Uhhhh....ping for your neck of the everglades.
Its called the Redneck Riviera. That should help you out. I used to hang out there in college when it still had the old boardwalk and it was totally redneck (Not necessarily a bad thing). Now there are wall to wall condos on the beach. Its a big tourist strip in the summer. You are basically moving to a resort area.
Except for spring break I believe its a pretty quiet area. Beautiful beaches and not too many people. Small town atmosphere from the times I’ve been there. Friends who lived there really liked it.
I’m down in Tampa.
Between Panama City to Fort Walton are some of the most beautiful beaches in the world IMHO. The farther west towards Destin you will find great people and lots of real estate opportunities. Good luck!
I live in neighboring Walton county. IMHO Pananma City is a dump and the people , while not all, suck.
One important point...there's a big difference between Panama City and Panama City BEACH. You want to be in Panama City Beach. Panama City has "urban" issues and a boatload of crime in relation to its size.
I bought my boat there, and towed it out through small, crowded streets without getting honked at, so the people there are okay by me.
You didn't say where you are from. If you don't know hurricanes, well you may want to think about that carefully. I lived in Galveston county Texas all my life and moved out to avoid the June-November pucker factor. You just can't get attached to anything because next year, it may be gone. No amount of insurance can replace everything and you can't afford to take everything out unless all your worldly possessions fit in the back seat. In Galveston, the weekends were a mess. If you lived there for the beach, you couldn't get there on weekends. Most locals sit at home because there is no parking, no spots to get to the beach, and There were always fights and drunks and even racial trouble, so why bother.
In Panama City, the beaches are the most beautiful in the world, IMHO. You have to realize that most make their living off of tourists and tourists are sometimes a pain in the arse. I would look to move inland and use the beaches as a weekend destination. I need a place to decompress and feel my town is mine, not a tourist trap that seeks to drain my wallet whenever I come to town. And the kids, OMG, it gets old very quickly.
Used to be the best of places...not so much anymore...suggest you look into the Gulf Breeze area, near Pensacola...we were there in February...magnificent and it is very close to the Pensacola NAS, which is a very beautiful base...we overnighted there. Good luck!
If you’re looking for condo’s, here’s a great place. Way down the beach from all the traffic. Lot of retirees and old snowbirds live there full time. Gated and very quiet.
Plus, you can watch me on the beachcam next week. Woot!
http://www.pinnacleportrentals.com/
http://www.pinnacleportcondosales.com/Listings.aspx?type=thiscondo
Don’t move there. Its nice to visit but the armpit of the panhandle. Trust me when I say this. Crime is rampant. There are no jobs. And once you go over the bridge to the mainland from the beach, its a dump.
If it were me I would live in Dothan, Alabama and just drive down to PCB when the sea beckons. It’s cheaper, safer, and friendlier people.
Go west. Fort Walton and the surroundings are much nicer.