Considering Palm Bay , Pros and cons? (Melbourne, Vero Beach: real estate, 2015, apartment)

[wrat]

tell me about the area the good bad and ugly,
we are not looking for night life or " culture" we are homebodies

[Nypafl4u]

Palm Bay is a varied area. There ar some good parts and not so good areas. It's divided up in four sections, NE, NW, SE and SW. Some areas have older homes, with more built up communities and further south you will find newer homes but also some rough roads. Things have been improving with the latest real estate boom so there is more developement and less remote areas as their have been for many years. It's worth driving around and seeing the different sections and if any of it makes sense for what you are looking for.

[Florida Paul]

Palm Bay is a mixed bag with a not so great reputation. Its has a local stigma to it that it just can't shake. There are some very nice areas in Palm Bay that many people overlook and dismiss simply because it is in Palm Bay. I would say Palm Bay is caught in a Florida Developmental Hell, it just can't figure out what it wants to be and it doesn't know how to get where it wants to be.
If your looking to move into Brevard on the cheap, with all the amenities it has to offer, then Palm Bay would be the smart choice.

[Rabflmom]

Originally Posted by Florida Paul

Palm Bay is a mixed bag with a not so great reputation. Its has a local stigma to it that it just can't shake. There are some very nice areas in Palm Bay that many people overlook and dismiss simply because it is in Palm Bay. I would say Palm Bay is caught in a Florida Developmental Hell, it just can't figure out what it wants to be and it doesn't know how to get where it wants to be.
If your looking to move into Brevard on the cheap, with all the amenities it has to offer, then Palm Bay would be the smart choice.

I actually live here. Came down from Chicago when it had a "rough" rep back in the 70s. For some reason people from Melbourne have never been able to get around that. To describe Palm Bay...it is family oriented and used to be really a friendly place to live. Now it depends on the newcomers whether a neighborhood is still friendly because so many come down and do not want to even meet the neighbors. They go n and out of their garages without even a wave and seem to stay inside more than back in the 90s. My neighborhood is still pretty friendly because we have families with kids who play outside. But when it comes down to it in times of distress like hurricanes and wild fires it is a strong unit of togetherness. But like in most areas you need to lock doors and take precautions late at night. We can walk the dog most hours of the day but we do have some unfriendly dogs that seem to get out too often so we stick to just 3 or 4 streets.

We know what Palm Bay is. It is the largest town in Brevard County. It has grown too fast and at times has had questionable leadership. It is a catching up city. Yes, it was a planned community with 90+ square miles of roads built by a developer who committed fraud and went bankrupt. The "Compound "area still is undeveloped for the most part with those roads decaying. Developers have not been able to build there because it would involve buying individual lots from the people who bought lots there back in the 60s. But the town has grown from 19,000 to over 120,000. Most houses are less than 30 years old. You can still get homes at descent prices here in town. Though in my neighborhood they are now going for over $400,000 for houses smaller than ours without patios or pools.

A lot of the sections still require you to put in a well for water and a septic system. City water is available in many areas though. Only the NE sector has sewer available for most of the streets. Our houses are built up on fill to stop them from flooding since PB is on low land. When we do get 20 inches of rain in a day the streets may flood but most houses do not get water in them. If you do look at houses be sure to think concrete block instead of wood frame .

We are mostly a "sleep city" . We live here but usually work in one of the other towns if you don't work for Harris Corporation. We have just a few big box stores, grocery stores, and basically all fast food restaurants in town; but we share roads with West Melbourne so Kohls etc. is just across the street. I always tell people to pull up a picture of our Walmart. It is not the typical building and had to meet city code of having a porch when it was built.

The thing about Brevard County is we are still spread out, developing too fast with too many hotels coming in trying to make this area a tourist area We are still heavy on tech so not quite the one draw as some parts of Florida. Maybe my family is different; but we have felt the whole county as home for almost 50 years and could be in 4 or 5 towns everyday. We love the ocean, watching rockets launch, being about half way between Viera and Vero Beach to shop, go out to eat, and do things for fun. OP If you have any questions just PM me.

[wrat]

[quote=Rabflmom;63381156]

Thanx for a very interesting answer

[AngelaRetired]

Hello Rabflmom:

I really enjoyed your post as it brought me up to speed on the area.

I left Florida in 2015 and as I age need to return ti be near to my adult daughter. I am glad to see Palm Bay stull has some country areas.

In your opinion, what is the best way to locate single family homes for rent in Brevard County Florida? I see so much online about Zillow site scams.

Thanks

[Gypsy3n8]

We considered Palm Bay, but ended up not liking much about any of it. It may have been a 'planned community' but seems more like haphazard sprawl, and the only places within the budget we had set were more than 30-45 minutes from the coast, with poor roads and no city utilities.

We ended up moving our search north and are quite happy with the home we bought in Flagler County.

[AngelaRetired]

Originally Posted by wrat

tell me about the area the good bad and ugly,
we are not looking for night life or " culture" we are homebodies

Have you decided? I use to live there many years ago when I worked for Harris. I liked the area because it was quiet and where I lived had an empty lot on both sides of my rental house. I had a neighbor behind me and across the street = privacy, but some help if needed. From what I have read here, seems to have changed. Hopefully I can find something to rent in Brevard County in May 2023 when I plan to move back from Roanoke, Virginia. My daughter is in Melbourne. Lol, now to keep my fingers & toes crossed that housing prices go down by then!

[Gypsy3n8]

Angela J Shirley, you shouldn't have a problem. This is just one subdivision that's been turned entirely into a rental community by investment firms. One of the reasons starter homes are in short supply for young people wanting to be homeowners.

https://www.yahoo.com/video/goldman-...140348599.html

[AngelaRetired]

Originally Posted by Gypsy3n8

Angela J Shirley, you shouldn't have a problem. This is just one subdivision that's been turned entirely into a rental community by investment firms. One of the reasons starter homes are in short supply for young people wanting to be homeowners.

https://www.yahoo.com/video/goldman-...140348599.html

Hello Gypsy3n8, I am sad that Investment Firms are taking over the housing market. As a senior citizen here in Roanoke, Virginia my rent for my cute studio apartment went up $25 this year. Usually it was $10. My complex is owned by a team of rental attorneys I am told. I am hoping that the folks who can control all this will see that alot of us are being priced out of "safe" housing. I was suppose to relocate back to Brevard County Florida to be nearer to my only child who works for Harris. I still need to but worry about being a burden to her. Thanks for responding