Family of 4 from PA wanting to move South is in need of specific suggestions. Please help? (Birmingham: houses)

[Sarahmorgan]

Hi! I've spent days reading this forum, and I'm thrilled at how helpful people are! I've been researching a move to Roanoke, Va, but I have family in Alabama and they love it! We want to make sure we move to the state that best suits our needs, and what I've personally seen of Alabama is beautiful. I hope the following information is helpful. Some is rather personal, but I want to be sure to include all pertinent information so hopefully someone can help me.

I'm currently living in Pennsylvania, just outside Philadelphia, with my husband and 2 boys aged 8 and 12. I was laid off in April 2005. The job market up here is so fierce I've been unable to find any work except minimum wage. We were forced to file bankruptcy, so our credit is shot. My husband has worked for the same company for 17 years, but it has already been heavily implied that my husband will be receiving his pink slip soon. My husband begins CDL truck driving school on July 30th. He chose the profession because it will give us the freedom to move just about anywhere in the country and still retain his job. We simply can not afford to stay here. In essence, we're being forced to start over.

We're currently living in a tiny row home in the middle of a row home development with a postage stamp sized front yard 10 minutes away from a filthy city. Traffic is horrid and it literally takes 20 minutes to drive 2 miles. My gas has been siphoned out of my van more than once. I can't sit outside on my porch because of the noise and smell of dog feces from my next door neighbors. The list goes on and on. I'm claustrophobic, I can't breath, and I want OUT!

We love the outdoors, mountains, woods, lakes, fishing, hiking, etc, and would love to live within an easy commuting distance to mountains. We're looking to rent a clean 2-3 bedroom SFH, with grass all the way around it. I'm not picky. We have 2 small dogs (pugs) and 2 cats, and we need a landlord that will allow us to keep them! Due to our bankruptcy, we're willing to pay 6 months rent up front if need be. We're good quiet respectful people. I'd like my kids to have friends nearby. We won't be able to afford more than $800.00 a month in rent. As my husband will be gone for a week at a time, I'm looking for a decently populated area that has a low crime rate. I don't mind driving to a grocery store, department store, or restaurants. I DO mind being in an area so rural we could be alone for days before seeing another person. We're just looking for a nice semi-suburban neighborhood to rebuild our lives and let my children have the childhood they deserve. Any specific area's or towns and where I could find available rental property listings would be appreciated!

I'm in a position to wait until the boys are acclimated to the area before finding a job, but I will need one eventually. I'd prefer not to have to drive an hour to get there, lol. With my husband gone so much, I will need a job with hours during daycare availability. I've been an Inventory Control Manager for a warehouse, customer service, waitress, etc... I've got excellent references, motivated, willing to learn anything, and I'm not afraid of hard work.

My boys are entering 3rd and 6th grade. My youngest has ADHD. I'll need to know my kids are in a decent school, and are willing to work with parents. Also, my oldest son may not need daycare, but my youngest child most assuredly will. I was paying $195 a week for before / after school 2 years ago. I'm hoping it's less down there!

Due to my mother's southern upbringing, it takes me about three minutes to pick up a southern drawl. I joke around all the time and tell her I'm a misplaced Ozark baby, LOL. Every time my husband and I visit the south, we feel such peace and wonder at how beautiful it is, and how different it is from the North.We've been wanting to move south for years, and there's never been a better time that screams DO IT NOW! We're ready to embrace the southern way of life. I'm desperate for my children to spend the rest of their childhood in an area that embraces the true values I hold dear, and not the ghetto mentality that is so predominant where we live now.

Any and all suggestions and comments are appreciated. Thanks so much in advance!

[nalabama]

Decatur and Huntsville area (because of proximty to the Interstate and to jobs)) and Arab (because of the schools and the community) are my first reaction to your description of needs, but there are any number of communities in Alabama that will meet those needs. Your rent goal seems attainable to me. Come on down here right now (ya' hear?)!!

Read some of Keeper's posts regarding Arab and see how that sounds. Good luck.

[Sarahmorgan]

Thanks for the suggestions!

I forgot to mention that I'm planning to take my children on a three week tour of the South in August. I'm looking for specific towns so I can plan our itinerary. I want my kids to be with me and collectively fall in love with a place we'll be happy to call home!

I'm reading most of the post's on here, and I'll keep an eye out for Keeper's.

[Keeper]

Arab has some of the best schools around. Rent is affordable within the city limits. You can rent an older house for around $500.00 a month. There are some apts here too. Small town with great people and very little crime.
Now for the bad news.. while there are jobs here, the pay is usually less than in H'ville. The drive to H'ville can be up to 45 minutes during rush hour depending on what part of town. Not sure how much child care is here but I am sure it is much less than what you are paying there. If you decide you are interested in living here I will be happy to call a day care for you and get prices.
There is a WalMart and a other stores but this is a small town so there are no malls, movies or fancy restaurants. It is also a dry town so if you like to have a beer or a drink with dinner out you will have to drive to Guntersville or Huntsville. You can always buy a 6 pack and bring it home. There are a few good little restaurants and nearly every fast food place you can think of..
The people are very friendly and welcoming.
As an example.. a couple moved up here from N. Fl, rented a trailer, moved in and then went to have the electric turned on, when they returned to the trailer it had burned down. People were bringing them clothes, household items and food. One person rented them a house a month free. To me this is what Arab is all about.
You can check out the stats for Arab
http://www.city-data.com/city/Arab-Alabama.html

[Keeper]

As a side note.. my teenage grandson came up here last summer for a visit from FL, he liked it so much he is now living with my daughter and her family. He wanted to get away from the gangs and the schools there not to mention family problems.

[Sarahmorgan]

Thanks, Keeper! You saved me a search! LOL

Being dry doesn't bother us. We go through a 6 pack every 2-3 weeks, lol. I don't mind traveling to get to theaters and such. I hate hate hate malls, and what I cook is better than most chef's, so we never go out to eat. We're really just very simple people with a love of nature, friends, and being together.

When we move, the only debt we'll have aside from rent and utilities will be my van payment. My husband will have steady work. I can, actually, I DO live very frugally, lol, so even a lower paying job should be sufficient.

I actually prefer older homes. With creaky floors, wobbling handrails, sticking windows and such, they just have so much more character than the new cookie cutter homes that are being built today.

Your offer to call daycare centers and your story about the couple and the burned trailer are fantastic examples of what values I hold dear, and are not found where I'm living now. I'm so tired of the "It's all about me" mentality I see in the children here, and I refuse to allow my kids to think that's normal!

It does sound like Arab is a promising place. You've piqued my interest, and I'm definitely going to be swinging by! Thanks so much!

[OEMMom]

The biggest adjustment will be the heat during the summers. After that, the lack of diversity. With the large 2nd and 3rd generation population in Pennsylvania, the diversity in many areas is something you currently take for granted. For instance, when we visit my in-laws in Pittsburgh, I am constantly amazed by the stuff available in the grocery stores there. The bakery department in a Giant Eagle is larger than anything you will find in the state of Alabama. . . Beyond that, MSN had an article on 8/7/07 about Ten Low-Cost Locales Where Jobs Are Plentiful. It was interesting to find 3 fairly close by. Auburn/Opelika, AL is #4 on the list; Pensacola, Florida is #6; and Huntsville, AL is #9. . . BUT add this to your considerations - there are job openings in the Dothan newspaper for Drivers regularly.

[Keeper]

Your DH can check out Arab Cartage (sp) they are always advertising for drivers. The biggest problem for DH will be no experience, but there are companies who will hire him after he team drives. There is also a trucking company in Albertville. I have a friend who drives for them.
Check out this link to search for jobs.
https://joblink.alabama.gov/ada/

My ex dil came up from Fl last weekend for a visit and is considering moving up here. She found several houses for rent for $450.00 a month. Sure beats the $1000.00 a month she pays for a small place in Tpa.

[Southlander]

Sarah,
Give yourself and your kids a break by spending an afternoon at Point Mallard Park in Decatur. We have the first wave pool ever built in America, along with waterslides, pools etc. There's a nearby campground.
That will give you a chance to look around Decatur and Huntsville. We have a lot of trucking companies in the area, and they are ALWAYS looking for qualified drivers. Both Birmingham and Huntsville/Decatur are transportation hubs. We have a lot of manufacturing in Decatur, and transportation with interstate, river and rail. Birmingham is a SE hub because of the interstates.
You can get lots of information at the 800alabama dot com Web site, which belongs to the Alabama department of tourism. School starts this week, so the big attractions have quieted down a bit.
Have a great trip!

[FullTruckerEffect]

There are some other trucking companies in the general area.

Covenant - Based in Chattanooga, very large company, decent record on hiring drivers with no experience. My first job in the trucking industry 5 years ago.

Osborn Transportation - Based in Gadsden. Seem to be a quite reputable company specializing in Southeastern area freight. Not sure about work requirements.

Averitt - LTL (less than truckload) operator with several service centers in the general area. Huntsville, Gadsden offices. May need 6 months experience first, though.

You'll probably like the Arab area, although coming from Philly, it's gonna be real culture shock. And price shock when you see how far 800/month goes down here in N. Alabama. Snows about once/4 years, real snow once in my lifetime (blizzard of '93). It's in the Appalachian fothills, cool natural stuff within 3 hours drive - Little Cloud Canyon, Noccaluca Falls, Lookout Mtn., Lake Guntersville, Weiss, and others.