Gulf Coast - Living in Slidell, LA?

Gents,

I've been looking around at the north shore area, since I plan to move to LA this coming summer. I like the Eden Isles subdivison for obvious reasons. I have a few questions that you guys may be able to help me with.

1- What are the good public/private schools in this area?

2- Are homes easy to insure in this area? What is the approximate cost for flooding/hazzard insurance per year?

3- Are property taxes high?

4- Anything else I should be looking for if thinking about buying a home at Eden Isles?

5- I will work at Hammond, so Ive been told is about a 45-50 minute commute.

Thanks for your feedback.

Frank

Hooked,

I have lived in slidell for ~4 years now. I would consider Slidell a bedroom community. Most of where you are looking to buy was hit pretty hard by the storm. I have not bought anything since i moved down here due to the high cost of insurance and taxes. I cannot give you specific #'s but i can tell you that i moved here from the Washington D.C. metro area and i almost fell off my bar stool when i started shopping real estate. Not for the cost of a home but the cost to insure. I believe you have to go north of I-12 to get better rates. Also, factor in the cost of car insurance. Very high down here. Can't tell you about the schools. The people are outstanding and the fishing is off the hook!
I am sure some the locals will provide better info than i can.

J

Shoot a PM to Ringleader. He lives in Slidell.

Gents,

I've been looking around at the north shore area, since I plan to move to LA this coming summer. I like the Eden Isles subdivison for obvious reasons. I have a few questions that you guys may be able to help me with.

1- What are the good public/private schools in this area?

2- Are homes easy to insure in this area? What is the approximate cost for flooding/hazzard insurance per year?

3- Are property taxes high?

4- Anything else I should be looking for if thinking about buying a home at Eden Isles?

5- I will work at Hammond, so Ive been told is about a 45-50 minute commute.

Thanks for your feedback.

Frank

I live in Slidell. Almost all the schools are good and some are excellent. There are plenty of private options. Eden Isles is in a flood zone. I live in a flood zone. My house is valued at 145K Annually I pay $1100 for flood insurance, $1700 for homeowners and $1000 in property taxes.

You might wish to look at the Covington area. Getting north of I-12 will cut flood and property tax rates. The schools in Covington are very good.

What is your price range, size requirements and any other things you are looking for in a house.

Gents,

I've been looking around at the north shore area, since I plan to move to LA this coming summer. I like the Eden Isles subdivison for obvious reasons. I have a few questions that you guys may be able to help me with.

1- What are the good public/private schools in this area?

2- Are homes easy to insure in this area? What is the approximate cost for flooding/hazzard insurance per year?

3- Are property taxes high?

4- Anything else I should be looking for if thinking about buying a home at Eden Isles?

5- I will work at Hammond, so Ive been told is about a 45-50 minute commute.

Thanks for your feedback.

Frank



I grew up in Slidell and it was a great town to grow up in. I am a product of the St. Tammany Parish public schools, and it worked out well for me. There are, however, plenty of private/Catholic schools in the area. I am not sure Slidell is the same, though, as it was 20 or 30 years ago. Katrina really shook things up. Eden Isles was hit hard, and i am sure most of those houses flooded. Insurance will be expensive. If you are going to work in Hammond, the Mandeville/Covington/Madisonville area might be a better choice. And if you do buy ANY house that flooded or had repairs done post Katrina, MAKE SURE to check the drywall. LOTS of houses have Chinese drywall, and you do not want to get involved with that!

eden isles got crushed, as mentioned above
no offense to any who live there, but there are better options to live in other than slidell, especially if you are working in hammond

i live in hammond, and i love it...i lived for 10 years in mandeville, and enjoyed that as well, although the traffic around there can be maddening

you mentioned schools...my daughter still goes to school in mandeville...they are probably the best public schools in the state

hammond schools are horrible

I live and have worked in Hammond for 16 years but am moving to Madisonville in next 2 weeks. Commute to Hammond is less than 25 minutes. Check the time on the commute from the lakefront in Slidell to Hammond. I figure it to be close to an hour. I agree with cgrand that you may want to consider closer options. And I have a raised 1890's Victorian on the Tchefuncte river in downtown Madisonville for sale if you want something to renovate with a killer view!
Boutwell

I live in Mandeville and love it. The best schools in the state are in mandeville. There are some really nice neghborhoods in the Mandeville area But non quite like Eden Isle. Water front property here is very expensive. If you are dead set on water front you should look at Springfield which is west of Ponchatoula and very close to Hammond. Much more affordable and the property taxes and insurance are resonable. The schools are fair to good in Springfield.

I've lived here basically my entire life. Eden Isle is closer to the lake then the other waterfront developments nearer Slidell. They got anywhere from 6 ft to 1 ft of water in their homes. You may look at one of the newer developments for a bit more elevation. Flood insurance is high but your living area being above base flood levels reduces the cost of insurance. Auto insurance is no higher than anywhere else in the country. We have a homestead exemption so the first 70,000 of property appraisal is tax free. I thing property taxes are public record so ask your real estate agent to get you the numbers.

Slidell is central to both New Orleans and the Miss Gulf Coast. You are close to some very good fishing on Hwy 11 bridge, the Rigolets and Lake Borgne. I make the run to Breton Sound from Slidell pretty regular when I do not feel like trailering the boat.

Depending on your budget you have a lot of options in this area. Rigolets Estates is also a development that since it is newer is built a bit higher and they didn't get quite as much water.

There isn't much traffic between Hammond and Slidell so your commute shouldn't be a problem. I figure 40 minutes when I have to head up that way. Schools throughout St. Tammany parish are good. Some better than others but on the whole better than most surrounding parishes.

Al

Gentlemen, thanks for you feedback. Things never thing to line up just right, as usual. Schools is the big push for me, since I have two young daughters. My other option if Slidell wont do it for my wife is to buy a house close to a marina in Madisonville or Mandeville. At this point, I am not set on anything, just trying to build a mental picture of the whole St. Tammany area.

If there is more feedback, please continue to post it. I am reading these to my wife, so she can also get a feeling of the area and what it has to offer. Like most of you, I am inclined to waterfront living, but also have the family priorities to deal with, so I need to find a good spot that will accomodate most of our goals. Thanks again to you all.

If you want to be close /on the water on the North Shore, you're going to be paying out the azz for flood ins. That entire area got hit HARD by Katrina and the property taxes are also some of the highest in the state too. You may be able to find something on the river in Livingston parish where flood ins won't hit you so hard. They have good shools there too. Not sure where Mandeville public schools came in last year but Zachary was #1 in the state, Central was 2 or 3 and Livingston was 2-4. Good luck. That whole area is nice with maybe the exception of Hammond schools.

I lived in Eden Isles pre-katrina and moved to Lakeshore a few months before. My house in EI was about 11ft (got 4ft of water) my new house is at 14.5ft where I got 2". The access to the lake is much easier from Lakeshore. Canals are 200% wider and 25-40ft deep so fishing is way better in the hood. Not to mention I don't have people always standing on their docks yelling at me for passing by their house at 3 kts.

I find St Tammany property taxes to be very high, especially post katrina. Mine went from 1800/yr to 6000/yr after katrina. My insurance rate did the exact same 1800 to 6000. We can only get coverage by citizens.

Schools for the Edens Isles, Oak Harbor, and Lakeshore areas are Abney, Brock and Salmen which all rank poorly in our parish. Cypress Cove, Honey Island and Northshore HS are among best in state. My kids go to private school. Northminster Montessori and Lake Castle. As far as I'm concerned there is no better schools than those 2. The Catholic HS (PJP) is pretty weak compared to most. I'd say for High School that Northshore and Slidell High are actually better schools.
All in all I really like slidell. I'm born and raised in Houma. I wouldn't trade living on the water. I love it. Its nerve racking during hurricane season but otherwise I catch trout, reds, striped bass, flounder, puppy drum, sheephead, croaker and shrimp, cocahoe, pinfish right in my backyard. I can catch something 365 days/yr without going in the boat. Or I can run offshore from the house!

I can recommend a VERY good dentist in slidell if you end up there. Husband/wife practice. Extreme quality and care. Wink,wink.

Auto insurance is no higher than anywhere else in the country.

O.K., Let me re-phrase. Auto insurance here is 3 times higher here than in the DC Metro area. Uninsured motorist is the reason i was told by the insurance companies.
J

That is a small price to pay in exchange for living so close to Scuttlebutt's.

You have to look at the big picture here fellas.

That is a small price to pay in exchange for living so close to Scuttlebutt's.

You have to look at the big picture here fellas.

Hahahaha! They really need to put some money into a new sign. They have a hefty girl on one side and an old skank on the other. FWIW they have All New Bar Prices. So the sign says.

the scuttlebutt's christmas commercials are oscar-worthy...

Thanks again guys. I had my wife read all your posts and she is getting the picture. Another option we are looking at is to purchase a home within walking distance of a marina in the Mandeville/Madisonville area.

Thanks again guys. I had my wife read all your posts and she is getting the picture. Another option we are looking at is to purchase a home within walking distance of a marina in the Mandeville/Madisonville area.

Mandeville and Madisonville are great areas, both with easy access to the Lake and rivers. Living on the water will be expensive, but if that is not a must and you just want to be close there are plenty of options where flooding from a hurricane is not a real concern. Public schools are very good, and there are plenty of private options. Shoot me a PM with detailed questions.

Hahahaha! They really need to put some money into a new sign. They have a hefty girl on one side and an old skank on the other. FWIW they have All New Bar Prices. So the sign says.

They are under "new management":grin:

I lived in Eden Isles pre-katrina and moved to Lakeshore a few months before. My house in EI was about 11ft (got 4ft of water) my new house is at 14.5ft where I got 2". The access to the lake is much easier from Lakeshore. Canals are 200% wider and 25-40ft deep so fishing is way better in the hood. Not to mention I don't have people always standing on their docks yelling at me for passing by their house at 3 kts.

I find St Tammany property taxes to be very high, especially post katrina. Mine went from 1800/yr to 6000/yr after katrina. My insurance rate did the exact same 1800 to 6000. We can only get coverage by citizens.

Schools for the Edens Isles, Oak Harbor, and Lakeshore areas are Abney, Brock and Salmen which all rank poorly in our parish. Cypress Cove, Honey Island and Northshore HS are among best in state. My kids go to private school. Northminster Montessori and Lake Castle. As far as I'm concerned there is no better schools than those 2. The Catholic HS (PJP) is pretty weak compared to most. I'd say for High School that Northshore and Slidell High are actually better schools.
All in all I really like slidell. I'm born and raised in Houma. I wouldn't trade living on the water. I love it. Its nerve racking during hurricane season but otherwise I catch trout, reds, striped bass, flounder, puppy drum, sheephead, croaker and shrimp, cocahoe, pinfish right in my backyard. I can catch something 365 days/yr without going in the boat. Or I can run offshore from the house!

I can recommend a VERY good dentist in slidell if you end up there. Husband/wife practice. Extreme quality and care. Wink,wink.


PM me your practice contact info please. Thanks.

PM me your practice contact info please. Thanks.

Me too please.

actually, some decent "waterfront" property can be had in several subdivisions in the Covington/Mandeville area. I live in the Riverwood subdivision on the the Ponchilotawa creek, which feeds to the Tchefuncte river, which feeds to the lake. Most of the creek is a no-wake zone and it is fresh water so we only catch perch, catfish and bass from the dock.

almost all the homes in this area are very nice, reasonably priced, but are older homes - 30 years or so. we have a neighborhood boat launch (backdown) maintained by the homeowners association.

many homes are available on the Tchefuncte River itself. I personally prefer to be off the river, and living in Mandeville very close to the lake has some serious pluses and minuses.

one of my grade school friends is a real estate agent - if you are interested send me an e-mail and she can get you more acclimated with current pricing.

By the way, my kids all have attended Mandeville public schools - as good as anywhere in the US. Slidell has some pretty good schools too, but those by Eden Isles are not suitable for most.

actually, some decent "waterfront" property can be had in several subdivisions in the Covington/Mandeville area. I live in the Riverwood subdivision on the the Ponchilotawa creek, which feeds to the Tchefuncte river, which feeds to the lake. Most of the creek is a no-wake zone and it is fresh water so we only catch perch, catfish and bass from the dock.

almost all the homes in this area are very nice, reasonably priced, but are older homes - 30 years or so. we have a neighborhood boat launch (backdown) maintained by the homeowners association.

many homes are available on the Tchefuncte River itself. I personally prefer to be off the river, and living in Mandeville very close to the lake has some serious pluses and minuses.

one of my grade school friends is a real estate agent - if you are interested send me an e-mail and she can get you more acclimated with current pricing.

By the way, my kids all have attended Mandeville public schools - as good as anywhere in the US. Slidell has some pretty good schools too, but those by Eden Isles are not suitable for most.

Does the Riverwood area flood bad? That does look like a good location. What happened there in Katrina?

flowers estates in covington is another good one...flowers bayou runs into the tchefuncte and it's right off 1-12 so easy access to your commute

I grew up in Slidell and here's my take....

1. Schools - I went to Abney, St Tammany Jr High, and Salmen in the 80's. They were ok back then but I wouldn't send my kids there today (no offense). I have two kids at Northshore (awesome) and one at Honey Island (excellent). You can pay for private at Lourdes or St Margaret Mary but they won't get a better education than public in Slidell. Whispering Forest (excellent), Clearwood Jr High and Slidell High are very good too.

2. Insurance - property taxes seem low compared to other parts of the country but flood insurance is high if you live in a Katrina whacked area. On the flip side you can basically steal a house in Eden Iles right now because there are so many for sale. Now if ya have 700K to 2 million (maybe you can still buy PJ Brown's house for 10 mill ;? ) to spend you can go hang out with the dentists in Lakeshore... :thumbsup:

3. Commute - from the Eden Ilses (Oak Harbor) exit it's about an hour unless you're driving 95 mph. :grin: That's to the first exit then you can add however many minutes it takes you to get to work from there. I have a friend who commutes to Baton Rouge from here and likes it but no way for me.

4. Slidell - I love Slidell! Close to N.O. (Boat Show tonight!) , close to great fishing, low crime, good food, nice people ;) , and my whole friggin family lives here. I wouldn't live anywhere else. Good luck.

Bottom line - I'd look at Madisonville/Mandeville but if you don't mind the commute we'll save a spot at the Rigolets for ya. ;cool;