[JBRITT27867]

Hi so I am a nurse in Dallas and my dream has always been to live by the beach. I love the panhandle beaches Pensacola, Destin, and 30a. My husband and I have our entire family in PA and we have been happy so far for the past 8 years living this far from family. Recently, we visited home and felt really homesick plus people are starting to age (his mom, my grandmother) and they really don’t have anyone to help them around the house ect. So we thought about moving to south Delaware coast to be closer to family and to have my dream. My options for employment are I have a position for me at ai DuPont in Wilmington but i think that’s far from the coast. If in Florida I would just lateral transfer but of course make less. We don’t own a home yet but once we are where we want to stay, we will buy. We even considered moving to Delaware and buying a vacation home in the panhandle.Anyone live in Delaware? Or should I just go for Florida?

[kyle19125]

You can always have your dream once your family obligations have been taken care of and the guilt of not participating in helping family will likely not make the Panhandle of FL move not that pleasant right now. Wilmington is too far of a commute from the coast, but if you looked for a place further south around Middletown or Odessa you'd be just an hour from Dewey Beach and about 30-40 minutes from work.

[beach43ofus]

I can't speak about Delaware, but there's a new Hospital under construction near Laurel Rd and I-75 in Sarasota County that will need lots of new Nurses when its done. Then, I think a 2nd new Hospital has zoning approval that is a couple of years further out near Jacaranda and I-75 also in Sarasota County. Sarasota County has several beautiful beaches and these 2 sites are <30 minutes to the beach.

I well known and Highly respected Northern Hospital just took over the Hospital in Vero Beach, so I'm sure they are looking for nursing upgrades. Once they are established there, they'll likely broaden their presence along the Treasure Coast.

Finding a nursing job near any beach in Florida should be a snap. I wouldn't let the job slow you down after your family is taken care of.

I'd vacation here while caring for family in Delaware, and then make the move to Florida later after you've visited several coastal areas here. That's what we did. I liked 30A too, but there's not enough public parking and restrooms there, just Hundreds of beach access points with nowhere to park, so you must live walking distance to the beach which was not for us due to Hurricane's and cost. Also, we found very few cinder block w/ cement tile roof construction homes in the Panhandle for <$1M. Most were stick frame, and stick frame w/ stucco with tar shingle roofs (some metal). These construction types will not hold up as well to Hurricane's to cinder blocks. Also, the cost of grocery's was much higher in the Panhandle. Property taxes were much lower in the Panhandle in Walton County particular.

In the end, since we are big beach people, having beach access WITH parking and restrooms is why we chose Sarasota County over Walton County.

[double6's]

I live in SW Florida..the beaches down here don't compare to Ocean City MD or even Rehobeth DE..can't speak for the panhandle or the east coast of Florida..Ocean City MD beach is the best..

[beach43ofus]

Originally Posted by double6's

I live in SW Florida..the beaches down here don't compare to Ocean City MD or even Rehobeth DE..can't speak for the panhandle or the east coast of Florida..Ocean City MD beach is the best..

Down here in Southwestern Florida, the beaches have clearer warmer water, much less seaweed, less waves, and whiter sand. The beaches here in SW Florida are in between the beaches in the NE USA and the Caribbean.

In Southeastern Florida, the beaches are closer to the beaches in NE USA with darker sands, more wave action, more seaweed, colder water.

On the SE and central Florida coasts, I like Jupiter, and Vero's, beaches the most. Both beautiful areas, particularly the barrier island off Vero Beach which is near 2 Hospitals (Vero and Sebastian).

For young children, SW Florida's beaches are preferred by parents. For all the rest, its just a matter of personal preference. Some look at the Gulf of Mexico in Summer time when it looks like a big lake the surf is so calm, and they don't get the Ocean feel without the sounds of the waves. You don't get that briney smell on the Gulf beaches like you do across the State in SE Florida.

The Op needs to experience both to make her/his own decision. One is not particlularly better than the other (except for small kids), they are just different.

Of course, there alot more than just the beaches to consider too.

[Fredesch]

Wow Florida and Delaware are very different. My wife has family in Delaware and we lived through a winter in Hockessin DE a few years ago. Once you've lived in Florida, you can't deal with a dreary gray cold Delaware winter. I worked in Wilmington and my commute from Hockessin was about a half hour. As far as I remember there are only two major north-south roads in Delaware. I believe one has tolls if you go very far south on it. My wife's cousin lives about half way down the state and it was about an hour's drive from Hockessin. Delaware doesn't have very fast roads in the northern part of the state. It seemed to me every exit on as north-south major road had a built up area around the exit which adds time to your commute. If you are below half way a commute to Wilmington will be over an hour depending on where you have to drive to.

The winter in Delaware was unbearable. My wife wasn't working so she would hike in the parks. The Brandywine Valley has nice parks, but they close them in the winter. Every day we would look at a phone and see it was 65 degrees at home and 20 degrees in Hockessin. Delaware has some good restaurants and we had family near by, but really it is easier to fly or drive to see family than to deal with the cold weather. Mostly, my wife's family comes here as we live by the beach. Good luck on your decision, either choice will be an improvement over Dallas.

[FireStation46]

We built a house in Florida and added a room for my mother in law. One level, no stairs to deal with. She has a good pension, SS and Medicare so she is fine with us and happy her daughter can help. Role reversal I suppose

No winters, community center she can visit. Open floor plan so as she shuffles around she is not blocking traffic in the house

Good luck with your plans