Relocating to FL - Vero Beach/Melborne areas - Assistance & recommendations

[sactomags]

We've done most of our homework and several trips and have decided our next new home will will be in Florida in the areas of either Vero Beach up north to Melbourne. We're making our next trip the end of this month (Aug. 27-31) and will be seeking a realtor and banker and ... plan to relocate by this time next year.

Divers make the best recommendations (some times). So, can anyone make recommendations for a local/community bank in either area? How about real estate agents?

And, anyone around for a dive any of those dates? Day or night (although we do have a lot of stuff to do, we can always rearrange for a few dives -- which is why we're moving in the first place!) My husband and I are both AOW, certified in the lovely Monterey waters (with one in Tahoe during the snow). Have approximately 100 dives each -- last ones on the lovely island of Saba, 133 ft of pure heaven (yes, I was narced but it was such an incredible dive "Eye of the Needle.)

Thanks, in advance for any info you care to share. Secretly I'm hoping that we'll find a banker and a real estate agent who share our love of diving. Please contact me via email, or post to this site is fine.

Regards,
Margaret
Sacramento, CA soon to be in FL

 

[100days-a-year]

Username change to veromags or melbomags?We are renting a condo in Ft.pierce 12 miles south of Vero thru 9/7 .Vero runs pretty pricy for being so far from an inlet buit has superb dining.Also considering a move to either Ft.Pierce or St.Lucie.Shop around in the afternoons after diving,we go just before dinner driving around the neighborhoods.

 

[Wendy]

I bank at Washington Mutual. I think they are all over Florida. The website is www.wamu.com

I haven't ever dived out of Vero, but there is a dive shop or 2 that I've seen. I go to Vero to do some shark fishing on the beach at night and I fish in the Indian River there as well.

For reefs (drift diving) Jupiter and West Palm are about an hour down the road, and that's where I would go. There is a group that shore dives in the Vero area, not sure of the name, something like the Barcardi Limon divers.

 

[cudachaser]

I also use Washington Mutual for my business account and Space Coast Credit Union www.sccu.com . The Credit union is open to the general public

There is some really decent Beach diving below Sebastian Inlet to Ft Pierce Inlet. It is very weather sensitive and divable mostly in the summer...Should be pretty good when you arrive.

I can't help you with realtors, there are so many around...but if you can swing it, definately go beach side. Beachside Vero to Melbourne Beach are quite pricey, but from Melbourne Beach to Cape Canaveral, prices are much more palatable.

Call me when you get to town (321-783-8070)

Joe

 

[Zerogravity]

not much diving in melbourne..need to go south: stuart, jupiter, west palm, pompano, miami, keys etc (in order based on distance from Melb.) 1 good dive shop: Hatt's Diving. Welcome to FLA!

 

[augie]

Zerogravity once bubbled... 1 good dive shop: Hatt's Diving. [/B]

Let me just say....that is certainly a matter of opinion - and not mine! :wacko:

 

[TropicalDiver]

Sebastian (between melbourne and vero) has some good 45' and 60' sites, but visibility ranges considerably. This year, it has also been VERY COLD, so you may feel quite at home here in the water (50 degrees). This temp is NOT typical, though in the summer, we do get thermoclines, but not that severe... Cape Canaveral has some diving also, but you must drive out over 20 miles to get to the site, has limited vis, and is 80' or so deep. South from Sebastian to Vero there are some nice close (beach-diveable) reefs from 15' to 30' and the vis varies according to whether the tide is going in or out. Gotta love it when your knees hitting the bottom tell you faster than your eyes that "you're there"!!

Most of the good diving is further south, where the Gulf Stream gets closer to the shore. West Palm Beach is the most notable, but there is also a dive charter as far north as Jupiter.

Buying a house - have two or three people that could help you house hunting (realtors), but they are not divers If you purchase on the water (canal/river/beach) it WILL appreciate, but prices have recently moved upwards here...so not as affordable as in the past. Canal homes from 200K and up (fixer-uppers), direct river from 500K and up, beach condos from 150K or so up to over 500K depending on size, beach houses over 1 mil...If not on water, can still buy beachside area for less $. Inland is much more affordable..can get a new house in Viera for 150K to 200K or so for starter...This is BREVARD prices - don't know about vero...

I agree that Hatts is my favorite dive shop. They are very popular here, in general, with most divers. Nitrox and air fills and good selection of equipment - best prices on tanks around!

Banks - Bank of America and Wachovia are here. A neighbor of mine works for Republic Bank in the Indian Harbour Beach area (northern melbourne area, beachside). She dives...PM me if want names/addresses, OK?

You'll love it here! Very laid back, traffics not bad. Brevard has a lot of engineers, due to space industry here....Vero's more "old money" (vacation homes for winter, summer in maine...) and farming (oranges).

 

[Zerogravity]

augie once bubbled...
[Let me just say....that is certainly a matter of opinion - and not mine

Augie..you probably like PDI then?

 

[cudachaser]

I like Fishing & Diving Center in Cape Canaveral...best prices in town....avoid ADI in Merritt Island unless you want to spend a lot $$$ on stuff you don't really need and 2 prices for it!

 

[metaldector]

Cliff at Deep6 Dive shops in Vero, (www.deepsix.com) also in Melbourne. Diving is better and 1 hour closer to the Keys in Vero than Melbourne. Vero is up scale, great schools, shops, and people. I dive in Sebastian (treasure diving) during the summer and south to Boyton Beach in the Fall.