Where not to buy a house in Columbia? (West Columbia, Irmo: new home, find a job)

[pvjd]

If the wife and I move to Columbia, where would be an area to avoid living? We don't want to be in the middle of nowhere, nor be in the thick of things. We see gorgeous houses online, but no nothing about the neighborhoods. I live 15 min. from my job in Birmingham, and drive all day while at work, so a small commute is no big deal. I appreciate any and all advice.

[waccamatt]

There aren't large swaths of Columbia to avoid, just pockets here and there. What do you like to be close to? Shopping? Clubs? Music? Dining out? Do you need to worry about schools? What is your price range?

[pvjd]

Well, we aren't into clubs, but do enjoy the occasional live band, stroll in the park, movie, decent restaurant, etc. What we liked about MB when we visited was all of the mini-golf, arcades, beachy things, etc., but I am not sure that we would enjoy living in the middle of it. We are in our early 30's and like laid back smaller towns, but not so laid back and small that you will need to drive 10 miles to the nearest grocery store. We don't have children yet, but plan to, so a decent school is important, but if it is not so great than we can make up for anything our child's education might be lacking in. Plus I have a seven year old son from a previous marriage, so I want a relatively safe environment for when he comes to visit. As far as housing, we would prefer a new home of 3 years or less, in a subdivision, 4 br or 3 br with a bunus, at least 1800-2000 sf, for less than 200k. We have seen some gorgeous homes through our research that fit that description, just not sure about the areas of town they are in. What are your thoughts?

[Brandon Hoffman]

What part of town will you be working in?

[waccamatt]

It sounds to me like maybe Irmo or Blythewood would be a fit. With 3 interstate highways it doesn't take very long to get anywhere in the Columbia area so you'd be able to enjoy the things that you like without having to be "in the middle of it". Brandon, you know the subdivisions better than I do; where can they find a newer house in that price and size range?

[pvjd]

Originally Posted by Brandon Hoffman

What part of town will you be working in?

Don't know yet--it will be another year or so before we move. I am a social worker, so I would probably be working wherever the openings are, most likely in the city. I don't have to live right down the street from where I work, but would prefer no more than a 15 minute commute if possible. All of the openings I see just say Columbia, so I am not sure where in Columbia they would be in relation to one another. In Birmingham, we have the city of Birmingham, but also other outlying areas, towns and suburbs. For instance, Mountain Brook, Homewood, Vestavia, Avondale, Fountain Heights, Ensley, etc..., are all considered Birmingham, and can be as far as 30 minutes away from one another. Does this sound like Columbia to you, or is it sliced up a bit differently?

[waccamatt]

Originally Posted by pvjd

Don't know yet--it will be another year or so before we move. I am a social worker, so I would probably be working wherever the openings are, most likely in the city. I don't have to live right down the street from where I work, but would prefer no more than a 15 minute commute if possible. All of the openings I see just say Columbia, so I am not sure where in Columbia they would be in relation to one another. In Birmingham, we have the city of Birmingham, but also other outlying areas, towns and suburbs. For instance, Mountain Brook, Homewood, Vestavia, Avondale, Fountain Heights, Ensley, etc..., are all considered Birmingham, and can be as far as 30 minutes away from one another. Does this sound like Columbia to you, or is it sliced up a bit differently?

That would be similar to Columbia. If you are working in the social work field you will probably be working either for the state, city, federal or county government or one of the hospitals. Most government jobs are either downtown or in the northeast part of town. As far as hospitals go, 3 are downtown, 1 is in West Columbia, 1 is in the northeast area, the VA Hospital is on the east side and then there is an army hospital at Fort Jackson. Suffice it to say that no matter where in town you find a job, you can rest assured that we will know of a good neighborhood within a 15 minute drive where you can find a home that meets your needs. One of Columbia's biggest benefits is that housing costs are very reasonable. I'm assuming that you plan on finding a job before moving. If so, I would ask us this question again when you know what area you'll be working in. A 15 minute-ish commute should give you a pretty sizable area to choose from.

[michakaveli]

Excellent question by the original poster.... I've been living in NE Cola for the past 3 years. I'm also researching into a larger home in the future. Only causes for concern are the build quality of many of the homes built in the area. There are many subdivisions to choose from, with the largest being Lake Carolina and LongCreek Plantation. (correst me guys if I'm wrong). The kicker is, that it is difficult to find a residence for around $200k without living right on top of your neighbor (Lake Carolina).

The pluses of the areas that I mentioned. Are that a store of just about any kind is available within reasonable distance. For the NE part for Columbia, if it's not on Two Notch Rd, you'll find it on HardScrabble or surrounding areas. Not to mention Publix makes some good pastries and deli sandwiches :-)

As for myself, I am picky, but to a point. I'm a big fan of the "hardi-plank" siding or brick. Most of the structures with vinyl just appear really cheap. I would be happy with a 2 bay garage, but at least a higher ceiling so that I can install a small lift (I like my ocasional wrenching ). I think 3 bedrooms would be sufficient. And a reasonable amount of property. I don't want to be sitting right on top of my neighbors. God forbid if there is a fire, then the entire block would go up.....

So, with that stated I've been looking into Blythewood (also NE Columbia but on the border or Fairfield and Kershaw counties). There are a lot of lots available, with close to an acre per lot or more. This to me is a plus, and you still aren't too far from all the stores that sustain daily life. The concern that I have with the lots in Blythewood are the water and sewer systems availble. Essentially, there are none other than well and septic. Are there are concerns one should have in NE Columbia regarding well and septic.


BTW. I'm in my late 20's, no children but plan on it.... I hope I helped the original poster and added some questions that they may develop :-)

[MoonlightFlight]

Might I suggest you look west of Columbia. There are some beautiful new communities in Lexington, and north of Irmo for under $200,000. Lexington has sewers and city water... and a Publix. Areas east and southwest of Lake Murray are still developing.

[Brandon Hoffman]

There will a lot of subdivisions to pick from. I'm couldn't even being to name them all there are are so many that fit that criteria. I would suggest a very specific home search and then see what subdivisions have homes that fit your needs. It would be much easier to whittle the search down that way once location is determined. I know this hasn't been an overly informative post, but any tech savvy Realtor can get you set up on a detailed listing mailer. It is the simplest, least stressful, time saving way to proceed.