Possible move to Madison. Family with 2 adolescent and 1 teen girls. (Middleton: 2013, to rent)

[carlymac]

What parts of Madison should I avoid? Our budget may be up to $300,000. Need good schools with high academics, music programs, soccer teams, etc. Is ballroom dance something kids do out there? We want to be in a safe community within 5-10 miles of the University.

Suggestions?

[ranger17]

I would think Middleton will get some suggestions, and some of the neighborhoods close to the U as well. Note (if you are not aware), prop taxes are high up there so a $300k home could bring taxes in the $6k area. Unless things have changed in the 5 years we've been gone of course, but we paid close to $4k in taxes on a $200k home in a 'burb there.

Soccer was always big when our daughter was in school, from the area parks and rec leagues thru school systems so i think that will be a given for your kids. I'll defer to the 'locals' on the rest lol.

Good luck in your search.

[Megan1967]

Really good point about the taxes, Ranger17. I looked in Austin and thought I could afford much more house than I actually could because the property taxes down there are just as high as Madison.

I don't think ball room dance is big with teens, but we have a couple of dance studios:

This one has a youth program: Youth Program - Tempo

Fred Astaire Dance Studio Madison

There is a Meetup.com group:
Learn to Waltz - Madison Area Ballroom (Madison, WI) - Meetup

Several of the area high schools have show choir as an extra curricular:


Man Eater - Encore Show Choir -Madison East High School - YouTube

[ranger17]

Originally Posted by Megan1967

Really good point about the taxes, Ranger17. I looked in Austin and thought I could afford much more house than I actually could because the property taxes down there are just as high as Madison.

yeah we found when we got down here, home prop taxes are maybe half what we paid in the Defo area... BUT.... we pay prop taxes on cars and boats in SC. So while overall it's less then in WI in the end we're still paying more then we'd like lol.


OP, unless you are familar with the new area, i'd recommend finding a good realtor to help with the relocate. One that knows the different potential markets and districts for you, is more then happy to take you on little "tours" that not only show homes but can give you some background on where you are looking. That doesnt cost a dime, and is well worth it (was a huge savior for us when we moved down here). They too should be able to ge you more info on extra-curricular activities being desired.
And you'll find plenty of chances to grab some custard at Culvers on your tour.

[carlymac]

Megan,

Those high school kids from Madison did pretty well.

Too bad there isn't ballroom dance. This is the company my kids dance with. The first one is 10- 13 yr olds or so. The second is middle schoolers. 7-9th grade.


Extreme Ballroom Pre-Teen Gold "Brother Bear Medley" 2013 US Nationals - YouTube

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0n-VmFd2FMg

It's really fun. Even the boys like it.


Thanks Ranger. We'll get in touch with a realtor if he gets an offer. He's one of the finalists- interviewing later this month. I just like to look so that I can get a feel for the area. He's also interviewing in Kentucky. Doing the same thing out there. Scoping out neighborhoods the best I can on the internet.

[r_k]

I suggest looking west of the UW campus. Anyplace out to Whitney Way, or southwest to near the Beltline. Avoid areas within a half mile of the Beltline, or directly south of the campus (i.e. east of Lake Wingra).

[Ragnar]

For under $300k you will likely need to settle for a livable older home in need of updating in Middleton or some of the areas around the UW campus. You could check out the various neighborhoods in and around the Hilldale area. You should be able to find plenty of options but will likely need to make some compromises. For example, do you require 4 bedrooms or will 3 be sufficient? Is a two-car garage a necessity or can you get by with a one-car? How close do you need to be to a bus route or biking trail? Do you really need to be within 5 to 10 miles of the University or are you willing to go further out, etc.?

As ranger has pointed out, the property tax rate here is high. The current going rate is 2.42%, so that's $7,260 in annual property taxes for a $300k house. Plus, in an older home, you are not guaranteed to have low heating bills throughout the winter, which lasts about 6 months up here. You could easily have monthly utility bills during this time in the $300-400 range depending on the condition of your home.

I'd recommend making a priority list for what is most important to you in housing as well as a monthly budget to see if even making the move should be a considered reality. Either way you may wish to rent first in one of the areas mentioned above. Many folks make it here just fine with a much smaller housing budget than you have, so it can be done with certain compromises.