A Yankee comes to town!!??!!

[Brianb32]

Hey Youse guys! lol

Yes we are from Jersey/NYC....but can't wait to get out! NYC is a great place to be FROM, but wears ya down after a while. We also love southern culture and look forward to the day we can join the ranks of the lucky residents of Sowal.

I fell in love with the area back in the early 90's when a friend of mine who had bought a condo in Seagrove took me for a visit. We made several return visits back in the day and I loved it more and more. Well I got older and my career took over, I also got married and took on kids and dogs and cats and, well, you get the idea. I think the last time I was there was 1994 or so.

Anyways, we are approaching retirement time (spring-fall 2013), and we are planning to jettison all the stuff that's weighed us down. Kids in the military and college, me retiring, selling the business my wife owns, the house, furniture. Pretty much everything except the dogs, the pickup, and the Harley. We are planning a trip down to the area next month so I can introduce the Mrs. to what I keep telling here is the best place we could ever want to be. Pretty excited about it too. We are relatively young as well, me 48 and her 43. Lucky, I know!

My reason for posting is pretty diverse so excuse my ramblings. I tend to go on sometimes.......

First, I keep telling my wife that she has nothing to worry about in being an "outsider" since the people I met while there were the nicest most welcoming you could imagine, and I never felt judged negatively for being a Yankee. I'm assuming it hasn't changed, right?

Second, As I mentioned, we love southern culture, (especially the food!) and the area we are most interested in would have mostly yearlong residents, who wouldn't mind helping us assimilate the best we can. We are looking to take up boating, and do a lot more fishing than we do now. we are not the north easterners that move away but want everything to be like where they came from!

Then there's the fact I'm sure a lot has changed since my last visit. Hurricanes, development, recessions etc. I see that Harry T's and Nightown made it, but I may have a hard time recognizing the place. So basically what we'd like is to start a conversation with some people to keep abreast of things as they continue to change in the next year - year ana half. We'd be willing to buy a lot and build or buy a prebuilt, but have a good idea what we'd want style wise when the time comes. It would also be cool if we could meet some people for when we visit to get a little head start. Any info/advice would be welcome.

So if I haven't lost ya, thanks for your time, and maybe we'll cross paths someday. Otherwise, if anyone wants to deal, we'll take it. Good or bad

Brian

[kurt]

youse guys. You two are still two yutes.

[Brianb32]

youse guys. You two are still two yutes.

Oh maybe you meant YOUTH-ZZZA...........

BTW your pic made me think of something, is the scuba diving still as good as it was 20 years ago?

Nice meetin ya

[Dawn]

You will love it hear - so peaceful. And with that in mind, if you don'e sell the Harley, please muzzle your hog pipes if needed.

[GingeratDRHorton]

I am also a semi northerner. Living all my life in Cincinnati. Bought my house a little over two years ago to take advantage of the great prices, planning all the while to just use it as a vacation home. Well that didn;t last too long. I came down 4 times and on that last visit I called my boss, quit my job, left all my friends and family behind and have come to love beach life. I am now selling new homes for D R Horton homes here on the panhandle and we have some great locations and prices that you would not believe. Do you know anything about 30A? That is where I ended up and I could not be happier. The locals are wonderful and very welcoming. I am now part of a great group and feel much like I've been here all my life. If I can help in any way let me know. Oh my name is Ginger.