Please share- 10 THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT MOVING TO West Palm Beach (Boca Raton: transplants, sales)

[CONTACTROXY]

My fiance and I are both moving to FL. I am 29 and he is 33 years old. I have
mortgage and banking experience and he is in the pharmaceutical sale field.
We are looking for a nice area to move that is close to shopping malls and dinners and 20-25 from the water at the most. We will like to eventually buy a boat and start a family soon.

I will like to know about

Employment opportunities, Life style, how safe is the area? If you are from the area any feedback would help. Pros and Cons of moving to West Palm Beach . PLEASE HELP We will be moving soon. THANKS !

[runswithscissors]

If you have no jobs then....nothing to say, unemployment is bad everywhere but perhaps in WPB you'd have some luck. I'd say rent a condo downtown. You can walk to everything including the grocery store. Or find one on the Intracoastal waterway. NEVER EVER buy until you live here.

You can also rent cute single homes in Grandview heights or Flamingo Park that are walkable to town. But for me, living in town is better unless you have to walk your dog. There are several threads from last week with examples and links to properties.

[m5*]

I have actively searched for jobs for my fiancé for over a year. He's had offers but the pay was too low. He is flying down from NY tomorrow because he has 4 interviews this week. Do not move without a job. There's no doubt in my mind that you will love it when you move, just make sure you're secure when you do.

As for places to live, there are some iffy areas of West Palm as well as some beautiful. Are you looking for HOA or no HOA, new build, lots of land, waterfront, etc? The beaches in Jupiter and Palm Beach Gardens are amazing. Anywhere in either area is less than 25 minutes to the beach. You'll find good restaurants and nightlife all throughout Palm Beach County.

[StarlaJane]

10 Things to Know

1. Homeowner's insurance and property taxes are higher than most people seem to expect (especially homeowner's insurance.)
2. It is not always hot and sunny here. In the summer, it tends to rain quite frequently (every day, usually in the afternoon, if we are lucky. Rain in the summer is good because otherwise the area suffers from drought and there are water restrictions.) Also, there are always cold spells during the winter--usually down to 40's at night--bring your sweaters. We get hurricanes and some powerful thunder storms (no hail but lots of wind), especially in the summer. Make sure you use a power surge protector (especially for your computer.)
3. There is traffic, and much more than you would probably expect for the area, but it is manageable.
4. There is culture and lots of things to do--Norton Museum of Art, Boca Museum of Art, Science Museum, Lion Country Safari, Butterfly World and lots of festivals at the South Florida Fairgrounds (just this past weekend, there was a Corn Festival, and there is a fair every year.) Also, Disney World is 3 1/2 hours away.
5. There are local universities if you wish to take classes or further your education (Florida Atlantic and PBCC, among others.)
6. The beaches are nice (but not perfect) and some are dog-friendly.
7. There are malls in Boca Raton, Wellington and Palm Beach Gardens as well as CityPlace in downtown WPB that are very good for shopping.
8. The summer (May-October) is much mellower than the winter (November-April) as there are lots of transplants who come down during the winter months.
9. There is no state income tax and sales tax is 6.5% in PBCounty. However, salaries tend to reflect these trends (i.e. they are not very high but usually come with very good benefits.)
10. There is a lot of cultural diversity. It is helpful (but by no means necessary) to speak Spanish or Creole.

[chrisilver]

does anyone could help me about doing business in small hotels and restaurants.considering the crisis,i would like to move in west palm beach and i appreciate your advice.
thanks in advance.