Moving to Pensacola...

[mustang_wife]

Still a long road ... 10 weeks of OCS, 6 months of TBS (and who knows how much buffer time before, inbetween, and after each step). Hope things work out for you guys ... the both of you. Don't let P'cola get you down. Its not the west coast, but there are worse places out there.

Yup. still a long road until P-cola...not including if hubby gets hurt. And let me tell you waiting around in medical sucks.

Here's basic tips to take with you...

1. Nothing is ever for certain...don't jump to conclusions so quickly.
2. Don't wig out
3. Meet friends they'll help when you need them most
4. Don't wait for answers to come to you. find, research, ask.
5. Think pos instead of neg
6. Stay away from Masterbates and stock up on a lot of wine... oh wait, that's just my tip. lol.

 

[isshinwhat]

Housing is pricey right now because of the hurricanes and outside investors moving in 3-4 years ago for the then favorable market. The good news is there are houses for sale everyhwere, and most of the owners are more than ready to sell, so prices are coming down somewhat. If we don't have any more storms, you should be in good shape as far as selection/locations available to you.

I've done business with Jason in another field and he seems to be a straight-forward guy. Good luck to you and your husband.

http://www.pcsres.com/agents.htm
JasonRoberts@pcsres.com

 

[insanebikerboy]

1. Nothing is ever for certain...don't jump to conclusions so quickly.

Unless, of course....you have a Jump to Conclusions Mat!

 

[othromas]

One area I'd look at is East Hills. It's not too far from base, it's off the front gate (back gate only has a WalMart going for it), and it's closer to a grocery store and shopping than most of the other areas folks live. You could probably find a pretty nice house in the area but there could literally be a place with a blue tarp for a roof right next door; very spotty as far as that goes. It seemed like it got hit pretty hard in the hurricane but it's coming back slowly, and they were working on a renovation project for that area (especially Alcaniz St.).

Good luck.

 

[tbrooks1124]

RRey,

I have a little input for you..

Concerning your job, are you a licensed CPA? I do believe you would have to take a test for the state of Florida. Don't quote me on that though. Pensacola is not a "big city," but you wouldalso not want to drive to Mobile for work. Mobile is about an hour...a very LONG hour. Try looking at the local paper www.pensacolanewsjournal.com. It is worth a try, you know?

Housing. Many of the homes you may have seen in poor shape could have been due to the hurricanes in the last few years. Many homes were a little beaten to begin with, but are now uninhabitable because of the storms. Many people will say they feel sorry for you that you have to come here. They say it like it is a death sentence. However, it really is what you make of it. If you find a nice home, a good job, and decent group of friends...you may be sad when you have to leave. It is a buyers market right now and you will find MANY new homes for sale. It all depends on your price range and location. There are many areas where you will not want to live. Heck, I have lived here a very long time, and I won't even consider certain areas. Every city has the good, the bad, and the ugly.

If you would like more detail on real estate, jobs, and social activites please feel free to email me. I'm involved with a few different things in this area and would love to share!

tbrooks1124@gmail.com

Best of Luck!!

TB

 

[Rg9]

My wife loves me being in the military. She had some apprehensions about it before, too (was willing to do it, but a little scared about all the moving, etc... now she's excited that we get to move a bunch). It sounds like your husband was enlisted before, too? The officer side is a lot different, and especially for married couples.

Pensacola has some really trashy places, but it also has some really nice places, such as the already mentioned Scenic Highway areas. The beaches are beautiful, and are rarely crowded. I really like living here! Also, if you don't care about driving a little further, Gulf Breeze is really nice too. I even know someone doing Primary at Whiting who lives in Navarre. Again, if drive time isn't a concern, you could check it out.

 

[lhimme1]

Can you please elablorate on the whole officers side versus the enlisted side. My fiance was on enlisted and now graduating from OCS this week and am really nervous about this lifestyle.

 

[Rg9]

Well, it's probably better for someone who's done both to explain, but officers generally have a lot more freedom and respect, with which comes more responsibility. It's more of a professional career mindset vs. a regimented job one, and in my opinion, is better for married couples. I know this is a very simplified explanation, and it doesn't do justice to all the nuances here and there, but I hope it helps.

 

[jus2mch]

Can you please elablorate on the whole officers side versus the enlisted side. My fiance was on enlisted and now graduating from OCS this week and am really nervous about this lifestyle.

I've noticed that as far as the enlisted vs. officer spouses are concerned (or in your case being a fiance) there is more camaraderie between them. Don't be nervous there are plenty of spouses/fiances on here to help you with specific questions.

 

[helo_wifey]

I don't know about the enlisted side, but this tour has been my first experience with the military and spouses and I haven't as great of a time as people make it out to be. It all depends on where you are, and the people there. Most of our squadron has children and don't work, so my situation is difficult for them to understand, and also the other way around. We don't really connect, but I connect with spouses from other squadrons.

You'll connect with some, others you won't. I'm sure it was the same on the enlisted side. Just be yourself! And branch out, you don't have to stick to the spouses in your squadron. Those will be the ones you spend time with for squadron functions, but you're not required to be best friends with all of them.

I hope this makes sense...now I'm just rambling.