Helena (Birmingham, Hoover, Homewood: real estate, homes, neighbourhoods)

[krusty_916]

My wife and I just came home from a few days in the areas just south of Birmingham. We didn't know what to expect, but were impressed with the area. One thing that we didn't expect was the area to be so hilly. A lot of the homes we looked at (Homewood and Hoover) had some crazy angled driveways and not much of a backyard. Is this typical of that area, or did we look in the wrong neighbourhoods. When we went to Helena we saw more of what we are looking for. Flatter areas with decent backyards. The questions that I'm asking are:

1) Does Homewood/Hoover have neighbourhoods that are closer to topography as Helena?

2) How does the school systems in Helena or Pelham compare with the Homewood or Hoover area?

3) I would be commmuting to the mountain brook area. What is the traffic situation?

Thanks

[cpg35223]

Originally Posted by krusty_916

My wife and I just came home from a few days in the areas just south of Birmingham. We didn't know what to expect, but were impressed with the area. One thing that we didn't expect was the area to be so hilly. A lot of the homes we looked at (Homewood and Hoover) had some crazy angled driveways and not much of a backyard. Is this typical of that area, or did we look in the wrong neighbourhoods. When we went to Helena we saw more of what we are looking for. Flatter areas with decent backyards. The questions that I'm asking are:

1) Does Homewood/Hoover have neighbourhoods that are closer to topography as Helena?

2) How does the school systems in Helena or Pelham compare with the Homewood or Hoover area?

3) I would be commmuting to the mountain brook area. What is the traffic situation?

Thanks

Hoover and Pelham school systems aren't bad, but they aren't the same caliber as Hoover and Homewood. The best school systems are Mountain Brook and Vestavia.

I think you should take a look at the Cahaba Heights part of Vestavia, or the section near Altadena Road in Hoover. Both are close to 280, and allow a shorter commute, while still being reasonably priced and in very good school systems.

[Matt Massey]

Hello,

First off I am currently in the real estate business. I tell all of my clients to check out Greatschools.com and a few other sites to investigate schools for themselves. I find that the majority of my clients that live in shelby county and have children who attend Pelham and Thompson schools will not move just for that reason!!It is always best to investigate for your self rather than going off of what people tell you. Most folks are biased to where their children attend anyways. Check out a few different websites with ratings and then actually visit the schools. I hope this info helps. Hoover and Homewood do have more Hilly terrain but there are communities in these cities that have the lay of land you are looking for. I will be more than happy to answer more questions for you and your family and just help you out with your search. I wouldn't rule out Alabaster either. Alabaster is an up and coming city that is full of amenities for its residents. There are some awesome homes available and prices that are great! Your commute to mtn brook shouldn't be bad from shelby county due to interstate 65 becoming a 4 lane from pelham on into birmingham. I am very familiar with both shelby and jefferson counties so please do not hesitate to shoot me an e-mail with questions. Hope this is helpful and I would love to discuss this further.
Life is GOOD
-Matt