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Old 02-27-2015, 02:42 PM
 
9 posts, read 8,526 times
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hi,

we are family of 4 considering to relocate to Birmingham area. this is not yet finalized ,depending upon job offer i'm considering in this area.

here are the details

) i might be working in this zipcode (35243) but it seems this company may move to downtown area in future. I don't want long commute

2) price range for your house or apartment? : house may be around 250k - 350K or appt (initially $1000 to $1500)

3) i have 2 kids (elementary and middle school) ,so school district is important

4) we are immigrants from southern part of India ,so it would be good to have good Indian community/ diverse neighborhood

let me know what neighbourhoods will be good starting point

also how will be the weather,we are in midwest now (near chicago ) ,what should we be prepared to expect.

i love gardening ,here i have to move all my tropical plants inside during winter ,how will be that in Birmingham area?

thanks for your time
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Old 02-27-2015, 02:48 PM
 
Location: Birmingham
11,787 posts, read 17,688,033 times
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Homewood and Vestavia have easy access to downtown and both have good schools. Around 300k gets a decent home in either area. I do not know about the Indian population, but I've seen several in the area so I don't think it would be an issue finding families you can identify with in either suburb.

Welcome.
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Old 02-27-2015, 03:39 PM
 
2,450 posts, read 5,585,282 times
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I personally like Homewood because it's at least a little denser and I don't need a big house, and actually don't even want a big yard. However, most of the educated immigrant community looking for good schools (including most East and South Asians)go to Vestavia and Hoover , since you can get more house for your money.

It will obviously be much warmer here, with a longer summer and short, much milder winter. You may have to take your plants in a for a little bit.
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Old 02-27-2015, 04:06 PM
 
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The 35243 zip code sits astride a good area for apartments, shopping, etc. It's highly convenient to a host of amenities, but it's a pretty homogenous area. If your office moves to downtown, your commute would remain relatively short. That being said, I know there's an active Indian community in the area, given that I have several friends of Indian heritage.

In that sense, given where you'll be working, etc., Cahaba Heights and Vestavia will be good locales for you. Bluebeard suggests Homewood, which isn't a bad idea. My only quibble with Homewood would be that the homes in your price range are on the Western end of Homewood, making for a longer commute to where your office would be at the moment.

When it comes to schools, you want to be very careful about where your apartment/home is located. The city of Birmingham has terrible schools. Meanwhile Mountain Brook, Vestavia, Homewood, and Hoover all have very good schools. You really cannot go wrong with any of those four. In that area, the boundaries of several municipalities intersect, so you want to be absolutely sure which school system your kids will attend before leasing or purchasing. Another school system is Jefferson County. While not terrible, you might be driving a lot to reach the schools.

Here's a link to a website that features properties in that zip code and your price range. Housing here is pretty affordable relative to Chicago, so there are a lot of options. http://www.realtysouth.com/Listing/ListingSearch.aspx

Good luck!

Last edited by cpg35223; 02-27-2015 at 04:16 PM..
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Old 02-27-2015, 04:17 PM
 
Location: Birmingham
11,787 posts, read 17,688,033 times
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cpg is right. If you find a house that is cheap(er) and seems too good to be true in one of those areas, chances are it sits in Birmingham. Because of how jagged the city limit lines are, don't make any assumptions and don't be fooled.

West Homewood isn't as desirable as Hollywood or even Edgewood, but the homes get prohibitively expensive as you go east. Vestavia is very disjointed because they absorbed Liberty Park and Cahaba Heights. ~300K gets you more home in Hoover, but is a bit further down the road for a commute.
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Old 02-28-2015, 08:43 AM
 
Location: Alabama!
6,048 posts, read 18,366,253 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tourian View Post
cpg is right. If you find a house that is cheap(er) and seems too good to be true in one of those areas, chances are it sits in Birmingham. Because of how jagged the city limit lines are, don't make any assumptions and don't be fooled.

West Homewood isn't as desirable as Hollywood or even Edgewood, but the homes get prohibitively expensive as you go east. Vestavia is very disjointed because they absorbed Liberty Park and Cahaba Heights. ~300K gets you more home in Hoover, but is a bit further down the road for a commute.
Hoover, Homewood, and Vestavia schools are all excellent.
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Old 02-28-2015, 08:52 AM
 
28,896 posts, read 54,019,688 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tourian View Post
cpg is right. If you find a house that is cheap(er) and seems too good to be true in one of those areas, chances are it sits in Birmingham. Because of how jagged the city limit lines are, don't make any assumptions and don't be fooled.

West Homewood isn't as desirable as Hollywood or even Edgewood, but the homes get prohibitively expensive as you go east. Vestavia is very disjointed because they absorbed Liberty Park and Cahaba Heights. ~300K gets you more home in Hoover, but is a bit further down the road for a commute.
Yep. Every house in the real estate listings should have information on the school for which it's zoned. Make sure you take that into account, looking up the individual schools for quality.

By the way, funny you should ask about the Indian community here. This appeared in the local fish wrapper. Hopefully it's a good start for your making contacts, etc:

http://www.al.com/entertainment/inde...stival_ce.html

And here is a website for the Indian community in the 'ham:

http://birminghamdesi.com

Hope this helps as well.

One other thing that should be a pleasant surprise. Property taxes are far lower in Birmingham than in Chicago.
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Old 03-02-2015, 11:03 AM
 
9 posts, read 8,526 times
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thanks for all your inputs. I will sure look in Vestavia and Hoover areas.

thanks for the links cpg35223.
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