Lake Caroline? (Jackson, Ridgeland, Madison: for sale, real estate, lease)

[brit0211]

Does anyone live in the Lake Caroline area of Madison?

What are your thoughts?

We'd be moving from Indiana/Tennessee

[auntbee]

I haven't lived there, but I do know it's a nice area. I saw on the news not long ago that the golf course was closed which made a lot of the residents angry.

[george.co.msgirl]

Lake Caroline is a beautiful area. The golf course closing did make a lot of residents angry because they argued it would make their home values decline. I live in Madison the City and am partial to it for convenience. Lake Caroline adds to your drive and you have to check which school district they are in. All of the Madison (the city) schools have a very good reputation but the Canton schools are poor performing. Both Madison and Canton are in Madison Co. so you have to clarify which Madison it is discussing.
Good Luck.

[Sierratipper]

I am not sure if you have already moved to the area, but here is some additional food for thought. We looked at the Lake Caroline area when we moved here two and a half years ago, but we weren't that impressed. It is a lot of money for what you get - no yard to speak of, a small lake (not much area to boat), and it is pretty far out with really bad roads. We found a place on the Reservoir that is beautiful, much bigger, with a pool and boat house for less money. I am not sure if you have considered the Reservoir area, but it would be worth checking out if you have not already done so. Those are just my two cents. Good luck!

[longtimemadisonman]

Lake Caroline is the Premier property in Madison. The Lake is about 1,000 acres and is never crowded. The crime is non existant but the property is expensive---You get what you pay for. The resevoir is public and crime is much higher but it is larger. Most of the land at the resevoir is never owned but leased from the government for 100-year terms which makes a lot of people nervous and also affects property values. The golf course at Caroline did close because the land is so valuable. Some houses across from Lake Caroline are selling for around $500,000. There is also a strong owners' assocciation that does a great job protecting property values. The drive into jackson is about 20 minutes during rush hour and most of it is on I-55 which was 3-laned just last year... not sure what they mean by bad roads. Houses are expensive but builders are very cheap now, and it may be a good time to buy a lot and build your own house. By the way, it takes about 45 min. to drive into Jackson from the Resevoir--another reason for cheap prices. The Madison schools are OK but St. Andrews private school is ranked top 100 in the country and the tuition is very reasonable. St. Andrews is about 12 min. from Lake Caroline. If you're still unsure, count the number of For Sale Signs--there's a reason people are leaving the resevoir. Good Luck and welcome to Mississippi!!!

[george.co.msgirl]

longtimemadisonman,

I agree with you on the Lake Caroline area being more exclusive than the Reservoir. Though the Reservoir deserves its due as a beauty also.
I also agree with you on St. Andrews being a very good school. However, reasonable on the tuition fees I beg to differ. Tuition is around $10,000+ per child per year. It is probably the most expensive one here in Jackson. The Madison schools give some heavy competition to St. Andrews (Madison Central graduates as many or more National Merit Finalists as St. A.) I am not partial to either because my kids started MRA when we were living in Ridgeland. We stayed at MRA because my kids loved it and they were doing well. This is not a plug for MRA because had my kids started out in the Madison City schools making friends they would be happy also.

[Sierratipper]

I just wanted to follow up on the Reservoir comments - crime is pretty much non-existent here - not sure what the previous comments are in reference to. Also, there are VERY few homes for sale on the Reservoir and they are for sale anywhere from $400,000 to $700,000+. So overall, they are not cheap, but you still get a lot of home for your money. The Reservoir is BEAUTIFUL. We are very sorry to be leaving it, but we are moving out-of-state for a job transfer. Also, the schools in the area are very good. Anyway...Lake Caroline is a nice area, but we just found that the Reservoir better suited our desires. Good luck!

[mswebb06]

Lake Caroline is a beautiful place no doubt, keep in mind when you move out there you are not looking for a "yard" people move out there to say they live out at L.C. and to enjoy the water.


However, Reunion and Lost Rabbit are quickly gaining more population.

[auntbee]

Originally Posted by Sierratipper

I just wanted to follow up on the Reservoir comments - crime is pretty much non-existent here - not sure what the previous comments are in reference to. Also, there are VERY few homes for sale on the Reservoir and they are for sale anywhere from $400,000 to $700,000+. So overall, they are not cheap, but you still get a lot of home for your money. The Reservoir is BEAUTIFUL. We are very sorry to be leaving it, but we are moving out-of-state for a job transfer. Also, the schools in the area are very good. Anyway...Lake Caroline is a nice area, but we just found that the Reservoir better suited our desires. Good luck!

Unless you want to live right on the reservoir, there are plenty of houses for sale in the area and many of them are under $400,000.

[Retiredandlovinit]

I have lived at Lake Caroline for four years. It is the greatest, most awesome place you have ever lived. Yes, the golf course is closed. But, it is LAKE Caroline! Trophy bass in the lake are very numerous. We have just completed the best 4th of July cooking and fireworks display in the history of the Lake. Boats are plentiful and are not overwhelming. There's plenty of room on the 850 acre lake for skiing and fishing. Property sales have been affected more by the mortgage crisis and national real estate attention more so than local issues. We have had over 20 new residents move into the near 1000 family community in the past two months. If you are planning to move to the Metro-Jackson area, Lake Caroline definitely deserves your attention. We are retired here and lovin it!!!