Moving to Huntsville soon (New Market: for sale, rent, insurance)

[lagirl72]

We are possibly moving to Huntsville soon. We have visited numerous times since last Fall. We seem to be attracted to the area NE of town near New Market. Can anyone tell me anything about the Elemntary, Middle and High schools (Riverton, Buchhorn) we will have a 4th grader and 2nd grader, and the neighbohoods near Winchester Rd, namely Riverwalk and Preserve on the Flint? Its hard to get an honest answer from a realtor whos trying to sell us a lot...I see ALOT of homes for sale in Riverwalk, makes me wonder if we dont know any "local secrets"!

[brianjb]

There are a lot of homes for sale all over town.

Where are you moving from? LA?

I used to live in the area. I still own a house there that I rent out.

Traffic on WInchester can be bad (for Huntsville standards). It really isn't bad. That's why I asked where you are from.

Where will you guys work? Depending on the time of the day that you go to work, you may have traffic on 72 going over Chapman Mountain.

Reply here, or message me if you have additional questions.

I'm sure that we can help you out.

[brianjb]

Oh...one more thing I failed to mention.

I ALWAYS recommend that you rent in an area for 6 months to a year before a purchase.

I know that interest rates are on the rise, so you risk getting a higher rate in a year.

But you also may rush into an area, and wish you were in a different area.

[lagirl72]

Thanks. Traffic shouldnt be an issue. We will work on the north side and wont need to cross Chapman Mountain during commute times. I realize there are alot of homes for sale all over Huntsville, but Riverwalk seems to be an isolated neighborhood with many homes for sale.

[dijkstra]

The biggest problem in that area and the reason homes don't sell quite as well is the traffic. Winchester road should have been upgraded about 20 years ago. There are wrecks pretty much daily that snarl the traffic worse than it is otherwise. Other than that, it is a really nice area.

[Elizabeth_G]

lagirl: Check GreatSchools - Public and Private School Ratings, Reviews and Parent Community Great place to get started when selecting schools. I have several past clients that love the Buckhorn district!

It is a clear buyers market in most price ranges in the Buckhorn area, so you should be able to find something that suits you and at a good price!

[ReggaeBusRider]

My daughter went to Riverton years ago. It was an excellent school.

[RatSnake]

You'll definitely get more for your money in NE (and NW) parts of Huntsville.
I have church friends that love it there.
They have gripes though (who doesn't?) ...

1. Wish their commute to everything else was shorter
- This begs the questions though - where is your typical routine? where is your place of work?
- Where is your nexus of activities? (church, gym, grocery, school, friends etc.)
2. Things get more tense during tornado season
- Tornadoes can hit anywhere ... but typically, they trend towards the NE / NW parts of the county
- I used the word 'typically' ... get a storm shelter and enjoy the excitement.
- Check if the area is within a flood plain! This will require flood insurance. However - compared to CA (where I am from too), things are still a lot lower here overall.

I would recommend RENT for a short while (I did for 2+ years) - get a feel for the typical routine. Rent in that target area / community.
I do admit --- I also wanted the NE parts of the city ... nice homes, low price.


But like buying a car, the low entry price might also bite you when it is time to sell.
But if you plan on living in it for the LONG term - then it matters less.