Okeechobee to Belleview (Pensacola, The Villages, Gulf Breeze: low income, rent, home)

[happycatster]

Hubby and I are thinking about moving to Belleview FL from Okeechobee FL. Considering moving from this state if we cannot find better pay here. I'm a Florida Native, hubby has been here about 20 years,. This place is horrifying us with all the Mc Mansions popping up. Rent is outrageous (read not affordable for us) so hubby works on a commercial dairy in maintenance where the home is furnished...not our idea of the life we want for ourselves, the pay is enough to survive, period.
I would like to email anyone from Belleview and see just what all is in that area. Someone talked to my husband this morning about possible jobs coming up there around the first of the year.
Checking out Alabama as well (Anniston area).
Thanks for any responses.
Happycatster

[PCCGirl813]

Belleview as in the tiny town outside Pensacola?

[happycatster]

Yes PCCGirl thats right. That tiny town. I looked it up and it looks smaller than Okeechobee, and seems like it's even worse off economically than we are here...is that possible????

[PCCGirl813]

Well let's put it this way. I lived in Belleview for four months and didn't even know that I wasn't in Pensacola. I had a P-cola address even thought it wasn't P-cola. I don't know why. Anyway... Pensacoal/Escambia County is for the most part a very poor area. There is Gulf Breeze and the the coastal region that brings in tourists but MOST of the population of the county is low income. My husband and I made $7 and $8 and hour respectively and we were probably considered to be doing better than average around there (we were still in college, actually and working full time at the same time). It's a big college area, I think there are five or six big schools plus the navy base so the area is really full of people who aren't really from there. I lived in the area for five years and never once met someone who was born there... it's like a stopping over place.

Jobs are hard to come by there. I worked at a temp agency and my husband worked at Wal-mart. Even after we had college degrees, taht was the best we could find.

But you can't beat those beaches. That's what kept me there so long!

[Calm70]

I am originally from NY and I had a shock when I moved to Okeechobee. My family and I had trouble finding a home to live in. I was shocked to find out that the only good paying jobs are in Eckerds, but they don't pay well. Not much value is placed on Education in this area. Instead, there is more value placed on Rodeos, drinking, and partying. I have seen more concerns in the schools for pushing students towards agriculture activities, then towards music, art, and dance. Money in the schools goes for taking students to agriculture opportunities, then supporting their band to go to Disney. Less values are placed on providing healthy lifestyles for the students. They aren't required to take Gym in the school, I find this sad. Moving here has hindered my appreciation of what this area has to offer. I wish this area would be more open to growth and give people open arms of sweetness. If this happened, then we will more families and open more doors to keeping prices from rising.

[emi__]

Ha, I thought you meant the Belleview in Marion County. Marion County's pretty nice... if you don't mind The Villages directly beneath us.

[kshe95girl]

Originally Posted by emi__

Ha, I thought you meant the Belleview in Marion County. Marion County's pretty nice... if you don't mind The Villages directly beneath us.

eeeeewwwwwww, Gods waiting room!

[happycatster]

We decided not to move from Okeechobee after all. Okeechobee seems to be doing okay, jobs are still scarce, but it's a pleasant place to live. I have noticed that the churches are banding together in praying for the whole town, especially for the young people. I'd like to be around to see good things happen in Okeechobee.