Question about Homeowner's Insurance in Mobile (Steele: construction loan, property taxes, homes)

[Keeper]

Thank you Bama Mom.. we have been waiting for you!!!! I know others have said the schools in Mobile are not the best but since I don't live in that area anymore I was waiting for someone who knew better than me..

[bls5555]

Originally Posted by bama mom

Before you think about Housing you should check out the school systems. Everything is available on the internet for the public school systems. Compare Mobile to Baldwin County. I don't know why but there seems to be a BIG difference! Housing may be less expensive in Mobile but if your children end up in a private school you really haven't accomplished much.

What towns would I look at for Baldwin County schools? Thanks.

[Keeper]

Spanish Fort, Daphne are the ones most talked about here.

Where are you going to be working? That is the main question as if you are working in Gulfport MS, the drive would be over an hour each way. If you are working from home or in Mobile then you this area might be for you

[bama mom]

First thing you have to consider- Your income and ability to pay a mortgage. There are several good areas in Baldwin County. Eastern Shore-Spanish Fort seems to be the HOT spot and there are several reasons for that. (Close to I-10, excellent schools, low crime rate, I would say more than average # of educated residents. Homes in average to HIGH price range) Will you have a commute each day? If so, which direction- Mobile, Mississippi or Florida? Or, have you been lucky enough to land a good job in Mobile? To the best of my knowledge Spanish Fort has the BEST schools in Baldwin County. There are 2 elementary schools- Spanish Fort Elem. and Rockwell Elem. Spanish Fort is K-6. Rockwell is K-5. One Middle School which is combined with the High School- grades 7-12. The Middle School is currently under construction and appears to be one of the best schools in the area. I think it is scheduled to open Aug. 2008. It should accomodate 6-8 grades. When it opens, the combo Middle School/High School will only be a High School. Spanish Fort High School is also new. Someone can correct me if I am wrong but I seem to remember when Spanish Fort High a opened a couple of years ago it was for 7th thru 10th grades only. They have added a higher grade each year and this will be the first graduating class for them. Before Spanish Fort had Middle and High Schools the children went to Daphne or a private school. I can't say this enough- Do your Homework. Research the area for statistics. If I knew the web site I would give it to you but believe me if I can find it, anyone can. I was surprised at what I found. You will get everything from how many homes in the area to how many children are in each class room. It will list the # of teachers and their degrees. School violations, free and reduced lunches. How many parents in Spanish Fort with a college education- it's amazing. Compare each city- Spanish Fort, Daphne and Fairhope. I can only tell you a little about Daphne. It is south of I-10 (watch out for insurance problems if considering buying a home there). Much higher crime rate. A lot more commercial property. Spanish Fort is like a suburb of sorts and it is north of I-10 Most of it is housing. There is one upscale mall and one grocery store and a few other small businesses. I would not consider it to be a commercial area. Don't get me wrong Daphne is where we all shop and dine out, I just wouldn't want to live there. Daphne has one HUGE subdivison called Lake Forest. Everyone that I know that has bought a house there regretted it immediately. Several people were able to get rid of those "hard to sell" houses after Hurricane Katrina. Overall, the Eastern Shore is a very nice place. Everything depends on how much can you afford? and how far are you willing to commute each day. Hope this helps!

[Threestep]

Originally Posted by bls5555

3 beds (preferably 4), 1.5 baths, good elementary school, nice family neighborhood.

Those are the requirements.

Prefer older neighborhoods. I really dislike the newer subdivisions.

That's about it.

You only answered part of my question. This describes a house in every city in the US. What specifics are you looking for, what budget are you working with? In Birmingham this fall between 200k and 2MM within a mile:>) You are asking the same question everywhere?

[Bravo35223]

Originally Posted by bama mom

First thing you have to consider- Your income and ability to pay a mortgage. There are several good areas in Baldwin County. Eastern Shore-Spanish Fort seems to be the HOT spot and there are several reasons for that. (Close to I-10, excellent schools, low crime rate, I would say more than average # of educated residents. Homes in average to HIGH price range) Will you have a commute each day? If so, which direction- Mobile, Mississippi or Florida? Or, have you been lucky enough to land a good job in Mobile? To the best of my knowledge Spanish Fort has the BEST schools in Baldwin County. There are 2 elementary schools- Spanish Fort Elem. and Rockwell Elem. Spanish Fort is K-6. Rockwell is K-5. One Middle School which is combined with the High School- grades 7-12. The Middle School is currently under construction and appears to be one of the best schools in the area. I think it is scheduled to open Aug. 2008. It should accomodate 6-8 grades. When it opens, the combo Middle School/High School will only be a High School. Spanish Fort High School is also new. Someone can correct me if I am wrong but I seem to remember when Spanish Fort High a opened a couple of years ago it was for 7th thru 10th grades only. They have added a higher grade each year and this will be the first graduating class for them. Before Spanish Fort had Middle and High Schools the children went to Daphne or a private school. I can't say this enough- Do your Homework. Research the area for statistics. If I knew the web site I would give it to you but believe me if I can find it, anyone can. I was surprised at what I found. You will get everything from how many homes in the area to how many children are in each class room. It will list the # of teachers and their degrees. School violations, free and reduced lunches. How many parents in Spanish Fort with a college education- it's amazing. Compare each city- Spanish Fort, Daphne and Fairhope. I can only tell you a little about Daphne. It is south of I-10 (watch out for insurance problems if considering buying a home there). Much higher crime rate. A lot more commercial property. Spanish Fort is like a suburb of sorts and it is north of I-10 Most of it is housing. There is one upscale mall and one grocery store and a few other small businesses. I would not consider it to be a commercial area. Don't get me wrong Daphne is where we all shop and dine out, I just wouldn't want to live there. Daphne has one HUGE subdivison called Lake Forest. Everyone that I know that has bought a house there regretted it immediately. Several people were able to get rid of those "hard to sell" houses after Hurricane Katrina. Overall, the Eastern Shore is a very nice place. Everything depends on how much can you afford? and how far are you willing to commute each day. Hope this helps!

Thank you for your contribution but could you break up your responses into paragraphs to make them easier to read?

[linc]

bama mom,

Thank you for all the information. I am looking at the same area to move and really appreciate all the responses you have given.

Thanks again.

[bama mom]

If you have any other questions concerning Baldwin County let me know. I will share any info I have.

[bullittman]

if you want a older home in a older neighborhood in your price range, you will have to look in midtown and put you kids in private school. if you look to the eastern shore (baldwin county) daphne, fairhope and spanish fort you will find good schools and newer, higher priced homes. you can also look to west mobile, which has good schools, new homes that will be lower in price than baldwin county. they will be homes you say you hate. mobile also has magnet schools, which are better schools. they are mostly black schools that they have put a lot of federal money in , to attract white kids to attend. you have to apply to enter the schools and have good grades.

[40yogranny]

In your search for a home, if you log onto on realtor.com, you can enter your criteria for the square footage, number of bedrooms, baths, etc, and price range you are looking for. It's a great tool. Another good tool is fsbo.com (for sale by owner). My husband and I are planning to move to the Mobile area early next year as well and the question regarding homeowners insurance was one we needed answered too. This site is a great resource for all kinds of various information regarding the area and if you google mobile, alabama, there are a couple other helpful sites, but as far as getting feedback from people who live there, this one is the best I've found.