A transplanted New Englander, I have lived in Southern Florida as well as the Florida Keys. Evacuating both areas due to various hurricanes over the years and living at sea level made my wife and I rethink where in Florida we wanted to live. We didn't want to leave Florida and miss the many benefits the state has to offer, such as the weather, the lack of income tax, as well as the homestead tax exemption.
We felt the east coast was too busy and built up so we took a week and travelled by car all the way from Naples up the west coast, past the "Big Bend" and clear over to Pensacola. We decided the Okaloosa/Walton County area was everything we were looking for. We settled in Crestview in Okaloosa County.
We're 30 miles inland from the emerald-green waters and white sugar sand beaches of the Gulf of Mexico, 260 feet above sea level (no hurricane surges), and enjoy seasonal changes (but no snow, thank you!) and real trees as well as some palm trees. I never realized how much I missed the sound of the wind in the pines.
It's a community with old-country charm, "A" rated schools, parks, playgrounds, golf courses, fishing in the Gulf, and so much more. It's still a place where, if you forget to lock your door on the way out in the morning, you don't have to worry about it. I invite you to visit our area, whether considering a vacation, a winter home, or relocation to Florida. Call or e-mail me if you'd like to know more about our area of the "Third Coast."
