Alaskans dreaming of moving to Fl seek opinions and info, and maybe How-tos (Jacksonville: real estate)

[travelingfood]

Originally Posted by kitkendall

well, I can speculate on my current market: total turnaround by then! We aren't feeling the full effects like the lower 48 is now, and no one expects to. Our values are still going up, just in smaller increments.

What about Jax?

value is down down down. but our market is also helped by the naval bases we have, lot of military families looking to buy and rent depending on the situation.

[kitkendall]

Has Jax gone through a downturn like this before and then rebounded?

Anchorage has previously in '86 & again in '92, though not as bad, so that helps with guessing what may happen 3 years from now.

Any history to draw on?

[kitkendall]

Florida is really on my mind today... we're having a late April blizzard today and I can't see my car across the street anymore!

[HIF]

I won't speculate, because what I am hearing about this legislative session really stinks for the entire state. Hopefully, sanity will prevail. (And it usually does.)

But if you decide to visit Jax, I can tell you that I've met five incredible folks from this area here on CD, so if you get down this way for a visit, I'm betting we can get a group together for lunch to answer Jax-related questions and maybe show you around.

[Sparco]

I live at the beach, and my kids went to Seabreeze Elementary, one block over from our house, then they went to Fletcher Middle School, the main middle school of the "beachesES"...the beaches are comprised of Neptune, Atlantic, and Jacksonville Beach, we live in Jacksonville Beach. My oldest is finishing 11th grade right now at Fletcher High School.

I prefer the Atlantic Ocean to the Gulf, and to that side of the state actually. I was in the Navy and didnt care for the "bible belt" of the Pcola/PC areas...Jacksonville is much more open minded than that area, and tho its full of churches, the residents are more broad minded is my op. Im on a cul de sac that Im going to be leaving soon, a cookie cutter home that I really dont like, but the homes around the beach are really going up, many with pools also, job wise Im retired so I dont have to worry with it anymore, but I am not sure if DOD is still hiring, I know I see the Internal Revenue taking applications tho for prior vets, and many of those govt jobs can be found on the USA job sites. city of jax beach sometimes has had some openings that sounded good. my son applied for a few out at the golf course and there were some others my daughter applied for as a dispatcher. good luck, I hope you will enjoy Jacksonville, the shopping is outstanding and so much else. traffic will drive you crazy but they are constantly working on improvements, Id stay clear of the Mayport area for housing, and if you want to live at the beach stay within the beaches, some places along south A1A are reasonably priced, tho older housing sections, they are still ok, farther near Ponte Vedra area is real good, Im in south jacksonville beach, real nice area. Best of luck in your search.

[kitkendall]

HIF: thanks for the offer! We are for sure planning on coming to Jax on our vacation in October and the get together would be terrific.

Sparco: I really enjoyed your post. Thank you so much for the info. This is exactly the kind of story I love reading. It helps pass the time for me up here.

Btw, that blizzard we had? It dumped about 4 feet of heavy wet snow on my yard between about 8:30 am and 3:30pm. Yesterday we were sitting out the last of the snow watching "Shallow Hal" on video since the cable was out, and I tweeted that I wish Tony Robbins could hypnotize me to see snow as sand!

Today we had to go dig a swingset I bought off craigslist out of the snow...home was in the mountains so the backyard had snow up to my thighs. Darn thing was supposed to be disassembled, but the family is from the south and hightailed it inside when the heavy stuff came down.

I went to a pampered chef party today, and the lady said she lived in Florida for 30 years and no one could pay her to live there, and I don't know what I'd be in for. My mom was with me and told her that's all I've wanted since I was a kid because I am a hot-weather girl and it'd be good for me to go.

It felt so good for her to support me like that!! Even though she knows her grandkids will be going far away, she wants us to be happy.

[Alaskapat528]

Originally Posted by kitkendall

Our family has been dreaming of moving to Florida for a long time, and I (mom) have been reviewing this and other Florida forums to help me get through the winters and also plan our yearly vacations to different areas of FL to see where we'd fit best.

As a family, we have visited Orlando, Tampa/St Pete/Clearwater, Naples, Navarre, Ft. Walton, Destin, Panama City, and Pensacola/P'Cola Beach. Additionally, I lived in South Alabama for 3 years (88-91) and traveled around the area through much of that time.

We have not yet visited Jacksonville, and are considering it for our vacation this year. We really love Pensacola and Navarre beaches. We've also decided that the Tampa and Orlando areas are out for relocation. We didn't enjoy the beaches as much and just didn't get the same good feeling from those areas.

In my research, I have read many of the city profile data and demographic data, but that doesn't compare to people's stories and opinions... and photos or videos. Those are of tremendous help! I especially like the long posts with details and anecdotes.

What are the prospects for finding work in the beach areas of Jax? I currently have to commute over an hour on the one and only road we have in and out of Anchorage and I want to tailor our Florida life to get away from that. We love the beach and would spend all of our recreation time there, so we want to live and work close.

I keep reading about folks that have job offers to relocate to Jax and would LOVE to read stories of how those opportunities were discovered. I am in planning mode now and have time to do things to improve our situation if I know what to do.

I'm also interested in hearing from folks who like the beach areas and also live/work there: major drawbacks? Will there be affordable housing in a few years? What is considered affordable?

For example, where I live, I could tell you that there will definitely be affordable housing here in 3 years, but you will have to commute an hour each way. Affordable means you can have 1/2 an acre lot with 4br/3ba for under $275K. If you don't want to commute, you can add $150K to that price tag. For work, you can find jobs in most industries that pay over $40K with bachelor's degree/minimal experience; over $60K for bach and 5-10 years exp. (Anchorage is the easiest place in the world to get a decent job--small labor pool)

Can you tell me this kind of info for the Jax beach areas?

If it helps, we are in marketing and real estate, with experience working in and with military, gov't, non-profit, for profit, contractors, and travel/transportation industries.

Thanks! and sorry for the novella of a post, I like to write

Hi, as a Valley resident myself here in Alaska I am just curious as to why you wish to move. My husband and I are planning on relocating later this year, possibly upstate N.Y.

I hope you don't mind my asking but I was just wondering if your reasons were similar to mine: Sick and tired of the commute to Anchorage to work AND the drivers on the Glenn; darned sick of the winters (love the summers); and feel very isolated from family in lower 48, and one more thing lol, seems more and more people are moving up here and its getting crowded. I don't like extreme heat and humidity so I have to watch where I go.

[Sparco]

Originally Posted by kitkendall

HIF: thanks for the offer! We are for sure planning on coming to Jax on our vacation in October and the get together would be terrific.

Sparco: I really enjoyed your post. Thank you so much for the info. This is exactly the kind of story I love reading. It helps pass the time for me up here.

Btw, that blizzard we had? It dumped about 4 feet of heavy wet snow on my yard between about 8:30 am and 3:30pm. Yesterday we were sitting out the last of the snow watching "Shallow Hal" on video since the cable was out, and I tweeted that I wish Tony Robbins could hypnotize me to see snow as sand!

Today we had to go dig a swingset I bought off craigslist out of the snow...home was in the mountains so the backyard had snow up to my thighs. Darn thing was supposed to be disassembled, but the family is from the south and hightailed it inside when the heavy stuff came down.

I went to a pampered chef party today, and the lady said she lived in Florida for 30 years and no one could pay her to live there, and I don't know what I'd be in for. My mom was with me and told her that's all I've wanted since I was a kid because I am a hot-weather girl and it'd be good for me to go.

It felt so good for her to support me like that!! Even though she knows her grandkids will be going far away, she wants us to be happy.

Good Morning from the Gold Coast, Kit!...I wanted to leave you this newspaper link for the Jacksonville Beaches, this little mullet wrapper is an awesome read, comes out twice or three times a week here, and its loaded with good stuff...hope you find it helpful, I know how it feels to be somewhere and want to be somewhere else, lol....stay with the flow, and I wish you continued success, will post again if more happens...

The Beaches Leader:
The Beaches Leader, for up to date news and classifieds

[tulipseason]

If you are willing to consider a condo--then you can definitely live in one of the beach communities for a reasonable amount. I just bought a 3 bed/2 ba condo (almost 1400 sq ft) with a good size screen porch and a garage in Ponte Vedra Beach for less than $200,000 in the Grand Cay Villas. It is a pretty community with lots of large trees (not that cheesy golf course look of a lot of condo communities around here) a swimming pool, a hot tub, an exercise room and a playground for our children. To be sure, there is no granite in the kitchen and we will be replacing the carpeting, but for us it is PERFECT. I much prefer to have less space and be close to amenities. We are walking distance to restaurants and stores and biking distance to the beach. We could also have bought a tiny house (1200 sf) in dolphin cove (an older development in PVB) with a good-sized lot, but we want amenities not upkeep. By the way, we are a family of five.

Jacksonville Beach also has little cottages for around $275,000 and many are walking distance from the beach. If you are willing to compromise on the size of your home, live with a lot less stuff, and pass on the high-end "upgrades", you can live at the beach.

[kitkendall]

AlaskaPat:
Howdy neighbor! Yes, all those reasons add to my fervent desire to Not BE IN ALASKA, but if that was it, our family could move anywhere and be happy.

The truth is, I have wanted to live at the beach all of my life. I was born in Oregon and my family lived on the coast for my formative years. Vacations during my school years were spent on our boat: crabbing, fishing for trout, and diving off the bow when we dropped anchor at an island and pitched camp.
We moved up here in 1980 and I spent the next few years freezing and miserable. Eventually I moved to southern Alabama with my soldier husband and found Florida, Navarre Beach to be exact, and my life has never been the same.
I spent every free moment I had taking my sons to the beach any way I could. We couldn't stay in the south long enough for me! So charming!
(Our first year out of Alaska, we lived in a 5 room farmhouse --no AC, talk about climatizing-- on 400 acres of peanuts out near Samson, Alabama and raised two piglets and a little vegetable garden. That was a great experience I've always appreciated, and probably part of why North Florida appeals to me more than any other part. But the military moves on, and we did too.

Since then, every vacation has been spent on a beach. At first, I tried out other beaches and places (Hawaii, California, Oregon, Washington, Italy, Netherlands, places in Florida) but none broke the spell that had been cast. I had also managed to pass along my fever to my kids and husband, so we all got onboard with moving...when the time was right.

We are really excited about visiting Jax this year! For us, it holds real promise as a place we'll fit in. None of us have ever seen the Atlantic, so that alone will be a great adventure.

Sparco: THANK YOU! I love checking out the local papers for nuggets of info you just can't find anywhere else.

and TulipSeason: Great info! That is so reassuring to hear. We are actually looking forward to paring down our lifestyle when we move. For us, living at the beach represents a simplicity of life that we don't have here (out of necessity!) Your description sounds like it could be a great fit for us since we want to enjoy our surroundings with our free time, instead of spending our time maintaining our surroundings.