WI to gulf breeze move??? (Tallahassee, Pensacola: real estate, foreclosures, house)

[chadman154]

We have been thinking of moving down to gulf breeze,
the questions i have is the weather.
My gf is a marathon runner and she is worried that it will get too hot (heat stroke). does it really get that humid???

will we have problems finding work? My gf has her masters in business and i am a self employed, landlord, contractor that rehabs homes, (currently my company buys and rehabs foreclosures)...

also we would be moving down, paying cash for our home and have no bills. (IF THAT HELPS)


any help would be great...

[beachmouse]

The 'good' running season down here runs from late September/October through late April/early May, and you actually have a decent number of marathons in the area from about December through April. (Mobile, New Orleans, Birmingham, Pensacola, Tallahassee plus a whole bunch of halfs)

Summer running outdoors sucks, especially when the dew point gets above 80F. You get up early to avoid the worst of it, and do eventually acclimate to some degree even if it doesn't really feel like you have. Plenty of air-conditioned gyms for those times when you feel it's too hot down there if you can handle the dreadmill. A number of folks do tend to cut back on the running in summer months in general and train for triathlons that time of year instead.

The white collar job market is hard to break into in the area unless you're heavily networked either from growing up here or through the Navy/Air Force. Am not sure about the home rehab sector over there, but you could assume that it's been hurt like any other part of Florida has during the downturn.

[chadman154]

thanks for some insight, i think we will just get a home and stay down in winter and have our summers in wi, for a while....

but we would like to move before we turn 35, so we have a little work ahead of us for the next 7 years

[007.5]

I just spent my first summer here in the Panhandle ( from northern Illinois ). There were perhaps 5 or 6 days that were REALLY opressive when I took two showers each day. But toward the end of summer, I had built up some tolerance to the heat and humidity ; you have to try to avoid the direct sunlight because it is brutal -- its far more intense than Illinois/Wisconsin . Next summer will be easier I think . From October thru April , it is so nice to be living down here while the Midwest is getting battered with snow storm after snow storm. I was on the beach last Christmas Day cause it was 70 f.

[chadman154]

Originally Posted by 007.5

I just spent my first summer here in the Panhandle ( from northern Illinois ). There were perhaps 5 or 6 days that were REALLY opressive when I took two showers each day. But toward the end of summer, I had built up some tolerance to the heat and humidity ; you have to try to avoid the direct sunlight because it is brutal -- its far more intense than Illinois/Wisconsin . Next summer will be easier I think . From October thru April , it is so nice to be living down here while the Midwest is getting battered with snow storm after snow storm. I was on the beach last Christmas Day cause it was 70 f.

did you head down with a job offer or did you have to look for one?

I too am sick of the snow, i leave for fort myers beach in a few days. but that is way too hot in summer for me...

[2goldens]

If you can, come visit during the summer months for two weeks before you move.

[beachmouse]

Definitely. The northern Gulf Coast actually has slightly worse summer humidity issues than the Florida peninsula does.

[chadman154]

Originally Posted by beachmouse

Definitely. The northern Gulf Coast actually has slightly worse summer humidity issues than the Florida peninsula does.

so it will be more humid in gulf breeze than say cape coral?


but wont CC be hotter and possibly feel the same temp (less humidity) than say gulf breez with a lower temps and higher humidity?

again thanks for all the help.

swfl has some crazy deals on real estate right now...

[007.5]

Originally Posted by chadman154

did you head down with a job offer or did you have to look for one?

I too am sick of the snow, i leave for fort myers beach in a few days. but that is way too hot in summer for me...

I semi retired from my Heating/Cooling business I had since 1986 in northern Illinois. I plan on doing some sidejobs after I have a little more time off to do things around the house and RV the Florida Coast . So essentially....Ill have to 'get a job' but I have a good trade that is needed down here in Florida. Once youve lived here for best part of a year...it is VERY clear how the nasty northern weather affected you ; being stuck inside for a good 5 months each winter had a negative effect on my outlook, attitude, interest in things, etc... Each person is different however . There are SO many advantages to living in the deep south versus the upper Midwest and you should take a vacation down here for a week or two to scout out the various areas . I havent been to the rest of Florida yet, but I suspect the Panhandle will have been the best choice I made. If you go to some larger Newspapers online, you can get an idea of the job situation for your line of business in the classified column. Here in the Panhandle the most popular one is : Northwest Florida Daily News or www.nfwdailynews.com . P.S.... The Deer down here are scrawwwwny compared to Wisconsin Deer !

[chadman154]

i am going to try to head to gulf breeze in feb. as for work currently my company buys foreclosures and rehabs them. i am also a master electrician, so im in the trades as well.