If all goes well…., we are 3months away from moving from cold ass Ohio to the much warmer Fla Pan Handle!

When we lived in Fla before, I remember one fall a local radio DJ said that w/the falling temps he was excited to go home and open his windows so he could exchange the same air that he’d breathing since their last Spring!

Where? It does get pretty cold (we had a two day freeze last year) and the winds blow out of the north-west (wind chill) in the Panhandle (at least west of Tallahassee).

Milton

A spec on the map, 1/2 hr north of Pensacola.

Weve been searching for a few yrs and spent a wk in Milton, a month ago.

Wife is retired, I’m still a couple yrs away so adapting to “fixed” income while still wanting to play……

That changed everything for where we looked.

Add the hurricanes to that and what it has done home owners insurance…..

We were ready to write a ck for two, side by side one acre lots that backed into wetland which fed into a bay that fed into the intracoastal, all navigable…., private community, dead end road……, ALL GOOD!

Until our realtor educated us on building codes that changed after Hurricane Ivan in ‘04.

They now use 500 yr flood lines for building limits.

Only the front 100’ of those lots was buildable!

I was bummed!

We’ve since found a new build, on a 1/2 acre, 5 mls north of there.

I know it gets cold down there in the off season but not Ohio cold!

Im OK w/having real seasons but going a wk w/o seeing the sun…….., not so much.

Ive been following their weather remotely for the last yr.

We loved it down there (Sebastian/Vero Beach) but it was expensive, traffic sucked and snow bird season was horrible!

Now, to liquidate a shop full of tools and OMC OB parts that no one wants 😉

Dude! You’re making the move back! Good luck in executing those plans! Are you taking the checkmate or is there a different boat in scope?

I know Milton well as I was a Naval Flight Officer. Fully understand the build/insurance/code issues. We got back to the area after being gone ~33 years.

I have in-laws in Milton. Nice area. Even here in SW Florida we have had to wear a jacket in the mornings for the last few days.

You my hero!

Thx guys!

Luv y’all.

When we were just down, we went to Mobile to tour the USS Alabama.

Very, very humbling.

Loved the area.

J Bonz, was going to off load the Convincor before the relocation but after seeing the water down there….., it and the wall of propellers goes with us!

The wife and I went to a vintage boat race this season and fell in love w/it.

I am building a V-8 OMC and shopping for a 21’ Checkmate to go racing with.

Very cool!

Have you ever been down in this area before ?