Need Info About Fort Pierce (Jacksonville, Miami: appointed, sales, real estate)

[Texan]

Would any one know about Fort Pierce?
Crime areas, rent $$$, major stores, any useful info for some who is about to relocate to Ft. Pierce?
What is the median income? and what would be a decent income to stay in this area.
Thanks!

[Buckeye Fan]

I'm moving down to Jensen Beach at the end of the week which is about 20 minutes south of Fort Pierce. My brother has lived in Port Saint Lucie and Vero Beach(those cities are on each side of Fort Pierce) for the last year and a half and when I was looking for a place, he said whatever you do, don't move to Fort Pierce. A ton of crime is what he said. I think that there are some nice places in town but overall I was told it wouldn't be a place that you would want to live. Again, this is what I was told so that's all I have to go on. Your going to pay alot for rent in most places in Florida. When I was searching for places, I saw a few nice apartments in Ft Pierce that were around $1,000 for a 2 bed/2 bath.

Maybe somebody else can give you more info. Maybe there are good things about the town that I just don't know about. Either way, good luck with your move!!

[pslOldTimer]

Fort Pierce is vastly improved since it's "ton of crime" days, but sinificant areas still have a ways to go. This is a bit of a difficult subject to discuss. Almost every city has an area that is, shall we say, disadvantaged. An area where the oldest profession is practiced, where mind-altering substances are available, etc. Fort Pierce has such an area. Stay away from that area, and you will be no worse off than anywhere else. The much-vaunted towns to the north and south are no different; Stuart has the East Stuart area, Vero Beach has Gifford, etc. etc.

Surprisingly, the exception to this almost universal rule is Port St. Lucie, just a few miles south of Fort Pierce. Because the city is relatively new (it was incorporated in 1961), it was subject to most of the equal housing laws. Because the vacant lots were sold all over the world (the developer had a sales office in Hong Kong, as well as several European and South American cities, and a model home was constructed in New York's Grand Central Station), owners were -- and are -- from a wondrously varied background. There are no "sections", there are no ethnic neighborhoods, there are no racial divides, there are no slums, and there are no ghettos. I find it to be incredibly unique.

I don't really have a good feel for rents, but I do know that they're increasing. However, there have been several articles lately about rentals being a better deal than home purchase. This is largely because house prices have gone up so much and so fast in the past couple of years, and rental prices haven't kep up. Nor will they; the typical renter is not in a position to pay greatly increased rents. Investors who may have speculated on the properties in the past couple of years during the big run-up in prices may be desperate to rent their properties at almost any amount to avoid losing the property.

For years, Port St. Lucie lacked apartment space. Almost everything was a single family house. However, in the past couple of years, literally thousands of apartment units have been constructed, both in Port St. Lucie and Fort Pierce.

Fort Pierce is the home if Indian River Community College, considered by many to be one of the finest junior colleges in Florida. They have an incredilble new technology complex that is beyond state of the art. Fort Pierce is also home to several University of Florida agriculture research facilities. Harbor Branch, a world-recognized oceanagraphic research facility, is located just to the north of Fort Pierce. Folks who work at these types of facilities make Fort Pierce their home and are not disappointed.

Finally, Fort Pierce has been undergoing a renaissance in downtown remodeling. The waterfront area, including the new library, municipal marina and other facilities, is absolutely gorgeous, and developers are planning more condos, a new hotel and a lot more for the area. There is also a concentrated effort to upgrade the disadvantaged area -- Avenue D has been totally reconstructed, a new police substation was constructed on the street, and many buildings are being remodeled. There have been intensive crackdowns on the practices mentioned in the first paragraph.

The old Sunrise Theater, a movie theater from the early 1900's in the grand style, has been completely renovated at a cost of over $12 Million into a performing arts center in the downtown area. In 1923, it was the largest theater between Jacksonville and Miami and at 1200 seats, is still one of the largest theaters in the area. By contrast, the Riverside Theater in Vero Beach is being enlarged to 700 seats, and the Lyric Theater in Stuart seats 500. There were already several excellent restaurants in downtown Fort Pierce, but the revival of the Sunrise and the great shows that have come to town have created the need for additional restaurant space because of so many people enjoying "dinner and the theater". The Sunrise is also home for the Treasure Coast Opera Society, which offers three grand operas, with professional singer, sets and costumes, each season.

And, don't forget the beaches.

Twenty years ago, I would not have recommended a more to Fort Pierce. Ten years ago, it would still have been questionable, although the good intentions were becoming apparent. Today, all local residents are aware that the city has outgrown it's early reputation and is the center for "happening" people.

[Texan]

plsOldTimer,
I want to thank you for all the info you provided.
Do you recommend renting from individuals?
I am totaly new to the area.
Thanks

Buckeye Fan,
How should I go about finding an apt for rent?
I am looking for 1Bd; top I can afford is $900.
Thanks

[pslOldTimer]

I'll make a recommendation as if it was me who was coming to town; I can't guarantee it will work as well for you.

I'd start by working with a professional rental agent. The rents won't be any higher and might even be lower, because the agent will have told the owner what rent to expect. There will be no cost to you associated with it; the owner pays the fees (typically a half or a full month's rent for finding the tenant, 10% to 15% for management fees). Expect to pay up to 1st and last month and a security deposit up front; if you find something for your $900 budget it will cost you as much as $2,500 to $3,000 to get in, plus deposits for utilities.

You can go with direct rental from an owner and be safe, but read the lease agreement very carefully -- some owners have weird ideas.

You should probably go with a rental agent from Port St. Lucie. They will be fully knowledgeable about Fort Pierce, but a Fort Pierce agent will not be as knowledgeable about PSL. There's a bit of xenophobia among Fort Pierce folks when it comes to PSL. Fort Pierce can be a bit of a "good 'ol boy" town, and they have never fully come to understand the tail that wags the dog, especially when that tail grew to become an 800 pound gorilla. In other words, they love the money that PSL generates, but they kinda wish it would dry up and go away so the Fort Pierce folks could be top dog, again.

I don't have any specific recommendations for rental agents. Generally, there are several real estate companies which specialize more in rentals than in sales. It won't take you long to figure out which ones, based on advertising and perhaps stopping in at 2 or 3 agencies and simply asking.

I'm pretty sure you'll be able to find something in a 1 bdrm apt for your budget, or close to it. Like I said, I'm not totally up on rents. But, for example, my son owns a 2/2/2 (2 bdrm, 2 bath, 2 car garage) single family house with a small swimming pool and fenced yard. He's doing some remodeling work on it now so it isn't currently available (and I think that offering it here would be a violation of the forum rules, anyway), but when he puts it on the market, I think the highest amount he's thinking about is $1,500/month. He's currently renting a 2 bdrm, 2 bath condo in a nice complex in Boynton Beach for $1,300 (closer to his work).

Do some research. Google the City of Port St. Lucie, City of Fort Pierce, St. Lucie County, St. Lucie Chamber of Commerce (and check the membership rolls), and the St. Lucie Board of Realtors.

In this forum, there some advertisements in between the messages. They are context sensitive and pick up keywords in our text. In this thread, I've noticed several ads for Fort Pierce and Port St. Lucie rentals. Click on them; it supports this forum, and you might learn something. (Disclaimer, I have nothing to do with the forum, but I like to support things that are done well).

[Texan]

pslOldTimer,
I want to thank you for the info you have provided. Also, I would like to ask one more question, if permitteed, would 35k/year be decent living?
Thanks again!

[pslOldTimer]

That's hard for me to say. We've gotten used to a little more, but then, we've been working towards it for most of our 66 years.

For a single person, that's probably OK. That's roughly what cops, beginning firemen and teachers make in the first few years. It wouldn't surprise me that bank loan officers and such make about the same amount. You might find it easier to find a decent roommate and share a nicer place to live. However, you aren't going to live like a high roller on that amount. My daughter is a teacher (high school band director) and her husband is a fireman/EMT; I think she earns right at about $36K and he gets a little more, maybe $38K. They live in a single family house on 2-1/2 acres, have 3 kids, a new crossover SUV and an F250 diesel, a 4-wheeler, and still manage to invest a little.

What are you planning to do?

[Texan]

pslOldTimer,
Thank you again!
I am an Engineering Technician. Hoping the join the City of Ft Pierce very soon. 80% of me says go for it, the other part resents making the move. Rent and insurance increases make me a little not at ease. Then the weather..but this one can happen anywhere.
Any final thoughts on this matter.
Cordially,

[Buckeye Fan]

Originally Posted by Texan

Buckeye Fan,
How should I go about finding an apt for rent?
I am looking for 1Bd; top I can afford is $900.
Thanks

Texan,

To be honest, I checked out sites like rent dot com(I think that links are restricted on here), apartmentguide dot com, etc. There are plenty of them out there. Check a few different sites because they have some different listings on them. I found a beautiful 2 bed/2 bath condo in Jensen Beach for $1,077/month. You shouldn't have a problem finding a 1 bedrom for $900 or under. The best part about these sites are that they are FREE! Rent dot com even gives you a $100 gift card if you find an apartment/condo/home through their site. I have probably contacted 7 or 8 places in the last couple of months and have found all the people to be very nice and more than willing to mail/fax/e-mail any info that you need. From what psloldtimer said, it sounds like Ft. Pierce has improved alot and wouldn't be a bad place to live if you are in the right area. Good luck with everything and hopefully you will become a resident of Florida...I will be in 4 days!!

[pslOldTimer]

Great! Go for it! You'll most likely be part of the team which has provided so much of the renaissance to Fort Pierce. It's an exciting time in the city, and regardless of where you end up, you'll always value it.

Just remember, there's a local festival known as the "Sandy Shoes Festival". It gets its name from the old saying, "Once you get sand in your shoes, you'll never be able to stay away from Florida". It was true for me when my wife and I moved here 34 years ago, at age 32, with no job, no house and 2 kids.