Moving to 30A!

[BethRoberts]

My two cents-rent first. You will never really have a true idea about reality here until you actually live here. You could spend 10 weekends here and never really see what the big picture is regarding all the different areas. We rented before we bought and that was a good move on our part. We figured out QUICKLY that we wanted no part of full time residence in a neighborhood where short term rental houses built to house ten to twenty people predominate. We also figured out that another seemingly Grayt neighborhood sits low and is so fantastically over populated by biting flies in the spring and mosquitoes in the summer (not to mention high tourist volume in the season) that there really is no chance at living outdoors without slathering on repellant (and that does not discourage yellow flies). You owe it to yourself and family to LIVE here and take note of how dense certain neighborhoods are in the busy season, how bad traffic might be in certain areas, whether a nearby restaurant will fill your house with the scent of deep fried whatever all year...there is no need to jump into the market without really learning about it first. Prices are not going to skyrocket like they did before, and even if you do miss 'the bottom' and shell out an extra $10K on a house, that is money well spent if you will actually enjoy living full time in said house. Trust me on this.

Thank you so much for this info. We have definitely decided to rent first to scope out the neighborhoods and/or lots to build. You made some good points we hadn't thought of yet (low lying houses, restaurants..etc). Priority is living in an area (when we buy) that does not have rentals...you hit the nail there.

We have been lucky to friend some folks that are currently full-timers and have given some great advice to us as well. We are full speed ahead with a Jan arrival date. 30A get ready.

 

[BethRoberts]

Many years ago, when we were relocating from California to Chicago area, we had the same concerns...Housing was plentiful, but a close look at the school systems revealed some remarkable differences...Kids are grown now, and we are extremely fortunate to have done the research and settled into the right community, as both are fortunate to have gone to good colleges, and both have advanced degrees and excellent career opportunities.

Even with our careful analysis, interviewing school personnel, etc. we learned that just " being" in a good school system was just the start....perhaps in no other endeavor does one find that " you get out of it what you put into it". Plain and simple, the schools don' t raise your children, their parents do.

So do your research, not just on-line, but in person. And recognize that good schools come at a price...you'll pay it directly in ancillary school fees, your local Real Estate taxes, time-and commitment "costs" you'll likely have to expend, transportation , the choice of private/charter/public school expenses, etc. etc. And then college and perhaps even post-graduate costs...

All of this whether you live in Lakeland or anywhere else.

I wish you all the best!

Thank you! My husband and I place a high priority on education and know that no school will be able to do everything, only provide a good base for what we will also impart to them. We are blessed to have advanced degrees to be a strong force of education for our children! We are leaving an area (Nashville) where your only option is private school at an exorbitant cost or live 30 min outside the city center for sub-par public schools. Nowhere is perfect for certain.

 

[Christy C]

Hi! Same question here!! I am currently living in South Louisiana and am considering moving to 30A. I LOVE it there but to live???? So many questions. Of course, I would want to rent first to make sure it is a good fit. I have family in the Miramar area and some in Panama. I am NOT a fan of Destin or Panama at all but fell in love with 30A about 15 years ago and have made many, many trips to Dune Allen, Seagrove, Seaside, Rosemary and so on since. Having traveled always as a tourist, I am not familiar with communities year round. I am a single mom and will be moving alone with only myself and my son so that scares me. My son is 9 years old. Can anyone tell me about schools in the 30A area? Best community and so on. I love areas where I can ride bikes, walk around the corner to take a fitness class, grab a glass of wine without driving! LOL! My son loves art and music. We both LOVE the beach! I own my own business and can work remotely from anywhere and I wonder all the time what is keeping me here?? Any advice from you who are knowledgeable of the area would be sooooo appreciated!!

 

[John G]

Hello and Welcome.

Most people share your opine about Destin and PC(B). "30A", as it is now called is very desirable but also very costly. You need to ensure you are talking about 30A and not a quarter mile north on a side road.

Do you want to spend about an average of $400+k for a home in this area (Walton County May ECAR May Stats)?

That "home" might not be anywhere near 30A and might be next to a trailer, far north of Hwy 98. No joke. 30A Homes are far much more...$$$

Many of the developers here build poor quality homes and if you read this site in detail, you'll find lots of locals expressing concern about the development of this area. On has been D.R. Horton.

Rent is outrageous, almost twice the amount of a mortgage (with good credit) and its not going lower.

If you can get a reasonable rent (assuming you don't have multiple pets, multiple large trucks and suv's) you would be smart to do so first. Parking is an issue EVERYWHERE, so please don't bring multiple Pick Up Trucks.

There are 95 homes being built north of Hwy 98 near the new middle school. I am in NO WAY promoting them, just letting you know. That might be an option.

You'll need to find a good and HONEST Realtor to rep you around here. I don't provide endorsements or referrals you'll have to figure that our for yourself. One posted on here a while back and gave very, very good advice.

Hope you find what you need.

 

[Christy C]

Hello and Welcome.

Most people share your opine about Destin and PC(B). "30A", as it is now called is very desirable but also very costly. You need to ensure you are talking about 30A and not a quarter mile north on a side road.

Do you want to spend about an average of $400+k for a home in this area (Walton County May ECAR May Stats)?

That "home" might not be anywhere near 30A and might be next to a trailer, far north of Hwy 98. No joke. 30A Homes are far much more...$$$

Many of the developers here build poor quality homes and if you read this site in detail, you'll find lots of locals expressing concern about the development of this area. On has been D.R. Horton.

Rent is outrageous, almost twice the amount of a mortgage (with good credit) and its not going lower.

If you can get a reasonable rent (assuming you don't have multiple pets, multiple large trucks and suv's) you would be smart to do so first. Parking is an issue EVERYWHERE, so please don't bring multiple Pick Up Trucks.

There are 95 homes being built north of Hwy 98 near the new middle school. I am in NO WAY promoting them, just letting you know. That might be an option.

You'll need to find a good and HONEST Realtor to rep you around here. I don't provide endorsements or referrals you'll have to figure that our for yourself. One posted on here a while back and gave very, very good advice.

Hope you find what you need.

Thanks for the tips John. No multiple trucks here! It's just me and my son. I do have a mini schnauzer. I would definitely want to just rent a 2 BR condo or apartment for 9-12 months to check out the different areas and schools as well as to make sure I like living there before buying anything. Any specific area you would recommend me starting at?

 

[Truman]

I live in SoWal.

 

[BeachMac]

Ditto the previous poster who recommended renting. We actually rented in two different areas, one south of 30A near Eastern Lake and one in more of a locals' area (Pt Washington) before making a purchase. For us, living in two different areas helped us not to make a costly mistake given our preferences... The draw of living on 30A diminished quickly when we just needed to run a "quick" errand in high season. But for others, the proximity to the beach trumps all that. Renting will help you determine what area will be the best fit for you.

Re: schools, we don't have kids but had some friends who moved here and their boys were going into junior high. The parents were very disappointed in the options and what they were hearing about the county high school that would follow as their kids aged. They stayed for less than a year and then ended up moving because of the schools. I hear wonderful things about the elementary schools, but haven't heard as much positive about the options after elementary school unless the child wins the Seaside lottery or goes to the collegiate option for high school. If what we've heard is true, it is a travesty - in a city that is flush in high-income tourism, there is no reason that we shouldn't be leveraging bed taxes to invest in state-of-the-art schools and rec facilities for the local kiddos.

Good luck with everything!

 

[beachmouse]

Niceville HS also seems to get a good number of Walton County kids under schools of choice waivers, both for academic and athletic reasons, even though no one really wants to fess up about the more athletic-based waivers.

While it's north of the bay and somewhat west of 30-A, I do feel obliged to put in a plug for the Niceville-Bluewater Bay area- diverse housing stock without so much of a beach premium, almost entirely year-round residents, really good schools by Southern standards, and we're about 10 minutes from the Crystal Beach part of Destin that flows into Miramar Beach. Okay, it's more Air Force nerds than coastal trendy, but 30-A proper isn't far away when you do want trendy.

Ruckel is in the process of developing the last big chunk of vacant land in town, and they are picky about who the allow to build in their communities.

My Site - Deer Moss Creek

 

[Jim Tucker]

I live in SoWal.