[Scotsman]

Hi All,

I am moving to Florida, to the Gainesville and Alachua County area, I am looking to buy land I have a budget of around $50,000. The question I have what is the best size of land should I be looking at for $50,000?

[ellie]

Last I heard, land in the unincorporated area cost about $10,000/ac. Alachua county is pretty expensive compared to the others surrounding it, except Marion, which is about the same or more. You can find more info at the county appraiser's office http://www.acpafl.org/

[Prichard]

Check out the area west of Gainesville (outside of town) - that land out there was always pretty cheap. You can live on it just fine, but it's not real good for development because impervious clays that make drainage difficult.

[root]

Does anyone have any info about the city of Alachua? It seems like it just outside of Gainesville? Any help would be appreciated.

[ellie]

What do you need to know? It's a small town outside of a larger town, it's on the interstate, seems to be growing rapidly, serves as a bedroom community to a large degree, people who live there seem to like it, it has a nice downtown and will be getting a super Walmart. Here's a link to the local news, it's searchable.
http://gainesville.com/apps/pbcs.dll/frontpage

[root]

How is the job situation in Alachua (and the county in general) for a person with a college degree in business/accounting? I suppose alot of people commute back and forth to Gainesville. How long is the usual drive from Alachua to Gainesville? Also, how is the weather compared with the rest of the state? I am trying to find a comparable city to the one I live in now in the Midwest. I live in a town of about 6000 people and commute a half hour both ways each day to work . Any other problems a person should know about? After reading the other threads on this board, there seems like there are many.

Thanks everyone.

[root]

Just some follow up questions to the ones listed above,

How are the schools of Alachua county?

Crime seems to be going up all over Florida, especially South Florida. What about north Florida? Is crime a very big problem in Alachua and Gaineville in general?

Thanks everyone

[ellie]

Originally Posted by root

How is the job situation in Alachua (and the county in general) for a person with a college degree in business/accounting? I suppose alot of people commute back and forth to Gainesville. How long is the usual drive from Alachua to Gainesville? Also, how is the weather compared with the rest of the state? I am trying to find a comparable city to the one I live in now in the Midwest. I live in a town of about 6000 people and commute a half hour both ways each day to work . Any other problems a person should know about? After reading the other threads on this board, there seems like there are many.

Thanks everyone.

Personally, I think that the town of Alachua has fewer of the problems that most Florida posters complain of. It's very small, far from the coast, in the north central part of the state, and more traditionally southern than the urban parts of the state. It's less than a half hour's drive from most parts of Gainesville. I imagine that you're as safe living there as anywhere. The weather is hellishly hot (for 9 months) in the summer and cool in the winter.

I recommend that you do your homework on living in the south. Read up on posts from neighboring states regarding culture, racial issues, and religion. It will probably be as conservative or more conservative than what you are used to in Wisconsin, depending on your area. Do the typical searches for employment using the internet. College degrees are a dime a dozen in Alachua county and because of the business school at the University of Florida; competition for the few jobs available may be steep.

My sense of things in general is the people of Alachua are not looking forward to a population boom (though those in the development business are). From what I've been personally told by some people in the nearby town of High Springs, you may not be welcomed at all by some. It appears that people are fleeing south Florida and moving to these smaller towns, making long-time residents feel resentful at rising taxes, more traffic, and costs of living. Please try and understand their point of view. You may fit in better in Gainesville because the city is acustomed to a higher population turnover.

[root]

Ellie (and everyone else in the forum),

I appreciate all the information you have given. It was very detailed and that is what I like. I live in a rural community, so I have a good idea of what you are talking about regarding outside feelings and the like. Alachua (and the surrounding area) seems like a city that is ready to boom, and that is kind of why I am interested in it. I found it interesting that you say college degrees are a dime a dozen. Seems like the competition for jobs is pretty healthy then. I have read all the horror stories about Miami and Orlando and Jacksonville, so I am interested in all parts of the state.

Any other information or details you (or anyone) have about the city is welcome. Thanks again

[Sunshine State]

Hi to all of you, Im from Jacksonville Beach Florida, grew up in Gainesville... its lovely here, expensive yes, unfriendly - definitely no, lol...Alachua, Newberry, Lake City, High Springs, San Felasco, Starke (where state prison is) Windsor, Ocala, all these towns are filled with friendly Floridians, if weve been inhabited here in Florida its due to Mexicans from the recent allowance of illegal overflow allowed by our president and his brother, our past governor, and the Katrina disaster...thats in recent years, all of Florida, Miami Ft. Lauderdale areas are particularly of Hispanic origins now, due to island people who came there many many years ago, or you may remember them as "boat people" ...these people live primarily in the south of Florida, menus in KFC's there are often times only in Spanish languages, so bring your dictionaries for translation if you intend to stay for good... the job situation is Central Florida is not good and wages are low, weve many retired Navy and other military families as well due to the varied military installations located around Florida... over here on the gold coast where I live its very cosmopolitan and job situation is sketchy here as well, however the nursing field is wide open here ...we have what the Shands Teaching Hospital that is an extension of the bigger hospital in Gainesville...good luck to you all in getting here, its a lovely state, and few people ever want to leave it if they can find a way to stay