Scott AFB, whats it like? (Belleville, O'Fallon: credit, equity, relocation)

[Alanboy395]

My family is considering moving out of the mind-numbing nightmare DC area. One possible destination is Scott AFB in Illinois. What is the surronding area like? First off, is it cheaper than DC? We pay $1350 in rent for our mid-tier 2 bed 2 bath apt. What kind of place can we get with that $? Secondly what banks are out there? i'm currently working for Wachovia. What comm colleges or universities are out there?

[CellarBelle]

Take a quick peak at Edwardsville. About 30 minutes from Scott AFB and home to Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (Southern Illinois University Edwardsville). Lewis and Clark Community College and SWIC are two comm colleges that have a large presence in the area. To learn a little about rental properties in Edwardsville, check out Cherry Hills Properties, Inc. 618-692-9310. You can get a feel for what you can get in the area at their site. There are a lot of banks and credit unions in the area. Scott Credit Union, Shell Community Credit Union, First Cloverleaf and The Bank of Edwardsville (TheBANK of Edwardsville) come to mind right off the bat. Also, you are only about 30 to 40 minutes from downtown St. Louis. First Bank is headquarted in St. Louis and they are growing. Check out the area and see what you think. I'm pretty sure you will find the cost of living less than DC. But, if you buy property you will find our property taxes to be a little on the high side. Edwardsville has a wonderful school district which brings in people from St. Louis area and other parts of Illinois. By the way, I see your hometown listed in your profile is Sumter, SC. I happen to know where Sumter is as I have family in Greenville. My sister actually has a friend named "Sumter" (after the town, of course!). I'm a NC native (the better Carolina - KIDDING), and I love the Carolinas. The area in Illinois you are looking at has a similar climate to Greenville. Hope that info helps and best of luck!

[illinoisnative]

The Scott AFB area is an excellent choice to make your home! We currently have many people moving into the area from the DC and Virginia areas with the relocation of the US Army Surface Deployment and Distribution Command to Scott AFB. From what I've heard so far, the new residents love it (as I would have suspected) and many more will be coming until the move is complete in a couple of years. As a matter of fact, over 17,000 Scott AFB retirees have liked the area so much, that they've made it their permanent retirement home.

As far as educational opportunities, there are many. We have Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville, McKendree University (Lebanon), Southwestern Illinois College (Belleville), Lindenwood University (Belleville), St. Louis University (St. Louis & Belleville), Washington University (St. Louis), and University of Missouri - St. Louis. The St. Louis campuses are an easy commute by the MetroLink light rail system which runs from Scott AFB, through the Belleville area and on across the river to various St. Louis locations. It's a very popular method of transportation for work, school, or entertainment purposes. Getting to St. Louis by car is just a short trip down Interstate 64 and during non rush hour times, you can get to the riverfront within 15 minutes.

Belleville is the regional leader in banking. Banks located in the Scott AFB area include Bank of America, Associated, First Bank, US Bank, Peoples, The Bank of Edwardsville, Southwest, Community First, Centrue, Commerce, FCB, Regions, UMB, and on and on, not to mention the many credit unions you'll also find. As you know, Wachovia is acquiring St. Louis based AG Edwards, of which there are many branches.

The Belleville/Scott AFB area is experiencing growth in both residential and commercial development. There are a wide variety of towns within short driving distance to match the type of community you seek, from the small rural towns of just a few hundred residents, to those with a few thousand residents, to Belleville which has a population of around 43,000. Other municipalities close by are O'Fallon, Fairview Heights, Swansea, Shiloh, Freeburg, and Millstadt to name a few. While retail developments are being added to just about all these towns, Fairview Heights is known as the retail giant with the St. Clair Square shopping mall.

My past clients that have moved into the area from either coast have been quite pleased with the amount of house they can find for the money as our housing prices have remained very affordable. I am sending to you a list of rental homes that are currently available in the $1,000 to $1,350 range. For this price though, you will be able to find a nice home and be able to build your own equity rather than a landlords.

[Alanboy395]

i'm liking the sound of this. how much would a safe 1-bed apt cost? How bad is traffic going to STL from, lets say, belleville?

[illinoisnative]

You might expect to pay anywhere between $400 to $550 for a one bedroom apartment/duplex/townhouse. Driving time from Belleville to St. Louis will vary, of course, depending on when you are commuting. I've not been caught up in rush hour in some time so I hate to guesstimate. From my location, I can get to the downtown riverfront area in about 15 minutes during non-rush time periods. The MetroLink light rail is my preferred method of travel and will get you downtown in less than a half hour. The $4 round trip fare is much better than paying the current parking rates, not to mention the gas savings. Better yet, you can get a monthly pass for $60. Depends on the location of your workplace though, as to if this is an option.