Stoughton? (Madison, Janesville, Oregon: for sale, real estate, apartments)

[HappyToGo]

Looking for any info on the schools, housing market, basic shopping and feel of the Stoughton area would be helpful...

Thanks
~Happy To Go

[Drover]

Housing market: a little on the expensive side for a small town because of its proximity to a lake chain and to Madison, whose insane housing market has driven up prices in surrounding areas, but still manageable;

Schools: you'll have to defer to someone else on that one;

Shopping and general feel: It has the general feel of a well-kept small town. It looks kind of tourist-y but for the most part it's not. It's quite charming and the downtown area is quaint and tidy but there's not a lot of shopping and dining opportunities. It's mostly mom-and-pop shops. However, Madison and all its shopping amenities is only 15 to 20 minutes away. If you're looking for a slower pace and a small-town atmosphere with convenient access to big-city shopping opportunities, Stoughton is your place.

[HappyToGo]

Thanks for the reply...we will be checking into a few places around the Madison area. I had "sticker shock" after our first trip to Madison, I couldn't believe the house prices! We have lived in CA and I was still shocked...I will say that Madison seems to have great appeal for many different reasons.

Thanks again for taking the time to reply...
~Happt To Go

[Drover]

A personal favorite of mine in the area, especially if you want a small-town feel with access to Madison for work or play, is Mount Horeb. Good luck with your search. It's a beautiful area, at least by Midwest standards. Hopefully as a once-Californian you won't be underwhelmed.

[HappyToGo]

Thanks...I have also heard of that town. Can you tell me how far it is from Madison.

~Happy To Go

[Drover]

Mount Horeb is 15 miles from the western perimeter of Madison where you'll find West Towne Mall and surrounding shopping area, and 25 miles to downtown.

Who could resist living in a town with a mustard museum??

I love Wisconsin.

[HappyToGo]

That is so funny...I really do like mustard!

Thanks again!
~Happy To Go

[Angiepants]

Still considering Stoughton? I've lived here my entire life and could tell you basically anything you want to know.

[filmfan]

Angiepants- although I'm not the original poster, I am interested in learning some more about Stoughton. Since you have lived there your entire life, I assume you have found something special about it. What are the things you like about the town? Anything you don't?

I'm thinking of possibly renting an apartment there for myself for the short term as I will be relocating to the area for work. Do you know if there are many rentals available? If so, are they mostly owned privately or by larger management companies? I checked craigslist and didn't find anything there, so I am hoping to get some more insight on the housing before I visit. Any advice would be very much appreciated!

I do apologize for not knowing the proper etiquette to ask these questions as I am pretty new to all of this (sorry for barging in here!)

[Brax]

filmfan,

I am in a similar situation, looking at apartments and real estate for a potential job move. I am starting to lean toward buying a house right off. With most apartments running $600+ a month and requiring a 1 year lease, I though I would just take the plunge. A site I use to view real estate is Trulia.com. It’s a site that shows houses for sale from all agents and includes a map of the area and houses for sale.

The farther you get from Madison, the cheaper the housing becomes. Janesville is only a 30 minute commute to Stoughton. There are many smaller towns between Janesville and Stoughton, so you have the choice of location vs cost. What is starting to look like one of my favorites is Oregon and the surrounding area. This town is only minutes west of Stoughton but seems to be more of a bedroom community for people working in Madison so the housing is a little more upscale.

Where will you be working in Stoughton?