Where in North Alabama..... (Huntsville, Valley: house, teaching jobs, neighborhoods)

[TURFNSCAPE]

I have read many threads in an attempt to narrow my search and it seems to all run together. So I thought I would just ask.

Where in North Alabama would suit me best?

Family of 5
Wife is a teacher (secondary math)
I own an Architectural and landscape lighting business
3 kids between 9 and 14
Love to live in the country 15 to 20 acres
10 minutes from decent town with grocery theater hospital restaurants etc.
no need for an airport
within a 50 mile radius of high end homes (500k) for business
great schools churches kids activities etc.
beautiful scenery
not far from water (10 to 15 minutes)

Does this place exist or has everyone else already found it?

[Keeper]

Well I am sure other folks can give you suggestions, but Arab or Guntersville meet most of your requirements.
Arab..
15 minutes to Lake Guntersville
Acreage is available for good price
High end homes in Guntersville and a few in Arab
20 minutes to H'ville for a movie theater and malls
Excellent school system
Hospital is 8 mins from downtown.

Guntersville is a little further to H'ville. Schools are not as good but not bad. Lake Guntersville is great for fishing and there are a lots of $$$ homes all around the lake.

[TURFNSCAPE]

Thank you Keeper for the help.

If you had to guess,....what are the chances of my wife getting a teaching job in that area? 14 years exp. in secondary math.

[Charles]

Originally Posted by TURFNSCAPE

I own an Architectural and landscape lighting business


3 kids between 9 and 14
Love to live in the country 15 to 20 acres

Where are you moving from?

How's business?

What do your kids think about living on 15-20 acres (especially the younger ones)? Do you think they might feel isolated from their neighborhood friends?

[Keeper]

Not sure about the teaching jobs, but she would have Arab, Brindlee Mountain and Guntersville schools, plus you are not that far from Huntsville schools. Be aware salaries will probably be less than where you are now.

Housing is very reasonable and property taxes are nothing like FL. where I lived previously. Figure approx 200.00 per 100K value. HOI is also CHEAP.. I pay less than $500.00 a year for 100K.

Check out Valleymls.com for housing prices. You can select Marshall county or the cities themselves. There was a house near some friends that had 20 acres that was around $250K. It was an older brick home with lots of land. They had horses and a barn right behind my friends house.

[TURFNSCAPE]

Originally Posted by Charles

Where are you moving from?

How's business?

What do your kids think about living on 15-20 acres (especially the younger ones)? Do you think they might feel isolated from their neighborhood friends?

I was raised on twenty acres and a half mile to the nearest neighbor. We now live on 12 acres across the road from where I grew up. No neighborhoods around, but we can drive for them to spend time with friends. We love NOT having neighbors 20 ft. away and on all sides. They love the open space to ride atv's, hunt,...and just run around. They are all involved in sports, football, baseball, basketball, and cheer leading. They have there social time........believe me!

We are in N.W. Florida right now.

Business has slowed down tremendously but there are still a few jobs trickling in.

Keeper thanks for that information, I like the lower HOI and property taxes. I wouldn't need 20 acres if I were in the right location. If the property backed up to a national forest or a state forest that would protect from a developer in the future. Which is exactly what is happening to us now. Paper mill has sold about 5000 acres +/- to developers that are going as fast as they can on 3 sides of us now. No we're not hermits but do enjoy our privacy and the wildlife that is present all year.

[Charles]

Originally Posted by TURFNSCAPE

I was raised on twenty acres and a half mile to the nearest neighbor. We now live on 12 acres across the road from where I grew up. No neighborhoods around, but we can drive for them to spend time with friends. We love NOT having neighbors 20 ft. away and on all sides. They love the open space to ride atv's, hunt,...and just run around. They are all involved in sports, football, baseball, basketball, and cheer leading. They have there social time........believe me!
.

The reason I asked is we lived on 2.5 acres near Colorado Springs but we had four kids under 8. They hated it. We were surrounded by retired people, (empty lots which made our lot seem like 10 acres), or people who like their "privacy" - basically, not the TGIF types (in other words, they're so dull and unengaging, they make the supreme court justices look like Led Zeppelin).

The number 1 reason we moved to Huntsville was to get to a more "normal" conventional neighborhood with lots of kids. Mission accomplished. Now, if we didn't have any kids, then maybe having land would be OK for us. But that's basically why I brought it up - just in case you were'nt familiar with the possible problems of having a large lot with kids might bring. Plus your kids are older and can find fun for themselves.

[Marc45002]

Originally Posted by Charles

The reason I asked is we lived on 2.5 acres near Colorado Springs ...

Sun Hills?

Marc

[Charles]

Originally Posted by Marc45002

Sun Hills?

Marc

Kings Deer.

[TURFNSCAPE]

Charles I understand where you are coming from. But since I have never lived in any type of neighborhood I'm probably too old to make the switch now. We enjoy getting involved socially but at the same time returning home to peace and quiet. Just tonight I watched as 75 to 100 wood ducks came in to roost. I enjoy the opportunity to witness this on a regular business.