Moving to HSV area, good schools, safe, rural (Huntsville, Madison: renting, buying)

[Dick Ellington]

Tornadoes ARE NOT diverted by terrain or structures.

You could as easily say Walmart diverts tornadoes because it has not been in ones path. North Alabama is in tornado alley and you are not more protected in say Hampton Cove than in Harvest.

[soundnfury]

Thanks for the information!

Here's my next question: What kind of pests will I encounter in northern Alabama? Fire ants? Chiggers? Cockroaches? Termites? Wasps? Man-eating snakes? Does everyone have to have a pest control professional to keep their home pest-free, or that a "buy at Home Depot and do it yourself" sort of thing?

[Dirt Grinder]

Originally Posted by Justacoolguy

Google Hampton Cove. You are welcome.

Nah - it's over the mountain and not worth the drive.

[Reactionary]

Here is a thread about pest control:

Do it yourself roach, flea, bedbug, spider and pest control

Fire ants, chiggers, cockroaches, termites, wasps - yes to all. Plus we have mosquitos, ticks, cicadas, yellow jackets, scorpions, and palmetto bugs (aka giant flying cockroaches). No man-eating snakes, however we have several species of venomous snakes (like copperhead, rattlesnake, water moccasin) plus a few species of venomous spiders (like brown recluse and black widow). Some of the spiders and snakes can be deadly. There are even a few alligators.

Here's an article sure to terrify:

These are the most frequently reported venomous bites and stings in Alabama | AL.com

[Justacoolguy]

Originally Posted by Dirt Grinder

Nah - it's over the mountain and not worth the drive.

That's not what your mom said!

[bobsaysgo321]

The world is your oyster! Non-southerner =$$$ to Alabamians so you'll get good service. I'm kidding! A bit...

[Dirt Grinder]

Originally Posted by Justacoolguy

That's not what your mom said!

I still remember how funny that was when I was 12.

[writerwife]

Originally Posted by Dick Ellington

This is not accurate. Tornadoes do not follow paths due to terrain. Also, there are no models that predict future paths... regardless of how many times they have hit an area in the past.

Right... I don't know this for a fact, I merely repeated what I've heard since moving here in '76. However, you're not exactly right either... the jury is still out.
Do tornadoes have favorite paths or does it just seem that way? | AL.com
[CENTER]Save[/CENTER]

[Mr Toeebutm]

Originally Posted by soundnfury

Hi!

We have a job offer and are looking to move to HSV area from very rural area in the west (as in, "no stoplights in the county, drive 90mi to McDs, deer get right-of-way" rural). I've never lived in or near a city before, and so this will be a change for me, but not my spouse. Where would be good places to look at renting?
Here are our needs:
1. Excellent schools, esp elementary (have school-aged kids, no special needs)
2. Safe: crime especially, but also fewer tornadoes, floods, or anything else that AL specializes in
3. Ideally 30 minutes or less commute from HSV downtown, no more than 45 minutes
4. Price range: home prices $200-300K, rent $1000-1500.
And some wants:
1. Larger lots (have 3+ kids and dog who need room to run)
2. Rural feel, if possible

I've heard Madison is best for schools...is that city or county district?
Anything else I should learn about before moving across the country?

Thanks for your help.

Yes

[soundnfury]

Hello! It's now a for-sure thing. I have realtors showing me several places, but I've narrowed down my search.
1. Meridianville
2. New Market
3. North of Maysville
4. Monrovia
5. Harvest--hearing different opinions about the elementary schools in this area...
Anything I should worry about in these areas? Any area that HAS to be on my list and not already discussed earlier in the thread? We would rather be in Madison County School district, but Madison City SD is an option as well.