Anyone live near Panama City Fl?

[A Mickeyfan]

I currently live in Lee County (Cape Coral), FL. My husband was offered a job in Panama City FL. Does anyone have any info about that area...such as average cost of a home, homeowner's insurance etc.... maybe around Lynn Haven. How are the high schools.. any help would be great. thanks in advance

 

[A Mickeyfan]

bumping up... anyone out there live near Panama City Fl?????

 

[maci]

My sister lives in Lynn Haven, they seem to like it. They have lived there quite a while. The kids seem to like and do well at the schools.
All the other questions I can not answer...sorry!

 

[Astryd]

My Aunt lives in Lynn Haven. Her and her husband have lived there or on the beach for many many years. They love it there. They do not have kids, so I do not know about the schools.

Good luck finding out what you need to. I do know there are a few Disers who live in Panama City.

 

[SnowAngel]

Hi,
I used to live in Panama City, Florida.. Calloway. It's a beautiful place. I don't know a lot about the High Schools but the elementary schools my girls went to were pretty good. I have heard good things about the schools over all. They have pretty strict standards and follow the Sunshine State Regs.


The prices for homes were about average for the country.. Our house cost about 120,000 for 3 bedroom two bath across the street from the Bay. The average house cost was about $140k in 2003. Homeowners insurance wasn't too bad but flood insurance was extra. I can't remember the exact price off-hand.

As I think of some more I will add it. We moved in Dec 2003 so been awhile since I have been there.

 

[Mariposa]

I live in Panama City, Fl... I spent most of my formative years living in Lynn Haven. Lynn Haven itself is practically part of Panama City. The area runs together in general, but Lynn Haven still maintains a little bit of separation from Panama City. It's mostly very quiet residential areas and small businesses. The schools in Lynn Haven are nice. The high school is A. Crawford Mosley High School, one of 4 high schools in the Panama City/Panama City Beach area. It's a good school and tends to get good marks on standardized test ratings as well as teacher ratings. I went to school there and I turned out alright. There's a relatively new K-12 center that's opened for more rural students, and I believe that's taking some of the burden off of Mosley High. There's very little crime in Lynn Haven itself, and not much crime in the area, I don't think. The town's not too thrilling (Lynn Haven or Panama City, for that matter), but Lynn Haven does have its own community theater, which is wonderful! It also has a fairly small community center.

The area (Panama City) in general is alright. Just like any town it has its really nice spots and its not so nice ones. The other 3 high schools (2 more in town and 1 on the beach) are all perfectly fine and offer some pretty varied schooling options for a town this size. For instance, one is geared towards the Performing Arts, one belongs to the IB (International Baccalaureate) program, etc.. (they all have special programs of some sort, I think).

Um, we rent at this point, so I'm not sure on cost of homes, but I'll look into it. I know the price has gone up a bit in the last few years due to extensive development on the beach. I'll try to get some figures for you (I have friends who work with real estate) and let you know. Anymore questions?

 

[A Mickeyfan]

Thank you to all of you for your info. I am just so nervous about making a move. I really don't want to go. My husband does. We have 3 children. One that graduated HS in 2004, one that will be graduating this coming year & one that will start HS next school year. My kids don't want to move either. I am concerned about hurricanes. I know I live waaaayyyyy down on the Gulf. We were hit bad with Charley but really, that is about it in the last 14 years. It seems every time there is a storm in the Gulf, it goes up that way. I am worried about getting insurance. My homeowners insurance is up for renewal in January. It went up over $600 this year, last year was a $200 jump... In the last 2 years, my homeowners insurance has more than doubled! If we do the move, I think it will be in Lynn Haven. I have done a search on the schools & saw that Mosely was an A school. Here in Lee County, all of our HS's are C's. I am just sooooo afraid to make the move.

 

[mickeysgal]

We have 3 children. One that graduated HS in 2004, one that will be graduating this coming year & one that will start HS next school year.

When you say you have one graduating this coming year, do you mean this May of 2006? I would certainly stay or split your move (you stay with kids and DH moves) until this child graduates. Its not that far off. We had a child starting HS when we moved. It was hard...to say the least. I would worry less about the hurricanes (you're already used to them as you're already living in FL) and focus more on whether the kids can handle to move. Then again, a job is a job...and supporting a family has to come first. Jobs are so hard to come by nowadays. Make sure you make all the right comparisons...try to access job stability, benefit levels, etc. Good luck!

 

[A Mickeyfan]

Yes, May of this year. If my husband takes the job, me & the kids would stay here until the end of the school year. I cannot do that to my daughter. She is VP of her senior class, was on homecoming court, has been nomitated for "best overall" & "biggest Flirt"... she is really into school. It would kill her if we pulled her out now. My youngest is in 8th grade & will be graduating middle school this May so the transition would not be too bad for her. Either way, she would be starting a new school. All three of the kids do not want to leave. I can see their point. I too want to stay here in Cape Coral. I am afraid to go to a new city with basically 3 teenagers! At least now, I know "most" of all of their friends parents. So many people that live here are moving out of here, the cost of living is going too high for many of us. If I didn't already own a home, I never could get one. Traffic here is very heavy, especially during "season". My husband works 41 miles away from our house. On Friday, it took him 2 1/2 hours to get home (normally 45 minutes to an hour) and there weren't any accidents, just many snowbirds & rush hour traffic combined. He cannot take it anymore. We are just at the start of "season" too. It will be like this until April. I drove to Disney (from our house) in the time it took him to drive 41 miles.

 

[AdventurerKat]

Sorry Sharon. You cannot move. I won't allow it.

 

[A Mickeyfan]

Sorry Sharon. You cannot move. I won't allow it.

Ok..you are focing me to stay.. now just force my husband My kids already made it clear.. they are not going, point blank, not now, not May June or July...not ever (as per my 2 DD's). DS says maybe The girls have already told me that DH & DS can go & we could stay here & then they each would get their own room
There is so much to think about. He is suppose to give his answer soon. He was emailed by the company today with the "offical" proposal. The money is pretty good, but money can't by happiness (well at least not all happiness, just Disney). I know a job is a job, and we need to think about everything involved. My thought is, if it is such a great company, great money, why isn't someone from within being promoted up to the position . I know the large company my husband worked for (for 17 years) still hasn't replaced him from April 2004. No one in his department or plant wanted to take the position. They couldn't even get anyone from outside that plant (but still with the company) to take it. They all knew what the company did to my husband (long story... I posted all about it when it happend) as well as other "well paid" employees, which was why no on wanted it. I am thinking that may be one of the reasons this company is not promoting from within...no one wants it.

 

[A Mickeyfan]

after some real hard consideration, my husband declined the job... he really wanted it, but figured it isn't the right time for us to make that type of move. I am relieved, my DD's are thrilled...my DS actually had thought we should have gone.. (more money & that is all he looked at, he is 19 and that is all he can see is the almighty $$$), but I am sure if we did, he would have not been a happy camper leaving all his friends behind.