[hotovaga]

Guys.
I have no idea how I found this site, but I will tell you this:
We are moving to Shalimar Florida from Marina California not only because of California's economy which is getting worse and the worst is awainting, but also we have a business deal (working on it) down in Shalimar.
So, I was trying to get some date Online 'bout Florida. Checked craig'slist and few other websites.
Any help/tips from you Floridians for us about moving and stuff? Looks to me, we have to fly to Pensacola and then commute to Shalimar. Can any one please tell me which is the best way to go from Pensacola airport to Shalimar?
Also, how is housing there (Shalimar)? I know it's cheaper than the Bay Area, but what is the actual living there?
Any help from you guys is sincerely appreciated.
Thanx 4 reading.

[beachmouse]

Shalimar's effectively a small suburb of FWB. In terms of buying a house, an average single family home (1500-2300 sf, two car garage) that's not direct waterfront will run about $200-$300K in the Ft. Walton Beach (Shalimar)-Niceville-Destin area, $150-$250K if you're willing to commute in from Navarre or Crestview, and $300-$500K in the Beaches of South Walton resort area east of Destin. Haven't rented for a whle so I don't know what current market rates are. If you want to buy something direct waterfront, you pretty much start at $500K and go up from there.

Utility costs are pretty much national average. Property taxes run about 1% of the purchase price and are capped California-style from rising more than 3% a year. Homeowner's insurance is what gets you down here- we've got an average 1700 sf house in Flood Zone X (ie. not a flood area) that's 40+ feet above sea level and we're seen as having a good deal because we only pay $1500/year. I know people who pay $4K or more even though they aren't direct waterfront, just because they're pretty close to sea level. Car insurance is again pretty much national average. It costs us $130/month for a VW Passat and a Subaru Outback. No sales tax on groceries, no state income tax.

If you have kids, the schools in both Okaloosa (FWB, Shalimar, Niceville, Destin, Crestview, etc.) and Santa Rosa (Navarre, Gulf Breeze, Milton, Pace) counties have strong academic reputations. The only private schools tend to be pretty fundamentalist.

Socially, it's a pretty conservative area. Okaloosa County is effectively an Air Force company town. But it's also a very live and let live sort of place, your neighbors have lived all over the world before ending up here, and you will not lack for decent strip mall Thai food. (which is far better than the strip mall Chinese food you can find in the area)

You've essentially got two ways of getting from the Pensacola airport to FWB- US 98 and I-10 to the north. Even though it's surface roads, the US 98 route along the coast is shorter and is almost always quicker unless you get caught up in rush hour traffic by the Hurlburt Field gate. The traffic in the area isn't big city traffic, but it's pretty bad by small metro area standards, especially during summer tourist season.

Also price flights into VPS (Ft. Walton Beach/ NW Florida regional). It's not quite as cheap as going into Pensacola, but you're like 5 minutes from Shalimar instead of an hour plus.

[On-da-Beach]

Beachmouse is dead on...

[hotovaga]

Thanks for your detailed reply.
I am considering fying to VPS instead of Pensacola, and I was talking 'bout renting an apt. or a house. Buying something now...in this economy......could've been better, "ONLY" if I had enough cash..
Bye the way, do you have any economic picture of the town itself? What is the traffic flow on Eglyn Pkwy? The business i'm considering is on Eglyn and convenient/gas oriented. Any word of encouragement, please?
I found a town house and will meet the owner when I fly in early January for a preliminary assesment of the business. Your words of advice will definitely help me lot understanding the cirmumsances better.
Thanks again for your support.
Regards.

[beachmouse]

No idea of traffic counts.

In terms of general economic outlook for the area, pretty good in coming years. The Air Force's latest BRAC round will put Eglin AFB and satellite bases up by about 3,000 jobs by 2011 (Net population up by about 10-15K people because of BRAC) , provided the idiots in Valpariso don't manage to screw up the placement of the F-35 training wing at Eglin. Though there's going to be a couple of screwy years because they're drawing down another fighter wing before they bring the F-35s in.

In terms of retail for the area, realize that's you're competing with the base commisary and gas station system when it comes to uniformed personnel, and that if you don't offer something special for the military folks, they tend to prefer to shop on base because the prices are usually better. What can you do to get people to stop at your business instead of the West Gate Shopette?

Another factor is that they're moving the south end courthouse in the next couple of years from Shalimar to a location in the NW corner of FWB. (They've got security and ADA issues with the old courthouse, and it's cheaper to build new than try to retrofit) No one knows what's going into the old courthouse area after the move, and there are some issues with deed restrictions that I think still have to be dealt with before that land can be reused.

In terms of encouragement, Eglin owns 90% of the land south of I-10 in the county. The private land in that area is largely built out, and people are always going to want to live and shop close to where they work, which is in the core area of FWB-Destin (and to some extent Niceville) If you can offer good service at the right price, then the customer base is going to keep driving past your front door. It's a good location for a commercial establishment, and there isn't really room for much outright new unrestricted/ non-military commercial development in FWB; only really redevelopment.

[hotovaga]

Once again, I would like to thank you for taking your time and giving me a detailed walk thru. appreciate that a lot!

And something scary too......

My background as a bakery and deli manager obviouly keeps me focusing on products like braekfast, gourmet deli and bakery products.

It is 'gas station', or, 'used to be' I should say, but I wana focus mainly on food items. I currently work for a national supermarket chain and in my service area, the average median household income is 90k+. My area is upscale gourmet food, world class, and I believe that gas station food can't even come close to what I have in mind, and I would sell gas of course, folks need to buy gas friom me to come to me (he he).

It's like a fusion, conventional gas station environment outside, but neat and exceptional food inside.

But the court house's moving is kinda scary news to me. Do you know by any chance when they are moving the court house?

But the increase of population is a great news for me. Bye the way, according to the US Census Bureau (2000), only 700 people live in that unincorporated city (Shalimar)? That's what I'm getting from Wikipidia and few other links!

I am counting on your next reply to this. If you have time, I apprecite that. and I would also want to wish you a very merry Christmas, Hanuka and a very fine New Year

[beachmouse]

Courthouse is going to be a couple miles away. I want to say near the intersection of Beal and Lewis Turner.

Yeah, Shalimar proper is pretty tiny, but there's a bigger area outside the town limits that's lumped in with the Shalimar zip code, and it's adjacent to both incorporated and unincorporated Ft. Walton Beach.

It's not a foodie area in terms of people looking for the newest exotic food trends from halfway around the world, but people are willing to give something a little bit different a try.

[hotovaga]

Originally Posted by beachmouse

It's not a foodie area in terms of people looking for the newest exotic food trends from halfway around the world, but people are willing to give something a little bit different a try.

U probably mistook the word "fusion" I said. I actually meant to say that the usual "gas station" business along with "food" combination.

I am willing to try to sell "food" for breakfast, lunch and dinner in a gas station compound.

food (like chicken) processed by companies like "Sara Lee', 'Tyson' (these are no new names to the American folks who can buy a pound of chicken wings for $6.99), cheese (from 4.99-11.99), salad (from 2.99-5.99), lunch meat(from 4.99-14.99) from the best companies known all over the US, not 'halfway' around the glob as you put it.

My only delimma is, are people in Shalimar used to, willing or able to buy that kind of gourmet food.

What is your suggestion to get business from the 'airmen' and or airwomen' in Shalimar?

Please enlighten me as you did in your previous posts. I owe you my honest gratitude in this regards.

Thanks.

[beachmouse]

Comfort foods done well will sell in the area. World cuisine adjusted for American tastes does too. The airmen that are the lifeblood of the lunch crowd along Eglin parkway have pretty diverse food interests. The restaurants that work on the stretch of the road include Thai, Chinese buffet, Southern, Mexican, hot wings, Greek, fried chicken, deli, etc. as well as the usual fast food suspects. People prefer Boar's Head for a deli meat; it's seen as an upgrade from Sara Lee.

There's a place called Dodge's Country Store on the far south end of Eglin near US 98 that does that kind of hot food and gas combo really successfully- good fried chicken and biscuit sandwiches, cheaper coffee than Starbucks. It's far enough away that it's not direct competition to a Shlimar location, but it gives you an idea of what can work well in the area.

[hotovaga]

My mentioning os Sara Lee was just a reference. I know about Boars Head products, they are healthier than the common market suppliers. And pricy too!
But the problem is, there aren't many ( 'any' I should say) wholeseller/distributors of national brand food products in the neighborhood! Seems like I have to rely on monthly shipment instead of weekly or bi-weekly. And the 'minimum' account requirements are going to be a bit risky for a beginner, given the fact that the freshness of produtcs and the 'shrink' factor.
Same goes with b2b grocery wholesell also!
Anyway, thanks for all the insight and I wish you and yours a very Happy New Year.