I just wanna ask....

I bet you Jdarg could give you a tip or two. She and her family moved to SoWal from Louisville very recently. They love it love it love it in SoWal full-time! There was some kind of power outage in her neighborhood this morning, and she didn't have computer access, but I'm betting she'll chime in as soon as she's able.

Is it very expensive to live there? Thanks in advance!

I don't live there but I think I can answer this one ..... Are you kidding me


Oh and welcome Post early and often

I came down here from Pennsylvania knowing nothing about the area. A long time friend convinced me to move. A leap of faith you can call it. It took a while, but I'm doing well now. Live close to the beach and have a good job with SWFD. Been 2 years now. I think I'll stay. :roll:

I bet you Jdarg could give you a tip or two. She and her family moved to SoWal from Louisville very recently. They love it love it love it in SoWal full-time! There was some kind of power outage in her neighborhood this morning, and she didn't have computer access, but I'm betting she'll chime in as soon as she's able.

It turns out that my internet "outage" was caused by Bdarg unplugging the computer from the modem, and not plugging it back in. The Embarq customer support person was snickering a I talked on the phone while crawling along the floor with a cord in one hand and phone in the other, and discovered that the cord went....nowhere.

Anyway- yes, it is very expensive to live here. Much more so than we realized, but hey, we are here. Our gasoline expense is double what is was in KY- it doesn't seem like it, but we have to drive farther for a lot of things that we need or do. We paid twice as much for a house with 1000 less square feet that what we had (you ought to see our garage- packed to the ceiling!). I need to be better organized and grocery shop when I am in Destin or PCB, since my grocery bill is scaring even me ( and I am hard to scare when it comes to any kind of shopping).

Is it worth it? Heck yes. I was in my hometown last week, and couldn't WAIT to get back to our new home. I almost cried when I got a whiff of my neighborhood after the rain.

...jdarg, you are the best! You are one of the few people I know that can dole out the "ugly" truth and make it seem like a musical!!! Don't you think it all comes down to priorities and being creative?

Welcome to all our new posters. Have funn!

...jdarg, you are the best! You are one of the few people I know that can dole out the "ugly" truth and make it seem like a musical!!! Don't you think it all comes down to priorities and being creative?

Welcome to all our new posters. Have funn!

I'm thinking of taking Audie's advice from her sig line.

Jdarg - the idea is to stay out of PCB and Destin. Keep the battle wagon off the road or trade it for a corrola and your gas bill will be reasonable. Prices aren't lower enough outside of SoWal to justify driving, especially with the traffic getting thick. Of course if your mang is driving over there anyway just make him shop.

i am one of the freaks on the board who loves where i live. mr audie and i were talking the other day about where we would move if we could go anywhere, and other than staying here, sowal never came up . we love visiting once or twice a year, but have no desire to live anywhere down south. it's a heat/hurricane thing. i would seek the cold, snow and the mountains. montana would be great i think.....

BBB, I don't live in SoWal, but I do visit as often as I can. I would love to live there. Perhaps one day that will happen. Until then, I just get my fix when I can. I loved Jdargs response. I guess it is a matter of readjusting your priorities so you can live in the place that you love. Good luck to you!!!!!!

I agree, who cares if you don't have extra room for your stuff. Your extra room is outside, on the beach.

I agree, who cares if you don't have extra room for your stuff. Your extra room is outside, on the beach.

The beach also makes for a great TV alternative.

Jdarg - the idea is to stay out of PCB and Destin. Keep the battle wagon off the road or trade it for a corrola and your gas bill will be reasonable. Prices aren't lower enough outside of SoWal to justify driving, especially with the traffic getting thick. Of course if your mang is driving over there anyway just make him shop.

If Kate didn't have to get allergy shots, I wouldn't go over there at all! At least school is out and I am only going once a week. Even that is too much.

After driving to KY with 4 people in the battle wagon, I can't imagine making that trip in anything even a little bit smaller.

If Kate didn't have to get allergy shots, I wouldn't go over there at all! At least school is out and I am only going once a week. Even that is too much.

After driving to KY with 4 people in the battle wagon, I can't imagine making that trip in anything even a little bit smaller.

Just a thought...would Dr Skunky be able to give Kate the shot? Our allergist will send the serum to another dr's office if it's more convenient. It didn't really work out too well for us...the peds office used bigger needles and weren't as skilled at giving shots so we tough it out and drive a little farther now.

Jdarg - Where in Kentucky did you move from? My hometown is Carrollton, about 40 minutes northeast from Louisville, halfway between Louisville and Cincinnati - - although I live another hour away towards Lexington. It's beautiful here - - lots of trees, horses, and I grew up on the Kentucky and Ohio Rivers. I really miss the water, and would love to make the move. However, it would be a major thing for me and not for a couple of years. I'm a single momma right now, and even tho my oldest two have left the nest or are in the PROCESS...(my 20 yo is in college in Tulsa, OK and my 18 yo is leaving for Berea College in KY this fall), I have a 6 year old daughter to raise. I'm also attending college full time while working to FINALLY finish that degree.....and so I think in wisdom, no matter how much I WANT to move, I'd better finish college and get all of my ducks in a row. I'm not opposed to raising my 6 yo in SoWal - it would be an AWESOME place to grow up, I think.

It turns out that my internet "outage" was caused by Bdarg unplugging the computer from the modem, and not plugging it back in. The Embarq customer support person was snickering a I talked on the phone while crawling along the floor with a cord in one hand and phone in the other, and discovered that the cord went....nowhere.

Anyway- yes, it is very expensive to live here. Much more so than we realized, but hey, we are here. Our gasoline expense is double what is was in KY- it doesn't seem like it, but we have to drive farther for a lot of things that we need or do. We paid twice as much for a house with 1000 less square feet that what we had (you ought to see our garage- packed to the ceiling!). I need to be better organized and grocery shop when I am in Destin or PCB, since my grocery bill is scaring even me ( and I am hard to scare when it comes to any kind of shopping).

Is it worth it? Heck yes. I was in my hometown last week, and couldn't WAIT to get back to our new home. I almost cried when I got a whiff of my neighborhood after the rain.

From one goof to another....I tried to turn the washer on the other day and nothing happened..i thought grayt, we have to buy a new washer. I was on my way downstairs to tell the Canuck and noticed no lights...our power was off!! Felt pretty dumb! Anyway I moved here in 1995 just in time to experience Hurricane Opal and I still would never live anywhere else. Grocery and gas prices are high not to mention real estate but it's all worth it. I had my fill of traffic and crime in Hot Lanta and hardly ever go back to visit. Just my 2 cents!!

Jdarg - Where in Kentucky did you move from? My hometown is Carrollton, about 40 minutes northeast from Louisville, halfway between Louisville and Cincinnati - - although I live another hour away towards Lexington. It's beautiful here - - lots of trees, horses, and I grew up on the Kentucky and Ohio Rivers. I really miss the water, and would love to make the move. However, it would be a major thing for me and not for a couple of years. I'm a single momma right now, and even tho my oldest two have left the nest or are in the PROCESS...(my 20 yo is in college in Tulsa, OK and my 18 yo is leaving for Berea College in KY this fall), I have a 6 year old daughter to raise. I'm also attending college full time while working to FINALLY finish that degree.....and so I think in wisdom, no matter how much I WANT to move, I'd better finish college and get all of my ducks in a row. I'm not opposed to raising my 6 yo in SoWal - it would be an AWESOME place to grow up, I think.

Depending on your degree, we have some pretty good schools here and this is a wonderful place to raise children.;-)

This whole board is giving me MAJOR SoWal itch. I NEED to move there soon. After my interview down there last week I have been nothing short of crazed waiting to hear back from them.

My advice: always find a job before moving. Otherwisw- nothing is guaranteed and you don't want to end up living in a place you can't afford...

ALSO- remember the whole no state income tax thing- it'll be an automatic few thousand dollar raise even if I make the same as I do now. Now that's a bonus!

BBWB--
We moved here 3 years ago but only through the good graces of a family member who sold us a lot REALLY REALLY cheap were we able to do so. We traded our truck for a mobile home (go ahead laugh but it's pretty nice) to put on our lot. But even though we have no house payment, it's still expensive to live. We also don't have insurance. If we lost our home though, we'd still have the dirt. After we were here through the first "Season", I was cursing those damn tourist for clogging up the road when 6 months earlier, I was one of those tourists Sometimes I love it here and other times I'd like to feel the cold crisp morning air of the mountains in Tenn or Kentucky.
I've heard it said that you bloom where you're planted.
But there's nothing to say you can't be TRANSPLANTED and bloom again!!
Good Luck

Sunspot - - I'm not laughing at all! A mobile home is a GREAT place to live in....and I can't think of a more wonderful place to put it than where you are. Your property acquisition was AWESOME! Maybe I need to pray for some long-lost relatives to suddenly POP-UP down there! (grr......for some reason my smileys aren't working....but....ROFL...)

(grr......for some reason my smileys aren't working....but....ROFL...)

Go to your "User CP" and enable your smileys

If Kate didn't have to get allergy shots, I wouldn't go over there at all! At least school is out and I am only going once a week. Even that is too much.
.

I had allergy shots growing up, and my mom found a nurse nearby who gave them to me...just an fyi.

I am used to tornado's so I should do ok w/ hurricanes, right? It's hotter where I am than in SoWal, and I can't stand the cold.....hopefully a perfect match w/ the exception of hating to pay high prices for groceries!!!

Love this thread!!

I had allergy shots growing up, and my mom found a nurse nearby who gave them to me...just an fyi.

I am used to tornado's so I should do ok w/ hurricanes, right? It's hotter where I am than in SoWal, and I can't stand the cold.....hopefully a perfect match w/ the exception of hating to pay high prices for groceries!!!

Love this thread!!

That is OK if your doctor permits this. Ours does not, and she is the only game in town, according to our doc and a call to our insurance company provider list.

Heads up- huge dermatologist shortage here as well. How strange for a place where skin cancer is probably more prevalent than some other areas.

Welcome BBB,

My husband and I moved here nearly 4 years ago for work and we have 2 young daughters (almost 7 and just turned 3) - it has taken us completely by surprise how much we have loved living here (mostly have always lived in larger urban places and thought we would be moving somewhere a little too provinicial). Turns out that this is not the case - people here are wonderful, easy going, relaxed and kind!

Sowal is expensive but exquisite in many ways - we have made marvelous friends here and love love love the sense of community. We live along 30A and like the fact that so much is easily accessible to us. We avoid Destin and Panama City as much as we can mostly because we both hate driving but also because there is very little to lure us there (personal taste).

Good luck in your decision!!

I moved here 6 years ago this month. My mom and sister lived here so that was the draw. We had a family beach house that my DH and I lived in until we built our own home. I love it here and would not trade places for anything......or anywhere....

I moved here 6 years ago this month. My mom and sister lived here so that was the draw. We had a family beach house that my DH and I lived in until we built our own home. I love it here and would not trade places for anything......or anywhere....

IBD, miss you around here!!! Man, that watermelon sure does look good!!!!!