Moving to the area...Help (Milwaukee, Appleton: appointed, how much, new home)

[ggm0109]

My husband just started a new job in the Milwaukee area and so needless to say we will be moving there. Right now we have been focusing on Germantown, Menomonee Falls, Brookfield, Pewaukee, Slinger, Jackson, Merton, Sussex, Lannon and any other towns that fall in that area but at this point we really have no idea what any of those areas are like. We have 2 children so we want a place with good schools, preferably catholic schools, and we would like to have some nice parks in the area. Any information, thoughts, or opinions on any of these areas or even others that you may think of would be greatly appreciated. Thanks so much.

[ggm0109]

Noone has an opinion? I have been reading comments on other posts but which is helping a little but I would like some comparisons on these towns. Anyone have anything to say?

[Empidonax]

Where exactly will your husband work? What kind of commute does he want? Do you want a house with lots of land? A house in a walkable area? What kinds of amenities would you like nearby? How much do you want to spend on a house? Answering questions like these might help focus the search a bit.

I really don't know much about Slinger, Jackson, Merton, Sussex, Lannon, etc., and I wager most others who post here don't know too much, either. They all seem kind of the same to me--middle class exurban or outer-suburban communities with lots of families. I do kind of like the presence of quarries in Lannon, though.

I'm more familiar with Meno Falls, Germantown, Brookfield, and Pewaukee. Each of these is solidly middle class with lots of families, though Brookfield does have some upper-middle class neighborhoods.

Brookfield is more ethnically and racially diverse than the other burbs listed, and it contains the Blue Mound Road retail strip, if you like having lots of shopping nearby. Brookfield has the best public schools of the places you mentioned, but I have no idea what the parochial schools are like. Brookfield has areas with huge houses and large lots as well as ranch houses on modest lots. Some of the most expensive houses in the metro area are in Brookfield. The median and per capita income levels are very high, and the educational level is among the highest in the metro area.

http://www.city-data.com/city/Brookfield-Wisconsin.html

Pewaukee is very much an extension of west Brookfield, but it's that much closer to lake Country, so if you like the quaint atmosphere of Delafield and Oconomowoc, Pewaukee might be a good choice. The income level is about as high as Brookfield's, but the formal educational level is a bit lower. Pewaukee is not nearly as ethnically and racially diverse as Brookfield (and that's saying a lot).

http://www.city-data.com/city/Pewaukee-Wisconsin.html

Meno Falls is very white, very middle class, but it does have a bit of diversity (close to 5% Asians) for its size. There's a significant retail area around the Appleton Ave. and County Line Road area. It also has a nice little section of privately-owned businesses around that area, if you want a neighborhood nearby that's walkable and fairly interesting. Most of the houses are pretty modest, but there are some newer subdivisions with well-appointed houses. Some of those subdivisions are kind of creepy, though, with no trees and few other plantings.

http://www.city-data.com/city/Menomo...Wisconsin.html

Germantown, as far as I know, is the most middle class of the first four communities you mention--lots of reasonably priced tract housing, lots of families on median incomes, not much in the way of fancy stores, mostly chains. The retail strip along Mequon Road is serviceable--a couple of grocery stores, pharmacies, fast food, and so on. The community plays up the German theme, so many of the stores there have a wood-frame Teutonic look. It's not very diverse at all, but perhaps that's not important to you.

http://www.city-data.com/city/Germantown-Wisconsin.html

[syxdiana]

Thank you for your above comments. Good job!

[ggm0109]

Thank you quijote for all that helpful information. At this time we are considering buying land to build on, so which cities would you say are more affordable for land? If we don't find land within a few months then we are going to start looking at houses, but would like a large lot. So, which of these cities would have larger lots. My husband is working with a company that he will have a commute no matter where we live because it is not in one town it is in many of the towns I mentioned, so that is not really a big concern for us. We just want good schools, good parks, a large lot in an affordable community as we are middle class people, a nice community with families and activities surrounding such as hiking trails, lakes which I realize are all over that area, museums, kid fun activities and so on.

[MrBeluksee]

All of the above communities have land in which to build. The Jackson, Slinger area is more affordable, lots less than 100k. Meno. Falls, and Brookfield are more expensive in terms of lot costs, 100k+, along with Pewaukee, Merton and Sussex, although, as a Realtor, I know of some bargains less than 100k. Unlike the above poster, I would not say any of the developments in Meno. Falls are "creepy"...unless you refer to 500,000+ neighborhoods as creepy, and Meno. Falls has plenty of them, as well as more modest offerings. It is also very diverse, with a much larger black population (by Milwaukee standards that is) than Brookfield...check City-Data for "their" facts. It also has some nice private/catholic schools as well.
I group Meno. Falls and Germantown together, as middle to upper middle class, as well as Pewaukee, Sussex and Merton. Jackson and Slinger are more middle of the road, with Jackson becoming more upscale in terms of new housing stock. Brookfield is more upscale and affluent than all the other areas mentioned, however, it too has pockets of modest homes as well. You should also be thinking about resale, formost in your decision. Brookfield will almost always bring a bigger dollar than any of the other communities. Also remember, like anywhere else, the closer you are to the population center, ie, Milwaukee, will be reflected in the pricing and its desirability in the market. That is why you can build a new home in Jackson for around 275k to 300k, while it will cost you more in MF, Brookfield or Germantown for example.
All the suburbs of Milwaukee have good schools, IMO, and I would not be concerned about sending children to any of them. All of the communities mentioned are very similar and offer a wonderful quality of life.

[marvelousmelvin]

You may also want to look into Richfield. It has open land and new subdivisions going up. The schools change between Hartford and Germantown when it comes to district so keep track of that. But it's close to Holy Hill which has nice hiking trails without being too far out of the suburbs. You also have a selection of private schools in the area from St. Boniface to St. Cabrini.

[slamont61]

Originally Posted by ggm0109

Thank you quijote for all that helpful information. At this time we are considering buying land to build on, so which cities would you say are more affordable for land? If we don't find land within a few months then we are going to start looking at houses, but would like a large lot. So, which of these cities would have larger lots. My husband is working with a company that he will have a commute no matter where we live because it is not in one town it is in many of the towns I mentioned, so that is not really a big concern for us. We just want good schools, good parks, a large lot in an affordable community as we are middle class people, a nice community with families and activities surrounding such as hiking trails, lakes which I realize are all over that area, museums, kid fun activities and so on.

Lets say you really want to build. That would make the Lake Country Area in Waukesha County a good place to begin. There are plenty of communities that are still developing with new housing in Waukesha County however Lake Country is a great area to live in, especially where schools are concerned. Check out Please wait... (http://www.universitylake.org/Default.asp?bhcp=1 - broken link) for private schools. The Public schools in Lake Country are all excellent.

[tannerschmidt14]

I would reccomond Menominee Falls, Brookfield, or Brown Deer. They are close to shopping, not far from downtown, and overall nice communities with diverse populations.

[ggm0109]

Let's throw Cedarburg, Grafton, and Port Washington into the mix of those. What would you say about those. After driving around with a realtor we are focusing on those as well as Pewaukee, Lisbon, Sussex, Merton, and Hartland.