Plz - Any positives for PCB!!! (Orlando, Pensacola: for sale, real estate, insurance)

[nomad on the go]

Can anyone give me positive information about moving to PCB? I'm from the south and lived 12 years in Florida (G'ville; Sarasota; Ft. Myers & Orlando) but have also lived in a dozen states in the last 30 years. We've moved around a lot with kids so always had to move to areas where the schools were top notch. Now we're empty nesters and do not have to worry with school. We're looking at retirement in a few years. I plan on getting my Florida real estate licenses (I have RE licenses in 2 other states) and my husband travels on the east coast for his company, so we can live anywhere. We love the gulf, boating, fishing and golf and love the warm weather. Don't go off on me, but we are moving from Denver, where everyone in Florida seems to think they want to live but it is very expensive here, Highlands Ranch and we do not like the cold nor snow. This is October 19th and we've already had 3 snows. Granted, it didn't stay, but it was COLD and snowed. We only went 4 months without snow. It snowed up until 2nd week of May.

So can anyone say good things about someone moving to PCB? We have found a home on the far West end but now getting cold feet based on all the negative comments on this forum.

[beachmouse]

If you're talking the far, far west end in areas like Wild Heron or Carillon Beach, then you're quite close to some very posh areas like Seaside, Rosemary Beach, etc. and can easily get over and enjoy the ambiance there while getting a discount for being on the Bay County side instead of paying the Walton County premium.

[bayou91]

When people are talking about moving to FL, especially when they're considering North Florida, I always like to throw the Niceville/Destin area out there for consideration. Niceville is right next to Destin and I never would have heard about it if it weren't for one of my good friends who grew up there. I fall in love with that place every time I visit.

I never particularly cared for PCB or Pensacola when I lived in FL.

[m1a1mg]

beachmouse nailed it, per usual. How far west of PCB is key.

[moondoggy51]

My wife and I have vacationed on Pensacola Beach (i.e. Santa Rosa Island) for the last 15 years except the year after hurricane Ivan. We like the beach itself because it's generally quiet as compared to Destin. There's a lot of condos on Pensacola Beach for sale and the prices are down from what they once were. For example we stayed in a condo this year and the owner told us that several years ago he turned down a $500K offer as he thought he could get more. Now he can't get more than $325K. The problem with living on the beach is the potential for hurricane damage. You couldn't tell it today but hurricane Ivan did serious damage to Pensacola Beach and the Gulf Breeze area and I've been told that insurance is really high because of it. Although I love Pensacola Beach, I don't think I would want to live on the island unless the unit I was buying was able to withstand another Ivan.

We too are recently retired at 62 and we moved to South Carolina but after living here since June my wife can't stand it and wants to move to Pensacola. We've been told that living inland but still in the Pensacola Metro area is OK and if you get out of what was referred to as the hurricane zone, as you don't have to carry flood insurance and the rates are reasonable. My problem is that I'm trying to figure out where in the Pensacola Metro area would be a good area for someone in their 50's and 60's to build or buy that is not subject to a lot of crime, and is close to the amenities that someone in our age bracket is looking for (i.e. doctors, hospitals, shopping, etc.). Our feeling is that we can either put in a pool or jump in the car and go to the beach if we want to be in the water. If anyone has any info about where to build or buy it might be helpful to both of us.