Moving to FL. most likely Jacksonville (Destin: real estate, rent, daycare) - Florida - City-Data Forum

Johnny Starquest · 05-05-2009, 03:12 PM

Hello, I'm from Owensboro, KY. My wife and I want to move to Fl. We really want to live around Destin, but Jacksonville seems more convinent. My wifes uncle lives in Jacksonville, and he's pretty well off, and he plans to help us buy a home. We pay him back for it ,but hes going to put most of it in a saving for my daughters. So the house thing is a pretty awesome deal. He's going to do this regardless if we stay in Owensboro, or move to Jacksonville or Destin or wherever. The reason Jacksonville is so convinent is we have family near by. Ok, now thats out of the way.
My questions are:
Is it really hard to find a job in Jacksonville? I'm currently unemployed and looking for work and its very hard to find work here. I'd be happy with a job pay $10 hour.
Also should I try to find work before I move, or will most employers ignore my resume' since I live so far away.
With the deal my wifes uncle is offering should we go ahead and move to Destin instead of Jacksonville?
I'm just trying to figure things out before I jump into all of this. I know Destin and Fort Walton seem pretty touch in the job market area also. thanks for reading and any help you offer.

Dappleganger · 05-05-2009, 05:44 PM

Yes, it is hard to find a good paying job in Jacksonville right now. It would not be wise to move here unless you have secured a position somewhere. Many people are out of work here and are looking too.

KerryB · 05-05-2009, 07:37 PM

Hello, fellow Kentuckian.

I'd have really low expectations or I honestly probably wouldnt do it. Jax is a TUFF nut to crack as far as jobs go.

The problem is, you really need to have a job lined up before you got here. But I've noticed trying to land a job here before a move is like pulling teeth & will drive you nuts because not many are likely to communicate with you from afar. So you'd have better luck in person, but then that would mean you'd have to come here without something lined up already. And in these times, thats pretty foolish IMO.

I've been here for almost 2 years now & went through the same situation. I tried to transfer my job down here from DC, but no one would communicate with me or my former employers, and we were all in the same company. And the only jobs I've been able to get offered to me are retail jobs for $8 an hour, which honestly I havent taken because they're not worth my time away from home (we have a new baby that needs me while the wife is away at her job instead of paying for daycare). So thats almost less than half what I was making before I came. Not good.

So, I'd think really long & hard about the reasons why you wanna come & if its worth it to you to work a pretty basic job for peanuts. We've decided its not for us socially as well as financially, so are counting our losses & going back to DC, which both my wife & I already have jobs awaiting our return there.

Good luck!

Johnny Starquest · 05-06-2009, 08:37 AM

Thanks for your comments. In the end we are moving anyway. I just wanted to get a few ideas before we did. It wouldn't be any different for me down there than it is here. I haven't had a job since January, and with the uncle buying the house rent won't be as strict. So we won't be homeless if we can't find work right away, I mean the recession has to end sometime. I think we will be able to find some type of work. I think my biggest worry is taking my kids away from my parents, they're giving me a hard time.

psouth · 05-06-2009, 09:03 AM

If you have no job where you are now and no prospects plus your uncle is going to help pay the bills then you don't have much to worry about. No uncle = big worries. YOu can maybe pick up a couple of part time retail jobs for $9-$10 per hour. Otherwise the job market is very bad here.

cricketfan · 05-06-2009, 09:58 AM

psouth makes a reasonable point. You're in the same boat whether you stay or move but you don't have to worry about housing. The difference is you already have the inclination to move to Fl. I don't know anything about the specific job market in either Destin or Fort Walton but I can tell you the job market is terrible all over the south and Ky is no better.

Check this out:

Map: LA

As of Mar. 09, Ky 9.8% unemployment, Fl 9.7%.

FinallyReady · 06-19-2010, 11:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KerryB

Hello, fellow Kentuckian.

I'd have really low expectations or I honestly probably wouldnt do it. Jax is a TUFF nut to crack as far as jobs go.

The problem is, you really need to have a job lined up before you got here. But I've noticed trying to land a job here before a move is like pulling teeth & will drive you nuts because not many are likely to communicate with you from afar. So you'd have better luck in person, but then that would mean you'd have to come here without something lined up already. And in these times, thats pretty foolish IMO.

I've been here for almost 2 years now & went through the same situation. I tried to transfer my job down here from DC, but no one would communicate with me or my former employers, and we were all in the same company. And the only jobs I've been able to get offered to me are retail jobs for $8 an hour, which honestly I havent taken because they're not worth my time away from home (we have a new baby that needs me while the wife is away at her job instead of paying for daycare). So thats almost less than half what I was making before I came. Not good.

So, I'd think really long & hard about the reasons why you wanna come & if its worth it to you to work a pretty basic job for peanuts. We've decided its not for us socially as well as financially, so are counting our losses & going back to DC, which both my wife & I already have jobs awaiting our return there.

Good luck!

Couldn't have said that last sentence better myself......good luck with your decision....

luvingme23 · 06-20-2010, 05:28 PM

wait i think people were misunderstanding what you were asking. if the question is between here and destin, fl, then yes you are a heck of lot better off here. and based on what i read about Owensboro, KY on wikipedia, i would choose jville over there as well. if for some reason destin, fl is closer to where you would like to be, then keep in mind that jville is no where near there. it's about 4 hours drive by interstate. and their beaches are probably polluted from the oil spill. but that would lend opportunity for a quick $13/hour, plus food and lodging job working for BP doing their "cleanup" work. i just mentioned that because i know what it's like to be out of work and need money really quick.

KerryB · 06-21-2010, 09:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by luvingme23

wait i think people were misunderstanding what you were asking. if the question is between here and destin, fl, then yes you are a heck of lot better off here. and based on what i read about Owensboro, KY on wikipedia, i would choose jville over there as well. if for some reason destin, fl is closer to where you would like to be, then keep in mind that jville is no where near there. it's about 4 hours drive by interstate. and their beaches are probably polluted from the oil spill. but that would lend opportunity for a quick $13/hour, plus food and lodging job working for BP doing their "cleanup" work. i just mentioned that because i know what it's like to be out of work and need money really quick.

It's not worth $13 an hour to kill yourself though. Trust me, you dont want to be anywhere near the fumes & airborne chemicals that will be coming off that water. Remember all the people who got sick cleaning up after 9/11 & Exxon Valdez? Multiple that many times.

All that oil & chemical dispersants isn't something you wanna mess with.

IndigoLight · 06-21-2010, 10:01 AM

Johnny Starquest, I am going to play a devil's advocate, ok?

What do you think you'll gain by moving to Jacksonville or Destin?
What do you think you'll lose by moving to Jacksonville or Destin?

You may want to sit down with your wife and make a list of pros and cons, and go from there.
Ask specific questions about Jax and see how it compares to Owensboro. Don't rush.
It will be a buyer's marker in real estate for a while, you have plenty of time to think.

I would be very cautious about buying anything in Destin area, or any other area near Gulf of Mexico, right now due to ongoing oil leak mess. But that's me. You will have to make your own decision.

Have you ever been to Florida in the summer? Now would be a great time to visit to get the weather idea

Best of luck with your decision.