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Old 08-04-2007, 11:45 PM
 
40 posts, read 156,528 times
Reputation: 21

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Hi Everyone,

This is my first post here and may very well be the most important post I have ever submitted on the Net. We are preparing to relocate to the Ft Sill area in the next 45 days and need all the advice we can get. Let me start off be telling everyone a little about us.

We are a family of 5. My wife is full blooded German and my 3 kids are bilingual. I have one boy (age 14) and two girls (ages 13 and 5). I am currently a DA civilian working as an IT Specialist. We will be bringing a $72K+ family income to the community. We have been living in Germany for the past 10 years. We currently live in the rural region of Bavaria. Mostly all our neighbors are farmers. We live right next to the Grafenwoehr/Vilseck training area that services all of Germany and some NATO forces for live fire exercises. We have always been an Army family (I was formerly active duty) so we are well versed on the Army way of life.

Now, I have read through all the posts about the Lawton area. I have noticed a tilt toward much negativity in the area. I do realize, however, that depending on ones social/economic standings, opinions of a particular area can vary greatly. What I am looking for is objective information about the surrounding area (not just Lawton). Since I am not a retiree, there is no requirement for us to live close to Post. My family will no longer have access to the Commissary or PX. With the exception of me accessing the installation for work purposes, my family and I will be living pure Civilian lives.

Here is where the questions come in. We plan on buying a home as soon as we get there. This will be the first home we are buying and are very excited in the prospects of owning our own home (and investing in the community). We are not looking for city life, however, we do not want to live in an area where the closest neighbor is 3 miles away (our kids do need a simple social life). Any comments or suggestions on the below subject areas that can help guide our decision making process is greatly appreciated.

1. Good communities in surrounding area
2. Good schools for the kids
3. Homes - 4/2 between $150-250K
4. Local amenities for the stated community (ie. shopping, recreation, Internet connection)

Thank you in advance for reading my post and I look forward to all comments that the community has to offer.
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Old 08-05-2007, 08:07 AM
 
Location: Hughes County, Oklahoma
3,160 posts, read 10,593,982 times
Reputation: 1145
Hi HarryT

I do not live in the Lawton area, but I would suggest you look at realtor.com for your housing needs. I looked and there were some nice homes in your price range that were completed in Lawton. I noticed there are quite a few homes pictured under construction, but you only have 45 days so those might not be an option. You would be living in the nicer parts of town for sure.

Cache, Elgin, and Marlow are surrounding towns that might not have some of the problems other posters have described, but I don't know if you could find a suitable home there in your time frame. If you don't mind a commute, you might want to look at Duncan.

I would hazard a guess that almost any public school in the US is going to be rougher than what your children have experienced in Germany. Lawton has some private schools that you might want to consider.

I hope some Lawton area posters will give you some info. How about it, guys? Maybe PM a recommendation for a realtor?
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Old 08-05-2007, 09:38 AM
 
Location: Fort Worth/Dallas
11,887 posts, read 36,829,643 times
Reputation: 5663
Guten Tag! I know you're not German, but you say that your wife is and I'm certain you know quite a bit of German. I lived in Mannheim for two years and loved it. peggy had some good advice. I don't know much about Lawton either. It's not exactly the garden spot of Oklahoma, for sure, but like you said, what you make of a place pretty much depends on your attitude, and social/economic standing. You sound like you have a very good attitude and I think with your income you can get a place that is decent, and middle class. You might also look at Zillow - Real Estate Valuations, Homes for Sale, Free Real Estate Information. It has a lot of good information on home values. Good luck to you and welcome back to the States!
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Old 08-05-2007, 11:16 AM
 
Location: Hughes County, Oklahoma
3,160 posts, read 10,593,982 times
Reputation: 1145
There is a smaller community north of Lawton called Fletcher that has some nice houses listed. The schools look pretty good too.

I notice you get a lot more for your money in the communities other than Lawton.

The link below can help you judge the schools in the area. Go to Comanche County and Stephens County. The schools are rated numerically using test scores, attendance, graduation rates and other factors.

[LEFT]ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE INDEX (API)[/LEFT]
Download the final API Scores for 2005-2006 (broken link)

This link will show you the scores for a prior year, plus will give you demographic info about the school.

Oklahoma Public School Rankings
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Old 08-05-2007, 11:20 AM
 
Location: Fort Worth/Dallas
11,887 posts, read 36,829,643 times
Reputation: 5663
Also, GreatSchools.net for looking at just about every statistic for schools.
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Old 08-05-2007, 03:13 PM
 
40 posts, read 156,528 times
Reputation: 21
Thanks Peggy and Synopsis for the school links. The API link corresponded nicely with the GreatSchools link and has painted a fairly decent picture of the Comanche County school system. Just recently, we received a new Combat Maneuver Brigade from Fort Lewis that brought with them gang members (mostly self proclaimed) and other hoodlum types. Needless to say, our community kids were not quite prepared for this new type of "social interaction". My kids, however, didn't seem to have much problems with the new social structure (they have been living in what is probably the most culturally diverse institution on the planet). Of course, both my two oldest kids are over 6 feet tall and have that thick German stature. I have no problems placing my kids in public school as long as the majority of the parents within the school district has an honest concern for their children. I believe there are some life skills that can only be gleaned from the public system vs. a private one.

As for a particular community, I am willing to commute. Like stated in my original post, Ft. Sill is only my place of employment. My family can live anywhere in the surrounding area. A 45 minute to an hour commute is not unreasonable as long as I can provide the best quality of life I can for my family. But not knowing the traffic flow of the area, I have no clue what that commuting radius would be.

FWIW, prior to coming back to Germany, my family and I were living in Ft. Irwin, California. For the first 10 months we were living in Barstow. We played with the Mojave desert life style for 3 and a half years. From what the wife and I have gathered so far, the surrounding communities of Ft. Sill are paradise compared to Ft. Irwin.

Thanks again for the initial posts. I look forward to future correspondences.
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Old 08-05-2007, 06:16 PM
 
Location: oklahoma
15 posts, read 53,324 times
Reputation: 25
Hi Harry_T,

I live in Lawton and I know of several smalltowns near here that are good, quiet, safe, places to live, very nice people.To the east of Lawton there is:Elgin, Fletcher and Sterling all nice towns the nearest to Lawton-with houses for sale and the schools are also nice--great sports programs in the schools.They are all looking to accomodate the families moving in with BRAC too.

Sterling and Fletcher are smaller than Elgin but they both have potential to grow.They would both be nice towns to easily start businesses in if you wanted.Family friendly, great places to raise a family i think.You might check with Elgin's Realty on housing in these towns.I hope this helps.

Best of luck with your search !
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Old 08-05-2007, 07:39 PM
 
Location: Hughes County, Oklahoma
3,160 posts, read 10,593,982 times
Reputation: 1145
I don't think any of the towns mentioned in other posts would have even an hour commute. The most traffic you will see will be closest to the base. The rest of any miles you drive will be at higher speeds.

Sounds like your children will be recruited for the school sports teams, if they are interested.

I like to visit the town of Medicine Park along with the Wichita refuge.

Last edited by peggydavis; 08-05-2007 at 07:49 PM..
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Old 08-05-2007, 08:52 PM
 
72 posts, read 296,647 times
Reputation: 50
Hi there, Harry T....I had a lot of kind folks here give me some insights on Lawton....check page two under "Lawton, lots of questions"...we're probably interviewing in September....after reading your posts and those of others here, I'd say look for a house with a basement or a storm shelter, for sure. Good luck in your search, I'll be keeping track to see what others have to say about the town and surrounding areas as well.
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Old 08-06-2007, 11:32 AM
 
40 posts, read 156,528 times
Reputation: 21
Thanks shelbylane for the info. I was kind of looking at the Elgin area due to it's proximity to the lake. Do they have problems with mosquitoes up there? My son and I usually don't have problems with them, but my girls seem to get ate alive.

Last edited by Harry_T; 08-06-2007 at 11:50 AM..
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