I just want to say that Captain hit it pretty head on for everything within 40 miles of Hood, the stuff near austin im not as knowledgeable about so i will leave that to the rest of you all to debate.

Looking at houses in HH. I am hearing that Skipcha Elementary is a good school. Also looking saw a few houses near it....but the neighborhood looks saturated with houses for sale. I am curious if anyone has any details on this specific neighborhood.

from what i have heard skipcha elementary is pretty good. The area is all pretty new, the walmart and shopping center across the highway has only been there a couple years and most of the other smaller shopping areas are probably within ten years. good area, not too impressed with harker heights high for when the kids get older bit thats just me. most of killeen/harker heights have a lot of housing turnover due to the high population of military in the area

Shouldn't be around when kids get older, so just concerned with elementary schools...

The disparity in housing prices is catching my attention. A 140K house next to a 240K house. Or a house with five cars in front and a basketball net on the street isn't gonna make it easy for the dude next door to sell.

Skipsha Elementary is good. As you pass by Union Grove, look back in that area for homes. Many professionals live in the area, and the home values are holding their own.

Wow...so far I like the area. I only remember training here at a cadet, so I never really knew much other than from my friends who grew up in Killeen.

Seems a better town than most Army posts I've been to. Already made quick trips and even shot down to SA.

Having said that, the houses I wanted just out of the city don't match our style or are out of price range. I'd feel comfortable leaving the family in HHs near Scipcha (sp?) or Mountain View.

I'm looking forward to the permanent move.

Any suggestions on looking around while we are here...kid friendly places, churches, live music joints, bbq, farmer's market, etc?

I was over there yesterday. It is such a quick hop from Temple that it might as well be one town. I love the area of the new center in HH, and this time actually drove on down through Killeen proper. It really offers almost everything one finds in a large city now. My high school classmate I met there talked about how much the town had changed since her son was stationed there twenty years ago.

Fly if you like country, two locations in Temple Belton bring in some people. One is the BBQ place in Belton that I can never spell.

The other is a place just out in the country from Temple, the Oscar Store. It is about two miles I guess off the road to Cameron.

Now that you're here, I'll tell ya - not much here in the way of live music. Oscar store is on a little FM connecting 36 and 53 just East of Temple. Local bands on weekends. Schoepfs BBQ in Belton is the other place 3G refers to. They have live music from some pretty big names in Texas/Oklahoma "red dirt" type stuff. Robison, morrow, et al. Other than that, not much in the way of good live music, unless you go to Austin. BBQ - schoepfs, Clem mikeskas, a few other places. Walburg store north of Georgetown is a decent German food place w/ a biergarten. Killeen has many good restaurants of all types.

Cool...if we stay tomorrow night, I may pass by one of those. May be done with house hunting.

We took a ride by the lake today. Looks very cool..even drove up by the houses looking over the lakes. NICE. Looking forward to taking the kids out there to fish.

Lake Belton used to be referred to by local fisherman as the "Dead Sea". That's been awhile and perhaps the fishing is better than it once was.

Fly:

I live in the neighborhood by the lake (not on top of the hill). We've been happy here. There are never more than a handful of houses in the neighborhood for sale. (Saw three on my run this morning). The developer pulled out before we bought, so all the undeveloped lots will be custom homes, and should help raise the value of all the others long term. Lots of deer, room to breath between houses, nice landscaping. I love seeing the lake from my front porch.

The price of admission isn't cheap, but it is not significantly different from the rest of HH.

I wanted to buy a house right by the lake...cool little neighborhood with mostly cast iron fences if any. However, the really cool house I wanted had three or four really annoying dogs living next door. I really wanted that house, but no way I'm gonna have that in my back yard.

Anyhow, going to inspect a house tomorrow. Had Freebirds tonight...first time in 10 years. Ahhh...great.

BTW - thanks for all the advice guys...it came in handy. Headed back to KS for a few months before we move to Tejas.

Had many great times on Belton Lake.


Harker Heights and Belton schools are fine.