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I will be a senior at a college in Kentucky the fall, and I have aspirations of moving to the Palm Gardens beach area next summer.While this may sound typical, this has been a life long dream for me; however, this is reality and I have been getting mixed signals over the years about the job market in the area. I was essentially wanting to know in your opinion do you think having a degree in Communications with a Sales minor would suffice in landing a pharmaceutical sales, or real estate job in the area with decent pay, and benefits. I hear the job market is tough and good jobs are scarce, so I just want to be more clear on situation before getting my hopes up. Thanks
Real Estate agents are independent and do not earn a salary persay they work on straight commission...You do not need a Degree to become one....You have to go to school and then take the exam for the state to become Licensed....Pharmaceutical sales is big one of my daughters friends mom is a pharmaceutical rep but she has been doing it for a long time and makes very good money here....Communications is a difficult field in general, and this is not a huge market so I would research on your major and see where the jobs are....You have to do the research and start talking to people in the field you are wanting to pursue that are working here and see if there is a Market for it...Right now real estate is certainly picking up here, but it is not like it used to be..
Why do you want to move to Palm Beach Gardens? Do you have family here, have you been here before and know the area and what it has to offer besides the weather, beach and lifestyle? Remember that's only part of living here, average people here work 40-60 hours week with the commute time included.
To be honest, this is a tough area to land a job from outside the state in a lot of sectors, the job market here is not the greatest right now and there are plenty of people out of work and competition is fierce. I would say if you were an engineer with aerospace or turbine experience, you would have a great chance of landing a job in PBG otherwise it will be difficult to get an interview for what's out there and there isn't much.
Real Estate is not as lucrative as it once was here, a lot of Real Estate agents had to find other means of making ends meet. I knew of people who made a mint back during the boom doing that on the side, but have since gave it up after the collapse.
I would not suggest moving here without a job lined up or a decent amount of cash to survive on for at least a year. You may me able to get a job doing something but truth is, it may not pay enough to survive on and keep in mind the summer is not a good time to find a job since you have to compete with others looking for work during the summer break. Entry Level jobs go fast at companies, a lot of companies are also linked with some schools down here for internships.
I suggest you build up your experience in Kentucky, save your money and wait for things to improve here, this is a big unknown, but it basically applies to the entire country if not the world.
Our family is looking at the opportunity to move to Palm Beach County / Jupiter area or thereabouts. What I am trying to find out is how incomes and the cost of living there compares with the US average. My husband is a degreed engineer and project manager. We are presently located in the Houston area. You mentioned working up to 60 hours per week, which definitely does not sound very appealing!
We are used to heat here - and we have lived all around the US and have lived in most climates with no problem.
Housing costs appear to be around the same price we are paying now, possibly a little more expensive...but what we've really noticed is that there seems to be less available housing in our price range. If we do end up there, we are planning to rent for at least a year. We pay $1900/mth here now, for 2000 square feet and a pool. We're thinking a one story house, too, because cooling costs on a 2 story might be pretty bad.
What is good about working / living there? What is bad? How is crime? Are the beach areas safe? How are the elementary public / private schools rated? Are there any charter schools in the area?
Any information you can provide would be truly helpful.
Our family is looking at the opportunity to move to Palm Beach County / Jupiter area or thereabouts. What I am trying to find out is how incomes and the cost of living there compares with the US average. My husband is a degreed engineer and project manager. We are presently located in the Houston area. You mentioned working up to 60 hours per week, which definitely does not sound very appealing!
We are used to heat here - and we have lived all around the US and have lived in most climates with no problem.
Housing costs appear to be around the same price we are paying now, possibly a little more expensive...but what we've really noticed is that there seems to be less available housing in our price range. If we do end up there, we are planning to rent for at least a year. We pay $1900/mth here now, for 2000 square feet and a pool. We're thinking a one story house, too, because cooling costs on a 2 story might be pretty bad.
What is good about working / living there? What is bad? How is crime? Are the beach areas safe? How are the elementary public / private schools rated? Are there any charter schools in the area?
Any information you can provide would be truly helpful.
If your husband is into aerospace, jet engines and/or power generation experience than PBG and the area will suffice with jobs. It all depends what field of engineering he is in? Houston is big with Petroleum, here not the case. When I say 50 to 60 hours, that is based on some companies, people I know who work in different fields, some also account the drive or commute depending on where they live and work. Its' not typical, but some companies expect you to work more than the typical 40 hour work week.
Housing has dropped in price since the boom, problem is two-fold though, home owners insurance is very expensive here after the Hurricanes of 2004 and 2005, this drove up the cost, and even though we have not had a Hurricane since 2005, the cost have dramatically increased, some companies dropped homeowners and bills in some cases have tripled for some people.
Property taxes are high here as well, but I believe Texas is not much better? You will likely get more house on a bigger piece of land in Texas though, there is not much land left here to build on, in some places it's all built out.
The beach areas are all safe and clean, there are bad parts just like anyplace else. Schools are so so in Florida in general, but some places are better than others. Plenty of private schools around as well if you can afford $10K to $25K/year.
The weather here is nicer than Houston, your closer to the Atlantic and the humidity really is not the same, the air quality is better as well.
If you plan to rent a house in a safe nice area, expect to pay more, especially if it's in one of the newer gated communities. Prices seem to drop the further north you go of Jupiter, Hobe Sound and Stuart.
South Florida has it's good and bad points, everyone has a different opinion on this because one can be very wealthy and not have to worry about working and feel like it's utopia, on the other hand you have those who have to work and struggle to find good employment and may be educated just live in the wrong place with the wrong background. Service jobs are big here, tourism is the #1 driver in Florida, the so called "Sunshine Tax" is very common here, that is some jobs wont' pay the same as they would in other places.
I like the weather, beaches, animal, sea life and plant life here myself, the fact I can wear shorts all year round, I'm originally from the Northeast and do not miss the winters, driving in it and etc.
Thanks for the info! You are very knowledgeable and helpful. We greatly appreciate your time!
My hubby has an upcoming interview, so his background must somehow fit with this company's needs. We wouldn't move there without a job, relocation etc. Too expensive...and he is not desperate for a job as he is currently employed with a great salary.
The company hasn't broached specifics regarding the job but that will come - and obviously help us determine whether it is a good fit. But company personnel seem to be moving very quickly with him, which is why we are trying to be proactive.
We rent where we are now because we own a home elsewhere. We don't want to end up owning houses all over the US, though it surely is cheaper to own than to rent in most places. That is definitely true here. We'd probably save $500 a month if we owned as opposed to rent. Taxes are indeed high, like you mentioned, but rents are absolutely inflated because of supply and demand.
I was wondering about hurricanes and whether homes I've seen online would be safe to stay in during a hurricane. A couple are high-rise places that literally have ocean outside their balconies / windows. Makes me a little nervous. We've yet to experience a hurricane. It is a scary thought. What do people do in those scenarios? Do companies close down if there is a hurricane warning in order to give employees a chance to leave - and then also give them time to get back after weather events? Are most homes / high rise places pretty hurricane-safe? Wondering what a "bad" hurricane might look like in this area. This is all new to us.
Thanks for the info! You are very knowledgeable and helpful. We greatly appreciate your time!
My hubby has an upcoming interview, so his background must somehow fit with this company's needs. We wouldn't move there without a job, relocation etc. Too expensive...and he is not desperate for a job as he is currently employed with a great salary.
The company hasn't broached specifics regarding the job but that will come - and obviously help us determine whether it is a good fit. But company personnel seem to be moving very quickly with him, which is why we are trying to be proactive.
We rent where we are now because we own a home elsewhere. We don't want to end up owning houses all over the US, though it surely is cheaper to own than to rent in most places. That is definitely true here. We'd probably save $500 a month if we owned as opposed to rent. Taxes are indeed high, like you mentioned, but rents are absolutely inflated because of supply and demand.
I was wondering about hurricanes and whether homes I've seen online would be safe to stay in during a hurricane. A couple are high-rise places that literally have ocean outside their balconies / windows. Makes me a little nervous. We've yet to experience a hurricane. It is a scary thought. What do people do in those scenarios? Do companies close down if there is a hurricane warning in order to give employees a chance to leave - and then also give them time to get back after weather events? Are most homes / high rise places pretty hurricane-safe? Wondering what a "bad" hurricane might look like in this area. This is all new to us.
Just make sure if you decide to move here that the field of engineering he is in has back-up work if this place doesn't work out. I know a few people who are electrical engineers in the area and they constantly talk of the disappearing job market here and limited to no back-up opportunities if their current jobs are cut or downsized. There is not much in North County besides a few small companies and most of the biggest employers are turbines/aerospace. There is more work south into Broward and Dade but not much, many of these people dread the thought of having to commute that far for opportunities when they already own homes and etc or the worst having to relocate out of state or the area.
Civil engineering use to be big here but with the downturn it too faltered, some people in that sector or struggling to find stable employment.
If your going to rent a place, most newer homes are to Hurricane code, shutters included. I rode out all of the last three hurricanes, but I live in Wellington which is inland, storm surge was not an issue. I would be careful renting a place on the water, most of these places fall into the mandatory evacuation zones. Not that they can make you leave, but they won't be there to help you after the storm hits. Some of the older high rises were hit hard during Wilma, but the newer ones fared well. Some people stay, some leave.
Every company I worked for had an emergency number to call for status updates during a storm, some would wait though till a day or two before making plans. If there is no power, most places will allow their employees to stay at home, it was real nightmare after the dual hurricanes in 2004, a lot of the traffic lights were out for a week or so, I remember going into Publix and they had no cold items, no power, you learn to adapt and overcome. Fuel was also an issue, the lines and chaos brought out the worst in people. I also had to drive Delray where I then worked, getting there took usually a 1/2 hour, with the lights out it took almost 1 hour and it was chaotic trying to get through the intersections, people did not treat them as a 4 way stop. All of the roads to work were 3 lanes going both ways, not fun at all! They also have a curfew system and the police patrol and will arrest you if your are out driving around without a valid reason.
Now though a lot of fail-proofs were installed, generators and etc. so things have changed still though if another Cat 2 or 3 hits PB County, expect power outages for up to a week or longer, without a generator, expect no AC, no TV, no Phone and spotty Cell phone coverage if none. I lost everything for around a week during Wilma, the only thing that worked was the radio. I never bought a generator but a lot of neighbors had them, had to listen to them for a week. Also lost a lot of food, after the freezer thawed out. Some people I know actually spent $5-10K+ on propane powered generators that were permanently installed to power their entire house and needs. For me I look at it like this, I would not be here if my ancestors were not able to survive without power and the amenities we take for granted, so why can't I do it, it also makes seeing the stars much more enjoyable, total darkness and if it wasn't for the sirens and generators, total quiet.
You can't worry about Hurricanes, they are predictable and you know when they are coming, you just have to prepare and get out when they are going to be severe and hope for the best.
My son was just talking about this..He had a Sub for his Science class nice guy too in his early 30's civil engineer and well lost his job Cant find another one and has decided to Substitute Teach Science...He was very interesting my son says, I have a friend in Woodland Tx her DH is in this industry and my goodness he makes so much money they were thinking about living here but the salary was no where near what he is used to making and decided to stay put..Housing was also cheaper there than here..Just make sure that this job is secure because they are really very slim according to this Teacher and my friend's DH in the industry...
Good Luck
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Since you mentioned engineering.....
