transferring to Gulfport/Biloxi, MS area

[HB1234]

I actually live in Southeast LA/New Orleans area, but we are not far from the Coast at all here. I spend a lot of time there and am quite familiar with the area. It looks like you have already got a good deal of information for your move. I just want to say that I agree with Sobelle concerning Ocean Springs; it is an excellent choice for a place to live. The downtown area is really quaint and has a decent arts festival every year and is home to many artists. The town is safe and has good schools. Also, you will have easy access to Biloxi and Gulfport from Ocean Springs. I also like the towns of Diamondhead, Gauthier, Pass Christian and Bay St. Louis, but they are a further commute to Gulfport than is OS. Long Beach which is not far at all from Gulfport is also a nice little town. The two towns I would recommend you look at are Ocean Springs and Long Beach mainly due to their proximity to Gulfport because to be honest just about any town on the MS Coast is nice, safe, and has decent schools. What is great about the MS Gulf Coast is that really all of the towns are fairly close to one another so you should have no problem getting around. You will also be close to New Orleans, Mobile, AL, and Pensacola, FL if you guys ever want a short weekend getaway.

Two other things I wanted to mention were home owners insurance rates and Katrina. As another person said insurance rates are lower for people that live north of I-10 so you may want to consider than when looking for a home. As for Katrina, unfortunately the damage was devastating in MS. In fact being from the NOLA area I can tell you I was more shocked by what I saw in MS than in New Orleans after the storm. Biloxi and Gulfport used to have miles of beautiful 200+ year old homes along the beach; they are gone now. It is really sad since these historic homes can never be replaced. There are still many empty lots/pieces of land where homes and businesses used to stand along the beach. Despite the damage from Katrina the entire Gulf Coast in LA, MS, and AL has really come back from the storm, and there is still a lot of ongoing construction in the area. Anyway, good luck on your move! I think you guys will really like it down here as long as you don't mind hot and humid weather! People here tend to be very friendly and like to have a good time. Also, the food down here is really great in my opinion which is an added bonus to living on the Gulf Coast!

[ladyjailcopr73]

Awesome, you have been a GREAT help! Hope you got your house!

[jbub22]

I was stationed in Biloxi for 6 years and we experienced all the Katrina events. I lived in military housing but I had some buddies who lived near the Navy yard, Orange Grove (I think), its a mile or so north of Barnes and Noble in Gulfport. I can positively state they absolutely loved Orange Grove. I am not sure on the insurance coverage but I do remember they had a nice house especially for the cost. For Katrina, they had only very minimal hurricane damage, from the winds not water. Give it a look.

[SoBelle]

ladyjailcopr73, we got the house! We LOVE it, the neighborhood, the neighbors, the VIEW...everything! We are so happy to be here in coastal MS. Never have I met friendlier people who offer their help, invite you to cookouts, etc. after just meeting you! I agree with HB1234, so read that post. I'm so sad about the beautiful homes that were washed away. I am a big historical preservation person, so that just makes me sick at such a loss to the whole community. We ended up in Gautier. Our house is right on the Singing River with a dock that the neighbors say is one of the best fishing/crabbing spots in Southern MS. We just love the neighbors and the neighborhood. I also love Ocean Springs where we have family...these two towns are right next to each other and it's so easy to travel here and be to your destination in no time...so different from the cities I've lived in with the traffic congestion. I can now add Gautier to my list as one of my favs, along with Ocean Springs.

[SoBelle]

We finalized our choice and are renting a great house on the Singing River in Gautier. We have met several of the neighbors...great, friendly people, and we just love the area. We are in the process of moving in. When we buy, we would love to talk the landlord into letting us buy the house we are renting...if that doesn't happen, we now know the areas of Gautier and Ocean Springs to which we want to settle.

[ladyjailcopr73]

I am soooo happy for you SoBell! We came down last weekend and looked at alot of houses. We finally decided on the St. Martin High School area. We haven't sold our house yet but we did find a house down there that we fell in love with. The owner doesn't want to commit to a lease to purchase with us til we sell ours but I'm hoping that he will come around soon. We didn't want to come back to IL, lol. I'm hoping that I don't have to lease something down there and then have to move twice but I have to start my job on 4/25 so I may not have a choice. Wish me luck, hopefully he decides to lease to us! talk to ya soon.