Army Family on the move (Lawrence, Ingalls: real estate, rental, movers)

[quackaddictswife]

My hubby is ARMY of 16 years & we are currently stationed at FORT BRAGG, North Carolina. We are on orders to move by June, to Fort Ben Harrison, Indiana. I wanted to know if anyone could help me with some info on the area & what would be the best location to move to. There are many to choose from that I have researched on the web. I am originally from the south & hubby from NY. But since joining ARMY in 1990, he has been stationed in SOUTH, when NOT DEPLOYED overseas. We are both in our 30s with 4 kids from 19mths to 12yrs old. (2boys 2girls)
We are coming up the 1st week of April to find a house to RENT... Any ideas of where to start looking? (We "prefer" smalltown.)

[seo]

Hi there! I actually live in Ft. Ben, well in old Lawrence, but it's truly the same thing. I'm a lifer here on the east side of Indy so I can recommend some different areas. Like I said, we're in old Lawrence (zip 46226 if you're searching) and in my opinion you couldn't find a nicer place to live. Our neighborhood (around 56th & 465) is very family friendly. You'll find lots of stay at home moms and folks out on the porch to greet you when you get home. It's very sweet. Oh, and your kids will be in Lawrence Township schools- this is a big plus I hear (no kids yet!) It's supposed to be a great schoolsystem.

Before we moved here, my husband and I lived in Oaklandon- it's about a 10 minute drive to the fort. It's a nice area as well, although in our opinion, not as "homey" and sort of snotty. Homes are larger and neighborhoods are "better". Zip is 46236 for searching.

McCordsville is the town right after Oaklandon heading east away from the Fort. Add another 5-10 on to the commute. It's more rural, although with the new homes going in so quickly, it's growing daily. It is a nice place to live as well.

If you head northeast from the Fort, there is Castleton. Still Lawrence Township schools (Oaklandon is too, McCordsville isn't) Castleton is somewhere inbetween Oaklandon and Lawrence. Houses are a bit older but still very nice. You're close to all sorts of shopping and schools.

I think you will come to find Lawrence, Indiana a really nice town! I hope you will enjoy your stay here. And good luck finding a rental property next week when you visit.

[Topmom]

ps I am at Ft Bragg now so if you want to meet and discuss this please feel free to do so. I am with HHC 96th civil affairs bn.

[quackaddictswife]

Oops~ So Sorry, after not receiving any replies before movers packed up our things, I assumed that no one was interested in responding. I am now in Indy. Are you still at Bragg? Are you from or more familiar with Indy? U can contact me at quackaddictswife@yahoo.com.........h

[JRB73IN]

My wife and I are building a home in Ingalls, Indiana, It takes 25 minutes to get to the fort where she works, It is very rural and reasonable on pricing. The biggest thing you need to watch out for here in Indiana is do not buy in a vinyl village (track home community), they are the fastest bad investment you could make, and Indiana is Laiden with them. Everywhere you turn, they are offering deals to get you in and the Repo rate here is outragous.

[Zig'sbird]

Wow, this was brought up from the dead. I work in Bldg 1. Is your husband still there or his he down at Atterbury now?

[quackaddictswife]

Thank you for the reply... I forgot about my post to this site ~ Although, I wish I had gotten your email a long time ago. We moved here in June of 06... My hubby is stationed at Fort Ben. Harrison.. Cannot understand WHY they still call it a Fort there. He works at Camp Atterbury which is a bit south. So we got a place in Greewood. Thank God we did, with them working south soo much. And it working out better now since they will not have to work at FORT BEN. much longer as it is all moving south to the future FORT Atterbury.
Anyways~ We RENTED because with being in the ARMY for the past 16 years, we have OWNED a house & found it easier to NOT BUY till we are not moving.. I guess if I rented out the house to "better tenants" I would not have been so sour about BUYING again. But with Army moves, it only makes it easier to up & move on a moments notice.
BUT we ended up in that VINYL VILLAGE.. Uggh~ wish we had more time to look before moving here. Its a great area, but I do hate these houses that seemed t have been built in an hour. I would NOT have bought it to being with, but I know the issues of VINYL.... I have only ever had brick houses and with family company of Real Estate Appraisals.... They are NOT worth half what they are attempting to sell them for. There are many empty & they will remain that way. This one was empty for a year or more when we got it. And we are looking to move out again soon, when the lease is up here. Its horrible~

[Zig'sbird]

It's called Ft. Harrison simply out of habit. The fort itself was shut down about a decade ago. Depending on how long your husband is stationed here he will probably see Atterbury just explode. In the last few years that place has had a ton of money thrown into it.

So I take it that your husband is an 11B?

[quackaddictswife]

Yes he is an 11B... well... I think that has changed.. I think I remember him telling me that it has now changed. He is, as of 01 March an E8..... And we were suppose to be here for 2 years.. But he hates the job here. Well, not soo much the job, just the "work ethics" of the others. He works with a great bunch of guys. All the teams seem to work together pretty well. Although, most everyone here seem to be here to retire. We just took this assignment as a break. And it really has been. Its awesome here. But my hubby has been raised by the 82nd & if you know anything about them, they are always in a "full steam ahead" kinda mode. To be with my hubby, I had to jump on the train. There was no waiting around with his career in full gear. So I dressed in battle rattle & took him on as a husband. And there have been NO REGRETS. But as of TODAY, my hubby told them that he wanted the first ticket outta here. No matter where it takes us. I know that most want to retire at 20 & he can in 3 years. But he & I both know that he will not be able to do it. This has been his whole life & I am his wife, but I knowingly married him with a promise to endure it, till the end. And if 20 ain't it. Then I will sit back & wait till the Army kicks him out.
And for Atterbury, he has taken me around there & showed me all that it is. But they are going to move the HQ from Indy to Atterbury within the next 30 days. So I know that they will have to "boom" a lil atleast. With all the families. I would love to see a real PX & maybe even a school there. Not really much on the military housing side there, unless they do off base housing.Atterbury is really known for their HUNTING & I would not want houses built to disturb that. I really have to admit that I have not read your profile, sorry! Are you in the Army & do you mind if I ask where u are stationed at?