Recommendations for places to move on Florida's gulf side?

[Captain Anthony]

Bibster, Thank you, I did and it looks good. Are you willing to tell me the cost of a slip there for a month or three Jan-March?

[denverd0n]

Originally Posted by geoleo

Decent jobs for a family man can be a problem in Gulf Florida where the mantra is "pay them with sunshine."

Back in the late 80's I actually had an employer say those very words to me. I was living in Orlando at the time. Found a job I liked in Lakeland. Got to salary negotiations and I told them I thought their offer was on the low side. The guy actually said, "Well, here in Florida, we pay in sunshine."

Yeah. I didn't take the job. Found someone who understood that I needed to be paid in MONEY!

That was 30 years ago, though. The job market in the Tampa area is pretty good right now. Even with the COVID, there are a lot of companies that are hiring. And the pay is reasonable. You could certainly get more in New York, or Chicago, or some other big city, but then the cost of living would be a lot higher, also. Cost of living here in Tampa is very reasonable, and the salaries are commensurate.

To the OP, if you have to move, and you can't find a job before then, I would suggest finding an apartment in the Tampa area to start with. Work on finding a job, and then you can move to within a reasonable commute of whatever job you find.

On the west coast, the highest probability of finding a good job, in descending order, would be:
1. Tampa
2. Pinellas County, including St Pete, Clearwater, and Largo
3. Sarasota/Bradenton
4. Ft Myers
5. Maybe equal with Ft Myers would be Pensacola, up in the panhandle.

Again, good luck.

[LakeSuperior]

A nice bonus to moving to FL is, "No State Income Tax!"

[TheSandPebbles]

Thanks to everyone who gave advice. I'll keep researching the areas mentioned and jobhunt online there.

Originally Posted by LakeSuperior

A nice bonus to moving to FL is, "No State Income Tax!"

That's very nice. I'm enjoying that same perk here in Tennessee. But best of all for me in Florida is Ocean Access!

[Chotu]

What about another driving job at least temporarily?

I’m sure Amazon is hiring in that department.

Could help you get set up down there while you look for something else?

[TheSandPebbles]

Originally Posted by Chotu

What about another driving job at least temporarily?

I’m sure Amazon is hiring in that department.

Could help you get set up down there while you look for something else?

I may very well do that if it comes down to it. I've never actually driven as an occupation. I was General Manager for an outfit recruiting, training, and managing school bus drivers for a school district in Tennessee. Before that I was a Director of Transportation for another school district. I've been applying to some Director of Transportation jobs but job hunting is always rough, and even more so now.

[JUNKFLYBOY]

I live in Pinellas County, Clearwater, Florida and was employed by school system at one time. They are hiring at present, I am still in contact with my super. great place to live, great schools in the county PM me if you want more info.

[Leo Ticheli]

Perhaps you could take a nice drive along our Gulf towns from Pensacola and on down to find the job and vibe that fits. I love Pensacola, but everyplace has charms.

[WantTo]

My wife and I went through that same process 11 years ago. We looked from Naples to Tampa. The problem with Cape Coral area is the long distance you may need to travel to get out of the canals to where you can sail. We ended up in Apollo Beach on the southside of Tampa Bay, and we love it here. We have a house on a canal where we can get into the bay in less than 15 minutes. It is also the home of Tampa Bay Sailing Squadron that has a lot of dock space and some great people. There is a group in the Tampa Bay area called Dolphins Cruising Club. You may want to look at the website. We do a lot of group outings from overnights to multi-week trips, and several social gatherings each year. I would be willing to talk to you more if you want to.

[CaptBobR]

Carabelle. It is called the Forgotten Coast. Not crowded with reasonable pricing and wonderful sailing

[hankstein]

I moved here for a job over 21 years go. but...
I would advise that you really think twice about relocating to Florida.
It is likely that I will relocate back to Ohio in a couple years when my kids are through school. I stayed here for them and their mom.
Certainly as far as employment goes you would do better elsewhere.

However, if you do move here the area near Clearwater to St. Pete is my recommendation. The demographic in Pinellas county is younger and it is a good location for sailing/boating.

[capn jlp]

Lots of good advice for you to digest, and I'd like to add to the mix. Full disclosure: I'm a Tampa Bay native, and have lived on Tierra Verde, an island paradise on Boca Ciega Bay for 35 years. Our condo has a 48-slip marina, and that's where I keep my 1983 Morgan Out Island 41 (bought her new). Now here's the best part - after purchasing the slip my ANNUAL total marina costs are about $125, and that's for the metered electricity. If my math is correct, that's a little over $10 per month.

I'm also a semi-retired (but still licensed) real estate broker and would be happy to help guide you in the right direction.

[letsgetsailing3]

Go for the best job.

With financial security comes control over your life choices, and life probably won't become less challenging for a while.

[SV Cipher]

I moved down from NY about 5 years ago. I have zero regrets. Dont let the folks sway you to avoid Florida. If thats where you want to be you can make it work.

My one piece of advice.. if you start out in the Tampa area.. is to live close to where you work. If you work in Tampa, live there. Try to avoid driving across the Howard Franklin daily. It will seriously reduce your life's quality and give you a bad taste for the area. Traffic is way worse in the Tampa area than anywhere else i've driven. (never driven LA)

I would second the bradenton area. You get more for your money and city and beaches are a short trip. I currently live in Indian Rocks Beach area because i work in St Pete.

[BBill]

Originally Posted by capn jlp

Lots of good advice for you to digest, and I'd like to add to the mix. Full disclosure: I'm a Tampa Bay native, and have lived on Tierra Verde, an island paradise on Boca Ciega Bay for 35 years. Our condo has a 48-slip marina, and that's where I keep my 1983 Morgan Out Island 41 (bought her new). Now here's the best part - after purchasing the slip my ANNUAL total marina costs are about $125, and that's for the metered electricity. If my math is correct, that's a little over $10 per month.

I'm also a semi-retired (but still licensed) real estate broker and would be happy to help guide you in the right direction.

Taxes and maintenance is paid by?