Retiring from Military (Atlanta, Columbus, Savannah: environment, relocate, real estate)

[drtwedt]

I'm due to retire from the Navy in 2008 and just want to plan ahead if possible. I want to be close to a good sized base and originaly planned to retire in Jacksonville, Fl. but have been told that since the hurricanes last year everything has gone up. I was looking at Kingsland or some place else across the border from Jax unless there is another good sized base in Ga. Well to my question. I'm looking for any other recomendations to move to by Jax or another base there in Ga. Any other info, good or bad would be appreciated. I'm hoping to by some land 1/2 to 1 acre now and pay it off in the next 2 years and build once I'm out. Or is the housing market better just to wait and buy a house once we get there.

I'm sure my point didn't make sense so if you have questions ask away.

[Karla with a K]

drtwedt
the hurricanes havent really affected us here in Jacksonville. Being in the military you should have USAA ins the best prices around.
karla

[richdwrench]

I lived in Jax for 20 years,if you have any questions just ask away.I know a few real estate agents,and have a house I'm putting on the market.

[MayorOfMacon2019]

Nice to see such high authority figure like you Karla, interacting with everyone. Well there are several bases in Georgia as you may know, the two im most familar with are Warner Robins Air Force Base, Ft Stewart Army Base in Savannah, and Ft Bennett Savannah.

Kingsland which is a base south of Brunswick, Georgia almost near the Florida Line. It is a Naval and Air Force Base, its primary use is not for docking ships, but to train naval and air force personnel. I wouldnt suggest moving to Kingsland but rather commute to Brunswick, which is about a 30-50 minute drive. I will do some more research for you but im not sure there is anyone on this forum from Kingsland who could really help. So ill get back to you soon as I can.

[Padgett2]

If you want strictly Naval Base, there is the Naval Air Station in Beaufort SC. And the Naval Air Station in Atlanta. I think it's really in Marietta.

And of course, there is the Hunter Air Force Base at Savannah, GA. Also Fort Stewart at Hinesville.

[MayorOfMacon2019]

My earlier thread I made a couple mistakes with naming the bases. Ft. Benning is in Columbus, and some consider Columbus to fully function around the base, like many other base towns. Warner Robins Air Force base is in Warner Robins, and Fort Stewart is in colaboration with Hunter Air Force base which is located in Savannah.

[JLA]

I would say that Columbus function with Fort Benning, Phenix City and other cities and towns in the area. We all interact together to ensure a positive growth environment for the entire area. Savannah does not have a Air Force Base, what they have is Hunter Air Field, which is a Army base. To compare Columbus to Warner Robins is not a good assessment. Warner Robins is much smaller and its industrial base is mostly tied to the base, Columbus on the other hand has several Fortune 500 companies which are not dependent on Fort Benning. Although Columbus itself is mostly a white/grey collar city, the rest of the region is very diverse. In Columbus we think regionally, therefore, within a thirty mile radius of Columbus is a large diverse economy supporting around 600,000 people and growing. But don't get me wrong Fort Benning is a vital part of our growth, as a matter of fact with the next 3 to 4 years more than 30,000 more people will be moving here as a result of the base growth. It is estimated that another 5 to 10,000 jobs will be created because of Fort Benning. Columbus' population will grow by more than 20,000 with the rest of the population spread out over the entire region. To make a long story short, the Columbus/Fort Benning/Phenix City/Auburn/Opelika area is an outstanding military retirement area.

[MayorOfMacon2019]

Your wrong the two cities are very closely in common, both are miltary towns, and the military is the largest employer. The olny difference is that Warner Robins is one of the fastest growing areas in Georgia, and the Nation, and Columbus is one of the slowest growing cities in Georgia. I was trying to speak bad about Columbus, I was only stating that the two cities are very similar. Warner Robins is also a supporting cast in Middle Georgia, you do understand that Robins Air Force Base was reported the be the Largest employer in Georgia in 2006. The base is continuing to gain contracts from the United States and is expected to be the largest employer for 2007.

[JLA]

Columbus is a military town, but don't mistake that for Fort Benning being the only big ticket in town. How many growing Fortune 500 Companies can call Macon or Warner Robins home? As for Columbus being one of the slowest growing cities in the state you're right, we are only growing at about 2.2% for now and I believe amongst GA largest cities only Atlanta and Athens is growing faster and this is before the Kia plant and its supporting industries are finished, before AFLAC, and PCI has completed their expansions and before BRAC is finished. Let's see, Columbus will be adding more than 20,000 jobs and more than 30,000 more people within the next 2 to 3 years and outside of Atlanta what other major metro area in GA will be adding near as many jobs and population growth? As an ex-military (Air Force) person I can say that Warner Robins is as military of a town as they come, because its economy is almost exclusively based around the Air Force Base there. By the way, most Air Force bases have a large supporting cast, because of the nature of the Air Force, therefore if a Air Force base has air planes, then there are going to be a lot of humans there to ensure that those planes a ready for war, this will include contract, subcontract workers and major manufacturers of the air planes and engines. It takes a larger supporting cast to maintain air planes, but few people to support the Army, unless it has a mechanize unit, then more people are needed to support the tanks and so forth, that is why Warner Robins AFB is the largest single employer in the state. Regionally we are doing great and statistically Columbus is growing and I don't believe Macon can truthfully make the same claim, although Warner Robins can. MayorOfMacon2019, remember this one thing, Columbus thinks regionally not individually, the industry does not have to locate or relocate in Muscogee County, it just have get close, any of the regional counties will do (Lee, Russel, Chambers in AL or Troup, Harris, Chattahoochee, Muscogee, Talbot, Meriwether or Marion in GA), we're not to picky any of them will do, because the people and their money will eventually end up in Columbus.

[MayorOfMacon2019]

Columbus is great and might I add that Warner Robins is growing around the same pace as Atlanta, and growing twice as fast as Athens at 26.3 percent, and Middle Georgia is growing at a rate of 33.6 percent. Your right about Macon, but Fort Benning is the largest employer in Columbus and take that away there will be no city for these LOW RANKED Fortune 500 companies to call home. And before you comparing Columbus to Atlanta you should see that the Fortune 500 companies in Columbus are really low on that list, and the one;s in Atlanta are topin the list, with Home Depot in the 11th spot last time I checked. Also you cannot count out the the third largest city in Georgia soon to be the second. Savannah because it to is growing at a fast rate. Chatham Metro Area is one of the greatest in Georgia.