Questions about Milton (Pensacola, Crestview, Niceville: for sale, real estate, 2013)

[MiltonQuestions]

I have been thinking about relocating to Milton from SW FL to get out of a crime ridden area and find better schools for my granddaughter. I have read about how Milton is a conservative Christian area. Do people really preach on the street corners? I have read where Evangelicals are not very warm, welcoming, and accepting of others. Is this true? My granddaughter lives with me and is of mixed race, will this be an issue? My daughter is an Office Manager, would she be able to find employment there? (I am retired). I would appreciate some straight answers. I have looked at several homes in the area and love the red brick ones! I really fell in love with the area until I started researching and reading up on it. Thanks.

[MiltonQuestions]

Can anyone give me some suggestions?

[JJAF]

I was in the area last month for a week. I met my friends there who purchased 12 acres in the Baker area. I spent some time going through subdivisions in Pace. I like that area as it has really built up and is closer to Pensacola. My friends have said the people they ran into in the Milton and Pace area were quite rude. They gave me a few examples. When we went to the Milton racetrack, we felt ok this time, but the year before they had a couple of unpleasant encounters. They felt buying in the Baker area and working/spending time in Crestview for basic needs was more welcoming. I personally like Pace. I have lived/spent about 9 years in the Navarre area.

[MiltonQuestions]

Thank you!

[leathergrrl]

I've never seen anyone preach on Milton's corners but there are quite a few interracial couples. Now you can't drive through Pensacola a single day without seeing the Bible thumpers asking for donations and so forth. Also one half of a very out lesbian couple here. No problems. I will say Milton has a high incidence if meth houses. Lots of houses were empty after foreclosure and the labs moved in but that was several years ago

[MiltonQuestions]

Thank you so much for your reply leathergrrl! I don't like the report on the meth houses and empty foreclosure houses. That is a big problem in this area too. I am still looking at your area though. It sounds like it would be a friendly atmosphere. We may wait a year yet. The biggest problem is having to sell my home here to pay off all of my credit card debt and still have a 20% down payment. I think I could easily do that but the problem would be having to put everything in storage and finding a place to rent short term until I could buy. Also the issue of my daughter getting employment as soon as possible. Woe is me! I am a Christian so I do pray about it but I don't preach on street corners! And I am very open minded and never judgmental. My granddaughter was in a gay wedding last year as a flower girl but they had her wear a tux! LOL. Again, thank you for your kind reply.

[pevie13]

I moved to Milton from Massachusetts last fall and I love it here. I live outside the city limits though. I have had someone invite me to their church while I was at CVS which is something that doesn't happen in MA, but I am an easy going person so I just thanked them for the invite even though I am not a church-goer. Real estate in this area is incredibly affordable and there are so many options depending on what you are looking for, whether it's a subdivision in a built up area or more privacy and land. Some things that I love about this area are the Blackwater Heritage Bike Path, the blackwater river, and that there is a festival for everything! 99% of the people that I have met here have been super friendly and nice. I can't speak to getting employment but I have heard it's not easy around here. There are probably more options if your daughter is willing to commute into Pensacola (my fiance does). Good luck with your decision!

[Gia53]

I have lived in Milton twice, in the 90's for 4 years when my husband was stationed at Whiting Field and again in 2006 when he was again stationed at Whiting retiring in 2010. In 2006 the housing market was very high and homes were selling in one week or less. I always questioned why homes were so expensive in Milton as people living in that area in general don't make that much money other than officers stationed at Whiting however we were not planning on moving, going to retire and stay put as we had family close. The housing Market crashed not so long after we bought our home and Santa Rosa Escambia County took a terrible hit. We had friends that were in the service that paid around $245,000 for their home at the peak of the market and within 4 years it sold for $147,000. There was a government program for qualified service members if they had a PC move then the most they could loose was somewhere around 20K, still a bitter pill to swallow however civilians were not so lucky therefore came the foreclosures. We paid around 225K at 100 per sq foot for our home however we were staying put. When the market crashed the houses in our very nice neighborhood went up for rent or foreclosed and totally ruined our nice subdivision other than the street where we lived. The housing market gradually went up and in 2013 it was a little under 100 per sq foot and still homes were just sitting on the market for 3 to 6 months or longer. My spouse decided he didn't like being retired and could not find a good paying job in his field anywhere in Pensacola area therefore we moved to Texas two years ago. He has a great paying job however I hate it here and want to move back. I love Pace however the prices are insane more per square foot than in 2006. We have not bought in Tx however we can get a great home around 100 per square foot and that is on a golf course. Texas has jobs, good paying jobs, salaries over 100K not making 35 to 55K which is about the medium income in Milton/ Pace. Texas has a low unemployment with Industry, Corporate headquarters, etc everywhere and everywhere I look they have jobs. This is not Milton/Pace or Pensacola with low paying jobs, even law enforcement pays little, the only good jobs are in Healthcare and if you get a job making over $14.00 an hour that is pretty good pay, most people living and working in Milton or Pace make low wages. I view hundreds of homes for sale in Milton/Pace that are not selling and just sit on the market for a long time. Destin, Niceville and Gulf Breeze has always been expensive however Milton... what the heck, it's not that nice. To say real estate is affordable is coming from people that move from up North or places such as California, I really want to move back however not at those prices, not making that mistake again. I don't know why homes are so high right now in Milton/Pace so now we are staying put in the concrete jungle, making lots of $$$ however not loving it in Texas.

[Gia53]

Your granddaughter should not experience problems in Milton. It's diverse, my granddaughter did quite well in Milton, her teachers were fantastic at her elementary school. The schools are all old and run down and her last year I felt like she only went part time as they had to cut spending therefore after lunch or around 1PM they were let out. That was a while back don't know if went back to 2 or 3PM. Occasionally I would see street preaching and it never bothered me, they never go up to vehicles. I would look at job openings for your daughter before you consider moving. I always felt safe in Milton to the point where if I forgot to lock a door I rarely went back home. Our neighbors looked out for each other and many retirees were home during the day. Milton has many military retirees. If your daughter can find work then it might be a great place for you and your family. Pensacola, Pace and Milton is more like living in Alabama very Southern and conservative for the most part. Good luck to you!

[jmoore133]

I was just in Milton from the 30th to the 3rd and I really liked it. It's about a 30 minute ride to Navarre Beach which was not very crowded. Housing seemed to be pretty reasonable. Most shopping was about 10 minutes away in the town of Pace. My brother-in-law recently retired from the military and is having a hard time finding work. Wages are low in that area.