Daughter of CA Yankee Attending U of Alabama (Montgomery, Tuscaloosa: to rent, hotel)

[steveklein]

"The Machine" is not what I would call cool... and definitely not if you are an outsider.

But hey... its college. Your daughter will probably love the overall experience.

[Southlander]

"The Machine" is not quite as controlling as it used to be, thanks to the sororities being so big and beginning to wield influence within it.
Yankee, I'm going to PM you later today with some suggestions from this Bama grad.

[Dorsai56]

The biggest change with regard to The Machine is that UA has better than 50% non-resident students now. As a result, the power of the scions of local aristocracy to control all aspects of campus life has been watered down greatly. They can't simply dictate things any longer, both because of out of staters with different attitudes and values and because young people from Alabama, as elsewhere, are changing.

The Machine still exists, certainly at the Board of Trustee level and in state politics up to the level of the governor's office.

In a general sense, you won't really know much about what The Machine does, because their favored method of doing virtually anything is for their power brokers to meet in private, decide what they want to do and how to accomplish it, and then to do so with a minimum of public fuss or input.

[Dorsai56]

To the OP.

With regard to moving here, probably the most obvious thing to mention is the difference in property values. If you own a home in California and plan to sell and move here, you will be astounded at what you can get for the same money. The state income tax is low here, and the property taxes are so ridiculously low that the state budget is perpetually broke because low taxes on land were written into the state constitution to protect large land owners.

Consider buying a home outside of Jefferson County proper (Birmingham), because the water and sewer rates are insanely high due to previous county commissioners being bribed to sign contracts to finance improvements. I have yet to understand how contracts obtained by bribery that sent one side to jail are enforceable by the other party, but we get the bill still. Traffic will be worst coming up I-65 from south of town or the 280 corridor from Chelsea. That said, if you dealt with major Cali interstate traffic it won't be that bad. I laughed at the bad traffic here when I moved back from Houston.

Birmingham is in the middle of something of a local renaissance. There is a lot of construction and gentrification happening. There are any number of dining, cultural, and entertainment options. I would think that there are plenty of IT related areas to investigate, although Birmingham is not a particular hub for high tech. As previously mentioned, Huntsville would be a better choice if that is where you are focused. Do not fail to investigate UAB, which is the biggest employer in the state other than the state and federal government.

As to culture shock, it depends on what you are used to and what bothers you. When it comes to attempting to pigeonhole a newcomer, the standard questions tend to be "Are you Auburn or Alabama?", "Where do you go to church?", and "Who are your people?" (as in is your family from here and who are they?). If you seem to be a sensible white person of means you will be assumed to be a Republican. Guns won't be a problem, not owning them, carrying them, buying them, or storing them. A bill to allow guns to be carried in your car without a permit of any sort just died in the lege, and while it didn't pass it wasn't an an outrage either. The Police Chiefs were not in favor, not that I blame them.

If you are a live and let live person and are not easily offended you'll be fine here. There are plenty of opinionated idiots on both sides of the political spectrum, and the level of political corruption and incompetence is staggering, but the people here are generally very nice. It's a beautiful state, and it's a great retirement state. If you're a golfer the Bobby Jones Golf Trail is probably worth the move by itself.

[bosshawk]

Originally Posted by Dorsai56

To the OP.

Consider buying a home outside of Jefferson County proper (Birmingham), because the water and sewer rates are insanely high due to previous county commissioners being bribed to sign contracts to finance improvements. I have yet to understand how contracts obtained by bribery that sent one side to jail are enforceable by the other party, but we get the bill still.

This is partially a myth. The sewer and water rates are grossly overhyped. Yes the rates have increased over the years, but the absolute value of the monthly water is very over blown. People just assume it is expensive because of the sewer debacle and the fact that it has been in the media for years. Half the media stories are just saying "rates are going to go up". It is like watching election coverage and thinking the president gets elected every day. It is all just story after story about the buildup, but it isn't like rates are increasing every month. The rates for all the local systems are available online. Depending on water usage you can pay just as much in Pelham as in Birmingham. At worst it is less than $10 a month difference. That amount is offset in gasoline expense alone. Not to mention that Birmingham has free garbage pickup which costs in many cities and offsets the water savings if there is any.

[Dorsai56]

Yeah, it is overstated. It is a bee in my bonnet, I admit it. OTOH, the rates won't go down and the debt is not going anywhere. If anything the dunderheads on the Water Board and the County Commission will figure out a reason to add to that debt. I suspect that things like home and auto insurance rates outside of Jefferson County would make a bigger difference.

Given that I see fairly ordinary 4 BR ranch style homes go for $300k + on the various flip your house shows from Ca., he can buy a McMansion on a mountainside in St. Clair county, or anywhere else in the area for that matter.

[Tourian]

Houses are cheap here but 300k isn't going to get you a McMansion here. But I guess it all depends on what you consider a McMansion. 300k will get you a decent 3/2.5 in just about any of the best suburbs around except M-B, southside Bham, and select areas of Homewood and VH like Hollywood. But if you want to live in ~4k sq ft or more what I would call a McMansion it will "only" cost you around 8 or 900k to get into Greystone or Liberty Park or Meadowbrook, etc... which in Cali would probably be 2M I guess.

[Dorsai56]

Yeah, but I intentionally lowballed at $300k. There are houses on the various flip and refurb your house shows that are appraised at 600-800k plus that would be perhaps as much as a third of that here. I also don't know what the OP's housing situation is and I didn't want to make assumptions.

Any way you cut it, if you are used to California home prices you are going to be blown away by what the same money gets you in this market, and that was the point I wanted to make.

[bluebeard]

Sewer bills are easily outpaced by increased transportation costs (and lost time, if that is a consideration) if you are working in Bham

[kamoto]

Hello my Alabama friends. High school graduation is coming up, and so is my trip to Alabama July 4th. Real estate is forcing my hand rather fast here in Cali. My selling house price goal has come and far exceeded my expectations. What is making my life worse is watching Island Life, and Carribbean Life. I just want to retire now and enjoy the fishing/boating/golfing life. My John Hannah shirt came in for my daughter and she can't wait to sport it at the stadium. She thinks some 20 yr old will catcall her thinking her name is Hannah. She can't wait to tell them to learn their Roll Tide lore of legends. I should drive up to Johns place in northern AL and have him autograph it. He owns a car dealership I think

Have you seen the Bama awards they have received. NASA robotic mining win. tons of Rhodes Scholars and other scholars awarded. Looks like Bama is the place to be these days