anyway, we are moving to Woodland Park, Colorado for a while to get a change in scenery and seasons... Florida doesn't change often enough for us... but we will be back to GB!

[deckardc]

Originally Posted by MrTudo

Hi All, we are thinking about looking at real estate up in the Gulf Breeze-Milton-Pensacola area as a possible relocation from SW Fla. Can anyone give us a brief summary of that area and even better, can anyone site comparisons and good parts bad parts for us?

Thank you!
Tom
Port Charlotte

The panhandle has the nicest beaches in Florida (unless you are a surfer) and that is not an exaggeration. The sand is made of quartz rather than silica so it is snow white, you can walk on it barefoot at noon in July and not burn your feet. The water is clear enough that you can stand in it chest deep and look down and see your toes. If you fish from the municipal piers, you can see the fish in the water and just sort of dangle your line in front of them. The beaches are like this pretty much from Apalachicola to the Alabama state line.

The cost of living is much lower here than the most of Florida. Unfortunately, if you live within twenty miles of the coast, you will pay fairly high homeowners insurance. The risk here is almost as high as the Miami area. Hurricane Ivan hit here in 2004 and did a tremendous amount of damage. The damage is still visible in many areas.

The area is very right wing Christian conservative and is a heavily military area. The entire panhandle is about 80% white and is a bit Old South. A lot of people from outside of the south have moved into the area in the last 10 years so it is beginning to lose it's Redneck Riviera mentality. Every city here is basically a small town, including Pensacola, so the pace of life is much slower and traffic is nothing like the bigger cities. Crime is pretty low here too.

From most of the panhandle you are about 1.5 hours to Mobile, 3 hours to New Orleans, 6 hours to Atlanta, 7 hours to Savannah, 5 hours to Jacksonville, and 10 hours to Houston. There is also a bit of seasonal change here. It is as hot as the rest of FL from May through Sept. but by mid Oct. the temperature drops down into the upper 70s to mid 80s. From Dec. through Feb. it can go down to freezing at night and stay in the 50s or 60s during the day. You will probably need a light jacket in Jan. and Feb. Those two months pass as winter here. There are deciduous trees and the leaves are just now starting to change color.

There are no major retailers here. Sam's Club not Costco, Dillards not Macy's, etc. Starbucks just started popping up about 5 years ago. There is a Barnes and Noble in P'cola.

There is no shortage of outdoor recreation. There is plenty of opportunity for fishing, boating, and scuba or snorkeling in the rivers, bays, and the Gulf. There is also ample hiking, canoing, mountain biking, and camping available on the Eglin AFB reservation and in the state parks and forests.

Pensacola (Escambia County) -
Of all the main cities on the panhandle, Pensacola is the largest. It also has the highest crime and the worst school system. There is more poverty evident there and there are some pretty bad neighborhoods. That is comparing it to other panhandle cities. Compared to places like Orlando or Miami, Pensacola's problems are minor. If you have school age children, the public schools in this county are pretty bad (ranked 57th out of 67).

Pensacola Beach is not actually in P'cola, it is in Gulf Breeze and it will take you anywhere from 10-25 minutes to get there depending on what part of town you live in. There is a 3 mile bridge connecting Pensacola to Gulf Breeze across the bay.

Pensacola has some decent stores and restaurants but nothing too fancy. It currently has the largest airport on the panhandle but it is not even close in size to the airports in Orlando or Tampa. There is the University of West Florida and two of the best hospitals in the US, Baptist and Sacred Heart. Pensacola is a very old city and there is a nice historic district.

Gulf Breeze (Santa Rosa County) -
Gulf Breeze is just a few minutes away from Pensacola so you are close to Pensacola's amenities but without Pensacola's problems. Gulf Breeze is a predominantly middle-upper middle class area so the houses are a bit more expensive. It is a very nice area and you are actually closer to the beach here than P'cola. Gulf Breeze is in a different county and the schools here are very good (ranked 6th out of 67). Crime is extremely low here. There are not many stores or restaurants but you are only a few minutes to those in Pensacola.

Milton (Santa Rosa County) -
Milton is a small town and is the more "country" of the three. Houses are very affordable here. It is a bit more working class than Gulf Breeze but it is a nice town and has a small historic area. You are further from the beach but you can be there in about 30 minutes. There are few shops or restaurants other than the Mom 'n Pop variety. It is about 20 minutes or so to Pensacola's amenities. The area is farther inland but it is not immune to hurricane risk. Milton took a lot of damage from hurricane Ivan including a tornado that killed one or two people. As it is in Santa Rosa County, the schools here are much better than P'cola.

I would consider Navarre also. I used to live here and we liked it quite a bit. It is almost exactly halfway between Pensacola and Fort Walton Beach, about 15 miles either way. The beach there is nicer than Pensacola's in my opinion. It is less congested and there are fewer tourists. The area is mostly middle - upper middle class like Gulf Breeze and house prices have dropped quite a bit in the last 2 years. It's a quiet area with low crime. There aren't many major stores or restaurants (there is a Wal-mart) so you have to drive to P'cola or FWB to do most shopping other than grocery. They are in the process of bringing more major retailers in and they are building a very nice town center. It is also in Santa Rosa so the schools are very good.

Of the 4 places mentioned, Gulf Breeze and Navarre are the most upscale communities. Houses are a bit higher here but still very affordable compared to most of FL. Milton is a bit more blue collar but is very affordable and is a quiet country town. Pensacola is a bit of both. Some areas are very upscale with grand houses and other areas are down at the bottom of the scale. Personally, I would live in Gulf Breeze or Navarre and hit Pensacola when necessary. Just my opinion.

[sunrico90]

Originally Posted by deckardc

The panhandle has the nicest beaches in Florida (unless you are a surfer) and that is not an exaggeration. The sand is made of quartz rather than silica so it is snow white, you can walk on it barefoot at noon in July and not burn your feet. The water is clear enough that you can stand in it chest deep and look down and see your toes. If you fish from the municipal piers, you can see the fish in the water and just sort of dangle your line in front of them. The beaches are like this pretty much from Apalachicola to the Alabama state line.

The cost of living is much lower here than the most of Florida. Unfortunately, if you live within twenty miles of the coast, you will pay fairly high homeowners insurance. The risk here is almost as high as the Miami area. Hurricane Ivan hit here in 2004 and did a tremendous amount of damage. The damage is still visible in many areas.

The area is very right wing Christian conservative and is a heavily military area. The entire panhandle is about 80% white and is a bit Old South. A lot of people from outside of the south have moved into the area in the last 10 years so it is beginning to lose it's Redneck Riviera mentality. Every city here is basically a small town, including Pensacola, so the pace of life is much slower and traffic is nothing like the bigger cities. Crime is pretty low here too.

From most of the panhandle you are about 1.5 hours to Mobile, 3 hours to New Orleans, 6 hours to Atlanta, 7 hours to Savannah, 5 hours to Jacksonville, and 10 hours to Houston. There is also a bit of seasonal change here. It is as hot as the rest of FL from May through Sept. but by mid Oct. the temperature drops down into the upper 70s to mid 80s. From Dec. through Feb. it can go down to freezing at night and stay in the 50s or 60s during the day. You will probably need a light jacket in Jan. and Feb. Those two months pass as winter here. There are deciduous trees and the leaves are just now starting to change color.

There are no major retailers here. Sam's Club not Costco, Dillards not Macy's, etc. Starbucks just started popping up about 5 years ago. There is a Barnes and Noble in P'cola.

There is no shortage of outdoor recreation. There is plenty of opportunity for fishing, boating, and scuba or snorkeling in the rivers, bays, and the Gulf. There is also ample hiking, canoing, mountain biking, and camping available on the Eglin AFB reservation and in the state parks and forests.

Pensacola (Escambia County) -
Of all the main cities on the panhandle, Pensacola is the largest. It also has the highest crime and the worst school system. There is more poverty evident there and there are some pretty bad neighborhoods. That is comparing it to other panhandle cities. Compared to places like Orlando or Miami, Pensacola's problems are minor. If you have school age children, the public schools in this county are pretty bad (ranked 57th out of 67).

Pensacola Beach is not actually in P'cola, it is in Gulf Breeze and it will take you anywhere from 10-25 minutes to get there depending on what part of town you live in. There is a 3 mile bridge connecting Pensacola to Gulf Breeze across the bay.

Pensacola has some decent stores and restaurants but nothing too fancy. It currently has the largest airport on the panhandle but it is not even close in size to the airports in Orlando or Tampa. There is the University of West Florida and two of the best hospitals in the US, Baptist and Sacred Heart. Pensacola is a very old city and there is a nice historic district.

Gulf Breeze (Santa Rosa County) -
Gulf Breeze is just a few minutes away from Pensacola so you are close to Pensacola's amenities but without Pensacola's problems. Gulf Breeze is a predominantly middle-upper middle class area so the houses are a bit more expensive. It is a very nice area and you are actually closer to the beach here than P'cola. Gulf Breeze is in a different county and the schools here are very good (ranked 6th out of 67). Crime is extremely low here. There are not many stores or restaurants but you are only a few minutes to those in Pensacola.

Milton (Santa Rosa County) -
Milton is a small town and is the more "country" of the three. Houses are very affordable here. It is a bit more working class than Gulf Breeze but it is a nice town and has a small historic area. You are further from the beach but you can be there in about 30 minutes. There are few shops or restaurants other than the Mom 'n Pop variety. It is about 20 minutes or so to Pensacola's amenities. The area is farther inland but it is not immune to hurricane risk. Milton took a lot of damage from hurricane Ivan including a tornado that killed one or two people. As it is in Santa Rosa County, the schools here are much better than P'cola.

I would consider Navarre also. I used to live here and we liked it quite a bit. It is almost exactly halfway between Pensacola and Fort Walton Beach, about 15 miles either way. The beach there is nicer than Pensacola's in my opinion. It is less congested and there are fewer tourists. The area is mostly middle - upper middle class like Gulf Breeze and house prices have dropped quite a bit in the last 2 years. It's a quiet area with low crime. There aren't many major stores or restaurants (there is a Wal-mart) so you have to drive to P'cola or FWB to do most shopping other than grocery. They are in the process of bringing more major retailers in and they are building a very nice town center. It is also in Santa Rosa so the schools are very good.

Of the 4 places mentioned, Gulf Breeze and Navarre are the most upscale communities. Houses are a bit higher here but still very affordable compared to most of FL. Milton is a bit more blue collar but is very affordable and is a quiet country town. Pensacola is a bit of both. Some areas are very upscale with grand houses and other areas are down at the bottom of the scale. Personally, I would live in Gulf Breeze or Navarre and hit Pensacola when necessary. Just my opinion.

Deckardc,

Excellent post, you cover the key areas perfectly....

Mr. Tudo,

What about Holley by the Sea?

[MrTudo]

Originally Posted by sunrico90

Deckardc,

Excellent post, you cover the key areas perfectly....

Mr. Tudo,

What about Holley by the Sea?

Sunrico, we liked Holley by the Sea although we were not pleased with the brown grass everyone seems to have there in the winter. Liked the location ( regarding the beach nearby etc etc NOT the gulf )

I personally think that housing is overpriced and we are looking about an hour from where we live now. IF prices were to continue correcting there about 20% more, it would compell us to come back and look smoe and maybe buy one assuming the floor plan became available. There's one we liked more than all the others.

Love that billboard on the road going past Pensacola...... carrier picture and "Live, Liberty and the Pursuit of those who would threaten it"

Great motto. Wish they would though.

Don't get me started.

[deckardc]

Originally Posted by MrTudo

Sunrico, we liked Holley by the Sea although we were not pleased with the brown grass everyone seems to have there in the winter.

We used to live in Holley By The Sea and the HOA has a pretty strict lawn requirement and a sprinkler system is mandatory. However, in this part of FL it often goes down to freezing at night in the winter so everyone turns off their lawn systems and drain the pumps so the pipes don't freeze. The best part of HBTS is the excellent recreation center for residents.

[MrTudo]

Originally Posted by deckardc

We used to live in Holley By The Sea and the HOA has a pretty strict lawn requirement and a sprinkler system is mandatory. However, in this part of FL it often goes down to freezing at night in the winter so everyone turns off their lawn systems and drain the pumps so the pipes don't freeze. The best part of HBTS is the excellent recreation center for residents.

I don't know about that. What I do know is everyones lawn is brown in january when we were there.

It doesn't go brown like that in New Jersey.

I read about a lot of problems with the HBTS association on a local Navarre forum

[zone8Heather]

I personally would avoid any subdivisions that you must travel hwy 98 for any length of time. Pretty busy and dangerous road. I see several accidents per day there. If you want to be near the ammenities of Pensacola, historic Pensacola activities, Pensacola Beach and everything you need on a day to day basis, Gulf Breeze proper is the way to go. It makes a huge difference living inside the city limits versus out Hwy 98. Most people I know that have to make that drive despise it.

[me3tv]

Gulf Breeze good choice for someone desiring beach accessibility all the time. Also an easy commute to Pensacola over the bridge. Navarre has a lot of urbanity since we left the area 35 years ago (live in NJ now and coming back in 2 years). Milton is hands down small town favorite but not near Hwy 90 ... where did all that traffic come from? E side of Milton is Baker - even smaller town - amazingly good looking now compared to 40 years ago bustling farm town. We will come back to Milton. The new Garcon Point (Redfish Point) bridge makes coming back to Mulat (old family roots) our first choice. Some of our roots go North to Chumuckla and the boom in building is headed that way ... slight delay as housing markets settle out. Our Mulat (Avalon Beach - Milton) roots suggest from long experience and future trends that the Moors area and the ease of access to Beaches and to Pensacola make it very desirable. BUT - there indeed was some concern over that old storm - Ivan. the 1925 storm probably made as much inland headway but back then there were hardly any homes near the water. That storm made a mess of some properties that should have never seen hurricane damage. So ... we will buy or build with an eye for weather. Mod deleted

Oh yes! Navy and Air Force heritage are deep here. Its a good thing.