Relocating (Huntsville, Decatur, Madison: home owners insurance, condo, low crime)

[mike_stan]

Retired and interested in relocating from Minnesota to Huntsville area. Need to get out of the cold and snow. Not sure if one area is better than another around Huntsville. Would like to get your opinions on different areas. Like mountains, rivers, lakes, country and big city life. Have always lived in smaller cities around 50k. Don't want to be to far from medical facilities.

[HB2HSV]

Originally Posted by mike_stan

Retired and interested in relocating from Minnesota to Huntsville area. Need to get out of the cold and snow. Not sure if one area is better than another around Huntsville. Would like to get your opinions on different areas. Like mountains, rivers, lakes, country and big city life. Have always lived in smaller cities around 50k. Don't want to be to far from medical facilities.

Congratulation on your retirement. Do you have preference as to where you'd like to live? Downtown? Suburb? Rural? Condo? lots of land? Prefer high crime/ low crime area? Buy/Rent? How far from medical facilities? 15 minutes? 30 minutes? one hour drive? What is your budget?

[mike_stan]

Probably buy a house in suburbs ($200-250k). 20-30 minutes from medical. Not into crime.

[dwhisent]

I recommend where I am in East Limestone County, pretty close to Athens and lots of places to eat in both Athens and Madison/West Huntsville. 15 minutes from Madison Hospital.

[HB2HSV]

Originally Posted by mike_stan

Probably buy a house in suburbs ($200-250k). 20-30 minutes from medical. Not into crime.

Your budget was on track for Huntsville/ Madison area before the pandemic. But now I am afraid you're getting priced out of desirable area like Madison.

But there are plenty of options available just a bit further out. Take a look at Hazel Green, Toney, Harvest, and like a previous poster said, East Limestone and perhaps in Athens. Also you may consider Decatur that gets you more for your money.

Learn about the tornado pattern in the area and avoid buy houses in its path.

[RocketDawg]

Lots of new housing in Meridianville that's probably in your price range. On Steger Road, just off the Parkway. Never been in them, but they look pretty nice from a short distance. That's an unicorporated area, so taxes should be considerably lower than in the city, but also served by volunteer fire departments so home owners insurance man cancel tax savings. Depending on traffic, probably 15-30 minutes to Huntsville Hospital, which is a full-blown trauma center and large (around 1000 beds) hospital.

There are lots of retirees in this area, me included. I worked here my entire career and chose to stay because I really like it here.

[mike_stan]

Thanks for the information everyone. I will be sure to check out those areas you listed.

[pathrunner]

Madison Hospital is a nice hospital, I had surgery there recently. I would prefer to be closer to the Medical Mall and Huntsville Hospital and there are plenty of wonderful areas in that vicinity or close to it. Harvest, etc. is growing too fast and too much traffic no good infrastructure yet. Reminded me of California and all the sprawl. Athens is too far.

You're going to be very happy. Huntsville is a great little city and I hope it stays that way. Most areas, you can't go wrong. I'd check into Willowbrook, Whitesburg, etc. and especially the Green Cove area (Chaney Thompson Rd.) Beautiful park, dog park, and close to Ditto Landing, Aldridge Creek Greenway. 10-15 mins. to downtown. Shopping nearby. Great for outdoorsy people.

I have a friend who lives in I think it's called Whitesburg Estates. Between Mythewood and Meadowbrook west of Hwy. 231. Very convenient and nice area. In your price range.

[RocketDawg]

Originally Posted by HB2HSV

Congratulation on your retirement. Do you have preference as to where you'd like to live? Downtown? Suburb? Rural? Condo? lots of land? Prefer high crime/ low crime area? Buy/Rent? How far from medical facilities? 15 minutes? 30 minutes? one hour drive? What is your budget?

I can't imagine anybody preferring to move to a high crime area.

[RocketDawg]

Originally Posted by pathrunner

Madison Hospital is a nice hospital, I had surgery there recently. I would prefer to be closer to the Medical Mall and Huntsville Hospital and there are plenty of wonderful areas in that vicinity or close to it. Harvest, etc. is growing too fast and too much traffic no good infrastructure yet. Reminded me of California and all the sprawl. Athens is too far.

You're going to be very happy. Huntsville is a great little city and I hope it stays that way. Most areas, you can't go wrong. I'd check into Willowbrook, Whitesburg, etc. and especially the Green Cove area (Chaney Thompson Rd.) Beautiful park, dog park, and close to Ditto Landing, Aldridge Creek Greenway. 10-15 mins. to downtown. Shopping nearby. Great for outdoorsy people.

I have a friend who lives in I think it's called Whitesburg Estates. Between Mythewood and Meadowbrook west of Hwy. 231. Very convenient and nice area. In your price range.

I used to live in Whitesburg Estates. Not sure you'd find a house there in the $200-$250K range though. It's a really nice neighborhood, and with the large new development in that area, as well as the presence of Grissom High school, prices are bound to go up.

Finding a house to buy in the Huntsville area right now is pretty tough, and you'll wind up bidding on a place and possibly giving up things out of necessity.