I got promoted at work and they're moving my family and I to Alabama. It's a territory position so I won't really be tied to anyone location but it is highly suggested I stay somewhat  close to the center of my territory. This puts us in the Montgomery area.

There's a couple places in the surrounding communities that interest us but so far the wife seems to like Auburn area more than Montgomery. We'll be heading down in the next few weeks to meet with a real estate agent and start touring the area and looking at homes.

So what can you tell me about the area and Alabama in general?

Auburn/Opelika is a great area.  You could also look a little north of Montgomery, namely Prattville, and perhaps Millbrook.

Small world! We live just North of Bettendorf.

We've looked at the Prattville area also, I guess it is our second choice if we don't find anything in Auburn. I travel for work quite a bit so being closer to Atlanta would be handy.

Thanks for the info,

Shelby County is south of Birmingham and within striking distance of ATL and Birmingham proper.

I agree with this.  There are many well-to-do areas around the metro area, plus one of the best ranges in Alabama at Brock's Gap just off of I-459 in the Hoover area.  They put on several matches per month in different disciplines, website is www.brocksgap.com

Shelby County is a really nice area.  Convenient to Birmingham.  



When I first moved to AL, I was happy because my home property taxes were only $200/year.  Then I found out that my insurance was $1200+/year because there was no local fire department.  So I guess you pay one way or another.  



If you have kids, be careful about school zones.  Because taxes are so low, most of Alabama's public schools stink.  



One place to compare schools

http://www.greatschools.org/



Compare neighborhoods

http://www.neighborhoodscout.com/al/

Thanks for the info Lurch.

After more looking I think we are going to contact a relator in Prattville and Hoover.

Alabama Webb Sites.

http://www.al.com

http://marksoutdoors.com/

http://www.waltercraig.com/

http://www.hoovertacticalfirearms.com/

http://alisondb.legislature.state.al.us/acas/ACASLoginFire.asp

http://www.dcnr.state.al.us/

http://rocketcenter.com/

http://www.gulfshores.com/

http://www.auburnalabama.org/

http://visitingmontgomery.com/

http://www.hooveral.org/

http://www.myfoxal.com/

http://www.wsfa.com/

http://www.alabamaopencarry.com/

http://www.outdooralabama.com/hunting/regulations/legalarms.cfm

http://www.basspro.com/

http://www.cabelas.com/

https://www.woods-n-water.com/

Shelby county will put you between Mgomery and the Bham area, that'll give you a lot of options.

A lot of your choices will be determined by school choices for your children. Public or private? IMHO, Alabama public schools are degrading, slowly in rural areas and faster in urban areas. Private schools as well, but at a much slower pace. Most of this is due to the breakdown of the family unit, yada, yada, yada. Anyway, make sure any private school (if that is your choice) is accredited. Without that, your kids would probably have to take a state General Education Diploma (GED) test to be eligible for college.

Property taxes are low in comparison to other states. Both Jefferson County (Birmingham metro area) and Auburn have occupational tax. The trade-off is Auburn has an excellent school system, but is starting to have growing pains. Sales tax in Birmingham metro area is 8.5% to 11% (local guys correct me if wrong), while Montgomery metro is 8.5% to 10%. Sales tax is on everything (no food or medical exclusions). Cars, trucks, boats, etc are different.

Shelby County (Alabaster, Helena, Pelham et al), Prattville and Millbrook, Auburn and Opelika have decent shopping close by. Crime in these areas is not too bad, but obviously know your surroundings etc.

Real estate is somewhat tied to educational and employment options in the area in a directly proportional way. Do research on your own before getting with agents. Bottom line - they are in it for the money, just like car salesmen, so knowledge is power in your favor.

I have lived in various parts of Alabama for 40+ years. We are a very diverse state, and one of the best in the country, despite what the press says.

If you can ask some specific questions, we can give specific answers. We are very friendly and helpful people. Good luck with your choices.

These are JMHO, YMMV.

Baldwin County, especially Daphne or Fairhope.  Close to Gulf Shores/Orange Beach and across the bay from a big city....Mobile.

Drive a little further, be a little happier....

Some more "gun" things:
www.doubletapal.com
www.lighthorsetactical.com
www.tsarms.com

Auburn would be a great choice in my opinion.  Lake Martin is a beautiful lake.  South side of Bham in Shelby county is great as well .  Lots of choices.  Houses here are relatively inexpensive.  

I'm from Huntsville and have to admit I favor Huntsville.  Although I live in Bham.  I would never move to Montgomery.  It's been a dying town for years.  Prattville is okay.  

What industry are you in?

Another vote for Shelby County here...I'm currently having a house built in Montevallo just on the line from Alabaster. Montgomery is a turd from what I've seen there.

Troy isn't too bad and not far from Montgomery

Here's my Alabama story with the most brevity I can muster:

I was born in Boston and worked for nearly 20 years in downtown Manhattan (NYC) -- 24 Exchange Place for those interested, about 2 blocks from the WTC. In 2006 my wife and I realized the entire Northeast was a Constitution-hating cesspool and our existence was a pointless rat race occupied by a worthless routine leading us nowhere (just like everyone else in the cesspool). In 2007 we retired at the ripe, old age of 40, bought a farm in north Alabama, and have absolutely no desire to even visit that vile, putrid quadrant of America ever again.

Today, we have both beef and dairy cattle, dairy goats, hogs, turkeys, chickens, large gardens, fruit and nut trees of every kind, berry bushes, multiple grape vines, and honey bees. The only things we buy at the store now are toilet paper, detergent, toothpaste, and those kind of things.

Each morning I walk out onto my wrap-around porch on my farm with a cup of hot coffee. Some mornings I'll carry an AR or AK "assault rifle" with a "high capacity clip" and bang off 30-100 rounds between sips -- and no one says a word, because they don't care (or they're doing it too).

We're closing in on self-sufficiency. We organically produce the following on our own property:

Beef
Pork / Bacon
Turkey
Chicken
Raw Jersey Cow Milk
Raw Dairy Goat Milk
Butter
Different Cheeses
Chicken Eggs
Turkey Eggs
Every Vegetable Known to Man
Apples
Oranges
Pears
Peaches
Cherries
Blackberries
Blueberries
Raspberries
Green Grapes
Muscadine Grapes
Black Walnuts
Pecans
Hickory Nuts
Peanuts
Pure Raw Honey
Our Own Wine

...and the list goes on.

Alabama is a GREAT State to live in. Sure, it has it's issues as no place is perfect. Taxes are insanely low, Alabamians LOVE their guns (a BIG plus), LEOs are generally pretty cool (especially the ones on this board) and they don't freak out and faceplant you if they see a clip from your pocketknife. They won't disarm you if you're legally carrying unless you're acting like a douche. People are cool, and you can spend all day at a 4-way stop trying to wave each other through. There's a lot of fellas, including youngsters, who still address you as "Yes, sir." and "No, ma'am." Your older neighbors aren't "Bill and Linda", they're "Mr. & Mrs. Smith."

If you hate rednecks, you're going to have a difficult time. Don't bring Yankee to the South, I hate that shit. I may have been born in Boston, but I swear it seems like I've lived all my life as a proud Confederate Redneck who doesn't view secession from this Union as a bad thing. "Live and let live" and "Don't tread on me" still mean something here. Non-Southerners use the term "redneck" as a slur or insult, I wear it like a badge of honor. When you say "Jesus Christ" down here, people don't think you're swearing, they think you're talkin' Bible. If you're always in a hurry, you'll be quickly frustrated.

Raise your kids as proud home-schooled redneck valedictorians that like to play in manure and can shoot the tits off a fly at 300 yards. That's called "successful parenting" -- 'Bama-style.

TheHorta - that was such a great commentary, I copied it and sent it to my e-mail pals!

So after a little more research into the area and the territory I'm going to manage it might be more convenient to be in the Dothan or Enterprise area. Auburn and Montgomery area would be doable but would mean more time on the road everyday.

Personally, I would look at Troy over Dothan.  I'm on the other end of the state but drive through both a few times a year on the way back to visit the family in South GA.

 

Thanks. We will check it out.

Just watch out for this guy and types like him.

I live in Dothan. Troy is about an 1.5 hour from Dothan and an hour from Enterprise. I think Dothan has more in the way of ammentities. Enterprise while quaint just doesn't do it for me. Lots of towns in between I know folks in Elba.

Great parks, pretty good schools, Low-ish crime, all of the commercial stores/restaurants. Land is higher than Troy I am sure of that.


Direction wise everything goes off the Ross Clark Cirlce. Stay away from inside the Ross Clark Circle lots of nice house but you can go from mansions to ghetto in one block. Outside the circle is where you want to be. NorthWest side is the highest price, Rehobeth schools are highly desired. South side/ South East side are growing with new medical college being built. Land is cheaper the further out from the circle you go. It becomes rural fast, folks want top dollar for land but deals can be had. If you have questions let me know. I am not from here so I can give an outsiders point of view.

Dothan is a pretty nice area.  A lot of stores, places to eat, etc.  Schools aren't too bad, but the Rehobeth schools are better than inside the city.
There are a few ranges around, and a decent amount of gun shops.
You can find deals on land/houses in the county if you look hard enough.
You are close to the Chatthoochee river for fishing and about 1.5 hours from PC or Mexico beach for gulf fishing.
I may be biased, having been raised in the area and recently moved back, but its really not a bad place to be.    

Thanks again for all the information! Our flight is booked and we'll be in the area the week after next to start looking at homes.

I've lived in numerous states from RI to both coast of FL and while some were good , Dothan  honestly is quite nice. People are friendly and the climate is pretty good. I prefer a cooler climate, personally but it isn't bad. I've been here almost 8 years. We are looking for land and while I'm trying to convince my wife to stay locally we may move across the state line to FL. It would only add a few minutes to the commute.

There are great little towns between Dothan and Enterise which would be a good compromise. Just remember those counties are very rural and the amenities provided will reflect it. Houston county has a large budget and is currently improving all the rural roads. Sales taxes are lower in Dale, Henry, Coffee and Geneva counties too.

I lived here a month before my family moved here and was able to look around. We rented for 6 months while selling our house too. While we found some real nice homes outside of Dothan.  We knew that between the driving from schools, work, stores, entertainment that Dothan was the logical choice. I have friends that live in Enterprise and drive to Dothan every weekend. His Dr appointments are here too.

Lots of gunshops, ranges and hunting. Deer season has been extended to mid February. You can hunt w/ scilencers and use NVG or lights ( with state permission) for hogs and coyotes, no closed season btw.

Also it is cheaper to fly into panama city or destin and drive up but I think you said you already booked your flight.

Yeah. My wife is flying into Bham and I'm flying into Pensacola a couple days early on business. Her flight was booked before we realized Hoover would be jus too far North.  We could have changed flights but what the hell. It will give us a chance to see some more of the state.

The skies are blue and the governor is true....

I love this state. My wife mentions moving a good bit. Its the one thing we disagree on the most.

If you end up eating a meal around the I-65 and I-459 area in the Hoover area, go to either The Ridge or Mudtown. Two restaurants owned by a very active participant in the competitive shooting scene. His restaurants have signs up advocating the carry and judicious marksmanship of firearms. He also is the chef and one cool dude.

Perfect double tap.

We eat at The Ridge a good bit. Just down from the house.

Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile

Gov Bently getting his gun on

I grew up in Montgomery, call Troy "home", and currently live in west Shelby Co

Montgomery is place I have NO desire to ever go back to, except to catch an occasional Biscuits game. If I can help it, I certainly won't live there again. They've done wonders with the downtown area as far as entertainment goes, but outside of East Montgomery, the city is still a cesspool. Pike Road, Millbrook and Prattville on the other hand are very nice alternatives to the Gump.

My parents are both from (and still live just outside of Troy). As I said, that is where I still call home, and as soon as I retire I plan to be headed back there. Troy is a decent town, and either Dothan or Montgomery are only 45 minutes away if you need/ want to do something that isn't available in Troy. Another place to look at down that way would be Enterprise, which I've heard from relatives is growing at a lightening pace and in a good way.

Shelby County is just as nice as it has been previously described... We've been the fastest growing county in the South East for quite some time now, and it is holding up very well. I much prefer rural areas to metro areas, and Shelby County has a very good mix of both. Hoover, Alabaster, most of Calera, Montevallo, and Pelham are all very nice areas.

Thanks. We'll be looking in the Dothan/Enterprise area also. The big drawback is my daughter has a peanut allergy so we're a little nervous about moving to the peanut capital of the world. Not sure at this time how interaction with the plants, pollen, dust etc from peanut production relates to being allergic to the peanut itself but we're looking into it.

local to the area

dothan is nice
housing options = are plentiful and reasonably priced
dining options = decent
entertainment options = decent
schools = ok but not the best
future growth = growing at a good pace

enterprise is nice but small
housing options = are decent but with a local military base prices are a little higher compared to dothan
dining options = limited
entertainment options = limited
schools = great and as a system are ranked as better than average
future growth = growing but slower than dothan

enterprise is only a 25 minute drive from dothan on a 4 lane hwy

big consideration would be your work location and the commute time

feel free to PM me if you would like anymore info on the local areas


ps. montgomery isnt all bad and there are some nice areas (check out the Taylor road area

We just finished our house hunting trip and it was a success! We have an offer in on a house in Auburn so wish us luck.

We loved the area and can't wait to make it our home.

Auburn is a great area and you are only 30min from the best part of Alabama

Lake Martin

Auburn is God's Country! WAR EAGLE!

Finding a hotel in Auburn Friday night was impossible so we stayed in Alex City and drove around Lake Martin. I agree, its beautiful.

And Kowliga Marina might just be my new favorite restaurant.

Kowliga is all right. We go there for Sunday drinks, but it's a good bit away from my place.

I love waking up and drinking coffee looking out over the water. Pic from this morning.

Glad you found someplace to call home!

OP,

Don't forget: Within 30 days of the establishment of your household, each member of your family who is 12 years of age or older, must declare their fanship with either Auburn or Alabama.  

It's the law.

P.S.

Don't let your proximity to Auburn University lean you toward their fanship.  Indeed, there is no good reason to be an Auburn fan.

I'm going to troll both sides and proudly fly my Saluki flag.

This is the answer

So tell me about hunting in the Auburn area.


It looks like other than some public land in the Tuskegee NF I'm going to have to lease some ground or join a hunting club.


Is that about right?

Yes.
I used to live in Opelika and lucked out by getting 120 acres to hunt free.  Tuskegee NF can get crowded unless you get way back off the roads.  Best bet is look on Craigslist for hunting clubs, or get on the ALDeer Forums, where you can learn about hunting here, as well as find clubs/land to lease.