Relocating to Florida...which city should I pick?

[Dive-aholic]

RC, before making any decisions, I'd come out here and take a cavern class. Then dive some of the caverns in the panhandle. I'd be happy to show you around. If you're considering Panama City, you'll be close enough that you will eventually dive them. Once you dive them, the bug might get you and you might end up doing more spring diving than ocean diving. Even if you move to S. Florida, you may eventually head north for some spring diving. Living in S. Florida doesn't lend itself to spring diving as easily as living in PC. And there's definitely lots of decent priced houses in and outside the PC area that you'll be able to get into.

 

[bottomfeeder22]

I'm in a very similar situation as you (start working 28/28 in November), and will be moving to FL in the next few years. Boynton Beach, FL is close to FT lauderdale, and houses seem well priced... also, it's a straight shot to the bahamas from there! I need to take a couple of vacations out there to be sure, but so far that's my #1.

 

[MOTO69JOE]

I myself am moving back home to FL Nov 2010. I am most likely heading to the key largo area so I can work out of the Homestead/MIA area. I've always had a thing for the keys and dont mind eating roman noodles and making a commute if need be to live there plus i'll be surrounded by great diving/eating.

 

[Spearitpbc]

Definitely move to south fla, east coast for some of the best diving. ive a fla native, living in Jupiter since 1990,diving 12 years, now love spearfishing. best diving jupiter to keys, lots of bigger fish and lobsters in jupiter, deeper water though, juno beach area is great diving, boynton beach, nice clear water all the way to keys. Tenneco Towers is nice dive in Lauderdale. Houses are "now" affordable in Jupiter, can get nice pool home for 300K and less, believe it or not, PM me for details if you want. Good luck!

 

[Jupiter31]

I live in Coconut Grove, in Miami.

Its a beautiful place, and very well located; I can be in Jupiter w/in 1hr 20 min's and in Key Largo w/in an hour. Plus you are close to MIA and FLL airports.

But you are not going to find much - if anything - in your price range down here, even with the bad housing market, and Coconut Grove is the only place in Dade county I would consider living - YMMV.

If you want to give up the idea of a reasonable driving commute to Louisana (its a long drive to the border from S FL, either Georgia or Alabama) - but still be close to the best diving in FL - Palm Beach County would be my choice. You can find a home in your price range.

 

[DebbyDiver]

Yaknow, it seems to me that all of that new construction in the Homestead and Florida City area...those homes you see off the Turnpike on the way to the Keys...is pretty affordable and NEW...it's a hop, skip, and a jump to Key Largo AND to MIA!!! It is a growing area. Might be worth exploring.

 

[Tom Winters]

A home in Homestead??? or Florida City??? or living in a refrigerator box under I-95 anywhere in Palm Beach county.
I'd take the home, but I'd have to take a look at the refrigerator box first.
A home in Palm Beach county or Mijami-Dade county?
You hasta ax?
I'm not that wild about Broward county either, although there are parts of it along the New River that were not too bad when I was looking at places to live.
If you're working in the Oil Patch and listening to Jeff Foxworthy go on about rednecks gets ya a little squirmy after a while since you just spent 2 weeks straight with one too many BillyJoeBob and his cousins at sea, go for SE Florida.
I almost went to work driving crewboats for Hvide before they were mercifully absorbed by Seabulk. I went to Seattle instead for a while until I just withdrew from the rat race and wandered around America for a while. Good diving up there, a great place to live, and a not-that-impossible commute the Gulf coast depending on your homeport.
Good luck with all of that.

 

[DebbyDiver]

Hey, I was just saying. Have you driving to the Keys via the TPK in the last couple of years. Some of them are big homes and the developments are all brand new. I read an article a couple of months ago about how the area is booming. Do you have any idea how much homes along the New River in FLL go for? They aren't in the price range he quoted. They are nice though!

Heck, I heard that real estate in the Keys has plummeted...you might look around MM103-106, some NICE neighborhoods. I used to have a house at MM103.5, had a quarter acre of property, nice big house, great neighbors. An hour or less to MIA, 90 minutes to FLL. I'd move back down there in a HEARTBEAT if I could make enough money to live on. PM Becky, aka speargirl, she's a realtor in that area and can give you the scoop!

 

[john long]

You will nevewr go wrong with PC BEACH and yes we do have lobsters and big fish. We also have caves and a new arirport on the way. I live in N E. Alabama but have a place in PC Beach and love it.

 

[matts1w]

Hey, I was just saying. Have you driving to the Keys via the TPK in the last couple of years. Some of them are big homes and the developments are all brand new. I read an article a couple of months ago about how the area is booming. Do you have any idea how much homes along the New River in FLL go for? They aren't in the price range he quoted. They are nice though!

I was just diving down Krome Ave in Florida city yesterday and they are advertising new condos a few blocks west for $90,000!?!?!?!?

That is not $190,000, but $90,000. I know things are bad, but this seems too good to be true, but certainly worth exploring. Heck with that sort of mortgage one could afford 25 foot of boat and dry storage rent in KL easily.