Relocating to Fishers/Carmel, HELP! (Indianapolis, Marion: section 8, apartments, foreclosures)

[socrmom4]

My family will be locating to the Fishers/Carmel area and I am hoping natives can give me the best possible place for our family.

1. Excellent elementary & high schools (We have 4 young children)
2. Very low crime
3. 5 bedroom/3 bath home on at least 1/3 of an acre.
4. Price range varies. I would love to find something in the $350,000 -$400,000 price range but can go up to $550,000. I am pretty conservative and don't really want a huge mortgage, so if I can find a great community within the lower price range that would be great.
5. Do not want a lot of rentals, apartments, section 8 housing nearby.
6. Commute is not a factor.
7. I love the features of the newer homes but would like an established neighborhood. Can you please give me specific names of subdivisions that would fall into my list of items above.

I have done some research on towns and right now I am looking at Carmel and Fishers. They both seem great so any insight about either one would be much appreciated. Thanks!

[domergurl]

You really need to put Zionsville in your mix too. Zionsville schools are ranked nationally. Finding your #3 criteria will be iffy for most burbs in Indy.

[Charmedlife357]

I think you would have a better chance of finding what you are looking for in Fishers. I do not live there so I couldnt tell you specific neighborhoods off the top of my head but there are alot of nice homes there. I believe on is called Grey Eagle and they are building new homes there but the neighborhood looks more established. It is by the HSE schools but not so close that you have to deal with all the school traffic. Maybe a 5 minute drive. The houses are big but I am not sure of the price range. My friend is building a 5400 sq foot house there but I am not sure of the price. I am sure its in your range. Carmel is probably more expensive and crowded. There are some apartments in Fishers but I believe they are all upscale newer apartments. I think Fishers and Carmel school are pretty close in ratings. You might want to check out Greatschools.com though because I could not be certain as we live in Noblesville. I could not tell you about the crime rate but I am sure it is a safe place to live. I dont see Fishers having too high of a crime rate.

[Mike Dunn]

Here are a couple of links that may help you with school information and data.

Great Schools - Public and Private School Ratings, Reviews and Parent Community

Schooldigger.com -- Search and compare elementary, middle, and high schools.


Good luck!

[dave.dawsn]

1. Excellent elementary & high schools (We have 4 young children)

Carmel and Fishers (Hamilton SE district) are both excellent districts and, for all intents and purposes, pretty evenly matched. Carmel is a perennial sports powerhouse, so if you think your children will be athletes they could really come into their own there. On the other hand, since it is such a huge school with such elite sports programs, it is more difficult for average athletes to make teams and play.

Academically, I think they are evenly matched.

I don't think you could go wrong sending your kids to either school. Both are excellent all around.

2. Very low crime

The northside suburbs all enjoy a very low crime rate and highly, umm, vigilant police. Carmel, Fishers and Noblesville police all have a reputation for being sticklers, especially when it comes to traffic violations and anything involving teenagers.

Probably the most serious problems in these suburbs are recreational drug use among high school kids and white-collar crime (Marcus Schrenker, anyone?).

3. 5 bedroom/3 bath home on at least 1/3 of an acre.
4. Price range varies. I would love to find something in the $350,000-$400,000 price range but can go up to $550,000.


A third of an acre isn't much; you shouldn't have too much trouble finding a lot that size to go with the kind of house you're looking for. I don't know where you're coming from, but Indianapolis is one of the most affordable major metro areas in America. You will get a lotof house for $350,000.

From this point it depends on what you're looking for. If you want to be close to the city, I would go with either west Carmel (close to Meridian Street) or east Fishers (close to I-69). My wife and I live in a condo in east Fishers and go downtown a lot; it usually takes about 20 minutes. The other nice thing about east Fishers is Geist Reservoir. There are some gorgeous neighborhoods on and around the lake that might strike your fancy.


5. Do not want a lot of rentals, apartments, section 8 housing nearby.

Foreclosures are not as much of an issue around Indianapolis as in other parts of the US because we didn't really have a "bubble." That would probably be the biggest factor for you, since apartments are typically not situated near the type of homes you are looking for. I can't vouch for rentals because in today's economy, people are simply renting more than before. There are homes for rent all over the place. Again, I would venture to guess that the ratio of rental to ownership in the kind of neighborhoods you are looking in will be low.

Section 8 shouldn't be a problem.

6. Commute is not a factor.

If this is the case, check out the Morse Lake section of Noblesville. The lake is located on the north end of Noblesville, which is on the outer ring of suburbs. It would be a haul to get downtown, but you could probably get a nice home on the lake for a significant discount compared to Geist.

The Noblesville school system is not at the same level academically or in sports as Carmel and Fishers, but it is still a well-funded suburban district. Noblesville has also expanded significantly in the last 10 years, so the facilities are new and up to date.

7. I love the features of the newer homes but would like an established neighborhood. Can you please give me specific names of subdivisions that would fall into my list of items above.

I can't give you specific names, sorry.

GOOD LUCK & WELCOME TO INDY!

[socrmom4]

Thank you all for replying. We are moving from Northern California. My husband works for Roche Diagnostics and I believe headquarters is on the border of Indianapolis and Fishers. Carmel is out. I don't want my kids attending a high school with 4000 kids. I will take a look at Nobelsville, who knows maybe it is exactly what we are looking for. Again, thank you all for taking the time to respond.

Christina

[domergurl]

My former neighbor in Fishers works for Roche ... yes, it is literally just south of 96th street, which is the border between Hamilton & Marion Counties. When we lived in Fishers, every single school was a 4 star school, so you shouldn't have to worry about where to live.

[indy317]

We live in Windermere neighborhood just 3 miles east of Roche - lots of great houses at many price points - very friendly neighbors and nice pool/tennis courts. we have raised four kids here and it has been great