Canadian considering xfer to B'Ham (Birmingham, Hoover: appointed, transplants, real estate)

[JasDmw]

Hello;

Have been lurking here for a few days, since an internal position posting I applied for in B'Ham generated a response. We are looking for input/feedback from residents and others who moved there from Northern climes. Wife and I are considering this seriously; good career move. We are from Central Canada, near Toronto. No kids and own a condominium townhouse. In 2001 we visited Atlanta for 2 weeks; wife was at a conference for a week and then we headed to Savannah and Charleston for a brief vacation. Was end of August/beginning of September. Really enjoyed the area, but were amazed at the opressive heat/humidity. Had a rented convertible and were forced to run the A/C with the top down . I presume the climate is similar in B'Ham?

Really appreciate a lot of the comments seen already. Wife's 1st reaction was as many have posted " Are you nuts?" but upon further investigation, this may be a viable opportunity. Appears B'Ham has very nice areas to live/work in. Usual big city issues, many of which we have here as well. Cost of living seems reasonable. What would total taxation on a newer 4 bedroom 3.5 bath house be (utilities/municipal, etc.) in an area like Hoover?

Real estate is incredibly reasonable compared to what we are accustomed to around here. However, don't see a lot of the same type of home though. Our t'house is + 2000 sq.ft, 2 bedroom bungalow with loft. This is an emerging trend here for empty nesters/semi or fully retired folks who vacation in Florida for the winter. Detached single houses in our typically suburban neighbourhood also go well over 3000 sq.ft and 1/3 acre lots (big for this area). So question is; can we find similar condominium town homes there or should we stick with the typical 4 bedroom detatched? We see some with main floor masters; the stairs are issues for folks as they age, which is why we bought a bungalow; some of our neighbours are in their 70's and don't do stairs any longer. Is this a trend in your area as well (thinking resale)? We visited friends in Ft. Lauderdale last year and understand the gated community concept; they were living in a nice attached one floor home there. Is this something avalable in B'Ham?

Weather is another factor. Looking over stats, seems it's quite hot/humid from June to September there. I presume everything is air conditioned, but how do folks from more temperate climes adjust? Can't see playing golf or tennis or cuttng the lawn mid summer with that much heat! Obvioulsy won't need our snow shovels or winter woolies except when visiting home for Christmas!

One other thing, and I don't want to open pandoras box, but what are the gun laws like in the area?

Any and all input is greatly appreciated.

[cpg35223]

Hiya. Chicago transplant to B'ham 16 years ago. My wife also said, "What are you crazy?" and now refuses to leave. We really love it here.

As far as the precise configuration is concerned, I think you really need to talk to a realtor about that. They'll know the market far better than I would.

Birmingham is really a town of neighborhoods, so we probably need to understand what your interests are and where you'd be working to recommend fully. After all, you don't want to be commuting two hours every day. What's more, depending on you and your wife's interests there will be some parts of town that are preferable over others.

As far as adjusting to the place, transplants fall into two broad categories. 1) People who move here and expect Alabamians to behave just like people did back home and then are disappointed, and 2) People who move here, understand that the culture is different and embrace it. No that doesn't mean that you have to become a college football fanatic or attend a fundamentalist church (Those are pretty much stereotypes, although it is more fun down here if you go ahead and pick a team, I recommend the Auburn Tigers). But understand that interaction between people follows a slightly different script than what you might know in Toronto, just as it would for a Southerner moving up to Ontario. Southerners tend to be pretty gregarious and embracing people. They'll give you the shirt off their backs as long as you take the initiative to know them, etc. etc. We have dozens and dozens of good friends here, all because we got outside of our comfort zone and introduced ourselves around.

Weatherwise? Summers can be brutal, or they can be tolerable. I won't sugar coat that 2007 here was awful. Meanwhile 2008 was surprisingly mild. Yet while it's humid here, it's not nearly as bad as you'll find at the coast. All that being said, winter will be a snap for somebody like you from the Great White North. In 16 years, we've only had one freak snowstorm (2 feet in my front yard) and two other snows of less than two inches. Fall-like temperatures pretty much continue through mid-December and Spring really gets going in early March. So it's only cold and wet 2.5 months out of the year. Not bad, eh?

We live in Mountain Brook, which is the most expensive suburb in Birmingham, and our property tax for a 3 BR 3 BA, $375,000 house on .75 acres is about $3,200 annually (As long as you get your homestead exemption, which is pretty much pro forma. Just fill out the card at the county courthouse. Otherwise, your property taxes double). So I would imagine your property taxes in Hoover are a little less. Electricity for my 3000 sf house is roughly $250/month and gas is about $40. We are on septic, so my water bill is--get this--$26 monthly. However, if you have sewer, prepare to add $100 monthly to your water bill.

Hoover, by the way, is all things to all people. Parts of it are lovely and parts of it are an unplanned mess. So make sure you really pick the right neighborhoods for you. Vestavia, Mountain Brook, and Homewood are all great places as well, albeit closer in to downtown.

The gun laws here? I have no idea, except I would bet the farm that gun ownership laws are far looser here than in Canada. We lived in the Forest Park section of Birmingham, two blocks from the Hood, and never felt the need to own one for personal protection.

Feel free to tell us a little more about yourself. This board has lots of helpful people who will really help you narrow down your search in a hurry.

[JasDmw]

Well, I got to be honest, ya made us howl! Very good! You recall the ubuquitous "Eh" and The Great White North thing; my heros are Bob and Doug, true hosers Eh!

I hope there are more like you down there; will make this major move a snap, should we get to that point.

Thanks for the input on the residential and living things. Sounds like some things are a little more $ and others are a little less. Electricity is quite high but your gas is quite low. I pay $97.00 for water and hydro combined. Gas is $68.00. That's our level budget figure, X 11 months. Thanks very much for the tip on that homestead exemption thing; will have to check that out for certain.

As for activities, Wife and I like to visit winerys in the Niagara area, about an hours drive from home. Niagara on the Lake is a favorite day trip. We have started cruising and travelling internationally; spent 3 weeks in Southern France earlier this year. We like to bicycle in the neighbourhood, but wife broke her arm on that European trip so that ended that for this year. We enjoy dining out, movies and the occasional live theater event as well. Otherwise, pretty boring! Maybe living down there would change that.

A couple more questions; with the recent hurricanes, is there much impact in your neighbourhood from that? Is home insurance hard to get/expensive? We get the occasional tornado here, but nothing like the Gulf Coast gets/got this year. Also read elsewhere about mosquito fogging and note many homes have screened in porches; are bugs and critters a local issue?

Thanks again for your candid and funny reply!

[cpg35223]

Originally Posted by JasDmw

Well, I got to be honest, ya made us howl! Very good! You recall the ubuquitous "Eh" and The Great White North thing; my heros are Bob and Doug, true hosers Eh!

I hope there are more like you down there; will make this major move a snap, should we get to that point.

Thanks for the input on the residential and living things. Sounds like some things are a little more $ and others are a little less. Electricity is quite high but your gas is quite low. I pay $97.00 for water and hydro combined. Gas is $68.00. That's our level budget figure, X 11 months. Thanks very much for the tip on that homestead exemption thing; will have to check that out for certain.

As for activities, Wife and I like to visit winerys in the Niagara area, about an hours drive from home. Niagara on the Lake is a favorite day trip. We have started cruising and travelling internationally; spent 3 weeks in Southern France earlier this year. We like to bicycle in the neighbourhood, but wife broke her arm on that European trip so that ended that for this year. We enjoy dining out, movies and the occasional live theater event as well. Otherwise, pretty boring! Maybe living down there would change that.

A couple more questions; with the recent hurricanes, is there much impact in your neighbourhood from that? Is home insurance hard to get/expensive? We get the occasional tornado here, but nothing like the Gulf Coast gets/got this year. Also read elsewhere about mosquito fogging and note many homes have screened in porches; are bugs and critters a local issue?

Thanks again for your candid and funny reply!

Well, Birmingham is a good 250 miles from the Gulf Coast, so hurricanes are really not big a deal when they reach here. Lots of wind and rain and sporadic power outages. Twisters are part of what makes Alabama fun from November-early May. Typically, we get 2-3 outbreaks a year. The tornado sirens go off, everybody dashes inside to watch the weatherman for 3 hours (By the way, a little Birmingham mnenomic: "When it's hittin' the fan, watch James Spann"). Almost all of the twisters go north and south of town, searching out mobile homes, chicken coops and homes owned by guys named Earl or Jeter. But it's not like you'll be listening to the daily tornado report from the morning radio personality, so you know which route to take to work.

If you and your wife are foodies and enjoy a more genial lifestyle, you really should look at Homewood, Mountain Brook, and the Forest Park section of Birmingham. Lots of restaurants, art galleries, music venues, theater, and all the other things the ponytail wearers do on the weekend. Plus it's more conducive to biking, walking, etc.

Bugs can be an issue, hence the mosquito spraying and screened in porches. This takes getting used to but, hey, that's part of the adventure right? It's not quite an entomological preserve, but you don't want to leave your windows open in the summertime without screens.