Considering a move to Madison...

[Ragnar]

My vote is for the OP to concentrate the search on Oregon as it checks the most boxes for the OP. Property taxes in Oregon tend to be somewhat lower than other communities in Dane County as well. $200k is a tough price point for Dane County in this market, but still can be done with diligence and compromise.

I would also suggest that the OP get in touch with an experienced realtor who knows the Madison/Fitchburg/Oregon area well. It's great to get general thoughts and opinions from an online message board, but we don't have access to the same types of data that an experienced professional has.

An example of the above - One of my neighbors just sold her house in less than a day before it hit the publicly viewable MLS. She had an aggressive realtor list the property and find a buyer before others even had a chance to see it. Her accepted offer was full price, and price was on the lower end for the neighborhood too, which never hurts. The buyers moved in from out of town through corporate relocation, so it wasn't one of those "the realtor is my sister" type of things, LOL!

[Rynldsbr]

I agree with Ragnar for couple good points. Oregon hits the commute and the slightly more rural feeling OP looks for. It is also very good advice to gt a real estate agent involved early, especially in such a strong market. we can all give opinions, and some of us have good ones, but the agents have access to more information and real data that can and should influence the decision.

I don't think you will get much in Monona or Verona in your price range and the time savings in commute is not (in my mind) worth the sacrifices you would make in house.

Good luck.

[Megan1967]

I agree with you about Verona - very expensive community - but Monona has a wide range of price points. If you want to live on the lake, well that starts at about half a mil, but properties that are not on the lake are *very* reasonable.

http://wisconsinhomes.com/search?listingType=Residential&area_map_state=coun ty=Dane&area_select_state=462&county[]=1626&areas[]=462&current_asking_price_min=160000&current_askin g_price_max=210000&min_bedrooms=3

[Drivingmenuts32]

Oregon looks interesting. Also, I am in a town currently that is in Central Cali and is full of people who are pretty much not friendly. Except at church, I have a hard time meeting people who will be friends with someone different than themselves. So frustrating... Would love to find somewhere where people have time for a cup of coffee.