Is Palm Bay a good place to live?

[Taxlesslivemore]

I am also looking in Brevard County. West Melbourne or Merritt Island look like places we would want to be. I am concerned about Medical Care in this area. My wife has some medical issues that we need besides a GP, a Cardiac Specialist and Gastro would be required. Is there any place in Merritt or West Melbourne we should stay away from ( High Crime). We are looking for at least a 3/2 with a screened in pool with about 2,000 sq ft of space. Again after 30 years of Home improvement and lawn maintenance I am done, So move in ready, landscaping, and a pool man are in my future.

[clnewman]

Originally Posted by bohochic77

Cinewman---thanks for the input. I am heading down this week and will check it out. Any other suggestions for nice neighborhoods on Merritt Island that I should consider while I am there?

There really aren't any "bad" neighborhoods. Some are just older, and not as well maintained. You can tell which houses are probably rentals by how well they're kept. There are nice neighborhoods all over the island. It doesn't take long to drive through. Depending on your budget, you can probably avoid much of S. Tropical Trail... it's kind of pricey.

We live on the SE "spur", and really like it here... much less traffic than in the NW area.

[naturesbeauty]

We love Palm Bay, Sold here and bought here Twice. School are great too. Very quiet neighborhoods where everyone keeps their homes in good shape and no home owners associations. Beautiful large homes, good shopping and if you don't find what you are looking for Viera and Vero are just around the corner. I hear that Costco Wholesale is planning on coming soon.
Prior to purchasing here the second time around we looked for housing in Charlotte NC, Estes Park Colorado, Greenville SC, and Maryville TN. We came crawling right back due to, no jobs, over priced housing, grueling winters.
There is a welcoming home town feel here in Palm Bay you don't get anywhere else. You can drive to the hustle and bustle job filled Orlando, 45 min away, and come home to a tranquil little town where taxes are low and houses are spacious still for a reasonable price. Winters are non existent and beaches five minutes away. We love to call Palm Bay home and we are glad we never left.

[mrsfixit99]

Originally Posted by naturesbeauty

We love Palm Bay, Sold here and bought here Twice. School are great too. Very quiet neighborhoods where everyone keeps their homes in good shape and no home owners associations. Beautiful large homes, good shopping and if you don't find what you are looking for Viera and Vero are just around the corner. I hear that Costco Wholesale is planning on coming soon.
Prior to purchasing here the second time around we looked for housing in Charlotte NC, Estes Park Colorado, Greenville SC, and Maryville TN. We came crawling right back due to, no jobs, over priced housing, grueling winters.
There is a welcoming home town feel here in Palm Bay you don't get anywhere else. You can drive to the hustle and bustle job filled Orlando, 45 min away, and come home to a tranquil little town where taxes are low and houses are spacious still for a reasonable price. Winters are non existent and beaches five minutes away. We love to call Palm Bay home and we are glad we never left.

I do love Greenville, SC. We have friends there. That would be my second choice after FL.

No HOA's is very appealing to me. I just want peace and quiet without a picky HOA telling me what to all the time.

Two things I am concerned about in Palm Bay: areas that flood, and highway noise from I-95.

I live 1/4 mile from I-80. I will never make that mistake again. But being that FL is flat, I'm afraid that the noise will travel for miles.

Also, Palm Bay seems to be bisected by I-95. The areas west of 95 seem to have more open space and larger properties, but what about flooding?

If you can shed some light on these 2 issues it would be much appreciated.

[Nypafl4u]

I completely understand your concerns being close to a major highway, or even off a busy street. Yes, Florida is flat and sound travels farther than the uneven, more wooded areas of PA. As long as you are 6-10 blocks or a half mile away or more from 95, you should be fine. The best way to know for sure is to visit in person and drive down the streets with your windows down. Stop the car and just listen. Do this morning, afternoon and rush hour evening. Then you will know.
Several years ago I was looking in West Melbourne at properties, some quite nice with .75 acre lots. When I got out of othe car, I could here the trucks passing by on 95. The owner and realtor at the time just said, you get used to it. I walked away. Apparently the winds brought the noise levels over west of 95 a bit more than east, but this was for properties within a half mile or less. In more densely populated areas, the effect was much less noticeable. So yes, the larger lots with open yards allowed the traffic sound to be lightly heard.
Most of Palm Bay does not have this issue. When you get off the highway and drive down the many miles of Palm Bay, you will understand it better. The .25 acre lots with homes and some trees will buffer this quite well in most areas.

[Nypafl4u]

Originally Posted by mrsfixit99

I do love Greenville, SC. We have friends there. That would be my second choice after FL.

No HOA's is very appealing to me. I just want peace and quiet without a picky HOA telling me what to all the time.

Two things I am concerned about in Palm Bay: areas that flood, and highway noise from I-95.

I live 1/4 mile from I-80. I will never make that mistake again. But being that FL is flat, I'm afraid that the noise will travel for miles.

Also, Palm Bay seems to be bisected by I-95. The areas west of 95 seem to have more open space and larger properties, but what about flooding?

If you can shed some light on these 2 issues it would be much appreciated.

Palm Bay does tend to flood in some areas more than others. Look for higher elevation homes, a given if built in 2000's, not so much pre-1990's. Older homes may be OK as they have stood the test of time, but will likely have other electrical, septic and structural issues if GDC built them (they basically created Palm Bay, Google them for the interesting and at times hair raising history).

Having an HOA can be a pain, cost money and you feel like you lost some rights. BUT, it also can ensure you live in a nice, clean, well kept and manicured neighborhood. I have seen cars parked on front lawns, trailers and boats parked in areas other than a driveway not to mention the latest home fix project , incomplete in the front yard as well. You won't find that with a good HOA. So you lose some but can get a great deal of living standard with it. Just a thought before you knock them out of consideration. Again, drive around Palm Bay and see what works for you and your tollarences on a particular street.

[mrsfixit99]

Originally Posted by Nypafl4u

I completely understand your concerns being close to a major highway, or even off a busy street. Yes, Florida is flat and sound travels farther than the uneven, more wooded areas of PA. As long as you are 6-10 blocks or a half mile away or more from 95, you should be fine. The best way to know for sure is to visit in person and drive down the streets with your windows down. Stop the car and just listen. Do this morning, afternoon and rush hour evening. Then you will know.
Several years ago I was looking in West Melbourne at properties, some quite nice with .75 acre lots. When I got out of othe car, I could here the trucks passing by on 95. The owner and realtor at the time just said, you get used to it. I walked away. Apparently the winds brought the noise levels over west of 95 a bit more than east, but this was for properties within a half mile or less. In more densely populated areas, the effect was much less noticeable. So yes, the larger lots with open yards allowed the traffic sound to be lightly heard.
Most of Palm Bay does not have this issue. When you get off the highway and drive down the many miles of Palm Bay, you will understand it better. The .25 acre lots with homes and some trees will buffer this quite well in most areas.

Maybe some people get used to the noise- but after living here and listening to it for 25 years I can say I hate it as much now as I did back when we bought this house.

No, some of us never get used to it.

We looked at this house on a Saturday, when there tends to be less trucks. We were not aware of the noise levels until after we bought it. And weather conditions affect noise as well. On hot, humid days I can't hear a thing. But when the temps drop, along with the humidity levels- it's downright horrific.

NEVER again.

I am going to look in areas at least 1 mile or more from I-95.

Thanks for the info!

[mrsfixit99]

Originally Posted by Nypafl4u

Palm Bay does tend to flood in some areas more than others. Look for higher elevation homes, a given if built in 2000's, not so much pre-1990's. Older homes may be OK as they have stood the test of time, but will likely have other electrical, septic and structural issues if GDC built them (they basically created Palm Bay, Google them for the interesting and at times hair raising history).

Having an HOA can be a pain, cost money and you feel like you lost some rights. BUT, it also can ensure you live in a nice, clean, well kept and manicured neighborhood. I have seen cars parked on front lawns, trailers and boats parked in areas other than a driveway not to mention the latest home fix project , incomplete in the front yard as well. You won't find that with a good HOA. So you lose some but can get a great deal of living standard with it. Just a thought before you knock them out of consideration. Again, drive around Palm Bay and see what works for you and your tollarences on a particular street.

Good advice, thanks.

As my current house is 80+ years old, I know all about the problems with septics, electrical, and other structural problems- including termites.

Yeah, been there, done that, we're too old to be dealing with that nonsense anymore.

I would like to look for a concrete block house that is post-1990's.

But you're right, we need to drive around down there. We'd probably be better off just renting for a year while looking. It would make things a whole lot easier.