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[quote="homey, post: 439918"]I am looking to move down to the Panhandle area in the near future.  I have 15 +years of experience in the IT (Information Technology) field.
 
Can someone help direct me to the best way to get an IT job in the panhandle area?  I currently work for a bank and would prefer to stay in banking.  However, I am not adverse to switching jobs in the IT industry.
 
Does anyone have any banking contacts??  Or information on how jobs look in the banking industry down there.
 
I also saw that Lockheed Martin is located down in Ft. Walton beach.  I believe they have lots of IT type jobs.
 
I am also looking at houses to buy online.  Freeport seems like a nice laid back little town/community. 
 
Can anyone tell me if there are any particular places to stay away from???  I have been looking at Freeport, Niceville, Ft. Walton Beach, Santa Rosa Beach.
 
Any help is greatly appreciated.
 
Brian B.
Oklahoma[/QUOTE]

I suggest you find a job first--then think about buying a house close to where you work.  Don't waste time and effort looking for a home to buy until you've got a job to pay for it--that would be putting cart before the horse.

.

<blockquote class="xfBb-quote" data-name="homey">I am looking to move down to the Panhandle area in the near future. I have 15 +years of experience in the IT (Information Technology) field. 
 
Can someone help direct me to the best way to get an IT job in the panhandle area? I currently work for a bank and would prefer to stay in banking. However, I am not adverse to switching jobs in the IT industry. 
 
Does anyone have any banking contacts?? Or information on how jobs look in the banking industry down there. 
 
I also saw that Lockheed Martin is located down in Ft. Walton beach. I believe they have lots of IT type jobs. 
 
I am also looking at houses to buy online. Freeport seems like a nice laid back little town/community. 
 
Can anyone tell me if there are any particular places to stay away from??? I have been looking at Freeport, Niceville, Ft. Walton Beach, Santa Rosa Beach. 
 
Any help is greatly appreciated. 
 
Brian B. 
Oklahoma</blockquote> 
I suggest you find a job first--then think about buying a house close to where you work. Don&#039;t waste time and effort looking for a home to buy until you&#039;ve got a job to pay for it--that would be putting cart before the horse. 
 
.

Miss Critter

Beach Fanatic

No kidding. The commute from Freeport to Fort Walton is not one I believe you'd enjoy, and that was before $4+/gallon gas. I'd go even further than shelly and advise you to rent something for 6 months or so after finding a job just to make sure it's a good fit. It's not like we're going to run out of inventory. :biggrin:

No kidding. The commute from Freeport to Fort Walton is not one I believe you&#039;d enjoy, and that was before $4+/gallon gas. I&#039;d go even further than shelly and advise you to rent something for 6 months or so after finding a job just to make sure it&#039;s a good fit. It&#039;s not like we&#039;re going to run out of inventory. 😀

beachmouse

There tend to be a fair number of DoD IT jobs in the area. Sticking point can be convincing the employer you're worth the cost of getting a security clearance. 

The problem with Freeport is that there isn't much in the way of home grown business, and it can end pu being a serious commute to where you do end up working.  As for the rest of the area, there are a couple of iffy neighborhoods in Ft. Walton Beach and Destin I'd stay away from, but over all there isn't one big ghetto area or anything.

There tend to be a fair number of DoD IT jobs in the area. Sticking point can be convincing the employer you&#039;re worth the cost of getting a security clearance. 
 
The problem with Freeport is that there isn&#039;t much in the way of home grown business, and it can end pu being a serious commute to where you do end up working. As for the rest of the area, there are a couple of iffy neighborhoods in Ft. Walton Beach and Destin I&#039;d stay away from, but over all there isn&#039;t one big ghetto area or anything.

Matt J

SWGB

If you can't find anything over in Ft. Walton you can try at Tyndall in Bay County.  Of course that's an even longer commute and you might want to look at Pt. St. Joe or Mexico Beach.

If you can&#039;t find anything over in Ft. Walton you can try at Tyndall in Bay County.  Of course that&#039;s an even longer commute and you might want to look at Pt. St. Joe or Mexico Beach.

homey

Beach Crab

I am looking to move down to the Panhandle area in the near future.  I have 15 +years of experience in the IT (Information Technology) field.
 
Can someone help direct me to the best way to get an IT job in the panhandle area?  I currently work for a bank and would prefer to stay in banking.  However, I am not adverse to switching jobs in the IT industry.
 
Does anyone have any banking contacts??  Or information on how jobs look in the banking industry down there.
 
I also saw that Lockheed Martin is located down in Ft. Walton beach.  I believe they have lots of IT type jobs.
 
I am also looking at houses to buy online.  Freeport seems like a nice laid back little town/community. 
 
Can anyone tell me if there are any particular places to stay away from???  I have been looking at Freeport, Niceville, Ft. Walton Beach, Santa Rosa Beach.
 
Any help is greatly appreciated.
 
Brian B.
Oklahoma

I am looking to move down to the Panhandle area in the near future. I have 15 +years of experience in the IT (Information Technology) field. 
 
Can someone help direct me to the best way to get an IT job in the panhandle area? I currently work for a bank and would prefer to stay in banking. However, I am not adverse to switching jobs in the IT industry. 
 
Does anyone have any banking contacts?? Or information on how jobs look in the banking industry down there. 
 
I also saw that Lockheed Martin is located down in Ft. Walton beach. I believe they have lots of IT type jobs. 
 
I am also looking at houses to buy online. Freeport seems like a nice laid back little town/community. 
 
Can anyone tell me if there are any particular places to stay away from??? I have been looking at Freeport, Niceville, Ft. Walton Beach, Santa Rosa Beach. 
 
Any help is greatly appreciated. 
 
Brian B. 
Oklahoma

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2026 SoWal Sea Turtle Nesting Season Wrapup

After Hurricane Isaias: Photos of South Walton Beaches

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