[boomer]

Hello, I will be transferring to the Huntsville area later this year. We have already visited Huntsville twice in the past 8 months. Due to my new job, we are considering moving to Somerville or the Lacey Springs area. We like morgan county because of the mountain scenery, affordable small farm house price, and the short commute to Huntsville. Can anyone tell me about Morgan county and these two towns? How is the crime, the people, and the future growth in this area?

We are also considering buying 10 - 40 acres of land. Should I buy now or wait? We have a real estate downturn in our state; is this the case with northern Alabama?

[Southlander]

Hi Boomer, I'm a fellow Boomer who's lived in Decatur most of my life. East Morgan County is just a beautiful, beautiful area. The rest of the county is flat! If you have school-age kids, be sure you find out what school they would go to. It can be a long drive to the school...on the other hand, the county schools do offer busing. Schools in the east part of the county are good. You will have to drive to Decatur for things like getting your driver's license, tags, property tax etc (although they may have a satellite office out there or in Hartselle for some things). Grocery stores can be far away. Very nice people out that way. You should be able to find or build a nice home cheaper than in Huntsville, and with some land. Good luck, and welcome to the Tennessee Vally!

[nalabama]

The buy now or wait question is a good one. I think many are asking outlandish prices for farmland in anticipation of the BRAC influx...but I could be wrong! I was at an auction in Lacey's Spring last summer where 40 acres of completely undeveloped but fairly recently logged (within the last 5-10 years) sold for $4,000 per acre to a local farmer. I was dumbfounded, having recently (a year before IIRC) declined 100 acres of partially timbered (pulp and sawlog) land with similar topography less than 4 miles away at $1,325 per acre. Both properties were roughly equidistant from Huntsville. $4,000 per acre seems to be today's minimum, but may decline if the BRAC transferees come in and all decide to live in Huntsville instead. At the rate they are overbuilding in Madison County, that may well occur, as the market looks like it will be overflowing with overpriced homes (for the market) in the near future. Our local realtors may want to come onboard if I'm way off base here...it would be interesting to hear their candid take on this question.

[dbkeel1]

I'd tend to look at Somerville for the community and the resale values (the realtor in me talking).

A lot of the recommendation depends upon where you'll be working, though. If you're working at Research Park and not authorized to cross Redstone Aresenal, then either might be a drive due to stoplights up 321. Or you'd need to drive west to I-65 ato get over the river from the other direction.

[boomer]

Thanks everyone for the reply. I am currently looking at land in the Somerville area and the owner was asking for $4,000 an acre. It seems like a reasonable price considering it has a mountain view, road frontage, timber, pasture, and a creek.

How is the crime rate in Morgan county? I have two young children and thinking about all those sexual predators these days. Is the county pretty good about getting utilities to your property? Are there building codes for building a house in Morgan county? I read that some places in Alabama does not require a permit to build a home? Is this true?

[boomer]

I read on the internet that the city was considering building a bypass highway from the research park through the middle Redstone Arsenal and ending at the southeast part near the Madison/Morgan county line. Is this a rumor or will it happen in the next few years?

[james_hsv]

^The Southern Bypass (the highway you're referring to) should begin construction late this year or next year (cross your fingers). But considering how slow Alabama's DOT is, it could be another decade before the highway is completed.

[Southlander]

Originally Posted by boomer

Thanks everyone for the reply. I am currently looking at land in the Somerville area and the owner was asking for $4,000 an acre. It seems like a reasonable price considering it has a mountain view, road frontage, timber, pasture, and a creek.

How is the crime rate in Morgan county? I have two young children and thinking about all those sexual predators these days. Is the county pretty good about getting utilities to your property? Are there building codes for building a house in Morgan county? I read that some places in Alabama does not require a permit to build a home? Is this true?

Joe Wheeler Electric Co-op and the gas company they own is your source for electricity and natural gas. I think the water lines are from an agency called "Northeast Morgan County Water" something...they have an office in Somerville. Of course, a lot of folks just use well water. No sewer out that far. Not sure about the building permit...you should check either at Somerville city hall or Morgan County Courthouse. Don't know about the crime rate. There have been quite a few arrests in the county for manufacturing meth, but that seems to be declining. Somerville has a police department, but it's only 2 or 3 officers. Most law enforcement is provided by the county sheriff's department. Volunteer fire stations out that way, too.

[dbkeel1]

You might see the bypass completed about the time those kids are in high school. I hear there's a good ole boys hunt club with land right in the path of the future bypass. Sending Dick Cheney in to convince the members it's time to sell might be a quicker solution than eminent domain.