[sunrico90]

Northwest Florida has the potential to become the last frontier for the state. The area is a lot less expensive that central and south Florida, crime is lower, education is rate in most of the counties as A+, jobs are available. Jobs in the aerospace & aviation manufacturing covers from Panama City to Pcola, most jobs for aircraft mechanics start over the $21.00 per hour with all the benefits.

With some of the largest military bases in the nation, the area maintains a evolving character to accommodate over over 60,000
active military, civil service, and military dependents. jobs are secured and most small business do survive. The overall economic impact of the Eglin Complex for Okaloosa is $5,000,000,000 annually!

Some of the companies in the area: Actionwear USA, Advanced Technologies & Systems Inc., Aerospace Integration Corporation, ARINC, Avionics Test and Analysis Corp., BAE Systems, Boeing Company/SOF Aerospace Support Center, Burton Golf, Inc., Chromalloy Florida, Coastal Insulation, Dynetics Inc., Federal Express, Gulf Coast Waste, Henderson Electric Inc.,L-3 COMM, HERCO Sheet Metal Inc., Magna Manufacturing Inc., Manufacturing Technology Inc., Metric Systems, Micro Systems Inc., Payroll Management Inc., REICO Inc., Signal Technologies Corp./Keltec Operation, Spectrum Sciences & Software Inc., Synergy Nutritional Industries Inc., Technical Services Laboratory Inc., Waste Management, Edwin Watts Golf

http://www.florida-edc.org/images/local%20neighbor.jpg (broken link)

The white sands beaches are unique and the with clear waters has become a new paradise for locals and tourist alike. Someone mentioned "boring". Again the coast is full of life most of the year March - Aug is hot, with he Spring break Capital @ Panama City, with the luckies fishing village Destin, this area is packed with fun. Although tourism peaks in the spring and summer, vacationers and part-time residents from the northern United States and Canada enjoy the mild fall and winter months. Now if boring is not having ten of thousand of people in line to use the bathroom, well I think must of us will stay here.

Dining is supreme! Okaloosa County offers exquisite fresh seafood and an outstanding cultural diversity in a vast number of restaurants. Everything from local to international cuisine, and beach-casual to five-star dining experiences can be enjoyed.

Destin is becoming the South's most popular shopping destination!

The Silver Sands Factory Outlet is the largest designer outlet mall in the nation with over 100 designer names, and the Destin Commons provides its own downtown atmosphere full of shopping and dining.

Now many of the central and south Florida families are relocating to this area. They are also finding Paradise, just like many of us did...

[Alphaman]

[quote=sunrico90;2725923
Now many of the central and south Florida families are relocating to this area. They are also finding Paradise, just like many of us did...[/quote]


It`s too bad because everyone moving there will ruin it like Orlando area is now.

[sunrico90]

Originally Posted by Alphaman

It`s too bad because everyone moving there will ruin it like Orlando area is now.

Yes that is a possibility, but we have a lot of space for grow and a very involved community might make a difference. IS not all about money, family values are still alive in this area.

[tallrick]

I just can't figure out what to do. All I want is what my parents had when they lived here in the 50's, 60's and even part of the 70's. It seems like from the 80's on we have been getting a raw deal. I escaped the madness of Miami to have the real estate bubble follow me wherever I go. My hope is that south Florida finally finds reality and all the madness fades. Life is too short to spend it all struggling with high taxes, Team Metro and watching all your friends move away. Even our business is suffering as we try to compete globally with Florida's red tape and high expenses dragging things down. I would miss my tropical plants, but thanks to the mismanaged water supply, it may happen anyway. Wherever I go, I just want 50 years of open space and low property prices. When I am dead it will not make a difference if a real estate bubble swallows everything up. I just don't want to move somewhere and end up in another Miami, or Weston.

[BlueWillowPlate]

Originally Posted by tallrick

I just can't figure out what to do. All I want is what my parents had when they lived here in the 50's, 60's and even part of the 70's. .

Few of us are going to get that.

In the 50's, I was a toddler living in Salinas, California with my mom and dad.
Salinas was a sleepy agricultural community back then. Monterey County was unspoiled. Can you imagine what the cost of living (and real estate) is there now?

Later, in the 70's,my parents bought a home in Denver for $37,000.
That same home is now worth at the very least, half a million. My mother told me that the location of the home was empty rolling hills when she was a girl.

You've answered your own question with the title of this thread.

[mastic hustla]

i could never move from south florida to the panhandle, to much of a culture shock

[Strel]

Originally Posted by mastic hustla

i could never move from south florida to the panhandle, to much of a culture shock

It would be that much of a shock for you to experience some actual culture?

[CJFlorida]

Originally Posted by mastic hustla

i could never move from south florida to the panhandle, to much of a culture shock

We tried it. We did Pensacola for a year and hated every moment. Too humid, too religious, too southern for me, too cold in the winter. Some love it, we hated it. I'll take S. FL, warts and all any day.

[mastic hustla]

im hispanic, theres plenty of culture down here, and its to cold up there, im from cuba

[riveree]

Originally Posted by tallrick

I just can't figure out what to do. All I want is what my parents had when they lived here in the 50's, 60's and even part of the 70's. It seems like from the 80's on we have been getting a raw deal. I escaped the madness of Miami to have the real estate bubble follow me wherever I go. My hope is that south Florida finally finds reality and all the madness fades. Life is too short to spend it all struggling with high taxes, Team Metro and watching all your friends move away. Even our business is suffering as we try to compete globally with Florida's red tape and high expenses dragging things down. I would miss my tropical plants, but thanks to the mismanaged water supply, it may happen anyway. Wherever I go, I just want 50 years of open space and low property prices. When I am dead it will not make a difference if a real estate bubble swallows everything up. I just don't want to move somewhere and end up in another Miami, or Weston.

You can still find relatively affordable small acreage in NEFL, just not near the coast.

Based on your description, I think you'd like:

Lake City
Keystone Heights - Keystone could be the real winner for you.

You might also like:

Gainesville (Check out Micanopy, just outside Gainesville...not cheap, but very pretty)

If you decide you want something closer to a large city:

Fernandina Beach
Callahan
MacClenny
Baldwin
Westside of Jacksonville - the far Westside still has a rural feel/is rural; parts of the Northside too.

It's completely different up here than it is in Miami, you might want to give it a look.