Feedback on Alabaster? Moving...Please help! (Birmingham, Hoover: real estate, house, purchase)

[Sugarland, TX]

Hi! It's me..."Sugarland, TX" ...from my original thread: ..."Please help! Moving from Sugarland, TX to Birmingham". Thank you all so much for your feedback! I haven't been on this site in a while as I have been wrapping up my current job and trying to sell our home. But I am back on the site and plan to keep viewing it. I had no idea I would even get a reply back. And you all were soooooo helpful! We have been able to direct our realtor in Birmingham on the areas you all recommended. The areas in particular we are focussing on are the 280 area you suggested: Meadow Brook, Highland Lakes, Chelsea - Shelby County, & Hoover. We have upped our price range on a home purchase to $250-300K. Our realtor has mentioned an area called Alabaster that no one had mentioned. Can you all please help???!!!! She said it is South on 65. We have seen a lot of the homes online and they are really nice and most had a lot of the features we liked: finished basements, screened in back decks plus uncovered decks also, hardwood flooring, 2 story homes with spacious floorplans. But is it too far out from everything???? The realtor said they are building up the area, etc. What are your thoughts? My husband will work out of the house and commute to Hoover maybe once a week...so there's no commute issues there. But...Although I may not get a job immediately (not sure yet), I am in the Pharmaceutical Industry so I work from home also...but I do have a territory to cover...and in Houston, my territory is the area where I live. Do you know if we lived in Alabaster for example...if that area is even developed enough to be considered a territory if I took on another Pharma job in Birmingham? Or should I just stick with the other 280 areas as those are nice also. I'm just afraid that the homes in Highland Lakes or Meadow Brook are too "out of our league". The homes I fell in love with (that were similar to the ones in Alabaster) were about $400K. Anyway, ... I'll be there this week to house hunt. Wish me luck that I find a home!!!!

[contented]

hey tx.......while i wasn't born and raised in alabaster, i did marry a woman from there and we live in a garden home near the schools. i'm from rural maine so we spend a few months there in the summer.

it has grown quite a bit in the seven years i've been there and the growth continues down I-65. alabaster has everything anyone needs and still has a small town feel to it. i've found the people to be easygoing and friendly.

the only thing i would caution against is any steady commute up I-65 during the morning or afternoon rush.

a great real estate pro in that area is annette durette @ re-max first choice. she knows everyone and everything and can really get it done.

good luck.................

[Lone Ranger]

Alongside I-65 on US 31 you have HooverPelhamAlabaster and won't really see where one ends and another begins. It's about 10 miles from Hoover. The commute on either I-65 or US 31 is... interesting... during morning and evening rush hours. That being said, Alabaster is a nice town and if you watch your timing the drive isn't too bad.

Not too sure I can answer your Pharm Rep questions.

[harry chickpea]

If you are looking in that general area, check out Montevallo.