Wanting to move to St Louis! (St. Louis, St. Charles: real estate, rentals, amusement parks)

[Hamer100]

Ok.. Me and my husband have 3 kids, one is school age and the others will be pre-k - kindergarten when we want to move. My sister and her family are interested in moving there too! So I'm doing some research.. We have family
In O'fallon and Wentzville. Other than that I don't know anything! Looking for a great area for children (safe) and good schools!! But I need It to be affordable!!' HELP!!

[scocar]

Well I'll be the first to say what many others will say as well. There are several areas in STL that fit your short list of requirements. And these areas other than being safe with good schools have little else in common. So answer some other questions about what you are looking for.

Some examples:

1. Do you like the sprawling suburbs that have newer houses, shopping malls, and big box stores, or a more urban feel with older homes and small family owned businesses?

2. What areas are any job prospects in?

3. Exactly what does "affordable" mean to you? Give us a price range and size of residence.

4. What kinds of activities do you enjoy?

[aragx6]

I agree that if you answer scocar's questions we can give you a better idea. Particularly #2 -- it might make sense for you to live near your family on the western edge of the metro, but if you got a job downtown or in South County or something you'd be looking at a really awful commute.

[Hamer100]

Okay well my husband is a sous chef, hopefully an executive chef by then.. I'm a pharmacy technician.. Affordable to us would be around 120k for buying. And 900$ for renting per month.. We like parks, shopping, amusement parks, but not all the time. Were pretty laid back. And we have a dog, not who needs a ton of space, but enough.

[Hamer100]

Sorry and 3 bedroom atleast, maybe a basement..

[Hamer100]

My sister is the same but is a nurse working on her nurse practitioner license..

[aragx6]

I'm thinking that as a chef and with you in the heathcare fields, it's going to make a lot more sense for all of you to look for something in St. Louis County just for the sake's of your likely commutes -- from mid or west county you'd have easier access to just about anything in the metro area.

That's a tough price point though. Generally I like to suggest to people that they rent for a time first, but I don't think that's going to be a possibility for you -- $900 is simply too low to rent a single-family home in an area with good schools -- even in St. Charles county which is typically cheaper. I do think that at 120k you'll have better luck finding a home -- but your options, if you want to be in a top-tier school district, are going to be fairly limited.

Rock Hill might be a good option for you -- the schools are Webster, which is well respected and the area older, quaint and very safe, but the houses are a touch more modest and thus more reasonable in cost than some of its neighbors. Here's an example: Coldwell Banker Gundaker -- Your site for St. Louis Real Estate

Outside of that area, St. Charles might end up being your best bet simply for the home prices. Your dollar will stretch significantly further out there. There are three main districts in the core of St. Charles county suburbia: St. Charles, Francis Howell and Fort Zumwalt. I wouldn't have a problem sending my kid to any of them, but generally Francis Howell is the most respected of the three, then Fort Zumwalt and finally St. Charles.

This place looks nice:
Coldwell Banker Gundaker -- Your site for St. Louis Real Estate

From what I'm seeing as I look through the available listings is that I suspect you'll be playing the short-sale game -- which is going to be tough if you're on a tight time line.

[scocar]

Another suggestion I might make is some areas of South County. The schools aren't as good based on test scores as some of the others mentioned, but they are not terrible either. I think you might be able to find more affordable 3 bedroom rentals in Affton. Rock Hill is another good suggestion. We rented a 3 bedroom in Webster Groves for $995. They exist, but are few and far between.

[aragx6]

^Padmapper doesnt show any SFHs for rent under $900 in South County either. There should certainly be some properties to buy under 120k, but honestly with the combination of being farther from their family (though by no means ridiculously far) and the generally lower test scores (then again I bet they're comparable to St. Charles school district) I think St. Charles still likely makes the most sense.

If willing to bend on the schools a bit (which most parents simply aren't) I'd be looking closely at Florissant. I think any kid who wants to can typically get a good education in the Ferguson-Florissant district, though test scores as a whole don't look great. Combs Elementary is the closest one to downtown Florissant though and actually has pretty solid test scores.
Coldwell Banker Gundaker -- Your site for St. Louis Real Estate
Coldwell Banker Gundaker -- Your site for St. Louis Real Estate

[Hamer100]

Thanks so much, you two are very helpful! The neighborhood
And schooling is th most Important to me. Right now they attend one of the best public schools in our area. But at the same time the commute to work ..