Need DeSoto County Info (Southaven, Olive Branch: sales, apartment, rental)

[chandatip]

My family is planning to relocate to Desoto County sometime in the next year (my husband got a new job in Memphis and is already living in an apartment there). I've been doing a lot of internet searching about the DeSoto County area, but I'm seeing a lot of conflicting info about it. I've read that Olive Branch is starting to have problems with gangs and crime spilling over from memphis. True? Where is the best area in DeSoto County to raise kids (I have a 4 yr old and a 7 yr old) as far as school systems, parks, etc. Please help!! I don't even know where to begin looking and he wants to start looking at houses. Are there any subdivisions to focus on, or to definitely stay away from?

[AEN2006]

Olive Branch and Lewisburg would be the best schools to go for. I would stay away from Magnolia Estates. There are a lot of rental houses in there. OB does have more crime than we used to but we're also growing rapidly. I'm not concerned with gangs in the schools. There are rumors but no one I know , including my kids, has ever seen any evidence of it or have there been any reports of any activity.

[captaindes]

I recently retired to Mississippi from California. I looked a great deal in the Olive Branch and Southaven areas, but was concerned about the traffic in Southaven and the distance from Olive Branch to Southaven/Memphis. I finally settled in Hernando. It is a fairly small town, right on Highway 55 so it is a quick trip to Memphis and the shopping in Southaven. The town is quaint (beautiful town square) and far enough from the "action" to still appeal to someone looking for peace. We have a Kroger (groceries), Wal Mart (doesn't everyone now?), banks, pharmacies, physicians, restaurants (don't miss Timbeaux's on the Square), etc. They have a beautiful park here that is full of children playing all the time. The schools are fairly new, and I have heard they are quite good. There are quite a number of homes on the market right now in some beautiful subdivisions...and it's a buyer's market, for sure.

[soccercoach61]

Personally, I would look to the new Lewisburg schools in Olive Branch or in Desoto Central schools in Southaven. They are both new, have the latest in technology, and have excellent ratings. In Southaven, there is a lot of new construction on the Getwell corridor south of Goodman, near Desoto Central. Southaven for the most part seems to be a little more upscale than Olive Branch, but there are some beautiful new subdivisions on Pleasant Hill north of Goodman road. I do think that personally, the government of Southaven is MUCH more on the ball than Olive Branch, which is basically run buy a network of good ole boys...

As far as the gang talk goes, there are gang members in every school, and those who choose to ignore or deny that fact will be condemned to relive the situation that the Memphis City Schools are now facing. (Which is the reason there are 12-15 families per day moving into Desoto County...)

[jriecke]

I moved to olive branch 9 months ago and I have no complaints. I have a 4 yr old daughter and a 7 year old son. My son loves his school (Overpark Elementary, part of the Center Hill school zone in olive branch)

Having been here a for a few months, where we live now isn't bad, but it isn't ideal, I wish we had found a house a little further south than we did still in Olive branch just not so close the the state line, but frankly, I've had no problems here.

We did look in Hernando and it's a lovely town but it added another 30 minutes to a 30 minute commute for my husband so we stuck with olive branch. Hernando is a quicker commute if you are going to the western end of Memphis (right off 55) but if you are going to eastern memphis it takes a bit longer.

Parts of southaven aren't bad I guess, but the traffic congestion on Goodman Road is extremely frusturating. I find myself driving up to Memphis (winchester road) to shop sometimes, paying higher sales tax because I can't stand the drive to Southaven.

All in all Olive Branch is a great place and Southaven is worth looking twice at.