Moving To OKC ..... (Norman, Edmond, Mustang: cul-de-sac, HOA, mortgage)

[thomjoe]

I am looking for some feedback on what it's like to live in OKC in the Paseo/NW side of the city. I currently live in a very liberal large city in the Midwest, but have an opportunity to move to OKC. I am a mid 40's male, single, so schools are not a big issue. I am looking for a progressive and upcoming neighborhood in the city. I know I would have to give up Trader Joe's and Costco, but would it be worth it ? What would make me like OKC ? I did hear the Paseo district is cool. Is it that an upcoming area ? I have been to OKC for business numerous times, but never looked at it as a place to live. Since I'm from the Midwest, I realize the power, beauty and devastation that the skies can bring. I am not afraid of that. But I am used to being around lakes and creeks. Should I consider OKC ?

[thomjoe]

BTW- I will be in OKC soon to check it out in person and get a feel of the neighborhoods and see for myself, but I really appreciate your feedback, especially if you are familiar with the area. Are any neighborhoods into porch/block parties ? It seems there a lot of homes with porches in OKC, from what I saw. OKC-tell me if I should move or not ? Or should I stay away ?

[happytown]

Heritage Hills/Mesta park/Edgmere/Lincoln Terrace/Crowne Heights/Nichols Hills and many others- these all have large homes and mansions with trees and beautiful landscaping- many can be purchased at a low price. I would try to invest near the bricktown area because of the development. PM if you need additional info.

[happytown]

The paseo area is wonderful, but you will find that since it is the oldest(1930)and only artist community in oklahoma it has high rent. Filled with hippie cool bars and eateries/galleries all in old stucco buildings. But there are many homes that need a good owner and can be found for good prices that are close by. Where you are coming from- this would be your destination. Many neighborhoods are located around and near this community with brownstones and large porches for enjoyment. This is by far one of the best/fun places to live in Okc. Wish I could live there. If you want major attractions, then bricktown and downtown are a short drive away or even walk(if you have too much to drink!).Many areas in Okc are very safe because of all the development. Natural creeks are common. although it has small rolling hills the city will absorb you with its personality. best of luck to you.

[thomjoe]

Happytown,

Thanks for the info. I am from the Twin Cities of Minneapolis/St. Paul, which has gotten so expensive. Luckily I bought my home 14 years ago, before the home prices escalated. My bro lives in OKC, so I would have family there. I am just looking for change and some warmer weather. I will be down this weekend to check out the area.

[thomjoe]

I found some really cool hoods in OKC. I especially liked Edgemere and Crown Heights, as it reminded me of the area I live in now in MSP. Walker Ave. has some great joints

Being from MSP, it is just odd seeing grit and progressive in just a two square block area. But, OKC has some super cool areas. This city does have some great 'hoods. Or should I say "secrets"?

[happytown]

I hope it was helpful. You really need a tour guide to explain the renewal of OKC. It has 9 historic neighborhoods that are separated by what you would call "grit" or pockets of decline. This is because of the large area OKC covers leaving many beautiful historic small/med/large homes in decay. Im surprised you didnt mention Heritage Hills- These mansions rival Black and Gold row quite well. Many BIG TIME politicians in the state and nation designed and lived in them. Also Nichols Hills is the richest area in the state. Just one street called Grand Blvd. is lined with huge parks with running trails and mansions and stretches for miles. I have known MANY people who have bought homes in certain areas and double their investment in 3 YEARS. These are actually the homes you need to investigate if you do decide to live here with your bro, these homes are also historic and like I said need the dirt wiped off of them(they are rising in value because of the renewal). Its a bit confusing/OKC is very diverse. Investment into one of these homes is expected to rise very quickly, because money is pouring in from all angles. So yes OKC is ONE HUGE SECRET AND MY ADVICE IS TO BUY WHILE THE MARKET IS HOT. A REALITOR IN NICHOLS HILLS WILL BE YOUR BEST HOPE TO DIG. My advice is to buy near the state capital(Lincoln Terrace) they say prices are expected to rise 5x the value in 3-5 years- serious renewal. Have a good day- happytown.

[Parkerpa]

Dont forget N.W OKC!! Lake Hefner!! sail boats, walking trails, parasailing,
beautiful homes around the lake. Or a home around a private lake. Beautiful
parks with fishing ponds. Only 15minutes from downtown!!

[jgjgjg]

Folks, I'm thinking of moving the family to OKC from Houston next year. The issue of housing is uppermost in my mind, and I'd like to get your thoughts on whether I'm going to be able to find what I'm seeking at the price I'm thinking.

The "dream home" for me would be a 5 bedroom, or 4 bedroom w/study, on 1-3 acres (more is better), in an area within 15 minutes of necessities (groceries, gas, etc). Definitely looking for a "cul-de-sac" or other type of low traffic area so the kids can play in the street w/o worrying about cars. Strongly prefer an area where the tree weren't planted yesterday, and either lacking an HOA or having a minimally intrusive one. City services (no septic tank). I'd like to be "close" to Will Rogers w/o being so close I hear the planes take off.

Prioritizing that above from most important to least: city services, bedroom count, kid friendly locale, less intrusive HOA, close to work, acreage, "close to the store", age of neighborhood.

Is that type of inventory available, and what's a general range of price for that type in OKC?

Quality of neighborhood. I don't need to live next to the guy whose trophy wife vacations in Morocco. On the other hand, I don't want to live next to the guy who runs a part time auto repair shop on his 1.5 acre "horse farm".

We homeschool our kids and so have little concern about the quality of local schools. On the other hand, I do want to move to an area where it's likely there are lots of little kids in the area so my little kids can make local friends.

As far as budget, I don't want to quote one right now as my wife and I haven't fully thought it through. If we can find something about the same cost as what we have now, we may well decide to dig into our savings and buy the house outright. I am loathe to go into another mortgage as our current one is almost paid off. But, that may be necessary.

If you're a homeschool family, I'd love to hear from you about your experiences in OK in general and OKC specifically.

[Nameless]

How close would you like to be to Will Rogers?

Deer Creek is a desireable area these days with a number of homes on 1-3 acres and is within 15 minutes of essential shopping. However, most of the homes are new, therefore all of the trees will have been planted yesterday. It varies from 30-45 minutes to the airport there, depending on your location.

Keep in mind while searching for homes though that Deer Creek is not incorporated, so you will have to search for OKC or Edmond to get results in that area.

You may look into the Mustang area, it is growing by leaps and bounds and will have all of the necessities: fast food, groceries, bank, doctor, etc, etc. There are a number of neighborhood's with small acreages out there, but again, they tend to be newer. The drive to the airport would vary between 10-20 minutes depending on location.

Another option is the Tri-Cities are which consists of Newcastle, Blanchard and Tuttle.

All of these cities have just started growing recently and offer a number of multi-acreage house sites. But again, you may have the problem of trees in that area.

Newcastle is the closest to all the city conveniences and is only roughly a 15 minute drive to the airport.

Blanchard is a bit farther south of Newcastle and it's similar, however it may be a bit far from conveniences for you. It's just 15 minutes from Norman though, so it may be ok.

Tuttle is similar too and it's 5 minutes west of Newcastle.

As for housing prices: I'm no expert in this department, but I'd venture a guess that a 4 bed home (2500-3000 sq ft) on an acreage or two may be roughly $300-$350k, but that's a rough guess. So don't take my word for it.