Possible move to FL, is Stuart a nice town? (Miami: credit, property taxes)

[cmp1111]

Thanks much to everyone. I grew up in a town in Central IL that had 300 people, so Hobe Sound sounds appealing. But my husband is a Chicago suburbanite at heart, so...

As I mentioned, the commute won't be every day, by any means, and he currently has an hour commute from our house in NH to the airport in MA - nothing unusual there.

He hopes to have time to visit in early Feb., so now I have some idea of where to tell him to look.

Thanks again!

Any more opinions are welcome - I just wanted to thank people who took the time to respond.

[Dave_n_Tenn]

As my screen name would suggest otherwise.... I live in Martin County. It is my home and where my roots have taken hold.

Although my actual mailing address is Palm City (west of Stuart) I live in unincorporated Martin County. I believe only Stuart is incorporated and possibly Indiantown.

When looking at Stuart.... consider the area in context, not just Stuart. Martin County has a unique character and charm that most find drawn to. The main towns are (from North to South) Jensen Beach, North River Shores,
Stuart, Palm City, Hobe Sound. To the west is Palm City Farms (where I live) and Indiantown, which is 25 miles west of Stuart.

One area I did not mention is Jupiter Island (which is in Martin County) and is for the very wealthy... old money, and if your on CD... that's probably not the place you'd be buying. However looking at the area from a "whole-istic" way will give a better sense of Martin County.

My wife and I have worked here most of our years in Florida, and have raised 4 kiddies (2 are gone) and will happily find a place under the ole Oak tree one day. This is home. I don't just live here... it truely is home.

My Observations about Martin Co.

All schools in Martin Co. are "A" rated... most people are very enviromentally aware, most people are Republican, this is a "slow growth county" and most people like it that way, Martin has the strictest comprehensive growth plan in the state (under constant attack from developers), homes are more expensive then surrounding counties to the north, very active volunteer-ism, most people who live here want to stay here, most roads are good but can get a bit tight at bottles necks.... (US 1 and the Palm City Bridge), great beaches (see Bathtub Beach), great boating/fishing, good hunting (son bagged 2 Deer this year), good parks, plenty of shopping, well the wifey likes it,

simply.... a great place to live.

For any of the pundents who always seem to disagree... (where do you think they originally came from?) this is just a "good ole hometown guy" who likes where he lives. Nothing more... nothing less.

[Lilybeans]

The other thing to keep in mind is that Jupiter and Tequesta are just names on a map. There is no town and no downtown. It's just a highway with strip centers on it. Actually, it seems like most towns in south Florida are that way. Stuart has a real downtown. So do Jensen Beach and even Hobe Sound, even though Hobe Sound's is quiet at the moment.

[cmp1111]

Originally Posted by Dave_n_Tenn

As my screen name would suggest otherwise.... I live in Martin County. It is my home and where my roots have taken hold.

Although my actual mailing address is Palm City (west of Stuart) I live in unincorporated Martin County. I believe only Stuart is incorporated and possibly Indiantown.

When looking at Stuart.... consider the area in context, not just Stuart. Martin County has a unique character and charm that most find drawn to. The main towns are (from North to South) Jensen Beach, North River Shores,
Stuart, Palm City, Hobe Sound. To the west is Palm City Farms (where I live) and Indiantown, which is 25 miles west of Stuart.

One area I did not mention is Jupiter Island (which is in Martin County) and is for the very wealthy... old money, and if your on CD... that's probably not the place you'd be buying. However looking at the area from a "whole-istic" way will give a better sense of Martin County.

My wife and I have worked here most of our years in Florida, and have raised 4 kiddies (2 are gone) and will happily find a place under the ole Oak tree one day. This is home. I don't just live here... it truely is home.

My Observations about Martin Co.

All schools in Martin Co. are "A" rated... most people are very enviromentally aware, most people are Republican, this is a "slow growth county" and most people like it that way, Martin has the strictest comprehensive growth plan in the state (under constant attack from developers), homes are more expensive then surrounding counties to the north, very active volunteer-ism, most people who live here want to stay here, most roads are good but can get a bit tight at bottles necks.... (US 1 and the Palm City Bridge), great beaches (see Bathtub Beach), great boating/fishing, good hunting (son bagged 2 Deer this year), good parks, plenty of shopping, well the wifey likes it,

Thanks for the info. The schools and slow growth sound pretty appealing. Without wanting to get into politics, we tend to be more liberal - would we feel unwelcome or uncomfortable? I guess what I want to know is if everything is very political, or do people just go about their business without a lot of political discussions and disagreements?

Originally Posted by Lilybeans

The other thing to keep in mind is that Jupiter and Tequesta are just names on a map. There is no town and no downtown. It's just a highway with strip centers on it. Actually, it seems like most towns in south Florida are that way. Stuart has a real downtown. So do Jensen Beach and even Hobe Sound, even though Hobe Sound's is quiet at the moment.

That happens even in New England now. The downtowns sounds appealing, too.

[Lilybeans]

I moved here from Vermont.

Martin County politics are like eveywhere else. Local politics are interesting. Nationally, Martin County has voted Republican.

That said, no one really cares what your politics are. We all talk about it, but at the end of the day, everyone is still friends. Martin County has a fairly well educated and informed population. We know we can have different views but still all be friends.

I would not worry at all about politics here. It's very friendly.

If you want to PM me, I'll be happy to give you my phone number to discuss anything you are interested in.

[Dave_n_Tenn]

Originally Posted by cmp1111

Thanks for the info. The schools and slow growth sound pretty appealing. Without wanting to get into politics, we tend to be more liberal - would we feel unwelcome or uncomfortable? I guess what I want to know is if everything is very political, or do people just go about their business without a lot of political discussions and disagreements?

You would feel quite welcome. Values are always more important than politics.

[Jungle George]

I've lived in Stuart for 9 years now, & it's a nice mix of all types of people. Generally friendly, & "small towny" in feel. During the winter months you'll notice more traffic, lines etc as the snowbirds fly south.

There's lots of parks, nature trails, nearby beaches & a lot of nice neighborhoods plus with so many homes on the market, quite a choice of price-range.

If you have any questions, don't hesitate to PM me & I'll try to help!!

Here's a few links to Stuart & Martin County for you.
Stuart, Florida Website - (stuartfla.com) - Everything about Stuart, Florida

Welcome to Stuart, Florida and the website of the Downtown Business Association of Historic Stuart, dedicated to promoting and enhancing the reputation of Stuart as an enduring business, social and entertianment center.

Martin County Fla official tourism site for the best family beach vacation in Florida.

Martin County Home

Stuart/Martin County Chamber of Commerce - Stuart, Florida - GoodNature.org

[Jungle George]

Ooops!!! For some reason the links didn't come out right...

Never said I was a computer "guru"...

Stuart Fl links...take 2...

Stuart, Florida Website - (stuartfla.com) - Everything about Stuart, Florida

Welcome to Stuart, Florida and the website of the Downtown Business Association of Historic Stuart, dedicated to promoting and enhancing the reputation of Stuart as an enduring business, social and entertianment center.

www.martin.fl.us

Stuart/Martin County Chamber of Commerce - Stuart, Florida - GoodNature.org

[cmp1111]

Originally Posted by Lilybeans

I moved here from Vermont.

Martin County politics are like eveywhere else. Local politics are interesting. Nationally, Martin County has voted Republican.

That said, no one really cares what your politics are. We all talk about it, but at the end of the day, everyone is still friends. Martin County has a fairly well educated and informed population. We know we can have different views but still all be friends.

I would not worry at all about politics here. It's very friendly.

If you want to PM me, I'll be happy to give you my phone number to discuss anything you are interested in.

Originally Posted by Dave_n_Tenn

You would feel quite welcome. Values are always more important than politics.

Originally Posted by Jungle George

Ooops!!! For some reason the links didn't come out right...

Never said I was a computer "guru"...

Stuart Fl links...take 2...

Stuart, Florida Website - (stuartfla.com) - Everything about Stuart, Florida

Welcome to Stuart, Florida and the website of the Downtown Business Association of Historic Stuart, dedicated to promoting and enhancing the reputation of Stuart as an enduring business, social and entertianment center.

www.martin.fl.us

Stuart/Martin County Chamber of Commerce - Stuart, Florida - GoodNature.org

Thank you all so much. I grew up in a very Republican family, so I'm certainly not a "people who don't agree with me are evil" type person, so it's good to hear!

Thanks so much for the links, too.

Lilybeans, when we get closer to a decision about IF we want to move, I'll happily take you up on your offer. Thanks so much - that's very very kind.

[ctsoconnor]

Just read your thread- we, too, are moving to Martin county. We just visited the area a couple of weeks ago to get the feel for the different towns. My husband is a pilot, too, but will be flying out of MIA. I am also from Illinois-born in Chicago and living in the SW suburbs now. You really have to visit to see which town suits you best. I can tell you that we LOVE Palm City. Not sure of your price range but there are a lot of great prices on homes right now (and they continue to drop!) I have a 1st grader and soon-to-be preschooler so we even toured two schools in Stuart. If you would like more info- and even pictures of the area- let me know an address to send them to. Hope this helps