relocating - questions about neighborhoods/schools

[Keeper]

Many times online real estate websites have homes for several months after they are sold. I know mine was listed a good 6 months after I bought it.

[HB2HSV]

Originally Posted by daac09

My impression is that there are a TON of houses for sale in HC, .

My impression is that a particular realtor, Becky, seems to hold 75% of listings in Hampton Cove!

[mm42]

The real estate market here is soft all around, especially in the mid- and high-end prices ranges. However, recent data indicate that the Huntsville-East region (which includes Hampton Cove) is the softest of all:



This info comes from a great real estate blog - send me a DM and I will send you the link. (Can't post because it is associated with a particular real estate agent.)

This was as of December, but you can see the East region suffered the biggest drop in sales and has the longest backlog of inventory. Also, if you look at rentals available you will see that there is even more inventory over there that has fled the market and is now trying to rent. With these discouraged sellers added in, the backlog in the East region would be really large.

[mm42]

Originally Posted by daac09

mm42 - Since you had a similar dilemma, are you happy that you chose Jones Valley? What are the drawbacks? I think I'm leaning more in that direction just for the convenience of being closer to my job, etc, if we can find the right home.

Very happy we chose Jones Valley.

Drawbacks --- older houses (ours is on the new side for Jones Valley, and it's 18 years old), older population.

Same drawbacks for Blossomwood, plus also higher crime rate.

[daac09]

Is anyone familiar with the area in the 35741 (Brownsboro) zip code that's within the city of Huntsville? I know that some of the neighborhoods with homes for sale now are Cove Creek, Dug Hill Estates, Cheval, Legacy Preserve, etc. I know that the schools are Monte Sano Elem / Huntsville Middle / Huntsville High, and I've driven through some of these neighborhoods. Any ideas about the advantages and disadvantages of living there?

As you can tell (if not from this than from my whining in another thread), even after a couple of trips to Huntsville, I still haven't quite figured out which area is the best fit for my family. Thanks for your help.

[Charles]

Originally Posted by daac09

Is anyone familiar with the area in the 35741 (Brownsboro) zip code that's within the city of Huntsville?

The guy in the next cube over from me lives in those homes off Dug Hill just east of 431. It is nice and tucked up against the mountain; It's closer to downtown and the medical district and points west, but it's a bit of schlep to Monte Sano Elementary - though I'd bet there is a bus service.

That's about all I know.

[daac09]

One more post on this thread about our search for a new home in Huntsville:

Like many other families with young children, we initially narrowed our search to Madison, SE Huntsville, and Hampton Cove/Big Cove based on the quality and reputation of the schools. We don't want to (or at least don't want to have to) go the private school route right now. We ruled out Madison fairly quickly; it just didn't feel right for us. There are some very nice neighborhoods there, but we didn't want to fight traffic coming into Huntsville (where my job will be). We were/are also a bit bewildered by the elementary re-zoning drama. We prefered the planned development of Hampton Cove, with lots of new or new-ish construction without the feeling of sprawl. We also love the neighbrhood amenities, the flat yards, and the abundance of young families there, and we came incredibly close to making an offer on a home in HC.

However, we really loved the established neighborhoods in SE Huntsville. I really prefer neighborhoods with mature vegetation, larger lots, and older homes, and this area is so convenient to everything (work, shopping, restaurants, churches, kids' activities). However, our search for a home there was really frustrating. We were not shopping in the upper price range, so we saw a lot of homes that needed far more work that we want to take on right now. We also saw some beautiful homes that just weren't right for us. We basically stalked the new listings on valleymls.com, called our realtor all the time, and saw lots of homes. Finally, we found one in our price range on a flat lot and a quiet street that had just what we were looking for. I think that, unlike what has been said in other threads, SE Hsv has much more to offer than over-priced dumps. Some of the homes there may seem a little dated for the price, but home-owners have been able to get higher prices because of the great location and schools. (I'm aware of the public housing headlines and worries; who knows what that will mean in the future?)

So, I just wanted to follow-up to say that we chose the Jones Valley area, although the right choice is definitely not the same for everyone. Although it was more painful than I expected, with a good realtor and a little patience, I think that we found the right home. Thanks everyone for your info and advice. I'm so excited - Huntsville here we come!!!

[mm42]

Originally Posted by daac09

So, I just wanted to follow-up to say that we chose the Jones Valley area, although the right choice is definitely not the same for everyone.

Welcome to Jones Valley! I'm glad your search ended positively.