Might be moving to Springfield in the fall (Brentwood, Agency: apartment, rentals)

[slanoue]

My husband is a university professor, and he might get a job there. We live in Tuscaloosa, AL right now. When we bought this house, we really didn't know much about the area. What are some of the good areas of Springfield that we should look in when we consider buying a house?

We will probably want either a 3-5 bedroom or one with a "grandma" apartment attached. My m-i-l lives with us. We need a yard because we have a dog, but it doesn't have to be large. I don't want a ton of greenery because I'm allergy to almost everything that grows. I want more room inside than out, preferably with a good kitchen.

I would prefer to be nearby or walking distance to good shopping, grocery stores, the mall, a park for walking, maybe public transportation, or restaurants and "nice" bars. It doesn't matter what school or church district it's in.

I have no idea how much houses cost there....I think the one we have now is just under 3,000 square feet, but that's because they remodeled the garage and made it into a room. So please let me know how much a similar house of about 2,000-2,5000 sq ft would cost in a nice area of Springfield. "Nice" doesn't have to mean "rich", just a nice middle class area without a lot of rentals...

Oh, and what are the senior centers like for the elderly? Not rest homes but places where seniors gather for activities.

Thanks!

Suzanne

[graytabbie]

I would suggest you research houses on gsbor.com, the local board of realtors site. If you want to be close to shopping/mall/restaurants maybe check out Brentwood South. I'm not sure what you consider "walking distance" but it might work. I would definitely suggest the SE area of Springfield. I know there are senior centers but I'm not sure exactly where they are. You could probably find info on senior activites on the City of Springfield site (parks and recreation maybe?) or the Area Agency on Aging site. Hope this helps.