From midwest to Gulf coast- LA vs. MS, need advice (New Orleans: rentals, insurance)

[wingnut74]

Hello and thank you for reading this.

Life long midwesterned needing to relocate family to an area on or near the coast from Baton Rouge to Gulfport. That's a lot of ground and I don't know what areas/towns would address our needs.

As a young family we value safe neighborhoods with good schools.
Close to major shopping, recreation, hospitals/doctors.

We want to rent for a while to get familiar with the community. We don't need to be near water, would rather be inland.
How far do we need to go to be "safer" with lower insuarance costs?

Need affordable housing with some elbow room between neighbors. We have grown accustomed to 2 story homes over 3,000 sf. nothing fancy, just big footage for the money.
Can we find that somewhere in a rental- but not too old?
Can we be under...say, $1,700/month?
Are there any large builders in any particular communities?

Thank you for your help!

[Rosinante]

It doesn't matter where along the coast you choose ultimately IF the cost of home owner's insurance is going to be a major consideration. Between Baton Rouge and Gulfport, it's going to be high anywhere. True, insurance will be a little less the further inland you go, but don't forget that southern states are also prone to destructive tornadoes, so you will not see insurance anywhere down here that isn't a tad more than what you're used to paying. Hattiesburg might be ideal for you.

That said, 3000 SF rentals might be difficult to find, too, at any price unless you confine yourself to the major metro areas.

[DonStevo]

Well I would not recommend Mississippi, and that is just a personal preference. I love Lafayette, and believe its the best place in Louisiana to live in. South Lafayette is newer, and more active. Youngsville is the all time family environment and it's GROWING! If you want a more quiet part of Lafayette, more country, try far north, in Carencro. Lafayette has access to two interstates, so you can get anywhere. My other pick is Houma, which is closer to New Orleans. Good Luck!

[mezzogirl]

The OP states that they are looking for something between Baton Rouge and Gulfport, so some of the responses do not apply. Someone was right about insurance. You will pay more than what you are used to, but if you are not in a flood zone, you probably won't have to worry about the skyhigh flood insurance. I grew up in the areas that you are talking about and visit frequently. One town that I would recommend would be Covington, LA. Great public school system, two wonderful hospitals and good access to lakes, rivers and shopping amenities. There are tons of parks and activities for your children and New Orleans is about an hour away if you are in to daytripping. I must be honest that I do not know much about rental properties there, but with all the houses sitting on the market because of the sluggish economy, I'm sure that you could strike up a deal with someone who is trying to sell their home. I would mention Hammond too, but because of the college, there is a large student population and from what I've seen, it seems to take away a little bit of the family atmosphere. Good luck to you in your search! The area that you looking into is beautiful and the people are warm and friendly.

[MetroBTR]

Between Baton Rouge and Gulfport is pretty decent schools for the most part. Assuming you want to be near Interstate 12, I would recomend St. Tammany Parish in Louisiana. The schools are great. It is the highest ground in the New Orleans Metro Area. The Convenience of I-12 and the Causeway and the Twin-span. Look at Covington, Mandeville, Slidell, etc.

[darylwi]

You wouldn't think it without going there or looking at a topo map, but the northern parts of Hancock and Harrison County on Mississippi's gulf coast are pretty high in elevation, 100' plus in areas. I can't imagine there being a flood insurance problem there unless it's a county-wide issue.
Same can probably be said about the areas north of I-12 along the north shore.
Actually there is some real nice property in northern Hancock and in Pearl River Counties in Mississippi, and you wouldn't be more than 30 minutes from the coast, maybe 30-45 to Gulfport, about the same to Slidell, an hour to NOLA.
Not sure if you could find anything to rent in that area though as it is very rural. You'd probably have to look more towards Bay St. Louis, or perhaps in or around Picayune and Slidell.
The area around Covington/Abita Springs is pretty nice as well. But from listening to friends and relatives, it might cost a bit more than Mississippi.

[Drouzin]

I would recommend, if you choose LA, that you pick something above I-12 solely based on insurance. You'll be able to get flood insurance south of I-12, (not a problem at all), but it is darn near impossible to get a new homeowner's policy, (especially wind), south of the lake. The only thing you'll probably find is Citizen's and it's pricey.

There are lots of good suggestions on this board; good luck on your move.