Bay/Waveland area (Jackson, Gulfport, Biloxi: home owners insurance, buying a house, neighborhood)

[JenMs]

My husband and I are from northern ms. We’ve recently got an offer and could possibly be moving to south ms. Around the bay/Waveland area. It’s been several years since we’ve been to the area and just wanted a little information.
My husband is in the construction business. What is that work area like there? Is there work?
We also have school aged children. How are the schools? What are some decent areas to live in? Any information will be appreciated!

[Mississippi Alabama Line]

I have a friend down there and he raves about his quality of life. I hung out in downtown Bay St. Louis last April and it is pretty cool/quaint. Make sure to buy a house in higher areas to avoid hurricane flooding, or get one on stilts.

As far as economy, yes, seems like there is a lot going on down there, moreso in Gulfport/Biloxi area. Hancock and Jackson Counties have slightly less going on than Harrison, but still pretty good.

[nutmeg96]

Tagging on to this post because we are wondering the same thing about schools especially. I hope that's ok, JenMS.

We live in Virginia now, but my husband is from Mississippi and is up for a job at Stennis Space Center. We are looking at Bay St. Louis or Pass Christian because they are relatively close to Stennis and we like being reasonably near the water. We would be leaving a great school district and the school situation on the coast is a little tough to figure out. The elementary schools in Bay St. Louis have pretty bad proficiency ratings, and the online reviews of the Catholic elementary school there sound pretty bad too. The school district in the Pass seems better overall, but there are some reviews that make it look like Pass Christian Elementary is going through a rough time right now with a new principal. Coast Episcopal looks nice, but it's a bit out of the way if you're commuting to Stennis from BSL or the Pass. It's just hard to know what to do. Another concern is that, where we live now, our daughter doesn't have a lot of children her age to play with in the neighborhood, so we were wondering where families lived in BSL and the Pass. Someone had told us that the Pass was a lot of vacation homes, and we'd hate to end up on a street where nobody else was there most of the time or it was mostly random families coming and going.

[Mississippi Alabama Line]

Originally Posted by nutmeg96

Tagging on to this post because we are wondering the same thing about schools especially. I hope that's ok, JenMS.

We live in Virginia now, but my husband is from Mississippi and is up for a job at Stennis Space Center. We are looking at Bay St. Louis or Pass Christian because they are relatively close to Stennis and we like being reasonably near the water. We would be leaving a great school district and the school situation on the coast is a little tough to figure out. The elementary schools in Bay St. Louis have pretty bad proficiency ratings, and the online reviews of the Catholic elementary school there sound pretty bad too. The school district in the Pass seems better overall, but there are some reviews that make it look like Pass Christian Elementary is going through a rough time right now with a new principal. Coast Episcopal looks nice, but it's a bit out of the way if you're commuting to Stennis from BSL or the Pass. It's just hard to know what to do. Another concern is that, where we live now, our daughter doesn't have a lot of children her age to play with in the neighborhood, so we were wondering where families lived in BSL and the Pass. Someone had told us that the Pass was a lot of vacation homes, and we'd hate to end up on a street where nobody else was there most of the time or it was mostly random families coming and going.

My friend down there went to St. Stanislaus, if that helps. There is a high school right there by Stennis International Airport, that appears decent. I'm not sure the ratings.

I know a lot of people that work at Stennis live in Diamondhead.

If you want to drive a bit, Ocean Springs, MS is to the east and Mandeville, LA is to the west. I heard both have good schools. I'm sure Gulfport and Harrison County have some decent schools as well. Upon looking it up, Gulfport's and Long Beach's schools are very highly rated.

[JenMs]

Thank you all so much! Schools are for sure hard to decided! Thank you for all of the information!

[fishingupnorth]

I live in Northern Wisconsin. I am in Waveland right now. We arrived on March 9th and will be here until April 6th. This is our first time on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. This area is one of the most beautiful I have ever seen. The beaches are absolutely gorgeous. You can fish off the shore or the public docks. No need for a boat. The weather is perfect. the only downside are the gnats. If you do not put spray on they will eat you alive. You will quickly understand shy the locals all wear long sleeves and pants.

Everyone is so very friendly and welcoming. We had a brake light come on in one of our vehicles and it was suggested we go to the local Firestone dealer. Jack talked to us for a 1/2 hour. Said just leave it and we will look it over. came back a few hours later and said they checked the brakes and they are fine. when asked what we owe, he said NO CHARGE. Unbelievable.

Buying a house down here is super cheap. Waveland had a population of 6300 in 2005 before Katrina hit and wiped out the town. The population now is 5300 and most of those are people who came down to help with the revovery effert. I highly recommend a vist to this area.

[Southern man]

Originally Posted by fishingupnorth

I live in Northern Wisconsin. I am in Waveland right now. We arrived on March 9th and will be here until April 6th. This is our first time on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. This area is one of the most beautiful I have ever seen. The beaches are absolutely gorgeous. You can fish off the shore or the public docks. No need for a boat. The weather is perfect. the only downside are the gnats. If you do not put spray on they will eat you alive. You will quickly understand shy the locals all wear long sleeves and pants.

Everyone is so very friendly and welcoming. We had a brake light come on in one of our vehicles and it was suggested we go to the local Firestone dealer. Jack talked to us for a 1/2 hour. Said just leave it and we will look it over. came back a few hours later and said they checked the brakes and they are fine. when asked what we owe, he said NO CHARGE. Unbelievable.

Buying a house down here is super cheap. Waveland had a population of 6300 in 2005 before Katrina hit and wiped out the town. The population now is 5300 and most of those are people who came down to help with the revovery effert. I highly recommend a vist to this area.

Before you buy a house, check the price of home owners insurance