Panama City! My favorite blues harp player James Harman, hails from there....lots of songs about the place.... Wild tales mostly....
A house at cedar creek seems much more usable than other vacation houses. I have had quite a few friends with houses there and always enjoy visiting. It's one of my favorite places to go hang out for a weekend since its worry free and I love hanging out by the water and taking out a jet ski in the morning before the lake gets crowded. Maybe it's always nicer for me because I don't own a house there. I'm always a guest and don't have to worry about the constant upkeep That's a very nice office you have there!
lol I noticed a trend that whenever I was out there, the owner was always up to something whether it was fixing the dock, getting a boat/jet ski running, or running around the house making sure everything worked. I always tried to help with the watercraft or dock needs since those were the things I use a lot when I'm out there and I have some knowledge about. But sitting down on the dock at the end of the day with a cold drink makes it all worth it right?
The outside upkeep is exactly why we bought a condo and not a townhome/house. Salt air destroys everything. I didn't want to spend a month out of every year getting things repaired. Our condo is at a resort, so full time, on-site maintenance. It's very convenient. Just arrive and enjoy.
Jana, do you mind if I ask you what that runs you? If you're not comfortable posting it here but don't mind answering, PM.
The condo was 405k. The monthly HOA is $750. That includes all exterior maintenance, flood insurance, water and basic Internet and cable. Maintenance checks all the units for damage any time there is a big storm. You pay by the job for anything they do inside your unit.
The property is a resort, so a lot of amenities comes with the fees as well. Here's a link. Portofino Island Resort | Vacation Rentals on Pensacola Beach, FL
We have a small condo across the intracoastal from Jana, and I can attest that the Portofino is indeed very, very nice. Always seems to be a lot going on both for adults and kids. There is a small tidal creek next door we jet ski to a lot so the kids can play, and the folks in the Portofino's "back yard" always seem to be having a good time. If you ever want to rent a place to try it out for a while, I have a friend with a unit there that rents it pretty reasonably. We've been going to the Pensacola area for about 15 years now, so I'm happy to help with any suggestions about this FANTASTIC place. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Nathan - are the pics with the waverunners/boats taken near the pass? We love taking the boat out there to watch the dolphins and the fighter pilots practice.
Yes they are. The pass is one of my very favorite places in the area. Beautiful clear water, white sand, lots of marine life, cool abandoned fortifications and bunkers you can explore. The bottom pic is at a freshwater spring about an hour away, in case anyone was wondering about that one. Incredible natural beauty there and good scuba diving.
It's an awesome place. Still looks and feels like an island because it hasn't been overly commercialized. And all the people who live/work there have been nice. No vacation location ******baggery.
If you're gonna do 3 months or less, then reconsider California or maybe Arizona. I checked several years ago and CA threshold for taxes was 5 months. IF it's still that, you'd be free and clear not being labeled as a taxable resident. Just be sure and document time spent in CA and time outside of CA. Water's wet at every beach, but I'd guess you'd prefer CA beaches to Galveston/Padre, etc. The diff in mileage if driving is gonna get really, really old - so much so that you may give up on driving and ship the car. You're looking at three long days of driving from Vancouver, at least. And, even though the temps -may- appear to be ~= some CA temps, if you end up spending summer time in DFW, Houston, the beach, it's very hot and sticky. Not so bad in winter, but way hot + humid in the summers, in the areas you're considering. If you still decide you wanna try Texas, I'd recommend you rent for a few months the first time you come on down. Living some place is never the same as visiting...
I love my home state & the city of Fort Worth but holy crap the traffic really sucks here now. Last Saturday coming back from TMS I made the mistake of getting on I35W, my plain was to exit 287 & take FM156 back. Both roads were massively backed up that had waiting almost an hour & a half. The north Texas population has grown by 113% since 2000 & the roads can't handle the influx of all the homes being built north of Fort Worth. The city planners really screwed up this job back when Alliance Airport was built. Also today I almost got into a bad accident on Loop 820 while crossing the Lake Worth bridge in my truck, some jackass was speeding on my right side while recklessly cutting over 3 lanes of traffic. I think I'm going to invest in a dash cam. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Can't disagree. The 820 / I35W junction is a total fuster cluck. I got stuck in traffic at 6:45 AM on a Saturday! Someone needs to send these Yankee carpet baggers back north where they came from! T
This is why I try to know side roads no matter where I am. I'll exit the freeway and cut through neighborhoods in order to avoid gridlock.
what is the deal there? it has been like that for at least 15 years! there is always construction going on, but they can never finish!?! up here we had bad traffic north of DFW with the funnel, but they did one of the biggest highway projects ever and it was done early in only 3 years, now it is never backed up. we go way around 121 to 183 to avoid 820/35W even in the middle of day or weekends. it is always backed up!
I don't get that intersection its not exactly rocket science. They have lots of land and have had lots of time. Fire them all. 635 is also under continual construction. What irks me are the "mystery" slowdowns. East or westbound on 20 traffic slows to a crawl between Collins and GSW parkway. No reason; Straight flat 4 lane highway . Every single day rain or shine. Lemmings. WTF ?
At least it's finally 'done' between 35 and 75! The tunnel is AWESOME! Even at rush hour, no traffic. Of course, when you exit to go North on 75 you're right back in gridlock.
