In the last several months I've been on the job hunt. Many interviews, a lot of no's and many of "not the right fit" opportunities for me.  I turned down a very lucrative job last month.  I'm still wondering if that was the right decision. However, the travel and work load would have been very aggressive. Last month I went down to Texas for an interview. That one is still pending.

I got a call from my potential future boss in in FL yesterday. A transfer I inquired about at my current company several months ago, they move slow.

It appears that I'm first in line for this new opening. January 1st they are going to open up the new spot and it sounds like it's mine if I want it.

The logistics of getting completely and temporarily relocated are daunting but we would have to face this no matter where we move to.

I'm thinking I'll have to rent at first which will be scary expensive I'm sure. Or, maybe I can find some folks out in a rural area that have a room to rent. Perhaps my cousin or Aunt and Uncle, well see. Then the rest of the family can come down after junior is done with the school year and the house is sold. I'll have a mortgage here at home and rent to balance down there. That should be a challenge.

My job will have me pin-balling between Ocala, Tampa and Orlando. Most of my time will be spent in and around Ocala but I'll need to get resources from the Tampa office at least 2-3 times a week. I'm thinking ultimately I'm going to need to try and find a property in the middle of that triangle.

I like what DeSantis has been doing down there. I'd love to see some constitutional carry on the agenda!

If having to travel to Tampa and Orlando while working in and around Ocala I would think living in Lake County near Clermont or Wildwood area would work the best.

You would be able to use the Turnpike as well as near I-4.

Thanks for the tip sir.  I'll do some research on that area.  I appreciate it.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Depends on what is important to you: need shopping/restaurants/nightlife or OK with that being 20-30minutes away. Wildwood, Bushnell, Inverness areas give you access to I-75 and Turnpike to get to all three areas. Wildwood busiest [and growing like crazy] but has best highway access. Probably anyplace along I-75 near an exit would work.

Thanks!  The most important thing for us right now is finding a good school system for the kid.  2nd would be commute.

Where is your office located in Tampa?

I’m in Citrus County and work for Century 21, if you have any questions/need help finding a property!

I work in New Port Richey and live in Ocala.
If schools are your priority buy in Marion County.

Ty sir, I'll check it out.

PM inbound.    I sent it via email as well.  The messaging system was acting strange.

Hopefully, by spring I'll be down there.  Trying to find a house to rent and then one to purchase ought to be fun.  We have our sights on Citrus county.

Hernando county checking in, it’s getting busy here

As is everyone else it seems. The traffic has quadrupled in the last five years. It's a great laid back county, if you pick the right town to live in. No real high paying jobs to speak of, but great for retirement.

I talked to a local Realtor recently (who said when asked "How's the market going?")
"Great! The problem is no housing stock. The calls keep coming in everyday, but I have nothing to show them. I don't see the demand stopping anytime soon either"

That's my fear..  "No housing stock"  I've been working on getting transferred to FL, TX, AZ, TN or OK for almost a year.

It seems only TX and FL have the jobs.

I too live in Citrus CO. great for family oriented people. My son goes to a Christian School in the area.

That's our target area.  It's going to be fun finding a place to rent until our home sells here.  I'm assuming that is a private school?

If you tell us what you are looking for housewise to buy, we can probably help you out.
Do you want the dreaded HOA community?
A house with land to shoot on $$$$$$$?
House on the water (Inland Lake, River, Canal)?
Amount you want to spend? There is everything here from Trailer Park Communities on up to Million Dollar Homes.
Keep your eye on realtor.com for an idea of whats out there:
https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-search/Citrus-County_FL

Dealing with realtors here (or anywhere in the South) will make you want to rip your hair out. Many realtors are super lazy and never call you back. I would not settle on using just one realtor company in your search for a rental. Use multiple ones.

I didn't know anybody when I moved here. It was a fight at every turn to get what I wanted. Don't give up. It's well worth it when you finally get settled in.

Thank you sir.  Replies above.

Where do you guys shoot in Citrus County? Anyone got their backyard range set up?

What makes it a great place to live for family?

Citrus County is split into pretty much four different areas:

Crystal River
Homosassa
Inverness (County Seat)
Floral City
Our County's promotional website: https://www.discovercrystalriverfl.com/

Crystal River and Homosassa are known for Water Recreation and fishing. As well as Manitee's. Crystal River is the only place in Florida that you can legally swim with the Manitee's. The rivers are Crystal Clear, and fed from underground aquifers. You can look down in the river and see the spouts coming up where the water feeds from.

Inverness is the County Seat. It's starting to build up pretty heavy over the last five years. The traffic used to be only during the day, and be almost non existent when it got dark (4-5 years ago). Those days are gone.

Floral City is the closest you're gonna be to a "Mayberry type town" in my opinion. It's slow moving and has alot of history as a Phosphate Mining town in the old days.

The two best areas to live if you want rural area, (and be about eight miles to all the local stores (Inverness)) is to look at Southern Inverness (outside of the corporate limit), or Floral City. It's not far to go to Brooksville to Sam's Club, to go to The Villages, to Ocala.
The new Suncoast Parkway toll road will be opening up in the near future. It's a straight shot to Tampa. An hour away.

Citrus County has some of the best medical facilities around. Between the hospitals,clinics, private practices there are over a hundred medical facilities in the county. From what I hear the schools are very well run.
Our county is majority Republican. We never have had any mask mandates ever during the whole plandemic. I have never worn a mask, and never been denied admittance to any restaurant or store I've entered.

I can provide more info if you ask. Perhaps some other residents will chime in.

Milspec99 you never said what state you were coming from?

Any good or bad areas there? Which are the "nicest neighborhoods?"

Thanks for all the detail  CAPITALIST.  The schools are one of the main reasons we're attracted to Citrus County.  We have to think about the Kiddo.

Forgive my ignorance but what does "County Seat" mean?  

I don't like telling you guys where I'm from.  LOL  You'll think I'm one of "them".

I'm a country boy that's been trapped in the machine.  I'm up here in CT where I've lived most of my life.  I lived in AZ for 5 years and moved back here.  That was before I really got into the Pews and realized how unfavorable this state is (on many levels).

Everyone can settle down with the Yankee comments.  I'm the farthest thing from one.  I learned how to speak slower in AZ and look forward to using that skill again.    I pretty much mind my own business and don't want to be bothered.  

Oh, and you don't have to worry about my voting habits.  We're all good there.  

I figured you were from a blue state. So many of them moving here. If you got your shit straight (like it sounds), then come on down.

I thought everybody knew what "County Seat" meant. It's the town in a county where all the government offices, court house, etc are. In Citrus County, it's in Inverness. There are some government offices in Crystal River as well (satellite offices).
I don't have kids, so I go by what I hear about schools. The Inverness school system is supposed to be quite good. They have Elementary through High School. I believe Floral City only has an Elementary, then you go to Inverness for High School.
https://www.citrusschools.org/

I'll list some websites for you below that take you to various government offices.
First is Citrus County Tax Collectors office. Florida does not have "DMV'S" to register vehicles. Most all paying of tax, registration of vehicles (you'll love how cheap it will be for you to register a vehicle), signing up for CCW, hunting/fishing licenses, etc:
https://www.citrustc.us/

Citrus County Property Appraisers office:
https://www.citruspa.org/_dnn/

Citrus County Clerk Of Courts:
https://www.citrusclerk.org/

Citrus County Sheriff:
https://www.sheriffcitrus.org/

Oh, one more thing. You register to vote at the Tax Office. (Once you establish residency, go to the Tax office to get your Drivers License. As the lady is printing out your license, she will ask you if you want to register to vote. You say yes. She says "Which Party" You say "Republican". You can do alot there in one day. When you are done talking to the lady she will ask if there is another office you would like to go to. You can say "Yes. I want to sign up for a CCW". She'll call the CCW office and see if she can fit you in. Usually you can. She'll tell the CCW lady to expect you. Same with most offices in there. Best days for less waiting are Wednesdays and Thursdays.

All I got time for, for now.

Thank you sir.  Great info, I appreciate the links.  I'll research them when I have more time.

Thanks for describing the County Seat.  I get it now.  I like the one stop shop at the Tax Office.  DL and register to vote all in one shot.  That's productive.

Good news for me is I've had my Non Resident FL CCW for years now.  5-6 maybe, I lost track.  From what I've been told and read it seems all I have to do is go on the FL licensing website and change my address.  Then I'm good to go.  

Dan Bongino said to come on down.  He said he'll meet me at the state line with a cup of coffee.

Well, Milspec99 are you coming down? Any news on that job opening?