Where to live...here are my options. (St. Louis, Maryland Heights: homes, school district)

[STLCardsBlues1989]

I know not every part of the Metro has Street View.

But if you can use it for the houses you're looking at it's a good tool.

[Dragon Roll]

Thanks so much. This really helps. I will check Microsoft Live Search Maps tonight.

My husbands' company is paying for a 2 day trip for us to visit there. They want to make sure we are willing to make the committment and make the big move. I thought this was awesome of them. We are going at the end of the month so I look forward to checking out the neighborhoods. We will make sure there is GPS in our rental car :-D

We have a friend out there (more like a colleague) who is seeing someone who lives in Fenton and her children go to the Rockwood schools. We are planning to meet them for dinner and hopefully she can share her experience living there with us.

I saw this house on MLS and it was perfect :-) including size, location and price.
Single Family Home - 1455 San Miguel Ln, Fenton, MO, 63026 - Realtor.com

[aragx6]

Dragon roll,
You might consider renting for a year so that you can get to know some of the areas around you better before being tied down to a house.

[STLCardsBlues1989]

^ Especially with the housing market like it is. Reselling is not easy.

[alikat1205]

i think the opposite! if you are committed to staying here 5 years, now is the perfect time to buy -- while the market is low. we just got our appraisal back and we knew we got a deal - we appraised $30,000 higher than the price we paid. now is the time to get a deal, but your're right, if you think you will only be here a year or so, maybe renting is a better option

[dringkor]

I work in O'Fallon, MO and live in Webster Groves (just moved there from Maryland Heights). My sister lives in Fenton and loves it. Aside from the rec center mentioned previously, there is also Fenton City Park, which is great for the kids. The area seems to be building up, with Gravois Bluffs and its shopping and restaurants and such, but traffic doesn't seem to be an issue, since you don't have to cross any rivers to get to and from St. Louis, unlike with O'Fallon and St. Peters and St. Charles. In fact, of all the highways going downtown, I-44 is probably the nicest and least congested, and it takes you close to destinations like Six Flags, Laumier Sculpture Park, the Magic House, Grant's Farm, and the Hill (our "Little Italy" area with some great restaurants!). And once in the city, it's not far to get from I-44 to Busch Stadium, the Arch, or Forest Park (where the zoo, the art museum, and the Muny are).

[aragx6]

Originally Posted by alikat1205

i think the opposite! if you are committed to staying here 5 years, now is the perfect time to buy -- while the market is low. we just got our appraisal back and we knew we got a deal - we appraised $30,000 higher than the price we paid. now is the time to get a deal, but your're right, if you think you will only be here a year or so, maybe renting is a better option

I only suggest it because the OP seemed torn about Fenton in both this and another thread, and I'd hate to see her buy a home there without much thought and then 2 years down the line be miserable because it's not wyhat she's looking for.

I agree it's a good time to buy if you're committed; I just wonder how committed one could be without having throughly experienced the metro area yet, and just wanted to giver her something to think about.

Craigslist is a great place to find rentals - lots of SFHs out there right now.

I can't imagine they'll want to move again next year, and of course kids and schools are of the utmost importance, I just know how scare it can be to move to a new city and not know what you're really looking for yet.

Good luck Dragon roll and keep us updated!

[alikat1205]

you're right about that, this is the third city i have lived in since hurricane katrina, and i hate moving, i am really hoping this sticks.

[aragx6]

^^I hope so for your sake too! And that you love it here! (Well there really, since I'm not living in St. Louis at present.)

[Dragon Roll]

Once we move to Fenton, barring anything unexpected, we plan on staying. Renting is an interesting option, but, we are convinced that it's a buyers market.

Right now we live in a 1950 sq ft ranch home (with no basement, we don't have those in Va Beach) and we are in the low end of a very, very high end neighborhood. We paid 305,000 for our home!! There are 6 of us so you can imagine it's starting to get a little tight. We are in a wonderful school district comparable to Rockwood, but, the other sacrifices we are making just seem too great. We're hoping this move will benefit us financially.

Anyway, got off topic there. Fenton sounds wonderful the way you all describe it. I appreciate the tips. They are so helpful and keep them coming if you can :-) As I had mentioned, we are visiting the area in 2 weeks and look forward to looking around. I will take all the info I learn off this board with me!!