Need help finding an area to live for a texan newly moved to Madison. (Fitchburg: to rent, low crime) - Wisconsin (WI) - City-Data Forum

bellarose08 · 02-07-2012, 10:07 PM

I just recently relocated from Dallas, TX with my husband to Madison. I heard great things about raising a family in Madison, so I figured there would be no problem with finding a good area. I don't know if I have not done enough research yet, but I need some help. I need help finding a good area of Madison that is safe. Many areas I have been to have had run down houses. Any advice would be great.

Moving_South · 02-07-2012, 10:12 PM

What is your budget? Are you looking to buy or rent? How old are your kids? Are you interested in public or private schools

The answers to those questions will help people help you.

I would say that is 75-80% of Madison would be considered "safe" as compared to cities in Texas.

bellarose08 · 02-07-2012, 10:22 PM

Are range is around 250k to 300k. No kids right now it will depend if we find a desirable place in Madison to set roots down or if this will just be a short stay. I am just familiar with the south where sections of a town are easily know what is a good area and what is not.

Megan1967 · 02-07-2012, 10:43 PM

If I had your budget, I would look in Sunset Village off of Midvale Blvd. Nice little starter homes in a great location. Since you know nothing about the area, I would strongly encourage you to get a Realtor. An even better idea is to rent until you do know the area.

Moving_South · 02-08-2012, 01:00 AM

Look on the West side, Regent neighborhood, Randall neighborhood, Midvale, Monroe-Dudgeon. Any of those areas are as safe as living in Mayberry (literally) and have good public schools

amysherman · 02-08-2012, 12:45 PM

If you aren't sure how long you are going to stay in the area it's a good idea to look at the quality of the schools in the neighborhood you are researching. Check GreatSchools - Public and Private School Ratings, Reviews and Parent Community. If the schools are good the home will likely retain it's value.
If you are concerned about crime you can check www.crimereports.com.
I live and work in Middleton and there are homes in your price range here. The schools are great and we have a low crime rate.
I also would recommend Sunset Village and Westmorland if there is just two of you. You can also look for homes on the west side. There are some nice homes near the Ice Age Trail in the Chavez Elementary school district if you don't mind being a little further out from the capitol.
In your price range you can find nice newer homes on the far east side. A client of mine just bought a 7 year old 5 bedroom 3 bath open floor plan ranch backing to a large park for under $250,000.
You can also check out McFarland and Verona, they also have good schools and some nice homes in your price range.
If you haven't already done so, get yourself to the bank or credit union and get a pre-qualification letter. You'll need one before you can put an offer in on a house.
There's no question that hiring a Realtor is in your best interest. Interview a couple and find someone who knows the area well. The seller pays all Realtor fees, so there is no cost to you to have an agent do the hard work.
Good luck and welcome to Madison!

ranger17 · 02-08-2012, 05:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Megan1967

I would strongly encourage you to get a Realtor. An even better idea is to rent until you do know the area.

Those are both good points. When we left the Madison area to come south, we rented the first year to make sure we were in the right community before buying (did not want to get stuck in a home that we could not get out of later). That was a big plus.

And we hooked up with a realtor right off the bat. A good one will spend time with you, show you areas you may be interested in, and use their local knowledge for suggestions on places to go/things to do. I'd say best to get comfy with Madison overall first, then plunk down the cash when you know where you want your family to be.

There are plenty of nice areas in and around Madison, take the time to find what you want based on needs, employment, etc

Mark2 · 02-13-2012, 09:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Megan1967

If I had your budget, I would look in Sunset Village off of Midvale Blvd. Nice little starter homes in a great location. Since you know nothing about the area, I would strongly encourage you to get a Realtor. An even better idea is to rent until you do know the area.

Agreed but jut be advised that you are probably looking at a < 1600 square foot house (maybe more with a finished basement), likely with detached one car garage, in that price range and location. I have a hunch this may be one of those areas that look "run down" to someone from Dallas

If you like bigger & newer -- and cheaper -- check out Fitchburg or Verona, or even McFarland, just to the south of downtown. Or Middleton, though maybe less cheap. I don't like them as much, WAY too suburban & not as good a "feel" as places like Sunset Village, but in my very naive view I'm guessing it may have more similar housing stock & feel to places in Dallas.

I think a big driver in my decision would be where the job is, but the poster does not specify.

hamjeepr · 02-13-2012, 12:53 PM

I hate to bring politics into this. If you're a liberal Texan, Madison proper is going to be ok. If not, I recommend a suburb. Life could be hell if all your neighbors are the opposite of your political ideology (unless you like picking the fight).

Moving_South · 02-17-2012, 11:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hamjeepr

I hate to bring politics into this. If you're a liberal Texan, Madison proper is going to be ok. If not, I recommend a suburb. Life could be hell if all your neighbors are the opposite of your political ideology (unless you like picking the fight).

And THERE, ladies and gentlemen, is an inside peek at how tolerant of others the typical Madison "liberal" is....