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 MDSAdmin
  • Michael T. says: Was stationed there in 2003 to 2005 and I loved it lives on base and was great the area is really nice loved it!!! Good luck!! And enjoy!!!
  • Posted on 05/03/2012   

 
 MDSAdmin
  • Debbi C. says: I lived there for 5 years. We lived near Crestview and the schools in Okaloosa Couthy are number one in the state. We bought our house when prices were high now you can get double the house for the same money. Renting can be expensive because alot of the houses were bought when we bought our's and people cannot sell them. we were lucky because we had orders in 2007 we qualified for the HAP program and the HUD dept paid off our mortgage.
  • Posted on 05/03/2012   

 
 MDSAdmin
  • Debbi C. says: BTW They also were tearing down alot of on post housing when we left building new on post housing. I would look in Destin Fort Walton Mary Esther or Niceville.
  • Posted on 05/03/2012   

 
 MDSAdmin
  • Lauren L. says: Check out www.ahrn.com you can view rentals listed including distance from base and schools in that area. It has been a heaven sent for me moving site unseen to off base housing. Then you call the police station to see if that area is safe as some homes can be beautiful but deceiving in location. Good luck!!
  • Posted on 05/03/2012   

 
 MDSAdmin
  • Kenzi W. says: I met my husband there! Loved the area :)
  • Posted on 05/03/2012   

 
 MDSAdmin
  • Tiffany K. says: My husband is stationed at Hurlburt Field(the neighboring base) we live in Navarre and have been here for 3.5 years it's a great area. Shopping is lacking in the immediate area but honestly it's a fabulous area for family and military. My son attends Holley-Navarre schools and they are fabulous. A lot of people who are stationed at Eglin live in Navarre but it is a commute due to only one road in and out. Fort Walton Beach has good systems as well but some areas should be avoided Niceville is the most expensive to live but offers really fabulous schools. Crestview is the least expensive place to rent and closest to Eglin for your family with great Antioch school district. The problem I hear with friends in Crestview is the commute to do anything get to anything is a drive which can cramp social outings for moms but there are a lot of play groups. The Army 7th Special Forces group is here now and a lot of the rentals are being swooped up. Being from Texas(Dallas) is the only reason I feel the shopping is lacking. There is so much to do festivals all year round of course the beach is great if you're a beach lover. Hurlburt Field has a very active Spouses' club that is open to all ranks and has so many monthly activities that I stay busy with them and with volunteer opportunities in the community and on base. The economy is very slim here to work outside of the home even with tons of experience. We opted for me to stay home 2 years ago because as an insurance agent the money (lack thereof) was just not worth it with childcare gas wear and tear on vehicle. You can also check out Mary Esther for rentals as it's super close to FWB. Here is a link for a group on FB for those of us staitoned at Eglin/Hurlburt Field; lots of social stuff you can ask specifics from other ladies who are stationed at Eglin and specific areas in the FWB Crestview and surrounding area: https://www.facebook.com/groups/201339446478/
  • Posted on 05/03/2012   

 
 MDSAdmin
  • Molly A. says: Tiffany gave lots of good info but I wanted to add in case you are looking to buy a home that because of the 7th group move to Eglin lots of home builders are building new homes in Crestview Niceville and Baker. Probably other places too that I don't even know about as I am also new to the area. Look up Thomas Homes Randy Wise Homes (our builder) or google "new construction homes." I know there are more high quality builders out there but can't think of them right now. Adams Homes and Henry homes will be on the less expensive end with DR Horton being more in the middle. We chose to live in Baker to be able to afford a brand new high quality home at a great price however we wish we could afford to live in Niceville. There really is not that much in this area. We drive to Destin (beautiful) or Pensacola for shopping but do stay local for things like groceries. The commissary is much too far or else I'd shop there. I'm not a country girl so it's taken a while for me to get used to the area. That being said the people here are all VERY friendly. Coming from Ft Bragg it's like night and day!
  • Posted on 05/03/2012   

 
 MDSAdmin
  • Molly A. says: P.S... I did want to add to what Tiffany said about jobs... it is true! lol Well really... I am from Southern California and the pay is so low here that even though homes are less expensive the cost of living actually turns out to be better in SoCal because of the low pay. I was pretty surprised about that!
  • Posted on 05/03/2012   

 
 MDSAdmin
  • Rima C. says: These ladies gave excellent info :) I am a Realtor in the area and primarily work w/military families that are relocating to Eglin and the new 7th SFG compound. I can't tell you how many people come here 100% convinced that they will rent then see what is available rental wise and decide to buy instead. Rentals here are often over priced and not maintained well...the ones that ARE nice are snatched up almost as soon as they become available. I'm actually a listing agent for the Thomas Homes builder that Molly mentioned above but I can vouch for all new construction in the area when I say that you can get incredible homes for low prices right now. With interest rates currently hovering between 3.75-4% it's much cheaper/month to buy the same home that you could rent. I also have a lender that I am working with that is offering a 1% credit to military buyers towards closing costs-so purchase a $150000 home and get $1500 back at closing. Although I do not manage rental listings I can send you a current list of what is available in our area. Just some things to think about :)
  • Posted on 05/03/2012   

 
 MDSAdmin
  • Suzanne G. asks: @Molly we are headed that direction come summer how far is the commute from Baker to Eglin? Also what are the schools like in Baker?
  • Posted on 05/03/2012   

 
 MDSAdmin
  • Tiffany K. says: I forgot to add that we're expecting a baby girl on 1 November and when we found out I was pregnant we knew we'd need a bigger house. Looking at rental availability for a 4/2 was ridiculous in the area we needed we were looking at a minimum of $1350 per month. We ended up buying a short sale property and walked into our home with about 20k in equity already built in and our mortgage with taxes and insurance rolled in is right at $1000 a month. We're guaranteed 3 years here and have an amazing realtor who has agreed to take over property manager duties if we get orders so we can rent it out if needed and with the house being a 4/2/2 2120 sq ft home we can easily rent it to cover the property management fee and other expenses. We rented a small 3/2 1350sq ft home in Navarre for $950 a month for over 3 years. We just closed on our home 1 September so it's been a great move for us to become homeowners. Plus we have 2 large breed dogs and most rentals do not allow dogs or charge huge pet deposits. The housing market here is phenomenal and many mortgage companies are offering great deals for 1st time homebuyers and military. We walked away from the closing table with just $400 in closing costs and couldn't be happier. Plus it's a heck of a lot cheaper than renting and dealing with landlords or property management company rules.
  • Posted on 05/03/2012   

 
 MDSAdmin
  • Rima C. says: @Suzanne-I know your question wasn't directed at me but we also live in Baker.It has a VERY small town feel: post office mom n pop grocery store gas station couple mom n pop restaurants. It's 10 mins to the "heart" of Crestview and my husband has a 30-40 minute commute to Eglin/7th Grp Compound. The school in Baker is k-12. 1 school :) But test scores and school ratings (as with all of Okaloosa County schools) are great! Baker offers some really nice subdivisions and the option of country living if that's your thing. We also went the Short Sale route and walked into our home on 14 acres w/a pool with $35k+ in equity.
  • Posted on 05/03/2012   

 
 MDSAdmin
  • Angi V. says: I'm from Eglin. The commute from Baker to Eglin's main base is going to take you about 45mins to an hour depending on traffic. They are making improvements to the roads but it's still a bit of a haul. Baker is a great small town though!
  • Posted on 05/03/2012   

 
 MDSAdmin
  • Molly A. says: I'm glad Rima and Angi responded because I didn't get notifications of new questions :-) Yes 45 min from my house to Eglin main base and about 25 min to the 7th group compound (or Duke Field across the way). If you are interested in Baker I definitely recommend Randy Wise and/or Thomas Homes where Rima works if you are into new construction. I have friends who got lucky enough to get into rentals and they are dying for their leases to be up so they can get out of them and buy their own home because like Rima said they aren't so great. I'm sure you can contact Rima here on FB but for Randy Wise call Brian McAliley 850-797-2436. Rima you are so lucky to get in on that deal! So awesome!!
  • Posted on 05/03/2012