Recommendations on houses (Milwaukee, Madison, Wauwatosa: real estate, rental, buying a home)

[Supervicar]

Hello, my wife and I are moving to Wisconsin, and we're looking to buy a house.

I works in Wauwatosa, and below are some of the requirements on housing.

1) nice neighborhood with great safety condition.
2) close to stores and restaurants to hang out.
3) not too far away from Wauwatosa


I would like to get some recommendations in terms of which area, which community, which realtor to choose.
Plus, I've looked at areas like Mequon, Menomene falls, Brookfield, franklin, which one do you think is better? Thanks for everyone's response!

[ranger17]

Hi OP, if I may make a suggestion if you are moving here from out of state and are not familiar with the areas, it would be this:

consider renting the first year to get your feet wet with the community you choose before buying a home. Up here in Madison the market is crazy, very much on the seller's behalf with homes flying off the shelf at premium prices. So if the 'Tosa area is anything like that; it could be near brutal to try and shop for a home in a new/unknown area (regardless of having a realtor). Renting allows you to get used to where you live, see what actual neighborhoods (and schools, etc if applicable) you like, and so on. Then look at getting into the buying market. And maybe it will have slowed down a bit by then.
Often a realtor will help find a new resident a rental place to start with, and if you're happy with the service you have someone to work with as you merge into the buyer market.

Anyhow just a thought. But it is nuts by me, was bad enough when we moved back here in '14 and we were from here, i couldn't imagine going thru that all the while being new to the scene.

[TosaJoe]

Hello, and a preemptive welcome to Wisconsin!

Have a few quick questions, do you have children and is school district important? Are you a city or suburban kinda person?

Relocations are their own animal in real estate for your trying to come up to speed with the Milwaukee area market and what would be a good fit for you and your family. As a lifelong Milwaukee area resident that's where local knowledge comes into play. Without knowing if school district is important and budget I'll make a few tentative recommendations, the obvious one is Tosa. I'm a long term Tosa homeowner and love it! Washington Heights and Story Hill are also hidden gems in Milwaukee for the city dweller. Mequon, Menonomee Falls and Brookfield are also nice choices with more of a suburban feel. If you're considering Mequon also consider Thiensville. Franklin would be a bit of a commute depending on the time of day of course that could be a deal breaker. My first choice would be Tosa, but ya could say I'm biased.

[Merkin]

Wauwatosa

[adr3naline]

Your budget and desired footprint will dictate what neighborhood you can call home. What are you looking for, and what are you whiling to spend?