Help! Relocating to Birmingham. (Alabaster, Pelham: house, neighborhoods, school)

[wrxdonkey]

My wife and I are definitely going to make the move. We can relocate anywhere we like, but we would like to be closer to some family currently living in Birmingham.

My primary concern is jobs. My wife is a nurse and I am a systems administrator for Microsoft Windows Server products (2003 MCSE with a bachelor's in Management). I am confident that my wife will have no problems finding employment, but I am not sure about myself. Can anyone with a background in IT give me some insight as to what jobs may be available and what salaries are like in the area?

My secondary concern is nailing down a home. We spent 3 days last weekend looking at property all over Birmingham. Our price range is $0-$300,000 (of course spending less is always nicer). We fell in love with a small area in Chelsea (I don't mind commuting to work if I have to, and the area seems very motorcycle friendly if gas prices soar again).

We looked at a lot of manufactured homes (by DR Horton and HPH) in a new subdivision called The Cotswolds North (DR Horton) and the Cotswolds South (HPH). We were not even remotely impressed with the build quality or the fit and finish of these properties. The homes were also rather congested.

We looked at some Signature Homes' Beaumont and Edenton communities, which were far nicer than the aforementioned sites, but it was still a little too congested for our tastes.

I keep going back to the smaller neighborhoods that I found in Chelsea/Westover, and I have trouble pulling myself away from them.

We are not fond of subdivisions with fees that have sprawling expanses of homes built right on top of one another. We like small neighborhoods without lots of through streets and through traffic. We like trees, quiet, and stars at night. We have no children and 2 dogs.

ANY input is wholly appreciated and I thank anyone who took the time to read all of that and then put their 2 cents into it.

[cpg35223]

Well, if your wife is a nurse, you're right that she will have no problem finding a job. However, do you really want her driving 2 hours a day for the plum jobs in the major medical centers? Because that's what you'll get in Chelsea. And with no planned streamlining for highway 280, the commute will only get worse.

$300,000 will get you a pretty nice house right now much closer into town and still provide a motorcycle-friendly environment. Given that you don't have kids, you won't have school systems to worry about, giving you a wider choice of areas. Several realtors frequent this board and can give you more info.

By the way, if you're a motorcycle enthusiast, then surely you've heard of the Barber Motorcycle Museum in Leeds, the world's largest of its kind, along with a world-class motorcycle race track. If not, you're in for a treat.

[wrxdonkey]

Originally Posted by cpg35223

Well, if your wife is a nurse, you're right that she will have no problem finding a job. However, do you really want her driving 2 hours a day for the plum jobs in the major medical centers? Because that's what you'll get in Chelsea. And with no planned streamlining for highway 280, the commute will only get worse.

$300,000 will get you a pretty nice house right now much closer into town and still provide a motorcycle-friendly environment. Given that you don't have kids, you won't have school systems to worry about, giving you a wider choice of areas. Several realtors frequent this board and can give you more info.

By the way, if you're a motorcycle enthusiast, then surely you've heard of the Barber Motorcycle Museum in Leeds, the world's largest of its kind, along with a world-class motorcycle race track. If not, you're in for a treat.

We drove from Chelsea into downtown this weekend and it took 35 minutes in some decent traffic. I would imagine that in rush hour that translates to about 60-70 minutes. Coming from New Orleans, that is an acceptable commute.

I was under the impression that there were decent hospitals in Shelby County where she could get employed. As for me, I don't mind the drive so long as I have peace and quiet on the weekends; I'm a home body for the most part.

As for motorcycles, I only turned to them when gas prices soared. I prefer racing cars! So I'm no stranger to Barber Motorsports. Not sure I'll ever have the guts for motorcycle racing.

Thanks for the prompt reply!

[cpg35223]

Originally Posted by wrxdonkey

We drove from Chelsea into downtown this weekend and it took 35 minutes in some decent traffic. I would imagine that in rush hour that translates to about 60-70 minutes. Coming from New Orleans, that is an acceptable commute.

I was under the impression that there were decent hospitals in Shelby County where she could get employed. As for me, I don't mind the drive so long as I have peace and quiet on the weekends; I'm a home body for the most part.

As for motorcycles, I only turned to them when gas prices soared. I prefer racing cars! So I'm no stranger to Barber Motorsports. Not sure I'll ever have the guts for motorcycle racing.

Thanks for the prompt reply!

Well, true. There's Shelby Medical Center in Pelham/Alabaster and there's one that might be opening on 280 in 2-3 years. That being said, for sheer quantity of jobs and benefits, you still need to look at an organization such as St. Vincent's, Brookwood, or UAB.

The other thing to consider is that Chelsea/Westover, while really quiet and scenic, isn't necessarily loaded down with amenities such as great local restaurants or things to do. As long as you realize that there's a tradeoff, then that's cool. Personally, I like going to hear music, eating at a locally-owned restaurant, and not driving 45 minutes round trip to get a loaf of bread at the grocery store.

[allinaday]

For the IT job question you had... I was in the IT field for many years. Bham is big on banking and all things related. I would check out the larger banks, Regions being one. Also, Alabama Power , and there are several medical software companies that are around. I have a few contacts if you like.

[wrxdonkey]

Originally Posted by allinaday

For the IT job question you had... I was in the IT field for many years. Bham is big on banking and all things related. I would check out the larger banks, Regions being one. Also, Alabama Power , and there are several medical software companies that are around. I have a few contacts if you like.

I'd appreciate the contacts and getting to know you as a reference as well. I appreciate your time and effort on my behalf!

I was also wondering what kind of salaries I could realistically expect. I have a BA in MGMT, 2003 MCSE/MCSA, Net+/Sec+, and ~4 years experience in gov't contract IT work. I've been working in a server environment for ~2 years now.

Thanks again, allinaday!

[allinaday]

Salary is probably a wide range.... anywhere from 70K and up... Not sure if that is what you were expecting? I has a strong background in SQL databases... but no BA or any designations.

[wrxdonkey]

allinaday, I responded to your Direct Message. Not sure if you received it, so bumping the thread a bit to see if that picks up any hits.

Also, we'll be in town this weekend trying to narrow down the house hunting. Anything going on this weekend?

Thanks again for the help/responses!

[allinaday]

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