need help...moving to birmingham (Hoover: for sale, foreclosures, renting)

[cpg35223]

Originally Posted by wilmingtonmom

we are def. not a sprawl kind of family!! I like to be close to shopping, entertainment, etc but not on a major intersection. I'll look up the hoover/bluff park area. what about greystone? so 280 is bad for traffic? what about the other interstates/hwy?

280 is horrible for traffic. Please, for the sake of your sanity do not move to Greystone--unless you just love scheduling your entire life around when rush hour isn't. And if you have any cultural interests whatsoever (And Birmingham has quite a bit of that, with the arts, really great restaurants, etc), living out there will make you feel as if you're living on the border of Cambodia and Laos.

We'll make it easy for you. Anything between the southern slope of Red Mountain and the north side of 459 is good, until you get to the western edge of Hoover city limits past the Hoover Met.

Here's how I would rank them, based on what you've told us:

1) Mountain Brook (Central location, superior schools, nice neighborhoods, nice combination of boutique/mall shopping)
2) Vestavia (Same as Mountain Brook, with schools one smidgen below Mountain Brook in terms of quality)
3) Homewood (For sheer livability, probably the best suburb in town. However, the highest cost per SF among suburbs and the school system, while very good, a notch below MB, Vestavia, and Hoover city schools)
4) Hoover (Inside 459 -- Very convenient, great shopping, a bit removed from the city's cultural amenities)
5) Hoover (Outside 459 -- Still great shopping, but more traffic, and even more remote. Hoover sprawls all over the place)
6) Inverness (Down 280, but still a reasonable commute with good neighborhoods and schools)
7) Trussville (Over in the Northeast side of town, this area has really come along nicely. However, I think it's beginning to have major planning issues because of its unchecked growth)
8) Greystone/Chelsea/et al. (Don't get me wrong. Nice neighborhoods in and of themselves, plus schools that are often excellent. However, the unchecked and unplanned sprawl make living there a headache, one that will only get worse).

[Back Again]

Originally Posted by cpg35223

It's okay, but it's way out, and you'll be living in your car. That makes it a bit of a compromise for you. Honestly, Mountain Brook, Homewood, Vestavia and Hoover would be heaven on earth for you.

How can you say that?? She never did state where her husband will be working. What if he is working in Pelham?

[cpg35223]

Originally Posted by Back Again

How can you say that?? She never did state where her husband will be working. What if he is working in Pelham?

Then he can drive again traffic. But given that the lion's share of office space is in either downtown Birmingham or Midtown, then the odds are decidedly against it.

[wilmingtonmom]

Hubby will be working all over the metro area. He will be traveling at odd times, early a.m. late p.m. Thanks for all of your help, again!!

[cpg35223]

Originally Posted by wilmingtonmom

Hubby will be working all over the metro area. He will be traveling at odd times, early a.m. late p.m. Thanks for all of your help, again!!

In that case, that reinforces my recommendations. A centrally-located area such as MB or Homewood is probably best. From either of those places, you can be almost anywhere in the metro area in 20 minutes--barring traffic.

[wilmingtonmom]

Is traffic a big problem? I know 280 is terrible.

[Back Again]

Originally Posted by wilmingtonmom

Is traffic a big problem? I know 280 is terrible.

Only if he will be commuting during rush hour, if not, he will be fine.

You (now we will hear all kind of rebuttal) may wish to try the Bessemer/McCalla area. Lower cost homes, more land, less traffic, this is where I live. 20 mins to downtown B'ham, even during rush hour, and 15 mins to Hoover.

Are you working with a Realtor yet?

[GeorgiaPeach08]

I'm relocating also, originally from mid-west with two children under four. I have done tons of research and most of the post are correct. I've narrowed my search to Hoover or Vestavia Hills. We are into equity to sell our home and now will not be able to afford a home in Mountain Brook. My husband travels also and we were told to stay away from anything around highway 280. It's a nightmare during rush hour. Also, my real estate agent and a friend mentioned that many families are moving away from Homewood. I've looked at many homes in the Pelham/Helena area and I just wasn't impressed. Plus it's away from shopping and restaurants. ...I'm very big on academics and my husband is a huge sports fan. Looks like we will end up in Hoover. You might want to check out the Ross Bridge neighborhood? Good Luck!

[wilmingtonmom]

Great advice! Thanks to everyone who has posted in an effort to help us. Is Ross Bridge a neighborhood within Hoover?

[madisonmamma]

I would suggest Mountain Brook, Trussville, Pelham, Vestavia. Gardendale is also growing up and is really nice, as is Springville. Both of those communities are outside the Bham area. I have several friends who live in the Highlands off 280 and absolutely love it over there.

Best thing to do is find a GOOD agent, spend a day in each area looking at properties, schools, businesses, ect. so you get a good feel for each area. Also consider work commutes.

I have lived in Trussville, and I really loved it. Some say it is "snobby" but I never thought so...and they have great schools and have gotten out of the Jefferson County system.