Huntsville Hopeful (Decatur, Madison: appliances, home, neighborhoods)

[cobolt]

Originally Posted by dramamama

We lived in the Houston area and loved it -- friends moved there from Fairfax, VA and they, despite weather beaten this past week, love it as well. It's cheaper to buy houses there than here in Hville. We're actually toying with the idea of retiring in the northern part of the area--Woodlands. We can have small town life and laid back TX attitude with the benefit of a larger cosmopolitan area serving our cultural needs. It's a neat place.

Family live in the Dallas/FT. Worth area and like it a lot as well. Fort Worth is interesting.

I love TX and Texans, but hey, I married a Texan LOL

Lucky you. I'm not married to a Texan but I hope to be someday. I do like Texas though and miss it alot. I always thought Houston would be too big but I always hear such great things about it. I figured Cow Town Ft Worth would be more my speed but you never know!

Yes, cheaper houses in Texas but higher property taxes--generally, as a rough estimate, running at 3% of assessed value. So figure about 3K for a house worth 100K. That and utilities are high after deregulation, so I don't think it's necessarilty a financial bargain as compared to Huntsville, but I do think that the cultural aspects probably favor Texas.

[cobolt]

Originally Posted by bamabass

I think you must be talking about Huntsville, Texas. You will not find a nice lot in a safe neighborhood in Huntsville, Alabama for 100K, much less a house. But, thanks for the joke and uplifting laughter.

Oh that's bullhocky. I found lots of nice neighborhoods in Huntsville,AL with houses in the 100k range. But thanks for your opinion.

[33458]

"3. Homes are in bad repair. We actually looked in lots of price ranges when we moved here (mainly b/c we had been told how "cheap" the cost of living was) basically in the 100-125K price range (again 6 years ago) we were finding lots of 40-50 year old homes that needed to be gutted and some even had structural problems. Some had original kitchens and baths from the '50s. Our weather, as you know, brings lots of storms, wind, rains, sun, heat and humidity and termites. Many homes you'll find near the Research park and Univ of Alabama in Huntsville--UAH (Sherwood Park, McThornmor Acres, etc.) are inhabited by older people who have lived there for many decades. The brick home/yard may look decent on the outside but they are just not able to keep it up on the inside. Sometimes even those homes are for sale at "top dollar" when you look at the price per square foot. Also, Alabama is some sort of non-disclosure state for real estate so it's "buyer beware" when buying a home. We've had trouble finding quality workers who are willing to show up to do work--oh yeah, they want top dollar for their services too. My hubby is a big do-it-yourselfer so we're okay. I'd be SOL if it were just me. But I doubt you'd have to spend 250K on the type of house you'd be interested in. That range would get you a nice patio home (with granite and tile/hardwood floors) in a nice neighborhood/desirable part of town and a good school zone."

Gotta back this one up, as we ourselves bought a full-price fixer-upper after looking at several (variously aged but in $150,000-250,000ish price-range) last December with that 'no disclosure' thing, though we prodded for more information - buyer must ask seller direct questions and then they have the responsibility to respond (or kill the deal), but if you don't think to inquire...

We forgot to add RADON to our list for inspections, or as a caveat, which was a mistake considering our location at the foot of a very large, rocky hill. (Came back at 9 something on the scale, EPA wants under 4...we fully mitigated right after moving in.)

The inspection was not as thorough, either, even though I reached out to a proper 'old home inspector' through ASHI. Prior to focusing on the 23 y.o. house we bought, I was fixed on a truly historic purchase and spent way too much time on oldhouseweb.com where I learned what to look for in any house...but since I'm not a professional in the trade...
The inspector discounted the rotten siding and several other issues (inadequate insulation, improper wiring, doors and windows that don't close, etc...) that now becomes part of our investment.

So, I will, because I'm grumpy tonight, share with you what you might have to scrutinize while perusing the market.

To be sure - I LOVE my house, quirks and all...but she is going to require much attention to bring her around. We would not have been able to buy this style with this much space, solitude, land...view...in FL for anything near what we paid.

Cosmetically, this house...the interior...the tile, where there is any, was done by an amateur - really, poorly done. The finished part of the basement is odd (yes, *SCORE* I have not one but two semi-crapped-out garages, an unheated but finished basement {there's one central air vent / does n.o.t.h.i.n.g.} and a crawlspace)...a confusing assortment of bad ideas...and half-assed attempts at some sort of modification. That and the bathroom down there, well...there used to be a clawfoot tub (!) but they took it out prior to putting the house on the market (WAAAA!) and hastily threw carpet over the elevated plumbing...and they took the custom built-in desk that was under the stairs, after selling that in the description as an office...GRR.

(All mourn with me the loss of that bonus...and remember not to assume something that looks like 'part of the house' is.)

Perk - found an antique cast-iron sewing machine base in the garage.

Wood trimmings everywhere, which appear to be original, are not finished in any way to suggest a professional placed them there. The cuts and placement are way off.
The window frames, hidden behind heavy drapes, have damage from settling.

Friendly suggestion: LOOK BEHIND EVERYTHING. If it's covered up, there may be a very bad reason why.

The carpet, supposedly new, is kinda nasty...they had two cats and one of them was ailing, so not only are there odors and stains not to be noticed until after the many air fresheners and furniture moved out, but they bought some seriously unfortunate brown/tan speckled shag that looks filthy even when it's been cleaned...(now budgeting for wood floors.)

The bathrooms are just wacked. I can't begin to understand the construction and 'previous owner' customizing...POPCORN? I have popcorn ceiling applied where there should be tile in my master shower...and they painted over that and the rest of the popcorn ceiling (on the ceiling) in HIGH GLOSS ENAMEL in brown and aqua. When I began to remove the wallpaper in there, I discovered that under it was a great deal of unfinished wall...let me explain: there is a deficit of material, no plaster in the corners or bottom near the floor, just mesh where plaster/wallboard should be. Husband asked me not to pull any more paper off because he's scared of what we will find...so until we are ready to repair with a trowel and goop...
Almost all the sink cabinets have water damage from plumbing leaks (did not look there - remember to check that!)and some of the ceiling shows previous water problems, too (painted over, popcorned over, not immediate apparant)...settling has warped the fireplace/chimney and we have cracking everywhere.

I'm on a mountain so I expected some of this...just not quite the extent I'm relaying to you.

Stuff like this would not sell in Florida, procedure is different - typically have to repair any 'structural' or electrical issues beforehand to get a decent asking price, and we listed under comparables who'd sat variously signed for two years...no safety issues, had just replaced the roof due to two direct hits...but we had to put in sprinklers to water the turf we replaced (that the several years of drought had killed) and resided/repainted better than half the house...(so we weren't so happy to have to immediately do this again here).
The up side - we sold within two months of listing and still made a profit since we'd been there for 10 years and didn't rely on that crazy bubble to buy another house. (Really, in my 'desirable' neighborhood, the appraisal jumped from $124,000. to $350,000. and higher for 1500 to 2000 SQ FT with .11 acre lots under them. Just insane. We knew better...

So we offered the full asking price for this girl and requested some credit for the numerous repairs we had no option but to make...the sellers granted $2000. off the asking price, which covered the radon modifications to the basement/crawlspace. Everything else will be ours to budget over the years.

I wish there was less to be done, but I love this place.

Scared? Don't be. Just be ready to investigate the true investment.

[Charles]

Originally Posted by 33458

We forgot to add RADON to our list for inspections, or as a caveat, which was a mistake considering our location at the foot of a very large, rocky hill. (Came back at 9 something on the scale, EPA wants under 4...we fully mitigated right after moving in.)

Did the seller take care of the cost of mitigation? My understanding is that is the custom.

[shaffermama]

I thought I would take my first opportunity to reply on this forum - I have been reading for a few months. My husband works for Boeing and we moved from Southern California to Madison on July 1st. He lived in CA for 52 years and I lived there for 36 yrs. It was a huge decision to pick up and move away from family and friends, but the pros outnumbered the cons. We sold our home in CA (which was half the size of what we have in Madison) for a good price - not great - and paid cash for a home here. My husband's commute was 45 min. to an hr. in CA and it is 12 minutes here. I have been able to retire and our 7 year old now enjoys having Mom at home rather than spending hours at daycare. Our life has really slowed down which is great!

We can find everything we need in Huntsville - just not as many choices as in CA. Traffic is nothing here compared to So Cal. People in AL are much more friendly. The weather is not a great as CA, but we have adjusted and are looking forward to fall here in AL.

All in All, we are glad we made the decision to move. Family has visited from CA and can now understand why we moved.

[ionlife]

Glad you are on the forum. We officially moved here in July as well. Overall, it's great!

[33458]

Originally Posted by Charles

Did the seller take care of the cost of mitigation? My understanding is that is the custom.

That was what the credit was for - they had someone come in and give an estimate...

[Huntsvillian]

Deesonic Says:

I highly recommend Sherwood Park to people without kids who want to be close to everything. Minutes to RSA, Bridge Street, Research Park, downtown, etc. It's a very nice neighborhood very close to the Space Center off of Old Madison Pike.

Just a qualifier on this one. Although parts of Sherwood Park itself are nice, it is surrounded by crummy apartments, commercial and light industrial areas, and crime. There are plenty of other neighborhoods which are just as close to the areas mentioned, but don't entail exposure to the worse elements. For instance east Madison, Thorton Acres and others.

[HB2HSV]

Originally Posted by shaffermama

I thought I would take my first opportunity to reply on this forum - I have been reading for a few months. My husband works for Boeing and we moved from Southern California to Madison on July 1st. He lived in CA for 52 years and I lived there for 36 yrs. It was a huge decision to pick up and move away from family and friends, but the pros outnumbered the cons. We sold our home in CA (which was half the size of what we have in Madison) for a good price - not great - and paid cash for a home here. My husband's commute was 45 min. to an hr. in CA and it is 12 minutes here. I have been able to retire and our 7 year old now enjoys having Mom at home rather than spending hours at daycare. Our life has really slowed down which is great!

We can find everything we need in Huntsville - just not as many choices as in CA. Traffic is nothing here compared to So Cal. People in AL are much more friendly. The weather is not a great as CA, but we have adjusted and are looking forward to fall here in AL.

All in All, we are glad we made the decision to move. Family has visited from CA and can now understand why we moved.

Welcome! May I ask which Boeing did your husband work for in California? You can DM me if you'd like. I too, worked for Boeing in HB and just moved here in early September (just look at the date of your post).

[Burbankhotty]

Originally Posted by deesonic

Hi there, Cobolt. I'm a native Huntsvillian who has lived all over the country when my wife and I served in the military (Colorado, California, Texas, Maryland, Georgia) and when we got out we chose to come right back here. So, I'll try to give you my pros and cons as a native who returned after a twelve year break living in many different places. I will admit Huntsville is not my favorite place I've ever lived (that would be Denver) but I am more than happy to be home and this town does have a lot of upside.

Pros:
Extremely affordable - Yes, you most definitely can find a nice 2/1 home in the 100K ballpark in a decent part of town, especially if you don't mind a little older home. I'm assuming you're single. If so, schools are not a problem for you and there are lots of nice older homes in decent neighborhoods where the schools are not so great (5 Points, Sherwood Park, etc). This is definitely a buyer's market right now. Consider as short a lease as you can if you rent and do plenty of research, because there's lots of speculation about a housing upsurge here when BRAC hits full force. I highly recommend Sherwood Park to people without kids who want to be close to everything. Minutes to RSA, Bridge Street, Research Park, downtown, etc. It's a very nice neighborhood very close to the Space Center off of Old Madison Pike.

Jobs - Of course, if your transferring, employment is no issue for you. Lots of people are initially turned off because they expect Silicon Valley salaries here. Well, you won't get that here, but your dollar will go much farther than on the West Coast for sure.

Nature - Since you mentioned it... Huntsville is located in the foothills of the Appalachian Plateau. There are nice hiking and mountain biking opportunities within minutes of Huntsville. And for bigger mountains, it's only a few hours to the Smokies or in state places like Little River Canyon. If you like fishing, Guntersville Lake is only 30 minutes from Huntsville. Some of the best bass fishing in the country. The beach is not very close, but a weekend trip is not out of the question to the Gulf Coast of Alabama, Florida, or Mississippi.

Entertainment - If you like sports, we have a pretty full slate of minor league teams here, the Stars (AA baseball), Vipers (AF2 football), and Havoc (minor league hockey). We even have a new pro soccer team coming I've heard. Bridge Street has been a very nice addition to the shopping and entertainment scene here. The Arts are lacking a bit here, but it has improved over the years that I've been gone. Huntsville does not get many great concerts these days, but Nashville and Birmingham are only an hour and a half away for more options. If you can explain a little more in depth about what you're interested in I can expand on that I suppose.

Cons:

Weather - Hot and humid!!! It's the South though and such is life anywhere down here. On the positive, we do have fairly mild winters. We rarely get snow anymore (which I miss).

Arts - Well, I kinda touched on this under entertainment. But this is not a town with a thriving arts community like other cities in the South that come to mind like Savannah, Asheville, Charleston. I long for the days when Big Spring Park is full of sidewalk performers and artists. There is an art stroll downtown on the square once a month which is fun though.

Antiquated laws - Well this is a statewide issue really. For example, I happen to be craft beer enthusiast and homebrewer. Alabama is one of three states that limits beer to 6% ABV, therefore depriving us beer lovers of more than 90 out of 100 of Beer Advocate's top rated beers in the world. These laws ares holdovers from prohibition and they persist due to the power of very strong Southern Baptist presence in state politics. And homebrewing is illegal. Maybe these issues don't concern you, but they are an example of backwards laws that our state goverment holds on to. In fact, let's give the state government it's own bullet...

State government - Backwards and inefficient. Hence the perception of many new residents that Huntsville is an island in a sea of backwardness. Which says good things about Huntsville. Huntsville is federally oriented and somewhat alienated and immune to the ineptness of our state government. God help us if the BRAC pendulum ever swings away from us.


So there's a handful of things you can chew on. Hopefully I've at least given you some insight into life in Huntsville. Of course my bias is evident. They're certainly my personal opinions and others may disagree with me on many issues. Let me know if there's anything specific you'd like to know.

I'm trying to talk my husband into Hu tsville from Burbank Ca. I assured him, ofcourse you can beer....now I'll have to rethink this.....how do they know you are homebrewing? Whats the penalty? He loves a variety of beers also.....can you have beers sent to you through the mail? Whats the closest town where you can get a good strong beer over 6& ?
Thanks!