Job/housing market

Me and my girlfriend have been throwing around the idea of moving back to the coast somewhere. We both enjoy our trips down to GS and think that we could definitely see ourselves living in a place like that. What is the work situation like down there? Totally seasonal or is there steady work available? I have been running retail stores for about 5yrs now and can pretty much selling anything. She has her CNA and is taking classes to be an RN. So we can pretty much work anywhere. Is pay pretty competitive? Also how is the housing? We dont need much. 3brd 2bath and a hard for the dog. Is GS pit bull friendly?

Pit bulls get a bad rap, I think it is a lot with the owners , some in the blood line ....but mostly the way the owners treat and train them....all dogs want and need loving and respond to that in positive ways

my boy and grandson

100% agree. We rescued our dog from pound when she was 3 months. She's a sweet heart unless you come in the back yard or the house, which is what we want, and at that point im more dangerous to you then she is. She curles up next to my girlfriends nephew like hes a teddy bear. We will not live anywhere that wont allow "aggressive breeds".

Just a suggestion, Pensacola isn't too bad. I just moved over here last year. I have been liking it so far. There are also a lot of homes for sale at good prices. Plenty of retail stores and plenty hospitals and clinics to choose from. Also you are in between Gulf Shores and Navarre sI there is a nice variety of fishing.

There are lots of cost-of-living comparison calculators for cities. Not too useful for smaller towns though.

Market for CNA/RNs is good. She wont have much trouble finding a job. If she gets on with a hospital, it might be night shifts for a while, but it gets you in the door.
Retail varies, right on the beach is very seasonable, but off the beach, say up in Fairhope, Daphne, Spanish Fort & Mobile, it is not. Get your resume organized and hit the pavement and you should be able to find a job.

Housing: Housing in Mobile & Baldwin Counties is very reasonable, especially when compared to other markets, like Atlanta or some cities up north. As long as you don't want to be right on the water, you should be able to find something reasonable very easily. I know of 3br/2bt 1400 sqft rental houses in Loxley going for $900/month. Some other areas are a little more, some are a little less.
If you have the down payment to buy a house, its still a good market here. Prices have rebounded from the lows 2-3 years ago but are definitely not back to "bubble" prices after Katrina. Insurance is still a wild-card. Depending on which agency you get a quote from, some wont write new policies in certain areas or if they do, its an arm & leg.

Yea my Bride would want right on the beach.....no way....not that I wouldn't mind it, but sure don't think we could afford it....I see a drive in my future to the fishing, but better then the 14-1/2 hrs now

Every hurricane season, I give thanks that I don't live on the water. My house is one one of the higher spots before you get to the Bear Point area and though it's still in the zone to be flooded by a catastrophic storm, I feel like it'll still be there when I come back from an evacuation. I hope I didn't just draw God's attention with this post---He seems to delight in showing me how wrong I can be.

"if you want to hear God laugh, tell Him your plans."

We don't need to be on the water. Just don't want to drive an hr to the water either. Work is more of our concern. It's so hard to find a decent job up here and when you do its still not that good. Really dont want to go somewhere else and not be able to find good work

find work first and then a permanent place to live, rent while you look for that....there is a nice area Obie lives in (the old forum owner) north of Pensacola I am sure plenty others around....if it's not between the piers or west Pensacola..... I can't help at all....
hopefully looking one day too