[JRA2000TL]

I love FL so much better than AL and have many relatives just over the state line in Pensacola and Gulf Breeze. I really like going over to the beach frequently on the weekends, and the more I'm over there, the more I'd really like to live there. My question is.....is it worth it?

I know property taxes, insurance, and flood insurance is very expensive there compared to Mobile. The job situation over there is not so hot either just like here. I currently work in a position where I can live anywhere near an airport since I travel and telecommute. I'm an auditor but I don't have a CPA. My girlfriend, on the other hand, will be pursuing a career in nursing. She'll be in school a year or two; then plans on working as an RN.

I'm also worried about the hurricanes and the surge. I'm at 109 ft. above sea level here, and I'm in a 2nd floor apartment. Other than standard renters insurance, I live worry free when the storms hit (other than the town's mass chaos). I know if I move there, I will definitely have to get flood insurance.

I am just thinking a few years down the road once we're married and settled. Life is incredibly cheaper here and I can be at the beach in 2 hours or less AND I'm not directly in the line of fire. I'm close enough to almost or probably be considered a local already, but I'm not IN Florida and YES there are differences when you cross the state line. Is it feasible to try to find a job over there and take the huge jump in expenses or live where I am and drive 1-2 hours to the beach often?

[beachmouse]

Culturally, Pensacola and Mobile are pretty Old South similar. The FWB area is its own little bubble with the military and the high tech weapons development crowd.

Hurricanes, you can get a fairly good idea of damage possibilities in different areas based on Ivan damage. Gulf Breeze and Destin are effectively giant sandbars. There are some parts of inland Pensacola, FWB and Niceville that have solid flood zone X designation, and Pensacola's got some hilly parts. Next time you're in Pensacola, check out the Scenic Hills/ Scenic Highway area just north of the airport. Some serious bluffs there, and if you stick west of the highway you aren't going to have to worry about hurricane damage.

In terms of taxes, property taxes are higher here. No sales tax on food and some other items judged to be essental. But then service levels are higher here too. Main roads in Florida tend to be built and kept to a higher standard than Alabama roads and the public school system has higher utilization rates and is frequently better quality. My impression is that crime rates are lower on the FL side as well.

Whether you find value in that higher level of service is up to you and your family. In general, it sounds like there is no right or wrong answer in your case, and it could easily come down to where your girlfriend could get into a good nursing program in a timely manner. (Some of the local nursing programs have demand far above the number of seats available)