Where is the Best Area to Live in or around Mobile (Spanish Fort: apartment, to rent)

[ccm2000]

I like www.mobilerealtor.com. You can still get homeowners insurance through certain companies. I would stay north of I-10 to be on the safe side. A lot of policies were canceled south of town. I am building a house now and found out that Allstate and State Farm are not including wind coverage (you have to get wind coverage through the beach pool). The total price for coverage on my new house would have been $2700 with Allstate. I went with Farmer's Insurance for $1200 with wind coverage. They have moved into town and are taking up all the policies that the others are giving up.

[BEVH]

Originally Posted by ccm2000

I like www.mobilerealtor.com. You can still get homeowners insurance through certain companies. I would stay north of I-10 to be on the safe side. A lot of policies were canceled south of town. I am building a house now and found out that Allstate and State Farm are not including wind coverage (you have to get wind coverage through the beach pool). The total price for coverage on my new house would have been $2700 with Allstate. I went with Farmer's Insurance for $1200 with wind coverage. They have moved into town and are taking up all the policies that the others are giving up.

I have a policy addendum with State Farm that says they can't cancel me. Wonder if that applies to homeowners in the state. It is because I have insured with them for 35 years and I have a written letter from their corproate office.

[BEVH]

Oh I do not plan to buy without coming and looking around. Just thought I might save time getting you locals opinions of where not to live.

I can;t rent have 2 dogs and 3 cats.

[downtowndoll]

I have lived all over Mobile (Spring Hill area, West Mobile, and Midtown) for more than 15 years now. I also lived in Fairhope for 3 months and commuted to Mobile (I don't recommend it!). Many of you know my favorite: Midtown.
Mobile Area Association of Realtors features real estate listings for the entire Alabama Gulf Coast area including Mobile, the Eastern Shore, and Gulf Shores, Alabama. Real Estate property listing data is supplied by the Gulf Coast MLS in Mobile, AL. click on Midtown South, East and West to look at homes.

If we had jobs on the Eastern Shore and not Mobile, I would live in Fairhope in the Fruit and Nut District or in Daphne on Capt. O'Neil Drive, close by the cute little Daphne Main St. It's become very expensive.

But since most will have jobs in Mobile, I'd pick Midtown because it's known as a nice area and will continue to be because more and more people are moving here and redoing homes. Homes are close together so people are very neighborly. Someone who doesn't like to socialize would not be happy here. I know a lot of people in my Oakleigh Garden District area; many from 5 blocks away. Plus it's close to the Eastern Shore shopping as well or the Mobile mall area, so I don't have to go out to Schillinger Road in far West Mobile. House prices are around $150 a sq ft( a home like that should be completely renovated recently) in many places.

The areas spinning North & South off Dauphin Street between Florida St. & Ann St. will have homes in your price range. Try to find a stucco or brick home if you worry about the maintenance. Street names off the top of my head: Mohawk, Glenwood, Hunter, South, Carlen etc. have an abundance of the smaller homes that date from mostly 1920's - 1940's. The little dead end streets like Japonica , Elizabeth, etc. are good.

Many refuse to live anywhere except Spring Hill. Another acceptable is Midtown. Can be $200 a sq ft and more in Spring Hill. Even if you bought some crummy, dated ranch house in that area and just sat tight, 5 years later someone wants to buy it from you just to tear it down for the land. Big regret that we weren't smart enough in the beginning to do that! Prices have been reduced for many homes, though so this fall would be a good time to buy.

West Mobile is fine but I moved from there because the drive and traffic really drove me nuts. I know it's nothing compared to commute from larger cities but I just want to be 10 minutes or less from everywhere. The neighborhoods seem to go down after about 15 years or so because people move up and before you know it, the new homes are really dated. Our first house we built in West Mobile was dated after 5 years( to some buyers)! It just doesn't seem to hold its value like certain areas in Eastern shore, Midtown and Spring Hill. People also tend to drive into their garages after their long commute and then they don't come out!

Regardless, I think you would want to go ahead and buy. I personally believe the prices were a little too high because many of us thought Air Bus was about to send us a ton of executives to Spring Hill and Midtown. The tanker deal has been put out to be rebid; decision maybe in Dec., we hope. Prices have really had to correct! If we get the tanker deal after all, prices will again go up in the spring, I think.

[RedEagle]

My future plan is to buy a nice lot and build. Check out some of the new subdivisions starting to pop up in the Hillcrest and other areas in West Mobile. One would be off of Girby Rd near Knollwood Hospital and the other would be Stonemill Rd off of Hillcrest. That's just two areas, but what I'm talking about.

[downtowndoll]

One reason I previously suggested the streets I did in Midtown is that these are good areas that the city's elite routinely pick as starter homes before they eventually make their way to future mansions in Spring Hill, Midtown or Ashland Place(which is actually in Midtown). And you asked for the "Best" areas with $190K to spend. So, it's definitely a good investment(prices tend to be higher plus those areas will have little block parties,etc.) AND would be a pleasant place to meet people (that you would actually enjoy meeting).

Yes, West Mobile will be cheaper because it is so large an area. Especially with gas prices becoming similar to what Europe has experienced for many years now, we will see the closer-in areas of Midtown becoming even more in demand. I mean, what if gas goes up even more in the immediate future? In Spring Hill & Midtown, there is huge demand for smaller areas that are close in and (traditionally desired) so prices are higher.

Truthfully, the city's elite just doesn't want to move to anywhere except Midtown or Spring Hill. It's just the way it is. If it's a shack in Spring Hill , they are in it, if that's all that's available! I've followed it for years, thought it was stupid when I first moved here, until I was forced to realize that that's where the real estate $ is. You need to know that West Mobile is nonexistent on my friends' list; it's like a country they cannot move to. I wish someone had told me this when I first moved here before we built 2 houses in West Mobile that none of them would drive out to visit.

In Spring Hill area, you do have some options, not many though. I would personally choose Midtown over these. There are 2 'hoods that could do for you: Uber cute little neighborhood just West of McGregor/ Stein ST. (Princess Anne is one street) and a little neighborhood that is around Lavretta Park (Country Club something?). The Lavretta area hasn't been completely gentrified yet, but they are surrounded by bigger homes.

I think that Girby Rd. area/ Knollwood area would be a nice location, closer in than most W. Mobile properties. My mother did this in Fairhope, spent about $42K for lot, then about $130K (4 yrs. ago) for a 2100 sq ft house in Rock Creek. The valuation now is probably about $400K, but she is on an unusually "good street".

20-15 years ago, things were different; everyone was doing the "white flight" thing because of downtown's then decline, but now there has been lots of development of downtown,midtown. I guess it was about 6+ years ago, we lived in West Mobile and noticed the good things happening about 10 years ago. Well known people in arts, politics, etc. were deciding to move to Midtown. Of course, many of the city's long-time society people stayed put in Midtown & Spring Hill anyway.

We decided to move as well (spending about 2 years thinking , "Are we sure we want to do this?" since we had never lived in a downtown environment before) and ,I'm serious, it changed our lives. The networking we've done as a result have helped me get involved in causes I'm really passionate about, now my children are grown. Doors have opened to me that may not have if I lived elsewhere, because I would not know these people in the first place. And these people are great, fun people to know; the best! We are not from here and had 0 connections. People really appreciate you coming in and just keeping up your house nicely.

I still really like the streets I named in the previous post (around beautiful Spanish style Murphy High School) because it's a larger area and pretty insulated for the most part. I think it's the perfect place to get your bearings in a 300 year old city like Mobile. Should you decide to move to a larger home, you may want to keep it to rent to Van Winkle the VIII's kids or the latest scandalous Spring Hill divorcee'!
Feel free to PM me as you look around.

[villanova]

Are there rentals in Midtown? What might a 1 bdrm. be priced at?

[oscottscotto]

Originally Posted by villanova

Are there rentals in Midtown? What might a 1 bdrm. be priced at?

Are you speaking of a 1 bedroom house? I don't know about that, but house rentals price-wise depend on the midtown location. You can get extremely cheap 2-3 bedroom rentals (under $500) in some areas. Can't promise they'd be good areas though. You can get moderate 2-3 bedroom rentals in decent areas ($600-$700). And in some snooty areas, it might be more. Keep in mind, last time I rented a house was in 2005 . I'm sure someone knows better than I.

[villanova]

I was referring to a 1 bdrm. apt. Sorry. Also, how far is the commute from Midtown to Spanish Fort? Thanks.

[oscottscotto]

Originally Posted by villanova

I was referring to a 1 bdrm. apt. Sorry. Also, how far is the commute from Midtown to Spanish Fort? Thanks.

I don't think Dauphine has one bedrooms. There are some complexes off Dauphin just east of 65 behind both strip malls on the south and north side. I'd just look for room that is being rented out in a townhome or something. There are also the "white things" on Florida between Airport and Dauphin (townhomes? apartments?) I never knew what to call them. I would say it would be 20-25 minutes from Midtown to Spanish Fort.