Where would you live...? (Milwaukee, New Berlin: for sale, real estate, homes)

[illzoni]

If you were moving to Milwaukee to work at Billy Mitchell Airport, where would you live?

Google Maps link:
to: 42.944529,-87.885392 - Google Maps (http://tinyurl.com/c3um6p - broken link)

I'd like to find a nice, 4-bedroom home with 2+ baths of at least 1800 square feet and maybe a 1/2 acre. That probably means more suburban or rural than urban, which is fine with me.

Would prefer to spend $200-250k, but may go $300k for the right place.

I'd prefer a commute of 30 minutes or less, but like price, I may be flexible for the right place. I think I'd prefer to commute south and/or west, avoiding commuting through the city. Does that make sense?

I'd prefer good schools for my kids, but I'm not all caught up in getting the absolute best schools. (Believe it's more about parents and kids than it is the school.)

Thx,
Jon

[Hntr]

My first choice would be to concentrate looking for a home in Oak Creek, then probably expand from there. I not sure about the schools in Caledonia and Franklin even though my SIL has lived in the former for twenty years and her son in the latter for ten.

[Hntr]

Here are a few listings from Oak Creek.

Oak Creek, WI, Real Estate Listings and Oak Creek, WI, Homes for Sale - REALTOR.com®


Expanding you range to half hour drive would include New Berlin, Muskego and a lot of little towns south and west of Mitchell Field.

This is a listing of homes within ten miles of Oak Creek.



Oak Creek, WI, Real Estate Listings and Oak Creek, WI, Homes for Sale - REALTOR.com®

[Milwaukee City]

Greendale

Oak Creek

Franklin

Caledonia

In that order.

[EnjoyEP]

Originally Posted by illzoni

If you were moving to Milwaukee to work at Billy Mitchell Airport, where would you live?

I currently live in what I think is one of the absolute great suburbs of Milwaukee (of course I am biased), the very underrated, unheralded Greendale, which is an inner ring burb extremely close in commute to Mitchell International.

Greendale is a tremendous family-oriented community - very safe with excellent schools, a unique history, a tremendous mix of old-village with semi-suburban and literally minutes to "urban" - however, the only "negative" I can think of to your criteria...

Originally Posted by illzoni

I'd like to find a nice, 4-bedroom home with 2+ baths of at least 1800 square feet and maybe a 1/2 acre. That probably means more suburban or rural than urban, which is fine with me.

I'm honestly not sure if Greendale would afford that *size* in plentiful options. It is an older, historic community, thus, for the bulk of housing stock, things are smaller with smaller "city" lot sizes, etc. However, there are many parts on the outer areas of Greendale that are newer which might fit your size criteria.

If you *could* find something that size in Greendale, you might strongly consider it, as another tremendous attribute of Greendale is - in comparison to I think similar caliber suburbs (such as Pewaukee, Hales Corners, Menomonee Falls, Muskego, etc.), the price tag of Greendale is much, much more affordable *in general terms*.

Originally Posted by illzoni

Would prefer to spend $200-250k, but may go $300k for the right place.

My initial reaction here is that "the guy wants to get a 4 BR, 2+ BA with 1800 square feet and a 1/2 acre" for $200K???? He's (with all due respect) nuts.

Overall, I still feel that way on the $200K scale. You aren't in general terms going to find great stuff by your criteria for anywhere near $200K.

However, then again, the housing market currently is what it is in this crazy economy, so this is a buyer's market galore. Who knows?? Maybe there are some crazy great deals out there - I wouldn't be shocked.

I will say that in this area / metro, the difference between what $200K could buy you and $300K could buy you is substantial. I am not anywhere near the $300K status for a home, so I can only speak by my study of real estate sites, mags, etc., but the closer you get to the $300K mark, the much, much more realistic your options for something fairly decent would be.

Originally Posted by illzoni

I'd prefer a commute of 30 minutes or less, but like price, I may be flexible for the right place. I think I'd prefer to commute south and/or west, avoiding commuting through the city. Does that make sense?

I'd prefer good schools for my kids, but I'm not all caught up in getting the absolute best schools. (Believe it's more about parents and kids than it is the school.)

I would probably check out communities like these:

(CLOSER-IN / MORE SUBURBAN):

-Greendale
-Greenfield (parts are going to be nothing like what you are interested in, but a few portions have some parts like you are interested in)
-Hales Corners
-Muskego
-Franklin (a pricier burb, but again, if you are in that $300K range, possibly doable - great suburb)
-Oak Creek (some of the newer portions are preferrable)

(FARTHER OUT / MORE RURAL):

-Mukwonago
-Caledonia
-Waterford