Looking to move to Vero Beach / Melbourne Area (Orlando, Wellington: mortgage broker, oceanfront)

[Derb]

First let me start off by saying thanks for any replies and please no negativity.

My wife, 5 yr old daughter, and I are looking to relocate from Central Palm Beach County (Greenacres), to around the Vero/Melbourne area and were hoping to get some get good information/advice from current residents. Schools, areas to buy, things to do, etc. The cost of living, traffic, influx of not-so-nice people, and many other things are the reasons for our decision to move. We are originally from NJ, which is a melting pot of cultures, but down here is getting worse by the day. We have lived here for 4 years now and have seen the growth of people, taxes, hurricane insurance, traffice, crime, you name it, and its time for a change.

I have done some research on the Vero/Melbourne to include crime stats, real estate, schools, etc, and was hoping to hear as much as possible about these areas.

School is a major concern for our daughter. As many of you probably know, the public school systems in FL arent the best. We currently send her to private school (very expensive) and were hoping to find a good public school to save the cost.

Work is of course a major concern in the move as both myself and my wife work. I'm in the Information Technology field and my wife is an optician. I know that the Vero Beach area offers less tech job opportunities than Melbourne and that will also play into a move.

Real Estate and social activity is also a big decision. My in-laws currently live in Sebastian and I think that is too slow for us. I mean, great place to raise kids, but coming from PBC to Sebastian, I would be bored out of my mind. We are in our low 30's, not 60's-70's. Hoping to find something in between fast and slow. We are looking to purchase a new home and east of 95, west of US1.

HELP!! and thanks

[Denise in Fla]

I lived in Brevard county when I first moved to FL, then to Martin county. We are now back in Brevard (Rockledge). I can't really say much about schools because we have no school age children. Reason we moved back here mainly because of a more laid back feeling, the traffic is no where as bad and there are more things to do. I find that the beaches are much nicer, and I agree about the people not being so nice. As far as jobs I have been looking for 3 months and really haven't found anything worth while except if I want to drive to Orlando. I agree Sebastian is nice, but alittle boring. I think you will find plenty of things to do on the Space Coast. As far as housing we are renting for the time being, as far as buying check out Florida Today newspaper on line to get a feel for houses. Good Luck with your move

[Sueilp]

Hi, I live in Vero but actually just on the outskirts of Sebastian....I am barely in my 30's now with 2 kids and we love it here. We like the slower place of life but I am not a city person....i would say you would need to go to melbourne area if you are looking for more excitement....if you know Sebastian then you know that it can be slow - it isnt for everyone....

[familyof8]

We made the move three years ago from Wellington- best thing we ever did. The craziness the area offered was awful and we lived there 20 years. The traffic was horrible, the people generally snobby and unkind (with exceptions) but not how we wanted our younger three to grow up. Our older children were in college when we moved. Interestingly, we chose Sebastian mainly because of so much to do. It looks sleepy but you have access to everything including a very friendly community (although there are those few ole grouches that the sign boasts of). There are many sports and childrens programs in Sebastian as well as competitive swim and dive teams here at the county aquatic center (and water slides). The parks are numerous and activities at the schools are many. Schools are super according to many parents (in comparison to the state if you asked me). You can check further on that because my opinion of the education system in our country is not a high one. (we homeschool for 11 years) GOOGLE the Chamber of Commerce's websites and pick up relocation packets for more. Just a note, Melbourne and Vero beach are 20 minutes north or south of Sebastian if you are looking for a mall (more stores) and that would be where the towns really differ (we have less shopping here but apparently that is soon to change with the expansion of 512 in the works). The water being so close offers many more opportunities with the Sebastian Inlet, the Environmental Learning Center, and the river itself for adventures, fishing, snorkeling, manatees, dolphins, camps, etc. etc. If you are looking for night life beyond kids sports games, youth groups, or the local bars, then you would have to head that 20 minutes. But for families or retirees, Sebastian wins. No matter where you choose on the Treasure Coast, it beats PBCounty.

[floridasandy]

i live in sebastian and it may be the best town in florida to retire in, but it is not the easiest town to find a job in. it is a safe friendly town but if you are young and looking for a lot to do i would certainly consider a little further north, such as viera. you could post for more information on viera from people who actually live there, plus look at the brevard newspaper floridatoday.com for more information.

[christiebelle]

We are looking at Sebastian for relocation. We'd like to start a pet business of some kind. Do you think it would be successful? If not Sebastian, anywhere close? We really like the area. Are there any acreage areas available for sale? Like five to ten acres? Are they expensive?

[angelar75]

Me, my husband and 2 boys (2 & 3 months old) are looking into Melbourne or Clermont area. The biggest thing for us is the schools and of course jobs.We live in Long Island N.Y. so were realy nervous about the schools. I found 2 web sites that are realy helpful. Scooldigger.com and Sperling.com. From what I have found Melboure has the best schools florida. 4 schools in Brevard county are in the top 10 schools in Florida. The only problem is Melboure is far from Orlando, and thats were the jobs are. Good luck with your move I hope those websites help.

[brevard_resident]

Brevard has some of the best public schools compared to other parts of florida. When do you plan on coming down? I can recommend a personal realtor friend and mortgage broker if you would like.

[Denise in Fla]

Originally Posted by angelar75

Me, my husband and 2 boys (2 & 3 months old) are looking into Melbourne or Clermont area. The biggest thing for us is the schools and of course jobs.We live in Long Island N.Y. so were realy nervous about the schools. I found 2 web sites that are realy helpful. Scooldigger.com and Sperling.com. From what I have found Melboure has the best schools florida. 4 schools in Brevard county are in the top 10 schools in Florida. The only problem is Melboure is far from Orlando, and thats were the jobs are. Good luck with your move I hope those websites help.

Orlando isn't that far from Melbourne, would you be commuting there for work?

[kwick release]

Map of Sykes Creek to Orlando


My sister and husband are buying in Sykes Creek and is only 40mins from MCO airport. Get the good schools and nearby oceanfront but still within reasonable commute to Orlando.