Might move to Hattiesburg (Biloxi, Petal: rentals, houses, school district)

[DBGomey]

My husband is Army and we are considering moving to Hattiesburg area in the winter. We don't have children so school district is not an issue. We'd prefer to rent a house but craigslist doesn't show many houses on the rental market. We're trying to get an idea of the rental market to decide if the housing community would even be a good fit for us.

I've lived in the suburbs, rural areas, and urban areas so I can appreciate all that the area may have to offer. If we do move to the area my husband would be working at Camp Shelby. Right now he has a 30 minute commute to work and as long as we live within a 50 mile radius from the Camp we should be ok.

I do like the fact that New Orleans and Biloxi are only 1-1.5 hours away. I love that USM and community colleges are in the area (working on a nursing degree).

If we do move to the area, it'll be from Hawaii, so visiting the area to see what it's like would be difficult and expensive. It's been frustrating trying to house hunt and get an idea of the rental market on the Internet. Any insight, comments, and/or advice would be greatly appreciated.

[saxon75]

You might look into Petal or Wiggins for places to live. They are really close to Camp Shelby and might give you more options. Or if you wanted to go a little further south you could look into Perkinston, Saucier or in Stone County. Wiggins has a lot of rentals that are older houses. Rent is still pretty reasonable there and would probably be cheaper than living in Hattiesburg. Wiggins has the junior college but Hattiesburg having USM probably has more students. Good Luck and I hope that you enjoy the area.


Stephanie
(I am using my husband's account)

[DBGomey]

Saxon75,
Thanks for the input. I know my husband would prefer to live away from the hustle and bustle of the city, yet be close enough for an evening out.

Just out of curiosity, what are utilities like in the area for ~1500sq ft house? That's what we're in right now and we pay upwards to $300 a month for electricity...I gag every time I get the bill!

[Tama]

If you will be at Shelby--wouldn't they have lists for housing? There are rentals particularly now with people having trouble selling. There is no hustle and bustle--Hattiesburg is a small city. The area around the USM or Wm Carey campuses are easy commutes to Shelby and have homes for rent.
Check the hewspaper--it is online--Hattiesburg-American.

[DBGomey]

Tama,
I have checked the newspaper, craigslist, several rental websites, and the armed forces housing referral network, and have only found a handful of places available. I guess I'll have to hire a realtor to find what we need. Unfortunately, the military doesn't usually provide a list of houses available unless it's through privatized military housing on the base. They only provide a list of areas that are off limits to military personnel.
Thanks for your input.

[Tama]

Good luck--I think you will find something that's a good fit, but being out-of-town will make it harder. A realtor might be the answer.