Northwest Florida Relocation Guide

So, you're thinking about moving out here to Northwest Florida. Right? And you're wondering, what do I need to think about prior to moving out here in the process thereof? Well, what we were able to do was to just pull all this together and give you your relocation guide here to Northwest Florida. So, stick around.

Alright. So, let's get into Northwest Florida in a Relocation Guide. We're going to break it down to 10 easy steps and one bonus step at the end about relocating to this area. So, let's get it going.

1. Figure Out Where To Move

Figure out where you want to move to. Northwest Florida is a big place. Alright. So, you know, are you looking to get a little bit more of the country? You're trying to get a little bit more of the beach atmosphere, you know. What is it that you're actually looking for? Now, each city, each area is going to have some of its own, you know, local allure, if you will. Panama City is going to be different than Destin, Destin from Pensacola. Or even if you're going up to Baker, you know, and you're looking to do something along those lines. Make sure that you get in touch with somebody that's there, preferably a real estate professional while you're up there so that you can get the local expertise of which one and what's going to fit you the best. So, do your research and pick out where you want to go. If you have a choice as if you're moving here for your job, your choices may be a little bit limited.

2. Research Important Items of an Area

Let's get the research going on important areas, and things in the areas that are important to you. Right? So, schools, if you want to find out about schools, you can check out the different ratings, my suggestion for you specifically for this area, let's go to niche.com, and you can go and look in specific counties. So, Okaloosa, Santa Rosa, whatever, Walton, and then go to that specific one and look up the areas, and in there, it will give you the schools. Now, they may be rated anywhere between "A+" all the way to like a "D minus" or whatever that is. I wouldn't pay too much attention to it. The best insight that I can give you for finding school for your kids is to go and read the reviews from the students, from the people that are there, from the parents, they're all into there. That forum has been amazing from what parents have told me to really decide which type of school. Also, you want to check out the different amenities if applicable, you know. What I would do is check out the resources on Google, your online forums, beyond, niche.com or even YouTube. Alright? Definitely check out transit time, how fast can I get from this place to another? Definitely use something like Waze or Google Maps and pick up time a day that you're going to be going, because that makes a big difference, especially in a place that has more tourism or you know, that there's not a lot of alternative routes to go around. You want to see how long that's actually going to take. Also, you want to look up the different hospitals and medical facilities that are around there, you know, just to have that, if that's going to be important to you. And of course, can't forget about our furry friends. Right? For vet clinics, what's located around here? Are there different boarding places? What are they? What are those cost, you know, you may want to look up different things as far as different parks that are around. All those different things you want to keep in consider. So, do those research first.

3. Are You Looking To Rent or Purchase?

Number three on the list, are you looking to rent or are you looking to purchase? Because, this could really shape the way how that you're going to be looking and doing at things. So, if you are going to be renting, you want to start looking probably about three months out. But, be ready to jump on something as quickly as you see it. Especially anytime in the spring time frame because that's when a lot of the military people are moving in here, if you're one of them. Get ready, get set because they go really, really quickly and even site unseen. Despite the market that we've seen in the day of this video is in the end part of 2022. Previous to that, it was still a mad house ten years ago when I was trying to find a rental here. Alright. And I was still wearing that uniform. The same thing is still the rental market's pretty insane here. So, get ready to get set for it. If you are looking to purchase, start looking three to six months out, Alright? Chat with a local real estate agent to help you out. Give us a call. We're happy to help as well just to kind of give you an idea with this whole process looks like for you.

4. Research Prices For Rent: Purchase What Can You Afford

Next is to research the price of rent or purchase, you know, your mortgage. Basically, what can I realistically afford, this is really going to help you out for your housing. Also want to take a look how much are utilities going to cost me as well. So, what I suggest to you, if you are going to rent, is to kind of build out a bit of a spreadsheet to see how that's going to look. Or if you're looking to purchase chat with a local lender if you are purchasing. There's just a lot of great advantages of using a local lender, not only financially, but they also know the area as well. And if nothing's better than actually having somebody that's like, oh, I know where that is versus somebody out in New York or California helping you out. Okay?

5. Timeline To Get A Signed Lease or Purchase 

Get that timeline to get your lease signed or to purchase. So, make sure to plan early so you can close on what you want and have that right expectation of what the market's doing and where it's going so that you can have the best choices and get into it when you want to. Be rushed at the end and trying to regret where you're in a lease for a year or you're in a property that you got to wait another two years where you can sell and get out of. Alright.

6. Get Items Set Up

Get those items set up, now that you've realized that where you're going to be, what the cost is, and you're on your timeline. Now, it's time to start setting those things up. Child care, make sure that you can figure that out and call around and do your research with that school registrations. Make sure as well as if you're coming in to get those utility set up so that you don't go into your new house and there's no gas on, so you don't have hot water. I've done that more times than I want to admit to you guys. Right? You also want to go ahead and forward your mail. You know, you can go to usps.com and fill that out so that you can send your mail out this way so you don't miss anything. Also, if you're going to this area and you have a professional license, like a realtor. If you are moving out this way that you do get that license transferred and whatever that is. But again, that's going to applicable to your profession.

7. Set Up Temporary Housing

Set up that temporary housing. Again, if you can't get into your lease, if you can't get into your purchase right away, just know as well, if you are purchasing a home here in this area, take about 30-45 days to close on a house. Right? So, after you find it and you negotiate it, then boom, you still got to wait another month. Make sure that you have that temporary housing setup. Or if your lease doesn't start right when you get there that you have that all ready to go.

8. Plan Your Move Household - Allot Time

Plan that move. Right? Your household, make sure that you allot that time to get everything packed up. If you haven't moved in a while, you just don't realize what you have until you start moving. Like, where did all this stuff come from? Right? So if you're going to manually pack and do the U-haul type move and do yourself move, great. Just know that that's going to take some time. If you're going to hire professional movers, it's usually multiple days when they do this. So, make sure to call ahead to get the expectation of what the time it's going to take and what the cost is going to be to take it from where you're moving from. 

9. Plan The Move: Family

Well, plan the move for the family. Right? How are we getting the kids there? Right? What about the pets? You know, how are we getting that there? How we get getting our vehicles? Are we driving the vehicles? Is the family member going to drive one of them and the kids are going to fly out? And a friend just do that. All these different things are logistics. Yes. Plan them out earlier and a lot for contingency. Please do that because nothing ever seems to go to plan. What if this and this doesn't happen? Trust me, it will save you so much time and sleepless nights by having a plan ahead of time.

10. Execute

Last but not least, number ten is to execute. So again, be sure to plan for those contingencies. Track the weather because you are moving here to the Emerald Coast. And, if you come anytime between June and September or November, that's hurricane season. So, at some point, it could just pop up in the Gulf. So be ready for that, that there could be weather and it is Florida, so it just randomly rains sometimes. So, plan for the weather, plan for those contingencies, and be ready. And then last but not least, my bonus step, just get ready to live the good life here on the Emerald Coast. Yeah. I know it's cheesy, but that's what you get in my videos.

Alright. Well, that's all you got for the Northwest relocation guide, the 10 steps to get you where you need to get going. Alright? If you have any questions about anything I mentioned here, please feel free to call/text us at 850.320.7757 or email us at Admin@WhittemoreGroupRE.com