By Mike Edwards, AMC Transformation Team
Well, it’s been one month since my PCS. Here are some things that I have learned since moving here.
-
Bring a letter from your current utility company stating that you have been a good customer. The Huntsville Utility Company will charge you a $300.00 deposit if you do not have a letter to start up your utilities.
-
If you are going to live in Madison County, you can get your car tags and driver’s license on post at the PX/Commissary. To get your tags you have to pay by check or cash. The driver’s license folks will take credit/debit cards as well.
-
Be patient with drivers. I have noticed that people here take their time. Also, they will pull out in front of you with little space in between.
-
The access to the arsenal is much better than Fort Belvoir. You may pull up to the gate at 0730 and have a long line, but you move much more quickly.
-
My wife is very satisfied with the shopping options here. She has found that all the things she would shop for back in Virginia are here, and she doesn’t have to check the time of day to see if the traffic will prevent her from going.
-
My wife and I have taken the kids to do a lot of really fun things since moving here. We recently went to Tate Farms (http://www.tatefarmspumpkins.com/index.htm) and the kids loved it.
-
We also went to a pre-season hockey game. It was nice to take a family of five and only cost $50 for tickets and only $5 to park. The only down side is that the sport is not NHL-caliber, but still very enjoyable.
Feel free to ask questions or comment on anything I’ve mentioned. I want to ensure the transition from the northern Virginia area to Alabama is as smooth as possible for those that have made the decision to move.
How long did it take you to get your orders after you were notified that you were a part of the pre-advance party? Did you receive them 120 days prior as stated in the BRAC meetings? Did you have enough time to sell your home? Also, did you have any problems using the DNRP or did you sell your home by using a agent? If you used A agent, did the Government pay your Real-Estate fees?
This is a great way to get information to the folks that are moving down. I helped with the St Louis BRAC, and we set up a sponsorship program in the Acquisition Center. We found volunteers here to correspond with those getting ready to move here, and this provided a personal POC for every family being moved. We tried to match interests and life situations were possible. Many people commented on how helpful it was, and several people told me that the later became friends with their sponsors.
Derrick,
I was a unique case. I knew I was going to be PCS’d but, was waiting for us to receive BRAC funding. Due to personal reasons I reported to Redstone Arsenal prior to the 120 days allotted. I did my complete PCS in about 45 days. I used DNRP to sell my house in VA. My suggestion for DNRP is to only use it if you think you won’t be able to sell your house. The offer from SIRVA was slightly below what we would have liked to have gotten for the house on the open market. SIRVA is the relocation company that the Army DNRP program manager has contracted with to execute the relocations. The folks at SIRVA are very knowledgeable and helpful
Huntsville Health Care Experience
My wife and I were fortunate to deliver our 4th child at the Huntsville Hospital last week. In comparison to hospitals in Northern Virginia, this was by far the best experience. From the moment we walked in the hospital at 0500 (UGH!) we were greeted by caring but professional people. The nurses and doctors were all great. The delivery rooms at the hospital were very large and my wife loved the atmosphere they have created. Every new mother is given a private post partum room with a couch and rocker for visitors. We delivered our other 3 children at Prince William and Potomac hospitals and we thought the care there was good. The care and attention at the Huntsville hospital met or exceeded that of the other hospitals we were used to. The only downside was of course the food.
Here is another example of Southern Hospitality. I went to Olive Garden to get my wife Chicken Parmesan for dinner the night after the delivery and the server noticed my baby bracelet on my wrist. She asked if we had just delivered and I said yes, my wife wanted Italian for dinner. When the meal came out, the manager brought it out and said that the meal was on the house and congratulations. You don’t get this hospitality in Northern VA.
More to come…
This is a great site and thanks for providing this information. I have a unique situation. I am desperately trying to leave Northern, VA to get HOME to Huntsville/Decatur, where I am from. I am so homesick!
I was elated to learn of the BRAC announcement bringing thousands of jobs to my beloved state and region. I work for another DoD agency, Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA), which is also being BRAC’d to Ft. Meade, MD. I have been networking like a fiend to tried to get home to Alabama as I do not want to move further north. I am currently the Deputy Public Affairs Officer at my agency, but I am willing to explore other job series and broaden my experience as a federal employee. (Yes, I get weekly emails from USAJOBS, and regularly check CPOL.)
I am hoping that my post might generate some interest in those who KNOW they have current workers NOT moving with them to Huntsville and would be interested in connecting with an interested party who does want to move to Alabama. I am hoping this blog can be just one more way to network.
Thank you for finding my home state and region so hospitable and friendly. I miss that living up here in the Northern, VA area. I appreciate what you are doing.
Sincerely,
Terri Stover
Deputy Public Affairs Officer
DISA
Arlington, VA
Health Care in Huntsville, AL
Ok, so I’ve finally found something to complain about here in Huntsville.
Since I have been here, Sep 07, I’ve been trying to get into a primary care doctor with NO success. When I got here I asked several people who they saw. I would take the name of the doctor and call the office to make an appointment. Every time I was told the doctor was not seeing new patients and to call the Huntsville Medical office for a list of doctors seeing patients. Well, I just kept going, asking around and calling other offices. I guess I should have called the Medical office for the list…
I recently needed to see a doctor and went to the Urgent Care office down the road from my house. After getting treated, the doctor there told me that she was seeing patients. So, I’ve decided to use her as my primary care physician.
My other experience with the health care in Huntsville is that I’m diabetic and want to be treated by an Endocrinologist. After asking around I was given the name of 2 doctors to see. I contacted both offices with the same response, call the Medical Office for a list.
Well, after looking around, I only found 6 Endocrinologists in Huntsville. Me being the persistent person I am, I called the doctor that I wanted to see back and they asked for a referral. I called my doctor in VA and asked them to contact the office in Huntsville and they did. I was given an appointment 3 months from the date. I also have to take a mandatory class ($65) on diabetes before he will see me…I’ve been a diabetic for 7 years, I think I’m informed of my condition.
We were successful in getting in with the pediatrician we wanted ONLY because my wife was pregnant when we moved here. I will let other members of the advance team discuss their experiences but, I’ve heard they are having troubles as well.
I do know that the Tennessee Valley is looking at the Health Care issues in the area but, these were my experiences.
Lessons learned:
1. If you take medications, make sure you have a good supply when you leave VA. I got a 6 month prescription for all my meds.
2. Contact Doctors in Huntsville as soon as you can to get in with a practice…use your VA Doctor to help get in if needed.
3. Make sure you bring a copy of your medical records if you have special circumstances (Diabetes, Heart Condition).
BRAC Relocation Brings Good News for Potential Homeowners
Those affected by relocation assignments from the Base Realignment and Closure Commission are finding great news upon arriving in their new city: they can afford to own a home.
While the national housing market is experiencing a slowing in growth, some local markets are booming, unaffected by dour predictions for the economy. As a result, individuals and families affected by BRAC are finding it easier to become homeowners, and many are surprised to find out what kind of home they can afford.
The housing market in Huntsville, Alabama is one such example. Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville is the relocation site of AMC headquarters and USASAC, from Fort Belvoir, Virginia. The average sales price of a home in Huntsville is $189,813. Using the Home Price Comparison Index, a home of this price is equivalent to a $417,756 home in Woodbridge, Virginia, a $694,994 home in Alexandria, Virginia or a $725,376 home in Washington, DC. When asked about the average home prices in the areas around Fort Belvoir, Kathy Stark, a Northern Virginia REALTOR®, estimates the average townhouse price to be $350,000. Stark says that the average price for a modest single-family home would be between $600,000 and $650,000. Needless to say, the Huntsville housing market is a bargain in comparison.
Brenda Elliott, broker/owner of WEICHERT, REALTORS® – The Executive Group and veteran Army wife, explains the perks of relocating to an area like Huntsville. “When my husband retired from the Pentagon, we moved to Huntsville with his new job. This area is growing rapidly, which makes it a really great time to invest in real estate.”
Elliott is not understating the growth of the area. 10 years ago, the average sales price for a home in the Huntsville market was $115,518, and there was just over $196 million in real estate sold. In 2007, residential real estate in Huntsville was a $581 million industry.
“The market is hot, and houses are selling quickly,” says Elliott. “This is great news for sellers, but it’s also good news for potential buyers, because Huntsville real estate is a smart investment. This growth shows no sign of cooling. In 1997, the average time a house stayed on the market was 169 days. In 2007, our average number of days on market was 68.”
There are also options for those looking to super-size their living situation. “There are several neighborhoods with luxury homes where just the lot can start at $200,000” says Elliott. “For people looking in the $400,000 to $700,000 range, Huntsville has many options.”
Sounds like great news for those relocating, but what about people staying in areas like Northern Virginia? “The Huntsville real estate market has some great investment properties, and many sales agents in the area work exclusively with out-of-town investors” says Elliott.
Huntsville is also an attractive option for those looking to own a second home. The area has many amenities, including courses on the critically acclaimed Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail located in the Hampton Cove area. The Hampton Cove RTJ facility has 54 holes, including 36 championship holes and an 18-hole short course. The Huntsville Museum of Art offers diverse programming, from an Italian Renaissance exhibit from the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, to a salute to 20th century American music with portraits by photographers such as Annie Liebovitz and Philippe Halsman.
For those more interested in shopping, the new Bridge Street Towne Center is a retail experience not to be missed. Bridge Street bills itself as a mixed-use lifestyle center, with 550,000 square feet of retail, office and hotel space on 100 acres. Designed by a development firm from Los Angeles, this open-air environment is styled to resemble an Italian village, with gondolas floating on waterways amidst the designer boutiques, luxury movie theatre and future site of the Westin Hotel. Bridge Street’s L.A.-based design company, O&S Holdings, predicts that “lifestyle centers,” such as this, are the future of retail.
Huntsville is certainly not short on activities, including the Huntsville Symphony Orchestra, Broadway Theatre League, Botanical Garden, Space Camp and Concerts in the Park, a summer outdoor concert series. Huntsville also has the Big Spring Jam, a three-day outdoor concert festival that draws 230,000 attendees to view performances by artists such as Destiny’s Child, KC & the Sunshine Band, Blues Traveler and Taylor Swift.
Huntsville’s growing industry also makes it a great place to invest. In addition to the U.S. Army’s Redstone Arsenal, Huntsville is home to the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center and Cummings Research Park. CRP is one of the world’s leading science and technology business parks. CRP covers 3,843 acres and hosts Fortune 500 companies, local and international high-tech enterprises, US space and defense agencies and higher-education institutions. It is the second largest research and technology park in the United States and the fourth largest in the world. The Association of University Research Parks ranked CRP as the Most Outstanding Science Park in the World. There is still 500 acres available for development, meaning there is still much expansion to be seen in this area.
Nearly every major U.S. aerospace corporation is represented in Huntsville, with 90+ companies employing more than 11,000 people in the local aerospace industry. Huntsville also plays a role in the U.S. Army’s technology development programs, with military and support contract employment reaching over 32,000.
Those who have previously relocated from areas like Northern Virginia to Huntsville say they could not be happier with their new city. “Huntsville has so much to offer” says Elliott. “It’s a big city with a community spirit.”
Mike, If you haven’t found a family doctor yet, try Cowart, Allen, and Cross with Total Sport Care on Balmoral Road. They are located close to the Arsenal and all three are wonderful doctors. I kept Dr. Cowart as my primary doctor even though I’m here at Headquarters!!
Wilma, Thanks for the information.
[...] Posted by hqamcbrac on January 24, 2008 Many of you have expressed concern of the healthcare in the Huntsville area. ADVON team member Mike Edwards recently submitted a blog outlining his experiences and lessons learned (read it here http://hqamcbrac.wordpress.com/2007/11/01/lessons-learned-from-my-move-to-redstone/#comment-58). [...]
[...] Many of you have expressed concern of the healthcare in the Huntsville area. ADVON team member Mike Edwards recently submitted a blog outlining his experiences and lessons learned (read it here http://hqamcbrac.wordpress.com/2007/11/01/lessons-learned-from-my-move-to-redstone/). [...]
[...] Many of you have expressed concern of the healthcare in the Huntsville area. ADVON team member Mike Edwards recently submitted a blog outlining his experiences and lessons learned (read it here http://hqamcbrac.wordpress.com/2007/11/01/lessons-learned-from-my-move-to-redstone/). [...]
I will be here 10 years in Dec. I am a St. Louis transplant. The area is nice and growing to meet some of the things I miss about St. Louis. I do have to say that they really need diabetic doctors and to just have 3 is just not right. I have tried 2 of the 3 and can say I was not happy with them and the 3rd one I could not see since I saw his partner already. So once you go to one, you are stuck. The second one was disappointing since I waited forever and then didn’t even get to see him, but had to see his PA. That was crazy since she kept saying I would have to ask the doctor my questions. I have tried one that has a practice in Decatur, but he is so overwhelmed he is starting to not have a clue why you are there to see him even though he told you to. So I have really considered Birmingham, but that seems unfair when you live in a town that has top-rated technology and you don’t have a doctor to go to. I really think this needs to be looked at for so many that are BRAC. We want doctors like we had where we came from and not “STUCK” going to one with no personality or a clue as to who you are.
Hello,
I am, Christopher
great posts on here
my site:
http://mICAgJE1.spaces.live.com/