Considering moving from Southern CA to OKC.... (Edmond: relocation, car)

[wuds]

you'll probably want to skip norman if your husband is working near downtown. as others have said, east edmond is really nice with rolling, wooded hills, lake arcadia is nearby, easy access to interstate highways and mostly upscale homes. edmond is always among the top rated schools in the area if that is important. if you want an even slower pace and don't mind the drive, take a look at guthrie.
personally i live in far west okc, and it's nice this way too, but not near as pretty. i think you'll be amazed at what kind of housing you can get with your budget.

[ou_norman]

I think you will like both Edmond and Norman- I would definitely schedule a visit to both. Commute from Norman to downtown is generally a little bit more heavy traffic during rush hour. The main differences for me, are (1) Edmond is more of a bedroom community and (2) the Norman culture is very "locavore" in nature- You'll see a lot of bumper stickers reminding you to buy local, support local art, etc. You'll also see a bumper sticker saying "Don't Edmond My Norman," which embodies the mentality in Norman that Edmond is a soulless upper-middle class chain-store worshipping sprawled out dystopia- an exaggerated caricature of Edmond's true personality as a nice, convenient suburb.

I think deb mentioned the inventory problems in Nichols Hills- with your budget I would definitely take a look in Nichols Hills, just to see what's out there. It is mostly huge estates and smaller older homes, but there might be something interesting in there. The location of Nichols Hills is pretty rare- a wealthy suburban residential area that is extremely close to dining/shopping/culture/nightlife hotspots like Western Avenue, Penn Square, NW Expressway, and Chesapeake's new developments (including the city's first Whole Foods under construction). The surrounding neighborhoods are not bad neighborhoods, they just aren't as wealthy as Nichols Hills or East Edmond (which definitely does not equal poor)- they are working class areas like the Village, Belle Isle, and Mayfair.

Far Northwest Oklahoma City also has really nice areas with large homes, golf course developments, good schools, and access to the Quail Springs shopping area. It's a lot flatter and less forested than East Edmond.

[Bass&Catfish2008]

Originally Posted by ou_norman

I think you will like both Edmond and Norman- I would definitely schedule a visit to both. Commute from Norman to downtown is generally a little bit more heavy traffic during rush hour. The main differences for me, are (1) Edmond is more of a bedroom community and (2) the Norman culture is very "locavore" in nature- You'll see a lot of bumper stickers reminding you to buy local, support local art, etc. You'll also see a bumper sticker saying "Don't Edmond My Norman," which embodies the mentality in Norman that Edmond is a soulless upper-middle class chain-store worshipping sprawled out dystopia- an exaggerated caricature of Edmond's true personality as a nice, convenient suburb.

I think deb mentioned the inventory problems in Nichols Hills- with your budget I would definitely take a look in Nichols Hills, just to see what's out there. It is mostly huge estates and smaller older homes, but there might be something interesting in there. The location of Nichols Hills is pretty rare- a wealthy suburban residential area that is extremely close to dining/shopping/culture/nightlife hotspots like Western Avenue, Penn Square, NW Expressway, and Chesapeake's new developments (including the city's first Whole Foods under construction). The surrounding neighborhoods are not bad neighborhoods, they just aren't as wealthy as Nichols Hills or East Edmond (which definitely does not equal poor)- they are working class areas like the Village, Belle Isle, and Mayfair.

Far Northwest Oklahoma City also has really nice areas with large homes, golf course developments, good schools, and access to the Quail Springs shopping area. It's a lot flatter and less forested than East Edmond.

Excellent suggestions, OU_Norman.

I think you're right....with their budget they could definitely look at the Nichols Hills area. It's still my favorite area to drive around and look at Christmas lights during the holiday season.

The surrounding areas can be a tad sketchy, however. I know because I lived in the area just northeast of Nichols Hills and there are some gang-related issues....those type of areas do not bother me much, but it would be something to consider.

[debzkidz]

Originally Posted by Bass&Catfish2008

Excellent suggestions, OU_Norman.

I think you're right....with their budget they could definitely look at the Nichols Hills area. It's still my favorite area to drive around and look at Christmas lights during the holiday season.

The surrounding areas can be a tad sketchy, however. I know because I lived in the area just northeast of Nichols Hills and there are some gang-related issues....those type of areas do not bother me much, but it would be something to consider.

Definitely some of the best Christmas lights in town. Yeah, the OP might get lucky and find something in their price range In Nichols Hills. We were looking in the same price range as the OP (well actually the lower to mid part of their range). We just didn't have much time to look (like one week), and at the time we were house hunting everything worth living in was at the top of the budget and needed another $100,000 invested in remodeling. We were just able to buy a lot more house for the money in Edmond. I would love to live in Nichols Hills, it just wasn't in the cards for us, and we will never just move "in town".

[nightbird47]

Originally Posted by proudmomoc

Thanks again so much- the beaches are great, mountains too, but I can imagine there is a lot to explore in Okla and it has it's own beauty too. In addition, we have family in neighboring states to Ok- and are looking forward to a bit slower pace, friendly people, and a lot less traffic.

I'm about two weeks short of my second aniversery here. I moved from Riverside but have lived all over the lower half of socal. This is a very differnt place, but its got its own beauty. And while your looking forward to the slower pace I warn you it will take some getting used to. You'll feel like you might as well do it yourself. Here "soon" has a whole different meaning. But I think I'm starting to embrase it. Although it would have been so nice to get the ceiling fans in last month when they were supposed to be. But they are in now so I'm not going to let it be a bother.

One wonderful bonus here is the air. You can't smell it. The sky doesn't have that grey tinge from the smog even that socal had even on the best of days. I did come from Riverside where the smog is the worse in the country, but its taken awhile to actually get used to breathable air. If I'd been able to raise my kid here I would have. Kids don't need to grow up breating poisions.

Enjoy your trip too. This is a great time to take one across Arizona and New Mexico, just make sure the AC is working.

[Hazel Eyes]

Originally Posted by debzkidz

The west side of Edmond tends to be more flat with lots of what used to be farmland now housing developments. As for the east side of town, I was not referring to east of I-35. While that is even more hilly and green, it is a bit more rural. The entire area along the interstate (both east and west side) is more hilly. East of the interstate there in no real shopping, but there are several very nice housing developments. Although it is a bit more rural it is definitely not country and is still only a short 5 minute drive most of the shopping in Edmond. I live on the eastern side of Edmond, but I am west of the interstate. I live within 2 miles of a Super Target, Bed Bath and Beyond, Lowes, Walmart etc. I have heard people complain that the traffic on this side of town is worse than the west side, but to me, its really not bad at all. Believe me, I am a city girl. Born and raised in Dallas, and moved here from Houston. I do not do country!

Are the home prices higher in the East side of Edmond? We'll be paying cash for our home and am looking for one around $225,000...is that even possible there? I've pulled up some lovely homes online, but I don't know which area they're in...Also, are most homes in planned communities? I've seen some online where it didn't appear so, but again, not sure where the home is located...I really don't want an HOA added ...

The first thing we will do is find us a church...And, it appears there's no shortage of them...

And as far as the traffic back there, I'm not concerned about that at all. After driving the mean streets of L.A. I'm well prepared and equipped for what Edmond has...:>) Our traffic is legendary here....

[debzkidz]

I think prices are pretty consistent all over Edmond. The whole town is really nice. I'm sure you can probably find something in that price range, it just depends on what you are looking for. As for HOA's I think many of the neighborhoods have them but I don't think they all do, and they are really not expensive like in some areas. We don't have many real master planned communities, like you see in some areas of the country. A few, but not many. My neighborhood has HOA, but it's only a couple of hundred dollars a year, just to maintain the entrances greenbelts.

If you would like to send me a PM, I will see if I know anything about the specific areas you are looking at.

[knrstz]

Originally Posted by Hazel Eyes

We'll be paying cash for our home and am looking for one around $225,000...is that even possible there?

100% abosolutely, yes.

[Caliokiefornian]

I lived in southern CA from birth to age 12, and then in Norman OK from age 12 to 26. I'm back in CA now due to my husbands job, but we both really miss a lot about Norman!

Norman and Edmond are both nice, but Norman was my hometown, so I will tell you about it. The houses are very affordable, and for that price range you mentioned you'd be able to choose from building new out on acreage, buying/building in a newer development, or buying an older but nice home in one of the more established tree-lined neighborhoods.

It's a nice place for kids, bike riding around town, music festivals in summer, and a good variety of Thai, Mexican, Sushi, BBQ, etc..., given the size of the town.

Lake Thunderbird is a little bit muddy and gross, but I swam/camped/fished all around it as a teen and liked it. It's a 15 minute drive from the east edge of town.

I hope you and your family find a lot to enjoy about Oklahoma. It is hot as heck in the summer, so get some iced tea and a patio going no matter what you do!

[proudmomoc]

Thanks to all of you for the great information. We will look at both Edmond and Norman, maybe even Nichols Hills- more than likely we will be moving there by spring. We have to sell here first, but will be out for a week to look at homes. If anyone has any good realtors please feel free to leave me a message. Also, what about hospitals and doctors- any input on medical doctors- primary, pediatricians, hospitals? We really appreciate everything. It will definitely be an adjustment for not only us, but the kids adjusting to new schools, etc, but we are very excited about the slower pace, a bit more property, change in seasons, and the friendliness of people we are hearing about. Thanks again-