Suggestions needed finding a good neighborhood (Irmo, Forest Acres: real estate, rental, houses)

[seseouou]

My husband got a job at Univ. of South Carolina and we are moving with our 2-year-old daughter. We wanna find a neighborhood that is kids-friendly, has easy commute to the university(since I will be staying home), and hopefully convenient to shopping places. We don't mind a little far from the lake, but good school is a must.
I read some of the discussions here as well as other website, and looks like Irmo and Lexington have best schools. Can you recommend some good neighborhoods in those areas? Are there any good places that are closer to columbia downtown? Our price range is 15k-20k.
Many thanks.

[waccamatt]

Definitely Shandon or University Hill. Since you have a child, Shandon is zoned for good schools and you can walk to campus, shopping, restaurants and nightlife.

[seseouou]

Our budget is within $20k. Is that gonna get us a decent house in Shandon or University Hill? Are there many students in or near these areas? We do wanna a quiet place. And 20-minute commute would be acceptable.

[Brandon Hoffman]

Originally Posted by seseouou

My husband got a job at Univ. of South Carolina and we are moving with our 2-year-old daughter. We wanna find a neighborhood that is kids-friendly, has easy commute to the university(since I will be staying home), and hopefully convenient to shopping places. We don't mind a little far from the lake, but good school is a must.
I read some of the discussions here as well as other website, and looks like Irmo and Lexington have best schools. Can you recommend some good neighborhoods in those areas? Are there any good places that are closer to columbia downtown? Our price range is 15k-20k.
Many thanks.

15-20k or 150-200k? Are you buying or renting?

[waccamatt]

Originally Posted by Brandon Hoffman

15-20k or 150-200k? Are you buying or renting?

I hope they meant $150K - $200K. There aren't many students in Shandon, but you won't find much there in that price range. The Rosewood neighborhood is a possibility, though, and they feed into the same schools.

[lisake]

In $200,000 range, maybe look into Melrose Heights. It's an in-town, close-knit, historic community convenient to USC, shopping, dining, etc., and there's a great park (Melrose) where families and children in the neighborhood can often be found playing. You would probably be in Rosewood or Brennen Elementary district, but several families there send their children to Brockman (public Montessori school).

[seseouou]

Thanks for everyone's input. I meant 150k-200k. After searching for current listings at Rosewood and Melrose Height, I have seen mostly one-story houses. Personally I prefer 2 story. Is that something more common in the relatively newer neighborhoods?
In Irmo and Lexington, are there any good neighborhoods that are closer to downtown columbia?

[waccamatt]

^Look into Forest Acres - the schools are good and it's close in and convenient to shopping. Also check out Rosewood Hills - I know there are plenty of new 2 story homes in there.

[innovator82]

Originally Posted by seseouou

Thanks for everyone's input. I meant 150k-200k. After searching for current listings at Rosewood and Melrose Height, I have seen mostly one-story houses. Personally I prefer 2 story. Is that something more common in the relatively newer neighborhoods?
In Irmo and Lexington, are there any good neighborhoods that are closer to downtown columbia?

Based on reading some of your comments (looking for good schools, OK with ~20 minute commute, close to shopping, family-friendly neighborhood, etc.) I would second your instinct to add Lexington (main arteries to start search are Hwys. 378 and 1) and Irmo to your search list, including the Harbison area of Irmo. I think these areas might fit what you are looking for as I sort of summarized. I do not know specific subdivisions, but a good real estate agent could help you out. If being right in downtown is not the highest priority to you, than I think you might be able to get away with a 20 minute commute from many of these areas.

I lived downtown in the Shandon area and close to Rosewood from 2005-08. Personally I would not recommend Rosewood for a family. You have a high number of older rental houses and students/high transient population. I found the same to be true for many parts of Melrose Heights as well.

I just wanted to give you another perspective because I'm not sure if you've actually visited sections like Rosewood or others yet.

[Chi2Midlands]

Originally Posted by seseouou

Thanks for everyone's input. I meant 150k-200k. After searching for current listings at Rosewood and Melrose Height, I have seen mostly one-story houses. Personally I prefer 2 story. Is that something more common in the relatively newer neighborhoods?
In Irmo and Lexington, are there any good neighborhoods that are closer to downtown columbia?

There are many family-oriented neighborhoods in the Irmo/Harbison & Lexington/White Knoll/Red Bank areas - others who are more familiar with those areas can probably name specific neighborhoods.

Since no one else has mentioned it yet, you might also want to check out Northeast Richland County (another popular area for families with good schools), although some of the neighborhoods that would fit your criteria might get a bit outside that 20-minute downtown commute range.