Planning Relocation from North Carolina to WPB (West Palm Beach, Jupiter: HOA fees, car insurance)

[ifobo]

Hi folks - I planning relocating from Chapel Hill/Durham area of NC to WPB - I would appreciate hearing from you all about the following (we are a family of 5, with 10 year old boy, 8 year old girl and 6 year old boy):

1.Average Cost of 2400 sq-ft single family house in a decent / family oriented neighborhood (and in good school district)
2. Some discussion about public school system in Palm County - which districts are best
3. I am still negotiating with my potential employer - but salary is expected to be in the range of $90,000 per year. I would appreciate some discussion about the cost of living and some related items that I should think about.
4. both me and my wife have good driving record and we have 2005 model vehicles (sedan and a van) - can someone comment on the cost of insurance?
5. Any other thing I ought to worry about or should know before I move?

Thanks a bunch for taking time to respond to this.

[BigBill810]

1.Average Cost of 2400 sq-ft single family house in a decent / family oriented neighborhood (and in good school district) At that size house and location, prepare to pay upwards of $400,000 or more. Even with the market down, most are still trying to break even on their investment properties they bought during the housing rush.

2. Some discussion about public school system in Palm County - which districts are best Jupiter area has better schools with less trouble makers, not to say they don't have any trouble, but the chances there are less than average.

3. I am still negotiating with my potential employer - but salary is expected to be in the range of $90,000 per year. I would appreciate some discussion about the cost of living and some related items that I should think about. I recently looked on a realty website that rates areas with a score of 100 being the national average on cost of living...South Florida rated 130ish where North Carolina rated 85ish.

4. both me and my wife have good driving record and we have 2005 model vehicles (sedan and a van) - can someone comment on the cost of insurance? Scale your car insurance costs with the housing costs. I moved from Stuart to Jupiter and it increased my car insurance by $350 a year with no accidents and never having been pulled over.

5. Any other thing I ought to worry about or should know before I move?
Like anywhere else, we have our ups and downs, be careful of the scams, etc.

[TriMT7]

I agree with the poster immediately above in most respects.

I would look to Jupiter, which is about 15 - 20 mins North of downtown West Palm Beach.

In this market, you can find homes in your price range at about the 350k mark. In fact, running a search for max 350k, there are four to five bedroom homes to be found in neighborhoods such as Botanica, Jupiter Farms, the Shores of Jupiter, and Hammock Trace. Property taxes on a 350k house will be between $6000/$7000 per year. Home owner's insurance will vary widely, but budget at LEAST $2500/year. Also remember to budget for HOA fees per month, which can vary widely. If you don't want to pay HOA fees, there are neighborhoods to look into such as the Heights of Jupiter (AKA North Palm Beach Heights), Palm Beach Country Estates, and Jupiter Farms.

Greatschools.net rates the Jupiter school system a "10."

Car insurance for two married adults with clean driving records should be around the $120 - $150 mark per month... or less, depending on discounts.

[skylinet]

I think it will also depend on where your job is located... If your job is in South PBC you will probably want to look in other communities than Jupiter.
Tri's post sums up Jupiter pretty well. 400k is on the high side right now with the market down.

[CadillacRF]

What type of work do you do that earns $90K in WPB? My wife and I have started a thread asking about jobs in this area because we are considering a relocation.

[THX 1138]

Originally Posted by CadillacRF

What type of work do you do that earns $90K in WPB? My wife and I have started a thread asking about jobs in this area because we are considering a relocation.

Average salary in Palm Beach County is roughly $40K/year. $90K is not too hard to get if your in the medical field. If your in High Tech it's slim pickens because there isn't much here anymore, but you can also get a salary in that range if not more.