Why is Southeast decatur so desirable? (Huntsville, Valley: for sale, real estate, buying a home)

[loladooder99]

I've been looking into buying a home and i noticed that realtor/people i know say that the southeast part of decatur is a prime location. But all the houses are very old and over priced i think. So whats the deal?

[E Limestone Dude]

Haha, I'm looking forward to hearing the replies. Your observation is spot on with what I thought about Decatur real estate. They want mad money for the 1 story ranchers.

[Southlander]

SE Decatur used to be where the people who ran the city lived. It's changing now. Also, Decatur High used to be the better school. Austin and Decatur are now equal.
You need to look in "deepest, darkest" (lol because it's lily white!) Decatur...Pointe Mallard Estates, the areas that back up to the refuge, and areas right around Stratford Road.
But newer house stock is in SW Decatur, beyond the Beltline.

[Madmom2000]

LOL! I didn't think any part of Decatur was desirable.

[Southlander]

Well, Madmom, thanks a lot.
Some of us do.

[Maya Blue]

Originally Posted by Madmom2000

LOL! I didn't think any part of Decatur was desirable.

Nice one

[DAL5]

Like anything else, it's what YOU want and maybe what you're used to. Having lived here for 40+ years, I can tell you it's a very diverse neighborhood. If you want a neighborhood with mostly young families, you won't like it except maybe Point Mallard estates. If you need to be within 5 minutes of everything, you won't like it. If you're looking for a house with little or no trees, you won't have much luck. If you like to run, walk, bike, or golf a lot you might enjoy being within a mile or so of Point Mallard, and if you have kids they might like being close for some of the other stuff. The school district is how we narrowed down where we would live when our oldest was getting to be school age. When the kids leameAs far as the comment about "the people who ran the city" lived here? Well, I guess most of the mayors have lived here and the city manager and the superintendent... maybe that's what that comment is about

[Southlander]

Originally Posted by DAL5

As far as the comment about "the people who ran the city" lived here? Well, I guess most of the mayors have lived here and the city manager and the superintendent... maybe that's what that comment is about

That's it, exactly, DAL5.
Along with the manufacturing plants, law firms, doctors, etc.
But no longer.

[loladooder99]

Thanks for all the replies. Still on the house hunt.

[sedriskell]

Southeast Decatur is actually quite desirable, I say that as a recent college graduate. I would hardly call it simply a neighborhood (that kind of talk is what makes its citizens think that the city is too small and isn't worth anything). As far as quality of life goes in the Tennessee Valley, Southeast Decatur, South Huntsville, and some areas of Huntsville on the eastern side of Monte Sano are hard to beat. I wouldn't say that the homes are overpriced when you consider what you're getting. You're getting placed in good school zones, a safe part of the region, and you can easily access grocery stores and the better restaurants in town.

Again on the pricing issue, if you really shop you can find something. There are plenty of houses for sale and many of them are pretty average as far as the price you'll pay for a house in a good part of any place in North Alabama.