[notime362]

I am thinking of relocating to Marshall County. I am kinda confused from reading into each cities website. Can someone please list the Pros/Cons of each city?

[Keeper]

I live in Arab, not sure what to tell ya..
It is a small town. Lots of ppl have lived here a long time and know just about everybody else who has lived here a long time. Many newcomers live here now. Very little crime, friendly ppl and housing is very reasonable. Schools are some of the best in the state. No traffic..
Grocery shopping to 3 stores, Walmart being the biggest store. Dry city with only local restaurants but lots of fast food restaurants.

Albertville and Boaz I can tell you only a little, both cities run together on 431. Both have a lot of illegals and a crime compared to Arab. Housing cost are about the same. There is a Kmart, WalMart and Lowes around Albertville. Movie theater in Boaz. I have a friend who lives in Albertville in a new little subdivision, price wasn't too bad except big power lines run behind it. Futher away from Huntsville.

You didn't mention Guntersville but someone from this board moved there a month ago. They got a nice house there. Guntersville has lots of name restaurants and more grocery stores.

If it were me I would look at Arab or Guntersville. How much do you want to spend on a house? Do you want acreage or just a lot, near the water or major shopping/restaurants? Are schools important?

In the end it all depends on what you are looking for in a place to live. I like Arab for the reasons I listed but others have voiced their unhappiness with the area, one being it is not diverse as other cities. If you do a search you should find all the pros and cons.

If you have any specific questions I will try to answer.

[notime362]

I myself am disabled/ retired and my wife is 60. She would like to continue working in a school cafeteria. I was looking in the 80/90K range, with just a nice simple home needed, conveniant to shopping, and in a nice neighborhood. I have read quite a bit about racial problems, which I don't seem to support. My daughter is in a mixed marriage, so from what I read, they wouldn't be welcome on visits. I have looked lightly into Guntersville, but it seems out of my range. I plan to visit Marshall County over the Thanksgiving Holiday. Thanks...

[Keeper]

I wish I could tell you differently but to be honest I have not seen or heard of anyone having problems regarding since I have lived here. I have seen mixed couples in restaurants and stores and no one seemed to take notice, except for me looking to see if anyone was making comments or something. I lived in Tampa in a very diverse neighborhood and have had some very good black friends. Good luck in your search.. If you need anything while you are here contact me.

Check out Crossville too. It is just N of Guntersville..

[SammieS]

I'm the person who Keeper mentioned that moved to Guntersville a month ago. We did spend more than $90,000 on our home but I believe if you look more closely into Guntersville you can find a house close to your price range. We bought a house in an older area, close to the lake and an elementary school just up the block. For shopping you do need a car but most stores aren't far away. There are several homes in this older area that have been for sale for awhile so the owners may be willing to negotiate or the price could be close to what you are looking for.

The people here are so friendly and welcoming of everyone.

Good luck in your hunt for a home.

[MandaL]

I work in Grassy which means I drive right through Albertville everyday. The traffic is horrible. The same goes for Boaz. The only thing about Boaz is the outlet malls Arab is on top of Brindle mountain and is a cute town. If I had to choose a town in Marshall county to live in it would be Guntersville. It's so pretty. Not only is it quaint, but it offers the best of both worlds; mountains and water. it's surrounded with lakes and water ways. Everywhere you look there is a spectacular view. I would go with Guntersville.